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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





Atlanta Business Radio

Month: December 2016

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Joe English

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KSUEntrepreneurship

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Joe English / Taylor English 
Partner

Joe English works in close partnership with his clients to provide practical and cost-effective business solutions to employment law issues. Mr. English has earned a reputation as a trusted counselor for his business clients, providing day-to-day advice on general employment-related matters, including risk management and preventative practices. When clients are faced with a legal claim arising from employment practices, Mr. English is an effective advocate for management, regularly defending employers in employment litigation and arbitration cases. Mr. English’s litigation practice has included restrictive covenant claims, complex class-action litigation, employee benefits lawsuits, wage and hour matters, and the spectrum of employment discrimination and retaliation claims. Mr. English has nearly 20 years of experience representing clients in claims that trigger an employer’s Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage, working with clients and insurance carriers to coordinate the defense of insured employment-related claims in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Mr. English enjoys working with early-stage companies, and helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses while developing best practices and legal safeguards in employment and related areas. At the same time, Mr. English is able to work with human resources professionals and in-house attorneys at more established employers, assisting them in remaining legally compliant despite an ever-changing landscape of laws and regulations at the federal, state and local levels.

Mr. English is a founding member of the Executive Advisory Council for the KSU Entrepreneurship Center, and a participating member with the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs.

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Biz Radio U Featuring Ty Booyzen with nürltec

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Biz Radio U

Hosted by Adam Wozniak and Darren Parkinson

 

Ty Booyzen / nürltec
Co-founder

nürltec is the first company Ty Booyzen co-founded at the age of 20. Ty began the journey at nürltec with his research professor and head of Kennesaw State University’s BrainLab,  Dr. Adriane Randolph, the Director of Innovation at the BrainLab, Steve Krontz, and his personal mentor and serial entrepreneur, Chris Michael Harris. Although nürltec is just getting off the ground they’ve seen enormous interest, indicating that nürltec may be on the frontier of a revolution in the marketing research industry.

nürltec aims to deliver this revolution through advanced neurophysiological tools like EEGs, Galvanic Skin Response, Facial Expression Analysis, and many more advanced techniques that, to date, have only been used in academic research.

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Atlanta’s Most Trusted Advisors Features Halsey G. Knapp, Jr. and Jonathan Hawkins

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Atlanta’s Most Trusted Advisors interviews industry experts from in and around the Metro Atlanta Area. Our goal is to provide valuable information that all business owners and managers can use in their day-to-day work to help them succeed.

 

Halsey G. Knapp, Jr. / Krevolin & Horst, LLC
Partner

Halsey is described as an “aggressive and attentive litigator with good trial experience and a strong reputation for business break up cases (Chambers).” Halsey has been recognized by his peers as a top 100 Lawyer in Georgia since 2009 and as a Super Lawyer since 2004, which suitably fits the pre-eminent business litigation practice of Krevolin Horst.  Halsey received his undergraduate degree in 1977 from Cornell University before earning his law degree in 1980 from Emory University School of Law, where he received the Best Brief Award in the Law Day Competition and served as President of the Student Bar Association. His association with Emory continues to this day as a Master, Executive Committee Member and former President of the Lamar Inn of Court and a member of its Board of Law Advisors.

Halsey frequently speaks on jury selection, business litigation and alternate dispute resolution topics. He is also a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s Risk & Compliance Journal. Halsey Knapp regularly advises clients on crisis management and best practices with particular emphasis on business arrangements, limited liability entity operating agreements, graceful employment departures, and more antagonistic, high stakes, “bet the company” business divorces and litigation.

 

Jonathan Hawkins / Krevolin & Horst, LLC
Partner

Jonathan E. Hawkins is a partner at the law firm of Krevolin & Horst, LLC. Whether it be as trusted advisor, outside general counsel, or as a litigator, he provides guidance where legal issues, risk management, and business strategy intersect. Jonathan also serves as outside general, business, and ethics counsel to lawyers and law firms and assists them in risk management, law firm structuring, partnership agreements, employment agreements, of counsel agreements, lateral moves, separation agreements, law firm dissolutions, attorney fee disputes, employment issues, and ethics advice. Jonathan maintains a robust trial practice and represents clients in numerous business sectors in high-stakes complex commercial litigation. His cases typically involve significant and complex business fraud, tort, contract, and fiduciary duty claims. He also publishes a blog dedicated to discussing the business and law of lawyering at www.alawyershandbook.com.

