Atlanta Regional Office

Sheba Person-Whitley

Regional Director

Sheba Person-Whitley serves as Regional Director of the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Atlanta Regional Office, under the U.S. Department of Commerce. Appointed to the position in December 2024, Person-Whitley leads a team of professionals in providing community-driven funding opportunities throughout the Atlanta Region, which includes eight southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee).

Person-Whitley began her economic development career in 2008 with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. She later served as Senior International Trade Manager for Louisiana Economic Development and as the Economic Development Manager for the city of Stockton, California.  In these roles, her responsibilities included export promotion; international trade; foreign direct investment; economic, labor, and wage analysis; operations management; program development; business retention, attraction, and expansion; and small business support. As a part of her international trade contributions for North Carolina and Louisiana, she led trade missions to Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.

Person-Whitley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science in Operations and Project Management from Southern New Hampshire University.