About Wendy Beach

Wendy Beach has held varied leadership roles in economic and workforce development at local, regional and national levels.  In addition, she has been an entrepreneur: co-founding a private sector driven workforce investment collaborative in northeast Wisconsin which won an innovation award from Wisconsin’s Governor, and, a corporate intrapreneur:  creating a new line of business for a global staffing organization which involved hiring, training and leading a team of regional leaders across the United States.  

Wendy’s public sector roles include leadership in a U.S. Department of Energy program focusing on technology commercialization based at the University of Utah, and serving as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.  

With a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Michigan and an M.A. Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, Wendy focuses on the common thread of all of her successes – helping individuals, organizations and communities discover and apply their unique strengths to build resilience and flourish. 

About Amy Crowell

Amy has more than two decades of experience helping non-profits maximize their impact via special event fundraising, board development, individual giving, grant research, and writing. Prior to founding Next Stage Advisors, Amy was a leader at Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry, a national nonprofit, as Director of Grassroots Fundraising and Youth Engagement where she built a community of people of all ages to help spread the word and raise funds to end childhood hunger. Prior to that, Amy was Share Our Strength’s Atlanta Director where she raised more than $3 million via special events and donations. In 2017, Amy authored The A-to-Z Guide to Event Fundraising. The book helps nonprofits of all sizes with their special event fundraisers by creating a blueprint to help them organize well-run events that net both high profits and new supporters for their organization. Amy is highly skilled in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing including website design and implementation, e-communications, loyalty programs, and both print and social media. She holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Connecticut, an MBA from Brenau University, is a Certified Fundraising Executive, Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Les Dames d’Escoffier International-Atlanta where she has held the VP of Philanthropy position.

About Susannah Darrow

Susannah Darrow is the Founder and Principal of Susannah Darrow Consulting. She works with nonprofits to support resource development and growth for organizations $3M and under. Her nonprofit clients include Hands On Atlanta, Global Growers Network, Global Village Project, A3C Conference and Festival, Atlanta Land Trust, Georgia Council on Economic Education, Georgia Humanities Council, Dashboard, and others. Susannah currently serves as the District 2 Arts and Culture Advisor to Atlanta City Councilmember Amir Farokhi. 

She was the founding Executive Director of BURNAWAY, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing critical coverage and dialogue about arts in the Southeast. During her tenure, Susannah grew the organization from an Atlanta-based volunteer-run labor of love to a fully staffed organization with programs throughout the Southeast (2008-2015). Susannah served as the Executive Director of ArtsATL, a nonprofit online publication based in Atlanta, Georgia that covers the city's arts and culture communities (2015-2017).  

Susannah served as the Co-Chair of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2019. She was a member of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2016 and participated in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute (2106) and the Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta (2014). In 2014, Georgia Trend Magazine named her as one of 40 top leaders under age 40. In 2013, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits named her in their list of top 30 nonprofit leaders under age 30. Susannah has served on the boards of Art Papers, Eyedrum, Georgia Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Grant Park Cooperative Preschool, and the advisory board of Atlanta Celebrates Photography. 

About Cicley Gay

Cicley Gay, CEO of The Amplifiers,  brings 20 years of nonprofit experience. She is a two-time graduate of AmeriCorps, a civil service effort of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Cicley was also the founding director of STAND (Students Take Action for New Directions), educating students on the impact of federal budget priorities on local communities.

Committed to impacting the lives of the underserved, she spent nearly a decade at The Women’s Sports Foundation as the founding director of GoGirlGo! and later as the national director of education and alliances. There, Cicley lead a philanthropic effort to increase physical activity participation for young women throughout the nation.

Cicley was also the national program director of the National CARES Mentoring Movement under the direct leadership of Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine. In that role, Cicley built the grant allocations process and programmatic infrastructure of a multi-million dollar national mentoring initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Cicley holds degrees in political science and communications from the University of Kansas and has served on the National Physical Activity Steering Committee. She is a former recipient of the Catalyst Award from the Global Center for Social Change through Women’s Leadership, a member of the inaugural class of Atlanta WEI, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, and was recognized as one of Georgia's 40 Under 40 in 2017. Her greatest accomplishment to date is winning “Mom of the Year” as a stage, football and lacrosse mom to three sons.

About Len Al Haas

Len Al Haas, CFRE, is founder and president of Haas Consulting. For 30 years, he has provided fundraising, planning, and technology consulting services for a wide range of nonprofits.

An active community volunteer for three decades, Len Al co-founded and served as chairman of the board of directors of TECH CORPS Georgia. He also served on the boards of The Study Hall at Emmaus House and St. Martin’s Episcopal School. He is a past president of the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He currently serves on the advisory board of Candid South and is a frequent conference presenter.

Len Al began his career working in development and alumni affairs at Georgia State University and later served as development director for Hillside Hospital. Prior to starting his own firm, he was a consultant with a large, Atlanta-based firm where he successfully managed a wide variety of annual and capital campaigns.

Len Al earned a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Georgia State University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). He also taught math and economics as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.

