Atlanta, Seattle Leaders Wager Over NFL Playoff Game

Confident in the home team, Fulton County's Chairman John Eaves made a friendly wager over the outcome of Sunday’s Falcons/Seattle Seahawks playoff game with Washington's King County Executive Dow Constantine.

The two conversed via webcam Thursday; the video can be seen online, it is also attached to this article.

“Fulton County and the entire metro Atlanta region are rooting for the Falcons and are proud of their efforts to make it to the playoffs”, said  Eaves. ”We are happy to join Executive Constantine in supporting our champions on the field and in business. Go Falcons!”

Executive Constantine is putting up coffee from Seattle companies – Starbucks along with several small roasters. Chairman Eaves is wagering Coca-Cola products, which is based in Atlanta.

“The whole region is excited for the game on Sunday, and I want to thank Chairman Eaves for joining me in this friendly wager to highlight our local companies, and our winning teams,” said Constantine. “Go Hawks!”

The Atlanta Falcons will host the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast locally on FOX, and via radio on 710 AM.

ABOUT FULTON COUNTY CHAIRMAN JOHN H. EAVES

John H. Eaves, Ph.D. is in his second term as Chairman of the Fulton County Commission, representing District 1, which consists of the entire county. John was born in Jacksonville, Florida but considers Atlanta his home. He attended Morehouse College where he excelled in academics and football and where he fell in love with the Atlanta community and the state of Georgia. In his continued pursuit of education John’s studies led him to Yale University’s Divinity School and the University of South Carolina where he attained a doctorate degree in Education. He was also the recipient of two Fulbright scholarships.

Before entering politics, John’s career took him through the halls of academia and subsequently to a post as the Southeast Regional Director of the Peace Corps. He was afforded the opportunity to travel extensively through these positions. He has visited more than 50 countries and has gained a wealth of knowledge on cultures, ethnicities and religions worldwide. He has brought this knowledge to Fulton County in the form of an economic and cultural partnership with the Brazilian state of Bahia.

As Chairman of the Fulton County Commission, John is a firm believer in fiduciary responsibility, accountability and efficient operations. He plays a highly active role in the Fulton County Budget Commission, enabling the County to maintain over $50 million in reserves. He has not raised the General Fund tax base during his tenure.

Focusing on the diversity and expansiveness of our county, John developed the Fulton County Economic Division to create jobs; and retain, revitalize and attract businesses. He also created three joint commissions between Fulton and DeKalb Counties on Transportation, Housing and Healthcare.

Under John’s leadership, Fulton County has developed two crucial youth initiatives: The START Program aimed at encouraging academic achievement and high school graduation, and the Fulton County Youth Commission/Global Youth Leadership Program. Since 2008, Fulton County Global Youth Ambassadors have traveled to South Africa, Germany, Turkey, Brazil and China where they have interacted with institutions, politics and people of the region.

Among his many honors, John was recently appointed Chair of the Justice and Safety Sub-Committee and Vice-Chair of the International Economic Development Committee for the National Association of Counties. (NACO) He is also a published author and professional speaker.

When not working for the County, John is an Executive Consultant with TalentQuest, where he provides leadership training and executive coaching. He is married to Cheryl Eaves and is the proud parent of three children.

ABOUT KING COUNTY AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOW CONSTANTINE

Since his election as King County Executive in November 2009, Dow Constantine has been working to instill a culture of performance that changes the way King County does business and forging partnerships with residents, cities, employees, and other county leaders to craft real, sustainable reforms.

In his first year in office, he forged a partnership to obtain a $44 million federal allocation for Howard Hanson Dam repairs and dramatically reduce the threat of Green River Valley flooding, assembled a coalition of governments to fund the construction of a new South Park Bridge, and joined with the state to finance the County's purchase of a Maury Island gravel mine slated for major expansion, preserving a mile of natural Puget Sound shoreline.

Before his election as Executive, Dow served as a King County Council member for eight years, and has held elected office in Washington state for 16 years.

A Seattle native, Dow graduated from West Seattle High School and the University of Washington. He earned University of Washington post-graduate degrees in law (1989) and urban planning (1992). Today, Dow lives in the West Seattle neighborhood where he grew up.

A two-term state representative (elected 1996 and 1998) before being elected to the 34th District's senate seat in 2000, Dow was co-chair of the House Judiciary Committee and vice-chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Dow was appointed to the King County Council in January 2002, and won election to the office four times. Dow served as County Council Chair in 2009 and led the panel that wrote the 2007 King County budget. As a four-year member of the Council's budget leadership team, he worked to slow the growth of King County's jail expenditures through such innovations as drug court, mental health court and driver re-licensing programs.

A current board member of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, Dow was also a founding board member of the West Seattle High School Foundation, which has raised thousands of dollars for student programs and activities.

Throughout his public service career, Dow has been an outspoken advocate for environmental protection, public transit, and government reform.