OneGoal Issue Forum

Rick Clark currently serves as the vice provost of Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech. In this role, he oversees Undergraduate Admission, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Scholar Programs, Enrollment Marketing and Communications, the Bill Moore Student Success Center, and Enrollment Management Administration. The Enrollment Management team works collaboratively to ensure that students receive the guidance and resources they need to not only enroll at Tech, but to also to thrive on campus.

Previously, Clark served as Tech’s inaugural executive director for Strategic Student Access. In this role, he directed the Institute’s efforts to establish and advance relationships with educational leaders, schools and school systems, government agencies, and community organizations in pursuit of the Institute’s strategic vision for growing enrollment, expanding access, and ensuring affordability.

He also led Tech’s undergraduate admission team serving as associate vice provost and executive director for 15 years. Under his leadership, the Institute dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded strategic enrollment goals.

He is the co-author of the book and workbook The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, co-hosts a podcast under the same name, and is the creator of the Georgia Tech admission blog.

Clark holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. from Georgia State University.

Dr. Ramon D. Garner is an accomplished educational leader, currently serving as Principal of Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta Public Schools. With over two decades of experience in education, Dr. Garner has built a reputation as a dynamic, student-centered leader who is committed to fostering academic excellence, developing high-performing teams, and cultivating a positive and inclusive school culture.

Dr. Garner holds an Education Doctoral degree from Lincoln Memorial University, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University, a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Troy State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Albany State University.

Since assuming the principalship at Mays High School in 2023, Dr. Garner has led efforts to strengthen instructional practices that have yielded double digit gains in eight out of nine achievement level categories. Under his leadership, the school has focused on building collaborative teams, enhancing professional learning, and ensuring rigorous, standards-aligned instruction across all classrooms.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Garner served as Principal of John Lewis Invictus Academy, six years as Assistant Principal at Benjamin Banneker High School in Fulton County Schools, an Implementation Specialist, Instructional Coach, and classroom teacher within Atlanta Public Schools. In these roles, he focused on strengthening instructional practices, increasing student achievement, and building systems for data-driven decision-making. His work contributed to measurable gains in student performance across multiple content areas and supported schools in maintaining accreditation and improving overall outcomes.
In addition to his professional roles, Dr. Garner has presented at national and regional conferences on topics such as standards-based instruction, data analysis, and school transformation. His contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous honors, including Teacher of the Year, Instructional Coach of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, Principal of the Year and participation in prestigious programs such as the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Policy Fellowship Program the Cahn Fellows Program and Georgia School Superintendents Association Superintendents Professional Development Program.

Dr. Garner is a devoted husband to his wife Morgan and the father of three beautiful daughters, Taylor, Corbin, and Lynden.

Shamona D. Harrell is an accomplished district leader, certified school counselor, and former special educator with over two decades of experience advancing student success across K–12 public education. As the Director of College, Career, and Student Support for Fulton County Schools, she leads a district of over 200 school counselors and oversees initiatives that strengthen academic readiness, expand dual enrollment opportunities, improve post‑secondary outcomes, and enhance social‑emotional support systems for more than 90,000 students.

Dr. Chon Hester currently serves as the Director of Counseling and Advisement in Henry County Schools and as a part time instructor at Georgia State University in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services. She is a data driven leader who is laser focused on ensuring students and families receive opportunities and access beyond high school for their post-secondary aspirations. Under her leadership in Henry County Schools, there has been an 47% increase in scholarship awards and a 49% increase in Dual Enrollment opportunities between the 2024 school year and 2025 school year.

In her role, she has served on several teams, such as the Graduation Task Force co-lead, Graduation Regulation co-lead, Social Emotional Learning (curriculum implementation), Advisement, Course Requests, Advanced Content, Policy Review, REACH GA Scholarship Coordinator, etc. Also, her team leads Family Engagement sessions for the district which include, but not limited to, the Role of the School Counselor and the impact on student well-being and achievement, Financial Aid, Naviance, Scholarships, etc.   

She has a Doctorate and Specialist degrees in Educational Leadership, Master’s Degree in School Counseling, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. She was the 21-22 President of the Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA) promoting the impact of school counselors, designing and monitoring priority outcomes for the organization. She serves on the following university advisory councils: Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University, Mercer University and the CSS/Financial Assistance Assembly Council (Collegeboard), and as a Board of Directors Member for the Clayton County Community Service Authority, Inc., and Southern Crescent Technical College. Moreover, she is the 2025-2026 Supervisor of the Year for the Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA).

Moreover, she has a background working in day treatment services and psychiatric care for children and adolescents. She has a passion for advocating for access via policy, etc, developing leaders, advocating for the profession, serving school counselors, and providing intentional and meaningful professional development on various subjects such as Cultural Consciousness, Growth Mindset, Five Star Service, Effective Strategies in Engaging High School Students, New Counselor Development, and College Awareness. She is an author and public speaker. She believes that students need emotionally healthy adults they can trust and have experiences that advance them to opportunities and access beyond high school.  

