Our Team
A Commitment to Serve
Grove Park Foundation is committed to working with community leaders to achieve the holistic revitalization of the Grove Park neighborhood. These efforts require incredible coordination of resources, and people sharing a vision for improving the lives of individuals. The members of our staff and our Board of Directors are vital to reaching our goals.
Gavin McGuire has deep roots in Atlanta. After moving to Atlanta from New Orleans’ 9th Ward, he attended Morehouse College and was the first member of his family to graduate college. He previous served as Executive Director of the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA in Southwest Atlanta, and as Chief Operating Officer of Usher’s New Look Foundation; he also held leadership roles at Future Foundation and Strategic Wealth. He has returned to Atlanta from Detroit, where, as COO of the regional Boys & Girls Clubs, he pioneered new initiatives and helped drive double-digit growth.
Roy Cogdell is the Volunteer Coordinator with the Grove Park Foundation and focuses finding co-dreamers in the vision of the neighborhood and helping bring those dreams into fruition. Over the last 5 years, Roy has led volunteer programs centered around food security with Open Hand Atlanta, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Meals on Wheels Atlanta. He is a native of Connecticut who fell in love with the city of Atlanta while attending Morehouse College. He now lives in the Oakland City neighborhood with his wife, Magda, and their newborn, Amalia.
Garry Long joined the Grove Park Foundation part-time in June 2019 as our Director of Outreach, thanks to a Loaned Executive agreement with the Zeist Foundation. He is working closely with residents and families in Grove Park around health, wellness, advocacy, housing, and education.
Garry brings decades of experience from his work in Atlanta’s Edgewood community as the Program Director – Place Based Philanthropy for the Zeist Foundation.
Garry serves on the governing board of Whitefoord, Inc. and Moving In the Spirit. He has also served on advisory boards for several organizations including The Neighborhood Fund at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Horizons Atlanta Edgewood Site and Agape Youth & Family Center. He attended The University of Alabama and graduated with a B.A. degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining Zeist, Garry was a banking officer with SunTrust Bank.
Karen has over 30 years of experience working in nonprofits. Most recently, she was a development consultant with Wellspring Nonprofit Resource. She served as the Director of Development and Chief Development Officer for The Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta 2005-2014. She has been a resident of Grove Park since 2007. She will be developing funding sources for GPF from individuals, corporations, foundations, and events.
Tarnace is the Economic Development Director for the Grove Park Foundation. He was previously the Westside TAD and Choice Neighborhoods Development Manager for Invest Atlanta, Atlanta’s Development Authority. He managed the Tax Allocation Districts’ (“TADs”) redevelopment and funding programs for over 10 years. Prior to his tenure at Invest Atlanta, he worked at Wachovia, SouthTrust and Prime banks as regional community development officer and lender for over 14 years. Tarnace holds a Bachelor in Business and Accounting from the U.S. Naval Technical Academy and a PMP from the University of Villanova. He is married with three children.
TJ is a current resident of the Grove Park neighborhood, and prior served as the President of Grove Park Neighborhood Association (2018-2019). Throughout his term as president, TJ lead various Grove Park neighborhood initiatives, providing a knowledgeable and understanding voice on behalf of all Grove Park residents. TJ also serves as an advisory board member for Westside Reservoir Park, in addition to Invest Atlanta Tax Allocation District-Perry Bolton. TJ provides a balanced perspective for community involvement and business development; both critical elements needed for the continued success of Grove Park. Professionally, TJ serves as Regional Loss Prevention for Publix Supermarkets, where he oversees 32 stores throughout the Atlanta Division. Prior to Publix, TJ served as Area Manager for Belk, Inc. (East Alabama Region), and Area Manager for Stein Mart (Gulf Coast Region). TJ holds BA in Communications and a MBA with a concentration in finance. TJ is the proud father of twin daughters, Kennedy and Kameron, where they are both students at his alma mater, Auburn University- #WarEagle! TJ believes in a “boots on the ground” methodology for Grove Park, where any given day you can see him riding throughout the community picking up trash or removing illegal signs from real estate investors.
Rev. Dr. Susan Hillary Buckson serves the Grove Park Community as the Senior Pastor of Allen Temple A.M.E. Church. As a pastor, author, educator, and advocate, Susan endeavors to lead with integrity of heart and skill of hand. (Psalm 78:72) Her professional education began at The University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD, where, as an honor scholar-athlete, Susan received a Bachelor of Arts in English Education (1992). Her advanced degrees include a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Coppin State College in Baltimore, MD (2001), a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Theology from The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA (2004), and a Doctor of Ministry from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, OH with a concentration in Adaptive Leadership (2019).
