ACPC welcomes new board member Cecily Welch

ACPC is growing again! In April, we announced three new team members. Today, we’re thrilled to announce our newest board member: Cecily Welch.

Our board is an integral part of ACPC’s ability to deliver on our mission of producing accountability and transparency journalism rooted in the community experience of Atlantans.

In 2024, we were at the forefront of coverage of the city’s fight over transparency between the Office of Inspector General and the mayor’s office. That fight ended with the resignation of most of the Governing Board of the Office of Inspector General and the Ethics Office after the City Council proposed significant changes to board powers and authority alongside the city’s attacks against the OIG and former Inspector General Shannon Manigault.

Cecily provided key oversight and guidance to the OIG and Ethics Office as the board nominee from the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. She resigned in February 2025, as the City Council passed legislation to curtail the powers of the OIG. This opened an opportunity for ACPC to grow our internal organizational oversight structure and allow Cecily to continue having an impact on accountability and transparency in Atlanta.

Cecily brings to ACPC more than 30 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). She wades through complex financial records, is an advocate for taxpayers, and is eager to support ACPC’s reporting to make government business accessible and accountable to everyday people.

We are excited to continue building this project with Cecily on our side.