FANNING - Key Persons
Abayomi is a certified HR professional, visionary leader, and business growth enthusiast passionate about community impact and human well-being. He graduated with a Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos in 2012. He advocates business growth, productivity, and community empowerment, particularly among young individuals. He has authored four books and created the Value Pathway Academy, a learning platform training over 2000 individuals since 2019. As a Tony Elumelu Foundation Mentor (2021), Abayomi fosters entrepreneurship and leadership development.
Abayomi is a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at the University of Georgia. His goal is to become a sought-after management consultant, bridging the gap between for-profit and nonprofit sectors to drive social and community impact, economic growth, leadership development, and human well-being.
Job Titles:
- ETV Program Operations Coordinator
At the Fanning Institute, Arden works in youth leadership with a focus on supporting youth in foster care through the Education and Training Voucher Program. Her role involves the management of hundreds of eligible student accounts as well as coordination with state specialists and post-secondary institutions to verify student aid/need and manage documentation to support financial aid. She also serves as a support for the EMBARK program.
Before joining the Fanning Institute, Arden worked in community outreach and child advocacy at Athens Oconee CASA. After 5 years of service to the local child welfare community, she is excited to transition into Fanning and learn new ways to support vulnerable young adults.
Arden spends her time outside work visiting her family, exercising, and taking care of her cat, Lizard.
Education
University of Georgia, 2018, social work
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Vice President of People Services, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, Columbus, Ga
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Interim Director
- Interim Director for the Fanning Institute
Bio
Dr. Beverly Johnson serves as interim director for the Fanning Institute. In this role, she focuses on internal operations and the strategic priorities of the institute, along with supporting the institute's work in strategic planning and leadership development.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, Dr. Johnson served as unit director of the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government's Atlanta-based State Services Unit. She has extensive experience in managing complex governmental operations at the local, regional and state levels. Dr. Johnson applies her expertise in adult education and human resources and organizational development to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to conduct enterprise-wide assessments and develop strategies to build effective organizations. Her applied research and action research work have helped groups address complex issues related to professional development, workplace culture and performance improvement.
She also has significant experience in the workforce development field and contributes to national employment strategies and professional certification development. Her previous experience includes managing the Georgia Department of Labor's statewide local One Stop system, serving on various workforce boards and developing statewide economic development strategies. She is a Certified Workforce Development Professional and Career Development Specialist.
Education
Ed.D., University of Georgia
MPA, University of Georgia
B.S., business management, Paine College
Job Titles:
- Senior Public Service Associate
Bio
Dr. Brandy Walker's expertise is in the design, development and implementation of leadership programming, with an emphasis on community engagement, conflict management, difficult conversations and dialogue. She holds a Ph.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology from the College of Education at the University of Georgia and is a leader in online and virtual program development and delivery. Dr. Walker specializes in programs that have a broad reach nationally and internationally. She has led leadership development programs for public health professionals across the United States and produced a 6-part series podcast entitled "Adaptive Leadership for Public Health." Internationally, Dr. Walker leads two U.S. Department of State projects focusing on civic engagement leadership across sub-Saharan Africa. The first is the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a summer residential intensive leadership and civic engagement program as part of the Young African Leadership Initiative and the second is the virtual African Civic Engagement Academy (ACEA), a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program unique to the University of Georgia. The ACEA program launched in 2021, reaching over 4,000 enrolled participants across sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, Dr. Walker teaches an interdisciplinary graduate course on community-engaged research methods. She works with Q-methodology personality and risk assessments, and enjoys collaborating with academic faculty on community-engaged projects.
Education
Ph.D., learning, design, and technology, University of Georgia
M.A., English, Tulane University
B.A., English and German, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Community Conflict Transformation
Bio
Brendan focuses much of his efforts on community leadership programs, while also working heavily in subject areas such as instructional design, applied research and leadership assessments. He has expertise with a variety of leadership, social and communication styles assessments, including Emergenetics©. In addition to his work in community leadership, Leahy also works on a variety of Fanning Institute programs and initiatives, including those focused on leadership development in a wide array of contexts, youth leadership development, general facilitation and organizational and community strategic planning.
Before joining the Fanning Institute, Brendan served as President for Leadership Plus and Associates in Athens and the UGA coordinator for the SciTrain University initiative, a project of the U.S. Department of Education and a partnership between the Georgia Institute of Technology and UGA. He has also worked with the Georgia Department of Education, Northeast Georgia Learning Resource System and Anderson and Ward Educational Services.