Susan is a gifted educator who enjoyed a productive 29-year career in public education, having served as a classroom teacher, cooperative teacher mentor, Magnet School Coordinator, Instructional Coach, and Assistant Principal. She has represented Atlanta Public Schools (APS) as its System-wide High School Teacher of the Year and was the first educator in APS to be named a Milken Family Foundation National Honor Teacher.
Susan serves as an officer on several community boards to include Higher Standards Foundation, Inc., Gwen’s Swan, Inc., and the Atlanta North Georgia Conference Women in Ministry. In addition, Susan currently serves as the Atlanta-based Regional Ecosystem Coordinator for the Oikos Institute for Social Impact, supporting local church and community growth and development.
Constance Callahan has more than 25 years of experience in affordable housing, community development, economic development, planning and finance in the public, non-profit and corporate sectors. Constance most recently was with Truist Community Capital (formerly SunTrust) as Senior Vice President providing financing for affordable housing communities across the southeast. Prior to Truist, Constance was Vice President with COPA, Inc, a non-profit redevelopment organization charged with the growth and development around Centennial Olympic Park. There she worked to establish an in-town business park, area-wide design guidelines, and a marketing/branding program for the district. Prior to that, Constance was Senior Project Manager with the Governor’s Development Council, a public-private partnership, focused on statewide economic development policies and programs. Early in her career she was a city planner in Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Constance is active in the business and civic community as a national Board member of the Human Rights Campaign, Executive Advisory Board member of Georgia Tech’s College of Design, past Board member of Urban Land Institute Atlanta, and past Trustee of Georgia Tech’s Alumni Association among other community roles. She is a trained community mediator, a graduate of Leadership Atlanta 2013 and of Regional Leadership Institute 1996.
Constance has a Master of City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology, with joint studies in real estate at Georgia State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Geography from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a golfer, loves to hike and explore cool places.
Ashley is the Corporate and Community Affairs Executive at Atlantic Capital Bank. In her role, she oversees Atlanta Not-for-Profit and Business Banking, Community Development, Corporate Communications and Marketing. Ms. Carson has 19 years of experience in Corporate and Investment Banking. An active member of the business and civic community, Ms. Carson has been a member of the Atlanta Midtown Rotary for 12 years. She sits on the Board of the Center for Working Families and the Agape Youth and Family Center. She is an alumna of the Georgia 100/Acheiva Program and the Coca Cola Diversity Leadership Academy, and she is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta – class of 2016. Ms. Carson received her B.A. from Northwestern University in 1995, and her MBA for the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in 2000.
Brian has over 25 years of experience providing comprehensive philanthropic, estate and business planning to affluent families. He currently holds the designations of Accredited Estate Planner®, Chartered Advisor of Philanthropy®, Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Life Underwriter®. In addition to other community and professional involvement, Brian recently served on the Board of Directors, the Governance Committee, and chaired the Philanthropic Services Committee at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. He also chaired the Advisory Committee for the Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute and served on the Advisory Committee and Grant Review Committee for One Region Atlanta, the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Providers, and on the Professional Affiliate Program and Gift Acceptance Committee for CARE USA. Brian is a graduate of the 2017 Class of Leadership Atlanta. He is an active member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and the AALU, and a frequent speaker on philanthropic and estate planning topics
Janita Green is the Director of Financial Systems, Processes and Internal Audit at Kaiser Permanente – The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG), where she is accountable for all aspects of budgeting, forecasting, financial system implementations, Internal Audit, and special projects for the Georgia region. Ms. Green has been with TSPMG for 6 years, and reports to the CFO.
Ms. Green has over 27 years of experience providing accounting, financial planning & analysis, consulting, and tax planning and preparation services. Ms. Green started her career in accounting at Mitchell & Titus, the largest minority certified public accounting (CPA) firm in the country. It was during this time (1992) that she began preparing small business and individual tax returns for high net worth clients.
Ms. Green then transitioned to PricewaterhouseCoopers where she was an External Auditor in their Business Advisory Services Practice, and a Senior Analyst in their Financial Advisory Services Practice. Her experiences at these firms, solid working relationships, great mentors, and her parent’s entrepreneurial spirits, helped pave the way for a strong foundation for Ms. Green’s success in her business career today. Ms. Green’s industry experience is vast and encompasses healthcare, financial services, real estate, education and not for profit entities.
Ms. Green attended Philadelphia University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting, with a minor in Sociology. Ms. Green is a licensed CPA in Georgia and Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), and the East Point College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated. Additionally, she is a board member of the East Point Building Authority and audit committee member of Camp Twin Lakes.
