We Are History in the Making: Alum Shannon King Nash

SHANNON KING NASH

Attorney, CPA, Author

Nash Management Group

Shannon King Nash is the President of the Nash Management Group(www.nashgroup-usa.com), an entertainment and business management firm that represents venture funds, entertainers, producers, foundations/non-profits, high net-worth individuals, and companies.  Previously, Ms. Nash served as a venture fund and tax lawyer for the law firm of Cooley LLP (formerly Cooley Godward LLP) and as a tax and corporate attorney for the law firm of K&L Gates LLP.   She was also in-house counsel for Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company, in Thousand Oaks, CA and in Lucerne, Switzerland where she managed the legal issues for 10 European countries

A prolific writer, Ms. Nash has authored   the award-winning book For the Love of Money: The 411 to Taking Control of Your Taxes and Building Your Net Worth, the Vault Guide to Tax Law Careers, Helping the Nonprofit Client, and The Tax Exempt Toolkit.  In addition, she provides quick tips in workbook format with three business guides – Small Business Guide, Religious Board Guide. and Entertainment Foundations and Loan-Out Guide. 

This sought-after tax/legal expert has been featured on many programs such as: The John Salley Block Party with Ananda Lewis (KKBT 100.3 FM Los Angeles), Lamont King and Friends (XM Radio), and Washington Business Radio's Market Close Live (WDMV 700 AM).   She previously hosted a weekly blogtalk radio show on celebrities and finance with her UVA classmate, Professor Al Scales Reynolds. She has also been quoted as an expert in publications such as: The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Global Finance Magazine, Jet Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, LA Parent Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Bankrate.com, About.com. ABC News Online, and The Washington Times. Featured on the cover of the April 2009 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine, Ms. King has also served as the finance expert on episodes of Style Network's Modern Girls Guide, BET's The Center, and My Black Is Beautiful. 

Ms. Nash, using her expert knowledge, has given leadership to numerous causes including serving as the former Secretary of the American Bar Association Tax Section and former Chair of the National Bar Association Tax Committee.  Passionate about advocating for special needs children, Shannon served as the former Secretary of Cure Autism Now (now Autism Speaks).  Avid about combating stroke and heart disease, Shannon serves as the online finance expert for the American Heart Association's Power To End Stroke Campaign.

Shannon received her BS in Accounting from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. In the social media world, you can follow Shannon on Facebook at Tax Diva   and Twitter at @shannonnash.  For more on Shannon, visit her Media Page. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Marvin Arrington, Jr.

MARVIN ARRINGTON, JR.

Attorney & Entrepreneur

Arrington Law Firm

Mr. Marvin Arrington, Jr. is an attorney with experience in employment, personal injury, entertainment, estate planning, corporate formation, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Arrington has worked for Arrington & Hollowell, The Georgia Court of Appeals, The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games/Atlanta Centennial Olympic Properties, Turner International, Troutman Sanders, and AT&T.

Arrington Law Firm focuses on client concerns with practices in Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Corporate Formation, Criminal, Wrongful Death, Personal Injury, Entertainment, Litigation, Estate Planning, Alternate Dispute Resolution, and more.  Mr. Arrington has practiced employment and insurance defense law for The Home Depot, Emory University, Crawford Long Hospital, Grady Hospital, BellSouth, Krystal, AIG, Primerica, Crawford and Company, and AllState.

Marvin received his Bachelor of Art from the University of Virginia and his Juris Doctorate from Emory Law School. While at Emory, he served on the Emory University School of Law Honor Court and as Chief Justice of the Emory University School of Law.

In addition to his career as a jurist, Mr. Arrington has earned a name in the entertainment industry. Marvin was executive producer and music supervisor for Big Ain't Bad and music supervisor for Trois. He is also the founder of MultiMediaWeek (an annual multimedia conference including a music showcase and film festival), and Urban Film Review (a national monthly film screening series) and producer of the Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival. In 2008, Marvin produced his 1st documentary, We the People: From Crispus Attucks to Barack Obama and co-authored its non-fiction novel.

This native Atlantan believes in community involvement and serves on the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia and the Colour of Cinema Foundation. He also served the Walter Ridley Scholarship Fund for the University of Virginia and is currently a keystone member of the UVA Black Alumni Club of Atlanta. Endeared to philanthropic activities, Marvin routinely gives to charities like Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Aids Walk to name a few.

