A message from our Head of School, Chris Harmon, Ed.D.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
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CHRIS HARMON, Ed.D.Head of School
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MARIE WOODSUpper School Principal |
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JENNIFER ALIFFAssistant to the Head of School |
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MARK JENNINGS, Ph.D.Assistant Head of School for Advancement |
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DAVID ROGERSMiddle School Principal |
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BECKY KNIGHT, Ed.D.Lower School Principal |
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DANA RIDENOURAthletics and Operations Director |
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SHANNON HEOTAKYDirector of Teaching and Learning |
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
| KELLY BURNS |
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| Kelly Burns currently serves as the Director of Consolidations at Teradata. She leads a team of professionals in ensuring the accurate financial presentation for a $2B data analytics company with presence in over 75 countries. Throughout her career, Kelly has served in a variety of accounting and finance roles with a specialty in helping companies navigate financial and/or business model transformation. Prior companies included Verizon, Siemens, Compass Group NA, and Kaplan. Kelly holds a BBA with a double major in Finance and Accounting, an MBA in International Business, and is a licensed CPA. Kelly and her husband, Chris, have 2 children at MPCS: Tanner (class of 2032) and Lynleigh (class of 2033). Their family worships at Fellowship Bible Church. Kelly serves on Mount Pisgah's Finance Committee and as a Parent Ambassador in the Lower School. |
| LISA DWORKIN |
| Lisa Dworkin serves as the Production Manager for Mercury Systems, formerly Atlanta Micro, which manufactures high performance RF and Microwave products primarily for the defense industry. She leads a team that is responsible for testing, verification and order fulfillment for the $14 million business unit in Peachtree Corners. Previously, Lisa was a design engineer for Scientific Atlanta and Motorola. Lisa is from Richmond, Virginia, and earned a BS in electrical engineering from Duke University and a MS in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Lisa and her husband David have three children, all Mount Pisgah alums: Elizabeth (class of 2016), Rebecca (class of 2022) and Matthew (class of 2022.) She is a member of Perimeter Church. Lisa has served in various roles at the school over the years, including Middle School President of the parent association, mentor parent for new families, school arts volunteer, team parent for girls basketball, and taught AP Chemistry at the school as well. |
| JOE GAYNOR |
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Joe Gaynor is Chief Legal, Sustainability and Risk Officer for Birla Carbon, a global manufacturer of carbon black, with its world headquarters in Marietta, Georgia. Joe leads a team of professionals responsible for the legal, safety, and environmental matters associated with the company’s sales offices and production facilities in 12 countries and four continents. Prior to his current position, Joe was the General Counsel for various private and publicly-held pharmaceutical, manufacturing, technology and sales and distribution companies. Joe is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Miami University and a Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law. Joe and his wife Courtney have four children who attended Mount Pisgah Christian School: Ellen graduated in 2005; Daniel graduated in 2007; Alistair graduated in 2011; and Paris graduated in 2014. The Gaynors feel blessed to have been a part of Mount Pisgah for more than twenty years. |
| FLINT GEIER |
| Flint Geier currently holds the position of Executive Vice President at the Scheduling Institute. He earned his degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. A proud alumnus of Mount Pisgah, Class of 2017, Flint is deeply committed to giving back to the school that shaped his academic and personal development. |
| JIM GILVIN |
| Jim has been an active member of the Alpharetta community for two decades. For much of that time Jim was a licensed residential real estate agent who was active in homeowners associations representing his neighbors on issues that impacted this community before running for public office. Jim was elected to serve on the Alpharetta City Council in 2011 where he served four years as the council liaison to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department followed by two years as the liaison to the Public Safety Department. In May of 2018 Jim was elected as the Mayor of Alpharetta. Jim currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau board, the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Tech Alpharetta in addition to the advisory board of the Ed Isakson/Alpharetta YMCA and the Regional Advisory Board of Wellstar North Fulton in addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees for Mount Pisgah Christian School. Jim and his wife Mary Anne, are the proud parents of two children, Justin and Sarah Gilvin. The family attends Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church. Jim holds a Bachelors Degree in Finance from Georgia Southern University and is a licensed real estate agent. |
| DAVID HAILEY |
| David Hailey is an attorney in private practice and has served the Atlanta area since 1982. He has been a Partner in the law firm of Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins, LLP since 1990. David received his undergraduate degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his law degree from the University of Georgia. He currently serves as counsel for Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church and its related entities, including Mount Pisgah Christian School. David and his wife Jan have been members of Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church for many years, where he has served in numerous leadership positions and on a variety of committees. Two of their children, Carolyn, class of 2007, and Laura, class of 2012, attended Mount Pisgah Christian School. |
