Board of Directors
2018-2019 Board of Directors
Officers
Chair – Phil Bettendorf | 2nd, 2019
Senior Vice President, Synovus Bank
Vice-Chair – Rhodes McLanahan | 1st, 2020
President & CEO, First American Bank & Trust
Secretary – Kelly Holloway | 3rd, 2020
Attorney, Epps, Holloway, DeLoach & Hoipkemier, LLC
Treasurer – G. Michael Smith | 1st, 2020
Managing Partner, G Michael Smith & Associates, CPAs
Immediate Past Chair – Alex Patterson
Retired Partner, Alston and Bird, LLP
Board
Alicia Battle | 1st, 2021
Director of Workforce Development, Goodwill of North Georgia
David Bradley | Ex-Officio
President & CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
Bob Carson | 1st, 2021
President, Carson Advisory, Inc.
Kevin Clark | 1st, 2021
General Manager, Online Athens and Athens Banner Herald
Sally Coenen | 1st, 2020
Community Member
Myron Downs | 1st, 2020
Co-founder, Athens Veterinary Surgery Center
Rob Fezekas | 1st,2021
Wealth Adviser, Vickery Financial Services
Dexter Fisher | 2nd, 2019
Director of Facilities, University of Georgia
Jennifer Frum | Ex-Officio
Vice President for Public Service and Outreach – University of Georgia
Patrick Garrard | 1st, 2020
Attorney, Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.
Hank Huckaby | 1st, 2020
Higher Education Administration – Retired
Tim Johnson | Ex-Officio
Executive Director, Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Athens
Kathy Kirbo | Ex-Officio
Executive Director, Reefball Foundation
Cynthia Lester | 3rd, 2019
Vice President and Senior Trust Relationship Manager, Synovus Trust Company
Pat Mercardante | 3rd, 2021
First Vice President – Investment Officer, Wells Fargo Advisors
Jinx Patel | 2nd, 2019
Scientist, Athens Research and Technology, Inc. – Retired
R. Edward Perkins | 3rd, 2021
Johnson & Johnson – Retired
Bernard Saunders | 18-mon, 2019
MBA Board Fellow – University of Georgia
Sara Schramm | 1st, 2020
Attorney, Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.
Shriraj Shrikhande | 18-mon, 2019
MBA Board Fellow – University of Georgia
Lawton Stephens | 2nd, 2019
Judge of Superior Court
Neil Stevens | 1st, 2021
President & CEO, Oconee State Bank
Ovita Thornton | Ex-Officio
State Director of the Georgia Clients Council, CCSD Board Member
Justin Widener | 1st, 2020
Research & Development Leader, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