      Marvin resides in Southwest Atlanta with his wife, Kristin, and their four daughters

We Are Black History in the Making: Alum Andra Gillespie

ANDRA GILLESPIE

Political Analyst & Expert

Assistant Professor, Political Science

Emory University

Andra Gillespie is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Emory University.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government & Foreign Affairs and African American Studies from the University of Virginia. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in African American Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Political Science from Yale University, where she also earned her doctorate in 2005. Before joining the faculty at Emory, she worked as an analyst for Democratic pollster Mark Mellman.

Gillespie’s teaching portfolio includes numerous classes on race and politics in the United States. She teaches the undergraduate survey course in African American politics, as well as a specialized course called “New Black Political Leadership.” She has also taught courses in political participation, experimental methods, and race and elections.

Gillespie’s current research focuses on the political leadership of the post-civil rights generation. She is the editor of and a contributor to Whose Black Politics? Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership (Routledge, 2010). This book features case studies of prominent black elected officials born after 1960 to shed light on whether the advent of a new generation of black political leadership will actually revolutionize our understanding of African American politics. In late 2011, NYU Press will publish her book manuscript on municipal politics in Newark, New Jersey, tentatively titled Newark and the Clash of Two Black Americas: Race, Class and the Breakdown of Linked Fate, 2002-2010. This book uses a case study of Newark politics and the political ascent of one young black leader, Mayor Cory Booker, to challenge students of black politics to revise their understanding of the connection between racial solidarity, vote choice, and policy preferences. Due to her academic training and personal faith, Gillespie also maintains secondary academic interests in political participation, inter-minority group competition, and evangelical politics in the United States.

For her efforts, Gillespie has received numerous honors.  She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Before earning her doctorate, she won American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship (funding declined) and the prestigious National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.  She was honored by the Urban Section of the American Political Science Association as a 2009 Norton Long Fellow.  She was also a 2009-2010 Ford Foundation Diversity Post-Doctoral Fellow at Princeton University.

In addition to her academic work, Gillespie maintains an active public profile, providing regular commentary.  She has appeared on Atlanta’s local ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, and PBS affiliates, as well as CNN, NPR and FamilyNet.  Her editorials have been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, and Politico.  In addition, she is a contributor to Politico.com’s Arena.

We Are Black History in the Making: Alum Carolyne Beaty Hilton

CAROLYNE BEATY HILTON

Senior Counsel, Labor & Employment

Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc.

Carolyne S. Beaty Hilton is Senior Counsel for Labor & Employment with Coca‑Cola Refreshments USA, Inc.  As Senior Counsel, Carolyne serves as an internal legal resource for labor and employment matters for Region and Corporate Human Resources personnel and management, manages employment litigation and legal services, develops and delivers employment practices training, investigates employee complaints, and represents the Company in labor and employment matters.  Carolyne also manages the Company’s Regulatory Compliance Team.     

Before joining CCR in 2004, Carolyne was a Labor & Employment Associate with Miller & Martin, PLLC in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Carolyne received her Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia.  She received her Juris Doctor from University of Georgia.  Carolyne is admitted to the Georgia and Tennessee State Bars.   

Carolyne enjoys long distance running and reading and is an active member of The Magnolia Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, the Pi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and The Junior League of Atlanta.  She also is a member of Elizabeth Baptist Church.  She lives in Kennesaw, Georgia with her husband, Todrick, and 2 year-old Cockapoo, Sasha. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Skip Vaughan

SKIP VAUGHAN

Vice President and General Manager

Pepsi Beverages Company

Skip Vaughan is Vice President and General Manager for the Pepsi Beverages Company’s Georgia Market Unit. The Georgia Market Unit is comprised of 10 locations throughout the state. Skip assumed this role in August 2008.

A 16-year veteran with Pepsi, Skip, a native Virginian, graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined the Procter and Gamble Company and held several positions of increasing responsibility in manufacturing and human resources in Baltimore, MD; Augusta, GA; Kansas City, KS; and Kansas City, MO.

Skip joined PepsiCo in 1994 as Plant Manager of Pepsi’s Buena Park, CA facility.  He transitioned into sales as Sales Operations Manager and Unit Sales Manager in the Orange and Los Angeles County locations. Skip went on to lead Pepsi’s business in San Fernando, CA and then Torrance, CA as Market Unit General Manager. There he continued to build a solid track record of performance in sales, execution, operations and capability of his teams. Skip also played a vital leadership role in southern California by working on the diversity leadership team and Pepsi/Frito Power of One initiative teams.

