Fifty-seven established and emerging leaders have been selected to participate in Leadership DeKalb’s Class of 2017.
On the brink of our 30th year anniversary Leadership DeKalb welcomes our new Program Chair Sandra Zayac ’15, Partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP.

“The Class of 2017 will have an opportunity to explore the current issues faced by DeKalb government and businesses and to experience the largely overlooked beauty of DeKalb's natural resources and culture. The program provides an emotional journey that will challenge assumptions and change perspectives," said Sandy Zayac '15.

Members of the Class of 2017 includes:

Brent Adams, President, Private Bank of Decatur

Stephen Barresi, Director of Field Operations, DeKalb Co. General Solicitors Office

Daniel Baskerville, Senior Managing Director, Dentons US LLP

John Bayalis, Director of Government Relations, MARTA

Candace Bazemore, Vice President Product Development Manager, SunTrust Bank

Corlan Beasley, Recreation Center Director, DeKalb County Government

Douglas Bentley, Lieutenant, DeKalb County Police

Kimberly Bentley, VP/ Administrator, DeKalb Medical at Hillandale

Kimberly Blackwell, Attorney/Owner, The Blackwell Law Group LLC

Catherine Bonk MD, Managing Physician/CEO, Atlanta Gynecology & Obstetrics

Todd Bruce, Assistant Director, Emory University

Vonetta Daniels, President/CEO, VYD and Associates

Araba Dowell, VP of Marketing & Communications, Decide DeKalb Development Authority

George Dusenbery IV, Principle, Dusenbery Consulting LLC

Fatima El-Amin, Judge, DeKalb County Juvenile Court

Janeane Giarrusso, Principal Business Consultant, Brown and Caldwell Environmental Engineering

Quinn Green, Associate Broker, Century 21 Connect Realty

Neeru Gupta, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP

MaLika Hakeem, Director of One DeKalb, DeKalb County Government

Chris Hayward, Special Projects Manager, DeKalb County Government

Ivan Harrell, Executive Vice President, Georgia Piedmont Technical College

M. Cole Jones, Co-Founder, Covello, LLC

Scott Kemp, Community Transportation Services Lead, CDC

Felicia Kennedy, Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor, St. Phillip AME Church

Jacqueline Kimbro, Administrative Services, DeKalb County Public Library

Kimani King, Attorney, Kimani King Law

Sheri Lake, Partner/Owner, Smith & Lake LLC

Carolyn Lloyd, Director, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Melody Maddox, Assistant Chief of Police, Georgia Piedmont Technical College

Russell Madison, Revenue & Technology Director, City of Decatur

Manomay Malathip, Executive Director of Student Advancement, DeKalb County School District

Jim McMahan, School Board Member, DeKalb County School District

Adrianne McVeigh, Executive Director, Assessment Solutions, TalentQuest

Garrett Miller, Partner, Smith, Currie & Hancock, LLP

David Moore, Partner Smith, Gambell & Russell LLP

Laine Morgan, Assistant Minister, Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta

Keri Norris, Chief of Health Admin & Policy, The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority

Kristy Offitt, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins

Sonya Porter, Major, DeKalb County Police

Ronald Ramsey Sr., Judge, State Court of DeKalb County - Traffic Division

Shanease Ray, Operations Coordinator - Business & Government Markets, Gas South

Steven Richards, Consultant, Robert Half Management Resources

Monica Richardson, Managing Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Toni Roberts, Executive Director, DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation

Janice Robinson, Executive Director of United Way V.I.P., United Way of Greater Atlanta

Lisa Robinson, Managing Director, LR Robinson, LLC

Dasheika Ruffin, Policy/Legislative Analyst, City of Atlanta

Shara Sanders, Interim Youth Director, Oak Grove United Methodist Church

Carla Smith, HR/Policy & Talent Management Director, Signature HealthCARE

Jason Smith, Deputy Fire Chief, DeKalb County Fire Rescue

Ashton Staniszewski, Photographer, Jackson Spaulding Inc.

Luke Story, Director of Communications & Operations, Georgia Association of Broadcasters

ChaQuias Thornton, City Manager, City of Stone Mountain

Vickie Turner, School Board Member, DeKalb County School District

Nedra White-Shaw, Community Outreach Director, The Alliance of DeKalb County

Derrica Williams, Internal Operations Manager, Concepts, Inc.

Adela Yelton, Consultant, Self-Employed