Education
2002, Ed. D. in adult education, University of Georgia
1998, M. Ed. In adult education, University of Georgia
1995, B. A. in education, with a concentration in learning disabilities, Boston College
Areas of Expertise
Chamber of Commerce Assistance
Bio
As public service faculty at the Fanning Institute, Brittany mainly works within the youth development practice group and assists the institute's other practice groups as needed. Her expertise includes developing leadership programs focused on authentic, transformational and servant leadership. She has worked with a wide variety of populations and strives to create unique leadership programs for all ages. In addition, she is a certified Equine-Assisted Facilitator in the up and coming field of equine-assisted coaching and facilitation.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute in 2019, Brittany served on the faculty at the University of Florida and the University of Louisville. She is currently a member of the Association of Leadership Educators, International Leadership Association and Equine Experiential Education Association.
Education
Ph.D., agricultural leadership, University of Florida
M.A., agricultural leadership, University of Georgia
B.S.A. animal science, University of Georgia
B.S., psychology, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Community Leadership Program Development
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Director and Senior Public Service Associate
At the Fanning Institute, Carolina's work focuses on designing innovative leadership programs to meet the needs of particular populations such as women, public health professionals, Latino and migrant groups. She designs and conducts applied research projects, principally in the form of program evaluation and needs assessment. In addition, as Assistant Director for Research and Evaluation, she provides leadership to the development and implementation of activities related to the strategic goal of continuous improvement, builds capacity among faculty to incorporate data-driven decision making and sets a clear vision for Fanning's research and evaluation priorities to demonstrate the impact of leadership development.
Having joined the Fanning Institute in 2008, Carolina has more than 17 years of professional experience in leadership development, adult learning and nonprofit management with an extensive knowledge of Georgia and its needs; in particular, how the demographic changes influence the design, outreach and delivery of programs and initiatives across multiple communities.
Education
2012, Ph.D. in adult education, learning and organization development, University of Georgia
2005, M.Ed. in adult education, University of Georgia
2002, M.Sc. in technology management, Mercer University
Job Titles:
- Public Relations Coordinator
Bio
Catherine, who goes by ‘Cat', works to highlight Fanning Institute programs and activities through marketing collateral, social media and content creation. While she works with a multitude of programs here at Fanning, Cat specifically works with the Embark program, leading their social media accounts and marketing presence online and in person. Before joining the Fanning Institute, she worked as a Marketing Account Manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development and spent a few years in local television as a host and producer.
Education
2018, B.A. in Journalism, University of Georgia
Bio
In his current role at the Fanning Institute, Charlie is responsible for highlighting and promoting Fanning Institute activities through the production, writing, and dissemination of articles for electronic and print media. He also maintains the institute's social media accounts, website and assists with the production of informational materials highlighting programs and services offered by the institute.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute in 2017, he spent more than a decade working in local radio news, preparing content for delivery on the air, online and on social media. In addition, he spent nine years as a freelance newspaper reporter.
Education
2004, B.A. in journalism, Pennsylvania State University
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Coordinator
Charlyene joined the Fanning Institute in 2019, coming to UGA from the Hart County School System, where she worked in the superintendent's office as Executive Assistant for Federal Programs and Human Resources. There, she coordinated teacher and administrator certifications and CPI state reporting. She also has over 15 years of experience in the medical business office field handling physician credentialing, provider contracts with insurance companies, claims and patient accounts. Charlyene has nearly 20 combined years of experience in video editing, photography and design.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student Worker
Christian is originally from Baton Rouge, La. and moved to Blue Ridge when he was 14. Besides working at Fanning, Christian is currently involved in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
He enjoys teaching himself new skills and learning about computer science. When he graduates, he would like to work as a hardware engineer and do software engineering on the side, do software engineering full-time, or create a business that allows him to work in both hardware and software engineering.
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Coordinator
Bio
In her role at the Fanning Institute, Christina provides support for both community and nonprofit leadership programs. This includes working with clients, planning teams, accounting support, logistical management, programmatic assessment and reporting. In addition, she coordinates community development, professional development and other projects that are designed to enhance leadership awareness and skill development throughout Georgia and beyond.
In 2018, Allen-Wise received the Sisson Community Leadership Development Award from the Fanning Institute in recognition of her commitment to promoting leadership development throughout Georgia.
Christina has worked for the University of Georgia for 13 years. Prior to joining the Fanning Institute in December 2015, she was a program manager in UGA's Terry College of Business' Office of Executive Programs. She managed the Georgia Economic Outlook Series, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference and many other events and programs. She also served as Terry College's Staff Representative Group Chairperson.
