On May 4, AGS students and alumnae participated in our inaugural Girl Fest, a day of girl empowerment at Atlanta Girls’ School.
Thanks to Publix Super Markets Charities for generously donating lunch and bakery snacks for our students and guests!
Girl Fest Panelists
Meet the Girl Fest panelists for 2018.
When Alaina Von Doli started her design journey she had a dream, a love for art, and a new Mac-Book that she had no idea how to use. Since then, her dream of becoming a designer is still going, her love for art is still strong, and she doesn’t want to throw her computer against a wall anymore!
Alaina works full time as a Corporate Marketing Designer at a software company in Duluth called CBORD. It’s a great full time job, but what keeps her creative juices going is her freelance work. She started her freelancing when she was only 18 years old, working as an intern for comedian Margaret Cho while she was touring. Over the past few years, Alaina has worked with a few bands such as August Burns Red, Born of Osiris, Portrait of Lions & The Howling Tongues just to name a few. She has also been working with some YouTubers like Mrshamoozoo & also just local businesses trying to get a jump start.
Other passions of hers (other than design) include: baking, working on her new podcast (Coffee with Screams), comics, watching horror movies, going to concerts, hiking, bowling, modeling, and drinking an awesome glass of lemonade.
John Cusack also once told her she was cool at DragonCon.
Angela Harris is originally from Baltimore, MD and is a choreographer, dancer, and a graduate of The Baltimore School for the Arts. She received her dance training at Dance Theater of Harlem, School of the Hartford Ballet, and The Eglevsky Ballet. She attended Mercyhurst College and City College of New York, earning a B.A. in Journalism, while on full ballet scholarship at Steps on Broadway. Angela has danced professionally with The Georgia Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, and Urban Ballet Theater in NYC. Angela’s Atlanta theatre performance credits include Sophisticated Ladies and Degas’ Little Dancer (u/s) at the Alliance Theatre, as well as numerous productions with the Aurora Theater, including A Chorus Line, where she starred as Kristine DeLuca. She was a principal in Jasmine Guy’s production of Daughters of Alpha, in New Orleans, as well as a soloist dancer in the national tour of The Thorn, choreographed by Deanna McBrearty of New York City Ballet.
Angela’s choreography has been performed by The Georgia Ballet, Steps on Broadway Ensemble, Ballet Lubbock, Savannah Arts Academy, as well as other companies and schools across the country. She choreographed Bridges of Madison County (Aurora Theater), Little Shop of Horrors (Actor’s Express), Wonka and West Side Story (Fabrefaction Theater) and most recently, True Color’s Theater Company’s new production of The First Noel.
Angela is an instructor at DeKalb School for the Arts and Academy of Ballet. She was the ballet instructor at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute in 2015 & 2016, and has been a master class instructor at colleges & universities across the country. Angela was awarded the 2012 Emerging Artist Award in Dance from The City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs and received a proclamation from the Atlanta City Council. Angela was selected as one of five Inaugural National Visiting Fellows at the School of American Ballet in NYC. Most recently, Angela received an SDCF Observership and worked with Susan Stroman on the new musical, Little Dancer, during its Development Lab for Broadway.
In addition to her artistic projects, Angela also is the Executive Artistic Director of Dance Canvas, Inc., a career development organization for emerging professional choreographers and youth. Angela conceived and founded Dance Canvas after witnessing the difficult path and lack of professional opportunities for young choreographers. Additionally, Dance Canvas was envisioned to create relatable professional dance experiences and new dance patrons in the Atlanta area. Since 2008, Dance Canvas has presented World Premiere choreography from 92 emerging professional choreographers, showcased over 500 professional dancers, introduced over 1000 children and teens to dance through the DC NEXT youth program curriculum, and performed for over 15,000 audience members. Angela has developed youth dance/career development programs for the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs (Culture Club and ArtsCool), recording artist, Usher’s New Look Foundation, and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. She has forged partnerships with the Atlanta Ballet, Georgia Tech, Atlantic Station, Rialto Center for the Arts, National Black Arts Festival and Kennesaw State University. Through Dance Canvas, Angela has been a catalyst, consultant, and resource for numerous new dance organizations and artists throughout metro Atlanta. She received the 2011 Emerging Leader Award from Americans for the Arts and American Express, and was selected to be in the 2014 class of Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta (ALMA). Angela served on the national Emerging Leaders Council for Americans for the Arts from 2011 – 2014.
Anita Wallace Thomas is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in the Atlanta office. She focuses her practice in litigation, specifically in the areas of commercial litigation, franchise litigation, drug and medical device litigation, product liability, employment litigation, and toxic torts. Having served as lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials held in the superior and state courts Georgia, she has experience in product and commercial liability litigation, employment litigation, complex litigation, and drug medical device litigation. She also serves as counsel and trusted advisor to local government in all phase of litigation, internal investigations, and personnel training, and defends clients against charges of employment discrimination, harassment and wrongful discharge.
Active within her community and various professional organizations, Ms. Thomas is a 2014 Hall of Fame inductee of the Gate City Bar Association, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Leadership Institute for Women of Color in Law and Business, a member of the Leadership Atlanta 2011 class, and a Board Member of the Andrew & Walter Young YMCA. She previously served as President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, as a Board Member of the National Association of Women Lawyers, on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, and as a Board Member of the Atlanta Regional Commission. Recognized as a “Most Powerful and Influential Attorney” in Georgia by Women Works Media Group and amongst the 2015 Most Influential Black Lawyers by Savoy Magazine. She is also the recipient of the Bensonetta Tipton Lane Award for Commitment to Family, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ Spirit of GABWA Award, and the National Bar Association’s President’s Award.
