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GLENN ABNEY
PhD, Moderator, Professor and Chair Emeritus, Georgia State University, Member, SUGA |
Glenn is currently Professor and Chair Emeritus at Georgia State University where he taught Political Science from 1972 until his retirement. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Tulane University and a JD Degree from the Georgia State College of Law. He and his wife Nancy are members of SUGA.
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BETSY ALEXANDER
BFA Graphic Design, University of Georgia, Graphic Designer (retired) |
SUGA member, Betsy, worked as a graphic designer and art director for over 40 years. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a BFA in graphic design, she worked in New York for the advertising agency of Ogilvy & Mather. Moving to Atlanta in 1974, first working for a local advertising agency, then starting her own design firm, she worked mostly in the real estate development industry. She was the primary designer for John Wieland Homes for over 30 years. In addition to creating his corporate identity, she designed logos, signage, advertising and promotional materials for her many projects.
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JOHN ALLENSWORTH
PhD, Geography, Kent State & Georgia State Univ. (retired), Member, SUGA |
John holds a PhD in Geography from The Ohio State University. He is retired from the Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University (1998-2011) and the Department of Geography, Kent State University (1970-1998). He is a former board member for many years for the Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers and is a former Peace Corps volunteer (Panama); Peace Corps trainer for Honduras, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. As the director of John Allensworth's Discovery Expeditions (JADE) and various study abroad programs, he has been a lecturer and tour leader throughout Mexico, Central America and Andean South America throughout his academic career. He and his wife are members of SUGA.
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JOE BAIRD
Attorney, Administrative Law Judge (retired), Member, SUGA |
Joe Baird grew up in Moultrie, Georgia, and attended Emory College, Emory Graduate School (English) and Emory Law School. He worked as an attorney with both Atlanta Legal Aid and Georgia Legal Services. He also served as an Administrative Law Judge with the State of Georgia. Since his retirement in 2006, he has taught history and English literature classes at SUGA. For recreation he plays a wretched game of golf.
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PATRICK BELOTT
Member, SUGA |
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FRAN BAGENAL, PhD (Guest Instructor)
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder |
Fran Bagenal was born and grew up in England. She studied Physics and Geophysics at the University of Lancaster. In 1976, inspired by NASA’s missions to Mars and the prospect of the Voyager mission, she moved to the US for graduate study at MIT. Her 1981 PhD thesis involved analysis of data from the Voyager Plasma Science experiment in Jupiter’s giant magnetosphere. She spent 1982-1987 as a post-doctoral researcher in space physics at Imperial College, London. Voyager flybys of Uranus and Neptune brought her back to the US and she joined the faculty at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1989. Dr. Bagenal is professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences and Research Scientist at the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics.
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PAUL BHASIN
DMA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MM, Northwestern University, BM, University of Michigan, Director of Orchestral Studies at Emory University |
Dr. Paul Bhasin serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at Emory University where he holds the inaugural Donna & Marvin Schwartz Professorship in Music. In this capacity, he conducts the Emory University Symphony Orchestra, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, and teaches conducting. Bhasin’s career began when he won the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition in 1998. He has led a variety of university, academic, and professional ensembles throughout North America and abroad including recent performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Bhasin is an accomplished orchestral trumpeter and a committed trumpet teacher. He was named Music Director/Conductor of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra in 2022.
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ELIZABETH BIGHAM
Florida State University, Criminal Justice, Special Agent, GBI |
ELIZABETH BIGHAM is a Special Agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)
where she has been employed since March of 2007. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. She was assigned to a field office where she worked various criminal cases to include homicide, armed robbery, child abuse/molestation, theft, aggravated assault, and rape. In July of 2013, she transferred to the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC) where she currently conducts proactive and reactive investigations involving crimes against children on the Internet. These types of investigations include possession, distribution, and manufacturing of child pornography, solicitation of minors via the internet, and the commercial sex-trafficking of minors. Elizabeth has two young children and her husband, Rocky, is a special assistant in charge, also with the GBI. |
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TERRY BORDAN
Professor and Chair of Department of Counseling and Development (retired), Long Island University |
Dr. Terry Bordan is a licensed professional counselor and the former professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Development at Long Island University. She is also the former Director of Counseling at the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the past editor of The Journal for the Professional Counselor. She has taught in the Tactical Officers’ Education Program at the United States Military Academy at West Point. She has presented at national workshops and seminars and been featured in national newspapers. She has appeared on several television shows and is the former host of her own radio show, “Dr. Terry Bordan and Co.” She has extensive clinical experience as a mental health practitioner.
