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Burr Forman's Results Matter Radio

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Planning for the Inevitable — Death, Taxes & Change

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James M. McCarten/Burr & Forman

Jim is a Partner in Burr & Forman’s Tax, Trusts and Estates and Corporate practice groups, where his practice is best described as a general tax practice. Jim works with a broad spectrum of clients, from start-up businesses, to mid-market family businesses, to publicly traded entities and, finally, retired corporate executives and business owners.

His practice encompasses the entire range of tax planning, including mergers and
acquisitions, structuring and forming start-up businesses, asset protection, family business planning and estates, trusts and wealth preservation. In addition to his transactional planning practice, Jim is also active in representing clients during audits by the IRS and/or a state Department of Revenue.

Finally, as the parent of a young adult on the autism spectrum, Jim is very involved in special needs planning for clients who have family members with a disability.

Jason Meadows/Frazier & Deeter

Jason joined the CPA firm Frazier & Deeter (a Top 100 Firm nationwide) in December of 2000. Jason serves as both the Managing Partner of the firm’s Nashville office and as Head of the Frazier & Deeter Tax Department (firmwide).  As a Partner and Head of the Frazier & Deeter Tax Department, he primarily specializes in large corporation taxation consulting and compliance including effectively incorporating LLCs and partnerships into the corporate structure.

Jason has provided consulting services regarding corporate and equity compensation, including the use of stock options and partnership interests. On the transactional side, Jason has provided consulting services regarding mergers & acquisitions and business restructuring for purposes of asset liability protection. In addition, he has extensive experience in FAS 109 and the recently implemented (for public companies) FIN 48.

Jason has experience in a variety of industries including manufacturing, real estate, service and technology. He is partner on several of the firm’s largest clients.

Jason is frequently involved with conflict resolution matters regarding the Internal Revenue Service, including representation of the client during the audit process. He has experience drafting successful Offers in Compromise as well as two favorable Private Letter Ruling requests.

Susan Tillery/Paraklete Financial

Susan M. Tillery is President and Co-Founder of Paraklete® Financial, Inc. Susan has over 30 years of experience in tax, philanthropy, and financial planning, as well as in the administrative and compliance areas encountered by affluent individuals and families. Susan’s firm designs and implements, comprehensive financial planning strategies. Paraklete® Financial, Inc.’s focus is on independence and objectivity in order to be the client’s financial advocate and as such, does not manage assets or sell products.

Susan’s experience at Harris myCFO, a multi-family office where she was responsible for the development and delivery of comprehensive family office solutions to affluent families, together with her work at Arthur Andersen, Ronald Blue & Co and other financial firms provides the framework for Paraklete.

Susan earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting from the University of Georgia. She holds the professional designations of Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).

Susan is a member of both the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA). In addition, she is a member of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee and the GSCPA Estate and Financial Planning Committee. She has served as past Vice Chair for the Board of Directors for Partnership against Domestic Violence, as well as for Royal Treasure (an organization that energizes, motivates and educates women to be excellent biblical stewards).

John Ellard/Veracor

John Ellard, CLU brings 20 years of experience in the financial service industry to his work as a Principal at Veracor. John’s specialty area is in providing leadership to families and businesses in the area of wealth design and protection.
John is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. After graduation, he began his career with Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1998 he became a partner with The Benefit Company and in 2005 was a founding partner in Veracor.

John is energetically involved in the estate and wealth planning community having served on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and is a member of the Georgian Planned Giving Council and Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute. He holds the Chartered Life Underwriter designation from the American College. John is a Registered Representative with NFP Securities, Inc. and holds Series 24, 6, 63, 65 and 7 licenses with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Married for 17 years, John and his wife Laura have two children; Justin and Julia. He enjoys sailing, hiking the AT and anything the kids are doing. John is actively involved at North Point Community Church as a Transit leader and serves on the Board of Directors of Camp Highland, a high adventure camp for children.

Atlanta Corporate In House Counsel Winner

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Teresa Kennedy, Winner from the Atlanta Business Chronicle | Association of Corporate Counsel “ACC-GA” Atlanta Corporate In House Counsel Awards, joined us as a guest in the studio.

Teresa Kennedy/Cox Communications, Inc.

