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Meet The Team
Faculty/StaffThe Ron Clark Academy is proud and honored to introduce our staff for the 2009-2010 school year. After reviewing hundreds of applications and teaching videos, we conducted interviews to find passionate educators who are innovative geniuses and gifted leaders in their respective fields.
Ron Clark, Founder and Mathematics TeacherRon Clark has been called "America's Educator." In 2000, he was named Disney's American Teacher of the Year. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose book, The Essential 55, has sold over 1 million copies and has been published in 25 different countries. He has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, and Oprah, and Ms. Winfrey even named him as her first "Phenomenal Man." His classes have been honored at the White House on three separate occasions. Ron's teaching experiences in New York City are the subject of the uplifting film, The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, better known as Chandler from Friends.
Kim Bearden was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Middle School Humanities Teacher. The Milken Family Foundation selected her as one of 155 teachers from across the nation to receive the Award for Excellence in Education, and she was chosen from among 7000 teachers as Teacher of the Year in Cobb County, Georgia. She was a Finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year, and has been honored throughout the state for her achievements in education. Over the past twenty years, Kim has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle school principal.
Mehari Kassa’s experience includes leadership development, operations management, market research, technology utilization, project management, and process improvement assignments for such companies as The Home Depot, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, and Shell Chemical. Mr. Kassa has a degree in chemical engineering with a minor in business administration. His numerous awards include the Drexel GPA Alumni Merit, National Society of Black Engineer’s Torchbearer, UPS Minority Scholarship, and Outstanding Academic Achievement awards. A graduate of the Lovett School, Mr. Kassa is a proud Atlanta native. Mrs. Lynch officially joined the RCA Family on November 5, 2007. In her role at the school, she oversees the admissions process and supports the school's development efforts through community relations. Prior to RCA, Mrs. Lynch was with a small consulting firm working with Atlanta nonprofits to leverage corporate dollars through special events. Mrs. Lynch earned her M.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University in New York and her B.A. in English from Princeton University. A native Atlantan, Mrs. Lynch lives in East Atlanta and enjoys reading, cooking and running. She was selected as an American Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2009, a program established by the German Marshall Memorial Fund based in Washington, DC. Renita Mosley has been in Administrative Services for the past 26 years at Bellsouth and has an extensive background in Project Management, Executive Secretarial Support and Business Operations. Renita attended Arizona State University where she majored in Journalism/Public Relations. An Atlanta native, she is involved with numerous community organizations. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the Fulton County Juvenile Court, she conducts a home-based adult literacy program, and she also teaches Junior Achievement classes. At the corporate level, Renita has spearheaded several programs to eradicate homelessness and teenage pregnancy, and she has developed mentorship programs to offset reading/writing deficiencies among elementary and middle school students. Renita has served as a BellSouth representative to the United Way, and she has also served as their Job Shadowing coordinator for their local high school program. Elizabeth Scott holds advanced degrees in counseling and psychology with minors in education and family and child development. During her career she has been a counselor, intervention specialist, psychologist, research assistant, and trainer/instructor. She has worked with students and adults of all ages. Her diverse expertise in numerous fields will enhance our school counseling program and other student-related programs. In May 2009, Mr. Adams received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a minor in African American Studies. During his collegiate years, Adams was involved with UNC at Greensboro’s Student Activities Board, working in a Supervisor role for the campus Game Room. Mr. Adams is a former student of Ron Clark’s. He has traveled to several places around the world with Clark including: South Africa, Costa Rica, Japan and England. In his role at the Academy, Adams coordinates the After School Program, library operations, and all student field trips and special community service activities. Adams was born in Oklahoma, and then moved to Aurora, North Carolina as a child. His family still resides in Aurora. Mrs. Barnes has taught language arts, creative writing, and literacy in Brooklyn and Harlem since 1996. She relocated to Atlanta two years ago, and most recently taught at Sandtown Middle School. She is also a gifted staff development trainer, artist, singer, performance poet, and cofounder of The Launch Pad, an uplifting open mic venue exhibiting unique talent. She is known for integrating her love for art, photography, and poetry into her language arts lessons. She has a B.A. in English from Stonybrook University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College. Mr. Barr joined the RCA Family as a part-time employee on September 1, 2007. Mr. Barr handles the day-to-day accounting operations for the school including accounts payable, tuition, and donation correspondence. Mr. Barr