Ann started her nursing career in 1991 with full intent on becoming a diabetes educator. She has a background that includes teaching high school Mathematics, 23 years as a cardiac and diabetes educator, and 15 years of experience teaching patients the use and management of insulin pumps and glucose sensors.
She embraces the diverse needs of persons with diabetes, and feels it is imperative to address both the physical and emotional aspects of managing the disease. In her free time she enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking, and reading.
Anna Pinder is Director of Community Intelligence at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, where she oversees the Foundation’s community leadership, partnerships and programs, public policy, and knowledge management to drive achievement of the Foundation’s impact areas to build a strong region.
Before joining the Community Foundation, Anna worked as a management consultant with Accenture and Jabian Consulting, where she advised clients in a wide range of industries including nonprofit, wholesale distribution, industrial equipment, consumer goods, automotive, transportation and logistics, and telecommunications. As a consultant, Anna helped clients solve some of their toughest problems related to organizational design, change management, leadership development, and process improvement.
Anna graduated with High Honors from The Georgia Institute of Technology (Go Jackets!) with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Spanish Language and Co-Operative Program certificates. While at Tech, Anna served as an Orientation Leader and Cabinet member for New Student Orientation. In addition, Anna was a President’s Scholar, Georgia Tech Ambassador, member of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Student Foundation Development Committee Director and Board of Trustees member, and was Undergraduate President of the ANAK Society. In 2002 Anna was named Ms. Georgia Tech and received the Women’s Leadership Conference “Woman of Distinction Undergraduate of the Year” award.
In the community, Anna serves as a member of the Georgia Tech Women’s Alumni Network Board of Directors, Midtown Neighbors’ Association Board Member, is past President and Board Member of the Georgia Tech Business Network, a graduate of the 2014 class of Leadership Buckhead, and is a member of the Cancer Crushers Team and a top fundraiser for the Winship Cancer Center Win the Fight Annual 5K. Anna is passionate about coaching and mentoring, and serves as a mentor through Georgia Tech Mentor Jackets.
Anna enjoys travel (has been to 36 countries), cooking, and going to (and tailgating for) GT football games. Anna married her college sweetheart Steve and they live in Midtown Atlanta with their 2-year-old daughter, Adelaide, and their yellow lab, Dutch.
Blair Brettmann received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. She received her Master’s in Chemical Engineering Practice in 2010 and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at MIT in 2012 working with the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing.
Following her Ph.D., Blair worked as a research engineer for Saint-Gobain Ceramics and Plastics for two years. While at Saint-Gobain, she worked on polymer-based wet coatings and dispersions for various applications, including window films, glass fiber mats, and architectural fabrics. Later, Blair served as a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.
She is now an Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech and researches ways to use chemical interactions to make more functional materials. Outside of work, she plays and coaches water polo with a local team in Atlanta.
Since 2006, just add honey tea company has created thoughtful blends that anyone can enjoy. Made with local and/or organic ingredients, just add honey is a sophisticated twist on a southern tea tradition.
Chandra joined True Colors Theatre Company in July of 2017. Prior to joining True Colors, she led C5 Georgia as Executive Director from 2014 – 2017. Before joining the nonprofit sector in 2014, Stephens-Albright enjoyed a 22-year career at The Coca-Cola Company. Among the highlights of her time there was her role on the original team that developed Coca-Cola Freestyle®, the breakthrough dispenser that has transformed the fountain user experience.
Chandra’s career began in Brand and International Marketing at Bristol-Myers Squibb in New York, NY. Deeply passionate about her community, Chandra currently serves on the boards of The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and The Alliance Theatre. Chandra is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2005. A native of Atlanta, she holds a BA in Chemistry from Emory University and an MBA from The Olin School of Business at Washington University.
Cindy is a health insurance expert who sweats the details and understands the challenges of Georgia families. She has led the fight in Georgia for better health care for nearly a decade and has committed her professional life to fighting for consumers and the changes we need to make Georgia a better place to live, work, and thrive. Last year, she received the prestigious Health Advocate of the Year award from Families USA for her work as Executive Director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a statewide health advocacy organization.
She is currently running for Insurance Commissioner of Georgia.
Denise Reese is Vice President, Digital Transformation at SoftVision, a digital services company that creates impactful and custom digital experiences that connect brands with consumers in relevant and memorable interactions.
Prior to joining SoftVision, Denise was Director of Business Development with Endava Inc., The US division of Endava UK Limited, a leading IT Services and Consulting firm with operations in London, Germany The US and Central Eastern Europe. In her role, Denise led sales and operations for Endava’s Atlanta location and was also a member of the Global Sales and Marketing and US Leadership teams. Denise has spent more than a decade in Sales and Strategic Alliances for several major IT Services and Software organizations and has held positions both in The United States and Europe. Her experience spans multiple disciplines including Identity and Access Management, IT Security and Regulatory Compliance Management. Denise has built a brand rooted in developing trusted advisor relationships with her clients. This, coupled with a keen ability to build repeatable and sustainable revenue generating opportunities, has afforded Denise with the opportunity to achieve significant milestones for the firms she’s worked with.
