Atlanta Community Improvement Association
Clean Water, Air and Earth for ALL people
Founded in 1999, the Atlanta Community Improvement Association is a community-based, environmental justice organization educating disadvantaged communities on environmental technologies, green jobs, watershed & waste management and political advocacy.
Timeline Highlights
1999
Engaged in GA-State Wide Voter Registration Campaign with GA. Coalition for the People Agenda under leadership of Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. Over 24,000 citizens of GA are registered by CIA.
2000
Selected by GA Coalition to organize a march on Washington D.C and Florida for with Rev. Joseph E. Lowery for the Get Out the Vote campagin. Over 2,700 citizens from GA attended.
2001
Engaged in the City of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Deputy Program. CIA served over 400 volunteers hours to help combat blight all over the City of Atlanta. CIA identified over 3,000 vacant and abandon structures city wide, and would later be recognized as the city's "Top Deputy."
Engaged in the Westside Tad Funding Committee to help steer bond funding for neighborhood development. Over 1 hundred million was directed to the English Avenue and Vine City community for housing rehabilitation development.
2003
Served on the board of the Peachtree & Pine Homeless Shelter, Atlanta, GA to help citizens with clothing depot and job related resources. Over 200 citizens were served.
Coordinated with Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry to help Katrina victims receive food and clothing. Over 3,000 people were served.
2005
Engaged with GA Stand-Up Alliance for the 2005 GA-City Wide Voter Registration. Over 5,000 unregistered residents are now registered.
2006
Organized Earth Day Weekend for the English Avenue and Vine City community. Over 300 volunteers came including Councilman’s and Commissioners attended. Over 3,000 pounds of trash came out the community.
2008
Participated in drafting a water quality improvement plan for the Upper Chattahoochee River/Proctor Creek Sewer Basin. Coordinated planning meeting held by WAWA, CIA, UCR, ARC, COA and other Proctor Creek Watershed partners.
Coordinated with Hands on Atlanta Disaster Preparedness Workshops for flood victims in the Vine City community. CIA registered 27 property owners in the FEMA program to receive assistance from GEMA or FEMA.
2009
Participated in a workshop held by the Department of Justice /Weed & Seed Convention in Tampa, Fla.
Participated in the pre-development planning for Proctor Creek with the Atlanta Beltline for Sub-Area 10 Master Plan by Mectec Engineering.
2010
Participated with Clark Atlanta University Environmental Justice Resource Center for an environmental work development program, graduating 43 residents with Mold, Asbestos & Lead Remediation and Hazardous Waste Technician Certifications.
Recruited community residents to engage in a 12 month workshop with Park Pride to develop a Proctor Creek PNA Green Infastrucure Study Proposal to mitigate flooding in the English Avenue and Vine city community.
Participated in the Brownfield Assessment planning for the City of Atlanta.
2011
Partnered with popular DJ V-103’s Greg Street to provide service in city-wide neighborhood clean ups and identify illegal dumping sites.
Tony Torrence
Founder and CEO
Tony Torrence has been an active resident of Atlanta's historic English Avenue neighborhood for nearly 20 years.
After working nearly a decade for Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, Torrence felt called to focus his talents on his own community full time. According to Torrence, he as motivated to create Atlanta CIA "to dispel the myths that 'going green' is merely a trend affluent, eco-chic individuals and that indigent African Americans don't care about the environment."
Through his work Atlanta CIA, Park Pride, the Conservation Fund and other organizations, Torrence has fought for the rights of residents in disadvantaged communities through education citizens and holding elected leaders accountible for the actions. His work has been recognized by civil rights icons like the late Rev. James Orange of the SCLC, and the Georgia House of Representatives.
In addition to his work with Atlanta CIA, he has served as the co-chair of NPU-L (English Ave & Vince City)'s Public Safety Committee, chair of NPU-L's Environmental Committee, board member for Clark Atlanta University's Green Jobs Board and Neighborhood Deputy for the City of Atlanta's Bureau of Code Enforcement.
Andrea Oh
Director of Housing
Derrick Henderson
Director of Workforce Development
Monica Moss
Director of Public Relations
The Atlanta Community Improvement Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services were provided for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.