Joy Dyess President	Cassandra Seibles President-Elect	Chris Brodnan Advisory Planning Chair	Sarah Cadagin Advocacy & Initiatives VP	Katherine Lanham Community Impact VP
Summer Duperon Fund Development VP	Laura Guerin Internal Operations	Chaundra Luckett Learning & Development VP	Erin Cannaday Marketing and Communications VP	Joanne Louis Membership VP
Quiana Riche-Clark Nominating Chair	Maranie Brown Director of Impacts and Measurements	Cara Hergenroether Parliamentarian	Olivia Watkins Recording Secretary	Alex Seblatnigg Sustainer Representative
Ryan O’Neill Assistant to the President	Sharon Klein Director of Support Services

The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) Board of Directors provides vision across our multiple council systems to ensure that all our league programs are consistent with our mission. They guide our strategy according to yearly strategic priorities while serving as trustees and stewards on behalf of our members.

Joy Dyess
President
president@jlatlanta.org
Joy Dyess serves as President of The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) during its 105th year of service in the Atlanta community. In her role, Joy leads and serves with the JLA Board of Directors and members to achieve the League’s collective vision of serving Atlanta’s women and children through focused and impactful advocacy, training and direct service opportunities.

Joy has been a member of JLA for 12 years and has served in a variety of roles and leadership opportunities that span the organization. She is especially excited to step in to the role of President during this important year of transition and lead as we take hopeful steps towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joy is committed to continuing intentional and purposeful assessment of JLA’s service and impact in our community and will work to further the organization’s collective reach through advocacy, donor stewardship and a re-energized focus on service. She believes that the foundation of JLA’s community work is its members, who are dedicated to supporting the League’s mission, and who work tirelessly to be a force for good and creating meaningful change in the Atlanta community.

Joy’s leadership experience on the JLA Board of Directors includes Vice President, Community Impact, Vice President, Membership, and most recently, Vice President, Advocacy & Initiatives. Prior to her board roles, she worked in several community placements, including Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Ronald McDonald House, Journey to Literacy and others. Her favorite JLA experience is helping to plan the first-ever JLA Serves, and she is amazed year-after-year to see how the event has grown.

Joy has her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Florida State University. She lives in Marietta with her husband, David, and their two dogs. In her spare time, Joy enjoys bike rides, planning trips, cooking, reading and swinging in her hammock at the end of a productive day.

Cassandra Seibles
President-Elect
president-elect@jlatlanta.org

Cassandra Seibles serves as President-Elect of The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). She is excited about the opportunity to serve the women and children of Atlanta through focused advocacy and direct service to the community. In her role as President-Elect, Cassandra supports the tangible, collective mission and vision of JLA, and works alongside President Joy Dyess, the JLA Board of Directors and all League members to be of service in the Atlanta community.

Cassandra began her JLA journey in 2014 as a provisional and has continued to serve through a variety of leadership opportunities, including Board Bank Chair, Junior League of Atlanta Leadership Institute (JLALI) Chair, Vice President of Learning and Development. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Internal Operations, responsible for supporting the structure that helps JLA operate successfully.

A dedicated community volunteer, Cassandra has served through a variety of community service organizations. Her service work focuses on creating a positive impact on communities. Cassandra works as the Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial/Complex Business Client Advocacy & Social Media Care for Truist Bank. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from the University of South Carolina and MBA from Pfeiffer University. Cassandra is a recent graduate of the Leadership Buckhead Class of 2020.

Chris Brodnan
Advisory Planning Chair
ap@jlatlanta.org

Chris Brodnan serves as the Chair of the Advisory Planning Council and leads The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.’s (JLA) vice president-elects (VPE) as they plan and work cross-collaboratively to ensure JLA remains a strategic, impactful, and data-informed organization. In this role, she will advise and guide the VPEs as they develop a keen understanding of JLA’s governance and bylaws and prepare for service on the Board of Directors during the 2022-2023 League Year.

Chris joined JLA in 2011 and has served on the Public and Political Affairs Committee (PAC), Centennial Gift Committee, and as Chair of the Community Needs Assessment Committee (CNAC), where she led the creation of the JLA Assets and Opportunities map in partnership with Neighborhood Nexus. Her leadership in this initiative was recognized by the JLA’s President’s Award in 2019. Most recently, Chris served as the Vice President, Advocacy & Initiatives, in 2020-2021.