Teresa T. Kennedy is Assistant General Counsel for Cox Communications, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. Her responsibilities include providing legal counsel to Cox’s Content Acquisition Department and to Cox Media (Cox’s advertising sales subsidiary).  Teresa received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Counsel Awards in recognition of contributions to the legal profession.

Teresa currently serves as a board member of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) National Board of Directors. She is past-president of ACC’s Georgia Chapter. Teresa has published numerous articles in the award-winning ACC Docket and in Corporate Counsel magazine on topics ranging from establishing work-life balance, building trust between inside and outside counsel, to evaluating and creating effective compliance programs.

Teresa received a Bachelors of Science Degree, with highest honors, from Auburn University. She is a 1981 graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Law, where she served as Executive Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and received awards in Moot Court and American Jurisprudence.

Roundtable Discussion on Sustainability

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Aaron Bastain/City of Atlanta

Aaron Bastian is the Communications and Project Manager for the City of Atlanta in the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. Working to be a more sustainable city means reconciling the city’s developmental goals with its environmental limits over the long term. Aaron works as a part of the mayor’s press staff to ensure that consistent and effective messages around sustainability – including goals and successes – are delivered by the administration.

As part of the team that implemented the city’s first Sustainability Plan launched in October 2010, Aaron is an integral part in helping meet the mayor’s challenge of making Atlanta a top ten sustainable city. Meeting that goal means improving the programs and policies such as water and energy conservation, reducing solid waste and emissions and improving the rates of recycling. Additionally, Aaron serves as the city’s project manager for the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge – which aims to support President Obama’s goal of helping businesses save nearly $40 billion annually in energy costs, enabling them to grow, invest in new technology, and create American jobs.

Prior to his role at the city, Aaron worked for the Clean Air Campaign, which advocates for Georgians to take action to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. As Employer Program Manager, Aaron forged and maintained relationships with C-level executives of both private and public partners and provided marketing and communications developmental support for the organization. Aaron earned a BA from Louisiana State University A&M College where he remains involved with the school’s Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach. Aaron also earned an MBA from Clark Atlanta University School of Business and remains active in the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.

Tom Boeck/Sustainable Options

Tom Boeck is a Principal of Sustainable Options, LLC and oversees the company’s entire consulting practice. He provides sustainable consulting, program and construction management services to clients seeking efficient, healthy buildings. He also manages and facilitates the LEED®, Energy Star and BEPA implementation processes for clients who need them. As a LEED Accredited Professional, Boeck also is the driving force behind the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance gap analysis. He continues to oversee and manage other facilities-related initiatives for both new construction and existing buildings, which have expanded to include LEED volume certification for portfolios of 25 buildings or more.

With more than 25 years of experience in commercial construction and development, Tom was a select member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Portfolio Committee, responsible for developing criteria for portfolio planning and standards for the implementation of “green” practices across multiple-building portfolios through the volume certification program.

Eryn Emerich/Footprint :: Sustainable Talent

Recruitment for the corporate conscience, Footprint Talent is a boutique recruitment firm that serves corporations, higher-ed, and non-profit/NGO institutions situated in the sustainability space and beyond.

Managing Director and founder of Footprint Talent, Eryn and the team partner with transparent organizations who are committed in both mission and action to responsible operating practices.

Bringing 10+ years experience in executive search, consulting and business development to each executive search assignment, Eryn and her team are acutely aware of the nuanced nature of identifying, attracting, and delivering the right fit for critical senior leadership roles. She is committed to her clients’ ultimate success during and beyond the life of those engagements, creating long-term dynamics of accountability, buy-in and trust.

Susie Spivey-Tilson/tvsdesign

Susie Spivey-Tilson is a LEED Accredited Professional, ISO 14001 Internal Auditor, is certified in the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) and is a certified Permaculture Designer. She holds an MS in Sustainable Systems and a BS in Anthropology and Sustainable Development. Her experience includes directing ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) certification and LEED® certification across multiple market segments. Susie has performed these services for general contractors, and architecture and engineering firms, such as tvsdesign, Skanska and BVM Engineering. Susie has provided training for sustainable design, LEED® certification and ISO 14001 certification. She is competent in LEED® for New Construction, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, and Existing Buildings, EPA Target Finder and Portfolio Manager. Susie currently sits on the USGBC GA Chapter Board of Directors, the USGBC Atlanta Branch Leadership Group as well as chairing the Events and Education Committee for the Atlanta branch. She previously served on the Professional Development Committee of the USGBC and currently works as an Education Provider Reviewer for the USGBC.

