Andrew M. Brown
Mr. Brown was born in 1966 in Decatur, Georgia. He holds the Bachelor in Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia (1989) and a master’s degree in Mass Communication, also from the University of Georgia (1991). Mr. Brown is a Registered Investment Advisor and a Certified Financial Planner professional and is owner of Brown Wealth Management L.L.C, an independent fee-only investment advisory and financial planning firm. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board for Conyers Presbyterian Pre-School; he previously has served as President of the Rotary Club of Conyers and as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Eastminster School. He has been married to his wife, Amy, for nineteen years and they have five children.
Anindya Datta, Ph.D.
Anindya Datta is an Associate Professor in the DuPree School of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Director of the iXL Center for Electronic Commerce. After finishing his doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, he was an assistant professor of MIS at the University of Arizona. Dr. Datta's undergraduate education was completed at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. His primary research interests lie in studying technologies that have the potential to significantly impact the automated processing of organizational information. Dr. Datta is the founder of Wordster, a website designed to innovate the traditional semantic references (the dictionary and the thesaurus).
Scott Foster
Mr. Foster earned the Bachelor in Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. He received his certification from the American College of Life Underwriters in 1979, establishing Scott Foster, CLU, Inc. in 1980.He is a life-time member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) and has been State Farm’s number one agent in life insurance for 23 years. His articles have been published in the CLU Forum, The National Association of Life Underwriters, and in Money Magazine, and he has lectured nationally on insurance related issues. He lives in Conyers, Georgia, with his wife Linda; they have two grown daughters, Susan and Laura.
Laura French, Chairperson of the Board
Laura French is a partner with the law firm of Talley, French & Kendall, P.C., and the mediation services firm of Clare, French & Benton, LLC. Laura graduated with honors from Auburn University, obtained her juris doctor from the Georgia State University College of Law, and her masters of law in taxation from the University of Alabama. She is a tax attorney and her practice focuses on all aspects of estate planning from wills to probate, guardianship and conservatorships as well as corporate and business matters.
Laura currently serves as Chairperson of the Board of Eastminster School. A graduate of Leadership Rockdale, Laura is a frequent speaker to the Chamber of Commerce and other groups. She is actively involved in the Conyers-Rockdale Community through charities, including the Kimberley Chance Atkins Foundation. Laura and her husband, Kevin, live in Conyers where they are raising their son in their hometown.
Christy Jackson
Ms. Jackson was born in Carrollton, GA, in 1970. Christy holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, with a minor in history, from Agnes Scott College (1992). She currently oversees operations at REXCO, a Conyers-based manufacturing firm serving the composites industry. Christy lives in Conyers, GA with her partner, Helene Barrus, and their two children, Alex and Lily. Together they are one of the original Eastminster Founding Families.
Craig W. Johnson
Mr. Johnson graduated from Ohio University with a degree in electrical engineering and business management. He received his Executive Education training from The Wharton School. His career began as an engineer with Parker Hannifin Corporation. He worked in a leadership training capacity for Michelin Tire, and then came to Nortel Networks in Atlanta where he held numerous managerial positions over a fifteen year period. In 2004, Craig opened Kumon of Conyers, a math and reading learning center. He and his wife are parents to Courtney and Candace.
Fran Jones
Ms. Jones holds a degree in business management from Riverside Business College. She is President and CFO of Ray Jones, Inc. Her career has been in commercial development and the design and construction of commercial property. Fran is on the Board of Directors for United Community Bank. She is involved in numerous civic and community organizations, currently serving as Vice President of the Board of the Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts. Fran has a son and two grandchildren.
Leon J. Leonard, DMD
Dr. Leonard earned his dental degree in 1982 from the Medical College of Georgia and a master’s degree in orthodontics in 1984 from the University of North Carolina. He has maintained a private practice since 1985 in Conyers and Covington, Georgia. He served on the Rockdale County Board of Education from 1990-94. He lives in Mansfield, Georgia, with his wife Dr. Caralyn Leonard and their two sons, Matthew and Mark.
Albert Myers, Jr., D.Min.
Al Myers is a Presbyterian minister who served Conyers Presbyterian Church as pastor for thirty years prior to retirement. He received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and the Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. While a student at Union Seminary, Rev. Myers studied for a year at the Faculte of Protestante Theologie in Montpellier, France. In 1986 he earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. Through the years he has been active in various organizations in the community, serving as a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 209, president of the local Boys and Girls Club, and president of the Rotary Club of Conyers. Rev. Myers and his wife, Mary, have three sons and three granddaughters.
Michael J. Penland
Syed Wasim, MD, MPH
Dr. Wasim earned his medical degree in 1988 from Dhaka Medical College and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore in 1991. He completed a residency program specializing in Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1995. After moving to Conyers in 1997, he co-founded Eastside Internal Medicine LLC in 2006. Dr. Wasim is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has served as both Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Secretary/Treasurer of the Medical Staff at Rockdale Medical Center. He was elected to the board of directors of the East Metro Independent Physicians Organization in 1999 and continues to serve in that capacity. His interest in community service and education led to membership of the Advisory Board of Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology since 2007. Dr. Wasim has been involved in various charitable organizations, including Healing Hands Free Clinic. He lives in Conyers with his wife, Farhana Quasem, MD, (also an Internal Medicine physician) and children, Lamisa and Zarek.
Board Member Emeritus
Harry S. Downs, Ed.D.
Dr. Downs earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a master’s in education from the University of Georgia and a doctorate in education from Michigan State University. Since 1994, he has been Chancellor Emeritus of the University System of Georgia and President Emeritus of Clayton State University. In 1994 he served as Acting Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. Dr. Downs is presently chairman of the Scholarship Board of the Ty Cobb Educational Foundation and chairman of the Board of the Georgia Fund for Education for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Dr. Downs serves on the Advisory Committee for the Star Teacher Awards Recognition Program. He lives in Conyers, Georgia, with his wife Melba, and they have three daughters and eleven grandchildren.