Board of Trustees

Atlanta History Center's 2012 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.

2012 Board of Trustees Officers

Bill Shearer, Chair
Laura Miles, Treasurer
Brand Morgan, Secretary
Jim Hannan, Treasurer
 

2012 Board of Trustees

John M. Allan
Tom Asher
Charlie Battle
Susan Bell
Denise Cleveland-Leggett
Jimmy Cushman
Michael Flock
Tom Fricke
Sam Friedman
Lillian Giornelli
Ernest Greer
Maxine Hicks
David P. Lanier
Jack Markwalter
Sam Massell
Shirley Mitchell
Peter Moister
Phil Mooney
Karen Parker
Rey Pascual
Jenny Pruitt
Michael Robison
Michael Rogers
Chris Schoen
Stuart Snyder
John Spalding
John A. Fentener van Vlissingen
Michael A. Woocher
Chris Womack

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.

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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.

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 Charlie Battle
Charlie Battle is currently Of Counsel with the law firm of Miller & Martin PLLC, having previously been a municipal finance lawyer with King & Spalding and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan.  Charlie was very active in Atlanta’s bid to host the Olympic Games and served as Managing Director for International Relations of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.  He was awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee for outstanding contributions to the Olympic Movement.  Following the Atlanta Olympic Games, Charlie served for two years as President of Central Atlanta Progress. Charlie has served as an international advisor consulting with several cities bidding to host the Olympic Games including the successful bid of Beijing, China, Vancouver, Canada and Sochi, Russia.  He also was an advisor to bids by New York and Chicago and is presently serving as an International Advisor to Pyeongchang, South Korea who is bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.  Charlie received his B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and his JD with highest honors from Emory University Law School.  He is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and served for five years as Chairman of the Southern Center for International Studies.  He is married to the former Lola Eustis of Greenville, Mississippi and has two children and one grandchild.

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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.

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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.

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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.
 

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Michael Flock
Prior to founding Flock Advisors, Michael provided M&A advisory support to private equity firms, helped companies reengineer their operations, and led a successful recapitalization of a consumer collections agency where he was interim CEO. He was also an advisor to Croft & Bender, a middle market investment bank. Michael began his career in 1976 as a sales representative and later International Account Manager in IMB’s large account division, where he was a sales leader. From IBM Michael moved to AT&T in the business communications division, where he held a variety of sales and marketing management positions. Michael Grew up in Illinois and Connecticut, attended University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in History in 1973. He served as a White House Intern, worked as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in France and did graduate work at the Institut Etudes de Sciences-Politiques in Paris. He received an MBA in finance from Fordham University in 1982. He and his wife reside in Atlanta with their two daughters.

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Tom Fricke
Tom Fricke is the CEO of Cartridge World, the world’s largest retailer of refilled and remanufactured ink and toner cartridges used in computer printers. The system today consists of approximately 1,700 units operating in 63 countries world-wide and generates system sales of approximately $500MM. He has held positions previously at The Home Depot, Giant Eagle, PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay.  Tom received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, and his MBA from Stanford University.  He lives in Sandy Springs with his wife Jackie and their three children.

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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.

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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.

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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.
 

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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.

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Maxine Hicks
Maxine Hicks is a partner in DLA Piper’s Real Estate practice and chair of its Atlanta office Real Estate team.  Ms. Hicks has extensive experience in the acquisition, development, leasing, distressed assets, clubs and recreational amenities, state and federal regulation of real property, mixed-use community governance and municipal matters.  Ms. Hicks is a noted author and lecturer on issues relating to master-planned communities and has been invited to speak before several highly esteemed professional organizations, including the Urban Land Institute and the American Bar Association Real Property Section.

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David Lanier
David Lanier is Senior Managing Director 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  the Past 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, and past member of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Saint Philip, serving as Secretary.

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Jack Markwalter
Jack Markwalter is chairman and chief executive officer of Atlantic Trust, the wealth management division of Atlanta-based Invesco, as well as chairman and chief executive officer of Invesco National Trust Company. He is a senior managing director of Invesco and serves as a member of Invesco’s Executive Management Committee. He joined Atlantic Trust in 2002 as head of business development and has more than 23 years of experience in the private client and investment industry. From 2008 to 2010, Jack also served as head of Invesco’s U.S. Institutional Sales, Client Service and Consultant Relations. Prior to joining Atlantic Trust, Jack served as managing director and national director of the client strategy group for Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Jack earned a Bachelor of Science with highest honors from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Jack serves in various leadership roles for many community organizations. Among other positions, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Tech Foundation, the Board of Trustees for Pace Academy, the Board of Directors for St. Joseph’s Hospital Mercy Foundation, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and he serves as chairman for his Harvard Business School Reunion Fund Campaign.
 

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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.”

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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 board member since 2007, is currently the Treasurer, and chair of the finance committee and a member of the executive committee.