Skip was promoted to Director of Sales Support in 2006, leading Pepsi’s work in customer service and cost improvement in the Mid-Atlantic Business Unit. Skip was later named the Vice President of Sales Support for the Atlantic business unit.

In July of 2008, Skip was named Vice President and General Manager for Pepsi’s Georgia Market. Through Skip’s leadership, his Georgia team successfully launched a marketing campaign called “Georgia Loves Dew.” Skip has led solid improvements in financial performance, execution, brand development, people development, compliance, and control results over the past 2 years.

Skip has held many professional and community leadership roles. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Georgia Food Industry Association, an organization that aims to improve the overall Grocery Industry in the state. He is also Vice President of the Georgia Beverage Association. Additionally, Skip is very active supporting a locally adopted Atlanta inner city school, Carter Woodson Elementary School. Previously, Skip has served on the Board of Directors for California State University in Pomona, CA. He held key leadership roles in Los Angeles in the LA Urban League and CHARO, both which promote economic development in the African American and Latino communities. Skip is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. where he has served in numerous leadership positions over the years.

Skip has been married for 23 years to Orian Southall, an attorney with Blackwell Burke P.A. in Minneapolis, MN. They have one son, Charles “Scooter” Vaughan who is a senior at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Skip enjoys running, watching all sports, and watching his son play hockey. They reside in Atlanta.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Brian D. Poe

BRIAN D. POE

Attorney & Owner

Brian Poe & Associates

Esquire Connect, LLC

Brian D. Poe is an attorney and the owner of two enterprises- a law firm (www.thesigningattorney.net) and a national legal recruiting firm (www.esquire-connect.com). Mr. Poe entered the legal recruiting profession after an extended career as an international law firm associate attorney and senior in-house counsel.  Attorney Poe previously practiced law as an associate at the international law firm of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Washington D.C. and as a senior associate at the international law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP in Atlanta, Georgia.  Attorney Poe later joined the law department of Delta Air Lines, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia where he became Senior Attorney

After leaving Delta, Attorney Poe joined a national legal recruiting firm as its Director of Legal Recruiting, while also launching his own law firm Brian Poe & Associates, Attorneys PC specializing in attorney loan closings across the state of Georgia.  As a legal recruiter, working with one of the nation’s best legal recruiters, Attorney Poe was very successful at all levels of legal recruiting and attorney placements, including new business development, individual partner placements in Am Law 200 international law firms, relocations, as well as high-profile attorney placements at law firms and Fortune 100 corporations. Attorney Poe has lectured on national panels with respect to diversity recruiting and other aspects of legal recruiting.

Attorney Poe launched Esquire Connect LLC in 2010, the same year that he was appointed to the Advisory Board of The Atlanta Tribune.  Attorney Poe is a now published columnist for the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, where he periodically contributes a column titled The Attorney’s Corner. In The Attorney’s Corner, Attorney Poe interviews a high profile law firm or in-house attorney who discusses his or her legal practice and specialty.  Attorney Poe’s first published articles featured Attorney Thomas A. Cox, Jr., Partner at Epstein Becker and Green, and Attorney Jerald Dotson, Senior Legal Counsel at the Weather Channel.

Attorney Poe is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned his B.S. in 3 years, majoring in Multinational Business Operations. He also earned a Master’s of Business Administration at the University of Georgia and Juris Doctor at the University Of Virginia School of Law.  Attorney Poe is formerly President of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Sports and Entertainment Law Forum, an organization that he co-launched with his law school classmate Frank Golding (now Assistant General Counsel for ESPN).

Attorney Poe was the Executive Producer and Writer of the independent film that won an Audience Choice Award in Hollywood.  This film was produced, to a great extent, with the financial support of several law firms and Fortune 100 attorneys who supported the vision of Attorney Poe and his co-producers.

Attorney Poe is the long-time General Counsel of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of the Future Foundation and Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Kamau A. Foreman

KAMAU A. FOREMAN

Owner & Attorney

Law Office of K.A. Foreman

Kamau A. Foreman wanted to make a difference in the world and he saw a career in law as a direct avenue toward that goal. Over 15 years of legal experience has allowed Mr. Foreman to service hundreds of clients and make a difference in their lives. Mr. Foreman is the principal of the Law Office of K. A. Foreman (www.kaforeman.com) located in Atlanta, Georgia.  His law firm handles bankruptcy, personal injury, real estate and general corporate matters. He brings to his clients personalized and professional legal representation.

