Governance

The Georgia Charter Educational Foundation is the Founding Board and a petitioner for charter schools in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Charter Educational Foundation is a Georgia not-for-profit entity organized exclusively for educational purposes and is comprised of respected leaders in the state of Georgia that are committed to providing high quality educational options for the citizens of this State.

The Board of Directors is responsible for developing and outlining the mission, vision, and values of the school and developing the appropriate policies to ensure those fundamentals are maintained. The Georgia Charter Educational Foundation Board of Directors has contracted with a professional education management organization, Charter Schools USA, to provide all necessary management and professional expertise. Charter Schools USA assists in developing, planning, and marketing the School, as well as finance, human resources, curricula and school operations. Charter Schools USA is responsible for developing and implementing the ongoing operational procedures in accordance with the mission, vision, and values outlined by the Governing Board.

The Governing Board is responsible for the legal and financial obligations of each school. The Governing Board establishes policy consistent with the school's mission and ensures the school's programs and operations are faithful to the terms of the Charter including compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. The Governing Board will continue to uphold the mission and vision of the school through visible leadership and stewardship of the school, including the following:

  • Communicating the mission and vision of the school to the community
  • Recruiting and mentoring Governing Council members to ensure they have shared values
  • Holding Charter Schools USA accountable to achieving the mission and vision of the school
  • Participating in fund raising and other community events on behalf of the school
  • Leading by example in their personal and professional endeavors

School-Based Governing Councils

To ensure local community involvement/control, each charter school will have a Governing Council comprised of community leaders and parents that will have primary oversight of the school. The Georgia Charter Educational Foundation will delegate broad authority to the Governing Council, including:

  • Setting school-specific performance goals
  • Approval of the school budget and finances
  • Operational oversight of Charter Schools USA
  • Monthly meetings to review school performance

If you or someone you know would like to be considered for a position on this voluntary Council, please contact us at volunteer@georgiacharterfoundation.org

The Georgia Charter Educational Foundation Governing Board

Lyn Carden, Chairperson, is the owner of Tri-M Consultants, a boutique marketing firm handling local direct and internet marketing for small business clients across the state. She retired as a 20-year broadcaster in 2001, co-hosting morning radio shows as well as managing radio station marketing and promotions departments.  After retirement Ms. Carden launched an event management company in Savannah specializing in non-profit fund raising for organization such as The Boy Scouts of America, Goodwill Industries and the Pet Assistance League. Ms. Carden has organized hundreds of community events including concerts, relief efforts, directing Savannah’s Miss St. Patrick’s Day pageants, and was selected as Savannah air talent of the year 4 years in a row.

Marian Parker, Esq., is a skilled attorney with extensive experience litigating in state and federal courts. Her expertise in law extends to such areas as business, nonprofit, estate planning, and civil and criminal litigation. She is licensed to practice in Georgia, Illinois and Louisiana. She has served as a board member for several profit and non-profit organizations in Metropolitan Atlanta. She is an experienced and successful grant writer and has managed relationships with corporate partners, such as Bank of New York. She is an excellent teacher and communicator capable of building a solid, highly motivated team.

Danny Dukes, Treasurer, is currently the founder and president of Danny F. Dukes and Associates, a financial management and CFO outsourcing firm in Canton.  He has spent most of his career managing many aspects of the financial institution and mortgage industries in the areas of financial management, accounting management, risk management, audit, compliance, investment management, consulting, investment banking, treasury management, shareholder relations and bank operations. He has served as a chief financial officer and chief operations officer for community banks in Georgia as well as an adjunct college professor of accounting at Clayton State College and University and Keller Graduate School.  Additionally, Danny is actively involved in many professional and civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Cherokee County, the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Georgia Charter Educational Foundation Board, Cherokee County Republican Party, the Georgia College Alumni Board, Mercer University Alumni Association and serves as a member of the County Property Tax Equalization Board.

Frederick Black is retired from a 30+ year career as an educator and administrator for several prestigious preparatory academies in Atlanta and Athens. He brings a breadth of experience in the education industry, including student discipline, school operations management, development of diversity programs, curriculum design, and statewide competitive athletic programs. He is a resident and native Georgian with a BA in History and a  MEd from Georgia State University. After his academic career he created a construction company that built a restaurant /bar in the Seaside,FL area and a luxury country home in Walton Co., GA. He presently serves as the Head Coach of the nationally ranked wheelchair basketball teams at Shepherd Spinal Center.

