Edward Griffin Michaels III

Ed will be remembered for his defining sweetness, dearness, and humility who led with warmth and kindness. Ed really did believe in treating every person he met with sincere respect. He went through life with an abiding sense of faith, a bright spirit, and a clear sense of optimism.

Born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1942, he was the son of Edward Griffin Michaels II and Anne Belton Michaels. He was raised in North Carolina and Alabama, and then attended The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ed earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and served as a Supply Corps Officer in the United States Navy. Upon his return from his tour in Vietnam, he attended business school in Boston, where he met his beloved future wife, Joanie.

In 1969, after graduating from Harvard Business School, he married Joanie Todt. They then moved to Los Angeles where he joined the LA office of McKinsey & Company and where their two children, Ned and Katie, were born.

Ed was the original founder of the McKinsey Atlanta Office and was the leader who convinced the then-small consulting firm that it needed an office in the South. He was based in the Atlanta Office until he retired. In 2001, Ed along with two colleagues, published “The War for Talent,” a ground-breaking book at the time published by Harvard Business Review Press. It remains a classic reference on talent management for McKinsey colleagues and clients.

Ed made several lasting contributions to Atlanta. He strongly believed in the importance of giving back to the community and in the power of education. In 1996, he was instrumental in bringing the Olympic Games to Atlanta, working closely with many others in the city and state to make it happen. In 2005, he co-founded, along with his daughter Katie, The Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education, known today as the Teach On Project. The Michaels Family Charitable Foundation has contributed to many other educational causes in the Atlanta community, notably Teach for America Metro Atlanta, of which Joanie and Ed were founding board members. Serving as an elder at Peachtree Presbyterian Church exemplified his strong Christian faith.

Ed credited much of his character development to having attended The McCallie School and the values set forth in its motto. As a result he really did model his days living “Honor while seeking Truth and understanding Duty to others.” Twenty-five years ago, Ed decided he wanted to give back to McCallie in both a practical and profound way and co-founded the Michaels-Dickson Scholarship modeled after the Morehead Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has sent hundreds of young men to McCallie on this scholarship.

His memoir, "Reflecting on my Blessings: Memories for Family, Tributes to Friends, and Beliefs to Live By," published in 2016, is a testament to the gratitude he felt for the people who truly did bless his life. Ed will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him and of being influenced and uplifted by his wise and generous spirit.

Ed's truest joy in life was his wife, Joanie, and his now-large family. Even though he had so many public achievements, he felt his 54-year marriage to Joanie and the family they built together was, by far, his greatest accomplishment. He and his son, Ned, so enjoyed each other's company on the golf course making life-long memories all over the world. He loved working with this daughter Katie on their non-profit and philanthropic interests in Atlanta. And he believed that his adoring grandchildren who called him “Sweet G” (short for Grandaddy) kept him young. True to the title of his memoir, Ed also leaves behind a vast group of dear friends, colleagues, and mentees who will miss his warm smile and sharp wit.

Ed is survived by his wife Joanie, daughter and son-in-law Katie and Allen Post of Atlanta, son and daughter-in-law Ned and Missy Michaels of Nashville, and grandchildren Laney and William McDowell, Brady and Flynn Michaels, Williams, Townsend, and Jackie Post, and sister Charlotte Saxon, nephew Christopher Saxon, and nieces Louise Carter, Chrissy White, and Charlotte Schaffer and their families.

A memorial service for Ed Michaels will be held on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023, at noon at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church immediately followed by a Celebration of Life at The Piedmont Driving Club. For those unable to attend the service in person, a livestream will be available: https://vimeo.com/event/3941544.

You may click here to read the article published by the AJC in honor of Ed: https://www.ajc.com/news/obituaries/ed-michaels-businessman-and-philanthropist-dies-at-81/I5APEHCGWFC2VF7XUPIFOIOAPQ/