Moderator and Speaker Bios
Georgia Grantmakers Alliance 2013 Winter Meeting
Jekyll Island, GA
February 22, 2013
Michael K. Anderson
President & CEO
Georgia Power Foundation, Inc.
Mike Anderson is Senior Vice President for Georgia Power Company and President & CEO
of Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. Mike manages the company’s corporate giving and also serves
as Vice President of Southern Company Charitable Foundation, Inc. Prior to this position, Mike
served as Vice President of Corporate Services. In this role, he was responsible for Corporate
Safety, Labor Relations, Fleet Management, Workforce Development and Workforce Training.
An Atlanta native, Mike received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the
Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was also inducted into the Academy of Distinguished
Engineering Alumni. He has an MBA from Emory University and is an alumnus of The Regional
Leadership Institute, Leadership Georgia and Leadership Atlanta.
Since beginning his career with Georgia Power, Mike has held numerous leadership
positions in Capital Budgeting, System Planning, Customer Operations, Information Technology,
Marketing and External Affairs. Prior to joining Georgia Power, Mike was recruited from Texas
Instruments in Dallas, Texas where he was responsible for quality control component testing of
nuclear warhead guidance systems.
In the community, Mike serves on numerous boards, including the Georgia Tech Advisory
Board (GTAB), Southeastern Council of Foundations, ZOO Atlanta, Emory University Board of
Visitors, Georgia Tech Industrial & Systems Engineering Advisory, Chick-Fil-A Bowl, IntegralGude Advisory, and Georgia Tech Athletic Association. His past board affiliations include the
Eisenhower Consortium for Science and Mathematics, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Electric Vehicle
Association of the Americas, Regional Atlanta Civic League, Buckhead Business Association,
Atlanta Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, Kennestone Health Care Foundation and Center
for Puppetry Arts.
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Phyllis Bowen
Executive Director
The Sapelo Foundation
Phyllis Bowen is the Executive Director of the Sapelo Foundation where she has worked for
the past 21 years. She has led the Sapelo Foundation during its implementation of aggressive
strategic grantmaking goals by stimulating statewide coalition-building for progressive policy
change in Georgia. This strategy has produced successful outcomes such as the Georgia Water
Coalition and JUSTGeorgia as well as institutional contributions such as the Georgia Budget and
Policy Institute and ProGeorgia.
She is very active in her community and serves on the Wayne County Library Board of
Directors, the Executive Committee of the Georgia Coast Rail -Trail, is the marketing chair for the
Animal Rescue Foundation of Wayne County and operates a small farm in Odum, GA.
She has served as president and conservation chair of the Coastal Georgia Audubon Society,
was a founder and past president of the Glynn Environmental Coalition, a founder and officer of
the Coastal Georgia Land Trust, served on the board of GreenLaw, the Governor’s Rural Economic
Development Council and various Georgia Department of Natural Resources committees as well as
the Steering Committee for the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.
Phyllis has a special love of and appreciation for rural communities and has chosen to own
and operate a small farm in Jesup which produces free-range organic eggs. In her spare time she
enjoys camping and trail riding with her horse, kayaking on the many beautiful rivers in South
Georgia and reading.
Phyllis has one daughter, Meredith Drury, a sophomore at Maryland Institute College of Art
who is soon transferring to University of Georgia. Go Dawgs!
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H. Speer Burdette, III
President & General Manager
Callaway Foundation, Inc./Fuller E. Callaway Foundation
H. Speer Burdette is the President & General Manager of the Callaway Foundation, Inc. and
the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundations, he spent twenty-six years as
a Certified Public Accountant for Arthur Andersen & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia and J.K. Boatwright &
Co. in LaGrange, Georgia.
Academically, Speer received a Bachelor’s degree in Math from Vanderbilt University and
has a MBA from the University of Alabama. He serves on a number of civic and charitable
organizations including the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, the Troup County
Recreation Commission, the Industrial Development Authority, the LaGrange Personal Aid
Association, the Medical Park Foundation, the Southeastern Council of Foundations and West
Georgia Health.
Currently, Speer lives in LaGrange with his wife Debbie. They have three children, Katie,
Becky and Bo, and a 19-month old grandchild, Brooklyn.
