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War in Our Backyards

Board of Trustees

Atlanta History Center's 2010 Board of Trustees

The Atlanta History Center is a non-profit, public-benefit organization. The Board of Trustees of the History Center serves in the public interest as it relates to the constituent parts of the History Center and considers itself accountable to the public as well as the institution. The Board acts as the ultimate governing authority for the History Center and is responsible for the formulation and maintenance of its general policies, standards, conditions, and procedures.

2010 Board of Trustees Officers

David Lanier, Chair
William Shearer, Jr., Vice-chair
Laura Miles, Treasurer
Stuart Snyder, Secretary

2010 Board of Trustees

John M. Allan
Elizabeth Allen
Tom Asher
Joel Babbit
Susan Bell
Denise Cleveland-Leggett
Charles B. Crawford, Jr.
Jimmy Cushman
Beverly M. DuBose, III
Julia V. Emmons
Wesley A. French
Sam Friedman
Lillian Giornelli
Ernest Greer
Sheffield Hale
Jim Hannan
Robert A. Irvin
David P. Lanier
Sam Massell
Frank McCloskey
Laura Miles
Phil Mooney
Brand Morgan
Karen Parker
Jenny Pruitt
Michael Robison
Chris Schoen
William B. Shearer, Jr.
Stuart Snyder
John Spalding
John A. Fentener van Vlissingen
Michael A. Woocher

John M. Allan
John M. Allan is a tax partner with the law firm of Jones Day where he has been since 2002. Prior to Jones Day, he was a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers. John received his bachelor's degree in history, Master of Accountancy, and law degrees all from the University of Georgia. He is a Georgia native, and both he and his wife, Juliet McClatchey Allan, who teaches at The Westminster Schools, are from families with long Atlanta and Georgia histories. They have three children, and live in the city of Atlanta. As a former Eagle Scout, John has been an active volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America, and they have been members of All Saints Episcopal Church for over 20 years. John is a new Trustee beginning his term in 2010.

Elizabeth M. Allen
Elizabeth M. Allen is a graduate from Auburn University and President of McCaleb-Allen Properties. She is an active member in the Atlanta community with involvement in several organizations over the years, including Junior League of Atlanta, Shepherd Center Auxillary, and Piedmont Hospital Auxillary. She has chaired both the Candlelight Tour and Swan House Ball at the History Center. She is a member of the nominating committee.

Tom Asher
A native of Atlanta and a graduate of Cornell University, Tom Asher is a former executive vice-president of the investment firms The Robinson-Humphrey Company and Smith Barney. There he was regional director in charge of branch offices in the southeast. A charter member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, he was also on the board of governors of the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as FINRA). Tom recently retired after 48 years in the investment business. He has served as chairman of The Howard School, the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD), the Atlanta Chapter of The American Jewish Committee, and the William Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum. He is currently the president of The Rich Foundation as well as on the boards of MedShare International, Georgia Community Support and Solutions, the Piedmont Hospital Foundation, and the Woodruff Arts Center. Tom is married to Spring Asher; they have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

Joel Babbit
Joel Babbit is the CEO and co-founder of Mother Nature Network (MNN.com) – a leading provider of environmental news and information and one of the 3 most visited for-profit environmental websites in the world. Prior to launching Mother Nature Network, Babbit spent over 20 years in the advertising and public relations industry – creating two of the largest and most successful advertising agencies in the Southeast – Babbit and Reiman (acquired by London-based GGT) and 360 (acquired by Grey Global Group). He also served as President of GCI, which was one of the world’s 10 largest public relations firms with 40 offices in 22 countries. With Atlanta’s selection as host city for the 1996 Olympics, Babbit took a leave of absence from the private sector to serve as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the City – responsible for all corporate and media relations, as well as serving on the mayor’s cabinet and executive committee during this historic period. A native of Atlanta, Joel was chosen Georgia Citizen of the Year in 1997 and was awarded the John Drewry Award for Outstanding Achievement from The University of Georgia where he received his ABJ degree from the Henry Grady School of Journalism. He has been active in many civic and charitable organizations including Young Presidents Organization, the CDC Foundation, SafeAmerica, Atlanta History Center, and the Anti-Defamation League and was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 1997.

