Current Position:
Chief Executive Officer, Gateway Center
https://www.gatewayctr.org
Community Involvement
• Open Doors Atlanta, Board of Directors
• Atlanta Fire and Rescue Foundation, Board of Directors
• Agape Youth & Family Center, Community Advisory Board
• T2S Cares, Board of Directors
• Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2020
• Atlanta Kiwanis Club
• 100 Black Men of Atlanta
Hobbies
• Reading
• Traveling
Recent Books
• The Energy Bus – Jon Godon
• We The Possibility – Mitchell Weiss
• Tribe – Sebastian Junger
• Viral Justice – Ruha Benjamin
Childhood Hero
• Muhammad Ali
What most people don’t know about you?
• Stevie Wonder is my favorite artist
• I used to play the saxophone and piano
BIO
Gateway Center (GWC) is a homeless service center that has provided short-term residential housing (shelter) and critical wraparound support services to the homeless community in Metro Atlanta for over 18 years. Gateway Center’s mission is to connect people experiencing homelessness with the support necessary to become self-sufficient and find a permanent home, avoiding the sheltering system. It’s vision is to live in a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.
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Gateway Center’s programs focus on eliminating barriers to housing and employment, including but not limited to behavioral health, substance abuse, and document readiness. It’s programs focus on Five Keys to Success: 1) Housing Placement & Stability – guests receive housing navigation assistance, 2) Job Skills Training & Placement – guests receive job skills training and job placement, 3) Health & Wellness – guests connect with healthcare and behavioral healthcare services, 4) Family & Community Engagement – guests reunite with family when possible and find creative ways to engage in community, 5) Adult & Financial Literacy – guests attend literacy workshops to enhance their skills and knowledge. By focusing on these Keys to Success, GWC’s team assists guests in addressing the systemic factors that contributed to their experiencing homelessness.
Raphael became chief executive officer for Gateway Center in 2016. Since taking on the leadership role, he has grown the organization from approximately 30 employees to 110, ensuring that Gateway Center had the capacity to serve the individuals and families experiencing homelessness who needed assistance. Raphael also expanded the board of directors and ensured it became more diverse and inclusive.
In 2021, Raphael received the TechBridge Bill Bolling Nonprofit Leader Award and Atlanta Magazine’s heroes who inspire doctors recognition. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Holloway was recognized by Atlanta Magazine as one of Atlanta’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders. In addition, Holloway received the Georgia Titan award in 2022 and 2023.
Raphael holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor and a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Child and Family Community Services from Bowling Green State University. Prior to the current role, from 2009-2016, Raphael worked as Chief Operations Officer at Families First, overseeing the operations and managing a $10 million budget. Prior to that, Holloway worked as the State HIV/AIDS Unit Director at the Georgia Department of Human Resources, leading the planning, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs and services statewide