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Charles S. Bullock, III
Professor of Political Science
University of Georgia
Dr. Bullock is the Richard B. Russell Professor of Political Science at the University of
Georgia. His primary research, writing and academic interests include Southern Politics,
Legislative Politics and Elections and Electoral Systems. He has written, co-authored or edited 28
books related to Southern or Georgia politics. Dr. Bullock is currently a Josiah Meigs
Distinguished Teaching Professor, which recognizes excellence in instruction in the undergraduate
and graduate teaching levels. He graduated summa cum laude from William Jewell College,
attended Emory University’s School of Law and completed his Ph.D. at Washington University in
1968.
Georgia Trend Magazine cited Dr. Bullock as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” in
2012 and described him this way: “Professor Bullock, author of Georgia Politics in a State of
Change, has been inspiring political pundits and future leaders for decades – at least 25 current
and past legislators, scores of lobbyists and countless staffers, city council members and other
elected officials have been students. He also provides valuable nonpartisan commentary for
many media contacts and outlets.”
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Brandt Herndon
Vice President, Business Development
Savannah Economic Development Authority
Brandt Herndon is Vice President of Business Development for the Savannah Economic
Development Authority. Herndon is responsible for the development and implementation of
marketing and businesses development action plans to attract prospects to Savannah as well as
retention, expansion and creation of additional prospects and projects.
Herndon was previously the President and CEO of the Fayette County Development
Authority, the lead economic development agency for Fayette County. Before the FCDA, he was
Executive Vice President of Apple Realty Inc., where he was responsible for sales, leasing, property
management, and development. Herndon’s experience also includes four years with the Georgia
Department of Economic Development, and four years with Electric Cities, where he served as
Manager of Economic Development.
A native of Macon, GA, Herndon holds a Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of
Georgia and a Master’s in Business from Georgia State University and is certified as an Economic
Development Finance Professional.
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C. Jones Hooks
Executive Director
Jekyll Island Authority
Jones Hooks has more than 30 years of experience in managing multifaceted organizations.
His background includes working extensively in the public and private sectors, on local, state,
national and international levels.
Originally from Metter, Georgia, Hooks’ Georgia roots run deep. After completing
undergraduate work at the University of Georgia in 1975, Hooks earned his MBA at the George
Washington University. After completion of his graduate work, Hooks assumed a full time position
on Capitol Hill with Congressman Ronald “Bo” Ginn (D-GA deceased).
In 1981, Hooks was named Director of the Kings Bay Impact Coordinating Committee
(KBICC), established by Congress to assist communities in Camden County, Georgia and Nassau
County, Florida in preparing for and mitigating impacts created by construction of the Navy’s
Trident Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Georgia.
After six years at Kings Bay, Hooks was recruited to lead the Albany-Dougherty Economic
Development Commission. After successful management of that organization, Hooks was chosen
by local leaders to head the Albany Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
In 1997, Hooks moved to Atlanta to work in the Strategic Relocation and Expansion
Services group of KPMG. At KPMG, Hooks spent months on special assignment with the
Yamacraw Mission, a state-funded, highly confidential project focused on building a high tech
economy in Georgia.
Beginning in August of 1999, Hooks served as President/CEO of the Hampton Roads
Economic Development Alliance (HREDA) headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. HREDA is a
public/private regional partnership representing 15 jurisdictions and 1.5 million people from
Williamsburg to Virginia Beach.
Since June 2008, Hooks has served as Executive Director of the Jekyll Island Authority
(JIA). The Authority is responsible for the stewardship of Jekyll Island, a barrier island off
Georgia’s coast. The JIA is also responsible for providing services, programs and amenities that
maximize benefits to island visitors and residents.
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Pierre Howard
President
Georgia Conservancy
Pierre Howard was named president of the Georgia Conservancy in 2009, following a 41year career in the practice of law and in public service.
A native of Decatur, he entered the University of Georgia on a tennis scholarship in 1961
and played under the legendary Coach Dan Magill, serving as captain of the team in 1965. He
graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1965 and attended the University of Georgia School of Law. After
admission to the bar in 1968, he began the practice of law in Decatur with his father, Pierre
Howard, Sr.