started his own firm, Barr Marketing, Inc. three years ago; the firm is a managing agency for Ron Clark's books and merchandise sales. Prior to Barr Marketing, Mr. Barr worked 7 years in the finance industry with Regional Acceptance Corp - a subsidiary of BB&T. Mr. Barr graduated from East Carolina University in 1997 with a BSBA in Finance. Junior Bernadin joined The Ron Clark Academy family in June of 2009. Originally, from Miami, FL he is a graduate of Florida State University. Mr. Bernadin currently holds certifications in Microsoft Certified Professional, Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, and Promethean Certified Installer. In his role as Technology Specialist, Mr. Bernadin provides all system support to the Academy as well as maintaining and managing all levels of technology integration within the school. Mr. Bernadin is also working in the classroom, teaching a technology class to RCA 6th graders. Prior to RCA, Mr. Bernadin was a Technology Support Specialist for Handshake Software. He is the Academy’s Physical Education teacher and one of the coaches for the after school basketball program. Mr. Bruner also serves as an executive assistant to Mr. Clark, reinforcing the school’s strict discipline strategies. Mr. Bruner is originally from Oklahoma, but he and his wife now reside in metro Atlanta with their two young sons. Ms. Davis is a recent graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in Spanish and Theology. A native Atlantan, Ms. Davis received the International Baccalaureate diploma at Riverwood High School and attended the Georgia Governor's Honors Program for Spanish. She has lived in Spain as part of an immersion program and has had internships teaching English to Spanish-speaking immigrants at Heards Ferry Elementary. Ms. Davis enjoys volunteering as a translator for Egleston Children's Hospital and is an active volunteer in other Atlanta organizations such as The Wish for Wendy Cystic Fibrosis Benefit and The Festival of Trees. Mrs. Johnson joined the RCA family on November 1, 2007. As a former police officer with Georgia State University and a former probation case manager with the state juvenile justice department, she has a host of experience working with young people. Most of Mrs. Johnson's time is spent working closely with Ms. Bearden. In addition to scheduling and coordinating all teacher visits, Ms. Johnson also manages various special projects for the school, including the coordination of parent and community volunteers. Ms. Johnson received her M.A. Ed. from Central Michigan University and her B.S. from Georgia State University. A native of Chicago, she lives in Lithonia with her husband and two sons. Basil Lee has spent most of his life teaching others. He tutored his peers in high school and college. He coached 9 and 10 year olds in a Boys Club basketball league, taught CPR to his employees, and taught Sunday school before deciding to change his career from engineering to teaching. Mr. Lee is a graduate of Cornell University’s engineering school and received his teaching credentials from the University of West Georgia. Prior to coming to RCA, Mr. Lee taught both middle and high school with the Fulton County School system for 18 years. Mr. Lee is passionate about his students realizing their dreams. His high expectations are directly related to the high achievements of his students. He has received numerous awards recognizing his exceptional accomplishments including- Banneker High School Teacher of the Year, Fulton County Teacher of the Year, Atlanta Braves/AT&T Educator of the Year, and in 2007 he was chosen as a member of the USA Today’s All-USA Teacher Team. Mr. Mills is an integral part to day-to-day operations of the Academy. In his role, Mr. Mills makes sure the school building, its climate and the entire school campus is operating at top-notch. Mr. Mills also works closely with general contractors in managing RCA’s future building projects. Mr. Mills lives in metro-Atlanta with his wife and children. Lakesha Robinson received her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Howard University where she was a Legacy Scholar, a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a Bison Student Leadership Program Trainer. She then received her Master's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania as a Puente Forchic Scholar. Ms. Robinson previously taught in Pennsylvania, and most recently, she was an instructor at the SEED Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., where she was instrumental in curriculum development that leads to increased achievement and student confidence. Ms. Robinson believes that math is everywhere and that every child is a mathematician. Mr. Townsel is an accomplished educator who has taught advanced placement physics, biology, chemistry, and earth science. Mr. Townsel is a former Teacher of the Year, Science Coordinator for DeKalb County Schools, and Science Coordinator for the Global Thinking Project, where he took students to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, to live and work with Russian students and teachers on environmental issues that have an impact of the earth. Mr. Townsel obtained a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College in 2000. Most recently Mr.Townsel has worked as a physical science instructor at the Fernbank Science Center. Alonzo L. Llorens is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Mr. Llorens practices in Atlanta in the areas of securities, corporate, venture capital and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Llorens is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the District of Columbia bar. Mr. Llorens has extensive experience in securities law, including nearly eight years in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") Division of Corporation Finance. While at the SEC, Mr. Llorens handled a large number of transactions including initial public offerings, secondary offerings, proxy contests, mergers and acquisitions, and prepackaged bankruptcies. Additionally, he served on the SEC's Executive Compensation Task Force and the Small Business Task Force. Mr. Llorens has served on the board of directors of several organizations, such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Business League. