Dozens of DeKalb County’s most prominent and rising leaders will be recognized for making strides in their respective fields and professions.
Leadership DeKalb recently announced its class of 2022, which includes 47 people. From educators to public officials to nonprofit heads, the list represents a wide variety of sectors, including DeKalb County School District Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editor Kevin Riley.
The list also includes multiple law enforcement officials, such as Decatur police Capt. William Woodruff, DeKalb police Capt. Ariel Toledo, Decatur fire Lt. Bernard Tarplin Jr. and DeKalb fire Battalion Chief Tremayne McMurray.
“The Leadership DeKalb Board of Directors is extremely excited about the diversity and professional experience the Class of 2022 will bring to the organization,” Marquetta J. Bryan, Leadership DeKalb chair-elect, said in a news release. Founded in 1986, Leadership DeKalb is a nonprofit that works to connect county leaders and foster growth in the county. Go to leadershipdekalb.org for more information.
Here is the full DeKalb Leadership Class of 2022:
1. Mirna Andrews, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Sexual Exploitation & Crimes Against Children Unit, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office
2. Gerald Baldwin, Executive Director - Syndicated Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
3. Phoenicia Battle, Assistant Director Of Communications & Operations for Career Development, Agnes Scott College
4. Cathy Blakeney, HR Manager, The Home Depot
5. Felita Bunn, Marketing Director, Columbia Engineering and Services, Inc.
6. Kelly Cato, District 6 Coordinator, DeKalb County Board of Commission - District 6
7. Teresa de Castro, Assistant City Manager, City of Decatur
8. Paul Donsky, Senior Manager - Communications & Marketing, Atlanta Regional Commission
9. Taira Duncan, Deputy Chief - Population Health Workforce Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10. Anson Evans, Chief Deputy of Administration, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office
11. James Farmer, Project Manager, Georgia Transmission Corp
12. Sabine Grant, Realtor, Keller Williams First Atlanta
13. Tami Hanlin, City Manager, City of Tucker
14. LeNora Hawkins Ponzo, District Court Administrator - Trial Court Administrator, DeKalb County Superior Court
15. Tavarez Holston, President, Georgia Piedmont Technical College
16. Mohemmadali Jamal, CEO, Stablegold Hospitality
17. Latasha James, Regional Operations Manager, Atlanta Gas Light
18. William Kemp, Deputy Chief Assistant Solicitor-General Special Victims Unit & Appeals, Office of the Solicitor-General - DeKalb County
19. Lorry Lewis, VP of Operations, Emory Healthcare
20. Tremayne McMurray, Battalion Chief, DeKalb County Fire Recue
21. Amy Morelli, Assistant Regional Counsel, Social Security Administration
22. Edgar Neely, Associate Attorney, Hall Booth Smith, PC
23. ValaRae Partee, Senior Staff Environmental Engineer - Co-Lead for Community of Color, Brown and Caldwell
24. Maricela Perdomo, Code Enforcement Manager, City of Tucker
25. Amisha Popatiya, Shareholder & VP of Marketing, Tin Drum Asian Kitchen
26. Shawanna Qawiy, Director of Planning - Economic Development, City of Clarkston
27. Richard Randolph, Chief Investigator, Office of the Solicitor-General - DeKalb County
28. Kevin Riley, Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
29. Chasity Rogers, Director of Victim Services, Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney
30. DaMon Ross Sr., CEO, Cyber Defense International, LLC
31. Vanessa Roussell, Director of Corporate Relations, United Way of Greater Atlanta
32. Ellen Schwartz, Self-employed - Volunteer
33. Laticia Sharp, Owner/Principal, Sharp Management Group, LLC
34. Juanita Sheppard, Vice President - Foundation Relations, United Way of Greater Atlanta
35. Shaniqua Singleton-Mukherjee, Associate Attorney, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
36. Jennifer Smith, Partner, Atkins David, LLC
37. Aundre Stanton, Member Care and Service Experience Coordinator, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia
38. Jerri Sumlin, Director of Project Development, Ruby-Collins Inc.
39. Chronicles Swift, Watch Commander, DeKalb County E/911 Communication
40. Bernard Tarplin Jr., Lieutenant, City of Decatur Fire Rescue
41. William Taylor, Chief Marshal, DeKalb County Marshal’s Office
42. Sonia Thompson, Area Planner, Georgia Power Company
43. Ariel Toledo, Captain, DeKalb County Police Department
44. Terra Washington, Director, Marketing and Communications, Decide DeKalb Development Authority
45. Cheryl Watson-Harris, Superintendent, DeKalb County School District
46. Joy Webb, Founder, The Circle of Joy
47. William Woodruff, Police Captain, City of Decatur Police Department
About the Author
