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MBA, Harvard Business School
BS in Chemical Engineering, University of Alabama
36+ years of experience providing international advisory services in strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership team development, and organizational capability development; managing multinational business units; planning and implementing international sporting events; and serving as executive director of nonprofit organizations.

Communications/Broadcast Journalism, Hunter College
Communications, Georgia State University
22+ years of banking experience spanning operations, operational risk, business continuity, corporate security, executive administration, and network planning and engineering.
Bilingual: English and Spanish

BBBA in Accounting, University of North Florida
Postgraduate CPA Completion, University of North Florida
25+ years of experience growing, analyzing, and managing businesses and departments; expert knowledge and extensive experience with nonprofits in finance, operations, accounting, and strategic planning.

BA in Sociology/Social Work, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
Master of Social Work (MSW), University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Certificate in Theology, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA
Leadership Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Over 37 years of experience in nonprofit and for-profit management, mental health, and healthcare services.

Genetha is an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and holds a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. She currently serves as the lead pastor at Cliftondale United Methodist Church in South Fulton, Georgia. Prior to her ministry, Genetha accumulated over 30 years of experience in civil engineering with the Georgia Department of Transportation and various engineering firms. Genetha integrates her engineering background into her ministry.

Rebecca Kelly is the CEO of CHIME (Change Happens with Integrity, Motivation & Excellence) Global, (a consulting firm she founded in 2010 with her students at The University of Georgia). She enjoys helping entrepreneurs and non-profits with strategies for fundraising, business and marketing success. She has over 40 years working for Fortune 500 companies in marketing and communications, in executive positions. A member since 1996, she is Treasurer of Peachtree Ladies Investment Club, has served on industry and advisory panels, professional committees and founded two university on-campus organizations.

Glenda Davis serves as Executive Vice President of Membership at WABE, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in public media and the nonprofit sector. She directs membership operations and fundraising strategies that generate nearly $8 million annually, while overseeing donor services, vendor partnerships, database systems and migrations, and analytics to optimize performance. Glenda began her career in public media at Houston Public Media in 2004 and joined WABE in 2007, later returning in 2019 after serving as Director of Development Operations at The Woodruff Arts Center.

Tom Bynum started with the Atlanta office of Ernst & Young in 1988 before transitioning to a 25+ year career with the private corporate tax departments of several large, Atlanta-based fortune 500 companies. He returned to public practice in 2020 advising clients on complex business tax problems for Rusenko CPA PC.

Louis Landry is a Civil Engineer with over 43 years’ experience working as Director of Engineering and Business Development for international companies within Heavy Industry, Facilities Management and Real Estate with experience in Industrial, Manufacturing and Life Science Industries. Early in his career he was the owner of a general contracting company supporting residential and commercial sectors. He has provided engineering design, management oversight, and consulting on over $2.5 billion in construction. He currently develops and oversees delivery of large capital projects in industry across North America.

Janice Harrison Drake Founder & CEO of HOPE 360° Inc. (Helping Other People Excel). Her firm of 25 years applies a wholistic approach to coaching and consulting on Executive Excellence, Entrepreneur Strategies, Organization Effectiveness and Leveraging Leadership Capabilities. Her clients include; corporate, non-profits, state and federal government, university and military organizations. Janice has over 30 years of corporate leadership and managerial experience. Prior to starting her business, she was the Vice-President of Human Resources with the General Electric Company (GE Aerospace, GE Appliance, GE Capital and GE Financial Assurance, now Genworth Financial) as well as with Western Electric/AT&T/Lucent Technologies.