During her tenure with Wipro Technologies, a leading IT Services, Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing Organization headquartered in Bangalore, India, she secured Wipro’s 1st and largest Hospitality Client in the US and was a multi -million dollar contributor to the RCTG (Retail, CPG, Transportation and Government) Business Unit.
Denise holds an MBA in Strategic Management from The Henley Business School in The United Kingdom. Her dissertation research focused on the importance of businesses adapting a sound IT Security and Risk policy. During her MBA Program, she completed her International Business Experience in Hong Kong. This allowed her the opportunity to analyze and provide strategic direction to Asia-Pacific companies in multiple industries including Manufacturing, Retail, and Public Sector.
Denise is passionate about serving in the community and embodies the qualities of a true Servant Leader. She served as Board Chair of the University Community Academy Board of Directors from 2009-2012. From 2009-2016, she served on the Board of the Women In Technology (WIT) Foundation , the philanthropic arm of Women In Technology, Inc. In addition to serving on WIT’s Executive Committee, Denise was Executive Advisor to WIT’s WIT Campus and WIT Girls Programs and was also responsible for developing Strategic Relationships for The WIT Foundation. Denise also had the honor of being a contributing author to WIT’s leadership book CLIMB: Leading Women in Technology Share Their Journey’s to Success.
Currently, Denise serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Cool Girls, Inc. where she has held positions as both Board Development and Resource Development Chair. She was also Event Chair for Cool Girls’ signature fundraiser, Hot Pink Party 2013. She had the privilege of being a 2012 Girls, Inc. “Strong Smart and Bold” Award Nominee and was bestowed the honor of serving on the Judges Panel for Distinguished Young Women’s (formerly Junior Miss) 2013 National Finals. Denise was a Founding Board Member and Director of Development for the Greater Atlanta Professional Chapter of Women MBA’s International, formerly known as NAWMBA – National Association of Women MBA’s. Recently, Denise was inducted into the Financial Times/European Business School’s Women on Board Initiative, “Global Board Ready Women.” This groundbreaking program is a global database of 8000 high achieving women in business and supports greater gender diversity on publicly quoted company boards in Europe. Denise was also a member of the National MS Society of Georgia’s MS Leadership 2014 Class and was named a TAG Hub Magazine 2015 GA Game Changer in STEM Education. Denise also has the honor of being a member of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2017.
Elise M. Beltrami received her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison, Wisconsin in 1992 and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Minnesota in 1995 before coming to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to pursue training in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS).
Following EIS, she served as a medical officer for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion from 1997 to 2001. In 2002, she received her Master of Public Health degree in health policy and management from Emory University in Atlanta. She completed a residency in preventive medicine at CDC and then served as the director of the Health Assessment and Promotion unit of the DeKalb County Board of Health from 2003 to 2005.
She rejoined the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion in 2005, where she served as the Prevention Team Leader (2005-2008) and Associate Director for Science (2008-2010). Since 2010, she has been the Associate Director for Epidemiologic Science for the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Beltrami has two daughters at AGS, Katherine and Margaret, in the class of 2023.
Georgia Milton-Sheats has been the CEO of Special Olympics Georgia since March 1999, where the mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. Georgia has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Special Olympics International since 2012, where she is the Chairwoman of the International Advisory Committee.
In addition, Georgia has held various positions on the board of the U.S. Special Olympics. She is also a member of the North America Leadership Council (since 2010), and she served as a member of the Risk Management and Insurance Task Force for Worldwide Special Olympics in 2010-2011.
Georgia is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and she is active in many local organizations, including as a sustaining member of the Atlanta Junior League, a Girl Scout troop leader, a former leader in Atlanta’s Northside Youth Organization, the Corresponding Secretary of the Poppy Garden Club, a member of Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, and a former Honorary Board Member for Trinity Ministries, Inc.
Georgia is married and has one daughter.
Jenn Downs is the Director of User Experience Design at Points of Light and is currently studying how tech and design can shape the volunteer experience. She got her start in tech with MailChimp and is now an internationally welcomed speaker in the UX community.
Jessica Riddle is a land development engineer with Kimley-Horn, a national civil engineering consulting firm. She began working with Kimley-Horn in 2012 as an intern while attending the Georgia Institute of Technology. Since graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, she has worked in private sector development in the firm’s Atlanta office. Jessica’s focus in on urban redevelopment and she has a wide range of experience with residential, office, and mixed use projects.
As an engineering consultant, her involvement in projects ranges from early due diligence, site planning, and entitlement, through detailed engineering design, and into construction.
She is an active member of CREW (Commercial Real Estate for Women), a networking organization for women in real estate related industries, and is currently part of the 2018 CREW Atlanta Leadership Development class. Outside of work, she spends her time volunteering with Out of Darkness, a local non-profit, leading worship at her church, rock climbing, traveling, and hiking in the North GA mountains.
Jill MacRae is currently Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Anisa International. In this role she provides strategic leadership across all business segments supporting AI’s position as a leading global beauty manufacturer. Jill’s knowledge of building consumer brands is critical to the company’s dedication to capturing insights and creating authentic consumer experiences that fuel AI’s cosmetic brand partnerships as well as the soon-to-launch ANISA collection.