About Dr. Cheryl Hall-Russell

Dr. Hall-Russell is President and Chief Cultural Consultant for BW3 (Black Women, Wise Women) a Pittsburgh based DEI firm. After 20+ years in the C-Suite of international organizations and nonprofits, she left the nonprofit sector after becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of diverse leadership, and the tenuous relationship philanthropy has with leaders of color. She felt they accepted the missions of black and brown led organizations but struggled to fund them or believe in their right of self-determination at the level majority agencies were supported. During her last nonprofit CEO position, she returned to graduate school to get her doctorate and focus on DEI and authentic leadership. BW3 currently serves both the corporate and nonprofit sectors supporting DEI planning and implementation. They also facilitate the COLORful Leadership Series on race, gender and leadership and they continue to support the nonprofit sector as planners, facilitators, and program evaluators. BW3 is a member of the DEI Expert Hub out of Washington D.C. that serves organizations throughout the U.S. Dr. Hall-Russell is an adjunct professor of qualitative research methods and program development. She earned an EdD in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University in Pittsburgh as well as an MA in Philanthropic Studies and an MPA with a  Nonprofit Management focus from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She has an adult son and a daughter in high school. 

About Keith Millner

Keith is the co-founder of Coaching Catalyst, LLC a boutique consultancy and executive coaching firm. He has spent more than 17 years assisting corporate, civic, religious leaders, entrepreneurs and professional organizations to perform better, smarter, and faster. Keith’s personal mission is to be an Enabler. Equipping people with the mental, spiritual and physical tools they need to excel. His corporate and entrepreneurial career spans over 30 years in diverse industries, including consumer packaged goods, banking, insurance, healthcare and consulting.

 Keith earned a BA degree in Economics from Guilford College, an MBA in Marketing from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business and completed advanced studies in Information Technology/ Business Strategy at TIAS Business School, the University of Navarra in Barcelona, Spain.  Keith holds certifications in PROSCI Change Management, Crucial Conversations, and Negotiation Strategies. He also holds a Master certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and NLP Coaching; an Associate Coach designation in Knowledge-Based Coaching from the International Coach Federation, University of the Highlands and Islands Management School.

 His community leadership includes serving as Board Vice-Chair and Commissioner for the Housing Authority of Fulton County; 100 Black Men of Atlanta Board of Directors and Chair-elect; My Brother’s Keeper Initiative; National Black MBA Association of Atlanta, former Board member and VP of Corporate Affairs; United Way of Atlanta-VIP Alumni; Founding member, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Advisory Board and Leadership Atlanta Alumni, Class of 2018.

About Virginia Nugent

Virginia (Gin) Nugent is the Director of Operations for Susannah Darrow Consulting, whose capacity-building clients include Architecture and Design Center, Decatur Makers, and VOX ATL. Gin has 30 years’ experience leading small and mid-sized nonprofits, and has experience in Minneapolis / St Paul (History Theatre, Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute) and Chicago (Jazz Institute of Chicago, Chicago Dramatists, The Actors Gymnasium) and locally with Synchronicity Theatre and Circus Arts Institute. Virginia has served on numerous industry committees, and is most proud of co-founding Enrich Evanston: an arts equity task force, the successful feasibility study that added an Arts & Culture Director to the City of St Paul Mayor’s Cabinet, and representing the Twin Cities to the Pew Charitable Trust/Urban Institute’s Performing Arts Research Coalition. She has reviewed grants for South Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board and the Minnesota Regional Arts Council, and led the working group that developed guidelines for the City of Evanston’s new grant program promoting equity in hiring leaders of color in arts organizations. 

About Rachel Spears

Rachel Epps Spears was hired as the Executive Director of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta in 2005 when the organization was founded. Prior to joining the Partnership, Rachel was an associate in the public finance department at King & Spalding in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rachel is a former Chair of the State Bar of Georgia Nonprofit Law Section and is a member of the Public Interest Executive Roundtable of the Atlanta Bar Association. She has been recognized as one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite and the Daily Report’s On the Rise attorneys. She has received the EPIC Inspiration Award: Unsung Devotion to Those Most in Need awarded by Emory University School of Law and the Rita A. Sheffey Public Interest Award presented by the Atlanta Bar Association.

An Atlanta native, Rachel graduated from Davidson College in 1993 with a degree in Political Science and received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997. She lives in Morningside with her husband, two daughters, and one very lazy lab mix.

About Charmaine Ward-Millner

Charmaine Ward-Millner is Corporate Relations Director for Georgia Power. She is responsible for building and maintaining key state and national relationships with diverse organizations and opinion leaders. Her efforts focus on forming strategic alliances with diverse segments of the company’s 2.5 million customers, corporate partners, and civic organizations to garner support and promote advocacy for important industry and company issues. She also works closely with internal executives and community leaders to develop sustainable initiatives aligned with the company’s business goals and philanthropic strategies supporting its mission to be “a citizen wherever we serve.” 

Charmaine has held senior-level positions with Georgia-Pacific, John H. Harland, Bank of America, Showtime Networks and IBM. She has created tremendous value as a corporate leader in the areas of corporate philanthropy, foundation, corporate affairs, diversity, marketing, and sales. 

She is a noted speaker, serial entrepreneur, adjunct professor at Georgia State, certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach, and an Associate Certified Coach with ICF (International Coaching Federation).

Charmaine’s service to the community is widespread. She serves as Secretary for the National Black MBA national board, Chair for the National Black Arts Festival Board, and Co-Chair of Special Events for Kenny Leon True Colors Theatre board. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Links, Inc., and Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. She is also an alumna of United Way VIP, Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), Leadership Georgia, and Leadership Atlanta.