Ms. Green is a two-time breast cancer survivor and figure competitor. She relates to herself as a multi-faceted servant leader, who is a free spirit, passionate about wellness, well-being, mentoring young (and some not so young) people and making a positive difference in the lives of others. She is also a gym rat, loves to travel and plans to pursue her certification as a yoga instructor.
Daniel has over 10 years of experience in financial services. He began as an Analyst at Bank of America in its Leverage Finance Division on the Loan Syndications Desk. Daniel went on to become a Fixed-Income Research Associate focusing on the media and telecom sectors. He has also worked for the mission-based investment fund Local Initiatives Support Corporation, where he helped manage the organization’s portfolio and underwriting operations. Daniel also spent some time with an Atlanta/London based hedge fund, Gallery Capital Management, an alternative fund that invests in specialty insurance risk at the Lloyd’s of London insurance marketplace. Daniel is currently the Managing Director at Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI), where he manages an impact investment fund for HFHI and advises on a broader array of financial transactions. Daniel received his BA, with a focus on American politics, from Williams College, where he remains active and serves as a vice-chair of its Alumni Fund. He is committed to helping improve his community, and is a co-founder and current board member of Crawfish for Cancer. Daniel lives in Atlanta with his wife, Laura Kolesar Gura, and 8 month old daughter, Mirele Grace Gura.”
Rachelle Kuramoto is an award-winning writer and brand strategist who balances creative and business acumen with deep empathy. As the vice president of brand and content for Dragon Army, she guides organizations to articulate what makes them distinctive and sustainable with the stakeholders who matter most. Rachelle’s professional path spans more than 20 years, starting at Ogilvy Public Relations. In 2015, she launched Watchword Brand, an agency specialized in branding, content production, and market intelligence. In 2019, the firm was acquired by Dragon Army.
Rachelle earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in literature and business as a Presidential Scholar in music at Wake Forest University. She published her Master’s dissertation under the watchful eye of Dr. Maya Angelou, whom she credits with teaching her ability to be courageously empathetic in every form of communication. Outside of work, Rachelle is a mom of two teenagers and a dog, and a happy wife.
Jonathan E. Leonard is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and a 1987 graduate of Morehouse College with a B.S. degree in Physics. After graduation from Morehouse, Jonathan worked for Northern Trust Bank in Chicago, Illinois for three years in the Mortgage Backed Securities and Capital Structures Department.
Following his time at Northern Trust, in 1993, Jonathan obtained a law degree from Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska. Upon graduation from law school, Jonathan returned to Atlanta, starting his private practice of law where he has built a well-respected boutique entertainment firm primarily focused on providing quality legal services to music talent across the country.
For the past 27 years, Jonathan has been instrumental in providing guidance and counsel to some of the most successful songwriters, producers, and recording artists in popular music today. These transactions include but are not limited to the review, drafting, and negotiation of music publishing agreements, music production agreements, exclusive recording agreements, joint venture distribution and furnishing deals, music licensing agreements and various other personal services agreements related to talent services. He has negotiated such deals with every major record company and music publishing company as well as numerous major media companies in the world.
As part of his practice and representation of such talent, Jonathan is responsible for designing his client’s corporate structures and advising clients on their continued business development activities. Most recently, Jonathan has completed the acquisition, expansion and renovation of the property 2050 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, previously vacated by the Bank of America in 2012. The property currently houses his law practice and he has begun the process of leasing the remaining 7,500 square feet of office space to other local businesses.
Marlena Norris is the principal and founder of The Laundry Centers with two locations on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. She is a senior finance executive with 30 years of financial management, accounting and auditing experience who’s spent the last 15 years as V.P. of Finance for InterContinental Hotels Group, Inc. Her background also includes finance and accounting roles in the oil and gas, freight forwarding and logistics, temporary staffing and public accounting industries. She’s previously served on the boards of Jomandi Productions and YWCA Atlanta, and is currently a member of On Board.
Laura Heery Prozes is a co-founder of Brookwood Group, Inc. and the current owner and Managing Principal of Brookwood Design Group LLC, a separate affiliate of Brookwood Group Inc. She co-chaired the 18th annual Congress for the New Urbanism, lead the concept phase for international projects, and served as Brookwood’s Principal-in-Charge for several Atlanta master plans and redesign projects.