Susan R. Bell
Susan R. Bell is managing partner of Ernst & Young’s Atlanta office. She is a CPA in Georgia and Tennessee and a member of the AICPA and the Georgia Society of CPAs. Susan is also a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and is Chair of its finance committee; a trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center and a member of its audit committee, and is involved in a variety of other civic and professional organizations. She is member of the finance, capital projects and development committees.

Denise Cleveland-Leggett
Denise Cleveland-Leggett has combined extensive legal experience in various areas of the public and private sectors with active involvement as a business and community leader in Atlanta. Denise currently represents Baudino’s various healthcare clients in transactional and regulatory matters, including hospital acquisitions, hospital and physician contract negotiations, and clinical integrations. She has led the due diligence team for multi-million dollar hospital acquisitions that resulted in solid protection of the client’s interests and successful transactions. She also counseled clients through multi-million dollar tax-exempt bond issuances to finance capital projects. Denise also serves on the Baudino Litigation Team and assists in resolving and defending matters, such as Antitrust and Employment Law, including discrimination. She believes that a commitment to the client relationship is the foundation for achieving the best results for each client. When she is not practicing law, Denise enjoys time with her family, avidly volunteers in the community, plays competitive tennis, and skis.

Charles B. Crawford, Jr. (Charlie)
Charles B. Crawford, Jr. (Charlie) is Chairman, President and CEO of Private Bank of Buckhead. Coming to Atlanta from Bankers Trust in New York, he was with Bank South for 10 years, in retail, commercial and private banking positions. In 1996, he started The Buckhead Bank as a division of Milton National Bank. Following the sale of the bank, he started Riverside Bank of Buckhead in 2001. He later organized Private Bank of Buckhead and its holding company, Private Bancshares, Inc.; which opened December 2006, with nine employees. Charlie has undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School of Business and an MBA from Georgia State University. Charlie is a graduate of the LSU School of Banking and of Leadership Atlanta (Class of 2005). He serves on the board of the Buckhead Coalition, the Georgia Tennis Foundation, the City of Atlanta Board of Ethics, the Cherokee Town and Country Club, the Atlanta Track Club and is a past president of The Rotary Club of Buckhead. Charlie and his wife, Ansley, have three children and live in Buckhead.

James "Jimmy" Edward Cushman, Jr.
Jimmy Cushman works for Halpern Enterprises in Doraville, Georgia in leasing and property management. His experience in the business world includes Material Handling, commercial alarm systems, and mortgage brokerage.
Cushman is passionate about improving the world his two children will inherit. His non-profit activities include serving on the Board of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens from 2000-2007. While on the board he served on the executive committee from 2005-2007, while chairing the Education Committee. Jackie and Jimmy Cushman, Jr., live with their two elementary-school children in Atlanta. Cushman attended the Lovett School and graduated from High School from Avon Old Farms. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C.. He also has his Georgia residential real estate license.

Beverly M. Dubose, III
Beverly M. Dubose, III is President of DuBose Companies, a real estate and construction firm in Atlanta. Mr. DuBose served as Chairman of the History Center from 1996 – 2000. He also serves on the Board of the Gettysburg National Museum Foundation, Tredegar National Civil War Center Foundation and National Civil War Preservation Trust and Board of Trustees for Washington and Lee University. Along with his father, he assembled what is regarded as the largest private collection of Civil War memorabilia that facilitated the exhibit, Turning Point at the History Center. Mr. DuBose is a graduate of Washington and Lee. He chairs the Capital Projects and Endowment Committees and is a member of the executive committee.

Julia Emmons
Julia Emmons is a community activist and former Atlanta City Council member. She is the founder of the Peachtree Road Race held on the Fourth of July. She holds a PhD in History and is the chair of the Governance Committee. She chaired the ad hoc Strategic Planning committee.

