Sandy Addis has 42 years of experience in public education in Georgia and South Carolina as a teacher, counselor, principal, and central office administrator and currently serves as a local school board member. He has led successful superintendent searches for 15 Georgia school boards and delivered over 50 training sessions to Georgia school boards. Sandy served as Director of Pioneer Regional Educational Service Agency from 2004 to 2013.

Dr. John Barge has 30 years of experience in public education, having served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, system director and state director of Career-Technical and Agricultural Education, district superintendent, and State School Superintendent of Georgia. As State School Superintendent, Dr. Barge led the Georgia to achieve a 7th place national ranking in Education Week’s Quality Counts Study, reduced the testing burden on local districts by eliminating seven of the State’s mandated assessments, and created a new accountability system for Georgia.  Dr. Barge has served as a member of the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Board of Directors and has guided numerous items of legislation and matters of state policy. Dr. Barge is currently a consultant and trainer for the National Dropout Prevention Center and is a member of the Center’s Trauma-Skilled Schools Faculty. 

Ms. Janie Baxter has worked for Coastal Plains RESA since 2000 as a data analyst and school improvement specialist. She has an Education Specialist degree from The University of Georgia and has done extensive work in professional development and technology services in school systems throughout Georgia.

Dr. Ron Busbee is retired Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for Houston County Schools.  He is a former part-time professor for the University of Georgia where he taught graduate level courses in School Personnel,and he currently teaches School Law, Ethics and Personnel classes for Piedmont College. Dr. Busbee has extensive personnel experience and has served as a consultant in the areas of planning, school operations, and Human Resources. He has presented at both the state and national levels.

David Carpenter is a retired superintendent of the Houston County School System.  During his 35-year career he was named a National Distinguished Principal and was recognized as an Outstanding Educator by the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders.  He served as president of both the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and the Georgia Association of Elementary Principals.  He has presented at both state and national conferences on the topic of Effective Leadership. 

Mr. Henry L. Cooper is retired Director of Middle Georgia RESA and an associate of King Educational Services, Inc. He has facilitated numerous superintendent searches and delivered numerous trainings to local boards of education.

Linda Horne retired from the Houston County School system as an Assistant Superintendent for School Operations.  During her 39-year career as an educator, she has served as a teacher, counselor, instructional coordinator, principal, executive director for elementary operations and assistant superintendent.  Linda has presented on topics dealing with curriculum and instruction both at state and national conferences.  She has provided staff development for the Houston County School system and other systems throughout the state, working with teachers, administrators and central office personnel. 

Mr. Frank King is currently President of King Educational Services and has worked as superintendent for three school systems. He has extensive experience in matters of school system governance, finance, and executive succession

Allen McCannon is a 1987 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Georgia.  In his educational career in public education, he has worked at every level (elementary, middle school, high school, and central office).  Dr. McCannon has been a teacher, coach, club sponsor, and principal at every level. In addition to his experience as a superintendent, he has served as Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations including finance and personnel and the Associate Superintendent where he was the chief academic officer for all instruction and curriculum.  His experience gives him credibility with board members, administrators, and teachers.

Dr. McCannon has twice been named as a finalist for Superintendent of the Year.  He has received the President’s Award from the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association and has been named Citizen of the Year twice for Madison County.  He served as the chair for the Charter System Foundation, Foothills Education Charter High School, and the Madison County Board of Health.  

Dr. Jack Parish has over 37 years of experience in K-12 and higher education.  Dr. Parish has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, human resources director, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.  During his eight years in higher education, Dr. Parish served as a faculty member in the Educational Leadership Department and as Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement in the University of Georgia’s College of Education. 

Dr. Parish has been involved in state educational organizations for many years.  He is a past-president of the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), and he has worked as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL).  He has also served as a member of the GAEL Board of Directors, the Georgia School Boards Association’s (GSBA) Superintendents’ Advisory Board, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Board of Directors, and on the steering committee of the Georgia Educational Leadership Faculty Association.

Dr. Paul Shaw is currently serving as Director of Educator Ethics for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.  Dr. Shaw has served as a superintendent in South Carolina and Georgia. He was named Superintendent of the Year for South Carolina in 2000, recipient of the Bill Barr Leadership Award for Georgia in 2007, and Superintendent of the Year for Georgia in 2010.  In 2013, he received the Distinguished Service Award for AASA. 

Dr. E. Steven Smith has dedicated the last 45 years to improving the quality of education in Georgia.  He served ten years as the Superintendent of the Lowndes County School system in Georgia and retired in 2012, at which time he was honored by them with the Superintendent Emeritus distinction.   

Upon his retirement from Lowndes County, Dr. Smith returned to his roots by re-entering the teaching profession as an Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University.  This teaching experience was short-lived as he received a call to return to his home school district in Macon, Georgia, to serve as Interim Superintendent. 

Dr. Smith has always focused on leading school systems from good to great.  He states that the real benefit in moving from good to great is the journey of working together for excellence every day.

Dr. William F. Truby recently served as superintendent of Lamar County School System in Barnesville, Georgia.  He also served as Principal of Lee County High School where he was recognized as “Principal of the Year” and Lee County High School was recognized as a National School of Excellence.  In addition to his administrative positions, Truby has taught education classes at several Georgia colleges and universities. He is currently employed as a professor at Valdosta State University.

Dr. Charles Webb is a retired school superintendent with more than 32 years in education, including extensive experience from the classroom to the boardroom.  His areas of expertise include strategic leadership and planning, educational administration, collaborative team building, teaching and learning, executive coaching and mentoring, and interscholastic athletics organization and administration.