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Ron Clark Academy. Additionally, Mr. Llorens has been published as a co-author in the Bureau of National Affairs journal entitled Shareholder Proposals and was invited to write a chapter in Aspatore Publishing's book entitled Inside the Minds: Private Equity and Venture Capital Legal Series. Mr. Llorens earned a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Howard Law Journal. Mr. Llorens earned a Bachelor of Science in International Trade and Finance from Louisiana State University. In 1997, Burrows opted to offer her skills strictly to nonprofit organizations on a pro-bono basis. She chaired the Strategic Planning Committees for both The Atlanta Children’s Shelter and North Avenue Presbyterian Church. Burrows chaired the Fuqua School of Business Alumni Council and has served on the following Boards: The Salvation Army of Atlanta; The Fuqua School Board of Visitors; The Atlanta Children’s Shelter; and the Little Bank of Kinston, NC. Burrows currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools and Odyssey in Atlanta. Burrows and her family worship at North Avenue Presbyterian Church where she serves as an elder and leader of a weekly women’s bible study at the Gateway Center. Executive Director of Public Relations and Employee Communications at Verizon Wireless, South Area,. Sheryl Sellaway has over 18 years of professional communications experience. Among other awards, Ms. Sellaway received the International Association of Business Communicators Bronze Quill Award. In addition to serving on the board of Partnership Against Domestic Violence, the largest domestic violence agency in Georgia, Sellaway is involved with other organizations that help prevent domestic violence. Ricky Steele is the Chief Development Officer for Hunter Technical Resources, an 11 year old IT staffing firm. In 2004, he wrote a book, The Heart of Networking, a blueprint for building business networks that create satisfaction among clients, customers, colleagues, bosses, investors, and the community. Prior to that, he built several companies from scratch along with engagements with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Korn/Ferry International, and Definition 6. Ricky Steele was chosen as the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year and also one of the Georgia Jaycees’ “5 Outstanding Young Georgians.” He is the founding chairman of both Atlanta’s Table and Hospitality Helping Hands, a former board director for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hands on Atlanta, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and a Trustee for Leadership Atlanta. Since 1992, Pat Upshaw-Monteith has gone from Co-Executive Director to Executive Director and was promoted to President and CEO of Leadership Atlanta in 2005. In this capacity, she has capably steered Leadership Atlanta to the position of excellence it now enjoys. Ms. Upshaw-Monteith has actively participated in the present and future growth of Atlanta by imparting to new generations of leaders the legacy of values that have traditionally been central to Metropolitan Atlanta’s success. Audio Enhancement President, has been with the company since 1993. Mr. Anderson is a noted advocate of the advancement of education and the changing of classroom learning environments. His mission to demonstrate the fundamental necessity of audio enhanced classrooms is evident in his dedication to creating and designing innovative technology. He is the co-creator and patent-holder of the world’s first Infrared wireless audio enhancement system. This system perfectly fits into today’s modern classroom by being fully integrated with any additional multimedia sources. Through Mr. Anderson’s leadership, Audio Enhancement has grown into the worldwide leader in classroom amplification. Mr. Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business and Spanish from Brigham Young University. He is also the proud father of six wonderful children. Kim Anderson has over 20 years of experience as executive director, board member and legal counsel for not-for-profit, for-profit and public sector entities. She has served as Executive Director of AID Atlanta, the Southeast's largest AIDS service organization, and she has enjoyed an extensive legal career in the healthcare arena. Kim has also served as President of a number of organizations, including the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and the Georgia Legal Clinic for the homeless. Wanda completed her undergraduate work at East Carolina University with a degree in Marketing. In 1996, she completed her MBA at Georgia State University and is currently in the final stages of her doctorate in Organizational Leadership through the University of Phoenix- Online. Ann Wilson Cramer is with IBM Corporation as its director for IBM Corporate Community Relations and Public Affairs. In support of IBM’s primary focus areas, Ms. Cramer currently serves as past chair of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE); chairs Communities in Schools—Georgia, the Georgia Chamber’s Education Committee, and the WorldClass Schools Foundation; and is on the board of Metro Atlanta Chamber Education Committee and Project GRAD. Ms. Cramer chairs the Council on Foundations Corporate Committee and represents IBM on the United Way of America’s National Corporate Leaders Council, the Center for Corporate Citizenship Advisory Board at Boston College, and the Southeastern Council on Foundations Communications