Before joining AI, Jill held various roles at SPANX where she most recently served as Executive Vice President of Global Commerce establishing new retail distribution, expanding the product offering and growing the category channels. While there, Jill also held the roles of Vice President of Global Marketing and National Director of Sales.
Prior to her time at SPANX, Jill worked for major consumer products companies, including Starbucks Coffee Company, Darden Restaurants, Dunkin’ Brands and Planet Hollywood International.
Jill has received a number of honors in her field including Share Our Strength’s “Most Innovative Cause Marketer.” In addition, she is passionate about giving back on a national and local level. She is an advisor to the National Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Annual Campaign and serves on the boards of Sheltering Arms for Kids Early Learning Centers and Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jill received a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Sciences from the University of Georgia and currently resides in Buckhead with her husband, Dave, and two children, Caroline and Jack.
Laura’s professional background includes 20 years of U.S. federal and state executive and legislative branch, non-profit advocacy, political campaign, and University teaching experience.
Her work has focused on the development, advocacy, and passage of legislation and programs in the broad areas of national and state health care, education, child development and welfare, maternal and child health policy, with a special interest in policy affecting low-income and minority populations. Her experience includes appointment as the founding Director of the Georgia Office of Healthcare Policy and Research, serving as Special Assistant for Health Care and Child Policy to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee writing health reform, child and family policy, and disability-related during the Clinton Administration, as a Subject Matter Expert to the Department of Health and Human Services working on health reform during the Obama White House, as Director of Policy and Programs for the National Associations of Child Advocates, as National Director for the Women’s Vote Project, and as Policy Director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Policy Council.
She has held policy and political positions in the Al Gore for President campaign, the Fowler and Nunn U.S. Senate campaigns, and advised additional Congressional candidates on policy, communications, and political strategy. She has been an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level courses on the United States healthcare system, health care policy, education law, human capital development, child and family policy, and early childhood education policy at Georgia State University.
Laura holds a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from Earlham College, where she served as Student Body President, an M.P.A / M.P.P. from the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in health and education policy, an M.A. in Economics with a concentration in Child Development from the University of Chicago, and an Executive Leadership Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Georgetown University. She has also done coursework toward the Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the Ph. D. in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities at Georgia State University.
Laura was awarded a Watson Fellowship for study of the educational system in the former U.S.S.R, was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist, a Social Sciences Fellowship recipient at the University of Chicago, a Fels Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to the Young Woman Leaders of America. She has been appointed to numerous state and federal level task forces and study commissions. Presently, she is mom to a wonderful 10th grade student at AGS. She attended the Paideia School in Atlanta, GA.
Lauren Morris is a freelance theatre director, actor, teacher and arts manager. Her goal has always been to create a viable career in the arts, combining her love and talent for the creative side of theatre with practical management and leadership skills. After receiving her undergraduate in theatre, she worked primarily as a theatre artist before attending graduate school for her MBA/MFA. After graduate school, she helped steer two theatres through the financial repercussions of the great recession as a Managing Director: Long Beach Playhouse in Long Beach, CA and Georgia Shakespeare here in Atlanta.
After having her son Kellan in 2014, she took a break from the nonprofit arts sector to work in Atlanta’s growing tech community as the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for SimplePart, a company that creates digital platforms for major automotive manufacturers. At SimplePart, she managed a team of copywriters, graphic designers, and digital marketers while partnering with marketing teams at companies such as Subaru, Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota and Volvo.
In 2017, she returned to full-time work in the theatre, freelancing as a director and arts management consultant. She currently works with several theatre companies here in Atlanta, including Théâtre du Rêve and Horizon Theatre Company, and returns annually to direct at Crossroads Repertory Theatre in her home state of Indiana. This fall, she will be one of 70 directors from across the globe to attend the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab in New York City.
Lauren Waits is Director of Government Affairs for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, where she leads advocacy initiatives at the state and federal level. Lauren develops and implements strategies to advance the Food Bank’s policy priorities, largely focused on Georgia’s SNAP and WIC programs. She serves as the Food Bank lobbyist and conducts outreach to elected and government agency officials.
Lauren was the first policy director at Voices for Georgia’s Children, where she helped to establish an advocacy framework and select indicators to measure progress in child well-being. Most recently, she worked as a facilitator at StoryCorps Atlanta, where she had the opportunity to engage deeply with community partners gathering stories to advance a range of social justice causes. As a graduate of the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health, Lauren has worked in diverse communities from Ghana, West Africa to Oaxaca, Mexico. A sixth-generation Georgian with family roots in Polk County, Lauren is also a proud graduate of the DeKalb County Public Schools.
Mandy maintains significant experience in prosecuting and maintaining trademark applications on a world-wide basis. Mandy’s day-to-day responsibilities include preparing and filing trademarks applications in the US and abroad, conducting and reviewing trademark searches, preparing and filing various trademark maintenance and renewal documents, preparing responses to substantive Office Action refusals, registering and maintaining copyrights and Internet domain names, and managing the day-to-day docketing and intellectual property rights maintenance responsibilities for the firm.
Before joining The Sladkus Law Group in 2007, Mandy began her career as a corporate and trademark paralegal with Bodker, Ramsey & Andrews, P.C., and then as a trademark paralegal with the Atlanta office of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC.
Mandy received her American Bar Association approved Paralegal Certificate from The National Center for Paralegal Training in 1997, and received her Bachelors of Science from Florida State University in 1994.
