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Financial Executives International Association

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Chris Arndt/FEI Atlanta

As the Director of FEI Atlanta, Chris Arndt is a versatile executive with an MBA in Finance and a powerful blend of financial and operations expertise gained over 20+ years of executive management, complemented by top tier turnaround. Chris has  Big 4 consulting experience spanning diverse industries including health care, information technology, retail, and manufacturing.

Chris is equally adept at directing management of financials, identifying and executing investment and product strategies, driving/supporting growth through operational excellence, business realignment, process improvement, turnaround and cost reduction initiatives. He readily motivates teams, defines objectives, and drives accountability at all levels. Chris routinely asks “What if?” and embraces dynamic, changing business models – thinks like an investor; acts like an owner.

Sara Jones/BBDO Atlanta

Sara Jones is the EVP, CFO for BBDO Atlanta Inc. A graduate of the University of South Alabama and CPA, Sara began her career in healthcare, working for HCA and Humana. However, in 1989 she found her niche in the advertising industry. Behind the scenes of every great agency, and all the great work is someone who makes sure everything is operating like clockwork – work flows, bills are paid, and all the details are handled to the highest standards. Sara Jones is this person. At BBDO Atlanta, Sara manages agency operations: Accounting, Broadcast Production, Print Production, Project Management, Studio Services, and Information Systems. She is a member of FEI National and Secretary for FEI, Atlanta Chapter.

Doug Hooper/Dew Learning

Doug Hooper is the Chief Financial Officer at Dew Learning. Doug is a Senior Operations and Finance Executive with more than 20 years of success integrating finance, operations, business metrics, and business processes to facilitate strategic decision making and drive financial and business performance. He is a change agent with a strong blend of financial and operational expertise, and proven ability to excel in start-up, high-growth, and multi-billion dollar corporate settings and in diverse industries ranging from telecommunications, plastic and metal products, medical equipment, pharmaceutical, education, e-learning and software development.

Doug has delivered many millions of dollars in cost savings through acquisition integration and restructuring; turned around a company to profitability leading to its divestiture; and led several start-ups, including business unit that generated $40M+ in its first year. Doug has his MBA in International Business and BBA in Business Administration. He is a Board Member of Financial Executives International.

 

Tarby Bryant with Atlanta Gathering of Angels, Kashi Sehgal with Gigabark, Stuart Brady with The Business House and Nancy Chorpenning with C Suite Advisors

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Tarby Bryant/Atlanta Gathering of Angels

Kashi Sehgal/Gigabark 

Kashi Sehgal is Co-Founder and CEO of Gigabark, a mobile messaging company specializing in phone, text, and survey broadcasts and custom solutions. She serves as a Board Member of Georgia’s WIN List, and as a member of the Fulton County Career & Technical Education Advisory Council. A co-founder of two non-profits , Music For Tomorrow and Mentor Walk, Kashi serves as Executive Vice President of the Campus Community Partnership Foundation and CEO of KTrain, her consulting company. She earned her undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and a graduate degree from Georgia Tech.

Stuart Brady/The Business House 

Stuart J. Brady is a Senior Business Analyst with the Business House, INC., a boutique mergers and acquisitions (M&A) firm in the southeast. Mr. Brady specializes in developing and facilitating exit plans for the business owners that are fast approaching retirement. “With over 10,000 folks in the United States turning 60 every day, there are many successful business owners who do not have a well-defined exit plan.” Mr. Brady continues, “We take the emotion out of the selling process. My goal is to help the business owner maximize their single largest asset and reap the benefits of having built a successful enterprise, so that they may now enjoy the next chapter in their lives.”

For the last 16 years, Mr. Brady has also owned and operated Kirkwood Car Wash, a self-service car wash located in Atlanta’s historic Kirkwood neighborhood.

Nancy Chorpenning/C Suite Advisors 

Nancy Is a self-proclaimed “corporate refugee” having exited from Corporate America in 2005, following 6 years helping start up WebMD which brought her to Atlanta in 1999. She founded C- Suite Advisors in 2006 after detoxing from the Corporate Koolaid that prevented her from fully understanding that Small Business was the engine that powers our country and our economy, and that business owners – especially WOMEN business owners – are largely ignored and unsupported.