Mr. Foreman grew up as an Army ‘brat’. His family moved periodically and lived in various places throughout the U.S. and Europe. The periodic moves and frequent travels to other places helped to broaden his perspective on the human condition and shaped his worldview.  Mr. Foreman received a B.S. degree and graduated with honors from Morehouse College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Early in his career, Mr. Foreman worked for the law firm of Jones & Strong in the areas of corporate transactional work, public contracting, and civil litigation.  Mr. Foreman worked on special projects aimed at assisting minority and women business (M/WBE) programs for various cities and municipalities such as the Atlanta Board of Education; City of St. Louis, Missouri; City of Tucson/Pima County, Arizona; and Clark County, Nevada.  Mr. Foreman was instrumental in interviewing and documenting discrimination against M/WBEs; and drafting legislation for equal business opportunity programs. Thereafter, he joined the law firm of Miller & Gaines and worked in the area of real estate law. 

In 2001, Mr. Foreman had the privilege of arguing a case before the Georgia Supreme Court. “Arguing a case before the Georgia Supreme Court was certainly a career highlight. It’s an opportunity that few attorneys get a chance to do.”

Outside the legal field, Mr. Foreman has devoted considerable time toward teaching. He has served as Adjunct Professors for Herzing College (n/k/a Herzing University) and Morehouse College. In his spare time, Mr. Foreman actively supports community causes and serves as a regular featured speaker at workshops for various schools, churches and civic organizations throughout the Atlanta Metropolitan area. Also, he has been a featured attorney on WPBA-TV’s the “Layman’s Lawyer”. Lastly, Mr. Foreman is the author of an unpublished manuscript entitled Maat’s Legacy: The African Origins and Black Contributions to Law and Philosophy.

Mr. Foreman is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Kamau is single and resides in SW Atlanta. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Melissa Anthony

MELISSA ANTHONY

Owner

Tennis Kids & Teens, Inc.

Melissa Woodliff Anthony hails from Roanoke, Virginia.  Upon graduating from the University of Virginia in 1984, she moved to Atlanta and spent 20 years in Corporate Account Management for Pitney Bowes and Sprint/Nextel.  In 2006, she founded, Tennis Kids and Teens, Inc., a tennis instruction company (www.tenniskidsandteens.com).  Since then the company and grown to include the services of six coaches who work with over 100 junior and adult players weekly. 

 TKT focuses on school programs with an emphasis on academics, conditioning and supporting the entire person.  Their Double Aces After School Tennis Program has introduced tennis to many in Fulton County and continues to grow.  TKT’s Tennis Academy at Johns Creek High school prepares players for the highly competitive matches of the North Fulton area.  Her creative tennis programs have been featured in local Atlanta tennis magazines. 

Tennis Kids and Teens gives back to the community through their annual fundraisers for CURE Childhood Cancer.  Adults and juniors play together as teams in “Tennis for CURE” every May, and players of all ages participate in the two-day “Scary Tennis” tournament held every October.  

 Melissa has been married to Michael Anthony for 20 years, and is the proud mother of three children, Cole 17, Dylon 15, and Drew 10.  Besides tennis she enjoys watching her childrens' sports, reading, and spending time outdoors.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Charmaine Phillips

Charmaine Phillips

Broker/Owner

Portfolio Builders Real Estate Co.

Charmaine Phillips graduated from the University of Virginia in 1990 with a BA in both English and Afro-American Studies.  After leaving UVA, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she began a teaching career that lasted six years.  She obtained her Real Estate license in 1994.  In 2003, she obtained her Brokers license and started her own firm, Portfolio Builders Real Estate Co. She has continued to assist clients in various areas of the profession including Sales, Consulting, Property management, and Investment Real Estate.  She has sold approximately 300 homes with a career total of $40M in sales volume. 

As a real estate investor, she uses her experience in money management, consumer credit, and real estate investing to teach financial principles and generational wealth.  She continues to work as a mentor and a teacher through her real estate and financial seminars.  Her vision is to empower and teach people to take control of their finances to change their future and impact the lives of their children.  Her goal is to change the way people view finances through God's Word, her experience, and personal insight.