Torian Robinson is a seasoned leader and trusted advisor who has stood in the intersection of private and public partnerships for the advancement of public good. Starting his career as a retail branch manager for a global bank, Torian was exposed to community development when he was tasked with opening the bank’s first branch within the historic neighborhood of Harlem. Over the following decade, Torian deepened his experience within placed-based, people-focused organizations through his involvement and employment with youth development and educational organizations, empowerment zones, faith based institutions, and board membership. Having worked both a fundraiser and program manager, Torian values collaboration and often seeks strategic partnerships to achieve goals. Torian is currently serving as President of People and Culture at Dreamville Ventures. In this role, he oversees the administrative departments of Finance, HR, IT, Operations, and the Dreamville Foundation.
Torian is a distinguished alum of Morehouse College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and three sons.
As the Atlanta Market President, Wendy is responsible for advancing Bank of America’s strategy across Metro Atlanta by delivering the firm’s global financial resources and expertise to customers and clients. Wendy connects with local business leaders and community stakeholders to advance the goal of delivering one company to customers and clients. Wendy is also responsible for ensuring Bank of America’s Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy, including philanthropy and community development efforts have a positive impact on metro Atlanta.
As co-head of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Global Commercial Banking practice for the Southeast region, Wendy leads the firm’s efforts, working with mid cap and middle market companies. This includes public and private companies with annual revenues of $50 million to over $2 billion in a variety of industries. Wendy partners closely with teammates across the firm to provide the expertise and consultation necessary to deliver the best solution for the client. Wendy holds Series 7, 63, and 24 securities licenses.
Wendy joined Bank of America’s predecessor, NationsBank, in 1996. She worked on both the consumer and commercial sides of the bank. She left Bank of America in 2000 to join the executive team of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta as Chief Operating Officer. Wendy was responsible for streamlining the functions of the organization, solidifying its financial position, and positioning the organization for ongoing growth. Wendy returned to Bank of America in 2007, and she has held various leadership roles since that time.
Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Presbyterian College, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree. Today, Wendy serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Board of Directors for The United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Board of Trustees for Woodruff Arts Center, a director of the Buckhead Coalition, a member of Atlanta Committee for Progress, and a member of Leadership Atlanta- Class of 2017. Wendy has served in different leadership capacities in Atlanta, including President of the Board of Directors for The Heards Ferry Education Foundation; Board of Directors for The Georgia Center for Non Profits; and an alumna of Leadership Georgia- Class of 2010. She also is actively involved with her church and volunteers at her daughters’ schools.
Carol Waddy enjoys taking a vision and making it reality. Carol is respected as a credible voice in community affairs and helping others extend their thinking wherever she serves.
Carol currently serves as director of corporate social responsibility and community engagement for Chick-fil-A, Inc. where she leads a team devoted to removing barriers to opportunity for underserved communities and youth. She is responsible for Chick-fil-A’s community initiatives, civic engagement, corporate volunteerism, and public/private partnerships.
Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Inc., Carol served as a Vice President and member of the Executive Leadership Team at United Way. She has 15 years of global experience in various executive leadership roles from Fortune 500 corporations to technology focused companies including GE Capital and Acuity Brands, Inc.
Carol served as Vice President of Human Resources for Aquilex Corporation where she led Human Resources across North America and Europe and Director of Corporate Human Resources for Acuity Brands, Inc. where she led the human resources function for 10,000+ staff enterprise-wide.
A passionate volunteer and supporter of many philanthropic endeavors, Carol serves on the Board of Directors for Breakthrough Atlanta, Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, National Black Arts Festival and the Atlanta Public Schools Advisory Board.
Carol was named 2019 Atlanta Magazine Woman Making a Difference and 2018 United Way Woman of Impact.
Carol and her husband, DePriest support several philanthropic endeavors. They endowed a scholarship awarded annually to students attending HBCUs. With their help, fifteen African American students have realized their dreams of a college education.
Carol earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tuskegee University and a Master of Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University.
Carol lives in Atlanta with her husband and attends Impact United Methodist Church. They have one adult daughter living in Missouri.
Adrienne is the VP of Strategy/Business Development at Citizens Trust Bank. Prior to joining Citizens Trust Bank she was the VP of Finance of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and worked at a fortune 500 company and big 4 accounting firm. In 2016 she was recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 40 Under 40 and has taken on various leadership roles in the Atlanta community including the Atlanta Track Club Board, Atlanta Public School Audit Committee, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership advisory board, Outstanding Atlanta, Black Girls Run!, National and State political campaigns, LEAD Atlanta, and New Leaders Council. Adrienne is a licensed certified public accountant in Georgia and earned her Masters of Accountancy and Bachelor of Science in Commerce; Concentration in Accounting, from The University of Virginia