 

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk (Host) / bbr Marketing
President

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk has been a member of the creative and marketing services community for over 20 years and does not appear to be leaving it anytime soon. As president of bbr marketing, she has relished the challenges of entrepreneurship as she worked to grow and nurture a new business. Since the firm’s inception in 2009, Bonnie has led the young company to become widely recognized and respected within the professional services marketing niche, with award-winning client websites and an outstanding history of business success having worked with clients in 23 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Veterans Connect Radio Episode 022

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Veterans Connect Radio

A spotlight episode of Atlanta Business Radio and powered by Business RadioX. Co-Hosted by Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson and Brandon Skolnick with Gathering Of Angels. Featuring veteran entrepreneurs, support organizations, outreach groups and more in the Atlanta area continuing to serve our families, our communities and our country. 

#VetsConnect
@VetConnectRadio

 

 

Kyle Moore / Lazenby Law Group

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Rich Watson / Wounded Warrior Project Project Odyssey

&

Jason Bush / Wounded Warrior Project Project Odyssey

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Rob Brawner with Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Will Egwu and Jeremy Fox with LawnTap, Skye Estroff with Taste of Atlanta, and Jason Sheetz with Under the Cork Tree

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Rob Brawner / Atlanta Beltline Partnership
Executive Director

Rob Brawner is the Executive Director for the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. Leveraging the Partnership’s staff and consultants, and working closely with the Board of Directors and other stakeholders, Rob leads the Partnership in its broad-based, collaborative focus on ensuring the promise of stronger communities and equitable, sustainable benefit to the 45 Atlanta BeltLine neighborhoods and beyond. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of the Partnership’s strategic plan, as well as capital and operational fundraising – and stewardship of the private and philanthropic funds that support of the construction of the project. He has lived in a BeltLine neighborhood for more than 15 years and has served the Partnership in a leadership capacity since its inception in 2006, rising to Executive Director in July 2016.

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Will Egwu / LawnTap
Founder and CEO

Wilkinson Egwu is the Founder and CEO of LawnTap, where he is responsible for the growth and management of the company. Previously, he was an advisor to OpenAirplane.com, a startup that allows you to find, book, fly, and pay for aircraft rental online or with a mobile device. Prior to that Wilkinson was the COO of ShowClix, an online events ticketing company which grosses well over $50 million in sales to date. A visionary and entrepreneur at heart.

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Jeremy Fox / LawnTap
CoFounder and CTO

Jeremy loves mobile development and his guitar. The only cool nerd with tattoos all over. Enjoys staying up to date on cutting edge technology and has nightmares of Will calling him at 3am.

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Skye Estroff / Taste of Atlanta
Marketing and Media Manager

Taste of AtlantaSkye was born with a propensity for the culinary arts, food and every relatable topic. Her close-knit family always has food as the focus of gatherings. Every tradition they keep circulates around recipes that have been passed down for generations or new experimental dishes.

Skye is a fourth generation University of Georgia graduate who majored in Dietetics and minored in Human Development and Family Science. She considers herself a culinary expert after taking a variety of incredible classes ranging from culinary labs, Food Science and Nutrition Education to Organic Chemistry and Microbiology to Intimate Relationships and Issues in The Family.

Skye wants to share her extensive food knowledge through TV. Her first appearance on WTOC-Savannah in 2010 she was quoted, “I just really like eating”. From there, she aspired to make TV an integral part of her career in food. She sharpened her skills in college by performing food demonstrations at the local senior center. Then, she transitioned to a role with Atlanta’s local food TV show, Atlanta Eats. Skye worked for 2 ½ years with the company as the Marketing Manager. She planned all digital content, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat), wrote articles and managed contributors. Skye also restaurant- scouted for the show and worked in sales. After a few months with Atlanta Eats, Skye began co-hosting weekly restaurant segments on Atlanta Plugged In (CBS). She has been featured as a “food expert” to recommend restaurants for Public Affairs (Peachtree TV) and hosted regional TV show, Dish Worth The Drive, when they explored the Athens, GA food scene (aired in 48 southeastern markets). Now Skye is Marketing and Media Manager for Taste of Atlanta, Atlanta’s largest food festival.