Women in Leadership

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Ashby Kent talks with Katie Caperton and Maggie Geraghty on the topic of Women in Leadership on this installment of Results Matter Radio.

Katie Caperton/HLN Digital

Katie Caperton is Editor-in-Chief of HLN Digital. Based in CNN’s global headquarters in Atlanta (also the home of sister channel HLN), she is responsible for directing the editorial content for the newly launched website HLNTV.com, overseeing its daily “must see, must share” news stories and videos.

Caperton joined CNN in July 2009 as Entertainment Editor at CNN Digital. In that position, she relaunched the website’s entertainment section, which is now one of the most popular user destinations on CNN.com. Her revisions to the entertainment pages include the addition of user comments on CNN.com and Facebook; breaking entertainment stories and videos; and “Quote Board” highlights of the week’s most controversial or interesting celebrity comments and activities. Addtionally, Caperton is responsible for overseeing the launch of the entertainment blog, The Marquee Blog, one of the most highly viewed on CNN.com.

Before joining CNN, Caperton was the Editor-in-Chief of OK! Magazine, where she also served as managing editor and executive editor. Before that, she held the position of assistant managing editor at Star Magazine. She was also an editorial contributer to InStyle Magazine, New York Magazine, Interview, Atlanta Magazine and the New York Daily News.

Caperton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with honors from New York University.

Maggie Geraghty/Thomas Arvid Fine Art, Inc.

Maggie Geraghty is the Director of Marketing and Operations for Thomas Arvid Fine Art, Inc., a boutique publishing firm representing the art of Thomas Arvid. Credited for redefining the modern still life with his monumental paintings of the beauty of wine, Arvid’s work is featured in over fifty galleries across the U.S., Canada and abroad. In addition to working with galleries to sell and promote Arvid, Maggie manages the marketing strategies and production team for the Limited Edition program. She creates and edits all marketing materials including thomasarvid.com, Living Artfully television pilot, annual Arvid calendar, wine tasting journals and museum catalogs.

Currently, Maggie is also the Director of Exhibition and Sponsorships for Arvid: Reflecting the Good Life at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art September 21 – December 15, 2012. In addition to managing and organizing Arvid’s first museum exhibition, she was able to raise more than $75,000 in sponsorships and in-kind donations to successfully support an exhibit of more than 46 paintings representing twenty years of Arvid’s career.

Ashby L. Kent/Burr & Forman

Ashby L. Kent has practiced in Burr & Forman’s Litigation section since 2003 where she specializes in general commercial litigation. She has handled a wide variety of business disputes (tort and contract) for both plaintiffs and defendants, and her clients range from individuals and small businesses to large national financial institutions, including banks, lenders, mortgage companies and insurance companies.

Ashby represents her financial services clients in a variety of consumer finance and real estate matters, including actions for wrongful foreclosure, predatory lending, consumer protection law claims and other state and federal lender liability claims. In representing her title insurance clients, Ashby has handled numerous matters which involve evaluating and litigating bad faith claims, boundary line and easement disputes, one-half interest defects, lost or unrecorded security instruments issues, disputes over damages and loss valuations and other issues that frequently arise in the title insurance industry.

Ashby has nearly 10 years of experience litigating in Georgia’s state and federal courts, and has tried cases (bench and jury trials) in both. Additionally, she has successfully, efficiently and cost-effectively resolved numerous disputes through effective settlement negotiation and/or participation in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration.

How is Atlanta Attracting and Growing New Businesses?

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Brian McGowan/Invest Atlanta

Brian McGowan is the President/CEO at Invest Atlanta.  Brian was appointed by President Barack Obama as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce. In this capacity he was the Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Brian was detailed to the White House as a Economic Advisor to lead the Economic Solutions Group within the National Incident Command in response to the BP oil spill. He was also elected as a US Delegate to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris.

Before joining the Obama Administration he was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve as California’s Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Commerce.  Prior to this, Brian was appointed as the Economic Development Agency Administrator for the County of San Bernardino and worked for the City of Ontario and the City of Palm Springs. He was also a consultant for the US Agency for International Development where he developed economic growth programs for cities in Bulgaria and Serbia.

