Ebony Vines Jackson, CEO, is a veteran of the arts world beginning as early as age 6. After excelling in an extensive performance career with such celebrities as Cicely Tyson, Debbie Allen and Carlton “Louis” Johnson, Ebony decided to shift her focus and explore Theatre Arts Administration. After receiving a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts Administration from Howard University, Mrs. Vines Jackson yearned for an education that would juxtapose theatre, education, youth and mass media. This passion culminated in a M.A. in Mass Communication and the co-creation of E.A.R.L.Y. Education, Arts, Recreation and Leadership Skills for Youth.
Darvell Jackson, CFO, has an extensive background in Marketing, Management and Healthcare. Mr. Jackson has spent over 20 years in the Healthcare industry. His professional career includes American Career College, Screen Actor’s Guild and the Medical Group of Beverly Hills. Mr. Jackson is a veteran of the Unites States Army with a B.S. in Business Administration from Virginia State University. Mr. Jackson’s current affiliations include Capital City Officials Association (CCOA), Georgia Softball Association (GSA), Dizzy Dean Little League, Los Angeles Officials Association (LAOA) and the National Federation State High School Association (NFHS).
Marje’ Etheridge, President, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the CrimeOut Foundation which is a national youth crime prevention initiative. She also serves as Chief Marketing Officer for the United Athletes Foundation and Chief Executive Officer for Dream Mart International. Marje’ is the Founder of The DreamNet which is a network that encourages individuals to support the dreams of others. She is also a visual artist, an art teacher, poet and songwriter. She was the Art instructor for the Darnell Senior Multipurpose Center for ten years in Atlanta and has taught art at several other Fulton County Senior Centers.
She served as a marketing consultant in the opening and operation of DeKalb County’s first senior multipurpose center, The Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia, Georgia. She currently serves on the Atlanta Advisory Board for the One Economy Corporation; the Atlanta BeltLine Youth Advisory Board and is the President of EARLY, Inc. Marje’ earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and mathematical computer science at St. Louis University. She is married to a wonderful man name Carl Etheridge and has two beautiful daughters, Corea and Trivon. 
Kevin McDermott, Vice President, is currently the Director of Project Second Chance. Project Second Chance is a community-based alternative education program that addresses the High School Dropout Crisis. It is a dropout recovery program that combines academics with vocational training and leads to a high school diploma upon completion.
Kevin has a BS in Education and Child Psychology from Syracuse University and is also the Director of LTSA Basketball Academy. LTSA personal training program have over 50 boys and girls who are attending college or who have already graduated from college. All received scholarships to play basketball.
In 1993, Kevin started and directed St. Anne’s Basketball Camps. During a twelve year period, more than 2,500 kids attended these camps and more than 300 of these campers went on to receive college scholarships. Kevin is the former Head Coach of St. Peter’s College Women’s Basketball Program, former Head Coach of St. Mary’s High School Boys’ Team, and former Assistant Coach at Marietta High School (MHS). Prior to the 1998-1999 season, 8 players on MHS played for Coach McDermott on the Marietta Magic AAU team. MHS went on to win the GA High School State Championship in 1999.
Although he loves coaching basketball, Coach McDermott believes his most important contribution was and is in helping young men and women learn to leave their positive mark on our society.
M. Nicole Goodbee, Secretary, has a B.S. in Communications from State University of New York College at New Paltz, a M.S. in Student Personnel Administration from State University of New York College at Buffalo and a Special Certificate in Human Resources Management from DeKalb Technical College. Ms. Goodbee is currently a Reintegration Counselor with Fulton County Workforce Agency. Ms. Goodbee’s professional career includes Trio Ambassador for Georgia State University, Personnel Associate for Neighborhood Charter School, Senior Youth Career Advisor for Fulton County Workforce Agency and Administrator for State University of New York College at Buffalo. Ms. Goodbee is currently a member of the Society for Human Resources Management.
Angela Waltower, Treasurer, is co-owner of A & M Business Solutions, a business consulting firm specializing in accounting services and business development for small businesses and non-profit organizations. She was formerly responsible for the finance department at the YWCA of Greater Atlanta affording her an opportunity to promote empowerment of women and children. Angela has also served as a volunteer at Village Atlanta and My Sister’s House. She earned a bachelor degree in business administration with a focus on small business and entrepreneurship from Troy University.
Karen Morgan, Coordinator of Fundraising & Community Affairs, has over 30 years' experience in the hospitality industry, primarily in convention and meeting planning. While employed in a management position in the Convention, Meetings & Business Travel Department of AFT, an international educational labor union, she also served as exposition manager, supervised organizational business travel policies, coordinated special events and developed membership leisure travel programs. For the past few years, Karen has been one of five Managing Partners in a family-owned and operated business, Cultural Connections, LLC that provided venues for cultural exchange through special events such as art shows, book signings, concerts, and domestic and international travel programs.