She has since become a Small Business Evangelist and Advocate for Women Business Founders, largely through her work first with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where she designed their CEO Roundtable program, and subsequently with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), where she served as President of the Atlanta Chapter and this year is joining their National Board of Directors. Her clients refer to her as “My Business Whisperer” for the advice, support and words of wisdom she imparts to help accelerate their business growth.

She is a Returned Midlife Peace Corps Volunteer and a new bride, having married Paul McCreery last year in a beach ceremony. Thursday, she is moderating a panel of 8 women entrepreneurs as they discuss Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In at the NAWBO Atlanta Chapter Program at The Buckhead Club. This Friday morning, she is presenting a half-day seminar at The Georgian Club to help Business Owners Increase their Profitability.

 

Spotlight on Women Presidents Organization

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Phyllis Newhouse/Xtreme Solutions, Inc. 

Phyllis Winchester Newhouse is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is one of thirteen siblings. Ms. Phyllis Newhouse retired from the United States Army in November 1999, having served her country for three decades. She is a graduate of St. Leo College. Phyllis Newhouse is the President and owner of Xtreme Solutions, Inc. She has worked for Fortune 100 companies as well as small businesses. She is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Women Presidents Organization (WPO). She has received numerous military awards and recognitions. Recently she received an award for her company being one of the 50 Fastest Growing Companies in America. Additionally, Phyllis’ company has been noted as one of the fastest growing small businesses within the Small Business Association.

Since retiring from the US military, she has worked tirelessly to develop Xtreme Solutions to parallel her military career. The company is committed to supporting a variety of programs that undertake and ultimately solve our client’s problems. Xtreme Solutions is distinguished by seasoned and exceptional professionals with the business acumen to align our customers’ needs. Xtreme Solutions prides itself on providing the honesty, integrity, and service necessary for long-term client partnerships by delivering within the agreed price and schedule.

Randy Satterlee/VanRan Communications and Kleansweep

Tanya Mack/HealthGate and Telehealth

Tanya Mack is President of HealthGate, an online, e-commerce site that offers discounts for medical services direct to consumers at 25-75% savings. Tanya is also COO of Women’s Telehealth, a high-risk OB telemedicine service company. Women’s Telehealth provides high risk OB specialist services to patients in underserved areas so they can be safely managed in their home community the majority of the time via telemedicine and Bluetooth technology. Also, Tanya hosts The Doctor’s Roundtable radio show that airs on Thursdays at noon and addresses a variety of health care topics.

Special Edition: LawJam 2013

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Come join the Atlanta Bar Foundation on Saturday, June 8, 2013 for the fourth annual “LawJam: Battle of the Atlanta Lawyers’ Bands”! Watch as your fellow lawyers compete for the top awards in this exciting competition. Come vote for your favorite bands! Tickets can be purchased through the Variety Playhouse.  Please contact Sally Hogsette at shogsette@atlantabarfoundation.org or (404) 521-0781 if you have any questions.

Keep up with all the latest news!  Add “LawJam” on Facebook!

Scott Hitch/Burr & Forman

Scott Hitch practices in Burr & Forman’s Environmental group and works with clients in all aspects of environmental law. Scott counsels clients on business strategy, regulatory compliance, permitting, policy, transactions and resolution of disputes. Scott’s services include: land conservation, historic preservation, brownfield redevelopment, environmental remediation, corporate responsibility/sustainability and recycling and regulation of wastes. He also consults with corporations in dealing with resource allocation and regulation such as water quality and its environmental impact, air quality, greenhouse gas, climate changes and energy sources. Scott’s environmental services also include dealing with commercial real estate transactions and the entire sustainable building process.

Prior to joining Burr & Forman, he practiced at national and regional law firms and had his own law practice. Scott’s environmental law background also includes previous law clerk experience at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental & Natural Resource Division, Environmental Enforcement Section and the Georgia Land Trust Service Center. Scott is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional and has been named a “Georgia Rising Star” by Super Lawyers for three consecutive years in environmental law. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Land Conservation Center and Georgia Wetlands and Streams Trust Fund, and has served on the Stakeholder Committee for the City of Atlanta Sustainable Building Ordinance and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Environmental Conference Steering Committee.