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Shirley Mitchell
Shirley Mitchell is a Senior Marketing Strategist for U.S. Trust where she is responsible for developing, implementing and analyzing marketing strategies to achieve U.S. Trust regional business goals. Prior to her current role, she was the Bank of America Georgia Market Manager where she was responsible for strategic market planning; coordinating and leveraging of the bank’s local philanthropic contributions and sponsorships and facilitating relationships with community and opinion leaders. Prior to her current role, she was the regional corporate relations director for AT&T. A native of the Washington, D.C. area and a graduate of Howard University with an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, she succeeded at a number of positions at AT&T including, marketing program analysis director, strategic planner and senior project manager. Shirley holds several leadership roles with civic and philanthropic organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund and the Georgia International Women Forum. She has been voted one of the 100 most influential women in Georgia, recognized as a “Woman of Vision” by the Atlanta Business League, named and “Outstanding Citizen of Georgia” by Secretary of State, inducted in 2007 YWCA Academy of Women Achievers and listed in the Atlanta Business Chronicle as Who’s Who in Finance.

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Peter Moister
Peter is an Atlanta native and alumnus of The Lovett School. He owns a home in Ansley Park with his wife, Whitney. He is founder and managing principal of CORBINVEST, LLC –an Atlanta based, family firm that since 1987 has actively invested in commercial real estate and mid-sized businesses; as well, he is a managing director of The Prescott Group a global real estate merchant banking and capital management firm headquartered in New York City. In years past, he was a managing director of Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated, senior advisor to Kidder, Peabody & Co., Incorporated and head of real estate investment banking services at Coldwell Banker Commercial, Inc. Peter served as an U.S. Army officer with the 7th Special Forces domestically and with the 84th Engineers in Vietnam. He holds an A.B. from the University of North Carolina, M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and M.A. R. (cum laude) from Yale University. In addition, he completed three years of Ph.D. studies at Emory University with a concentration in ethics. He has been a member of several advisory boards including Yale Divinity School, the Board of Visitors and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities at the University of North Carolina, and The Emory Center for Ethics. Peter is also a member of the board of directors of a private medical research foundation and devotes significant time to an array of civic activities, charitable causes and professional associations.
 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Reinaldo Pascual
Reinaldo Pascual is a  corporate partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP  specializing in mergers & acquisitions and securities.  Mr. Pascual received his AB cum laude from Syracuse University and his JD magna cum laude from Creighton University School of Law.  Mr. Pascual has been recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” for Corporate/Mergers and Acquisition Law by prestigious Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business every year since 2004. Since 2007 he has also been listed in every edition of Best Lawyers in America for corporate law and mergers and acquisition law. Mr. Pascual has been named a Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta Magazine every year since 2004. He is a Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials; is the chair of the Syracuse University Georgia Advisory Council, and a member of the Georgia Advisory Council  of  ACCIÓN USA  and the Atlanta Business Forum.  Mr. Pascual is also a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2000.  He and his wife Eugenia have three children.

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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.

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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.

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Michael Rogers
Michael is the second-generation Rogers and third Atlanta native to own and run Dorsey Alston, Realtors. He became chairman of Dorsey Alston in 2000, while serving as the president of BMW of Macon and as the lead developer of Manhead Marina in Brunswick, Georgia. In 2009, Michael returned to Atlanta to join Dorsey Alston full-time as the company’s president and CEO. He holds a broker’s license with the Georgia Real Estate Commission and is a member of the Atlanta Board of Realtors. He also serves on the board of directors of the Buckhead Coalition and is a member of the Southern 7 Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Raised in Atlanta, Rogers graduated from The Westminster Schools before receiving his bachelor’s degree with honors in economics from the University of Virginia and his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Rogers lives in Buckhead with his wife and their two children.
 

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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. 

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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 currently serves as Chairman of the Board at the Atlanta History Center.  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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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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Chris Womack
Chris Womack is Georgia Power’s Executive Vice President of External Affairs, an office has held since 2006. Womack is responsible for leading and directing the policies and activities of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs, Environmental Affairs, Land, Diversity, Corporate Communication and Economic Development. He also works closely with the company’s region officers, who manage the company’s field operations. Prior to this position, Womack served as Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer in Southern Company Generation, where he was responsible for coal, gas, and hydro generation for Georgia Power and Savannah Electric. Womack has held a number of leadership positions within Southern Company and its subsidiaries and has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative aide to Leon Panetta and as staff director for the Subcommittee on Personnel and Police, Committee on House Administration. Womack serves on the boards of The Nature Conservancy; Community in Schools, where he is chairman of the board; and Leadership in Atlanta. He also is a board member of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and is a national trustee for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He has received numerous honors, including the Johnny Morrow Endowment Foundation “Man of the Year” (1996); SCLC Leadership Award (1998); Distinguished Almuni, Western Michigan University (2003); and Black Enterprise Magazine’s 75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America (2005). He received the Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young Award for Public Service in 2007. A native of Greenville, Alabama, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree in public administration from The American University. He attended the Stanford Executive Program in 2001.
 

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