In 1972, at the age of 29, he was elected to the State Senate from DeKalb County and served
for 18 years with opposition only once. Pierre was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1990, carrying
156 of 159 counties. He was reelected in 1994, serving both terms with Governor Zell Miller. He
was a fiscal conservative and social moderate, appointing the first women, African-Americans, and
Republicans to important committee chairmanships in the Senate. Howard also was the first
statewide official to form an Environmental Advisory Council and advocate for a sustainable way
to fund land conservation. He is a hunter, fisherman and birder, with a strong love of the natural
world in Georgia, and he has spent time in the woods, swamps, mountains and beaches in every
Georgia county.
Pierre has served on the Chattahoochee Protection Campaign board, the Trust for Public
Land Board, the Nature Conservancy board (chairman for 3 years), the Georgia Board of Natural
Resources, Fernbank Museum board, and the University of Georgia Foundation. He chaired the
Heritage Fund campaign in 1998 and the DeKalb County Greenspace Referendum campaign in
2003 that resulted in the preservation of more than 5,000 acres in his home county. Prior to his
appointment as president of the Georgia Conservancy, he was a senior fellow at the University of
Georgia School of Ecology. He later taught as a Carl Sanders Scholar at the University of Georgia
School of Law.
Pierre and his wife Nancy were married in 1974 and live in Atlanta. They have two children,
Christopher, age 27, and Caroline, age 25. Both are graduates of the University of Georgia.
Among his hobbies is nature photography. He is currently creating a website for his
photographs, Georgia Nature.com. He is currently working on a book on the butterflies of
Georgia.
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Scott McQuade
CEO
Brunswick Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau
With over 16 years of marketing and sales experience Scott McQuade joined the Golden
Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau in Mid-January of 2011. His prime responsibility as chief
executive officer of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau is to handle all marketing for
the destination and to create a unified effort to promote the region and establish a long-term
vision of tourism in the Golden Isles.
Prior to joining the Golden Isles CVB, Scott acted as the Chief Executive Officer for the
Telluride Tourism Board for 5 years in Telluride, Colorado. In his tenure at that position Scott
rebranded the entire resort destination which had achieved 3 record years in tourism and also
weathered the recent recession better than any other Colorado resort in 2010. Prior to Telluride,
Scott severed as vice president of sales and marketing for Sugarloaf Resort in Carrabassett Valley,
Maine where he managed all the marketing and sales efforts for the resort. Scott spent much of his
early career as a Vice President for a global advertising firm based in London and serviced such
clients as Hewlett Packard, BMW, Price Waterhouse Coopers and other fortune 500 companies.
Scott lives on St. Simons Island with his wife and 2 children. He enjoys the outdoors,
family life and being actively engaged in the community.
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Don Mathews
Professor of Economics
College of Coastal Georgia
Don Mathews is Professor of Economics and Director of the Coastal Georgia Center for
Economic Analysis and Student Research at the College of Coastal Georgia. He received his PhD
in Economics from Georgia State University and has been teaching economics at the College of
Coastal Georgia since 1993.
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Kelly Spratt
Chair
McIntosh County Commission
Kelly Spratt serves as the Local Government Outreach Coordinator for Georgia Sea Grant.
Her primary role is to assist coastal governments in planning for hazards, community resiliency,
and sustainable development tool implementation. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree from the
University of Georgia and a Master’s degree in biology from Georgia Southern University. She has
worked with local governments on the coast for the past 13 years. Kelly has served on the Darien
City Council as both councilman and Mayor. During those terms, she worked to implement
development standards, conservation zoning codes and professional government. In 2010, she
was elected Chairman of the McIntosh County Commission where she continues to work towards
implementing sustainable growth policies. Kelly also serves on the Coastal Regional Commission,
the Coastal Advisory Council, the McIntosh County Board of Health, the ACCG’s Legislative
Advisory Committee on Environmental Policy and Natural Resources, and was appointed to the
State E-911 Board by Governor Purdue. She lives in Darien with her family.
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Michael L. Starr
President
Georgia Cities Foundation
Michael L. Starr is a retired Executive Vice President and Regional Managing Director for
Wachovia Wealth Management. Previously he was Regional Executive for the Statewide Region of
Georgia. As Regional Executive, he was responsible for Wachovia’s consumer and commercial
banking activities in Georgia outside the Metro Atlanta markets. He retired from Wachovia in
2005.