Aside from Scott’s professional leadership, he is involved in a variety of community organizations including: Board of Directors for Keep Roswell Beautiful, Vice President on the Board of Trustees for the River Eves Education Foundation, Inc., and President of the International Board of Directors for the Center for Mediation, Peace and the Resolution of Conflict, Inc.

Scott received both his B.S., in ecology, and J.D. from the University of Georgia where he served as President of the Environmental Law Section in law school.

Bert Reeves/GMHC360

Bert Reeves is an Associate Attorney, practicing in the areas of criminal defense and DUI defense, personal injury, probate law and estate planning, and civil and general litigation. Bert joined the GMHC360 team after serving in the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney for five years. As a prosecutor, Bert handled a wide variety of felony and misdemeanor crimes, including traffic offenses, DUI, drugs, white collar crime and theft, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and homicide. He has extensive courtroom experience as a trial attorney. Bert has tried a number of cases to juries, argued hundreds of motions, and handled all other aspects of criminal law and civil litigation. His experience and training in the courtroom as a prosecutor has enabled Bert to obtain to great results in both the criminal law and civil law arena.

Bert earned his J.D. from Stetson University, graduating Cum Laude in 2005. While there he received the Judge Raphael Steinhardt Award for Leadership, Character and Service (voted on by the law school faculty) and the Stetson Law School Spirit Award (voted on by the law school administration). Bert received his Bachelors of Science in Management from Georgia Tech in 2000 with Dean’s List honors and was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa – the highest leadership honor at Georgia Tech. While at Georgia Tech, Bert served as the school mascot “Buzz” from 1997-2000. Bert has formerly worked with U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and U.S. Representative Phil Gingrey.

Bert is an active member of the Marietta Rotary Club, Leadership Cobb Class of 2010, serves as a member of the Board of Directors for The Strand Theatre, Reconnecting Families, and The Marietta Visitors Bureau. He is currently Chairman of the Cobb Youth Leadership Class of 2013. Bert is also a member of the Executive Board of the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association. Bert is very active with the Cobb Bar Association, he is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cobb Bar, is the social chairman of the Cobb Bar, and was awarded the “Ross Adams Cobb County Young Lawyer of the Year” in 2012 by the Cobb Bar. He is also a member of the Georgia State Bar and the Atlanta Bar Association. He is an alumnus of the Georgia State Bar Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy.

Outside of work, Bert spends his time performing as the lead singer and guitarist for his band, “The Goodbye Machine”, which was named the Best Local Band in Cobb County by Cobb Life Magazine in 2012 and 2013. Bert frequently performs on stage as an actor, having played lead roles in productions of “The Odd Couple” and “The Sunshine Boys”, and each year reprises his role as emcee for the annual Atlanta Bar Association event “Law Jam: the Battle of the Lawyer Bands.” An avid mountaineer, Bert has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa), Mt. Rainier (WA), Mt. Whitney (CA), Mt. Hood (OR), Middle Teton (WY), and Kesugi Moutain (AK). Bert attends Buckhead Church in Atlanta and is active with his small group men’s Bible study. Bert will serve as the Em-Cee at this year’s LawJam.

Sally Hogsette/Atlanta Bar Foundation

Sally is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Bar Foundation as well as a member of the Atlanta Bar Association.

She has practiced law for 30 years now in Atlanta with the last 20 of these spent as senior international counsel for Delta Air Lines, Inc. She retired from Delta in 2009. Sally was Treasurer of the Atlanta Bar Foundation and the Board invited her to become Executive Director.

Brenton Hund/Turner Broadcasting System

Brenton Hund is an Attorney with Turner Broadcasting System. In this role, he serves as music counsel.

Spotlight on WIT Connect

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The 19th Annual WIT Connect will be held on June 13, 2013 at the Georgia Aquarium. WIT Connect is a unique, auction-style fundraiser where companies come to network and bid on quality time with Georgia’s top technology executives, mostly from the C-suite. More than $1.8 million has been raised since 2007, and proceeds from the event fund WIT and WIT Foundation programs and initiatives.

Co-chaired by Intercontinental Hotel Group’s CIO Eric Pearson and jobTopia Partner Betsy Robinson, the auction at WIT Connect 2013 will feature meetings with multiple executives from four live auction companies: American Cancer Society, Carter’s, Intercontinental Hotels Group and SunTrust.