Committee. She is past chair of the United Way of Metro—Atlanta, Research Atlanta, and the Arts and Business Council of Atlanta. David L. Daniel, as Associate Partner of the Firm, provides a wide range of results-oriented services to clients including campaign strategy studies, campaign consulting, development assessments, board development and renovation, major gift direction and marketing and membership expertise. Douglas Davis, Ph.D. is a Professor at Georgia State University of Educational Policy Studies. His main areas of expertise are Teacher Assessment and Professional Growth, Human Resources Administration, Preparation of Educational Leaders, and History and Philosophy of Education. Douglas has been published in countless educational journals, publications, reports and books. He has also consulted for the Miami-Dade County Public School System and a Louisiana Charter School. He was a Louisiana high school teacher for eight years. As a Senior Director of Apple Computer’s Education Division, Mark managed all solutions outside of the hardware platform, including Apple Care, Apple Software, Strategic Initiatives, Alliances, Channels, and Servers. Mark has a BBA in Economics and Master of Science degree in Industrial Management. Matthew Perry is a world famous actor who is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit show Friends (1994-2004). Matthew has also appeared in several feature films, including Fools Rush In and Almost Heroes, and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for The Ron Clark Story, a TNT and Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation. Ron's teaching experiences are the subject of The Ron Clark Story, a Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation. Matthew has three Emmy nominations to his credit, one for Friends and two for his appearances on West Wing. Scarlet Pressley-Brown is General Manager of Community Affairs at Delta Air Lines and Vice President of the Delta Air Lines Foundation. Joining Delta in June 2000, she has managed Delta’s presence in the community, establishing the company as a leading corporate citizen. Prior to Delta, Ms. Pressley-Brown spent six years with the East Lake Community Foundation as director of Community Affairs successfully restoring and revitalizing the historic East Lake Golf Course community. The restoration included the establishment and opening of Drew Charter School, Atlanta’s first Charter School. Ms. Pressley-Brown has received numerous awards: the “Outstanding Georgia Citizen” Award presented by the Secretary of State, the Atlanta Business League named Mrs. Pressley-Brown one of “Atlanta’s Top Black Women of Influence” in 2006 and 2007, and the “High Heels in High Places Award presented by the Trumpet Awards Foundation . In February 2006, the Atlanta Tribune featured Scarlet and husband, Wendell, as one of Atlanta’s “Power Couples” and the Atlanta Urban League Guild recognized them with the “Transportation Achievement” Award. Ms. Pressley-Brown received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and her MBA from University of Phoenix. She is on the board of directors for the Atlanta Business League, the Georgia Center for Children, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Atlanta Medical Association. She is a member of the National Black MBA Association, the Clark Atlanta Guild, the American Institute for Managing Diversity, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Scarlet and Wendell have five children and two sons-in-law: Wendell, Jr., April Partridge (Kenya), Amber French (Jason), Kiesha and Dexter. Laura Turner Seydel is a Trustee of the Turner Foundation, a private family environmental grantmaking foundation created in 1990. In her capacity as Trustee, Laura is involved in all aspects of the Foundation’s operations, from reviewing funding requests and establishing policy to identifying funding priorities and overseeing special initiatives. Laura is also a Trustee of the Jane Smith Turner Foundation, a private family grantmaking foundation, whose funding priorities include the arts, children’s health and education and the environment. A Georgia native, born in Macon, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ogelthorpe University. In 2001, Laura became Chairman of the Board for the Captain Planet Foundation. The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to fund and support hands-on environmental projects for children and youth. It encourages innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Laura resides in Atlanta with her husband, Rutherford and their three children, John R, Vasser, and Laura Elizabeth. Dr. Betty L. Siegel, the first woman to head an institution in the 34-unit University System of Georgia, has been president at Kennesaw State University since 1981. Under her administration, the university has evolved from a four-year college with an enrollment of 4,000 students and 15 baccalaureate-degree programs to its current university status, attained in 1996, with 13,000+ students and 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. A nationally known speaker, civic leader, and administrator, Dr. Siegel uses the "invitational model" to espouse methods for strengthening the education and leadership process. She has lectured or consulted with educational, professional, government, and civic groups in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and nine foreign countries. Cynthia Skaff has been a middle school teacher with Toledo Public Schools for 24 years. Ms. Skaff has served on several community boards, including the Red Cross Blood Services and The Toledo Hospital Foundation. She is a past president of the Junior League of Toledo. Due to her experiences in urban education, community service, and fund development, she brings valued leadership to the Board of Directors of the Ron Clark Academy. |
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