THE LOWDOWN … Kent Alexander

Atlanta is chock-full of interesting “movers and shakers” — some bent on creativity, empire-building, activism and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off-the-cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight, Kent Alexander, tick.

Kent Alexander has charted a varied career as an attorney and author. An Atlanta native, he graduated from Briarcliff High School, then went on to Tufts University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his wife, Diane, a plastic surgeon, have two adult daughters, Nicki and Kayla.

In May, Alexander completed his two-year term as president of The Temple. He has also served as president of AJC’s Atlanta chapter and was co-founder of Hands On Atlanta. Currently, he is the board vice chair of The Task Force for Global Health, which channels roughly $1-2 billion abroad annually in donated medications.

During his legal career, Alexander served as a presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney in Atlanta, senior vice president and general counsel for Emory University, general counsel for CARE and a King & Spalding partner. He also spent a year as chief of staff for Michelle Nunn’s U.S. Senate campaign. While U.S. Attorney, Alexander wrote and hand-delivered Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell’s clearance letter.

As author, he and Kevin Salwen co-wrote “The Suspect” about Jewell and domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph. Clint Eastwood’s movie, “Richard Jewell,” is based on their book and a Vanity Fair feature story.

Find out why this man of exceptional talent has special memories of his Six Flags over Georgia outfit.

What are you busy writing now?
A magazine article on an intriguing castle in Costa Rica and a book about the harrowing, though mostly forgotten, 1987 Atlanta Federal Pen riot and takeover.

What is one thing most folks don’t know about you?
I’m a closet nerd, as my family will attest. I’ve dragged them on countless tours of museums, historic sites, marshes … you name it.

What are you streaming?
“Servant of the People,” starring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And soon, season 3 of “Ted Lasso.”

What was your most unusual job?
Managing the Skee-Ball prize redemption center at Six Flags Over Georgia, decked out in a park-issued red, white and blue uniform and straw boater hat.

Your guilty pleasure?
Spending hours pruning and shaping our bonsai trees. It’s very zen. That, plus drinking single-malt scotches.

My last fashion disaster …
Pretty much any night I go out with my very fashionable wife. By comparison, I’m a sartorial disaster.

What was your most exotic vacation?
Backpacking for a month in the wilds of Alaska after law school. Lots of bears, caribou, bald eagles, otters and more bears.

Being president of The Temple taught me …
That our clergy rock, both on the pulpit and behind closed doors.

The last time I cried …
During the funeral for Joel Reish, who grew up in our idyllic Judith Way neighborhood. When my brother, David, and friend David Cooper eulogized him, I lost it.

Last time I laughed out loud …
I laugh out loud every day. Life can be so weighty, I try to find humor in almost every situation, sometimes even appropriately!