Meet the Managing Partner

Rukiya S. Thomas is a purpose-driven senior executive with more than 20+ years of leadership across engineering and infrastructure, nonprofit governance, public-sector transportation, and higher education. Her career is defined by enterprise-wide strategy and leadership, trusted advisory roles to CEOs and boards, and a consistent ability to guide complex organizations through cultural transformation, financial growth, and stakeholder alignment. She is recognized for integrating organizational purpose with measurable performance and translating vision into scalable initiatives that deliver business value and impact.

5 Career Highlights

Established a citywide engagement and planning framework to take the Atlanta Beltline idea from legislation to the successful policy adoption of a 10 sub-area master plan with broad, diverse stakeholder buy-in.
Led collaboratively the executive strategy and execution of an award-winning systems change transformation of the 2013-18 MARTA reboot, establishing organizational assets such as the State of MARTA, Transit-oriented Development Program, and Art in Transit Program during tenure.
Led statewide business development and strategy across 81 clients meeting annual targets with five business lines for over five years at AtkinsRealis (AR).
Established and scaled a national engagement culture with programming as well as a social impact strategy for AR US earning its first Great Place to Work certification status.
Led and revived AR's corporate foundation through bylaw reconstruction, strengthened board governance & engagement, disciplined financial stewardship, and multi-layered fundraising strategy yielding historic results in individual giving, program expansion and scholarship awards.

Rukiya brings unique expertise by bridging corporate performance, social impact, and public accountability to drive durable outcomes. And by aligning people, capital, and strategy, she has shown that durable outcomes are sustained with value and long-term public trust.