President
GSBA President Julia Bernath, president of the Fulton County Board of Education, has served on their board for eight years. In 2003, Ms. Bernath was elected as GSBA District 5 Director. In 2005, she was elected as Treasurer of GSBA, a post she held for two years before being elected President Elect. She has chaired the GSBA Audit Committee, serves on the GSBA Executive Committee, and as legislative liaison and system delegate to the GSBA Delegate Assembly. Ms. Bernath has served on the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee, the Awards Committee, the 2005 Strategic Planning Committee and the NSBA Southern Region Nominating Committee and Federal Relations Network.

President Elect
Joseph White was elected President Elect of GSBA on June 20, 2008. He has served on the GSBA Awards Committee, Governmental Operations Committee, and has represented GSBA on the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). White is a graduate of LaGrange College with a B.S. in Professional Leadership and is currently working towards a degree in criminal justice.  He has served as a member of several community groups including the Mitchell County Hospital Authority, the Mitchell County Children and Youth Council and the Kiwanis Club. He is a sales manager for the Equity Group - Georgia Division, where he has worked for 29 years. White is a member of the Mitchell County Board of Education. He has been Chairman for the past four years. He has been in office for six years.

John Neighbors has served as GSBA District 1 Director since 1999. In addition to serving as a district director, he is a member of the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee and the 2008 Strategic Planning Team. He is also a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Training Program. Neighbors has also served on the GSBA Nominating Committee, the Executive Committee and the Standards Committee. He teaches English at East Georgia College and is the organist and Choir Director at Swainsboro First United Methodist Church. Neighbors has served on the Emanuel County Board of Education since 1985 and has served as chairman during most of his tenure.

Michael Windom, District 2 Director since 2002, also serves on GSBA’s Governmental Operations Committee, as a legislative liaison and as a member of the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). In addition, he is a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Training Program. At the local level, he serves on the Dougherty BOE Athletics Committee, and as chair of the Personnel, and Buildings & Grounds committees. Windom retired from Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems after 30 years of service. He is a deacon at Friendship Baptist Church. He has been a member of the Dougherty County Board of Education since 1994 and is currently serving as board chair.

James Walker is the District 3 Director, a position he has held since 2002. He is a member of the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee, the GSBA Executive Committee and the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). He has served as a mentor to new board members in GSBA’s Mentor Program and is also a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Training Program. Walker is employed as a financial advisor with Pro Equities/Protective Life. He is also a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Army. Walker has served on the Muscogee County Board of Education since 1993 and is currently serving as board chair.

Zepora Roberts was elected GSBA District 4 Director in 2005, and again in 2008. She has served as a member of the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee and the NSBA Federal Relations Network. Roberts is also a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Training Program. She is an alumna of Leadership DeKalb and active in many community organizations, including the DeKalb NAACP Education Committee, the Partnership for Community Action, DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Board, and steering committee member of the Atlanta Project. Roberts has been honored by the Metro YWCA as one of “Ten Women Who Make A Difference.” Roberts was elected to the DeKalb Board of Education in 2004 and has served as Vice Chair of the board and Chair of the Accountability and Human Resources committees. She has served on the DeKalb Schools Strategic Planning Committee, the SPLOST Citizens Review Committee, and as a BOE appointed representative to MRESA (Metropolitan Regional Education Service Agency).

Dr. Mary Kay Murphy has served as GSBA District 5 Director since 2005. Dr. Murphy serves as system delegate to the GSBA Delegate Assembly, as a legislative liaison and on the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). She has served as a member of the GSBA Executive Committee and is also a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Training Program. Dr. Murphy is Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Morehouse School of Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Georgia State University and her master’s degree in Education and English from Emory University. She has held administrative positions at Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, and Morris Brown College. Dr. Murphy was elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Education in 1997 and has served as chairman twice.

Robert Tatum, District 6 Director since 2007, has served GSBA on the Governmental Operations Committee, the Awards Committee, and the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). He has also served on the Standards Committee and is a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Member Training Program. Tatum has served the Troup County Board of Education since 1988. He has held the positions of chair, vice chair and chair of finance on their board.

David Johnson has served as GSBA District 7 Director since 2007. Johnson serves on the Rome Floyd County Consolidation Task Force, and is a member of the Resource Board and the Emergency Physician Group Board of Directors of the Floyd Medical Center. He also serves as Secretary/Treasurer to the Development Authority of Floyd County, among other community activities. Johnson has been a member of the Floyd County Board of Education since November 1998 and currently serves as chairman.