She began investing in real estate in 1989 as she felt it was the fastest way to build wealth.  She manages her personal real estate portfolio which has included single & multi-family properties, commercial, and land.

She is the author of How Willing Are You? Laying a Foundation for Financial Change.  The book has been helpful to readers in a financial struggle looking for hope and a change, and readers who are looking to learn more about financial principles and avoid financial pitfalls.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Michael B. Russell

MICHAEL B. RUSSELL

Chief Executive Officer

The Russell Companies

Michael Russell was promoted to chief executive officer of The Russell Companies in October 2003, succeeding his father Herman Russell, who founded the company in 1952 and lead it for 50 years. A 21 year veteran of the construction and real estate development industry, Michael is charged with leading the Company to greater heights as it embarks on its next 50 years.    The Company’s operational focus will be in construction and program management, real estate development and property management.

Known as an innovative thinker and manager who empowers employees to bring fresh perspectives to their jobs, Michael’s talents are well-aligned with the company’s new operational management structure, which encourages entrepreneurial efforts.

Michael is also responsible for overseeing daily operations of The Russell Companies, which include H.J. Russell & Company, the single largest minority-owned real estate development and construction firm in the United States and Concessions International, an innovator in the airport food and beverage concessions industry.

The Russell Companies employ more than 2,000 people and have operations in 12 major cities, including its Atlanta headquarters, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Raleigh, Seattle, Denver, Portland and the USVI

Michael spent most of his career with H.J. Russell & Company, serving in a variety of executive positions, most recently as executive vice president where he was responsible for the management and strategic direction of the construction and program management divisions.  During his tenure, Michael held a variety of positions from cost estimator to project manger to head of business development. 

Michael has been involved in the construction industry since he was a youngster and early in his career worked with renowned developer and architect, John Portman, which provided him with invaluable experience in all aspects of the development business, including engineering, field supervision, project management and business development.

Michael received his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and earned his MBA from Georgia State University.

Michael is very active in the community involved in business and civic organizations. He serves on the boards of various organizations including the Metro Atlanta Chamber (Executive committee), Commerce Club, Grady Hospital Corporation (Executive committee), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, SunTrust Atlanta Bank Advisory Board and University of Virginia Health Foundation Board.  Michael is also a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club.

Michael is a native of Atlanta. He and his wife Lovette have two sons, Michael Jr. and Benjamin.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Adriane B. Randolph

ADRIANE B. RANDOLPH

Director, BrainLab

Assistant Professor of Information Systems

Kennesaw State University

Dr. Adriane B. Randolph is director of the BrainLab and an Assistant Professor of Information Systems in the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University (KSU).  She received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Department of Computer Information Systems at Georgia State University and a B.S. in Systems Engineering with Distinction from the University of Virginia (UVA).  Prior to academia, Dr. Randolph worked for Accenture, a leading information technology and management consulting firm, implementing change management and human performance tools in the federal government sector in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Randolph’s research focuses on brain-computer interface systems which allow for non-muscularly controlled assistive technologies and reflect varying human mental states. As director of the KSU BrainLab, she is working to discover impactful solutions for brain-computer interfaces by uncovering the underlying characteristics that affect users’ control.  Other research interests include human-computer interaction and process improvement.

Dr. Randolph has been honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of “40 Under 40” Young Professionals on the Rise, as a member of Leadership Georgia, and as a person who is “transforming the world” in Entrepreneur Magazine.  She has published several refereed papers including manuscripts in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, and the premier International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS).  Dr. Randolph was a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Award Recipient, KPMG Ph.D. Project Doctoral Scholar, Georgia State University Dissertation Award Recipient, and Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar.  She is currently a member of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

In her spare time, Dr. Randolph volunteers with the 21^st Century Leaders Program, serves on the UVA Walter N. Ridley Scholarship Committee, and participates in numerous other initiatives for her Virginia alma mater.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Kareem Maddison

KAREEM MADDISON

Senior Managing Attorney

Morris, Hardwick, & Schneider's

Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Westbury, Long Island, New York.  Kareem Maddison is part of the first generation of his family born in the United States of America.  His parents Leslie and Josepine Maddison are from the Caribbean country of Guyana.  They instilled in him the mantra that integrity coupled with perseverance will eventually intersect with opportunity and produce success. 

