Gerald McDowell's outstanding contributions as a community leader for Gateway 85 CID resulted in his appointment as the Executive Director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts (AACIDs). Under his leadership, AACIDs successfully secured over $50 million in grants and project funding. McDowell manages the operational and developmental aspects of both Airport West and Airport South CIDs, overseeing a budget of $3.7 million.

McDowell's leadership abilities have been lauded by numerous organizations, including the 2015 South Fulton Chamber Award, 2016 ABL Award, 2018-2024 Notable Georgian by Georgia Trend, 2019 graduate of Leadership Atlanta, the inaugural CID Professional Excellence Award 2020, 2022-2023 Georgia 500, and 2023-2024 Georgia Titan 100.

McDowell currently serves on the boards of the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Foreign Trade Zone, New Life Community Alliance, Project ReStart, and the Georgia Titan 100.