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Board
Our Board of Directors is a remarkable group of committed and experienced leaders from metro Atlanta's business, legal, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities.
Officers
Chair
Kelly Goldston, MBA
Carter’s Inc.
Kelly Goldston (DeBonis) is senior vice president, e-commerce at Carter's, Inc. She previously served as chief digital officer at Spanx and has led growth marketing for two high-profile consumer startups: Eloquii, acquired by Walmart, and Diapers.com/Quidsi, acquired by Amazon. At Eloquii, Kelly played a key role in Series A, B, and C venture capital fundraising and ultimately the Walmart acquisition in 2018. Kelly holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a bachelor's degree from Columbia College of Chicago. She lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood.
Vice Chair
Erika Hardy
Eli Lilly and Company (Former)
Erika Hardy is the former Executive Director of Marketing at Eli Lilly, where she oversaw all global and U.S. marketing initiatives targeted at healthcare providers for a leading neuroscience brand. Her career spans both sales and marketing, with a focus on brand development across various molecule lifecycles and disease states, as well as strategic planning, operations, and execution. Erika earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Health degree in Toxicology. She furthered her education with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Erika is deeply passionate about advancing healthcare and promoting health equity in diverse communities. She is also committed to supporting the unhoused, regularly volunteering her time and resources to initiatives aimed at improving the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
Immediate Past Chair
Rebecca Wallace, MMC
Communications Consultant
For a quarter century, Rebecca Wallace has created and carried out communications strategies for dozens of advocacy groups, chambers of commerce, nonprofits and state and local governments. She developed an expertise in economic development, leading advocacy campaigns for the Atlanta Beltline and Peachtree Streetcar. At the start of her career, Rebecca served as Communications Director for what became the Georgia Department of Economic Development. There she supported the Office of the Governor in company location announcements, launched initiatives such as the department’s regional service program, and conducted industry media tours across the state. At her core, Rebecca is dedicated to improving the lives of people living in poverty. She currently supports clients who work at the intersections of poverty and the juvenile justice system; education; and cancer care. She earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Mercer University and a master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Georgia.
Secretary
Chris Marinac
Brean Capital, LLC
Chris Marinac is Director of Research at Brean Capital, LLC. In his previous role as Director of Research at Janney Montgomery Scott, Chris led the firm’s Equity Research team, overseeing coverage of more than 225 companies across the Financials, Healthcare, Infrastructure, and Real Estate sectors. With more than 33 years of experience in financial services and research analysis, Chris brings deep industry expertise to his work. Prior to joining Janney in 2019, he was Co-Founder and Director of Research at FIG Partners LLC, an investment banking and research firm specializing in community banks. Earlier in his career, Chris held roles at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and Wachovia Corporation (formerly Interstate/Johnson Lane Inc.). Chris has served as a financial expert and resource to global and national media outlets, including American Banker, Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, FOX Business, and the Wall Street Journal. He graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance. Chris is actively involved with Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities Inc., where he is serving his fourth, three-year term as a board member.
Treasurer
Karen Sedatole
Emory Goizueta Business School
Karen Sedatole is the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Accounting at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. From 2020 to 2022, Karen served as the Interim John H. Harland Dean. Her expertise in strategic planning, organizational design, performance measurement, reward system design, and financial planning is based upon two decades of research working with for-profit and nonprofit organizations in a variety of industries, including healthcare, retail, tech, and automotive. Karen holds a PhD in business administration from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BS in Engineering from Baylor University.
Ex-Officio
Brad Schweers, MTS
Intown Cares
Brad Schweers is the Executive Director of Intown Cares. He has worked with nonprofits in Atlanta for 20 years. Originally from the Chicago area, Brad graduated from DePauw University, studying religion and psychology. He moved to Atlanta as a full-time United Methodist US-2 volunteer missionary. He lived for three years at the Community of Hospitality, a simple-living, social justice community in Decatur, GA. Brad worked as a Case Manager at Café 458 in Atlanta, the first restaurant in the country exclusively for homeless people. Brad also worked as a Senior Program Manager at Community Friendship, Inc. in Atlanta, where he helped adults with mental illnesses to achieve living, working, social, and educational goals in their lives. Always drawn by the intersection of faith and work toward social justice, Brad attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University, graduating with a Master of Theological Studies degree, focusing on comparative religion, religious experience, and social change. Brad is a lay member of Neighborhood Church. Working at Intown is Brad’s dream job, bringing together his passions, skills, education, and creative mind to bring about what Martin Luther King, Jr. called “The Beloved Community.”
Directors
Randall Allen, Esq.