| CHRIS HORNSBY |
| Chris Hornsby is a partner at CarterBaldwin, a Top 40 national retained executive search firm headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, and leads the firm’s faith-based K-12 education practice. He was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, and graduated with a B.B.A., Finance degree from The University of Georgia. Chris and his wife, Shanna, have three children who are all MPCS students: Chapel (Class of 2025), Harper (Class of 2031) and Tate (Class of 2031). The Hornsbys worship at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia. |
| NNEKA MEDEBEM |
| Nneka Medebem is the Performance, Data Analytics and Process lead for Hewlett Packard Inc, an information and technology company in the HP Indigo Division Americas - Industrial Print Services. Evaluating current business practices to increase revenue by improving operational efficiency, she leads the data team responsible for reporting and analytics. She is responsible for projects that support goal congruence of providing an outstanding service experience for the graphics solution business. Conducting full lifecycle analysis for project requirements, integration, and delivery. Nneka serves on the Mount Pisgah Christian School’s Board of Trustees, Spiritual Life Committee and Advancement Committee, and as a Parent Ambassador for the class of 2027. Nneka was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, a linguistically diverse nation. She is Ika and Urhobo by birth, and Igbo by marriage. She speaks fluent Yoruba having had her formative years in Western Nigeria. She spends time with nature in her garden, watching creation blossom from garden to dish. Nneka and her husband George have 3 children who attend or have attended Mount Pisgah Christian School: Michael (Class of 2022), Alex (Class of 2025) and Gabriel (Class of 2027). The Medebems’ attend St. Brigid Catholic Church in Johns Creek. |
| BRIAN RANCK |
| Brian Ranck is an Executive Director in the Atlanta office of Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. In this role, he co-leads a local team that is responsible for delivering the firm’s investing, wealth transfer, credit and philanthropic services to high-net-worth clients in the Southeast. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Brian worked at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Smith Barney, and Robinson-Humphrey. Involved in both the professional and local community, Brian is also an Advisory Board Member for Leadership Ministries, Inc. In the past, he has served as a Board Member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council, a member of the Finance Committee for Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, a Board Member of Leadership Ministries, Inc., and the Planned Giving Committee Chair for Visiting Nurse Health System. A native of Atlanta, Brian received his Bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a member of Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church. Brian and his wife have three children. His son, Thomas, graduated from Mount Pisgah Christian School (class of 2021). |
| GRANT THOMAS |
| Grant Thomas was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to serve as Director of the Governor's Office of Health Strategy and Coordination in June 2021. In this role, Grant leads a team charged with facilitating collaboration and coordination between state health agencies, coordinating state health functions and programs, serving as a forum for identifying Georgia’s specific health issues of greatest concern, and promoting cooperation from both public and private agencies to test new and innovative healthcare proposals. He has previously served as Director of State Relations at the University of Georgia, Education and Higher Education Policy Advisor to Governor Brian Kemp, Government Affairs Manager at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and as Special Assistant to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Grant serves on Mount Pisgah Christian School's Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, Spiritual Life Committee, and Advancement Committee. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Alumni Board of Directors for the University of Georgia's School of Public and International Affairs and serves on the Zell Miller Foundation's Alumni Board of Directors. Grant was also appointed by Governor Kemp in 2019 to serve on the State of Georgia's Citizens Review Committee which led efforts to conduct a review of the state's K-12 Mathematics Standards. Grant earned both his bachelor's degree in Political Science and master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. He is also a 2011 graduate of Mount Pisgah Christian School. He attends North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. |
| REVEREND STEVE WOOD |
| Reverend Steve Wood served as the Lead Pastor of Mount Pisgah Church for 16 years. He grew up in Sandy Springs and received a BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia in 1980. Steve attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, where he received a Master of Divinity degree. Upon graduation, he was appointed Pastor of Red Oak UMC in College Park and planted the New Covenant UMC in Douglasville. Prior to his appointment at MPUMC in 2007, he was appointed Senior Pastor of Sugar Hill UMC in Gwinnett County where he served for ten years. Steve and his wife of thirty-five years, LeAnne, have four children who have attend Mount Pisgah: Lauren (’08), Lacey (’11), Layne (’17) and Steven, Jr. (’20). They also have two grandchildren. Steve has served on the MPCS Board since 2007. |