Brett Lacy serves as the Managing Director of Workforce Solutions for the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), a role where he functions as a primary architect of the region’s economic and talent development strategy. In this capacity, Brett leads collaborative efforts to drive investment and sustainable job growth across the Metro Atlanta region by fostering key regional partnerships from a diverse range of stakeholders. His leadership ensures that the region’s highest-demand industries are supported by a reliable, skilled talent pipeline, effectively bridging the gap between industry needs and workforce readiness.

Brett’s role at the Atlanta Regional Commission includes serving as the director of the Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board (ARWDB), where he provides direct oversight for the implementation and compliance of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) across a seven-county service area, including Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties. He is responsible for managing the WorkSource Atlanta Regional team, which operates a network of career resource centers that provide essential training and employment services to thousands of residents and businesses annually. His role involves the management of multi-million-dollar annual budgets and the execution of the region’s four-year strategic plan, ensuring that federal and state resources are deployed with maximum impact and fiscal integrity.

Prior to joining ARC, Brett led workforce development programs in Fulton County and was part of the State’s workforce administration at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, creating innovative workforce solutions to keep Georgia the ‘No. 1 State for Business.’

Brett currently provides leadership to workforce development professionals serving as 2nd Vice-President to the Southeastern Employment and Training Association (SETA), chair of the Georgia Workforce Leadership Association (GWLA), and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Solutions (MAX). Regionally, he provides leadership and guidance to promote Atlanta’s historic west-end neighborhoods as an Advisory Board Member for Westside Works and ensures a healthy pipeline of talent for employers in the South Metro strategic industries supporting Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as Co-Chair of the Workforce Collective for Aerotropolis Atlanta.

A native of Snellville, Georgia, Brett is a proud Eagle Scout and ‘Double Dawg’, holding both a Masters of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia.

Kathryn McClymond was appointed as the 18th President at Oglethorpe University in November 2023 and is the university’s first female president. She previously served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Oglethorpe University as well as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University. Dr. McClymond is a scholar of comparative religions. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including a co-edited volume exploring how humanities disciplines contribute to research on moral injury among veterans. She has served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Religion and the American Society of the Study of Religion, and she currently chairs the Council of Presidents of the Southern Athletic Conference. In 2024, she was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of their Women of Influence honorees. She is a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club and the Leadership Atlanta class of 2026.

Jacqueline serves as the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services and oversees Recruitment, Visitation, Admissions Operations, Enrollment Services Marketing and Communications, and the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system for both graduate and undergraduate populations. She originally joined Kennesaw State University as the first Director of Process Improvement in 2009. Prior to being promoted to Assistant Vice President, she served as the Executive Director for Undergraduate Admissions for 4 years. Under her leadership, Kennesaw has continued to see growth in both number and caliber of students.

Jacqueline holds certifications in Six Sigma (Black Belt), Quality Auditing, and Lead Auditor through the American Society for Quality of which she is a senior member. She earned her MBA from Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business and a BA in Chemistry from the University of San Diego.

Dr. Dana Rickman is the fourth president of the Georgia Partnership, having previously served in positions of vice president and research and policy director. In those roles, she led the EdQuest Georgia Coalition, coordinated the Education Policy Fellows Program (EPFP) and was the primary author of the Georgia Partnership’s annual Top Ten Issues to Watch report and the Economics of Education.

Dr. Rickman holds a PhD from Georgia State University in Political Science and Public Policy and a BA from Mary Washington College, in Fredericksburg, Va. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Family Connection Partnerships, and the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI). She serves on advisory boards for several organizations including Get Georgia Reading – Georgia’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Neighborhood Nexus, the Alliance Theater Education Board – Advisory Committee, and the Leadership Council for Learn4Life-the Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership.

Korynn Schooley serves as Vice President, Policy for Achieve Atlanta, whose mission is to help students access, afford, and earn postsecondary credentials so that Atlanta becomes a city where race and income no longer predict postsecondary success and upward mobility. Korynn develops and leads the organization’s policy and advocacy functions, shaping the organization’s approach to influence systemic changes that advance postsecondary enrollment, student success, and upward mobility.

Previously, Korynn built the organization’s College Access and Scholarship & Affordability programs, partnering internally and externally to support Atlanta students to pursue their college aspirations. Prior to Achieve Atlanta, Korynn served as Director of School Governance & Flexibility with Fulton County Schools. In that role she was responsible for the district’s implementation of Georgia’s school governance law, including developing the districtwide governance infrastructure and support for 1,000 volunteer parents, teachers, administrators, and community members to effectively engage in local school decision-making. She first joined the district as a Strategic Data Fellow with Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research. During her fellowship she co-developed a summer melt intervention to support college-intending students with matriculation. Korynn joined with researchers Ben Castleman and Lindsay Page to evaluate the program and results were published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and media outlets such as NPR, the White House, and the Associated Press.

Korynn brings significant education policy and advocacy experience, having served as the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council’s first Policy and Advocacy Manager and as Chief of Staff for Massachusetts State Representative Alice K. Wolf. Korynn graduated from Duke University with bachelor’s degrees in public policy and women’s studies and earned her master’s in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Dr. Victoria Seals is the sixth president of Atlanta Technical College. Under her leadership, the College has launched several student success initiatives, established effective industry partnerships, and continues to grow in enrollment and student achievement—boasting a 100 percent job placement rate. Additionally, the College was recently named the 2023 Bellwether Award Winner for Workforce Development!