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GEORGE BROWN
Ph.D. (International Relations), retired President/CEO of Friendship Force, Travel Coordinator, Member, SUGA |
George T. Brown, Jr. has more than 35 years of experience designing and leading international travel programs, most recently as President of Friendship Force International, which conducts home-stay travel programs in 55+ countries. Previously he served as Executive Director of both the Georgia Council for International Visitors and Villa International Atlanta; as well as Director of Agnes Scott College’s Global Awareness Program. George received his Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Virginia and was a political science professor at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Atlanta. He retired from the Friendship Force in 2013 and is now an active member of SUGA, often serving as travel coordinator.
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KAY COLLINS
Media Planner (retired) |
Kay grew up in the university town of Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, the home of the University of Illinois, where she graduated. She began her career in advertising in Chicago and lived there before moving to Atlanta in 1982. Her advertising job was as a media planner—she was the one who chose where to put those commercials or ads that you complain about on tv and radio and in magazines and newspapers! After the ad industry changed in the late 1980s, Kay worked for marketing organizations until retirement about 17 years ago. Kay likes to travel to more natural places—Amazon, Patagonia, Australia, and New Zealand because they are the ones that will change the most in the next few years. She still has only a few states west of the Mississippi River to visit. She is active with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and volunteers by collecting and pricing books year 'round for their sales. She likes to read and coordinates two book clubs—one is for SUGA. Kay has attended classes and volunteered with SUGA since retiring.
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DAVE CONLEY
Sr. Manager Science Center Museums (retired) |
Dave Conley holds a B.S. degree in physics. He is a retired Senior Manager in science center museums and planetariums. He designed exhibits that encouraged public learning of science. He has been a member of SUGA since 2018.
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JEROME M. (JERRY) COOPER
FAIA |
Jerry is the Founding Principal of Cooper Carry, Inc., a nationally recognized architectural firm with offices in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York. He received the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology. Upon graduation he received the Student Medal of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for Excellence in Architecture. As a Fulbright Scholar in 1956, he moved to Rome, Italy and studied at the Università di Roma, under the mentorship of Bruno Zevi, a prominent Italian Architect and Professor. In 1997, he was invited to return to Rome as a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Silver Medal-Atlanta Chapter of AIA for Design Excellence; The Rothschild Medal – Georgia Association of AIA; and the Ivan Allen Trophy, Atlanta Chapter of AIA.
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TOM DELL
Musician |
Tom’s interest in Rock and Roll and music in general began in Atlanta in 1957 when he got his Stella four-string guitar. He was in bands that played for high schools and colleges in the Southeast, along the East coast and clubs in Florida, Atlanta, and New York. He still gets together regularly with men he has been working with for more than 60 years to play music. They have played at numerous Oakhurst “Porch Fests” and also do high school and college reunions. Tom graduated from Grady High and from Georgia State University, earning a BBA while serving six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. His working career involved being a working musician, owning and running a retail stereo equipment store, and sales/marketing of digital and fiber optic equipment. Since retiring in 2013, in addition to playing with his band, he has frequently presented his rock and roll courses at various senior organizations, including Emory’s OLLI program and Central DeKalb Senior Center. He has two daughters, three granddaughters, and is married to his high school sweetheart.
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SAL DePASQUALE
MCJ (Criminal Justice), MBA |
After retiring from a career as a security analyst and consultant working on security and criminal justice issues, Sal engaged in volunteer programs with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Emory University and Kennesaw State University teaching classes on history. He was an adjunct instructor in Criminal Justice at Georgia State University and taught security terrorism classes under contract to Texas A&M University. He also testified before Congress post September 11 relative to the security of chemical plants. Sal is a 2017 Volunteer of the Year for Meals on Wheels Atlanta, and an avid hiker. Sal has taught each quarter at SUGA after first teaching here in Winter 2021.
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BILL FISHER
Sr Mgr BellSouth, Founder Winston Churchill Society of GA |
Bill is a veteran of Senior U, having taught his first class in 2004, and done one in about every year since. A native of Kentucky, (Go Big Blue!) he was a senior manager at BellSouth for 32 years, but history was always his hobby. He was one of the founders of The Winston Churchill Society of Georgia and continues to serve on the board. He and Gail live in Dunwoody, have three adult children in Summit NJ, Fayetteville, GA, and outside San Francisco, with grandchildren on both coasts.