  

Kareem Maddison is a Real Estate Attorney residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Currently he is the Senior Managing Attorney of Morris|Hardwick|Schneider's Tucker, Georgia office where he focuses his practice on REO/Foreclosure and conventional residential closings. Kareem joined Morris|Hardwick|Schneider in 2003. Since joining the firm he has facilitated over 2500 residential real estate transactions.   

He is a member of the Real Property Law Section of the Georgia Bar and serves on the Pro Bono Committee. Kareem is also a member of the Georgia Real Estate Closing Attorney's Association. Kareem serves as a Board member of the Emory University Law School Alumni Board and as a Board member of Emory University Black Law Students Association Alumni Advisory Board.  

Kareem earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 2000.  While at UVA, he was an active member of Black Voices Gospel Choir and a Peer Health educator.  Kareem also enjoyed disc-jockeying parties and events on grounds for various student organizations.   

He earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 2003 and remains an active member of the Emory Community.

In his spare time, Kareem is an avid golfer and loves to travel with this wife Shonda Maddison (CLAS '99) and daughter Sidney Maddison. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Shannon O. Pierce

SHANNON OMIA PIERCE

Senior Counsel

AGL Resources Inc.

Shannon Omia Pierce is Senior Counsel, Gas Operations and Interstate Transactions for AGL Resources Inc., an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the United States.  She is responsible for the Company’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission related matters, including compliance, rate, tariff, and federal energy policy issues.  Shannon also has lead responsibility for legal matters associated with natural gas supply planning and operations for the Company’s six natural gas distribution utilities. 

Prior to joining AGL Resources, Shannon was an associate in the Energy and Utilities Department of the law firm McGuireWoods LLP, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Shannon is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the Energy Bar Association (serving as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Southern Chapter), the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee of the American Gas Association, and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. 

Shannon serves on the Board of Directors of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, which matches volunteer transactional attorneys with nonprofit agencies who cannot afford legal services and the Corporate Leadership Council of the Fernbank Museum in Atlanta.  She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., having been initiated into the Kappa Rho Chapter (UVA) and is currently a member of Marietta-Roswell Alumnae Chapter. 

Since moving to Atlanta, Shannon has developed a love for tennis.  She plays women’s doubles and mixed doubles for McGhee Tennis Center in Southwest Atlanta. With her teams, Shannon has won USTA Atlanta City Championship titles for both Women’s and Mixed Doubles.  Her women’s team, on which she served as Captain, also won the USTA Georgia State Championship title in 2010.

Shannon is a native of Surry County, Virginia and received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia.  

We Are History in the Making: Alum Keith G. Mack

KEITH G. MACK

Director of Development

Regent Partners

Keith G. Mack graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1992.  After obtaining his Master of Science in Building Construction from the University of Florida in 1994, he relocated to Atlanta to begin a career in construction.  After completing projects for The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Grady Hospital, IBM, and the Centers for Disease Control, he went back to school and obtained his Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University in 2001. This began his transition to real estate development.

Most recently Keith, as the Director of Development of Regent Partners, completed the 50-story mixed-use building at 3344 Peachtree/Sovereign in Buckhead.  3344 Peachtree, the tallest building in Buckhead, has garnered numerous awards for design and development excellence and is praised as one of Atlanta’s newest landmarks.  In 2007, Keith also founded a real estate networking organization called the Circle of Trust.  This group, which now boasts over 1000 professionals, holds networking events on a monthly basis around the city and is one of the fastest growing networking groups in town.

Keith is married to Paula, is wife of nine years. They have two children; Cambridge, 3, and Meriwether, 6 months. Keith enjoys exercise, sports, and reading. 

We Are History in the Making: Alum Bensonetta Tipton Lane

BENSONETTA TIPTON LANE

Judge, Family Division

Fulton County Superior Court

Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane has 22 years of judicial service, having served on the Fulton County Superior Court for 13 of those years.  She is currently serving as a family division judge.  She has also served as a visiting judge for the Georgia Supreme Court and as a full time judge for the City Court of Atlanta. 

Judge Lane has handled celebrity cases, such as Usher Raymond’s divorce.

Prior to her ascent to the bench, she practiced law with The Law Project of R. Boult, et. al. and in solo practice.  During her legal career her concentration was civil rights and employment law.  After a full trial, she achieved one of the (then) largest class action settlements against the State of Georgia in the case of Kennedy vs. Crittenden, a race and classification discrimination action against Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia, in which she represented 2,400 African American employees in over 100 job classifications.  