Wes French
Wes French is a founding partner of French, Wolf & Farr, an Atlanta-based wealth management firm serving the financial needs of wealthy families in seven states and three countries.With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, he advises clients on investment policy and implementation in addition to all other areas of wealth management, including tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies, retirement planning, insurance planning and banking advice.Before co-founding the firm, he was a Partner and Executive Vice President of Balentine & Company, prior to its merger with Wilmington Trust. At Balentine, he served on both the Senior Management and Investment Policy Committees while leading the firm's Private Client Advisory effort. Before joining Balentine & Company, Wes spent 13 years with First Union Corporation, where he helped establish the bank's presence in Georgia and served as Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of Private Banking. Wes currently serves on the Board of the Atlanta History Center where he is a member of both the Investment and Development Committees. He is chairman of the Finance Committee at Peachtree Road Methodist Church where he also serves as a member of the Endowments and Memorials Committee. He serves on the Investment Committee for Agnes Scott College and for the Foundation of Wesley Woods. He is an active member of both the Buckhead Rotary Club and the Buckhead Lions Club, where he is past president. He also serves on several development committees for the Atlanta Area Boy Scouts of America and is an honorary Board member of Trinity Community Ministries. Wes graduated from Davidson College with a bachelor's degree in Economics. He and his wife, Anne, have three children and reside in Buckhead.

Sam Friedman
Sam Friedman is the founder and chairman of AFCO, Inc. Since 1971, he has specialized in the office market with an emphasis on tenant representation. His industry awards include the Phoenix Award for ten consecutive years in the Million Dollar Club and as one of the city’s top five office producers, both presented by The Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors. In 1993, the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors recognized Friedman for the most significant real estate transaction of the year. He currently serves on the board of Beltline Partnership, Inc. and is founding chairman of The Path Foundation, serving actively as chairman emeritus for the organization. He’s also a long-term member of the Atlanta Kiwanis Club. He has served as chairman of The Atlanta Union Mission and the Atlanta Housing Authority. Friedman has also been chairman of The Buckhead Coalition and is currently a member of its executive committee. He chaired the local chapter of the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives and served as director and treasurer of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors. Friedman holds the professional designation of Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) awarded by the CCIM Institute of the National Association of Realtors and is a Certified Property Manager (CPM). He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, MA before earning a bachelors degree from Brown University. Friedman earned his MBA at Georgia State University and was an adjunct professor for three years, Real Estate and Urban Affairs, at Georgia State.

Lillian C. Giornelli
Lillian C. Giornelli is President of CF Foundation, Inc., and Nonami Enterprises, Inc. Mrs. Giornelli also serves on the boards of directors for the East Lake Foundation, Cousins Properties Inc., Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the J.M. Tull Foundation. A native of Atlanta, Mrs. Giornelli earned a B.A. degree in History from Dartmouth College in 1982 and a Juris Doctor summa cum laude degree from the University of Georgia in 1988. Mrs. Giornelli is married and has four children. She is chair of the Nominating committee.

Ernest Greer
Ernest L. Greer, Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office and Chair of the Atlanta Litigation practice, is an accomplished business litigation attorney. Ernest is responsible for the growth and strategic direction of Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office, which has more than 100 attorneys. In addition, Ernest serves on the Firm’s Executive Committee. Greenberg Traurig is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,775 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in 32 offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Ernest attended Harvard University where he lettered in Varsity Football and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He attended Northwestern University School of Law as a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow. Ernest was also appointed as a Northwestern University Fellow and graduated with a law degree in 1991. Following graduation, he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

F. Sheffield Hale
F. Sheffield Hale is chief counsel for the American Cancer Society, Inc. He is active in various community affairs. He is past Chair of the Board of the Atlanta History Center and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and has been on the board of five other preservation-related organizations. He is also a trustee of the Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center. Mr. Hale serves as the Vice Chair of the Arch Foundation for the University of Georgia. Mr. Hale received his B.A., summa cum laude, in History from the University of Georgia in 1982, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received his J.D. in 1985 from the University Of Virginia School Of Law. He served on many committees of the Atlanta History Center. He is a member of the nominating committee and the capital projects committee.