From 1994 to 1997, Starr was manager of Treasury Services for the Wachovia Corporation.
In that position, he was responsible for cash management, product management and marketing to
Wachovia’s corporate customers. He was also responsible for information services, corporate cash
management consulting, and other related activities.
Starr joined Wachovia in 1978 and during his career, he has held assignments in both the
International and the U.S. Corporate divisions. He managed the Asia/Pacific Group, the
Southwestern Corporate Group, and the Eastern Region in U.S. Corporate.
Starr is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He earned an MBA
from Wake Forest University. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fernbank
Museum of Natural History. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Trust
for Historic Preservation. Since 2000 he has served as President of the Georgia Cities Foundation.
He is a resident of Atlanta.
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David D. Weitnauer
President
R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation
David Weitnauer joined the R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation in June of 2007 as its
President. He came to the Dobbs Foundation following an 11 year relationship with the Rockdale
Foundation where he served as a founding Board member and its first Executive Director.
David’s community service includes the Steering Committee of the Georgia Grantmakers
Alliance, Advisory Committee for the Foundation Center Library (Atlanta), and Board of Trustees
of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. He has served previously as a trustee of the
Southeastern Council of Foundations, Columbia Theological Seminary, and Sanabel, The
Microfinance Network of Arab Countries.
David earned an A.B. in Psychology from Davidson College (1982), a M.Div. from Columbia
Theological Seminary (1986), and a Th.D. from Columbia Theological Seminary (1997).
Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1987, David has served on the pastoral staff
of four congregations and as a pastoral counselor/marriage and family therapist.
David grew up in Decatur and lives there now with his wife, Nancy, and their two children,
Sam and Claire.
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Neely Young
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Georgia Trend Magazine
Neely Young was born in Cedartown, GA in 1942. He attended Cedartown High School and
Darlington School in Rome, Shorter College and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1965.
He joined his family owned newspaper, The Valdosta Daily Times, in 1968 and worked for
his cousin, Tenney Griffin. His first job at the newspaper was in the photography department.
After leaving Valdosta, he worked various positions and as Editor and Publisher for Georgia
newspapers in Valdosta, Marietta, Canton, Dalton and Clayton County. In 1986 he left Dalton to
become CEO of Morris Newspaper Corporation, owner of 40 newspapers in six states.
In 1989 he formed Southern Publishing Co. with Tom Cousins and for nine years built a
newspaper chain of 13 Georgia newspapers. Southern Publishing was sold in 1998 to Community
Newspaper Holdings. In January, 1999, Young along with Cousins purchased Georgia Trend
Magazine, a 50,000-circulation business and political magazine published and circulated in all 159
counties in Georgia. Georgia Trend recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary.
Professionally, he is an award winning columnist, and he has served as President of the
Georgia Press Association, Associated Press of Georgia, and Chairman of the Georgia Press
Education Foundation and served on the Board of the School of Urban Affairs at Georgia State
University. He has been President of the Clayton County Rotary Club and chaired the Clayton
County Chamber of Commerce.
He is the former Chairman of the Atlanta Region Salvation Army and serves on several
other boards including the Board of the University of Georgia Henry W. Grady School of
Journalism, The Board of Georgia Press, The University of Georgia Board of Visitors, Georgia
Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
In 1997 he received the “Others Award,” the highest civilian award given by the national
Salvation Army for starting SHARE, the program where utility customers donate to the army’s
many programs for the needy. SHARE has raised more than $50 million over the past 20 years. In
2006 he received the Key Citizen Award from the Georgia Municipal Association. He recently was
inducted into The Grady Fellowship at the University of Georgia Henry W. Grady School of
Journalism and Mass Communication.
The Young’s live in downtown Marietta, GA near the square. They also have homes on Big
Sheep Cliff in Cashiers, NC and in St. Simons, GA. They have two sons, James Thomas Young and
Benjamin Neely Young Jr., who is married to Temple Hemrick of Trinity, NC. Benjamin’s family
lives in Decatur, Georgia and has one son, Holden Benjamin Young.
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