Sara Davis, Board Member, received her BA in psychology with a minor in women's studies from the University of South Carolina. She decided to continue her education and received her master in social work from the University of Georgia. Sara graduated within the top of her class in both her undergraduate and graduate experiences. She is now a licensed master’s social worker and is working toward her clinical licensing.
Sara has extensive training in working with society’s marginalized individuals. Some experiences include: case management with victims of domestic violence, case management for women and children who are homeless and therapy with individuals who are mentally ill, substance abuse and low income.
Sara currently works at Grady health system as a licensed clinician in psychiatry.
In 2009 she received employee of the year from the psychiatry department at Grady health system for her contributions and dedication to the organization.
Judy Brown Fears, Board Member, is the program director for the YWCA of Greater Atlanta TGI TECH program (Teen Girls In Technology). The TGI TECH program is designed for girls to experience communicating and working with female role models in underrepresented careers of science, technology and engineering. As middle school is a critical period in girls' lives as they start to imagine their futures and begin to form opinions about their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes Ms. Fears will serve as a catalyst for these young girls in under represented communities to help strengthen and prepare them for opportunities in new fields such as computer science, forensic science, biotechnology, environmental science and more.
Ms. Fears holds a B.A. in Business Education from Clark Atlanta University and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction –Technology, University of Phoenix and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Technology and Cultural Diversity from Walden University. Ms. Fears is certified in various areas of Instructional Technology and has taught Professional Development workshops Integrating technology in the classroom for education programs at Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College, the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua (URACCAN) and developed curriculum strategies to integrated technology for Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Technology in the Kansas City, Mo. school district.
Judy Brown Fears a native New Yorker has been in the Atlanta Metro area for the past 15 years and is the mother of two sons, Joseph (29 years old) and John (28 years old). She is an active member of various community organizations that focus on children and cultural diversity.
Anthony Hartley, Board Member, has over 20 years of experience in Youth Program Development and Recreation Facilities Management. Mr. Hartley’s professional career includes Assistant Director of Recreational Programs for the City of Atlanta Bureau of Parks and Recreation and Youth Coordinator for the YMCA of Fort Worth, TX. Mr. Hartley has an A.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Physical-Recreation Education from St. Augustine's College. Mr. Hartley holds several Certifications in Georgia Coaching, First Aid, Refereeing and Basic Skills of Youth Counseling.
Jemal McNeil, Board Member, has worked professionally as an actor, writer and director. He is a 2001 NAACP Theater Award-nominee for Best Director for his work on Steel Magnolias, and received three COLSAC Awards for Best Director for his work on Corpus Christi, Fences, and his original thriller What's Done in the Dark. Other directorial stage credits include Born Losers, Conboyz, Blacker the Berry, Aboriginal Treatment Center and Cercas, a latin adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences and Eye Mouth Grafitti Shop at Theater of Note. Directorial screen credits are Success, Pet Bytes, Sheroes, and I Can’t Pretend, which screened at the Pan African Film Festival. As a playwright, he has written Charlie and the Church House, Calima, Sweet Dreams and Hysteria. He has also written several screenplay originals, such as Chain Slap, The Last Day, and Road to Reality.
As an actor, Jemal McNeil has done such notable theater as Othello with Avery Brooks and Andre Brauer, Red Badge of Courage with Richard Thomas, and King Lear, Richard III, and Macbeth with Charles Dutton, Snow Angel at the Elephant Theatre, Negritude at the Village Theatre, and Lesson and Sessions of a Madman's Confessions is his original one man show, which ran for 16 weeks in Los Angeles. He last graced the stage at the ArtShare Los Angeles in Aboriginal Treatment Center, in which he was actor/director and received rave reviews from L.A. Times and L.A. Weekly. Television and film credits are several national commercials, America’s Most Wanted, Cutter's Club, a horror film starring Tony Todd and most recently Beenie, guest star on The Shield. He has trained at Howard University, The Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, and with Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis Workshop.
Jemal has work shopped, coached and taught various forms of psycho-drama/poetry/acting for the past 15 years. Some of these notable experiences have been: Kennedy Center, D.C. Artworks, CCNV Homeless Shelter, Charles Drew Medical Center, Taraji P. Henson, and Paula Jai Parker Martin.
Micki Smith, Board Member, is an Arts Administrator and founder of 4InnerSol Group. She has been in the arts and entertainment industry for 13 years. She has been blessed with the awesome opportunity to work with high profile clientele which includes but not limited to; celebrities, artists, athletes, and mega ministries. She provided services in arts administration, contract negotiations, booking talent, travel coordination, conference and event management, marketing and promotions and stage and tour management. Some of her clientele includes: Diahann Carroll, Debbie Allen, Malik Yoba, Stephanie Mills, Darryl Coley, Bishop T.D Jakes, Kirk Franklin, Dr. Chris and Regina Spellmon, Stephen Baldwin, and George Faison just to name a few. She has a passion for arts and entertainment, and believes that art is the essence of life.