Mark Dixon was elected GSBA District 8 Director in June 2008. He has served on the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee and the Nominating Committee. Dixon has served as a member of the Pierce County Board of Education since 1998, and was elected as chair in 2002. He is on his second term as chair. In addition to serving in the U.S. Air force, Dixon has managed his family-owned tractor and farm equipment dealerships, Dixon New Holland Tractor Company in Blackshear and Baxley Georgia, for 22 years. He also farms cotton, soybeans, corn, peanuts, pecans, and timber. Dixon is married to a school teacher and they have three children.

Nancy Roche is GSBA District 9 Director, a position she has held since 2007. Roche has served on the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the 2005 Strategic Planning Committee. She is also a trainer for GSBA’s Veteran Board Member Training Program. She has a B.S. in Computer Science and Math and has previously worked as a Systems Analyst for IBM. Roche is an active member of the Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian Church, where she sings in the Choir, teaches Sunday school, and serves on several committees, including the Christian Education Committee, and the Preschool Board of Directors. Roche is the chair the Forsyth County Board of Education and has served on their board since 2000.

Mildred Blackburn was elected GSBA District 10 Director in June 2008. She has served numerous terms on the GSBA Risk Management Board of Trustees. Blackburn has also served as her system’s delegate to the GSBA Delegate Assembly, as a legislative liaison, on the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN), and is a trainer with the GSBA Veteran Board Member Training Program. She serves on the Columbia County Board of Education.

Vernon Payne was first elected GSBA District 11 Director in 1989. He also chairs the GSBA Risk Management Fund Board of Trustees and serves as a member of the GSBA Workers' Compensation Fund Board of Trustees. Payne has served as a member of the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN), GSBA Governmental Operations Committee and the Executive Committee. He has served the Clarke County Board of Education since 1980 and has held the positions of chair, vice chair, chairman of the Property Committee and a member of the Policy Committee and SPLOST Oversight Committee.

James “Ted” Stone is the GSBA District 12 Director. In addition to being a past president of GSBA, he has served numerous terms as District 12 Director. His service to GSBA includes membership on the GSBA Legislative Committee, the Awards Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Executive Committee, the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN) and the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee. He also mentors new board members. Stone’s leadership roles also include service as a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and the Children and Youth Coordinating Council for Juvenile Justice, among many others. Stone has served on the Jones County Board of Education since 1978. He is currently serving as chairman of the board, a position he has held for 27 years.

Shirley Brooks was elected GSBA District 13 Director in 2006. Brooks has been a member of the GSBA Governmental Operations Committee for six years. She has also served GSBA on the Nominating Committee and on the Strategic Planning Committee. Brooks currently serves on the Governor’s Education Task Force and Cost Model Subcommittee and is Vice Chair of the Georgia Consortium for Adequate School Funding. Brooks is a member of the Ben Hill County Board of Education, a post she was elected to in 2000. She has chaired the board for the past six years and has also served as vice chair.

Fred Davis was elected GSBA District 14 Director in 2007. He has served over 30 years as a teacher and administrator in the Lowndes County and Valdosta City School Systems. He has also served on the Governor's A+ Task Force Committee. Originally scheduled to retire from the Valdosta City School System in June 2007, Davis agreed to continue his work in the Transportation Department of the system for another year. Davis was elected to the Lowndes County Board of Education in 2006.

Ex-Officio
Diane R. Sandifer is a past president of the Georgia School Boards Association, having served as president in 2006-2007. Sandifer also serves on the NSBA Board of Directors as a Southern Region Director, a post she will hold until April 2009. Her committee work is extensive. For GSBA, she has served on the Executive Committee, the Governmental Operations Committee and as a Legislative Liaison. Sandifer has also served on the NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN). Nationally, she served as GSBA’s Delegate to the 2005 NSBA Conference and on the NSBA Southern Region Bylaws Committee in 2004. Sandifer has also served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the Partnership’s Executive Committee and has chaired their Best Practices Committee. In addition, Sandifer is representing both NSBA and GSBA in working with the Council of Chief State School Officers in educational research regarding roles and responsibilities of school leaders. She was elected to the Harris County Board of Education in 1998 and has been chair since 2001.

Jeannie M. (Sis) Henry
Sis Henry has spent the last 36 years as a steadfast advocate of public education. Her experiences range from the classroom to the central office and 22 years with the South Carolina School Boards Association. She “came home to Georgia” in September 2001 and currently serves as the executive director of the Georgia School Boards Association.
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