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James "Jay" M. Bailey is the President and CEO of the H.J. Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE). Under his leadership, RICE has supported over 360 entrepreneurs, generating $117 million in annual revenues and creating 1,600 jobs in the community in just four years. Jay is an Atlanta native, a speaker, and a three-time TED Talker. He has been honored at the White House as a "Champion of Change" and received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama. He holds a degree from the University of Georgia. 

Bradie C. Barr is vice president and managing director at Transamerica. She serves as president of Transamerica Stable Value Solutions Inc., where she is responsible for the overall management of Transamerica’s stable value business and chairs the AEGON Transamerica Foundation’s Baltimore Committee. Her diverse financial services experience includes fixed-income investments, treasury management, business development and relationship management. Barr holds a BA in economics from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ«.

Francis “Frank” S. Blake retired as chairman of The Home Depot in January 2015, having served as chairman and CEO of the world’s largest home improvement retail business since 2007. Prior to joining The Home Depot in 2002, he held positions with the U.S. Department of Energy and General Electric. A graduate of Harvard University, Mr. Blake earned a JD from Columbia University School of Law.

Tapaswee Chandele is senior vice president of global talent, development and system HR partnerships for The Coca-Cola Company. Responsible for the company’s worldwide talent development strategy, she also oversees executive talent reviews and succession planning efforts. She has an MBA in human resources and industrial relations from Symbiosis International University and holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry and clinical nutrition.

Tara Hogan Charles is a senior director for The Procter & Gamble Company, currently leading race equity programs and partnerships. This role is the latest in her 22-year career at P&G where she previously served as senior counsel in the legal division and associate director in the global government relations and public policy organization. She received her bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott in German and political science and her JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law—Chapel Hill.

Ronald A. Crutcher is an American classical musician and academic administrator who served as president of the University of Richmond from 2015 to 2021, where he continues as President Emeritus and University Professor. He was president of Wheaton College (Mass.) from 2004 until 2014 and earlier served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and professor of music at Miami University of Ohio. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Miami University of Ohio, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from Yale University.

Katie Fahs is the intern, fellowships and volunteer coordinator at CARE. She has a professional background in marketing and market research, having worked with companies in both the U.S. and Europe, including Proctor & Gamble, Intuit, Vision Express UK and Johnson & Johnson. She holds a BA in economics and history from Harvard University.

Duriya M. Farooqui is a board director of Intercontinental Hotels Group and Intercontinental Exchange, as well as the New York Stock Exchange. With two decades of experience in economic development, business transformation and innovation, she was a president at Georgia Pacific and a principal at Bain & Company and served as the chief operating officer for the City of Atlanta. A graduate of Hampshire College, she holds an MPA in international development from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ellen Parker Gaffney is an active community volunteer and philanthropist. Currently, she serves as president of the Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Alumnae Association and vice chair of the Ridgecrest Foundation Board of Directors. She graduated from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 1987 with a BA in biology and psychology and later completed graduate work at Georgia State University in school psychometry.

Lewis F. Galloway retired as senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Ind. Earlier he served other churches in North and South Carolina and Virginia. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in racial reconciliation and campus ministries, social justice and homeless initiatives. A graduate of Davidson College, he holds a DMin and a ThM from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va.

Sandra Gordon is vice president, global operations employee experience and relations at Amazon, where she works to create a more inclusive and engaging workplace. Beginning her career as a flight attendant, she rose to senior vice president of domestic airport operations at Delta Air Lines before joining Amazon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.

Parmeet Grover is the senior partner and managing director for Boston Consulting Group in Atlanta, where he works with Fortune 500 and governmental clients in North America, Europe and Asia on strategy, marketing and sales and operational transformation. Prior to joining BCG, he was an executive at Michelin and a partner at McKinsey & Company. He earned his MS and PhD in materials science and engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Loucy Tittle Hay is an active community volunteer and entrepreneur, who earned her BA in economics from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 1987. Founding chairperson for the Newton County Foundation for Academic Excellence, she has worked since 2007 with the Newton County Board of Education to create and sustain Newton County Theme School and in commercial real estate management. Previously, she was chief executive officer of Merryvale Assisted Living.

Julia A. Houston is the chief strategy and marketing officer at Equifax. She has extensive experience, having served in various leadership roles at different organizations before joining Equifax. Julia currently serves on boards in the Atlanta area, including the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Leadership Atlanta, the Woodruff Arts Center, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Police Foundation. She has a JD from the University of Georgia School of Law and a BA from the University of Virginia.

Elizabeth Hardy Noe retired as a partner at Paul Hastings, where she was the chair of the Global Corporate Department. Ms. Noe received her BA in English and political science from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 1986 and her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989.

Tiffany M. Nuriddin '07 is a partner at Harrison LLP, where she serves on the Executive Committee. A Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, she consults on estate planning and administration, family wealth transfer tax planning, succession planning and fiduciary litigation.

Whitney Miller Ott is a partner at Jackson Spalding, one of the largest independent, integrated marketing firms in the Southeast. A member of the Management Team, she oversees projects for high-profile clients, including The Coca-Cola Company; leads client messaging, coaching and facilitation sessions; and handles crisis communications. She graduated from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 2003 with a major in history.

Kathryn M. Scott is a senior marketing and analytics consultant. Her work focuses on business-to-business digital marketing in roles that bridge business and analytics. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Agnes Scott in 1985 and also studied at the Universityé Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium.

Joanne D. Smith is executive vice president and chief people officer for Delta Air Lines. Her oversight includes talent management and development, recruitment, HR service delivery, diversity and inclusion, labor relations and HR policies and programs. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University.

Elizabeth A. Stephenson has had a professional and volunteer career in the nonprofit sector as a fund raiser and grant maker. Prior to her retirement, she worked for The Imlay Foundation, The Zeist Foundation, Pace Academy, The Westminster Schools and The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. She graduated from Ïã¸Û°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 1984 with a BA in French.

Erica Stiff-Coopwood is an active community volunteer in Memphis, Tenn., where she recently completed her term as president of the Junior League of Memphis. She has practiced law in Nashville, Tenn., as an employment defense litigator with Constangy, Brooks and Smith, and then as a business attorney for Bone McAllester Norton. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Agnes Scott in 1998 and holds a JD and a business certificate from Vanderbilt University.

Mary-Crawford Taylor is head of industry consulting at Truist Bank. She has held various sales, leadership and consulting roles in Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking and Investment Banking at SunTrust, now Truist, over the past two decades. Earlier, she was a director at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, advising clients in risk management. She holds a BA from Vanderbilt University in economics with a concentration in business.

G. Oliver (Ollie) Wagner V has served as senior pastor of Alpharetta Presbyterian Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, since 2008. Before this appointment, he served as pastor of Montoursville Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania, his home state, for nearly a decade. After joining the ministry, his first call was as a college chaplain in Chapel Hill, N.C. A graduate of Davidson College, Wagner earned his MDiv from Union Presbyterian Seminary and his DMin from Columbia Theological Seminary. 

Tawana Lee Ware is a pediatric dentist and an adjunct professor at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. A 1996 graduate of Agnes Scott, she received her DDS. in 2002 from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. She earned a certificate in pediatric dentistry in 2004 and a master's degree in dentistry in 2008 from Indiana University.