Brian received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside and a Master’s degree in Politics, Economics and Business from the Claremont Graduate University. He is also the Michael and Mary Johnston Fellow at the Claremont Graduate University where he is completing a PhD in American Politics and Policy.

Councilman H. Lamar Willis/City of Atlanta

H. Lamar Willis was elected in 2001 to serve as the Post 3 At-Large Councilmember for the City of Atlanta. He was then and continues to be the youngest member of the legislative body of the City of Atlanta government. Lamar is currently serving his second term on council, having been re-elected without opposition in 2005. He is currently serving on the on the Transportation, Public Safety/Legal Administration and Community Development/Human Resources Committees.

During his time on Council, Lamar has served as President of Pro Tempore, Chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee for two consecutive years and as Chair of the Pubic Safety & Legal Administration Committee. In his role as Chairman, the Transportation Committee provided oversight over issues dealing with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and its $4.5 billion dollar expansion program, City Transportation Initiatives, as well as issues pertaining to MARTA. As Chair of the Public Safety, Lamar championed efforts to assist the Police, Fire and Corrections Departments in securing legislation that would both strengthen their departments and ensure they had the tools needed to further improve public safety efforts in the City of Atlanta.

Lamar a life long resident of Atlanta. He graduated from Northside (North Atlanta) High School and went on to attend Morehouse College. He also received a Master of Science degree in Management and Policy Analysis from Carnegie Mellon University and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School.

In addition to his duties as a council member, Lamar practices law in Atlanta (licensed in Georgia and Florida). He is the Managing Partner of Willis Law Group, LLC. Lamar and his wife of 13 years, Dr. Kamili Willis, are the proud parents of a nine year old daughter, Kayla and a four year old son, Henry. His family has been active members of Cascade United Methodist Church for over thirty years.

Brad Baldwin/Burr & Forman

Brad Baldwin practices in Burr & Forman’s Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy practice group and represents both debtors and creditors in bankruptcy and financial restructuring. Brad’s debtor representations include serving as lead restructuring counsel for several large manufacturing companies, including a $100 million textile company and a $100 million rope manufacturer. He also regularly represents various creditors in bankruptcy, including financial institutions, landlords, equipment lessors, suppliers, and municipal governments. Brad has personally conducted numerous bankruptcy auctions involving the sale of large companies, and he is adeptly skilled in representing buyers seeking to acquire assets out of bankruptcy.

In addition to bankruptcy, Brad’s practice includes commercial litigation with an emphasis on creditor’s rights, such as collections, foreclosures, receiverships, garnishments and repossessions.

Brad is a member of the Georgia State Bar, the Supreme Court of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the U.S. 11th and 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia. He is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association and is a former Chairman for the Bankruptcy Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. Brad is also a member of the Turnaround Management Association and the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors.

CoreNet Global Atlanta Chapter Current and Incoming Presidents

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Darlene Hawksley/McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority

Darlene Hawksley is the current President of the CoreNet Global Atlanta Chapterand Director of Real Estate and Business Engagement, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority.

Peggy Henderson/Real Property Tax Advisors

Peggy Henderson is the incoming President of the CoreNet Global Atlanta Chapter and Director, Real Property Tax Advisors.

Georgia’s New Research and Development Tax Credit

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On May 8, 2012, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed into law Georgia House Bill 868 expanding Georgia’s new research and development tax credit available to Georgia businesses. Find out how this change affects current Georgia businesses and why this may attract more businesses to Georgia.

Edward H. Brown/Burr & Forman

Based in the Atlanta office, Ed Brown is Vice-Chair of Burr & Forman’s Business section and a Partner in the firm’s Corporate law practice group focusing on taxation and estate planning. He has over twenty-four years of experience in franchise law, mergers and acquisitions and personal planning, specifically with federal estate and gift taxation.

Ed’s corporate and tax law practice includes assisting clients who are involved in the formation and development of business ventures and representing both companies and individuals seeking venture capital financing. He represents venture capital companies and investors in funding early-stage and start-up companies and also represents both buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of businesses, through tax-free mergers, stock purchase arrangements, and asset acquisitions. Ed regularly works with real estate developers and investors in developing effective structures for the acquisition, development and ultimate disposition of property. His experience also includes representing public and private companies in connection with access to capital securities and markets.