Eric Pearson/IHG 

Eric Pearson is Chief Information Officer for IHG. In this capacity, he is accountable for all technology systems supporting IHG hotels and corporate offices globally. This includes the development and application of all global systems supporting our day-to-day business of driving top-line revenue.

Previously, as Chief Marketing Officer for the Americas division of IHG, Eric was accountable for all sales and marketing activities across IHG brands in the regions, including brand marketing, global sales, and revenue management. In addition to his responsibilities, Eric became interim Head of Global Brands in July 2011.

Prior to this, Eric served as Senior Vice President, Distribution Marketing, where he was responsible for overseeing IHG’s worldwide channels including reservation centers, e-commerce, 3rd party intermediaries, global revenue management, and channel marketing. Under his leadership, IHG launched several industry firsts including the Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee, Web language support for 12 languages including Japanese and Chinese with full booking and loyalty program integration. IHG also launched the first wireless services products enabling researching and booking capability on hundreds of mobile devices and platforms.

Betsy Robinson/jobTopia 

Betsy Robinson is a Partner at jobTopia and serves as a Director of IT Services. She co-founded the Information Technology staffing division, and is responsible for new business development, building and expanding existing client relationships, recruiting strategy, managing high performing teams, strategic planning, sales support and wearing any hat that needs to be worn in a growing company.

jobTopia is a full service contract staffing and direct hire search firm specializing in Information Technology and Accounting Finance. Because they’ve limited their focus to the Finance & Accounting and Information Technology industries, their professional advisors are deeply familiar with the common challenges people experience. Their expertise allows their clients to spend less time worrying about hiring decisions and more time focused on improving the performance of their team.

Jay Ferro/American Cancer Society 

Prior to joining the American Cancer Society in 2012, Jay Ferro served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AdCare Health Systems, a rapidly growing and recognized innovator in health care facility management. Jay spent the previous 7 years at AIG (American International Group). In recognition of his accomplishments, Jay was selected as Georgia CIO of the Year in 2011, and is currently serving as Chair for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the ACS has 12 geographic Divisions, more than 900 local offices nationwide, and a presence in more than 5,100 communities.

Vicki Hamilton/The Wright Answer 

Vicki Hamilton is a Senior IT / Operations Executive with The Wright Answer who comes up with new IT strategies to take care of old workplace problems. An award winning technology executive with over 20 years of senior level experience, Vicki’s strategic, multidisciplinary competencies include conceptualizing, designing and executing innovative technology strategies for high value results ($20M+.)

Recognized three years in a row by CableFAX magazine as one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable,” Vicki and has been named to the “Top Women in Cable Technology” and “Most Powerful Women in Cable.” She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program, Foundation Board of Directors for Women In Technology, she is Executive Team Leader for Global Exec Women and is a Growing Leaders Board Member.

Sustainability in Georgia and the Southeast

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Madeline Reamy/EarthShare of Georgia 

Madeline Reamy has been Executive Director of EarthShare of Georgia since March 2006. EarthShare of Georgia is a non-profit that raises funds through employee giving programs for a network of more than 60 environmental organizations dedicated to conserving and protecting our air, land and water. Since coming to EarthShare of Georgia she has helped secure new employee-giving campaigns with Cox Enterprises, the Atlanta office of Accenture, Acuity Brands, Arnall Golden Gregory, Habif, Arogeti & Wynne and many others, while developing strong partnerships with business leaders for EarthShare of Georgia’s annual Earth Day events and marketing initiatives.

Her background includes more than thirty years of non-profit work, mostly in Director of Education positions and also as an Executive Director for two organizations. For fourteen of those thirty years, she worked in the environmental field, including six years as Director of Education and (for one year) as Interim Executive Director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center, one of EarthShare of Georgia’s member groups, managing a staff of twenty, developing the education programs and securing a variety of grants to help support organizational growth.

Before coming to EarthShare of Georgia, she was the Education Director with a Keep America Beautiful affiliate from 1998-2006 (Keep North Fulton Beautiful), where she was responsible for extensive community partnership development, including the creation and management of an award-winning urban forestry education program, funded by the Urban and Community Forestry program of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

She has served on the Board of Directors of Georgia’s Environmental Education Alliance as Vice President, and was President of the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries. She is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Sandy Springs and a 2011 graduate of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. Madeline is the mother of two grown children, enjoys animals, hiking and painting.

