Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment, recently elected Patricia J. Royak, G. Thomas Balas, Jr., and Judge Sonja N. Brown to their board of directors.

Patricia J. Royak (Pat) is CEO of Royak Consulting and a seasoned global executive and omni-channel visionary who has led iconic brands in Asia, Europe and North America including Levi Strauss & Co., Liz Claiborne Inc., Calvin Klein Jeans, and Maidenform Inc. Pat moved to Georgia to lead Marena Group LLC, a Riverside Company. As COO and President she had led teams to transform operational platforms of middle market business ranging from $25M to $295M in revenue by optimizing the brand’s story and technology capabilities online. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from Salisbury University Perdue School of Business, where she is an advisory board member. Pat has served on nonprofit boards for the past 20 years including United Way New Zealand, American Heart Association, Promise Project NYC and recently Chair of TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation. 

G. Thomas Balas, Jr. (Tommy) is Chief Human Resources Officer for Omnimax International, a leading building products manufacturer in the US.  Prior to Omnimax, Tommy led the HR functions for Boral Industries Inc., Global Payments Inc., and Harland Financial Solutions.  He is a results-oriented executive with a track record of repeated accomplishments in software and services, manufacturing, and financial services in both domestic and international markets. He earned a Bachelor of Science, Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Georgia State University. Tommy has previously served on the boards of Trinity Community Ministries and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

Sonja N. Brown serves as a Judge on the Cobb County Magistrate Court. She is active in several local Bar associations. She is the former co-host and producer of Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ Legally Speaking and is a published author. Judge Brown earned a Juris Doctor at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University. She currently serves on Atlanta John Marshall Law School’s Alumni Board Association, the Board of Trustees of the North Georgia United Methodist Conference, and as Chaplain of the National Bar Association. She has been an avid supporter of the Covenant House of Georgia for many years.

“I am very excited to add such a high level of expertise to our board of directors,” says Dave Ward, President and CEO of Tommy Nobis Center. “Each of them has demonstrated a passion for serving the community and they will be invaluable in helping us achieve our mission and change lives.”