John W. McIntyre, Jr. is currently the executive director at Morgan Stanley & Co., Private Wealth Management Division based in Atlanta. Prior to this, he was a partner in Highland Associates, an Investment Consulting Firm. Mr. McIntyre has a BA in Economics from Washington & Lee University and a MBA from Harvard University. He is a valued member of his community, serving on the Trinity Community Ministries Board of Associates, a member of Northside United Methodist Church, on the Capital Campaign Committee of Woodruff Arts Center, and a former Board member of the Emory Board of Visitors. He and his family reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

Christine Ries is a professor and Chair of the School of Economics at Georgia Tech. She has previously taught at The Harvard Business School, The Fuqua School of Business at Duke, the Peter Drucker Graduate Management Center at Claremont, and at Stanford University. She is a specialist in International Finance, Markets and Organizations, and Economics of the Firm in the School of Economics. Her articles include publications in The Journal of International Business Studies, The Harvard Business Review, Euromoney, and The Financial Analysts' Journal, among others. Her books address the policies of international corporations and the politics and economics of emerging markets. She is the author of over 20 case studies that have been published by the Harvard Business School. Several appear in her co-authored book of case studies and many are printed and reprinted in other case books and textbooks. She has served on the Board of The Academy of International Business and on the editorial boards and as referee of several major professional and academic journals. Service on advisory councils includes service to several foreign universities and governments and U.S. companies.

Bob Young, Vice Chairperson, is the former mayor of the City of Augusta and senior executive in the cabinet of President George W. Bush. Bob Young is the President/CEO of the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy. His public service followed twenty six years as an award-winning broadcast journalist. Last year Bob retired as business manager for the Department of Defense Schools in Beaufort, SC. Bob is the owner and president of Eagle Veterans Services LLC, an industrial supply brokerage. His first novel, The Treasure Train, was published earlier this year, and he has appeared as an extra in a number of movies. As a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Bob created the Preserve America Communities Program for The White House and was recognized with the national leadership award in preservation from the History Channel. Bob attended Wofford College and Augusta State University. He is an air force veteran of the Vietnam War. He is active in a number of organizations, including the Augusta Kiwanis Club.

Ernest Taylor is president of Beech Hill Group an executive search firm in Atlanta. He has been in executive search for 20 plus years after being a banker for the first 10 years out of college. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Honduras Outreach for over 15 years, based in Decatur, Georgia. This organization runs 5 schools, 5 clinics and 40 kindergartens in the mountains of Honduras. Mr. Taylor holds a BA in Marketing from the University of Tennessee and a MBA in Finance & International Business from Georgia State University. As a businessman in Atlanta for 36 years, Mr. Taylor’s contacts throughout Atlanta are quite extensive. He recently hosted a luncheon for Steve Forbes last October and had over 400 Atlanta CEOs in attendance in his role as Atlanta Committee Chair for the Washington based Heritage Foundation as well as hosting a meeting at the Atlanta History Center for over 250 top executives in Atlanta, with the Honorable Ed Meese, the former Attorney General of the United States as the speaker. Additionally, Mr. Taylor has facilitate numerous discussion around policy with Governor Sonny Perdue, Senator Johnny Isakson, Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Congressman Tom Price as well as facilitating education seminars with Dr. Tom Meredith, former Chancellor, University of Georgia System, Atlanta; Dr. Terrence Moore, Principal, The Ridgeview Charter School, Fort Collins, CO; Mrs. Jeanne Allen, President, The Center for Education Reform, Washington, DC. As an example of many philanthropic endeavors, Mr. Taylor, as a member of Georgia State University Foundation Board, successfully chaired a $32 million campaign for the $84 million Life Sciences Building to teach science teachers (The State of Georgia provided the additional $52 million). Other affiliations include: Member of the Board of Directors, Honduras Outreach, Inc; Chairman of the Atlanta Committee, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC; Chairman of the Board, Awakening, Inc; Chairman of the Board, Le Reveil, Inc.; Former Member of the Board of the Georgia State University Foundation; Former Member of the Board of the Georgia Family Council; Former Member of the Board of Ward Howell International; Former Member of the Board of Southside National Bank; and Former Member of the Board of Boyden International.

Clifford D. Hayes, Jr. Educator, administrator, motivational speaker, consultant, and a highly recognized public school leader with 20 years educational experience include Regional Superintendent for the Cleveland Municipal School District and the current Executive Director for the John H. Harland Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. As Principal, Mr. Hayes moved all of his schools’ academic ranking from “Academic Emergency” to “Continuous Improvement” or better. Mr. Hayes served as Head of School at the legendary Ginn Academy High School, the only all boys urban public school for at-risk students in Ohio where thanks to his work over 90% of students graduate and enroll in colleges throughout the country. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Central State University, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Cambridge College, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Urban Studies at Walden University. Mr. Hayes’ professional affiliations include National Association of Secondary Principals, National Association of Teachers, Cleveland Council of Administration & Supervision, President of The Haley School Board Committee and serves as a Governing Board Member for Kidz-R-People-2, LLC, Youth Services Organization. He has been married for 19 years to high school sweetheart, Martina L. Hayes, and the proud father of Parris Hayes, Clifford Hayes III, Jermanie Hayes, and Brittan Hayes.

Board Meeting Minutes

September 27, 2012
July 26, 2012
June 5, 2012
March 1, 2012
February 12, 2012
February 2, 2012
December 22, 2011
December 1, 2011
October 31, 2011
September 9, 2011
August 4, 2011
July 15, 2011
July 11, 2011
June 1, 2011
May 18, 2011
April 21, 2011
March 11, 2011
February 10, 2011
November 4, 2010

For more information on Charter Schools USA, visit their site at www.charterschoolsusa.com.