Faculty/Staff

The Ron Clark Academy is proud and honored to introduce our staff for the 2008-2009 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.

Kim Bearden, Co-founder, Executive Director, and Language Arts Teacher

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 the 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 - Director of Development

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.

 

 

 

Staci Walker Lynch - Director of External Affairs

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 serves on the board for Easter Seals of North Georgia.

 

 

Rhonda Lokey - Social Studies and Reading

Rhonda Lokey has been honored as the Teacher of the Year at three different schools—a very rare achievement. During her 25 year career, she has been an instructional lead teacher, instructional technology specialist, and social studies teacher. She is a highly sought-after staff development trainer with expertise in countless areas including the Georgia Performance Standards, vocabulary instruction, backwards design, and technology integration. Her classroom is often used as a model classroom for educators, and videos of her teaching methods have been used at national conferences to demonstrate best practices.

 

 

 

Ken Townsel - Science

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.

 

 

Susan Arauz Barnes - Language Arts and Reading

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.

 

 

Lakesha Robinson - Math

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.

 

Elizabeth Scott - Counselor and Director of Student Services

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.

 

 

Renita Mosley - Office Manager

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.

 

 

Lola Brown - Science

Ms. Brown is a biomedical research engineer by training. She holds a bachelors degree in biology from Brown University and a master's degree in biomedical engineering from Georgia Tech and Emory University. She has performed research on sickle cell anemia, prostate cancer and heart valve replacements and won several awards for her research.  Ms. Brown believes it is vitally important for scientists and engineers to mentor students and encourage them to pursue technical careers. She is featured in the book "Embracing the Real World: The Black Women's Guide to Life After College.", which stresses the importance of mentorship in science. Most recently she was selected to participate in L.E.A.D., a leadership program for young professionals. Her vision is to see students maximize their potential to improve the communities around them.

 

 

 

 

 

Lazarus Bruner - Physical Education/Executive Assistant

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.

 

 

Erin Davis - Spanish Teacher and Special Projects Manager

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.

 

Norman Davis - IT Specialist

Mr. Davis is the newest member of the Ron Clark Academy family. He joins the Academy after three years with Promethean, Inc. where he served as both a Senior Quality Support Engineer and Trainer. In addition to managing all technology support at the school, Mr. Davis will continue to build the school’s technology advancement into the future. Mr. Davis is active in the community, with affiliations to Leadership North Fulton, NAACP, and the American Legion.

 

Joey Barr - Finance Manager

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.

Robyn Johnson - Executive Assistant

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.

 

Johnny Mills - Facilities Maintenance Manager

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.

Board of Trustees

Alonzo Llorens - President

Alonzo Llorens is a Partner at Adorno & Yoss, the largest certified minority-owned law firm in the United States.  In the United States.  In the firm’s corporate practice group, he specializes in securities law representing companies in public offerings, SEC filings, corporate governance and complex transactions under the federal securities law.  Mr. Llorens also handles venture capital transactions and mergers and acquisitions, both buy and sell side, for public and private companies.  Prior to this position,  Mr. Llorens was a member in Womble Carlyle's Corporate and Securities practice group concentrating primarily in the area of securities law, including public offerings, secondary offerings, private placements, public and private securities regulation, regulation of investment advisers and investment companies, REIT transactions, SEC compliance and corporate governance matters. Mr. Llorens’ venture capital financing experience includes the representation of issuers, venture capitalists and incubators.  Mr. Llorens has represented clients in numerous industries including financial services, real estate, technology, software, sports and entertainment, publishing, and interactive marketing

Rob Kight - Treasurer

 

Jaime Gimpelson - Secretary

Jaime Gimpelson comes from a long line of passionate philanthropists. She is actively involved in breast cancer and HIV awareness and has served on several non-profit boards. She has a masters in Public Health and an undergraduate degree in Child Development. She is a certified Physician Assistant for Atlanta Gastroenterology at Emory Crawford-Long.

 

 

Derek M. Alphran

Professor Alphran joined the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in the fall of 2003 as Associate Professor of Law and Director of Academic Support, where he teaches students the learning skills needed for a successful completion of the study of law. From 1992 to 1994, Professor Alphran served as Special Counsel to Atlanta, Georgia, Mayor Maynard Jackson. His portfolio included constitutional issues such as crack house legislation, handgun legislation, and criminal street gangs. He then worked in a community-based legal practice, focusing on state and municipal government law and federal civil rights law. Professor Alphran received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College and his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. He has also done post graduate study in Constitutional Law at Stanford Law School. Professor Alphran was a law clerk to the Honorable Elbert P. Tuttle, Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, from 1986-87 and became a Palmer Weber Fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Regional Office, where he worked on a number of voting rights cases and other civil liberties issues.

 

 

Michael Julian Bond

Michael Julian Bond completed two successful terms as the representative from Atlanta’s Council District Three. During those terms, he served as the City Council's President Pro Tempore for the year 2001. As President Pro Tempore, Bond presided over proceedings in the absence of the Council President or in the event of conflict of interest for the sitting president.

A fifth generation Atlantan, he is the son of famed Civil rights leader and NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond and Alice Clopton Bond.  Bond serves on the boards of the Ollie Street, Southeast and East Lake YMCAs, the Atlanta Empowerment Zone and is Chairman of the Board for Laffapolooza, a youth mentoring organization, Bond attended Morehouse College and Georgia State University, and is a member of Leadership Atlanta and the Black-Jewish Coalition's Project Understanding. He was also the Deputy Director and Chief Programs Officer of the Atlanta NAACP. 