Chris is the Regional Program Director for Horizons Atlanta, an education-focused nonprofit, where she oversees and supports regional programming of ten Horizons sites in the metro area. She also sits on the Board for Neighborhood Nexus and is active at her church, First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Chris earned a Bachelor or Arts in Psychology from Emory University and a Master of Public Administration Degree with a focus in nonprofit management from the University of Georgia. Chris lives in the Memorial Park neighborhood with her husband, Matt, four-year-old son, Jack, and infant daughter, Kathryn.

Sarah Cadagin
Advocacy & Initiatives VP
advocacy@jlatlanta.org

Sarah Cadagin serves as the Vice President, Advocacy and Initiatives (A&I), of the Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). A&I serves as the advocacy arm of the JLA, working directly with local, regional and state governments and institutions to advocate for nonpartisan policies and on behalf of organizations tied to the League’s mission. This work takes a variety of forms, from the direct advocacy of the JLA’s Public and Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for new legislation to having JLA members serve on local and regional coalitions in metro Atlanta. A&I also researches new community needs and supports JLA partners in diverse advocacy and development needs.

The JLA has long had an important place in Sarah’s heart as her younger sister both attended and now teaches at the Atlanta Speech School, founded by the JLA. Sarah joined the JLA in the fall of 2014 upon returning to Atlanta after many years in Washington, D.C. Sarah served for several years in Estrellitas, a mentoring program for Latina middle-school and high-school girls that is sponsored by the JLA, and was also chair of PAC in 2019-2020.

A professor of art history at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Sarah received her Bachelors of Art in art history and Italian from Georgetown University and her Masters Degree and Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance art history from the University of Maryland. An enthusiastic cook, lover of wine, keen mystery reader, and avid traveler, Sarah and her husband, Ed, live in Ridgemore Heights on Atlanta’s Westside.

Katherine Lanham
Community Impact VP
communityvp@jlatlanta.org

Katherine Lanham serves as the Vice President, Community Impact, and leads The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.’s (JLA) direct service efforts through community partnerships. The Community Impact Council plans and manages community placements, which consist of dedicated, trained volunteers and activity funding; individually scheduled and varied hands-on service activities through Done in a Day and JLA Serves; in-kind donations through Community Drives and Handmade by JLA; and niche service activities offered to a variety of partners through Journey to Literacy, Kids in the Kitchen, and Community Sampler. The Community Impact Council also evaluates community partner and placement applications; requests for service and/or funding; and manages related contracts. In this role, Katherine encourages and empowers Community Impact Council leaders to collaborate across all areas of the JLA and with community partners to ensure members have meaningful volunteer experiences and partner organizations have mutually beneficial engagement and service experiences.

An active member for over 15 years, Katherine’s earliest JLA experiences include community placements with Our House and Chastain Horse Park as well as internal placements with Individual Giving and Tour of Kitchens committees. Her JLA leadership experience includes Chair, Community Drives; District Advisor; Co-Coordinator, Community Contracts & Onboarding; and Director, Community Relations.

Katherine works as the AVP, Group Accident Affinity Lead for Zurich North America with responsibilities in underwriting, insurance operations, relationship management, and program implementations through cross-functional collaboration. She lives in Chamblee and enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her husband, Ben, and their dog, Murphy.

Summer Duperon
Fund Development VP
development@jlatlanta.org

Summer Duperon serves as Vice President, Fund Development and leads special event efforts for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). In partnership with Council leaders and committee members, she raises funds through ticketed events that elevate the brand of the JLA, align with its mission and generate resources for partner programs.Summer began her membership with the JLA in 2006 and received its ROSE Bloom award in May 2007. She has also been a member of the Junior League of New Orleans and the Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton Counties before returning to the JLA in 2018. Her League experience spans marketing and fundraising councils, including serving as Chair of Cookbooks, Merchandising and Fundraiser Evaluation committees; serving as Graphic Designer and Director of Online Communications; and serving on Annual Fund and Grants committees. Summer is a 2014 graduate of the Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum as well as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Atlanta’s Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities (SPARC) committee. Throughout her volunteer career, she’s also served in board capacities with the Atlanta Symphony Associates, New Orleans Opera, Mercy Endeavors Senior Center, and Ivy & Roses Community Fund.

