Kay Stephenson

View Kay Stephenson Video Biography

Kay Stephenson moved to the Virginia-Highland in 1996 with her husband Mark Gilliland. After more than 25 years as an executive in sales, product management and marketing for tech companies, she now devotes her time to quilt design, writing, and many volunteer causes focused on parks, trees, the Beltline, urban design, pet rescue, and public safety. She holds undergraduate degrees in Literature and Psychology and an MBA.

Since 2009 Kay has served as a street captain for our neighborhood watch program and handles communication for both neighborhood watch and FBAC (The Virginia-Highland Security Patrol).  She has a close relationship with law enforcement having participated in citizen’s academies with the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. She also serves on APDs Community Partners Task Force, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s CourtWatch Advisory Committee. In 2016 she was named the 2016 CourtWatcher of the Year for Fulton County.

Kay has been an active participant in the Atlanta City Design process, and was selected as one of 25 participants for the Atlanta Leadership Institute sponsored by the City of Atlanta Planning Department and Atlanta City Council. This ten-month program is led by the Carl Vinson Institute for Government at UGA.

In 2016 Kay was elected to the VHCA Board of Directors and chosen as Vice President of the board. During the past year, she has continued to work on safety matters, on the budget committee, and has chaired the communication committee with responsibility for our website, e-newsletter, and social media communications. She has also served on multi-neighborhood committees to organize both an Atlanta City Council District 6 Candidate forum and a Mayoral Candidate forum.

In addition to her volunteer efforts in the neighborhood, Kay is a certified volunteer with Trees Atlanta, serving as a Docent in the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum among other responsibilities. She is also a past public relations chair and board member with the Georgia Native Plant Society, and served on the advisory board of the Piedmont Park Conservancy with responsibility for updating the Piedmont Park Master Plan and fund-raising for the Piedmont Dog Park.

If re-elected Kay will continue to work on increasing engagement of all residents and businesses within the neighborhood and on ensuring that the actions of the board and its committees are open and support the needs and wants of the community.