Alston & Bird, LLC (Retired)
Randall Allen practiced law at Alston & Bird LLP for 33 years, specializing in competition-related litigation and counseling. He also helped lead the firm's International Arbitration practice focusing on the resolution of intellectual property licensing and contract disputes. Randall was active with the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House for many years and served as the Chair of its Board during the construction of its 50-bedroom House near Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Randall graduated from Georgia State University College of Law with a JD and Georgia State University with a BA in Public Administration. He and his wife Mary Lou live in Brookhaven. They have two children: Randall, Jr., who lives in Charleston, and Claire, who lives in San Francisco.
Lee Foster
,Bain and Company
Lee Foster is a Senior Manager at Bain & Company, where she advises clients on customer strategy and growth. After moving to Atlanta in 2021, Lee began volunteering with Intown Cares while living just a block from the food pantry, an experience that sparked her deeper involvement with the organization. Before joining Bain, Lee taught high school math through Teach For America. She earned an MBA and a Master of Public Policy from Duke University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky
Sunil Ghatnekar, MBA
The Coca-Cola Company (Retired)
Sunil Ghatnekar is a professional CFO with extensive experience in leading finance organizations. During more than 25 five years with The Coca-Cola Company, Sunil gained valuable global experience while working across many parts of its business. He is also an experienced Board Member at global operations, joint ventures, and social enterprises. He currently serves on the Boards of Atlanta Technology Angels, an angel investing network, and Dharma Life Foundation, a social enterprise that aims to create sustainable livelihood by creating village-level entrepreneurs in India. Sunil holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He lives with his wife in Atlanta’s Druid Hills neighborhood.
Amy Jensen
Chick-fil-A
Amy Jensen is an employment attorney at Chick-fil-A, Inc., where she provides strategic guidance on a range of employment issues. Prior to going in-house, she practiced management-side employment law at two large law firms for 10 years. Amy received her law degree from Emory University and bachelor's degree from Berry College. She lives with her family in Candler Park.
CDR Marie Jeoboam, MD, MBA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDR Marie Jeoboam, MD, MBA, FAAFP is a Commissioned Corps Officer with the United States Public Health Service and serves as Medical Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Occupational Health Clinic. She is dual board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine and was conferred Fellowship in the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) in recognition of her commitment to excellence in patient care, leadership, and service. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to advancing equitable, patient-centered healthcare for diverse and underserved communities, including six years with the Indian Health Service serving multiple Tribal Nations. Dr. Jeoboam earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Miami, a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Barry University, and a Doctor of Medicine from Florida State University College of Medicine. She furthered her education by earning an Executive MBA from Emory University Goizueta Business School, strengthening her ability to integrate clinical expertise, systems thinking, and strategic leadership to advance healthcare advocacy, and build stronger communities. Dr. Jeoboam is committed to advancing sustainable solutions that address homelessness and food insecurity while preserving dignity and creating opportunity. She believes every act of service strengthens the fabric of a community, and that lasting change is achieved when compassion, partnership, and purpose come together.
Rob Kight
35 North Consulting
Since retiring in early 2021, Rob has been a care-taker for his mother, avid traveller including climbs of Kilimanjaro and Rainier, improved but still mediocre golfer and a committed supporter of various Atlanta area non-profits. During a 35+ year career, Rob was a strategic HR leader, the majority with Delta Air Lines where people and culture are the keys to the company's success. Delta has been routinely recognized as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies and a by Glassdoor as a Great Place to Work. Prior to retiring from the role of SVP- HR in early 2021, Rob was a key senior leader and architect of many of the strategies that helped perpetuate and drive the company's unique, people-focused culture, which fuels the company's success. Particular areas of expertise: - Deep experience using total rewards strategies to drive employee engagement to achieve business strategies. - Extensive experience working with partner companies throughout the world to drive talent strategies. - Problem solver with deep experience in restructuring and M&A environments. - Executive compensation expert with 15+ years supporting Board level compensation committees in both the US and abroad.
Alexandra Kirk, MBA
Jamestown Realty
Alexandra Kirk is a Vice President of Development and Construction at Jamestown based in the Atlanta office. She currently manages development, overseeing each project’s vision, providing financial analysis, securing entitlements and hiring and managing the design and construction teams through project completion. Today, her primary focus is on the development of Phase II of Ponce City Market in Atlanta. Previously, Alexandra worked in Skanska Commercial Development’s Boston Office. As a member of the development team, she worked on several of the company’s multifamily projects including managing the sale of the Harlo, a 212-unit boutique apartment building in the Fenway neighborhood. She also managed the acquisition of a 6-acre mixed use site in the Longwood Medical Area in the heart of Boston. She began her career in Washington DC working for Gensler as a project designer for Fortune 500 companies. Outside of work, Alexandra likes to give back to her community as much as possible. Prior to the pandemic, she was active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Room to Grow, a non-profit focused on providing a strong foundation for babies in low-income families. She currently serves on The Wisconsin School of Business Alumni Board, the board of the Lifecycle Building Center here in Atlanta, and the Intown Cares board which focuses on providing quality food options to the food insecure and homeless of Atlanta. Alexandra earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University’s School of Architecture and an MBA, specializing in Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
Timothy Lee, Esq.