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TIM GELINAS
UGA, Owner/President, Senior Financial Services, LLC |
Tim is a graduate of UGA and is a former ordained campus minister at the University of Georgia. He and his wife Rachael have spent a total of over 27 weeks during 13 different trips to Israel. During these trips they have become friends with many influential people in the archaeological community who have provided Tim with many unique experiences. In his “day job” Tim is a financial planner and is President and owner of Senior Financial Services, LLC in Marietta.
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JOYCE (“JOY”) F. GLUCKSMAN
Attorney (retired) |
Joy is a retired attorney with over 45 years of experience in employment, family law, business, and corporate representation. In the last 10 years, she limited her practice to mediation and arbitration. She started her practice working for the National Treasury Employees Union and continued as a solo practitioner representing individuals and closely held corporations in a variety of forums at the trial and appellate levels. Joy has more than 25 years of experience as an arbitrator and is still certified by the State of Georgia as an arbitrator, mediator, and case evaluator. She was active on both the American Arbitration Association's employment and commercial rosters, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s panel as a public arbitrator, and has chaired numerous arbitration panels. She received the highest, AV, rating by Martindale Hubbell and was named one of Georgia’s top lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine every year between 2008 and when she retired in 2021. She was also active in Bar and community activities. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Skidmore College and a graduate of Emory Law School. Joy is married and enjoys traveling, reading, genealogy, jigsaw puzzles, and taking SUGA classes.
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LYNN CHERRY GRANT
Emory and Georgia State University, World Literature and British Literature, Georgia Perimeter College (retired) |
A lifelong resident of DeKalb County, graduate of Emory University and Georgia State University, Lynn spent most of her teaching career at DeKalb College now Georgia Perimeter College. Her favorite classes were World Literature and British Literature. She served on the DeKalb County Board of Education for 16 years, leaving it in 2009, still a firm believer in public education. In retirement, she teaches part-time and travels whenever possible. She has enjoyed being a member of and teaching classes at SUGA to share some of her passions, like Greek mythology and British Lit.
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MADELINE GRIFFIN
Assistant District Attorney, GSU Instructor (retired) |
Madeline Griffin was the first female Assistant District Attorney as well as the first woman Juvenile Court Judge in DeKalb County. For a number of years she taught a course on the Juvenile Justice System at Georgia State University and offered a course on this topic for SUGA in 2020. In 2021 she presented a course on “Major Ridge” and the 18th/19th century Cherokee community in North Georgia, and continued sharing her interest in Native American history in a 2022 course.
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DANIEL GUYTON
MFA Drama, University of Georgia, BA English & Theatre, SUNY Albany, Playwright |
Daniel is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter from Atlanta, GA. His stage plays have been produced over 600 times around the world, and he has been published in nearly 50 anthologies and solo publications, including several of the Best American Short Plays collections. His play Three Ladies of Orpington recently won 7 awards from the Metropolitan Atlanta Theatre Awards. He is a theatre professor at Georgia State University and Georgia Military College and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America East. For more info, please visit: www.danguyton.com.
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LISA N. GUYTON
Artist/Art teacher |
Lisa Guyton’s art experience started as a child, making things with her mother, a dynamic and talented woman who painted, wrote for the local newspaper and entered art shows. As a graduate student in painting at American University in Washington, D.C., Lisa was influenced by the emphasis on drawing from life and from exposure to art history. Her classes sometimes took place at the Phillips Collection, a nearby private museum. There she studied Impressionist, Post-impressionist and other works in person, up close. This experience led to her love of the work from this modernist collection, including works by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Bonnard, Matisse, O’Keeffe, Marin, and Hopper. She became an art teacher in 1987, starting at a private boarding school in Katonah, NY, continuing after moving to Atlanta in 1995, and retiring after teaching 14 years in a public high school in Atlanta. Currently she teaches drawing and painting classes at art centers in Atlanta and maintains a studio in Chamblee. Her drawings and paintings have been exhibited in Atlanta, Gainesville, Washington, D.C. and Connecticut.