Summer is the Principal Consultant at Webb Smith + Co. and Vice President of Development at Partners for HOME, the City of Atlanta’s lead agency in ending homelessness. She received both her MA degree in Business Education and BBA degree in Marketing from the University of Georgia. Originally from New Orleans, Summer currently resides in Atlanta.

Laura Guerin
Internal Operations
internaloperations@jlatlanta.org

Laura Guerin serves as the Vice President, Internal Operations (IO) for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) and leads her council to support the structure and tools that help the JLA operate successfully. The IO Council develops JLA’s annual operational plan, monitors league spending and provides monthly financial reporting to the Board of Directors amongst other financial oversight functions.Laura started her JLA journey in 2003 as a provisional in The Junior League of DeKalb County (GA), and has continued to serve the the League through a variety of leadership roles such as Vice President, Membership; Chair, Shamrock ‘N Roll Road Race; and a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She has led both the Sustainer Book Club, and the full membership Book Club.

Laura works as the Senior Director of Programs of Leadership Atlanta. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Auburn University. Laura is a native Atlantan and currently lives in the Buckhead community.

Chaundra Luckett
Learning & Development VP
training@jlatlanta.org

Chaundra Luckett serves as the Vice President, Learning & Development for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). She is also the Chief Marketing Officer at CHRIS 180, a behavioral health nonprofit founded by The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. in 1981, and is responsible for the organization’s strategic internal and external communications, marketing and advertising efforts.

Prior to her work in Atlanta’s nonprofit community, Chaundra was an award-winning television journalist, working at stations across the Southeast, including serving as an Executive Producer at FOX 5. A member of JLA since 2012, she has served as the Vice President, Marketing & Communications; Chair, Member Appreciation Day; Chair, General Membership Meeting Education; Director, Publications; and as Chair of the Women’s Leadership Forum, leading the team to win JLA’s 2018 Internal Committee of the year.

Chaundra is an avid community volunteer and a Charter Member of the Alpha Alpha Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. where she serves as Rituals Chairman and Publicity Co-Chairman. She is also the Parliamentarian for the Atlanta Chapter of the Bennett College National Alumnae Association and a member of the Atlanta HBCU Alumni Alliance. Chaundra is a graduate of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2019, a member of the LEAD Atlanta Alumni Association and a member of the inaugural Forty Under 40 Class presented by the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Additionally, she is a member of the American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive (PAACT) Communications Committee and the Marketing Committee for Ferst Readers.

Erin Cannaday
Marketing and Communications VP
marketing@jlatlanta.org

Erin Cannaday serves as Vice President, Marketing & Communications for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). She leads a team of member and partner storytellers who work to define and uphold the JLA’s internal and external brand and share compelling impact stories with and from our members, community partners and supporters. In this role, Erin and the Marketing & Communications Council collaborate with leadership, councils and committees across the JLA to ensure members and partners are informed, engaged, inspired and supportive of the collective work of the JLA. She also provides strategic communications support and guidance for the JLA Board of Directors and JLA leaders, and in key communications areas including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts; crisis and COVID-19 communications; membership recruitment and retention; fund development; advocacy and coalition efforts; and community partnerships.

Erin is a Florida-native and a “legacy” member of The Junior League, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who served as a President and Secretary, respectively, with The Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin. She joined the JLA in 2014 and has served in a variety of internal and external placements, including two years with the Shamrock ‘N Roll Road Race committee as a marketing lead and Co-Chair of Logistics; Tour of Kitchens; Community Sampler; and Graphic Designer.

In her spare time, Erin enjoys traveling and exploring new places, learning vegetarian and vegan cooking styles (even though she isn’t fully vegetarian or vegan), getting creative through painting and design and has developed a love for the Peloton community. Erin has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Event Management and Hospitality from the University of Florida. She is a Senior Manager, Communications with Emory Healthcare’s internal communications team supporting employee engagement, recruitment and retention; crisis and COVID-19 response; nursing engagement; human resources; and a variety of special projects and creative content initiatives. She has lived in Georgia for nearly 15 years and currently resides in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood with her dog, Kona.

Joanne Louis
Membership VP
membership@jlatlanta.org

Joanne Louis serves as the Vice President, Membership for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) and is proud to lead the council that has the opportunity to care for the most valuable resource of the League: our dedicated members. In her role, Joanne leads a team of directors who are passionate about JLA and is working to develop programs that promote member engagement and appreciation while working cross-collaboratively with other councils.