Beth Bond/Southeast Green 

Beth Bond, the Curator of Green and Sustainable Business News at Southeast Green, is the driving force of Southeast Green. As a Southerner, Beth was tired of hearing about everything “green” happening outside her native region which is what drove her to create the website.

Owning her own marketing company for over 15 years and working with sustainability groups, Beth knew the story of sustainability and green resided here in the Southeast. There was just no one place to tell the cohesive story of all the things that are happening in the Southeast. Since relaunching Southeast Green in September 2008, she has been establishing even broader liaisons and partners to help continue the story of green and sustainability.

Beth serves on a variety of boards and committees in the Atlanta sustainable community. In 2011 she joined the board at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. She is the Collaboration Chair for the Green Chamber of the South. In December of 2011 the Georgia Solar Energy Association awarded Beth with a Solar Advocate of the Year award. She has also served on host committees for This is Market, River Revival, Earth Hour, Green Law’s Environmental Heroes, Gwinnett Sustainability Summit and Get the Lead Out to name a few.

 

Joe Massaroni with Commercial Finance Association, Amir Farokhi with GeorgiaForward and Ashley Meggitt with Georgia Municipal Association

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Joe Massaroni/Commercial Finance Association 

Joe Massaroni is a Director in SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s Asset Based Lending (ABL) Group, working as a Portfolio Manager. Mr. Massaroni has over 20 years of experience in Asset Based Lending working for Key Bank, Wells Fargo and SunTrust primarily. Mr. Massaroni has worked in many capacities including field exam, management, underwriting, portfolio management and business development. Currently, Joe is a member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and is serving as President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Commercial Finance Association (CFA).

The Commercial Finance Association is the international trade association dedicated to the asset based lending and factoring industries. Founded in 1944, the CFA has nearly 300 member companies and 16 chapters throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. CFA members include a diverse collection of lending institutions that range from international banks to independent entrepreneurial finance companies. CFA offers several publications, including the Secured Lender, a bi-monthly magazine devoted exclusively to the asset based financial services industry.

Mr. Massaroni has established the Atlanta CFA’s annual educational program, organizing and speaking at 3 educational panel discussions annually for the past 4 years. He has been a speaker/moderator on both TMA and CFA panels in Georgia and Florida and was previously an instructor for the National CFA Field Examiner School in Atlanta.

Amir Faroki/GeorgiaForward 

Amir Faroki is the Executive Director of GeorgiaForward, an independent, non-partisan organization working to improve the state of Georgia by engaging business, political, academic and civil leaders to collaboratively shape a statewide policy agenda. GeorgiaForward works to bring leaders together to articulate a common vision for the state, respective of regional strengths and needs and focused on smart, bold actions.

Ashley Meggitt/Georgia Municipal Association

Ashley Meggitt has been hired as the newest member of the team in the governmental relations associate position at the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). Ashley helps to develop and advocate for, environment and natural resources policies of vital interest to municipalities in Georgia. By engaging members of the Georgia General Assembly and the Executive Branch Ashley helps to shape public policy. Ashley was also been named a 2012 Young Gamechanger with GeorgiaForward.

Ashley worked for three years in the governmental relations office of ACCG both in the research department, and as a lobbyist handling a variety of policy issues, including health and human services, public safety and the courts, local government services, and revenue and finance. Prior to Ashley’s local government work with Georgia’s counties, she worked at the state capitol during Governor Sonny Perdue’s administration. Ashley attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia where she attained a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Evaluation. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs.

June Newsletter Article

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Results Matter Radio Spotlights WIT Connect

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013, Elizabeth Gordon, host of Results Matter Radio on Business RadioX® and producer Dana Barrett, were joined in-studio by WIT Connect co-chairs Eric Pearson (CIO of Intercontinental Hotels Group) and Betsy Robinson (partner at jobTopia) along with Jay Ferro, CIO of the American Cancer Society and Vicki Hamilton, Senior IT/Operations Executive with The Wright Answer to talk about WIT Connect.