Whether promoting restaurants, healthy eating, travel or her southern roots, Skye strives to show people the delicacies of life and brings positivity and entertainment on screen.

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Jason Sheetz / Under the Cork Tree / Hammocks Trading Company
Owner

Jason Sheetz is an Atlanta native, growing up right here in Sandy Springs.  His love for the area and its neighborhood charm is what drew him back here to open Hammocks Trading Company and Under The Cork Tree.

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Jason began his management career with Chequers       Seafood Grill at age 23.  Shortly after, he accepted a position managing for the Liberty House Restaurant Group.  Working at Atlanta’s highly acclaimed fine dining establishments, Blue Ridge Grill and Bones,  Jason gained invaluable knowledge and experience.  At 26, Jason took an opportunity to work for Master Chef Tom Catherall, (owner of Here to Serve Restaurants) at Goldfish Restaurant. Catherall moved  Jason into the General Manager position quickly.  In 2008 Jason became the General Manager at Twist,  and then the Area Director for Here to Serve Restaurants in 2010.

While working for Here to Serve, Jason met and immediately befriended Chef William Sigley. They  shared  a vision: To open a local establishments where guests could sit back and relax while enjoying  exceptional  service and dine on dishes prepared flawlessly with the freshest ingredients. From this idea,  Hammocks Trading  Company and Under The Cork Tree were born.

Jason and his wife, Lake, reside in Kennesaw with their two children, Colton and Piper.  They all share a love for travel and adventure.  Spelunking, hiking and camping are family favorite activities.

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Continuous Accounting

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UHY Advisors

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Matt Cagwin / First Data Corporation
Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer

Matt began his career at Arthur Andersen and KPMG in Atlanta Georgia providing attest services to public and private clients in the manufacturing and technology industries.

Matt joined Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) in 2004 and held various progressive roles, including from 2010 through 2014 Vice President of Finance Services and Strategic Finance Initiatives, based in London, England. In this role, he is responsible for leading a 200-person accounting team, and overseeing a 200-person outsource contract with Capgemini (based in Krakow, Poland and Chennai, India).  Matt also led CCE’s Finance Transition program, which was responsible for transitioning the majority of CCE’s in-country accounting activities to a captive shared service centre in Sofia, Bulgaria.

In 2014, Matt joined First Data as the Vice President, Financial Reporting, Policy and Sarbanes Oxley.  In this role, Matt successfully transitioned his team from Denver, Colorado to Atlanta, Georgia.  In 2015, Matt assumed the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and played an active role in FDC’s Initial Public Offering.

Matt holds a bachelor and master’s degrees in accounting from Florida State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

 

Tammie Coley / Cox Communications
Executive Director, Enterprise Accounting, Financial Systems & Compliance

For more than 20 years, Tammie Coley has been an innovator and organizational architect in developing enterprise-wide strategies for the implementation of leading practices in the accounting function. Coley joined Cox Communications in 2003 and is currently the Executive Director, Enterprise Accounting and Internal Controls Governance where she oversees the accounting and internal controls governance functions. During her tenure, Ms. Coley provided the vision and leadership that lead to the successful transformation of Cox’s Accounts Payable function, reducing costs by more than 60%. She also successfully transformed the monthly accounting cycle generating more timely financial statements with greater consistency and accuracy while reducing the costs of the accounting function. Furthermore, Ms. Coley led the initiative to shift Cox’s compliance function to an enterprise-wide internal controls governance function incorporating the 2013 updates to the COSO framework.

 

Brad Baer / UHY Advisors
Managing Director

Brad Baer is a Managing Director in the Management & Technology Consulting group of the firm in the Southeast, which provides high-value consultative services to help clients meet their business, accounting and finance objectives. He is responsible for client service, client management, solution creation and delivering process improvement expertise to help clients enhance and sustain gains in their businesses. Brad has more than 20 years of experience in all facets of finance and accounting, management, client service and operations.