James Hannan
James Hannan is President and CEO of Georgia-Pacific LLC and has served as President and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President - Chief Administrative Officer. In previous positions he as served as President, INVISTA Intermediates; Chief Financial Officer, Koch Mineral Services; Corporate Controller, Homestake Mining Company; Chief Financial Officer, Koch Mineral Services; Corporate Controller, Pegasus Gold; and Audit Manager, Coopers & Lybrand. He sits on the Georgia-Pacific LLC - Board of Directors, and has sat on the board of directors of Koch Cellulose, LLC - Board of Directors. He has a B.S., Business Administration, California State University, East Bay. He serves on the Finance committee and served on the Strategic Planning committee.

Robert Irvin
Robert Irvin is a management and community leader in Atlanta. A native who grew up in Roswell, he founded the Roswell Historical Society. Mr. Irvin was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for several years, served as House Minority Leader for six years and in 2002 was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. He is a graduate of William and Mary, Emory Law School, and Harvard Business School.

David Lanier
David Lanier is Senior Managing Director and Co-Market Leader for CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate firm. He is an Atlanta native and a graduate of Pace Academy and Wofford College, Spartanburg SC. He has been a trustee since 2006 and has chaired the Annual Fund, Capital Projects Committee, and Margaret Mitchell House Property Committee and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees with an Ex-Officio position on all standing Committees. Past President and Board Member of the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and a past Board Member of the Georgia Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Current member of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Saint Philip, serving as Secretary.

Sam Massell
Sam Massell spent twenty years as a Realtor, becoming Vice President of Allan-Grayson Realty Company, then one of the city’s largest commercial brokerage firms. During that time, he was elected a charter member of the Atlanta Real Estate Board’s Million Dollar Club and was honored three times by the Georgia Association of Real Estate Boards for creating the “Outstanding Transaction of the Year.” Massell has served twenty-two years in elected offices, including eight as President of Atlanta’s Board of Aldermen (now known as the City Council) and four as this city’s Mayor. While holding that office, he was also chosen as President of the 15,000-member National League of Cities. In addition, he has served a four-year term on the Board of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and was a Board Member of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.Among other achievements, his administration as Mayor is credited with establishing MARTA (Atlanta’s mass transit program), with developing the city’s first enclosed arena (the Omni Coliseum), and with providing the “Five Points” Central City Woodruff Park, all with no call on ad valorem taxes. He also pioneered minority opportunities in city government, appointing the first female to Atlanta’s City Council and the first African Americans as City Department heads. After leaving full-time public service, he entered the tourism business in Buckhead where he operated for thirteen years under the name of Your Travel Agent Sam Massell. He is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), and a former President of the Travel Industry Association of Georgia. Mayor Massell now manages a nonprofit civic organization as founding President of the Buckhead Coalition. He is also on numerous Boards, including Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Atlanta History Center, and Atlanta Speech School. In addition, he is in the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau “Hospitality Hall of Fame”; Georgia Trend Magazine “Most Influential Georgian’s Hall of Fame,” and International Civil Rights “Walk of Fame.”

Frank McCloskey
In his 37-year career, Frank McCloskey has held various operational positions in the company. He was been the Vice President of Diversity for the past 10 years, responsible for strategies to sustain a culture of excellence through inclusion where every employee feels valued, respected and productive.

He is a past chair of the Atlanta Urban League, Leadership Atlanta and a past board member of Men Stopping Violence. He is a member of organizations including the Conference Board’s Council of Diversity Executives and the Anti-Defamation League Board of Directors. He also serves on the Workplace Program Advisory Council of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

McCloskey participated in the March of the Living to learn the lessons from the Holocaust. He also was a member of a World Pilgrimage with faith leaders from Atlanta to find common ground. McCloskey has received the Willie O’Ree National Hockey League “Black Ice” Diversity Award, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Keep Hope Alive Equal Opportunity Award and the American Institute for Managing Diversity’s 25th Anniversary Diversity Leader Award.

Laura Miles
Laura Miles is a Partner in the Atlanta office of Bain & Company, a global strategy consulting firm. She has expertise in consumer products, retail and corporate growth strategy. Prior to that, she was an investment banker in New York. She earned an M.B.A. from Darden at the University of Virginia where she received the William Michael Shermet Award for Academic Excellence. Laura is also a graduate of Duke University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and psychology. She has been a History Center since 2007, is currently the Treasurer, and chair of the finance committee and a member of the executive committee.