Ed is licensed to practice in Georgia and Illinois, Georgia Superior Courts, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Tax Court. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and the State Bar of Georgia. In 2012, Ed was named as a “Leader in their Field” in Coporate & M&A Law by the highly regarded Chambers USA, a legal directory featuring client-led intelligence on America’s leading lawyers. Ed recently co-hosted a webinar with Steve Ennen of SocialStrategy1 entitled Corporate Policies in Social Media, where they discussed how companies can create proper social media policies and how to approach social media with the compliance of corporate policies. Ed received his LL.M. in Taxation in 1984 from Emory University. In addition, Ed has spoken before a variety of business and accounting groups, has written on business and tax law issues, and has appeared as a guest analyst on CNBC. Ed serves on the Board of Directors and as President of the Atlanta Junior Golf Foundation. He earned his J.D. in 1980 from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1977.

Melissa L. Horne/Smith & Howard, PC

Melissa L. Horne, CPA,  is a Senior Manager in the Tax Group of Smith & Howard, a nationally-ranked “Best of the Best” CPA firm. Melissa’s expertise involves tax planning, compliance and consulting services for high net-worth individuals and businesses. She has worked extensively with manufacturing, distribution, insurance, construction, professional services, and trucking businesses throughout the Southeast. Melissa seeks to help her clients minimize taxes and take advantage of the significant R&D and other tax credits available to them in Georgia.

Melissa received a BBA in Accounting and a BBA in Finance from Valdosta State University, and a Master of Taxation from Georgia State University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and in the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, where she is a member of the taxation section, an alumnus of the GSCPA Leadership Academy and has served on the Financial Literacy Task Force. Melissa is a CPA Professional Mentor and a member of the Atlanta Tax Forum.

Atlanta Corporate In House Counsel Winners & Finalists

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Winners & Finalists from the Atlanta Business Chronicle | Association of Corporate Counsel “ACC-GA” Atlanta Corporate In House Counsel Awards were recently guests in the studio.

Dorian S. Denburg/AT&T

Dorian Denburg, Finalist – Diversity Champion, is the Past President of the National Association of Women Lawyers (its 111th President), founded in 1899 to advance women in the legal profession. She is a General Attorney for AT&T with responsibility for wireless and wired Network Operations, counseling clients, federal and state litigation, legislation and regulation. Previously she held numerous positions within the AT&T (previously BellSouth) Legal Department. During that time, the company avoided $600 million in expenses due to numerous federal and state cases of first impression and first-of-its-kind legislation for which Dorian was responsible.

Dorian has spoken extensively before legal, national legislative, municipal government, trade, federal and state associations. Her involvement with the community is wide, including service in many charitable, civic, educational and professional organizations. During her presidency, The National Association of Women Lawyers increased its membership by 32%.

The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) is a national voluntary legal professional organization devoted to promoting the interests and progress of women lawyers and women’s legal rights.

Kali Wilson Beyah/Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Kali Wilson Beyah, Winner – Rising Star, is in-house counsel at Delta Air Lines, Inc. She joined the company in 2010 and has responsibility for a wide range of litigation matters, including class actions, complex commercial disputes, and patent infringement. Kali is also responsible for regulatory compliance counseling, aspects of ethics and compliance, and privacy matters.

Prior to joining Delta, she was a partner in the Litigation Group at Kilpatrick Townsend, formerly Kilpatrick Stockton. Kali is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and Florida A&M University. Kali’s community involvement includes co-chairing GABWA’s in-house section, and serving on the Go Red Executive Women’s Leadership Team and the Parent Advisory Board for Atlanta Parent Magazine. She is married to Dr. Raheem Beyah, and they have a daughter, Brie.

H. Eric Hilton/H.J. Russell & Company

Eric Hilton, Winner – Outstanding General Counsel, Solo, is Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel of H. J. Russell & Company, recognized as the nation’s largest and oldest MBE construction management firm. Eric oversees legal affairs for the Company and its affiliates. Other responsibilities include oversight of Russell’s Human Resources and Risk Management functions. He is a member of the Company’s Senior Executive Team and its Employee Benefits & Investment Committee. In addition to working closely with outside counsel on a wide range of legal matters, Eric remains actively engaged in administrative matters before the EEOC and other agencies, construction dispute resolution, insurance coverage issues, commercial lease administration, contract negotiation and various transactional matters. He also serves as Company’s Chief Labor Negotiator.