Joanne started her JLA journey in 2015 as a provisional and has enjoyed her League journey in a variety of leadership roles, including Provisional Development Director and General Membership Meeting Co-Chair.

Outside of JLA, Joanne has served in a variety of leadership roles including Publicity Chair for the Georgia State Association of Parliamentarians; Board member and Chair of the Leadership and Development Committee for United Way’s Women of Cole; Board member of United Way’s African American Society; Past Board member of The PEARL Foundation; and Past Vice President and Program Chairman of Rho Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a graduate of the Georgia Women’s Policy institute class of 2021. Joanne is also a 2020 graduate of Atlanta Women Foundation Inspire program and a member of Toastmasters and National Council of Negro Women.

Joanne is currently employed at Troutman Pepper in Atlanta and holds a degree in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. Joanne lives in Powder Springs, Georgia, and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and enjoying the arts scene in Atlanta.

Quiana Riche-Clark
Nominating Chair
nominating@jlatlanta.org

Quiana Riche-Clark serves as Nominating Chair for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). In this role, Quiana leads the Nominating Committee in the selection and placement of women into leadership positions across the organization and helps to ensure that the organization is equipped with the best talent available to move the mission of JLA forward.

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Quiana joined the Junior League of Atlanta in 2012. Upon completion of her first year, she was named Provisional of the Year. She has served as the Kids in the Kitchen Committee Chair, Provisional Education Development Chair, Presidential Operations Committee Chair, and Fundamentals Committee Chair. She also served on the Junior League of Atlanta’s 103rd Board of Directors as the Assistant to the President.

Quiana is a graduate of Spelman College and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, Quiana enjoys spending time with her friends, family, husband and their two standard poodles, Belvedere and Barron, traveling, shopping, dining out and cheering on the Crimson Tide!

Maranie Brown
Director of Impacts and Measurements
impacts@jlatlanta.org

Maranie Brown serves as Director, Impacts & Measurements for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). In this role, she leads a team that works with JLA councils to identify, define, track, and report success metrics for achieving strategic plan goals. A member of the JLA since 2012, Maranie is a recipient of the President’s Award and has served in various positions, including Vice President, Learning & Development; Director, Provisional Development; Chair, Girl Scouts Placement; and Director, Online Communications. She also serves as the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) Women of Color Affinity Group’s Membership Chair and Treasurer.

Professionally, Maranie is a Senior Digital Program Manager at You Are Here (YAH) Agency, a digital experience agency, leading program management and agile delivery for top clients and driving the execution of global cross-discipline engagements. Maranie has been recognized for significant influence as a “Rising Star” for outstanding contributions to the digital community, most recently winning the 2020 Woman to Watch in STEAM Award by Women in Technology and being recognized as one of the Marietta Daily Journal / Cobb Life Magazine’s “Top 20 Under 40.”

In addition to serving with the JLA, she serves on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta’s inaugural Junior Board and on the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s African-American Partnership Cabinet and Cobb County Advisory Board. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Maranie serves as the Vice President of the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council, leading all efforts to strengthen engagement with young alumni and current students. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Rho Zeta Omega Chapter, where she serves as Leadership Development Chairman. Finally, Maranie is a graduate of Leadership Buckhead, the Atlanta Women’s Foundation’s Inspire Atlanta Program, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s Georgia Women’s Policy Institute, LEAD Atlanta Class of 2020, and a member of the LEAD Atlanta Alumni Association, where she will serve as Co-Chair of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2023.

Cara Hergenroether
Parliamentarian

Cara Hergenroether serves as Parliamentarian for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). In her second year as Parliamentarian, Cara assists the Board of Directors by ensuring meetings are efficiently managed and adhere to the appropriate rules and bylaws. For over 100 years, the JLA has been developing change-makers to tackle the challenges facing Atlanta. Cara believes it is JLA’s great strength to bring together dynamic women to learn from each other while also helping the Atlanta community.

Since joining JLA in 2011, Cara has served in roles throughout the League, including Vice President, Marketing & Communications; Director, Sustainer Engagement; and as a member of the Nominating Committee. She also serves as Chair of the Paint Love, Inc. Board of Directors, a nonprofit providing trauma-informed arts programming to youths facing poverty or trauma.