 

Andrew Borsuk / UHY Advisors
Business Development Director

Andrew Borsuk is a Business Development Director for UHY Advisors in the Southeast, which provides high-value consultative services to help clients meet their business, accounting, and finance objectives. He serves clients nationwide, bringing expertise in business development and relationship building across all the practice areas covered by UHY Advisors. Andrew has more than 20 years of diverse professional experience.

KSU Entrepreneurship Center The Shrimp Tank Featuring Ric Zampatti

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KSUEntrepreneurship

 Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks, Ted Jenkin and Lee Heisman

 

Ric Zampatti / The Barter Company
President and CEO

Ric ZampattiExceptional Success

Ric is a career Georgia business owner and entrepreneur and has been a leader in the barter industry for more than 20 years. In 1996, Ric started The Barter Company in Kennesaw, GA.  Since that time, Ric has grown the company into the leading force in the barter industry throughout the Southeast with offices in Georgia and Florida. Ric currently serves as the CEO of The Barter Company, one of the premier business-to-business trade exchanges in the country serving more than 2,500 clients.

Background

Ric is a seasoned entrepreneur working with businesses that provide services in media buying, new business development, and growth. His passion is helping start-ups and small businesses grow and prosper through barter as well as sound fiscal management and common sense cash flow strategies. Ric is a four-time past president and board member on and off for the past 20 years for the National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE). He is a member of the International Reciprocal Trade Association, The Brain Trust (a CEO Think Tank), and Optimist International.

The Barter Company provides businesses with an alternative currency network by using barter dollars instead of cash to handle transactions. The Barter Company actively manages the network with highly skilled trade coordinators making the barter experience simple and smooth. In 2016, The Barter Company was selected as one of the “Top 25” Small Businesses of the Year by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

When he’s not at The Barter Company, Ric is in the sky. He is an instrument-rated pilot with over 1,000 hours of flying time.

Ric attended Ohio University with a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management.

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Digital Marketing Series Episode 04

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Daniel Jape / Reliable Heating & Air
President

Daniel began his career with Reliable in 2001 in the back warehouse stocking shelves. He then moved into the install department where he started as an assistant and later graduated to a lead install technician. Daniel is currently one of our lead Comfort Consultants where he designs heating and cooling systems to increase the comfort levels in homes and businesses. Daniel and his wife live in North Cherokee County with their darling two little girls. In his spare time he enjoys weightlifting, boating, baseball and playing with his two daughters.

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Lea Anne Davis / Reliable Heating & Air
Director of Marketing

Lea Anne Davis started her digital related career in the early 2000’s. Davis is proud to have helped launch several start ups and digital divisions such as Creative Loafing’s online classified advertising division, and Kudzu.com for Cox Enterprises. From 2010 to 2015, Lea Anne worked as an independent internet marketing consultant with ReachLocal. She has personally managed the digital strategy for over 45 local Atlanta based businesses, most of them being in the home services related industries.

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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 021

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Veterans Connect Radio

A spotlight episode of Atlanta Business Radio and powered by Business RadioX. Co-Hosted by Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson and Brandon Skolnick with Gathering Of Angels. Featuring veteran entrepreneurs, support organizations, outreach groups and more in the Atlanta area continuing to serve our families, our communities and our country. 

#VetsConnect
@VetConnectRadio

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Vonetta Daniels and Carl Gebo

 

Carl Gebo / Government Contractors Assistance & Resource Line, LLC  (G-CARL)
Founder & President

Carl received his Commission as a US. Army 2nd Lieutenant when he graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1986. His 1st Active Duty Assignment was at Ft. Rucker, Alabama — the Home of Army Aviation. For the next 6 years he was a Combat Helicopter Pilot stationed in Korea during the 1988 Olympics; Panama During Operation Just Cause; and Saudi Arabia & Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Based out of Ft. Bragg for the remainder of his active duty service, he left the Army as a Captain in 1992 after receiving Army Expeditionary Force and Commendation Medals as as the Army Air Medal for his service in Desert Storm. Carl went  to Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. Graduated in 1995 and came to Atlanta. Since then he has practiced Government Contracts Law as a partner at one Atlanta’s oldest and most respected law firms and then joined another nationally recognized firm before launching the Government Contractors Assistance & Resource Line or GCARL in 2010 to help companies Win, Keep, and Profit From Government Contracts through Direct and Strategic Assistance