Education
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, UGA
Certificate from American Management Association in Assertiveness for Women in Business and Successful Meeting Planning
UGA High Impact Leadership: Essentials Certificate Series
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Chairman, Pendleton Consulting Group, Atlanta, Ga
Damian grew up in Milledgeville, where he received his associate degree in general studies at Georgia Military College while dual-enrolled during high school. He then graduated in 2024 from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in political science. While in undergraduate studies at UGA, his primary involvement was with the Arch Society while also working as a student assistance for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Academically, his interests lie in the intersection of law and higher education. He is really interested in constitutional law and how it affects our everyday lives as people living in the United States. Outside of academics, he is devoted to music (new and old, of every genre), history, spending time with friends, and getting to meet new people and make new friends.
Job Titles:
- Business and Leadership Advisor
Bio
Serving a dual role with the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development and the Georgia Small Business Development Center, David Canady is dedicated to business and leadership development efforts in south and central Georgia. He is responsible for identifying consulting, training and research resources as well as assisting communities in areas of leadership development and business creation, retention and expansion.
A veteran of small business and entrepreneurship, David came to UGA with over 30 years' experience in the private sector as a business owner and entrepreneur, an adjunct lecturer on entrepreneurship and rural Georgia economic development specialist.
Education
B.B.A., University of Georgia
Job Titles:
- Senior Public Service Associate
Job Titles:
- Member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
- Public Service Assistant
Bio
Elizabeth Lutz is a public service faculty member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development with a focus on community leadership, collaboration, team building, innovative solutions, and multigenerational issues. She exercises her skills in program evaluation, strategic planning, and group facilitation. As a faculty member, Elizabeth works with a variety of nonprofit and community-based organizations building their leadership capacity, group dynamics and volunteer management skills. She joined Fanning in 2022 after seven years with UGA academic departments during which time she worked with corporate partners, alumni, underrepresented student populations and student organizations. Prior to her arrival at UGA, she taught high school Spanish and ESOL courses.
Education
M.Ed. Learning, Leadership, and Organization Development
B.S. Language and Literacy Education
B.A. Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Spanish
Areas of Expertise
Community Leadership Program Development
Bio
Emily Saunders has been supporting various leadership and professional development initiatives at the University of Georgia for over 17 years. As part of the Community Leadership Program team, she specializes in creating and delivering programs to support individual and group learning, with a particular interest in women's leadership development, organization development, creativity, and innovation. Emily is a certified FourSight® mindset facilitator and holds a Foundations of Design Thinking certificate. She also coaches clients using the Hogan Assessment and Global Leadership Profile.
Before joining the Fanning Institute, she co-created and taught professional development and internship courses, worked with numerous student leadership groups, launched two mentoring programs and a university-wide onboarding series, managed multiple alumni boards, and oversaw a successful annual giving program. She is also a 2017 graduate of the inaugural class of the University of Georgia's Women's Staff Leadership Institute.
Education
2023, Ed.D., Learning, Leadership and Organization Development, University of Georgia
2010, MNR, (Master of Natural Resources), conservation education, University of Georgia
2005, B.S.F.R, wildlife, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Community Leadership Program Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Graduate Assistant
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Coordinator
Bio
In her role at the Fanning Institute, Eva provides support for youth, community and nonprofit leadership programs. This includes working with clients, planning teams, accounting support, logistical management, programmatic assessment and reporting.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, Eva worked as a private educational tutor for youth ages 8-18. In addition, she has previous experience working in the medical business office field. Also, she served as youth director at a rural church where she was responsible for planning and implementing religious programs for youth ages 11-18.
Education
1996, B.A. in psychology from Presbyterian College
Garrett grew up in Bremen, Ga. and graduated from UGA with a B.A. in political science in 2021. After graduation, he worked full-time at the Haralson County Probate Court for two years until returning to UGA to pursue his MPA last spring. He intends to graduate in fall 2024. In academics, he is especially interested in policy analysis and the policy-making process. In his free time, he loves to read books and listen to podcasts, primarily about history. He also enjoys traveling and watching movies with friends.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- President and CEO, Georgia Lottery Corporation, Atlanta, Ga
Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga;
Imani is from Miami, FL and lived there her whole life, obtaining a bachelor's degree in criminology and a master's degree in higher education administration - enrollment management from the University of Miami, along with a certificate of student life and development. Prior to joining the Ph.D. program at UGA, in which Imani is in the second year, Imani spent foru years working in undergraduate admissions at the University of Miami.
Because of her background in enrollment management in admissions, Imani is interested in anything that pertains to recruitment, access, persistence, and retention of historically underrepresented students. Also, she is interested in the organization and governance of higher education institutions as it pertains to enrollment management.
