Interior renovation work has begun on The Task Force for Global Health’s new 90,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in downtown Decatur.
The Task Force will initially occupy three floors of the six-story facility starting in January 2018. The remaining floors will be renovated at a later date.
The building project is funded by a $24-million capital campaign that will run through December 2020. To date, the campaign has raised $12.2 million including a $10-million grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and a $2-million gift from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
“We are deeply grateful for the support that we have received from our donors for this project,” said Dave Ross, ScD, The Task Force’s president and chief executive officer. “This facility will give us the capacity to do more to improve health conditions for the world’s most vulnerable populations.”
Since 2014, The Task Force has experienced unprecedented staff growth due to new programmatic funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and U.K. Department for International Development. More than 120 staff work in The Task Force’s Decatur office.
Ross said the new headquarters will allow The Task Force to reach the goals outlined in a new five-year strategic plan. They include supporting the elimination of three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), eradicating polio, and strengthening global preparedness for influenza pandemics.
The Task Force is also exploring new programmatic initiatives in viral hepatitis and leprosy, an NTD that continues to plague more than 230,000 people each year.
The Task Force’s new headquarters at 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. is located in close proximity to its current headquarters. The renovated facility will feature a 10,000-sq.ft. conference facility that can accommodate up to 200 people.
To learn more about the capital campaign or to make a donation, visit here.
For media inquiries, please contact Chief Communications and Development Officer Poul Olson at polson@taskforce.org or 404-687-5611.
Source: https://www.taskforce.org/newsroom/new-task-force-headquarters-starts-taking-shape