Racial and economic equity strategic plan supported by counsel of respected Board and Committee leadership

ATLANTA – February 11, 2021 – The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta announces major moves forward with Board and Committee level leadership appointments that seek to actively pursue the vision for improving equity across Atlanta’s region. These Board and Committee members join an astute cohort of fellow leaders, with Board Chair Susan Grant continuing in her second year of a three-year term.

The seven new members added to the Foundation’s Board are:

• Ron Alston –Truist Financial
• David Cummings – Atlanta Tech Village
• Fran Gary – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• David Roemer – Ideas United
• Jewel Burks Solomon – Google
• Kelli Stewart –L.E.A.D.
• Ryan Wilson – The Gathering Spot

Each will serve a three-year term with an option to renew for a second term.

These seven new Board members join the 14 continuing their service to the Community Foundation as they champion building equity across the region. The Foundation’s Board, and its executive committee, not only commits to quarterly sessions for oversight of Foundation strategy and activities but also leads six committees reporting into the Board, supporting the work of community grantmaking, finance and audit, governance, impact investing (GoATL Fund), investments, and philanthropy. The committee chairs of the Foundation’s Board of Directors are noted in the paragraphs below and alongside the returning Board members:

• Susan Grant, Board Chair, Community Volunteer, CNN (retired)
• Frank Bell, Inspire CIO
• Rabbi Peter Berg, The Temple, Community Committee Co-Chair
• Millard Choate, Choate Construction
• Bert Clark, Estate Strategies Group
• Richard W. Courts IV, Atlantic Realty
• Douglas Hooker, Atlanta Regional Commission
• Julia Houston, Equifax
• Wonya Lucas, Crown Media Family Networks
• Barbara Bing Pliner, Community Volunteer
• Bryan Rand, Tritium Partners, Investment Committee Chair
• Gregory Vaughn, M.D., Spencer Stuart, Governance Committee Chair
• Jerry Wilkinson, Wilkinson Real Estate Advisors, Finance and Audit Committee Chair
• Studie Young, Harry Norman REALTORS, Philanthropy Committee Chair

“COVID-19 has laid bare the inequities of our region. Thus, our work ahead as the region’s endowment became visible to all. These board members are committing to engaging with us to move our region to a “better normal”, grounded in a more inclusive and equitable recovery. We are excited by our new board members and believe they are the perfect group of leaders to help us do this,” said Frank Fernandez, president and chief executive officer, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “The Board also has created deep bench strength at the Committee level, ensuring that every department of our Foundation has the sage counsel of outside leaders for pivotal positive change to solve the inequities of the region.”

Joining at the Committee leadership level for a three-year term of service are:

• Community Committee: Peter Berg and M. von n’Kosi, co-chairs
  • Tjuan Dogan, Emory University
  • Josh Penny, Mailchimp
  • Ayanna Buckner, MD/MPH, Community Health Cooperative
• Finance and Audit Committee: Jerry Wilkinson, chair
  • Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard
  • Marcus Oglesby, Aprio
• Impact Investing: Ron Alston, chair
  • Adrienne White, Citizens Bank
  • Kweku Forstall, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Investment Committee: Bryan Rand, chair
  • Dekia Scott, Southern Company
  • Jingwun (Grace) Moore, Georgia Tech Foundation
• Philanthropy: Studie Young, chair
  • Brian K. Ford, Northwestern Mutual
  • Veronica Morrisette, Merrill Lynch

The complete list of the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors with their full biographies are available here.

# # #

PHOTO from the 2/10/21 Board of Directors meeting, held via Zoom:
Row 1, L to R: Jerry Wilkinson • Elyse Hammett (staff) • Susan Grant (Board Chair) • Diana Champ Davis (staff) • Debbie Schumacher-Jones (staff)
Row 2, L to R: Terry Mazany (staff) • Frank Fernandez (staff) • Julia Houston • Alison O’Carroll (staff) • Ben White
Row 3, L to R: Lita Pardi (staff) • Ron Alston • Studie Young • Millard Choate • David Roemer
Row 4, L to R: Gregory Vaughan • Bert Clark • Ryan Wilson • Richard Courts IV • Kelli Stewart
Row 5, L to R: David Cummings • Peter Berg • Barbara Bing Pliner • Jewel Burks Solomon • Francesca D. Gary
Not pictured: Frank Bell • Doug Hooker • Wonya Lucas • Bryan Rand

About the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Since 1951, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has been leading and inspiring philanthropy to increase the vitality of our region and the well-being of all residents. With 70 years serving the Atlanta region and a robust team of experts, the Community Foundation expands its philanthropic reach and impact by providing quality services to donors and bold, innovative community leadership committed to racial equity. The Community Foundation is a top-20 community foundation among 800 nationally, with approximately $1.2 billion in current assets, and is Georgia’s second largest foundation. For more information, visit: cfgreateratlanta.org or connect with the Foundation via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Elyse Hammett, 404.376.5563
ehammett@cfgreateratlanta.org