Dr. Seals has more than 25 years of experience in higher education and 20 years of experience in higher education leadership. She has garnered several awards and recognitions that highlight her leadership, including the Georgia Trend Top 500 Influential Leaders for 2024 and 2023, the 2022 Women of Influence Award, the 2020 ACCT Southern Region CEO Award and the Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Women of Influence for the last six years. She has been recognized by the Georgia Public Defender Council with the Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders award (2023) and by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College with the 2022 Community Service Award. Prior to attaining the presidency at Atlanta Technical College, Dr. Seals served several years at Gwinnett Technical College. She advanced from an instructor to division director, dean, and, ultimately to vice president of academic affairs.

Dr. Seals is a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute Class of 2019, Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2018, Leadership Gwinnett’s Class of 2011, as well as the 2013 class of the Technical College System of Georgia’s Executive Leadership Academy. She is an active member of the American Association of Community Colleges, Association of Community College Trustees, Technology Association of Georgia, Women in Educational Leadership, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation, the Georgia Public Defender Council, Learn for Life Leadership Council, the ATL Airport Chamber, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Horizons Atlanta, the Aerotropolis Atlanta, and Work Source Atlanta. In addition to Advisory Board service with Hands on Atlanta, she has also facilitated the Hands on Atlanta MLK Sunday Supper.

Recognized in 2025 by the Atlanta Business League with the Visions of Excellence Award, Dr. Seals has been named by Atlanta Magazine as one of the “Top 500” Influential Leaders for 2021 thru 2025, and The Atlanta Business Chronicle featured Dr. Seals as one of the 2022 Women of Influence, one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs in 2020, and listed her among “Who’s Who in Education” in 2017 and 2020. Dr. Seals was named Educator of the Year in 2017 by the South Fulton Chamber and was recognized by Year Up Atlanta that same year with the Urban Empowerment Award. Dr. Seals was also honored by the Urban League of Greater Atlanta at its 56th Equal Opportunity Day (2017).

Dr. Seals received a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College. She continued her studies at the University of Georgia where she received an M.A. in mathematics, an Ed.S. in mathematics education, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and watching sports.

Cheryl Watson-Harris, Ed.D. is a nationally recognized education and opportunity leader whose distinguished career began in Brooklyn, New York, where she was elected the district’s nominee for “Most Excellent New Teacher.” She later made history as the youngest principal in Boston Public Schools, leading two schools off the Massachusetts state accountability list and launching a record of transformational school leadership.

Dr. Watson-Harris currently serves as President of Achieve Atlanta, leading a citywide initiative to increase postsecondary completion and expand economic mobility for Atlanta students. Her work spans the full Pre-K–to–college continuum, with deep expertise in leadership development, targeted student support, and community-school design. She is known for centering inclusive excellence, measurable impact, and the power of collective action to drive systems-level change.

She previously served as First Deputy Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education—the nation’s largest school system—supporting 1.1 million students across more than 1,800 schools. She has also held senior leadership roles in Boston Public Schools and served as CEO/Superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, one of Georgia’s largest and most diverse systems.

In addition to her public-sector leadership, Dr. Watson-Harris is co-founder of Urban School Specialists, a consulting firm established with her husband, nationally recognized educator Dr. Roger F. Harris. Together, they help school systems nationwide build high-performing, student-centered learning environments.

A respected civic and nonprofit leader, she is Board Chair of Leading Now, a national organization that supports superintendents in advancing educational opportunity, and a board member of Partners for Child and Adolescent Health at Emory University. She is an alumna of Leadership Boston, Leadership DeKalb, and Leadership Atlanta, and the recipient of numerous fellowships and honors recognizing her visionary leadership and impact.

Dr. Watson-Harris earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from New York University and her Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a concentration in Anthropology from Fordham University Marymount College, where she also studied abroad at the American University in Cairo (Cairo, Egypt).

She is the proud mother of three children, all of whom attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities—Hampton University and Howard University—earning her the title of self-proclaimed Real HU Mom. Dr. Watson-Harris is a devoted member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and a tenured member of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. A lifelong champion for fairness and access, she works at the intersection of education, community, and opportunity to ensure every student can thrive.

At GBPI, Ashley leads GBPI’s focus on K-12 education while continuing her dedication to equitable financial aid higher education policy, advocacy, and research. Before joining GBPI she was a founding College Counselor at Charles R. Drew Charter School in Atlanta Public Schools from 2016-2022. Ashley’s journey in college access also includes roles as an Admissions Counselor and TRiO Program Coordinator, assisting students who were historically excluded from building wealth and first-generation college students, in the college admission process. She is passionate about empowering educators to use their voices beyond the voting booth and building advocacy coalitions to make change for Georgia’s most marginalized students. Outside of work, she is pursuing her doctorate in Education Policy Studies at Georgia State University, attending festivals, brunch, reading, and spending time with her cavapoo, Mazzi.