Leadership DeKalb, a nonprofit that runs a 10-month leadership development program in DeKalb County, has announced the names of 55 people selected for its Class of 2025.
Members of the class have experience spanning the fields of economic development, education, government, healthcare, legal issues, nonprofit work, public safety, private business and utilities.
“I am excited to welcome the Class of 2025 to Leadership DeKalb,” said DeKalb County State Court Judge Mike Jacobs, outgoing board chair. “The sheer number of applicants and the diversity of leadership in the new class reflect our organization’s strong presence in DeKalb County and the region.”
More than 95 people applied for the Class of 2025, said Shara Sanders, executive director of Leadership DeKalb.
The Leadership DeKalb program, which is in its 37th year, said in a news release that it “equips participants with essential leadership skills, deepens their understanding of local challenges and fosters connections across sectors.”
Leadership DeKalb is one of a number of leadership development programs around metro Atlanta and around the country.
Leadership DeKalb Class of 2025
• Kelli Anderson, Next Departure Consulting, Senior Consultant, Small Business and Leisure Client
• Victoria Anglin, Beyond Physical Therapy, Director of Clinical Operations
• Frankie Atwater, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO
• Theresa Austin-Gibbons, City of Atlanta, Deputy Commissioner
• Tangela Barrie, DeKalb County Superior Court, Superior Court Judge
• Dr. Renee Bazemore, Georgia State University, Senior Director
• Leslie Blair, Kaiser Permanente, Vice President (Interim), Marketing, Communications, Community Relations & Care Experience
• Thomas Burrell, DeKalb County Fire Rescue, Deputy Fire Chief
• Tony Cappuccio, DeKalb County Marshal’s Office, Major, Court Division Commander
• Claire Simms Chaffins, Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, Director of Communications and External Affairs
• Christopher Clark, City of Decatur Police Department, Police Captain
• Sachi Cole, Cannella Snyder, LLC, Partner
• Oto Ekpo, Finch McCranie, Of Counsel
• Lee Ann Else, WellRoot Family Services, Vice-President, External Relations
• Liz Ernst, Keen Strat, President & CEO
• Gerald Evans, City of Doraville, Councilmember/Mayor Pro Tem
• Rachel Gage, Robbins Alloy Belinfante Littlefield LLC, Partner
• Dr. Derrick Gervin, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Senior Health Scientist
• Reynaldo Green, Quality Care for Children, Vice-President, Nutrition & Family Well Being
• Amber Harris, Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, Director of Development
• Jadia Haynes, DeKalb County Government, Human Resources Deputy Director
• Tim Holdsworth, Elarbee Thompson Sapp & Wilson LLP, Partner
• Nicole Horn, ThirdEdge Performance Solutions, Consultant
• Dr. Devon Horton, DeKalb County School District, Superintendent
• Dr. Veneetia Johnson, Delta Air Lines, Director, Technology and Innovation Engineering
• Tyler Lewis, Peachtree Government Relations, Associate
• Amanda Lynch, City Schools of Decatur, Chief of Staff
• Tyler Mann, Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs
• Adrienne McMillon, Cox Automotive, Senior Director, Internal Controls and Enterprise Risk Management
• Juan Mejia, JCM Ventures, Principal
• Elijah Miranda, Soccer in the Streets, Executive Director
• Aprille Moore, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Major
• Lindsay Partin, Emory Healthcare, Community Engagement Manager
• Jason Peavey, PV Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Co-Owner
• Jon Philipsborn, Atlanta Regional Commission, Climate and Resilience Manager
• Phil Polk, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, DEI Lead
• Brenda Puebla, DeKalb County Solicitor General’s Office, Director of Victim Services
• Kevin Rice, City of Decatur Fire Department, Fire Captain
• Casey Robinson Troutman, Georgia Power Company, Project Execution Manager
• Stacy Scott, SouthState Bank, Branch Manager
• Riane N. Sharp, Starbucks Coffee Company, Corporate Counsel
• T.J. Sigler, DeKalb County, Director, Office of Management & Budget
• Salik Sohani, Office of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Northeast Georgia Director of Outreach and Immigrant Affairs
• Adam Sparks, Krevolin & Horst, LLC, Partner
• Paul Stovall, Georgia Transmission Corporation, Transmission Services Manager
• Michelle Thomas, Emory University Office of The General Counsel, Associate General Counsel
• Dr. Sandra Valenciano, DeKalb Public Health, District Health Director and CEO
• Lisa Walker Holloway, Comcast, Senior Manager, External Affairs
• William Wallace, DeKalb County Police Department, Assistant Division Commander
• Devon Ware, Southern Company, Financial Analyst
• Tammy Washington, City of Decatur, Operations Analyst
• Sulieman Wazeerud-Din, Apollo MD, City of Atlanta Public Safety Medical Director
• Jabrille Williams, JT Asphalt, COO
• Dr. Ramona Yarbrough, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Dr. Katrina Young, Decide DeKalb, Business Extension & Expansion Manager