Cara received her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a degree in Journalism & Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. She lives in Mableton with her husband, Jason, and their three dogs.

Olivia Watkins
Recording Secretary

Olivia Watkins serves as the Recording Secretary for the Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). In this role, Olivia organizes and prepares an array of materials for Board of Directors meetings and records meeting minutes. Olivia is passionate about organization and processes, and she is thrilled to use her skillset to serve in this capacity and support the Board of Directors and The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA).

Olivia has served in numerous leadership positions in JLA since she joined in 2017 as a provisional. Past roles include serving as a committee member with the Presidential Operations Committee and Community Impact Committee; Chair, Community Placement; and Traffic Manager, Marketing & Communications.

Olivia is the Director of Operations, Office of Institute Relations at Georgia Tech. It is an honor for her to support higher education in Georgia, especially at her alma mater. Olivia earned her Bachelor Degree in International Affairs and Modern Languages from Georgia Tech in 2013, and her Master in Business Administration from Georgia State in 2017.

In her spare time, Olivia enjoys volunteering. She is the President Emeritus of the Georgia Tech Alumni Council, Past President of the YoungBucks (Buckhead Business Association), Big Sister (Big Brothers Big Sisters), and Coach of the Georgia Tech Women’s Club Basketball Team. She also loves to watch and play sports (basketball and football), hike, and travel. She lives in Tucker with her husband, Sekou, and two cats, Boots and Taz.

Alex Seblatnigg
Sustainer Representative

Alex Seblatnigg serves as the Board of Directors Sustainer Representative, providing perspective, historical context and other pivotal support. Alex recognizes that The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) is a great place to learn and develop new skills, many of which can apply in non-JLA life, and is passionate about coaching current and future leaders of the JLA. She looks forward to supporting the Board as they continue to grow and develop our members as valued community leaders.

Alex has more than 20 years of JLA service and leadership experience. In addition to several placements as a Sustainer, she has served as Advisory Planning Chair; Nominating Chair; Vice President, Training; and Vice President, Membership. She was recognized by the JLA with the 2008 President’s Award and the 2020 Isoline Campbell Award. She currently serves as Program Co-chair for Leadership Buckhead and is a 2016 graduate of the program.

Professionally, Alex is the Director of Volunteer Services and Internal Engagement at Shepherd Center. She has served in a variety of leadership roles within the industry, both at a state and national level, and was honored by the Georgia Society of Volunteer and Retail Professionals with the 2018 Wyn Award. She lives in Atlanta and is a graduate of Spring Hill College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and spoiling her two nephews.

Ryan O’Neill
Assistant to the President

Ryan O’Neill serves as Assistant to the President of The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc., and helps envision and implement Dyess’ vision for JLA. Serving with JLA has been a significant part of Ryan’s life for the past 15 years, and she is grateful for the opportunity to make a lasting impact in the Atlanta area through direct service, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. Ryan’s specialty is making members feel valued and recognized. She brings a passion for making the Board and all JLA volunteers feel like their hard work is appreciated this year.

After joining The Junior League in Washington, D.C. in 2006, Ryan moved back home to Atlanta and transferred into JLA. She served as a Transfer Advisor for several years and then as Transfer Chair. Continuing her service on the Membership Council, she also served as a District Advisor, Director of Membership Placements, and Vice President, Membership.

As a graduate of University of Georgia, Ryan earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business, with a minor in French. She currently works for Healthgrades a Sales Enablement Manager.

Ryan lives in Brookhaven with her boyfriend, two cats, and dog. She is most happy when helping others, enjoying the beach, traveling to a new place, or doing Pilates.

Sharon Klein
Director of Support Services
sklein@jlatlanta.org

Sharon Klein serves as the Director of Support Services for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). She joined the JLA in this role in July 2005, bringing with more than 20 years of experience in the public sector in the corporate sector working with a fortune 500 company. Sharon spent 12 years at Temple Kol Emeth, and served as the Executive Director for 10 years. Prior to joining Temple Kol Emeth, Sharon spent 10 years with IBM in three different cities and in several various roles.

Sharon and her husband Mark live in East Cobb, Marietta, Georgia. She has a daughter, Naomi, a son-in-law, Josh, who live in Washington, D.C., and son, Jason, who lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, gardening and reading and going out to restaurants with friends.