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Vonetta Daniels / VYD and Associates
President and CEO

Vonetta Daniels is an Air Force Veteran and President & CEO of VYD and Associates. VYD and Associates provides Management & Strategy Consulting services to a diversity of government, commercial and non-profit clients to include the Small Business Association (SBA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the East Lake Foundation. Vonetta has more than 20 years of professional experience which includes Management Consulting experience with BearingPoint, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), internal consultant for SunTrust Banks, and industry experience in Public Health, Research, Higher Education, Government, Non-Profits, Education and Community Partners and Financial Services.

In 2015 Vonetta was nominated for Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Veterans & Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO) and Awarded 2016 Veteran Entrepreneur of the Year by the DeKalb County Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Board. Vonetta is an alumna of the University of Virginia and Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, and an AmeriCorps National Service Alumna.

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Toby Bloomberg with Diva Foodies, Theresa Lina Stevens with Lina Group, Inc. and Terri Denison with U.S. Small Business Administration

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Toby Bloomberg / Diva Foodies
Co-Founder

Toby Bloomberg is the co-founder of Diva Foodies which serves the culinary industry including food entrepreneurs, chefs and cookbook authors by growing business through digital and social media strategies. Diva Foodies hosts the popular Tweet Chat #FoodTVChat, the only Twitter chat bringing TV Chefs and audience together in digital conversations. DivaFoodies.com is a digital destination that offers interviews with chefs and others in the food world along with the occasional obligatory food review post.

Toby is no stranger to the world of social media. With the launch of her award winning blog Diva Marketing, in 2004, she is considered one of the pioneers of blogging and social marketing. She is recognized for her expertise in combining digital media with traditional marketing values (strategy, consumer insights/research, and segmentation) while maintaining conversation authenticity. Her last ‘corporate gig’ was heading social media for a national media company where she supported a portfolio of over 70 newspaper, TV and radio properties in using social media as a catalyst to build stronger brand-to-audience relationships.

Toby is a Yankee from Boston living in the South learning to appreciate grits!

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Theresa Lina Stevens / Lina Group, Inc.
President

Theresa Lina Stevens is the founder and president of Lina Group, Inc., a strategic marketing consulting firm that specializes in market dominance strategy, working primarily with technology companies on differentiation, positioning, market selection, marketing strategy and product marketing. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, she is also involved with Stanford University in the Department of Management Science & Engineering and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.

She has served as Chief Marketing Officer for two Internet-related startups and began her career at Accenture. After several years there as a management consultant, Theresa helped found the firm’s Communications Industry Group. She served as its Director of Worldwide Marketing and helped lay the foundation for what has become a multi-billion dollar business.

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Terri Denison / U.S. Small Business Administration
District Director

Terri Denison is the Georgia District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role since May 2002, she is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the SBA’s financial, counseling/training and business development programs for small businesses throughout Georgia.

Terri began her SBA career in 1987 as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Agency’s Washington, D. C. District and Headquarter Offices. Other positions included working with the Agency’s Minority Enterprise Development and One Stop Capital Shop programs and Office of Field Operations. In 1994, she served as the SBA representative on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community Interagency Task Force. In the fall of 2000, she was one of seven individuals nationwide selected to participate in the SBA’s District Director Candidate Development Program. Assignments included Acting Deputy District Director of the SBA’s Los Angeles District Office and Acting District Director of the Wisconsin District Office.

As Georgia District Director, Terri has been recognized by the Atlanta Business League, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Microenterprise Network, Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Who’s Who in Black Atlanta.

A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Terri holds a B.A. Degree in American Government from Cornell University and an M.A. Degree in Urban Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. Personal interests include ballroom dancing and travel.

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