AT&T
Tim Lee is Assistant Vice President & Senior Legal Counsel at AT&T, where he manages a broad portfolio of the company’s complex litigation. He is also co-chair of AT&T’s Southeast Pro Bono Committee. Earlier in his career, Tim served as an Assistant United States Attorney and was a partner at King & Spalding in Atlanta. He received a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
Rev. Sean B. Smith
City of Atlanta
Rev. Sean B. Smith has been the pastor of the New Horizon Baptist Church since 2001. He also serves as Mayor Andre Dickens’ Senior Advisor for Faith Affairs. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Rev. Smith is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. He received a Master of Divinity degree from the McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, where he was awarded an Outstanding Academic Achievement recognition and a recipient of the William Ollie and Nell Ray Key Excellence in Leadership Award. Throughout his ministry Rev. Smith has served both Church and community in a variety of capacities including: M.L. King Merchants Association, Co-Chair of the Atlanta Continuum of Care Governing Council, Islamic Speakers Bureau Advisory Council member, Cascade Ministers Fellowship, Atlanta Ministers Union, NAACP, and served on the Ethics Committee for the Mayoral transition team.
Dara Simmons
Paideia School
Dara Simmons has volunteered with organizations working to alleviate hunger and homelessness in Atlanta for over 30 years. Dara enjoys front-line contact with those in need, but she has also served on several fundraising teams to ensure support for various causes. Dara previously served on the board of the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children and she was also a trustee at Paideia School, where she is currently the Assistant to the Head of School. A graduate of Emory College and University of Michigan, Dara loves traveling, theater, and cheering for her favorite sports teams.
Doannie Tran
Center for Innovation in Education
Dr. Doannie Tran is Managing Partner at the Center for Innovation in Education (CIE), where he guides communities, districts, and states through the work of building more equitable and accountable education systems. He specializes in co-creation — designing processes that bring educator, family, student, and community voice into decisions that have historically excluded them. His work has taken him across the country: facilitating a statewide accountability redesign in Kentucky, leading a student-centered strategic planning process in Burlington that rebuilt community trust, helping a high-performing district in Bellevue confront deep-seated inequities, and supporting Vicksburg in building a unifying framework across a long history of racial division. Before CIE, Doannie served as Assistant Superintendent in both Boston Public Schools and Fulton County Schools, began his career as a science teacher in Oakland and Boston, and helped launch Teach For America's Massachusetts region. He is co-author of "The Open System" and co-founder of the Open Systems Institute, whose work has been incorporated into curricula at Yale, Columbia, Brown, and Harvard. Doannie holds a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Georgia. He lives in Atlanta’s Grant Park with his wife Holly, an adolescent medicine physician, and their two children.
Marti Wolf
MailChimp (Retired)
Marti Wolf is a retired human resources executive with a passion for culture and employee experience. Most recently, she served as the Chief Culture Officer at Mailchimp (now Intuit Mailchimp), where she led teams across Human Resources, Employee Experience, Recruiting, Learning & Development, Corporate Citizenship, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. Marti began her career in social work, supporting at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system and promoting access to reproductive health, before transitioning into employee benefits, HR, and organizational strategy. She brings a strong commitment to values-driven leadership and an inclusive workplace culture. Marti has served on the Board of Directors for MAKERS@, the Advisory Board for ChooseATL, and mentored teens at Moving in the Spirit. She currently volunteers with Fair Fight Action, New Georgia Project, and VoteRiders. Marti and her husband, John, live in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood and are the proud parents of two adult daughters.
With Thanks
Those who serve on Intown’s Board of Directors give generously of their time and talents. We are grateful for the contribution of all and recognize Board chairs since our founding in 2010.
2009-2010 Rev. Bradley Schmeling, Founding Chair
2010-2012 Rev. Joanna Adams
2012-2013 Rev. Mary Lou Gilbert
2013-2015 Rev. Dr. Baron Mullis
2015-2018 David Brackett
2018-2019 Shelby Roberts
2019-2020 Mike Lynch and Erin Chance
2020-2022 Bill Humphries
2022-2024 Joanna Genser