At the Fanning Institute, Jason works in the area of youth leadership with a focus on supporting youth in foster care through the Education and Training Voucher Program. He also supports youth leadership programs that serve the state of Georgia and surrounding areas. This includes working with planning teams and providing accounting support, logistical management, programmatic assessment and reporting. In addition, he serves community development, professional development and other projects designed to enhance leadership awareness and skill development throughout Georgia and beyond.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, Jason was an engineering and architectural drawing and design instructor at Eagle's Landing High School and East Jackson High School.
Outside of his time at Fanning, Jason supports area youth programs by serving as a community coach for local schools and recreation departments, and he leads a 5th grade group at a local church.
Education
2014, M.Ed., workforce education, University of Georgia
2009, B.S.Ed., engineering and technology education, University of Georgia
Job Titles:
- Member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
- Public Service Assistant
Jason Edwards is a public service faculty member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a unit of the Office of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia. He graduated with a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UGA and holds a master's and bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education from UGA. Prior to his current role, he worked as an Instructor for the Department of Kinesiology at UGA, where he taught education courses to aspiring teachers and began new educational partnerships with nearby K-12 public school districts. Edwards was named a recipient of the UGA President's Fulfilling the Dream award in January 2023. This is a university-wide award that recognizes individuals in the UGA and Athens-Clarke County communities who have worked to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of equality and justice a reality.
Education
Ed.D., Educational Leadership, University of Georgia
M.S., Sport Pedagogy, University of Georgia
BS.Ed., Health and Physical Education, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Community Leadership Program Development
Job Titles:
- Member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
- Public Service Associate
Bio
Jason Estep is a public service faculty member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a unit of the Office of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia. While focusing on youth leadership development, he has considerable experience with curriculum development, program design and implementation, and evaluation of programs serving diverse audiences, whether youth or adult. Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, Jason served Georgia 4-H as the State Specialist for Leadership and Civic Engagement, responsible for planning, facilitating, and evaluating dynamic educational programs for youth ages 9-19. Before working in youth development, Jason practiced law with large firms in Atlanta, GA, and Washington, DC. He helped train, coordinate, and supervise attorney teams working on corporate litigation, antitrust matters, and government enforcement actions.
Education
J.D., specialization in international legal affairs, Cornell Law School
B.A., English and sociology, Emory University
Areas of Expertise
Leadership Curriculum Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Chairman of the Board, Allgood Pest Solutions, Dublin, Ga
Bio
At the Fanning Institute, Julie focuses on working to build leadership capacity in nonprofit and community organizations through strategic planning processes, board and executive development, system mapping and evaluation.
Currently, Julie leads the planning team for the Executive Leadership Program for Nonprofit Organizations (ELPNO). In addition, she has co-planned and implemented UGA's Vivian H. Fisher Public Service and Outreach Leadership Academy, has led strategic planning processes for multiple nonprofits in the Athens area and elsewhere and helps deliver the institute's adult community leadership curriculum.
She brings twenty years of experience in nonprofits, most recently serving as the executive director of Community Connection of Northeast Georgia from 2004 to 2013. In this role, she managed collaborative processes of nonprofits in the region and provided incubation services to developing nonprofits. Meehan also served as the program director for The TreeHouse, Inc., and development coordinator for Hands-on Atlanta.
Education
2021, Ph.D., public administration, University of Georgia
2001, M.S.W., University of Georgia
1994, B.A., international development and social change/political science, Clark University
Areas of Expertise
Chamber of Commerce Assistance
In her role at the Fanning Institute, Karen is responsible for providing database management support to Fanning Institute faculty and staff as well as all unit reporting. Karen designs, develops, and implements information systems, web-based surveys, and computerized data files. She also is responsible for the advanced design and analysis of customized reports. In 2014, she received the Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence.
Karen has worked at the University of Georgia since 1985. From 1989 to 2005, she served as a data management specialist at the Small Business Development Center, where she managed and maintained the Georgia Client Counseling Management Information System and the Georgia Continuing Education Information System, provided technical support for 19 statewide centers and handled reporting to local, state, and federal agencies. She was also a SBDC data entry clerk from 1985 to 1989, handling data entry and processing as well as reporting.