Allison O’Sullivan retired from The Coca-Cola Company in 2020 after a 30+ year career in Accounting, Finance, Risk Management, Compensation and Benefits. Since then, Allison has spent her time traveling, spending time with family and contributing to several non-profits. She is on the Board and Chairs the Finance Committee of The Lovelady Center in Birmingham, AL, the largest Christ-centered recovery program for women and children in the United States. She is also the Treasurer of the Morningside Community Foundation and St. James United Methodist Church.
To me, sobriety means so much more than not drinking. It’s being accountable for myself, my actions, and my place in this world. It’s living in the present; always aware I have choices to make every day. Sobriety is being intentional with things—my choices, my words, my interactions with others, and the impression I make on people, especially those in early recovery. How I make them feel. How I help them see.
Sobriety has given me a whole new life, and it’s better than I could’ve dreamed. That’s not just a catchphrase. It’s the truth.
I’m a writer and artist. I was fully convinced my “creativity” was tied in with being altered. Oh, was I wrong!
It took a bit of time, but once I had the courage to begin creating again, I was stunned at the depth and clarity of my work, both writing and painting. It’s almost as though something inside me has been freed, and it’s churning out endless ideas, endless inspiration. It’s humbling, it’s exhilarating, and it’s created a whole new chapter for me—figuratively and literally.
Treatment and recovery saved my life. It helped me find who I really am—the Susan who was waiting there for me, just under the surface, ready to break free.
I am so unbelievably grateful.
In treatment, the biggest lesson I learned is the importance of addressing past trauma, the emotions associated with that, and understanding how that caused me to stuff everything down and “play happy.” Once I accepted I was in a safe place, and that I was being asked to feel and talk and emote, things started to happen for me. We can’t heal if we don’t feel, and as much as it can completely suck at times to ride that rollercoaster of emotions, it’s imperative to do so.
It’s soul-searching, hard work, but it brings you to authenticity, to emotional and physical health, and its life-changing in more ways than I can express. It’s worth it 1,000 times over. Hell, a million times over.
If you are a woman struggling with addiction, do not let stigma and barriers to seeking help prevent you from getting the help you need. A better life is out there, for you and for your loved ones.
Recovery from drug and alcohol is more than just possible for women struggling with the disease – it happens every day at Breakthru House. Effective treatment is easily accessible and individualized to meet the needs of women and the individual challenges women face.
Breakthru House’s full continuum of care provides women with effective addiction treatment, including MAT observation, medication monitoring, community linkage and connection to sobriety supports. These services are combined with a full continuum of intensive residential addiction treatment, Women that come to Breakthru House can find freedom from substance abuse and enjoy a life in long-term recovery.
Also, if you are a Mom with young children or pregnant and need help, Breakthru House’s TCC program accepts women with children and expecting mothers.
For immediate help 24/7, call our Intake Coordinator, Symone Fears at (404) 284-4658 ext 3. Remember that you’re not alone, and your life matters. Don’t delay – compassionate, life-changing help is always available.

Vanessa Nelson served as Pharmacy Manager at United Health Care for 11 years. In 2003, she retired and became a stay-at-home mom to her two sons, who have since graduated college. Vanessa was born in Inkster, MI, and now lives in the Smoke Rise Community where she and her family have resided for nearly 24 years. Vanessa graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a BBA in Business Management. She is a member of Victory World Church in Norcross, GA. She’s proud to be on the Breakthru House Board since 2020. She serves as an Ambassador and Donor for Livvy’s Love, Inc., and is a Volunteer and Donor for the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association.
Sandy Jap is the Sarah Beth Brown Professor of Marketing at Emory University. She has also served as a faculty member at the Sloan School of Management at MIT and at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. She has published widely on the development of organizational relationships, go-to-market strategies, and e-procurement. She is the author of Partnering with the Frenemy, a book on the dark side of business relationships and A Field Guide to Channel Strategy, a how-to book on going to market strategy. Sandy is an international speaker, expert witness, and consultant to a wide range of industries and firms.
Joe Brown has been a Board member since the 1980’s. His father was an original founder/supporter of Breakthru House Inc., when it was founded at St. Mark UMC in 1969. He has worked at Courts & Co., a regional brokerage firm from 1961-1972, Atlanta Federal Savings & Loan, that became Georgia Federal Bank from 1972-1987, and finally with his wife’s State Farm Insurance agency for 20 years until retirement.
Following a 20-year career in the real estate legal field, with a real estate law firm in Atlanta, Sylvia Bates served as real estate coordinator for Racetrac Petroleum, owned a mortgage brokerage, and has been a realtor for 35 years.
T. Gordon Barber is a retired ATT Executive with 41 years of experience in Network Operations. He is owner and manager of Barber Properties. He grew up in Hendersonville, NC, graduated from The Citadel and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland. He was an Army officer and served in Okinawa. Currently he volunteers at North Fulton Community Charity, Habitat for Humanity, and is a member of the Disaster Recovery Team at Alpharetta Methodist Church. He and his wife, Karen, live in Milton and have 3 grown sons and 2 grandchildren.
Nancy Young retired from serving as Vice President of Development for the Georgia United Methodist Foundation (GUMF) in 2022. She brings over 40 years of nonprofit experience in the areas of fundraising, major donor development, training, special events, planned giving, and facilities management. Prior to joining GUMF, Nancy served as Vice President of Development for Action Ministries. She began her career in development while serving as the Executive Director of the YWCA of New Britain, Connecticut. Currently, she is a member of the Church Council, Finance Committee, and chair of the Endowment Team at Midway UMC. Nancy is also a consultant to the Endowment Campaign at Dunwoody UMC. Most recently, Nancy joined the Board of Directors for the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation in Nashville, TN.