 

 

Sunny Burrows

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.

 

Carlester T. Crumpler

Carlester T. Crumpler is the Assistant Vice President for the Not-For-Profit Banking Group at Bank of America. At Bank of America, Carlester is responsible for bringing innovative ideas, products and services to churches, non-profit organizations, and private K-12 & higher ed schools that will help streamline business operations, increase profitability and improve productivity so these institutions can focus more on fulfilling their mission. A native of Greenville, NC, Carlester graduated from East Carolina University with a BSBA in Finance and an MBA. Prior to attending graduate school, Carlester played professional football in the National Football League from 1994-2000 with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.

 

Judy Mauldin

Judy Mauldin is the executive director of R&B/Hip Hop 4 Humanity a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on education and health programs for at-risk youth.  During the summer 2005, HH4H launched an Alternative Education Program at Emory University, a partnership with the Communities in Schools-Future Force Leadership Program and Georgia State University School of Social Work-MSW Program. This one-week summer camp involved more than 200 students who explored various career opportunities and college programs in the entertainment industry through interactive workshops, panel discussions and career fair.

 

Naomi K. McLaurin, Esq.

Naomi K. McLaurin, Esq. is the Managing Director, Southeast Region for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Founded in 1997, MCCA's mission is to advocate for the expanded hiring, retention and promotion of minority attorneys in corporate law departments and the law firms that serve them.  Ms. McLaurin is the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of The Atlanta Legal Diversity Consortium, Inc. (ALDC). She served as Dean of Career Services at Emory Law School and Director of Diversity & Outreach at Georgetown University Law Center. She practiced law at large firms in New York City and Washington, DC, and two minority owned DC firms. Prior to, and during law school, Ms. McLaurin was a claims representative with a major insurance company.

 

 

Sheryl Sellaway 

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.

 

Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D.

Dr. Yolanda L. Watson Spiva currently serves as the Executive Director for Project GRAD Atlanta, a P-16 educational reform organization working to ensure high academic achievement as well as successful high school and college graduations for Atlanta Public School students. She is also currently a Managing Partner & Principal Consultant for Strategic Consulting Solutions, a Decatur, GA-based consulting firm specializing in educational and organizational consulting. While Dr. Spiva boasts a plethora of full-time work experiences, her most notable achievements include her service as the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at Trinity College for Women in Washington, D.C., as well as in the capacity of Director of Research and Programs for the American Association of University Women in Washington, D.C. She also spent ten years in the employ of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (Washington, D.C.) as well as in the Region IV Office of the Secretary's Regional Representative (Atlanta, GA) where she served as the Region IV Public Affairs Director.

 

Ricky Steele

Ricky Steele is the Chief Development Officer for Definition 6.  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 and Korn/Ferry International.  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 most recently a Trustee for Leadership Atlanta.

 

 

Pat Upshaw-Monteith

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.

 

Advisory Board

 

 

Jeff Anderson

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

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 Burgamy

Wanda is the Strategic Programs Manager for Education and State-Local government at Dell, Inc.  Using her insight as a student, as well as her experience teaching young adult learners she believes helps her as she works with educators across the nation to find ways to engage students in the classroom and inspire them to be leaders for today and tomorrow. A native of Hampton, Virginia, Wanda launched into her technology career nearly 20 years ago while living in the Atlanta area.  From application development to overseeing technology strategy, Wanda has put her business degree to good use in the technology sector.  She currently serves on the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business at East Carolina University where she participates in forums on changes to curricula for undergraduate and graduate programs.   

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

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 Daniel

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.

David brings a solid results-driven fund-raising career to AHM&P. Prior to joining AHM&P, he served as Director-Sponsorships and Development for the Georgia Aquarium, assisting in the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of over $70 million from corporate sponsors for the nation's largest aquarium. He also solicited a $2.5 million gift, the largest individual gift given to the organization. Under his direction, the aquarium surpassed its fund-raising goal.

Prior to the aquarium, David served as the Associate Director of Philanthropy for the South Carolina Nature Conservancy. He was responsible for creating and building a major gifts program on the coast of South Carolina, something that did not previously exist. During his tenure, the Conservancy received its largest gift ever from an individual ($1 million). David also assisted in the planning, study and leadership giving portion of a $18 million campaign. David's background also includes serving as Product Specialist at Blackbaud, traveling and providing training and counsel for the company's fundraising system, Raiser's Edge.  A sought after speaker and trainer, David has served as keynote speaker to multiple organizations. David is an Atlanta native and a graduate of Wofford College.

 

 

Doug Davis, Ph.D.

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.

 

 

 

Mark Elliot

Mark is the President of Promethean USA, one of RCA’s greatest contributors.  Joining Promethean in 2005, Mark brings with him 28 years experience in sales, marketing, and operations for both technical and software organizations. Mark spent over 14 years with Burroughs/Unisys in roles including Account Manager, Regional Product Manager, Executive Assistant to the Unisys President, Brand District Manager, and Regional Director of Marketing.  Subsequent to Unisys, Mark’s previous positions include being the senior VP for PowerCerv Technologies and president of E3 North America. He was the former VP of Lawson Software’s Retail Division and served as the VP of sales, marketing, and product development for Education Networks of America.  

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

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

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

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.

Betty L. Siegel, Ph.D.

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.

Cindy Skaff

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.