Board
For questions or concerns, please contact any Board Member directly by clicking on the Email Me button below their respective names. For public comment, email asa-board@atlantasmartacademy.org
Veronica Williams
Board Chair
Veronica Williams currently serves as Board Chair for Atlanta SMART Academy, where she champions equitable access to high-quality education and the integration of creativity through the arts. With over a decade of experience in education, Veronica has served in impactful roles with Teach For America–Alabama, Birmingham City Schools, KIPP Metro Atlanta, and TNTP. Her career reflects a steadfast commitment to advocacy, equity, and student empowerment.
A former leader with the Georgia Department of Education, Veronica now serves as the Assistant Director of Special Education Compliance at Georgia Cyber Academy, where she works to ensure students with disabilities receive the support and services they deserve. Her passion for law and policy drives her to amplify underrepresented voices in education and advance fair, inclusive practices across the field.
Veronica is a proud graduate of Fisk University (’10) and Cumberland School of Law (’13). As a founding board member of Atlanta SMART Academy, she remains deeply committed to creating pathways for students to thrive in college, career, and life. She is an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council of Administrators of Special Education—and an even prouder mom of three boys who inspire her daily to keep pushing for educational excellence and equity.
Michael Wesley Brasher
Wes Brasher is a Community Sales Manager at Georgia’s Own Credit Union, where he leads strategic partnerships, community engagement, and financial education initiatives across Midtown Atlanta. Passionate about financial literacy and equitable access, Wes collaborates with organizations such as the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, Midtown Alliance, and Lost-N-Found Youth to strengthen community impact through inclusive financial programs.
Recently elected to the Board of Directors for Atlanta Smart Academy, Wes brings expertise in relationship management, strategic planning, and youth development to advance the school’s mission of empowering students through creativity, innovation, and academic excellence. His focus as a board member is to bridge the gap between financial education and real-world application, ensuring that students and their parents have the tools and confidence to thrive both academically and personally.
Wes is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration through the Georgia WebMBA program, where he studies managerial finance, marketing strategy, and organizational leadership. He is particularly interested in the intersection of business, education, and community development, creating pathways that prepare the next generation of leaders in Atlanta.
Outside of work, Wes enjoys exploring Atlanta’s creative culture, mentoring young professionals, and developing entrepreneurial ventures such as ForTeen—an organization that empowers families to embrace faith and understanding as they support their LGBTQ+ teens, fostering reconciliation between spiritual beliefs and unconditional love. He believes deeply in the power of positive thinking, manifestation, and success through collaboration
Ivan Lee
Treasurer
A native of Chattanooga, TN, Ivan Lee is a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia. He received his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Memphis. After his matriculation at the University of Memphis, Ivan worked for one of the “Big Four” accounting firms—PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). While there, he worked in the audit practice, servicing clients in the financial services and real estate industries.
Mr. Lee moved on to his current role as an Accounting Manager for Gulf, Inc., a wholesale fuel supplier and wholly-owned subsidiary of RaceTrac, where he manages the Gulf settlements team as well as ensures the reconciliation and proper recording of accounts receivable and accounts payable transactions for the company.
Mr. Lee is also the founder and CEO of I.E. Lee Financial Services—a CPA firm that offers accounting, bookkeeping, financial consulting, and tax preparation services. Overall, Mr. Lee is a driven and organized professional with a passion for financial literacy and helping people. With his diverse experience, he plans to help business owners, companies, and families take control of their finances to achieve their financial goals.
Mr. Lee serves as the Board Treasurer for Atlanta SMART Academy.
Margaret P. Moss
Megan Moss is passionate about empowering students and educators through meaningful, innovative, and joyful learning experiences. She has built her career at the intersection of teaching, technology, and impact, bringing experience as an educator, instructional coach, and leader in the education technology space.
As a former elementary teacher, Megan spent five years in public and charter school classrooms. Megan’s time as a teacher continues to shapes her every day, grounding her in the belief that all students deserve dynamic, inclusive, rigorous learning environments. Pivoting to focus on teacher training and development, Megan then pursued her Master’s in Education and transitioned into a coaching role at Teach For America Nashville-Chattanooga, supporting first and second year teacher. Megan now uses her teaching and coaching skills at BrainPOP to partner with schools and districts across the country to provide teachers and students with engaging, research driven technology solutions.
Megan brings to her board service a blend of classroom insight, instructional expertise, and business acumen. She is a lifelong learner deeply commitment to ensuring schools prepare students for success.
