North Fulton Voices

Lisa-Ruth Karnes, Cobb Community Foundation, on Vital Signs, Community Data, and Workforce Housing in Cobb County (North Fulton Voices, Episode 20) On this edition of North Fulton Voices, Jack Murphy and Kathy Swahn of the North Fulton Improvement Network sit down with Lisa-Ruth Karnes, Director of Programs at the Cobb Community Foundation, to discuss Vital Signs, […]

Melanie Couchman, Sandy Springs Together, on Housing Affordability, School Closures, Employer Retention, and What North Fulton Cities Can Learn (North Fulton Voices, Episode 19) What happens to a city when the workers who keep it running can no longer afford to live there? Sandy Springs is showing us what happens. In this episode of North […]

Kathi Cook, City of Alpharetta, on Alpharetta’s Growth, Redevelopment, North Point, and Future Community Development (North Fulton Voices, Episode 18) How does a fast-growing city preserve what people value while continuing to evolve? In this episode of North Fulton Voices, Kathi Cook, Director of Community Development for the City of Alpharetta, joins Jack Murphy, Nancy […]

Why Attainable Housing Feels Impossible in North Fulton, and What Can Actually Change, with Mark Murphy, City of Mountain Park and the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta (North Fulton Voices, Episode 17) Housing affordability is no longer a “someday” problem in Metro Atlanta. It is here, and it is changing who can live […]

2025 Year-End Roundtable: What Moved the Needle on Attainable and Missing Middle Housing in North Fulton (North Fulton Voices, Episode 16) In this 2025 year-end edition of North Fulton Voices, Nancy Diamond, Jack Murphy, Kathy Swahn and John Ray look back at a momentous year for the North Fulton Improvement Network (NFIN) and the region’s […]

Housing Affordability Tops Metro Atlanta Concerns: Inside the Metro Atlanta Speaks 2025 Survey (North Fulton Voices, Episode 15) For the first time since the Metro Atlanta Speaks survey began in 2013, housing affordability has emerged as the region’s top concern, edging out longtime leaders like traffic, crime, and the overall economy. In this edition of […]

Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan: Why It Matters (North Fulton Voices, Episode 14) On this edition of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond sit down with Benjamin “Ben” Kern of MKSK Studios and Michael Woodman, Planning and Development Services Manager for the City of Alpharetta, to unpack Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan. This conversation […]

How Banks Shape Workforce Housing in North Fulton (North Fulton Voices, Episode 13) Affordable housing is often discussed in terms of zoning, development, or politics, but the financial system behind it is just as critical. In this episode of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Kathy Swahn examine workforce housing through the banking lens with […]

Hard Truth from Atlanta Home Builders: ‘We Can’t Build What People Need’ (North Fulton Voices, Episode 12) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, Nancy Diamond and Kathy Swahn of the North Fulton Improvement Network sit down with Corey Deal of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Jordon Tench of O’Dwyer Properties for a candid […]

Media Coverage of the Workforce Housing Issue, with Petchenik Media Group, and Patrick Fox, Appen Media (North Fulton Voices, Episode 11) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond of the North Fulton Improvement Network discuss media coverage of workforce housing issues with local media veterans Mike Petchenik and Patrick […]

The Multigenerational Housing Solution, with Kay Sibetta, AARP Georgia, and Will Johnston, MicroLife Institute (North Fulton Voices, Episode 10) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond discuss the local workforce housing crisis with guests Will Johnston, Executive Director of the MicroLife Institute, and Kay Sibetta, Associate State Director of Community [&#8230...

CIDs and Workforce Housing, with Ann Hanlon, Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, and Kristin Winzeler, True North 400 (North Fulton Voices, Episode 9) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Kathy Swan of the North Fulton Improvement Network discuss the workforce housing crisis in North Fulton with guests Ann Hanlon, Executive Director […]

Exploring Accessory Dwelling Units as a Housing Solution in Woodstock, GA (North Fulton Voices, Episode 8) This episode of North Fulton Voices delves into workforce housing solutions being implemented in Woodstock, Georgia, particularly accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Hosted by Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond of the North Fulton Improvement Network, the conversation aims to address the […]

Public Policy and the Workforce Housing Crisis, Part 2, with Kyle Wingfield, Georgia Public Policy Foundation (North Fulton Voices, Episode 7) This episode of North Fulton Voices is part two of an interview with Kyle Wingfield of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. Led by Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond of the North Fulton Improvement Network, […]

Public Policy and the Workforce Housing Crisis, Part 1, with Kyle Wingfield, Georgia Public Policy Foundation (North Fulton Voices, Episode 6) This episode of North Fulton Voices is part one of a two-part interview with Kyle Wingfield, President and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. Led by Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond of the North […]

The Effect of North Fulton’s Housing Crisis on Education, with Dr. Gonzalo La Cava, Fulton County Schools, and Dr. Steven Palmer, The Cottage School (North Fulton Voices, Episode 5) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, Jack Murphy and Kathy Swahn from the North Fulton Improvement Network welcome education leaders Dr. Steven Palmer from The […]

Middle Income Housing Needs in Metro Atlanta, with Kristin Allin, Atlanta Regional Commission (North Fulton Voices, Episode 4) This episode of North Fulton Voices, hosted by Nancy Diamond and Jack Murphy from the North Fulton Improvement Network, focuses not just on the critical topic of workforce housing in the North Fulton region but examines this issue […]

Addressing Senior Housing Challenges in North Fulton, with Beth Cayce, CaraVita Home Care, and Tanya Morris, Senior Services North Fulton (North Fulton Voices, Episode 3) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, hosts Kathy Swahn and Jack Murphy from the North Fulton Improvement Network (NFIN) discuss the pressing issue of senior housing challenges in the […]

Tracing the Growing Middle-Income Housing Crisis in North Fulton, with Jack Murphy, Nancy Diamond, and Kathy Swahn, North Fulton Improvement Network (North Fulton Voices, Episode 2) In this episode of North Fulton Voices, host John Ray interviews Jack Murphy, Kathy Swahn, and Nancy Diamond, the executive team from the North Fulton Improvement Network. Jack, Nancy, […]

Addressing the Workforce Housing Crisis: An Introduction to North Fulton Voices, presented by the North Fulton Improvement Network (North Fulton Voices, Episode 1) In this inaugural episode of North Fulton Voices, hosted by Jack Murphy, Kathy Swahn, and Nancy Diamond, the leadership team of the North Fulton Improvement Network. This show series delves into the […]