Thomas Milton Holder was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 12, 1956, the third of five children born to Robert M. Holder and Elizabeth Blount Holder. He graduated from the Lovett School in Atlanta and from Georgia Tech in 1979 with a B.S. in Industrial Management. Elizabeth Francis Daniel was born in Pensacola, Florida, on September 21, 1960, the first of two children born to Ray and Janet Daniel. She was raised in Atlanta and attended Marietta High School. Beth graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1982 with a B.A. in Economics. Tommy and Beth were married on June 19, 1982.
Tommy began working at Holder Construction while still attending college, and immediately went to work there full time upon graduation. He held numerous positions in preconstruction and in the operations of the business before being named President and CEO in 1989; he became Chairman and CEO in 1997. Under his leadership, Holder has become one of the Nation’s Top 25 contractors, specializing in construction management, general construction, and design-build. The company specializes in aviation, data and technology, corporate, commercial, higher education, hospitality, and interiors for clients including Apple, Google, Facebook, State Farm, the Atlanta Falcons, Ohio State University, Clemson University, and Cox Enterprises. Holder’s projects include the Mercedes Benz Stadium, State Farm Park Center, the NCR Headquaters, and the Norfolk Southern Headquarters (all in Atlanta); Apple Park in Cupertino, California; and the Salt Lake City Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As an active member in the community, Tommy serves as Board Chair of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta System Board and Board Chair of the Georgia Historical Society. He is a board member of the Westside Future Fund, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Georgia Tech Foundation. Tommy is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and serves on the boards of the Atlantic Capital Bank and the Georgia Power Company.
Tommy has served as Chair of the Board of the Kennesaw State University Foundation, as Chair of the Board of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, and will serve as Chair of the Georgia Tech Foundation from 2023 to 2025. He was a member of Young Presidents Organization, having served as the Chair of the Southern Seven Chapter and International Board Executive Chair.
Beth began her career at First National Bank in Atlanta, which eventually became Wachovia. She retired in 1988 after the birth of their first child. During the early 1990s she served as Chair of the Board of the Atlanta Ballet. She also served for five years as the Chair of the Board of her alma mater, Agnes Scott College, from 2017–2021. She currently serves as President of the Kelin Foundation, the Holder family foundation. Beth is very involved in the philanthropic community in Atlanta.
Tommy and Beth have two daughters: Kelsey (Nick) Robinson, Lindsay (Fair) Tomlinson, and one grandson, Charles Thomas Robinson.
Tommy and Beth established the Elizabeth and Thomas Holder Fund at the Georgia Historical Society in 2017, ensuring that their commitment to Georgia history will continue in perpetuity.