Mandy lives in Suwanee, GA with her husband, Ron, and daughter, Erin. She enjoys traveling with her family and volunteering with Girl Scouts.
Marcelle English is a public relations maven, business woman, sports aficionado, and mentor who have for the past 15 years taken the communications and sports world by storm.
Marcelle English was born in Washington D.C. When moving to Atlanta with her mother, Marcelle attending the celebrated Banneker High School in South Fulton County. While in high school Marcelle realized that she had a passion for sports & writing so she joined, VOX teen newspaper, the first and only Atlanta teen-run newspaper for teens. While being a VOX writer, Marcelle interviewed sports legends such as Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Hank Aaron. Noticing her passion for sports, Marcelle was selected to be a part of the 1996 Summer Olympic News Bureau in Atlanta. During the summer she wrote more than 20 news features that had a youth appeal surrounding the 1996 Summer Olympic Games for various national and international outlets, such as CNN, USA Today, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Miami Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer and others. USA Today hired Marcelle to write for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, from a youth perspective.
After graduating from high school, Marcelle attended Georgia State University, where she received a dual B.A. in Communications with concentrations in Public Relations and Print Journalism. While in college, Marcelle took a 6-month internship at Atlanta’s #1 urban radio station, WVEE V103, for the city’s newest morning show, The Frank Ski Morning Show (now called The Frank & Wanda Show). After completing her internship, Marcelle was hired as a news writer & reporter for the early morning radio shows at V103 and WAOK 1380 am. Only after a couple of months, Marcelle was offered the position as Assistant Morning Show Producer and returned to her beloved Frank Ski Morning Show.
After spending six years with the #1 morning show Marcelle English became Executive Producer before leaving to start her next chapter. While at V103 Marcelle met University of Georgia Quarterback, Quincy Carter, who was entering the NFL draft later that year, who asked Marcelle for some assistance with a draft function that would promote his image and personal brand. Carter went on to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, and he contacted Marcelle again to handle his public relations outside of what the Cowboys were doing, thus starting a new career for Marcelle.
In 2005, Marcelle felt it was time to leave V103 and go out on her own, as a result creating Origins Public Relations, a boutique PR firm that specialized in sports marketing and public relations. Marcelle had the opportunity to work with many of the NFL’s best & brightest, at one point she was working with over 15 NFL players. She also was invited to teach media training at the NFL Rookie Symposium for three years in a row, as well as, privately for various NFL teams across the country.
In expanding her love for sports, Marcelle started working with one of the first minority owned NASCAR teams with former Atlanta Falcons’ player, Terance Mathis, which allowed her to become a staple in the NASCAR community by working with the organization directly in the area of diversity.
In continuing her love for sports, in 2009 Marcelle teamed up with long time best friend & current business partner, Angela Davis, to start Jersey Girl Sports (JGS), the only multimedia lifestyle brand for female sports fans. Jersey Girl Sports is revolutionizing the way women watch and engage as fans in mainstream sports. This site gives women the opportunity to get sports news and scores, watch Jersey Girl TV, blog about topics and interact with other female sports fans across the country called JGFs, Jersey GirlFriends.
In March 2016, Marcelle resurrected her former public relations firm and launched Branding House Public Relations, is a boutique public relations & strategic marketing agency specializing in the growth, development and marketability of brands in the travel & tourism, sports, lifestyle and luxury industries.
One thing that is very important to Marcelle is giving back; that is why she sits on the board for Girls on the Run Metro Atlanta. In 2010, Marcelle completed the United Way V.I.P. (Volunteer Involvement Program) that certified her to be a member of a nonprofit board. She is also a member of the Atlanta Junior League, and a former Marketing/PR Committee Director for Girls Inc. Atlanta. In November 2013, Marcelle was named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 40 Under 40.
Marcelle English currently lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, with her cat, Gizmo.
STEM Atlanta Women was founded in 2016 by Atlanta native, innovator, human resources business professional and technology advocate, Maxine Cain. She is also the visionary leader of the (Girl Centric STEM Innovation Academy) planned to open in the Spring of 2019.
STEM Atlanta Women is a non-profit 501c(3) organization created to Enlighten, Educate, and Empower women and girls about the advantages and global opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and the future skills needed to compete and succeed in 21st Century.
STEM Innovation Academy is an organization that was created and designed by women for women. Founded by Atlanta native, Innovator, Human Resources Business Professional and STEM Advocate, Maxine Cain.
STEM Innovation Academy is a digital creative space that offers a collaborative environment for learning, innovation, and creativity. We support and promote the “Educate to Innovate” campaign to motivate and inspire students and young adults to excel in STEM subjects.
The goal is to get American students from the middle of the pack in science and math to the top of the pack in the international arena.
STEM Atlanta Women & The STEM Innovation Academy is working diligently to increase public and youth STEM engagement, improving the STEM experience for High School Juniors and Seniors, undergraduates, and recent college graduates reaching demographics underrepresented in STEM fields, and designing better graduate education for the STEM workforce.
We offer master classes, Coding classes, 3D Design, APP Development, Maker Workshops, Innovative Programs, Tech Labs, Hack-a-thons, Entrepreneurial Business Classes, Conferences, and events that will enhance and increase the talent pipeline in STEM careers globally for women, girls, and minorities.
Through Collaboration and communication, STEM Innovation Academy will enlighten, educate and empower the Atlanta community on the future skills needed to compete and succeed in 21st Century.
