THE GLOBE ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Finance Chair
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Adrienne McMillon, CPA, CIA, CRMA, MBA serves as Senior Director, Internal Controls Governance and Enterprise Risk Management at Cox Automotive. In this role, Adrienne and her team are responsible for driving awareness of business risks and developing strategies to mitigate the impact of those risks to the achievement of enterprise goals.
Adrienne has 20 years of global business experience in accounting which includes controllership and general ledger accounting at a mid-sized industrial company; financial reporting at a publicly traded company; and audit and assurance services at one of the "Big 4" accounting firms. Adrienne's career highlight is living as an expat in Bristol, UK where she served as the interim Finance Director for a publicly traded packaging company. Her extensive and varied experience has helped her to develop a solid and comprehensive understanding of financial and business operations which allows her to effectively apply control management techniques to business risks.
Adrienne holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Georgia State University and a Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Internal Auditor and she holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance.
Adrienne is an active member of the community. She is a 5-year member of the Dekalb County Audit Oversight Committee serving as chair from 2020-2022. Under her leadership, she oversaw the selection and appointment of the Chief Audit Executive and the external audit firm. As a 35-year resident of the County, she is proud to apply her compliance expertise to ensure County programs and operations are effectively achieving the purpose for which they are authorized and funded.
Adrienne lives in Atlanta with her husband Damon and her two daughters. When she is not spending time with her family, she enjoys volunteering, traveling, overconsuming media content and experiencing new cuisine.
Job Titles:
- Special Education / Lead Teacher
Job Titles:
- Library / Media Specialist
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Head of School, Lower
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Board Member, at Large
Daniela Torre Gibney, Ph.D., has been working to support and improve schools as a teacher and researcher for over 15 years. She is dedicated to working with educators and school and system leaders to ensure that all students experience high quality educational opportunities.
As a senior associate partner at Bellwether, a national nonprofit research and consulting firm, she focuses on supporting programs and informing policies that improve teaching and school quality, particularly for multilingual learners and marginalized students. Daniela is an expert at designing and implementing complex mixed-methods evaluations and research projects as well as providing technical assistance to organizational leaders focused on using data for continuous improvement.
Daniela received her doctorate in leadership and policy studies from Vanderbilt University and earned a master's degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages from American University in Washington, D.C. She taught in bilingual, English as a second language, and general education classrooms for five years in Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, New York. She lives with her partner and two kiddos in DeKalb County.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- CFO / Math Teacher
Job Titles:
- Emergency Medicine Physician
- Development Co - Chair
Dr. Jasmin Tanaja is an Emergency Medicine physician practicing in Atlanta for the past 10 years.
Originally born in Germany and raised in Indonesia, she went on to study medicine in Poland. Before medical school, she had the privilege of mentoring first-generation college-bound students, helping introduce them to healthcare careers in hopes of addressing disparities in the field. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, who is from Sweden, and their two young boys
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Communications
- Communications Committee Chair
- Writer and Editor
Feifei Sun is a writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience in communications and content. She is currently an executive editor at McKinsey & Company. Previously, she was an editor at Vanity Fair and Time magazines, covering politics, business, and culture. Born in China and raised in Savannah, GA, she lives in the Briarlake neighborhood with her two children.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Secretary of the Board
Holly Portier is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Her academic journey began at the State University of West Georgia, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English. Before venturing into the legal field, she dedicated four years to educating and inspiring students as a high school English teacher.
Upon deciding to pursue a legal career, Mrs. Portier enrolled at Georgia State University, where she pursued her Juris Doctor degree and graduated cum laude in 2008.
Since 2008, Mrs. Portier has focused her legal practice exclusively on workers' compensation, where she passionately represents individuals who have been injured or disabled in the workplace. Beyond her professional commitments, Mrs. Portier actively engages in volunteer work with the Atlanta Junior League, Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, Georgia Legal Foundation and St. Martin in the Fields, demonstrating her commitment to serving and uplifting her community. She cherishes her time with her husband, Bailey, and their son, Ted.
Job Titles:
- French Language Support Assistant
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio
- Leader in the Areas of Project Management
Jabari Clark is an accomplished leader in the areas of Project Management, Business Analysis, Process Improvement, and Strategic Development. Currently, he works as Principal Business Analyst at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield where he leads various teams of Business Analysts to implement initiatives for various Blues Plans across the US. In addition to managing the quarterly audit, he identifies and bolsters processes that continue to improve the quality and delivery of team members.
