Athens Area Community Foundation names Board members

The Athens Area Community Foundation names its 26-member Board of Directors, listing Athens bank executive Rhodes McLanahan as the Board Chairman. Other Board members include Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz and Superior Court Judge Lawton Stephens.

From the Athens Area Community Foundation…

The Athens Area Community Foundation announced its new Board of Directors for the 2020-2021 year. Newly elected is Board Member Dr. Rod Rutledge, Retired, Healthcare Executive. Rolling off of the board this year are Alex Patterson, Retired Partner, Alston and Bird, LLP, Kelly Holloway, Attorney, Epps, Holloway, DeLoach & Hoipkemier, LLC, Hank Huckaby, Retired, Higher Education Administration, and G. Michael Smith, Managing Partner, G Michael Smith & Associates, CPAs.

The Athens Area Community Foundation is led by a twenty-six-member Board of Directors.  These members will guide and support the Foundation as a trusted leader in the active philanthropic community of Athens and its surrounding counties.

“Many of our community’s problems are correlated, and only by working together can we address the complex causes of poverty, school/work readiness, healthcare access, and many other issues in a way that no single agency, donor, volunteer, or sector of the community can do alone. The Athens Area Community Foundation effectively confronts these challenges by connecting local donors to causes they care about and helping families and agencies create a dynamic legacy for long-term community support. We are grateful to the board members who have contributed their time and energy over the years to shape the Foundation into the success it is today.” – Rhodes McLanahan, President, First American Bank, 2020-2022 Chairman of the Board.

The 2020-2021 Athens Area Community Foundation Board of Directors includes:

Chair - Rhodes McLanahan, President & CEO, First American Bank & Trust

Vice-Chair - Sara Schramm, Attorney, Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.

Secretary - Jinx Patel, Scientist, Athens Research and Technology, Inc. - Retired

Treasurer - Clark Brown, Wealth Strategist, Vickery Financial

Immediate Past Chair - Phil Bettendorf, Senior Vice President, Synovus Bank

Alicia Battle, Director of Workforce Development, Goodwill of North Georgia

David Bradley, President & CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce

Bob Carson, President, Carson Advisory, Inc.

Kevin Clark, Regional Sales Representative, Pop RV’s

Sally Coenen, Community Member

Myron Downs, Co-Founder, Athens Veterinary Surgery Center

Rob Fezekas, Wealth Adviser, Vickery Financial Services

Dexter Fisher, Chief of Operations, Clarke County School District

Jennifer Frum, Vice President for Public Service and Outreach - University of Georgia

Patrick Garrard, Attorney

Kelly Girtz, Athens-Clarke County Mayor

Tim Johnson, Executive Director, Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens

Tawana Mattox, Board of Education, CCSD

Pat Mercardante, First Vice President – Investment Officer, Wells Fargo Advisors

R. Edward Perkins, Johnson & Johnson - Retired

Rod Rutledge, Healthcare Executive, Retired

Manan Saxena, MBA Board Fellow, University of Georgia

Kirk Smith, President, The Adsmith

Lawton Stephens, Judge of Superior Court

Neil Stevens, President & CEO, Oconee State Bank

Justin Widener, Research and Development Leader, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

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