Education
1989, B.B.A., management information systems, University of Georgia
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student Worker
Katie Sue is a junior at the University of Georgia and is completing a minor in statistics along with her public relations major. She is taking Italian as a language credit and enjoys learning about different cultures. She is also a member of the UGA Club Gymnastics team and a recruiting specialist for UGA Football. On Sunday mornings, she works in the nursery at First Presbyterian Church of Athens. Katie Sue was born in Yibin, China and but has been living in Athens since she was four years old. She attended Clarke Central High School where she participated in mock trial, swimming, golf, ecology club and NHS. As an owner of two dogs, she loves taking walks and going to the dog park. Her other passions are reading, Harry Potter, and making cards/designs.
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator
- Program Operations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Director and Senior Public Service Associate
Bio
Lauren specializes in designing, delivering and evaluating youth and multigenerational leadership programs and trainings for diverse audiences. She is also able to provide technical assistance to communities to help them in meeting their leadership goals and has a successful background in the management of and collaboration with community agencies, advisory groups, and volunteers to identify local needs and assist in delivering programs. Lauren is certified in the Emergenetics, MBTI and Real Colors assessments.
Lauren has more than 17 years of experience in youth programming. Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, she worked as a 4-H youth development agent in both rural and urban counties. In this position, she was responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating educational programs for youth ages 9-19. Lauren has been active in several professional associations and has pursued an extensive program of professional improvement in the areas of personal and youth development.
Education
2023, Ph.D., educational psychology, University of Georgia
2002, M.S., human development and family studies, Auburn University
2000, B.S., psychology, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Community Leadership Program Development
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of MENTOR Georgia
- Public Service Assistant
Bio
As the executive director of MENTOR Georgia, Leslie is leading the Fanning Institute's efforts to grow capacity, ensure training and support, and promote the work of youth mentoring programs around the state of Georgia.
Leslie joined Fanning in 2021 as the first full-time director of MENTOR Georgia, an affiliate of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. The mission and work of MENTOR allows Leslie to braid together her passions for education, youth development, public policy and community service.
Previously, Leslie honed her social entrepreneurship chops as the first executive director of Books for Keeps, a research-based literacy nonprofit that gave 750,000 new and like-new books to Georgia students across her eight-year tenure. Leslie's professional interests are informed by a childhood introduction to volunteering with her mother, an early career as a newspaper reporter covering education as well as state and local government, and a deep appreciation for the role of public education in shaping her own life.
Education
2013, MPA, The University of Georgia
Job Titles:
- Senior Public Service Associate
Lori's focus is on leadership capacity building for nonprofit, youth and community organizations, leadership development for underrepresented populations and technical skills in evaluation design and group facilitation. She collaborates with many on-campus departments to aid in their strategic planning and implementation processes, she works with a variety of specialized county- and school-based youth leadership development programs and she works with both nonprofit and community-based organizations building their leadership capacity, governance processes, planning initiatives and volunteer management skills.
Lori specializes in utilizing technology along with traditional facilitation techniques to help groups process their strategic initiatives, come to consensus and prioritize their goals moving forward. She also currently co-leads the Embark Georgia Statewide Network, a group of higher education institutions supporting young people experiencing foster care or homelessness in their academic endeavors.
Prior to joining the Fanning Institute in 2008, she served for seven years with UGA's Office of Performing Arts.
Education
2001, B.A., music education, University of Georgia
2007, M.A., nonprofit management, University of Georgia
2022, Ph.D., higher education, University of Georgia
Areas of Expertise
Facilitation and Facilitation Training
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student Worker
Mary is a junior at the University of Georgia. After graduation, she plans on pursuing her Ed.S. in school psychology. She grew up in Madison County, 20 minutes away from Athens and has lived here all her life. She loves the area and the people in it. Previously, she has worked at a daycare and in the Development & Alumni Relations department of the university but is especially excited to be working in the Institute.
She is a member of UGA Baptist Collegiate Ministries. Through that organization, she has had the opportunity to be a paint girl for UGA Paint line at various sporting and social events. When she has free time, you will find Mary spending it with friends or watching movies. She also enjoys swing dancing, going on walks, and playing pickleball.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Administrative Financial Director
Bio
In her current role at the Fanning Institute, Melanie is responsible for assisting the Administrative Financial Director in all financial and human resources functions of the Fanning Institute. She joined the Fanning Institute in November 1997. During her time at Fanning, she received the Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence in 2010.
Melanie has worked at the University of Georgia since 1985 in various positions. Prior to joining the Fanning Institute, she worked for the Career Services Office in various positions for 12 years.
Education
2000, B.S., consumer economics, University of Georgia
Job Titles:
- Research & Public Service Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- President, Wilheit Packaging and Marketing Images, Gainesville, Ga
Job Titles:
- Senior Public Service Associate
Job Titles:
- Graduate Assistant / Full Bio
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Administrative Financial Director