Website: www.steamatlantawomen.org
Sr. Human Resources Director, PHR – Caduceus USA Occupational Health – 11/21/2016 – 3/5/2018
Caduceus Occupational Medicine. Caduceus USA, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a leading provider of medical management services related to Occupational Medicine. As the Sr. Director of Human Resources Maxine was responsible for providing strategic human resource leadership, guidance, counsel, direction and oversight in the Atlanta Area ensuring consistent and timely delivery of human resources services to approximately 125 employees and (8) Metro Atlanta Occupational Health Clinics.
National Human Resources Business Partner, PHR – Verizon Wireless – (8/29/1994 – 9/19/2015)
Maxine Cain was a National Human Resources Business Partner at Verizon Wireless, the nation’s. fastest, most reliable 4G network.
Maxine is also a certified human resource professional (PHR) who possesses over 18 years of human resources and organizational development experience and 21 years of service with Verizon Wireless.
Maxine was responsible for providing strategic human resource leadership, guidance, counsel, direction and oversight in the Atlanta Area ensuring consistent and timely delivery of human resources services to approximately 2000 employees.
Maxine Cain is an original Georgia Peach. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Maxine was married for 21 years and is currently divorced with 2 beautiful children: Brandon, 24 years old and Lauren, 19 years old. Maxine loves to entertain at home, travel, cook, and make everyone around her feel very special.
Melissa M. Ingram is Vice President and Channel Manager for Aspire – the television entertainment network from Earvin “Magic” Johnson that reflects the people and modern day experiences of black and urban culture in a way that is inspiring, authentic and entertaining. Ingram oversees the network’s day-to-day operations, brand and programming. In addition, she is responsible for the long-term strategy, planning and personnel for the network. She led the recent brand refresh of aspireTV into an urban lifestyle brand with an all-new website and #SeeYourselfHere tagline. Original series launched under this new direction include cooking series Butter + Brown; interview specials Idols, Icons + Influencers; and the upcoming design series Unboxed with Nikki Chu.
Ingram joined Aspire in August 2012 as Senior Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, and was promoted to Senior Director of Business Affairs and Development in December 2014. In her role as Senior Director, Ingram was successful in executing partnerships with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHI-HBCUs) and solidifying an unprecedented partnership with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and its member schools to produce custom programming, highlighting the rich legacy and history of HBCUs and their product – the students. Ingram also oversaw the process of Aspire becoming the first and only national cable television network to receive its certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and continues to serve as the network’s liaison with the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC). In 2013, Ingram was selected as one of Multichannel News’ 40 under 40 young industry executives and was also honored in 2016 and 2017 as one of Cablefax’s “Most Influential Minorities in Cable.” She was also named to the “Who’s Who in Black Atlanta” list in 2017.
Ingram joined Aspire from its sister-network UP TV, where she was Senior Counsel of Business and Legal Affairs, serving as lead counsel and negotiator for programming acquisition agreements. While at UP TV in 2011, Ingram was awarded a scholarship from the Walter Kaitz Foundation and was selected to attend the Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Rising Leaders Program in San Diego, California.
Before joining UP TV in 2008, Ingram was an associate lawyer with an Atlanta-based boutique entertainment firm, The Carter Law Firm, PC where she handled various entertainment contracts. She began her career in 2004 as an associate lawyer in the Labor and Employment group at Alston & Bird, LLP in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ingram earned a Juris Doctorate (J.D) from the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, magna cum laude, from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Ingram is a former board member of the Southeast Board of Directors for WICT and is a proud member of one of the nation’s oldest volunteer service organizations, The Links, Incorporated.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Melissa now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Demetrius and daughter, Micah Michelle.
Melissa Long is an Emmy Award winning broadcast and digital journalist. She recently joined an start-up behind the new artificial intelligence-powered global news platform, Ground.
Most recently, Melissa was an Anchor/Reporter with Atlanta’s NBC station. Melissa has also served as an international business correspondent for Bloomberg TV in Manhattan, Hong Kong and Sydney. Earlier in her career, she worked as an Anchor/Reporter with CNN, HLN and CNN.com and covered the historic 2008 election from the campaign trail. Melissa also served as an adjunct communications professor while working as a broadcast journalist in Rochester, New York.
She has participated in educational fellowships through the UN Foundation in New York, National Press Foundation in Washington, D.C., RIAS in Germany and the East-West Center in China. She also spearheaded voluntourism programs with children in Singapore and Costa Rica. She’s also a 2017 graduate of Leadership Atlanta.
Melissa graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University with a dual degree in journalism and policy studies and was awarded an MBA from the University of Rochester. Melissa lives with her husband and young daughter in Brookhaven.
Tireless worker. Financial Guru. Speaker. Writer. Leader. Personal Growth Junkie.
Meredith loves a challenge and considers the results of her work as a financial entrepreneur as fine art. Exceeding client expectations, she keeps the financial planning process simple, while simultaneously building her business, developing her employees and supporting her professional relationships. A known leader in her field and in business, she thrives at networking and sees it as a way to continuously create new and exciting opportunities and connections for herself and for others.
She is a passionate mentor, entrepreneur, survivor, trailblazer and a highly requested public speaker.
As a financial planner for almost 20 years, her goal is to always ensure that a clear and customized plan has been laid out for her clients so that they are not only at ease and confident, but consistently achieving their monetary goals.