Judge Lane was born in Washington, D.C. but she attended elementary school in Colorado before graduating high school in Connecticut.  She attended New York University, where she achieved her BA degree, and went on to the University of Massachusetts, where she achieved a masters degree in community-based education.  She then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where she received a juris doctorate degree in 1976.

Judge Lane has been active in her profession.  She is a founder of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.  She is one of several founding members of the Atlanta chapters of the National Employment Lawyers Association and of the National Conference of Black Lawyers.  She has served on the board of directors for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Association and is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges and of the Gate City Bar Association, where she previously served on the executive committee.

In the community, Judge Lane founded the Centennial Justice Project.  She has been a member of the boards of Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc;  The National Conference for Community and Justice; Sisterlove, Inc.;  and Alternate Life Paths Program, Inc., an organization which shelters and mentors young people who have already experienced the penal system.  She has been on the advisory board and an annual judge for the Do the Write Thing Project, an organization that addresses the issue of violence in middle schools.  She is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 1997.

Judge Lane has been honored to be the recipient of awards, such as the Founders Award from the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, the Outstanding Service Award from the Committee for State Employees Rights, the R.E. Thomas civil Rights Award from the Gate City Bar Association, the Lawyer of the Year award from the National Conference of Black Lawyers and the Judge With A Heart Award from the Minority Judges of Georgia.

Judge Lane is the proud mother of Jamila, a psychology student at the University of Washington in Seattle and of George, a student at Grady High School in Atlanta.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Teresa Wynn Roseborough

TERESA WYNN ROSEBOROUGH

Sr. Chief Litigation Counsel

MetLife

Teresa Wynn Roseborough (born November 28, 1958) is an American lawyer, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General during the Clinton administration and is the current Senior Chief Litigation Counsel at MetLife, where she leads a department of sixty-two associates and supervises MetLife’s litigation activities worldwide.

A native of Memphis, Roseborough earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia in 1980 and a master's degree in education from Boston University in 1983. She then earned her law degree with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1986, where she also served as Editor-in-Chief of the North Carolina Law Review. From 1986 until 1987, Roseborough worked as a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge James Dickson Phillips, Jr., and from 1987 until 1988, Roseborough worked as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. In 1994, Roseborough took a job with the U.S. Department of Justice as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel. Roseborough commuted to Washington from Atlanta under an arrangement signed off on by then-Attorney General Janet Reno.

After her clerkships, Roseborough worked for the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP as an associate for five years and eventually became a partner. In 2003, Ms. Roseborough was chosen by American Lawyer magazine as one of the forty-five highest-performing members of the private bar under the age of forty-five in the magazine’s cover story feature, "45 Under 45." Ms. Roseborough has served on the Executive Committees of the State Bar of Georgia’s Appellate Section, the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers, and the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society, which selected her in 2002 to re-argue the famous case of Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) before Justice Scalia, as a part of its National Heritage Lecture. She also has served as a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Board of Bar Examiners.

While still a partner at Sutherland Asbill, Roseborough in late 2005 was identified as one of three finalists to become the dean of the University of North Carolina School of Law. The other finalists were Dave Douglas and Erwin Chemerinsky. Roseborough and Chemerinsky later withdrew as candidates, and the school ultimately wound up selecting John "Jack" Boger.

In 2006, Roseborough joined MetLife as its Chief Litigation Counsel. She also has served on the board of directors of the American Constitution Society. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the American Constitution Society, Ms. Roseborough has served as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Civil Rights at the University of North Carolina and of the Board of Directors for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

In July 2007, Tom Goldstein of the legal blog SCOTUSblog speculated that Roseborough was a likely nominee to a federal appeals court in a Democratic presidential administration. Goldstein also identified Roseborough as a likely nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court by a Democratic president after a short stint on a federal appeals court. Shortly after President Obama's election, Roseborough was also mentioned by several prominent sources as a potential nominee to serve as U.S. Solicitor General, although that position was eventually filled by former Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan.