Eric is active in a number of professional organizations. He is an At-Large Director for the Association of Corporate Counsel, Georgia Chapter and has served as an Advisory Board Member for the National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession presented by the Philadelphia Bar Association. He is a past Advisory Board Member for the Pathways to Diversity Conference of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Eric has also held leadership roles in a number of service-based organizations to include the 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. where he previously served as chairman of its Collegiate 100 Program. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Radio Reading Service, which provides radio programming for the visually impaired and continues to serve as an on-air broadcaster for the organization. Eric also serves on the Fernbank Museum’s Corporate Leadership Council and is an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta.

Ashby L. Kent/Burr & Forman

Ashby L. Kent has practiced in Burr & Forman’s Litigation section since 2003 where she specializes in general commercial litigation. She has handled a wide variety of business disputes (tort and contract) for both plaintiffs and defendants, and her clients range from individuals and small businesses to large national financial institutions, including banks, lenders, mortgage companies and insurance companies.

Ashby represents her financial services clients in a variety of consumer finance and real estate matters, including actions for wrongful foreclosure, predatory lending, consumer protection law claims and other state and federal lender liability claims. In representing her title insurance clients, Ashby has handled numerous matters which involve evaluating and litigating bad faith claims, boundary line and easement disputes, one-half interest defects, lost or unrecorded security instruments issues, disputes over damages and loss valuations and other issues that frequently arise in the title insurance industry.

Ashby has nearly 10 years of experience litigating in Georgia’s state and federal courts, and has tried cases (bench and jury trials) in both. Additionally, she has successfully, efficiently and cost-effectively resolved numerous disputes through effective settlement negotiation and/or participation in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration.

“WIT” – Women in Technology

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Katie Tucker/Cbeyond

Katie Tucker currently serves as a Senior Program Manager in Technology & Operations for Cbeyond. In this role, Katie is responsible for program management of building acquisition across all markets. Prior to this role, Katie served as a Marketing Program Manager for Cbeyond. Katie has worked in IT for more than a decade gaining a diverse skill set from various roles and organizations.

Katie gives back to the community where she lives and works by giving her time and talent to multiple organizations. She currently serves as Program Director of Signature Events for the WIT Women of the Year Awards. She has also volunteered in the past through Girls Get IT and served as Project Manager for the Women of the Year Awards. Most recently she took on a new role as Project Manager for the Girls Inc of Greater Atlanta “Strong, Smart & Bold Awards Luncheon”. Katie also serves a co-chair of Events for Cbeyond Women’s Network and on the CWN Member Education & Engagement Committee. She is also an active member of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association and serves at Project Manager for the Membership Committee.

Katie earned her Bachelors of Business degree in marketing and management from Piedmont College and a Masters of Business Administration in Information Technology Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Ann Jacobs-Long/SunTrust Banks, Inc.

Ann Jacobs-Long is in her second year as Director of the Girls Get IT Program for the WIT Foundation. Ann joined SunTrust Banks, Inc. in December 2006 and holds the position of Group Vice President as Manager of Governance within the Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO). Ann’s management responsibilities include accountability for enterprise investment governance processes and the associated Program and Project Investment Policy, enterprise portfolio inventory and demand management, performance monitoring and executive reporting. Prior to joining SunTrust, Ann worked several years in the telecommunications industry, and has over fifteen years of experience in the project management field, providing senior leadership as a PMO Manager, Program, Project, and Portfolio Manager. Additionally, she has significant industry experience as an Industrial Engineer. Ann has attained an MBA/E-Business, and holds certifications of PMP (Project Management Professional) from PMI and Project Management Masters Certification from George Washington University.

Christina Critzer/SunTrust Banks, Inc.

Christina Critzer, Group Vice President and Delivery Manager with SunTrust Banks, Inc., brings 15+ years of experience in information technology to her Delivery Manager role in Enterprise Delivery Services. Christina leads and inspires a team in the delivery of technology projects with emphasis on Image & Capture to enable the business to better serve its clients.

Prior to joining SunTrust, Christina worked for The Home Depot (THD) providing innovation and deployment of technology to the stores. While at THD, Christina was a founding member of the I.T. Women’s Leadership Forum. Previously at the entrepreneurial, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Christina was an Information Systems Business Manager, acting as liaison to the business on strategic technology initiatives.