Phil Mooney
Phil Mooney is the Coca-Cola Company's Archivist where he has served since 1977. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Phil was the director of the Balch Institute and an archivist for Syracuse University. A Fellow of the Society of American Archivists, he is a graduate of Boston College, with a Bachelor of Science in History, and of Syracuse University, with a Master of Arts in History. He is married and has two children.

Brand Morgan
Brand Morgan is founder and CEO of Brand Properties. Brand started this company in 1998 and partnered with other real estate companies. He acquired and developed many properties in Gwinnett including the apartment complex The Overlook at Gwinnett Stadium, One Sugarloaf Centre, a class A office building LEED certified, and Buford Village, a mixed used development in Buford, GA. Future projects include a mixed-use development around the Gwinnett Stadium. Brand is involved on the Board of Directors for The Brand Banking Company, The 1818 Club, The 9 O’Clocks, The Center for the Visually Impaired, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Gwinnett Children’s Shelter.

Karen Parker
Karen Parker is a community volunteer. She joined the History Center Board in 2005 and has served as annual fund co-chair 2008 - 2009.

Jenny Pruitt
Jenny Pruitt established Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS® in 1988, and directed its growth to annual sales over $1.5 billion, six metropolitan offices and a roster of over 450 accomplished agents. Over five years ago, the firm was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway's subsidiary HomeServices of America. Having fulfilled her contractual obligations, Jenny stepped down from the firm. Continuing her professional career, Jenny realized the importance of an Atlanta-based, privately owned residential firm to provide a personal caliber of service and long-term relationships to customers and clients, and founded Atlanta Fine Homes, chosen by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. as its exclusive Atlanta affiliate. Dedicated to helping Atlanta maintain its exceptional quality of life, Jenny Pruitt serves as a Director of the Buckhead Coalition and, with that goal in mind, founded the Buckhead Girls Club, which annually presents a financial grant to a Buckhead community and cultural association. Currently Vice President of the Atlanta Rotary Club, Jenny is a past President of the Atlanta Board of REALTORS®. Humanitarian support is integral to Jenny's volunteer commitment, including service on the Piedmont Auxiliary, helping the economically challenged by building homes for Habitat for Humanity and as a benefactor of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. A third generation Atlantan, Jenny is active in the Atlanta History Center's Members Guild and the Vinings Historical Society. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Chastain Horse Park, the Girl Scouts of Northwest Georgia and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Michael Robison
Michael Robison is owner, founder, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based Lanier Parking Holdings.
He has chaired several boards including the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), Metro Chamber Transit Subcommittee, Metro Chamber Commuter Rail Task Force, Atlanta Streetcar, Inc., Lanier Parking Holdings, Andrew Young International Boulevard Revitalization Project. And sits on the boards of ZipCar Georgia, Lanier Parking Holdings, ACVB, Carter Center, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Midtown Alliance, Atlanta History Center, Mayor Franklin's Peachtree Corridor Task Force, Georgia Tech College of Management. He is a member of the Buckhead Coalition, Atlanta Commerce Club, Rotary Club of Atlanta, Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Woodruff Arts Center Circle of Patrons, Piedmont Park Conservancy, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and Atlanta Ballet. Recognitions: Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 100 Influential People, co-honorary chairman of the Atlanta Policeman's Ball with U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, Georgia Trend magazine’s "Top 40 Under 40,” ACVB Member of the Year, ACVB President's Award, top-five finalist for Atlanta Business Chronicle's Business Person of the Year, Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, Georgia Trend Magazine top 40 Fastest Growing Companies, Atlanta Journal-Constitution top 40 Fastest Growing Companies, Atlanta Journal-Constitution top 100 Private Companies. Education:B.S., Management/Finance, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Christian B. Schoen
Christian B. Schoen is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Barry Real Estate Companies. Additionally, Mr. Schoen is the managing partner of Urban Expositions & Development. Mr. Schoen is a graduate of Auburn University. Chris serves on the Board of Trustees for The Lovett School, is a member of the Foundation Board for the Atlanta Youth Academy, and is active in the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP). Chris is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

