Charlie Crawford Named Honorary Chair for MS Leadership Class

The Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society - which is based in Dunwoody - today announced that Charlie Crawford will be the 2014 MS Leadership Class Honorary Chairperson. Crawford is president, CEO and chairman of Private Bank of Buckhead, and is active in the community, including serving as chairman of the Atlanta Track Club. The MS Leadership Class is an opportunity for nominated business professionals to strengthen their leadership skills through participation in multiple workshops led by some of Atlanta’s top business leaders. In addition, professionals selected for the MS Leadership Class participate in community events and raise funds to further MS research. 

“We are delighted that Charlie Crawford is the 2014 MS Leadership Class Honorary Chairperson,” said Roy Rangel, president of the National MS Society -- Georgia Chapter. “He is an inspirational leader, not just in business, but also in the community, and he champions health in both realms. Members of the 2014 MS Leadership Class will have the opportunity to learn from Charlie and other successful Atlantans who are leaders in their respective fields and in the community.”

Crawford has been in banking 26 years and organized and opened Private Bank of Buckhead in 2006. It is his third bank startup. Crawford is frequently quoted about banking and related topics, in media outlets ranging from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to BusinessWeek and CreditCards.com. He has undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School of Business, and received his MBA at Georgia State University. He also is a graduate of the LSU School of Banking and Leadership Atlanta (2005).

“I was astounded to learn that 9,000 Georgians are living with MS, so it is crucial to fund education for MS awareness,” Crawford says. “I hope my commitment as this year's honorary chair can in some small way help with the MS Society’s important mission: Ensuring that those living with MS – and others who are affected as a result – have access to knowledge, hope, and experience. The MS Leadership Class 2014 will have a profound impact by forging connections that MS cannot destroy, enhancing community partnerships, and supporting quality MS research to accelerate discoveries and treatments. I am already inspired by this year's class and look forward to getting started on our shared journey."

Currently Crawford is a Director of the Buckhead Coalition, for which he serves as Treasurer, and is on the Board of the Georgia Tennis Foundation. He also is a member of the Board of Advisors for the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, and is on the Board of Councilors for The Carter Center.

To nominate a candidate for the 2014 MS Leadership Class, complete the online form at www.nationalMSsociety.org/leadershipatlanta. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2013.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society -- Georgia Chapter
All funds for this work are raised privately. Along with hundreds of volunteers, the Chapter raises more than $3 million annually from events such as the Bike MS: Cox Atlanta Ride, the Bike MS: Deloitte Atlanta to Athens Ride, the Walk MS series throughout the state, and the MuckRuckus MS. The funds support a wide range of programs and services and national research to stop MS. Eighty-five cents of every dollar raised goes directly to local programs and research. The Georgia Chapter helps clients through direct financial assistance, respite care, transportation, MS centers, self-help groups and peer counseling, community information and referrals, education, chapter publications, and recreational and social programs. On the healthcare front, the Georgia Chapter conducts in-service training for healthcare professionals to advance their knowledge of MS. Learn more by visiting the MS Society – Georgia chapter website at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/GAA/index.aspx or by calling 678-672-1000 or 1-800-FIGHTMS.