Christina’s experience in the technology industry focuses on relationships, program & project management, operations and process re-engineering. Christina has a B.S. in Management Science from Virginia Tech, an M.B.A. from Regis University, is PMP certified with the Project Management Institute and ITIL Service Manager certified. Christina spends her free time volunteering in the Women in Technology (WIT) program and serves on the board of her homeowner’s association.

Ashby L. Kent/Burr & Forman

Ashby L. Kent has practiced in Burr & Forman’s Litigation section since 2003 where she specializes in general commercial litigation. She has handled a wide variety of business disputes (tort and contract) for both plaintiffs and defendants, and her clients range from individuals and small businesses to large national financial institutions, including banks, lenders, mortgage companies and insurance companies.

Ashby represents her financial services clients in a variety of consumer finance and real estate matters, including actions for wrongful foreclosure, predatory lending, consumer protection law claims and other state and federal lender liability claims. In representing her title insurance clients, Ashby has handled numerous matters which involve evaluating and litigating bad faith claims, boundary line and easement disputes, one-half interest defects, lost or unrecorded security instruments issues, disputes over damages and loss valuations and other issues that frequently arise in the title insurance industry.

Ashby has nearly 10 years of experience litigating in Georgia’s state and federal courts, and has tried cases (bench and jury trials) in both. Additionally, she has successfully, efficiently and cost-effectively resolved numerous disputes through effective settlement negotiation and/or participation in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration.

 

Atlanta – A Growing Technology and Entrepreneurial Hub

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Our guests join us to discuss business in Atlanta and how the metro area is a growing technology and entrepreneurial hub in the southeast.

Melanie Brandt/Technology Association of Georgia

Melanie Brandt is the Chief Operating Officer for the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the largest industry association in the state and one of the most successful Technology organizations in the country. Melanie provides strategic leadership as well as management of TAG’s operations, including key initiatives such as the annual State of the Industry Report, the TAG Business Launch Competition, TAG’s Statewide impact initiatives including Economic Development support and TAG’s Savannah, Augusta, and Middle Georgia chapters; TAG’s Economic Gardening program; the 31 TAG Societies including those dediciated to strategic Georgia technology sector focuses such as Health IT, Financial Technology (FinTech), Information Security and Mobility; and the TAG leadership Council. Melanie has fundraising and staff management responsibilities and has initiated several noteworthy projects as COO, such as the Where Georgia Leads maps, the TAG Social Media Council, and the annual S.T.E.M. Education Awards.

Before joining TAG, Melanie was part of the Gwinnett Chamber’s Economic Development team, implementing the Partnership Gwinnett initiative as their Business Development Manager for Information Technology and Advanced Communication. Prior to joining the Gwinnett Chamber, she served as TAG’s Director of Information and Community Resources.

Melanie is currently on the executive advisory board for the Atlanta Technology Professionals (ATP), where she served as president in 2004 and 2005. She was a founder of StartupChicks, an organization dedicated to connecting and inspiring entrepreneurial women, and serves on committees for the Georgia Chamber, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Gwinnett Chamber. Melanie was recognized as a “40 under 40” Atlanta Business and Community Leader recipient by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2010.

Larry Williams/Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Larry Williams serves as Vice President for Technology Industry Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.  Larry has successful experience building and managing state and local economic development, international business development and tourism development.  He is a results-oriented professional with a reputation for service, satisfaction, and results.  Larry works as a creative troubleshooter able to quickly identify and resolve problems at all levels.  He is multilingual with international experience and understanding of global business practices and a solid leader able to build, mentor, and develop highly motivated, productive, and loyal teams.

Larry’s specialties are economic development, international business development, global branding, marketing, non-profit & government administration and management, business finance, budget management, customer service, organizational development, leadership, deal structuring, change management, strategic planning, building public-private partnerships, public and industrial policy, international trade and operations.

Michael Lasky/Burr Forman

Michael Lasky has practiced exclusively in intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights) for over 30 years at the firms of Merchant & Gould , Powell Goldstein and Burr Forman in Atlanta.

He is a published author and a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of Business Exit and Succession Strategies. He is currently writing POWER TOOLS — Strategies for making for your company far more valuable and saleable , due out later in 2012.