William Shearer, Jr.
William Shearer, Jr. is Partner at Bryan Cave/ Powell Goldstein and has served on its Board of Partners and as Chairman of the Business Transactions and Corporate Finance Group and the International Practice Group. He has also served a general counsel for the Los Angeles Angles major league baseball team. Mr. Shearer serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Presbyterian College, as Vice Chairman of the Board at Mercer Law School and has been active in many other community and charitable organizations. Mr. Shearer holds his Graduate Law degree from New York University, law degree from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University and a B.S., Economics from Presbyterian College. He serves as Vice Chairman.

Stuart Snyder
Stuart Snyder is president and chief operating officer of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s (TBS, Inc.) Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media (AYAKM) division, responsible for the cable television networks Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, along with their digital businesses, consumer products and production studios. He joined TBS in 2005, serving as senior vice president and general manager of GameTap, a broadband entertainment gaming network. Prior to that, Snyder was president and CEO of Montreal-based CINAR Corporation, an animation, live-action and education production/distribution company. His leadership roles also have included serving as president and COO of World Wresting Entertainment, Inc., the television and sports entertainment franchise; president of USA Home Entertainment and president and COO of Feld Entertainment (Ringling Bros. Circus, Disney on Ice). He serves as the board secretary.

John Spalding
John Spalding is Vice President of Government Affairs for Cox Communications Inc. He oversees Cox Communications’ government relations and public policy efforts at the federal, state and local levels. Prior to assuming his current role in 2006, Mr. Spalding served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for seven years and as Senior Counsel for three years. He joined Cox Communications in 1994 as an Attorney, following two years as an Attorney for Cox Enterprises, Inc., Cox Communications’ parent company. Previously, he was a Partner with Swift, Currie, McGhee and Hiers, an Atlanta-based private law firm. Spalding currently serves as a Trustee of The Arch Foundation for the University of Georgia, the University’s official fundraising arm. In 2006, Spalding received the Jere M. Morehead Award from UGA for distinguished service and support of the University’s Honors Program. He has also served as a trustee of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Spalding holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Georgia, where he was a Magna Cum Laude Honors graduate and elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

John Fentener Van Vlissingen
John Fentener Van Vlissingen is a member of the Fentener van Vlissingen family of the Netherlands which created SHV Holdings in 1896 from a merger between a number of large coal trading companies. This eventually grew into one of the Netherlands’ top energy, retailing, venture capital, and recycling companies. In 1975, he founded BCD Holdings, N.V., a market leader in the travel industry which employs approximately 14.000 people and operates in more than 90 countries with total sales, including franchising, of U.S.$ 15.6 billion. It is listed as one of the top 200 of the world’s largest family businesses in Family Business Magazine. It is also the parent company of several successful operating companies: BCD Travel (one of the largest business travel management companies in the world), Park 'N Fly (off-airport parking in the U.S.A.), TRX ( travel transaction processing and data integration services to the global travel industry), Airtrade and VakantieXperts (leading Dutch leisure travel companies) and Parkmobile (management of parking-related issues). Mr. van Vlissingen was named one of the top 25 most influential travel industry executives in the world by Business Travel News in 2006 (U.S.A). He is married to Marine Comtesse de Pourtalès and the couple are passionate collectors of fine art. He is a member of the development committee.

Michael A. Woocher
Michael A. Woocher is a Senior Managing Director at GenSpring Family Offices, where he is responsible for managing business development activities across the firm. GenSpring, an affiliate of SunTrust Banks, is a Multi Family Office advising on nearly $20 Billion of client investment assets across 15 distinct local family offices. Prior to joining GenSpring, Michael held various leadership and client management roles within SunTrust Private Wealth Management, most recently serving as a Senior Vice President and Group Team Leader. Michael received his B.A. from Emory University and his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. Michael is a Certified Financial PlannerTM , serves on the investment committee and is chair of the development committee. Michael lives in Atlanta with his wife, Katherine, and sons Charlie, Graham and Marsh.

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