She is a firm believer in personal, as well as professional development, and is constantly fine-tuning her knowledge base.
As a speaker, she covers many topics including adversity, growth, leadership, and finance.
Outside of the office, Meredith has served on several boards at Georgia Tech, is a Leadership Atlanta 2017 graduate. She is committed to women’s issues, mentorship and personal development. She is a self-confessed foodie who enjoys finding unique restaurants around Atlanta. A lifelong resident of Georgia, she currently resides in Roswell with her family.
Michelle Coward Wells is the Lead Physicist for several Piedmont Healthcare Radiation Oncology Centers in Metro Atlanta. She is an active community volunteer; who believes even the smallest action creates lasting impact.
As a clinically oriented physicist, Wells is responsible for the technical operations and staffing of a Gamma Knife unit and several radiation oncology centers, whose offerings cover a majority of current patient treatment options. She has supervised the technical installation of linear accelerators and managed their start up to a successful outcome. Her experience in program implementation includes RapidArc, IMRT, brachytherapy, stereotactic, and 3D external beam treatments. She has personally planned hundreds of patient treatments.
Wells is passionate about continuous process improvement to advance patient outcomes and to increase the technical expertise of staff. Under Well’s leadership, Piedmont has successfully implemented research credentialing for most radiation oncology treatment modalities and has obtained both the American College of Radiology accreditation and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx® ) certification. She is an active participant in Radiation Safety and Continuous Quality Improvement Committees and oversees Piedmont’s participation in the national RO‐ILS: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System. Wells is board certified in both Therapeutic Medical Physics and Diagnostic Radiological Physics by The American Board of Radiology and participates in their Maintenance of Certification program.
Wells serves on the Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Working Group on Prevention of Errors in Radiation Oncology, the Task Group 275 for Effective Physics Plan and Chart Review in Radiation Therapy, and the Task Group Medical Physics Practice Guideline 11: Plan and Chart Review in External Beam Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy. Wells is the current President‐elect of the Southeast Chapter of the AAPM. She is a past member of the AAPM Membership Committee.
Wells currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta, where she co‐chairs the Second Century Breakfast. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ferst Readers, Inc. and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2017. Wells was the 2013‐2014 President of The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. She served on the board of directors for many Atlanta non‐profits and primarily supports organizations that promote the health and well‐being of children, developing female leadership, and improving STEM education.
A native of Latta, South Carolina, Wells graduated from Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina with a dual bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics. As a Presidential Fellow at Georgia Institute of Technology, she earned a Master of Science degree in Health Physics. Michelle and her husband (William) love attending theater, watching football, and traveling. Michelle is an avid reader and spends her spare time outdoors in her garden.
Parker Whidby joined Explore Georgia, the state’s official travel and tourism department, in 2015 as the Digital Content Specialist.
She is the voice of @ExploreGeorgia and is responsible for managing Explore Georgia’s social media channels. This includes supervising the day-to-day operations, developing creative content, producing social campaigns and overseeing the Explore Georgia community of over 650,000 followers. Parker has more than seven years of experience in marketing, public relations, and event planning.
A native of Valdosta, Georgia, she holds a degree in Public Relations from Auburn University.
Rachel Alterman Wallack, MSW, is the Founder and Mission Director of VOX Teen Communications. Her experience growing up in Atlanta and then writing for Junior Scholastic and Business Atlanta magazines while volunteering with teenagers inspired her to unite teens from different backgrounds and parts of the region to create an outlet for teens’ voices and leadership in 1993.
After serving as executive director for VOX’s first two decades, Rachel worked with the board to manage an executive transition while working to advance the organization’s mission through strategic partnerships and community building. She consulted for several local and national nonprofits, including managing the content for the national Youth Today publication and providing trainings for Georgia’s ASYD Quality Standards team, and has now brought those training, technical assistance and facilitation services back to VOX as region’s organizational leader in youth voice. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas-Austin and a master’s in social work from the University of Georgia. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including the Atlanta Women’s Foundation and the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, and on the Advisory Board of Kate’s Club.
She lives in Atlanta with her family, believes fundamentally in the power and importance of youth voice, and has spent a career amplifying teens’ voices for their growth and the benefit of our communities.
Sara Haj-Hussein joined the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation in 2017 as a Gifts Officer, overseeing multiple events at Piedmont Healthcare. In her role, she supports the fundraising efforts of the individual hospitals in the Piedmont system. In addition to working with the entities to raise money for service lines and patient programs, Sara works with large corporate sponsors and vendors for the annual One Ask event support and manages a portfolio of prospects.
Prior to joining the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation, Sara served as the Development Manager for the March of Dimes for three event seasons. In this role, Sara managed relationships with National Team Partners, event sponsors, and fundraising teams. Before holding this position, Sara worked for the American Cancer Society as an Income Manager, overseeing collegiate and community Relay For Life events in metro Atlanta and implementing a new social media platform for the organization.
Sara currently volunteers with Wellspring Living and New American Pathways, serves as an Ambassador for Kate’s Club, and continues to volunteer with the Junior League of Atlanta, serving as the CSE/HT Chair for the 2017-2018 League year.
Sara is a graduate of Agnes Scott College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and had her own column in the collegiate paper, The Profile.