Teresa is the wife of alum Joseph Roseborough and has a daughter, Courtney.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Joe A. Arnold

JOSEPH A. ARNOLD

Sr. Vice President & Manager

SunTrust Bank

Mr. Arnold is senior vice president and manager of SunTrust Atlanta’s Not-For-Profit and Government Banking division which, along with its cross-LOB teammates, provides banking services including credit, depository, treasury management, capital markets, trust, etc. to  501(c) and governmental entities, including large public and private educational institutions, hospitals, municipalities, state government agencies, foundations and associations, and churches, among others.

Joe began his SunTrust career in 1981 on the bank’s management training program, and then devoted several years to New York-based clients as a part of SunTrust’s treasury management division. Then, from 1987 until 1995 Joe managed SunTrust’s Manhattan, NY-based loan production office.  After returning to Atlanta, aside from his current role, he led credit and training teams, as well as a number of company-wide initiatives.

Joe is board chairman of the Metro Atlanta YMCA, and vice chairman of the board of the Atlanta (Union) Mission.  He also serves as a board member of the Atlanta Area Council-Boy Scouts of America, KIPP Metro Atlanta, and the Greater Atlanta Christian School Foundation.  He provides leadership as an advisory board member to The Foundation Center, the Nonprofit Center at Georgia State University, and the Georgia GOAL Scholarship. Other nonprofits that Joe gives volunteer service to include the University of Virginia’s Ridley Scholarship Fund, Leadership Atlanta, and the United Negro College Fund.

A native Atlantan, Joe graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a concentration in Finance. He and his wife, Renee, have three children: Joseph, Brittany, and Jordan.

We Are History in the Making: Alum Leah Ward Sears

 LEAH WARD SEARS

American Jurist &

Former Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia

Sears was the first African-American female Chief Justice in the United States. When she was first appointed as justice in 1992 by Governor Zell Miller, she became the first woman and youngest person to sit on the Georgia's Supreme Court. Leah Ward Sears was born in Heidelberg, Germany to United States Army Colonel Thomas E. Sears and Onnye Jean Sears. The family eventually settled in Savannah, Georgia, where she attended and graduated from Savannah High School.

In 1976, Sears received a B.S. from Cornell University, her Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1980, and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995. At Cornell, Sears was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Quill and Dagger society. She holds honorary degrees from Morehouse College, Clark-Atlanta University, LaGrange College, Piedmont College, and Spelman College. After graduating from law school, Sears was an attorney from 1980 until 1985 with the Atlanta law firm Alston & Bird. For many years she was also an adjunct Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law.

Sears was appointed by Mayor Andrew Young to the City of Atlanta Traffic Court in 1985. She then became a Superior Court judge in 1988, becoming the first African-American woman to hold that position in the state. Sears was appointed as a state Supreme Court justice in 1992. Twelve years later, in what is historically a non-partisan election, the Georgia Republican Party and Georgia Christian Coalition targeted Sears for defeat in 2004. However, she easily defeated her challenger with 62 percent of the vote, and became Chief Justice of the Court in June 2005.

In October 2008, Sears announced that she would resign from the state Supreme Court at the end of June 2009 when her term as Chief Justice ended. Following her resignation from the Court, Sears was named as one of five finalists to become dean of the University of Maryland School of Law.However, in February 2009, Sears withdrew her name from consideration, in order to pursue other opportunities. Sears then taught courses in family law at the University of Georgia Law School and accepted a fellowship at the Institute for American Values.

On May 13, 2009, Sears announced that she would join the Atlanta offices of the large law firm Schiff Hardin. Sears was also thought to be in consideration for a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy. Sears will work on a half-time basis for the first year, with a particular interest in the firm's appellate work and white-collar crime work. "I'm going full steam ahead," Sears told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sears currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Haskell Ward, former Deputy Mayor of New York City under Mayor Ed Koch. She is the mother of Addison Sears-Collins and Brennan Sears-Collins. Sears and her first husband, Love Collins III, divorced in 1994. Sears is friends with Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, due to their home towns in southeastern Georgia.

Organization membership

§  National Association of Women's Judges

§  Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys(founding president)

§  Chair, Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism

§  Chair, Supreme Court Commission on Civil Justice

§  Chair, Supreme Court's Commission on Marriage, Children and Families

§  Georgia Tech Advisory Board

§  Links, Incorporated

§  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Awards

§  NAACP award for community service

§  2006 Trumpet Award-Law

§  2008 Honoree—Second Annual Wayne A. McCoy Memorial Historymaker's Program

§  2007-2009 Rosalynn Carter Fellow in Public Policy

§  Leadership Atlanta