Megan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Georgia College & State University and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Lauren Cofield
Lauren Cofield is an MBA candidate at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where she focuses on corporate strategy and innovation. She began her career as a Teach For America corps member (Massachusetts ’16) and later served as Director of Operations for a multi-state charter school network operating in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where she led complex, data-driven initiatives across academic operations, finance, and service delivery. Most recently, Lauren managed operations and board relations for a startup nonprofit focused on civic education and engagement. A proud Atlanta native, she brings deep experience in K–12 education, nonprofit operations, and strategic planning, and is excited to contribute her perspective to Atlanta SMART Academy’s mission and long-term growth.
Lauren holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University (’18) and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Culture from Howard University (’13). She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Elaina Ross
Elaina Ross is a dedicated educator, community leader, and entrepreneur with a deep commitment to student and family advocacy. A firm believer in servant leadership, Elaina brings her experience guiding and supporting students to create meaningful, equitable opportunities for all. She also brings executive board leadership experience and extensive knowledge of K–12 education.
Elaina earned her master’s degree from Christian Brothers University and her undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a Teach For America Memphis alum (2013), where she remained for over ten years serving as a highly qualified teacher, administrator, and community leader. While in Memphis, she participated in the School Leadership Fellowship, Social Justice Fellowship, and was named Grizzlies Mentoring as Mentor of the Year. Elaina was also a founding member of 9-0-ONE, an organization focused on influencing policy and supporting student and family advocacy. She is also a proud graduate of the Embark program, later serving on the executive board.
In her current role, she facilitates adult learning to support students’ ability to access postsecondary opportunities. Elaina currently resides in South Fulton with her 6 year old daughter Gianna, who attends a public elementary charter school. In her free time, she bakes and attends local farmers markets and events. A believer in servant leadership, Elaina is committed to ensuring all children have a choice-filled future.
Wanda Newman-Johnson
Vice Chair
Wanda Newman-Johnson is a highly accomplished marketing professional with a dynamic career in defining and implementing innovative solutions to create visibility, build market share, and drive revenue growth for technology startups, fortune 100, and non-profit companies. As Senior Director of Marketing at Fiserv, she oversees marketing and digital strategies to transform customer experiences, boost brand awareness, and increase conversion rates. Wanda helped launch the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools initiative at the Verizon Foundation and worked with various educational non-profits and partners to deliver the program. The Verizon Innovative Learning Initiative has reached over three million students across the United States. In 2013, she earned a Telly Award for her non-profit work with the Verizon Foundation and was also nominated for the PR Social Media Icon Award. Her national and local contributions have earned her recognition in publications such as Black Enterprise, University of Maryland’s online magazine, Rutgers University’s digital periodical, and various other outlets. Wanda is a graduate of Northeastern University with a BS in Education and earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She has also earned an Advanced Marketing Certificate from Rutgers University. She is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Sandra Scott
Board Member
Antionette Kennedy
Secretary
With over a decade of experience in financial data analytics, Antionette Kennedy is recognized for her expertise in transforming raw data into strategic insights that drive revenue growth and operational efficiency. She currently serves as a Senior Manager for Verizon’s Global Enterprise team, where she builds and manages the model that supports large-scale sales operations.
A proud graduate of Georgia State University, Antionette distinguished herself as a university partner consultant on multi-million-dollar economic development projects. Her entrepreneurial drive was further recognized when she received the university’s Big Idea Award for her fintech startup, showcasing her ability to blend innovation, technology, and financial strategy.
Beyond her corporate role, Antionette is deeply committed to community and economic empowerment. She serves on a city’s Technology and Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, where she helps shape initiatives that foster innovation, digital inclusion, and small business development throughout Middle Georgia.
She also volunteers her expertise to families, small business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs—leading financial literacy workshops and advising business hackathons that equip participants with practical tools for sustainable growth.
Driven by a passion for merging finance, technology, and social impact, Antionette continues to champion data-informed decision-making as a catalyst for both organizational success and community advancement.
Bishop Williams
Board Member
Ariel Bruce
Member
Attend a Board or Committee Meeting!
Our monthly Board Meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be held the 3rd Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom and are open to the public.
Up to 20 minutes will be set aside for public commentary at all board meetings. Those wishing to comment must send a request to the Board Secretary by 12:00pm NOON the day of the board meeting (asa-board@atlantasmartacademy.org).
Each speaker will have 2 minutes to share with the Board. Speakers will be timed by a member of the Board and notified when time has expired.
The Public Comment period is designed to gain input from the public and not for immediate responses by the Board to the public comment presented. If there are questions or information that you have for the Board, you may also contact one or more of the Board members.
Our monthly Finance Committee Meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be held the 2nd Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom and are open to the public.
Our monthly Academics and Governance Committee Meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be held the 1st Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom and are open to the public.