The 19th Annual WIT Connect will be held on June 13, 2013 at the Georgia Aquarium. WIT Connect is a unique, auction-style fundraiser where companies come to network and bid on quality time with Georgia’s top technology executives, mostly from the C-suite. More than $1.8 million has been raised since 2007, and proceeds from the event fund Women in Technology(WIT) and WIT Foundation programs and initiatives.

The live auction at WIT Connect 2013 will feature meetings with multiple executives from four major Atlanta-based companies: American Cancer Society, Carter’s, Intercontinental Hotels Group and SunTrust, while the silent auction will have meetings with multiple executives from many more Atlanta-based companies looking for technology vendors.

Eric Pearson, Chief Information Officer for IHG, is accountable for all technology systems supporting IHG hotels and corporate offices globally. This includes the development and application of all global systems supporting the day-to-day business of driving top-line revenue.

Jay Ferro is CIO of the American Cancer Society, which is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the ACS has 12 geographic Divisions, more than 900 local offices nationwide, and a presence in more than 5,100 communities.

Vicki Hamilton is a Senior IT/Operations Executive with The Wright Answer who comes up with new IT strategies to take care of old workplace problems. An award winning technology executive with over 20 years of senior level experience, Vicki’s strategic, multidisciplinary competencies include conceptualizing, designing and executing innovative technology strategies for high value results ($20M+).

Betsy Robinson is a Partner at jobTopia and serves as a Director of IT Services. She co-founded the Information Technology staffing division, and is responsible for new business development, building and expanding existing client relationships, recruiting strategy, managing high performing teams, strategic planning, sales support and wearing any hat that needs to be worn in a growing company.

Both Eric and Jay, who will be up for auction this year, talked about how they are inundated with vendors trying to get their time every day. Jay explained further saying, “Companies who bid at this auction are prepared. They know who you are and what you’re working on and they make sure they have a product or service you can use before they spend money to get your time.”

Vicki agreed noting, “Once the company has won the bid and has a lunch or a meeting set up with one of our sponsors, they come prepared.” Betsy explains, “Companies spend thousands of dollars to get this time with these CIOs and they don’t want to waste it.”

The panel further explained that the event is a lot of fun, a great place to network and that while companies are laying out a lot of money at the auction, the money is going to a great cause which is promoting the advancement of women and girls entering and succeeding in the technology field.

To learn more about the organizations and guests featured, listen to the complete interview on the Results Matter Radio page for Business RadioX®.

Spotlight on Leadership Atlanta

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Elaine Hudson/Leadership Atlanta 

Elaine Hudson joined the Leadership Atlanta team in December 2011. As Manager of Marketing and Programs, Elaine is responsible for communications, branding, and media relations for Leadership Atlanta and its events. In addition, she also helps plan and execute programs for both Leadership Atlanta and LEAD Atlanta classes.

Previously, Elaine worked as the assistant director of the Atlanta Press Club, a professional membership organization for journalists and other allied-media professionals, from 2007-2011. In that role she oversaw programming, membership, fundraising, and other projects that promoted a free press. During her time at the press club, Elaine earned her master’s in public administration from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

Steve Church/Georgia-Pacific 

Steve Church manages communications and public affairs for Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, a leading paper towel and bath tissue maker, and oversees a team that manages communications for all company divisions and facilities. Steve joined GP in 1994 and previously worked in public affairs with a global manufacturer, an engineering firm and a DC-based association.

A Philadelphia native, Steve graduated from James Madison University. He and his wife, Jill, have two children and reside in Fayetteville. Steve serves on the board of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Atlanta and the marketing committee for CHRIS Kids. He has volunteered with his children’s schools and sports, on professional organization boards and a local cycling group’s board. In his spare time, he races on his bicycle in local competitions.

Peggy Still Johnson/Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 

Peggy Still Johnson is currently the Executive Director of Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, on the Advisory Boards of the Georgia State University School of Music, the Recording Academy (Grammy Organization,) and the Atlanta Film Festival. Peggy is a member of the prestigious Leadership Atlanta (Class of 2013) and has worked with Atlanta Music Project (Executive Board,) Dallas Austin Foundation, Buckhead Club, Mainstreet Woodstock (Executive Board,) and the Fulton County Arts Council. Peggy founded the Peggy Still School of Music in 1988 and successfully sold all three locations in 2011. Peggy founded Peggy Johnson Productions and Talent and has performed all over the world and has worked with many well known artists including Stephen King, John Mellencamp, Mickey Thomas, T Bone Burnett and films such as “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Big Momma’s House 3,” and “Parental Guidance.”