With a background in Management Consulting, Jabari has led teams of Business Analysts in the Healthcare space for companies such as Deloitte and CareFirst. Jabari and his wife live in East Atlanta where they raise their four school age children - with one child in the 2033 French Track. His hobbies include cycling, running and volunteering. He holds an MBA in International Business from Georgia State University in addition to certifications such as PMP and CBAP. As a graduate of the United Way V.I.P. Board Training program, Jabari hopes to be able to contribute to GLOBE's mission and to deliver his professional skills towards the enrichment of all children within the influence of The GLOBE Academy.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Member of the Leadership Team
Lillian Norton is a product innovation and brand marketing professional. She most recently served as the Director of Packaging Sustainability and Design-to-Value at The Coca-Cola Company. She previously held innovation and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble and Newell Rubbermaid. She has more than 20 years of professional experience ranging from project and personnel management to leading new product innovation from concept to shelf.
Lillian is from Abilene, TX and graduated from The United States Military Academy at West Point while playing on the tennis team for four years. After graduation, she served five years active duty as a Military Intelligence Officer in the Army, deploying to Bosnia in 2001 for peacekeeping, and supporting combat operations in Iraq from 2004-2005. She obtained her Master's degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington D.C.
Job Titles:
- Athletic Director / Middle School
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Vice Chair of the Board
Michelle Hayes has 20 years of experience in the Quality Assurance and Quality Systems arena, working primarily in the medical device, IVD and consumer goods industries.
Michelle is an ASQ CQA, CBA, CPGP and CMQ/OE, with expertise in quality program development, and remediation of quality gaps through optimization and standardization of process procedures. Michelle has led quality improvement projects for supplier quality management, quality system development and audit programs. She has a passion for continuous improvement and driving collaborative ways of working that drive results.
Michelle Hayes was born and raised in Barbados, and now resides in Atlanta GA with her family. She grew up with her parents and sister in Barbados and moved to the US to attend the University of Georgia, where she received her BS in Biological Engineering and later her MS in Regulatory Affairs.
As a Board member, Polly looks forward to contributing to The GLOBE Academy's strategic planning and governance, ensuring that it continues to thrive and inspire future generations. She holds a Master of Science degree and is an advocate for lifelong learning and professional growth. She resides in Embry Hills, where she enjoys running, and spending quality time with her husband, two sons and very active German Shepherd.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Governance
Polly Castro, MSM, CPMSM, CPCS brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Board of The GLOBE Academy, with over 14 years of dedicated service in the healthcare industry, specifically in human resources within the pediatric sector. Her strategic vision and leadership skills have been instrumental in navigating complex regulatory environments and implementing policies that align with best practices in pediatric healthcare.
As a Board member, Polly looks forward to contributing to The GLOBE Academy's strategic planning and governance, ensuring that it continues to thrive and inspire future generations. She holds a Master of Science degree and is an advocate for lifelong learning and professional growth. She resides in Embry Hills, where she enjoys running, and spending quality time with her husband, two sons and very active German Shepherd.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Head of School, Upper
Job Titles:
- Curriculum and Instruction Coach
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Language Program
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant and Development
Dr. Tiffany Simpkins Russell is a mother, author, advocate, and educator with over 25 years of experience in teaching, training, and curriculum development. She is passionate about empowering individuals and fostering inclusive learning environments. Currently, she serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Galloway School and is a member of the Boards of The GLOBE Academy and St. Benedict's Episcopal School.
As an educational consultant, Dr. Russell specializes in leadership and organizational development, change management, and workplace diversity. She frequently presents at national conferences and participates in panel discussions on topics ranging from program evaluation strategies to self-care in the workplace. Her expertise also includes designing qualitative and quantitative research tools, nonprofit grant writing, and government proposal writing.
Dr. Russell's research uses personal narratives as liberatory tools for women of color and womanist pedagogies. She is the author of A Song for Miles, a children's book that fosters curiosity, a love of music, and the importance of good character. The book is available on the App Store and Amazon Kindle.
A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Dr. Russell is a proud graduate of Blair Academy. She earned her BA and MA in African American Studies from Temple University and her doctorate in Educational Policy Studies/Social Foundations of Education from Georgia State University. An avid ceramicist, she lives in Atlanta with her husband, Jason, and their two children, Miles and Olivia.