Sarah Phillips Collins is a graduate from Harpeth Hall, an all-girls college prep school in Nashville, TN. She received her BA in Art with Honors with minors in Theater, English and American Studies from Oglethorpe University in 1998. She completed her MFA in Fashion from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah in 2005.
She has both taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs in Fashion, Fashion Marketing & Management, and Luxury and Fashion Management at SCAD Atlanta where she has also served as the Program Coordinator and Associate Chair for Fashion.
Sarah has done freelance design, product development, trend forecasting, and promotion for companies like SPANX and Brrr! She has also been a costume designer, visual merchandiser, and stylist. Sarah currently lives in Decatur, GA with her husband, 10-year-old daughter, and two dogs. She has a small obsession with Pinterest and true crime podcasts and invites you to speak with her about both.
As District Attorney for the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, Sherry Boston oversees the prosecution of felony offenses filed in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, including murder, drug and sex offenses, child and elder abuse, theft, and corruption. Prior to this role, District Attorney Boston served as DeKalb County Solicitor-General, the elected prosecutor overseeing misdemeanor crimes.
In addition to her elected positions, District Attorney Boston has also received several notable appointments. She was the first woman appointed as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Dunwoody and also served as Associate Magistrate Judge for DeKalb County. In addition to her judicial service, Ms. Boston has also worked in private practice handling thousands of misdemeanor and felony criminal cases in metro Atlanta.
Among other community and legal organizations in which she is involved, District Attorney Boston is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia. She currently chairs the Investigative Panel of the State Disciplinary Board, which has the power to investigate and discipline members of the State Bar for violations of Standards of Conduct. District Attorney Boston also serves on the Board of Governors, the State Bar’s policy making arm.
In addition to her varied State Bar roles, District Attorney Boston is an instructor for Basic Litigation for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and is regularly called upon to speak to local and national audiences on a number of issues related to law enforcement, trial preparation and cross-examination strategies.
Throughout her career, Ms. Boston has received numerous awards and recognition for her work and commitment to important causes such as domestic violence awareness and prevention/intervention initiatives.
District Attorney Boston is a graduate of Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Emory University School of Law.
Susan Percy joined Georgia Trend, an award-winning regional magazine covering business, politics and economic development, in 2001 and served as editor until 2014, when she became Editor-At-Large.
She is a native Atlantan.
Susan has an ABJ with honors from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she worked on The Red & Black.
She was on staff at Atlanta Magazine for eight years and has worked for newspapers in Louisiana and California. She has written for national publications including USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Arthritis Today, the Harvard Health Newsletter, Redbook, and Glamour. Her work has earned regional and national awards, including first place in 2017 for her “Business Casual” columns in the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) “Green Eyeshade” contest and in the Association of Area Business Publications (AABP) awards competition.
Susan was inducted into the Magazine Association of the Southeast Hall of Fame in 2008 for her contributions to magazine journalism.
She is a member of the Atlanta Press Club, a volunteer at VOX Teen Communications, and a former member of the Grady Society board at UGA, the Emory University Ethics Center’s Media Advisory Council, and the Parent Alumni Council of Paideia School.
website: susanpercy.com
Dr. Tameeka Law Walker is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician with Georgia Perinatal Consultants. She joined the practice in August of 2013 and recently accepted partnership in January 2018. A Georgia native, Dr. Law Walker was born and raised in Gainesville. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. After completing her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, she served two years in the military at the Naval Hospital in Beaufort, South Carolina as a staff OBGYN. She went on to complete her Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship and received a Master of Science in Clinical Research at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Law then served another two years on active duty at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Dr. Law Walker is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the National Medical Association. She has also contributed her time and knowledge as an Associate Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where she served as the Medical Student Clinical Site Director for the OBGYN department at Walter Reed. Dr. Law Walker has published and presented research regarding intrauterine growth restriction, maternal obesity and other perinatal subjects. Her clinical interests include ultrasound, obstetrical procedures, fetal growth, and maternal health complications.
Dr. Law Walker brings a diverse background to the practice. Her prior engineering training allows her to completely analyze problems with great attention to detail, and then devise a well thought out personal plan for each patient. Through military experience, her formal education was enhanced with extraordinary discipline, responsibility, leadership, commitment and resiliency, which is evident as she cares for her patients and works with others in the healthcare team. Her medical expertise and caring service enable her to assist and support patients and their families throughout their pregnancies.
Dr. Law Walker is very active in the Atlanta community. She volunteers with Junior League of Atlanta serving currently as the Chair of the Generational Poverty Committee and recently selected as Capacity Building Director for 2018-2019. She is an alumni of Leadership Atlanta Class 2017 and serves on the Board of Directors for Partnership Against Domestic Violence. Dr. Law Walker has been a mentor with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., MECCA Chapter in which she has been a speaker and provided workshops to their teen program in the areas of STEM, healthy lifestyles and etiquette. Personally, she loves to travel and cherishes the cultural experiences it provides.
Tracie L. Klinke is the founder of Klinke Immigration, LLC, a small immigration law firm in Marietta, GA that focuses on family-based and humanitarian-based immigration. She is active in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), serving on numerous national and local advocacy and liaison committees.
For 2017-2018, she serves as Chair for the Georgia-Alabama AILA Chapter. She is a frequent speaker on immigrants and domestic violence, naturalization, asylum, and waivers. Tracie serves as a member of the Cobb County DV Task Force and is on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Asylum & Immigration Network (GAIN) and Caminar Latino.