Jim Durrett/Buckhead Community Improvement District 

Jim Durrett is executive director of The Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID) – a public- private agency with taxation power. The mission of the Buckhead CID is to create a more walkable and livable urban environment in the heart of the Buckhead commercial area in north Atlanta. They meet the challenges of growth by investing tax dollars collected from commercial property owners within the district, as well as other funds they leverage from outside the district, to make meaningful improvements in the transportation network and public realm that connect people and places. He has in-depth expertise in transportation, land use and creating livable communities, and is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences and workshops.

Prior to heading up the Buckhead CID, Durrett was founding executive director of the Livable Communities Coalition, a not-for-profit organization formed in 2005 to promote smart growth development in the Atlanta region. Prior to that, Durrett served for five years with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), an organization dedicated to land use and real estate development issues, as the founding executive director of ULI’s Atlanta District Council.

In addition, Durrett was with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as the vice president of Environmental Affairs, and was the senior vice president and chief operating officer of The Georgia Conservancy. Durrett began his professional career as a hydrogeologist in the DeKalb County office of Golder Associates, an international geotechnical and environmental engineering consulting firm.

Durrett is actively involved in the community and currently serves on the following boards and councils: MARTA board of directors (which he chaired in 2011); Council for Quality Growth board of directors; Project for Public Spaces Placemaking Leadership Council; Biophilic Institute executive board; Livable Communities Coalition board of trustees; Project Interconnections advisory board; and VSA Arts of Georgia board of directors. He is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2013.

 

Autism Roundtable

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Jim McCarten / Burr & Forman

Jim is a partner in Burr & Forman’s Corporate, Trusts & Estate, and Tax practice groups. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has a broad range of tax experience, including representing clients during audits by the IRS and/or Tennessee Department of Revenue; crafting tax structures for new businesses; counseling clients on the tax aspects of business exit strategies and business succession issues; designing tax-effective executive compensation packages; creating appropriate estate plans; and counseling families on special needs planning.

Jim began his professional tax career with the “Big 8” public accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. Following law school, he litigated tax cases for the federal government as a member of the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1994, Jim was a founding member of one of East Tennessee’s largest and most respected law firms.

Jim is admitted to practice law in Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri. He has been named to The Best Lawyers for America since 2003 in the areas of Estates and Trusts, Nonprofit/Charity Law, and Tax Law and named by Mid-South Super Lawyers Magazine to each of its Tennessee lists. Jim has served as the Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Tax Section, as a Trustee of the Paul J. Hartman State & Local Tax Forum, as a Trustee of the Tennessee Federal Tax Institute, and as a Trustee of the Advanced Institute on Corporate Taxation. He is also the author of a professional treatise and numerous tax-related articles as well as a frequent speaker at tax programs for CPAs and attorneys throughout the Southeast.

Jim was honored for his work in special needs planning when inducted into the Special Needs Alliance. He and his wife, Diane, are both active with ASMT (Middle Tennessee’s autism support organization), the ARC of Davidson County and the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (“TRIAD”) program, part of Vanderbilt’s Kennedy Center.

David Glass/Glass Financial Group

David Glass with Glass Financial Group is an independent financial professional and is experienced in the areas of navigating third-party benefits, legal issues and the financial administration involved in planning for a dependent with a developmental disability. He is also the parent of a child with a disability and understands the importance of balancing the complex needs and goals of a family – from retirement to education funding along with the needs of a loved one with a disability.

David is a Governor Appointee and Vice Chairman of the Board for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). He also serves as vice president of the ARC of Georgia. He is a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and has been a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) for the past 12 years.

Donna Johnson/Center for Leadership in Disability

Donna Johnson is the Coordinator, Georgia Autism Statewide Plan at the Center for Leadership in Disability, Georgia State University. She is also the Executive Director at The Kiss Foundation.

J-Jaye Hurley/Autism Speaks

J-Jaye Hurley is the Autism Response Team Coordinator for the southeast region.  Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Their longtime friend Bernie Marcus donated $25 million to help financially launch the organization. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and look forward to continued successes in the years ahead.