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ZACHARY HANDLOS
Senior Academic Professional, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at Georgia Tech |
Dr. Zachary Handlos is a Senior Academic Professional within the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at Georgia Tech. Zachary is originally from Manitowoc, WI and received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. His instructional experience ranges from several meteorology courses across the undergraduate meteorology curriculum to introductory environmental science as well as a planetary science course titled "Habitable Planet". He is also one of two undergraduate advisors in EAS. Zachary's research interests are in jet stream meteorology and atmospheric science education research. He has participated in several outreach events throughout the greater Atlanta, GA community, including the Atlanta Science Festival, K-12 school visits, guest presenting for two Georgia chapters of the Sierra Club on the topic of hurricanes and global climate change, and various interviews with local television and radio. Website: https://handlos.eas.gatech.edu/
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TOM HAWKINS
US Dept. of Labor (retired) |
Shortly after retiring in 2006, Tom Hawkins became active in Senior University. He serves on the Curriculum Committee and has been President of the Board and a member of the Finance Committee. His working career included nearly six years as an Air Force officer and 31 years with the U. S. Department of Labor working in Human Resources, Affirmative Action, and Occupational Safety and Health. For the last ten years, he helped to manage human, financial and technology resources and to evaluate mission accomplishment for OSHA in the southeast. He walks three miles with friends somewhere in metro Atlanta early every Saturday morning, and he has dabbled in local theater. In addition to helping with several trivia classes, he has taught a couple of SUGA classes dealing with spiritual journeys.
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CHARLES “CHUCK” HILL
BS Geology, Georgia Southern (1980), MS Geophysical Sciences, Georgia Tech (1983), author |
Chuck is a freelance geologist in the environmental consulting industry. He is a native of Atlanta and has worked as an environmental consultant for over 30 years. He has a BS in Geology from Georgia Southern (1980) and an MS in Geophysical Sciences from Georgia Tech (1983). He has written a book on the geology and history of Georgia called “Georgia’s Past.” Chuck has taught courses in geology at SUGA for about 14 years.
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ALLEN M. HING
Professor of Interior Design |
Allen Hing has taught interior design since 1971 at various institutions including Syracuse University, Auburn University, The Atlanta College of Art, the Art Institute of Atlanta, and Virginia Commonwealth University, both on the Richmond campus as well as their campus in Doha, Qatar. He holds a B.F.A. degree in Interior Design from the Pratt Institute in NYC and an M.A. degree from Syracuse University. He has taught courses in interior design, art and architecture at SUGA since 2014.
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BONNIE HOYT
BA, English and Secondary Education, MA, English Literature |
Bonnie Hoyt holds a BA. In English and Secondary Education and an M.A. in English Literature. She learned that “life is what happens when you’re making other plans” when she taught high school English for only one year before discovering she didn’t like teenagers in packs. She does, however, enjoy learning with and teaching adults!
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Colonel ROBERT KNOWLES, JR., GA National Guard (retired)
Security Officer, GSU Instructor, Intelligence Corps, US Army |
Robert Knowles first heard about Sherlock Holmes over the British Broadcasting Corporation radio while stationed with his father in occupied Germany in the 1950's. Imagine the excitement he felt, listening to Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud's masterful renditions of stories of Conan Doyle's Great Detective! Bob is himself a writer, though he has not tried his hand at detective fiction. He holds master’s degrees from Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University. Bob has worked as a security officer and is a licensed security supervisor. He also completed the state Private Investigator course. He taught communications at Georgia State for 20 years, retiring in 2019. Bob is a retired Colonel in the Georgia Department of Defense and a former Captain, Military Intelligence Corps in the Unites States Army Reserve. He fought in the Vietnam War in 1967-1968. He was decorated for combat service as an intelligence and security analyst with the United States Army Security Agency. Bob is married and has three children, three grand-children and two great-grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Jann, and three cats in Stone Mountain, Ga. Bob's youngest son, Ben, has continued his father's involvement and interest in communications intelligence and security. He is a corporate director of cyber-security.
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JUNE LESTER
Professor Emerita, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Oklahoma |
JUNE LESTER
June holds a doctorate in library science from Columbia University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Emory University. She is retired from the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma where she served as Director of the School and previously was a faculty member and administrator at Emory University and the University of North Texas. She also served as the Director of the Office for Accreditation of the American Library Association. During her career she was active in professional associations, serving as President of the Association for Library and Information Science Education and Treasurer of the Association for Information Science and Technology. Since her retirement in 2010 and move to Atlanta with her partner, John Hinkle, she has been active in her Homeowner’s Association, serving twice as Vice President of the Board, and in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, where she has served as President of the congregation and sings in the choir. She has been a SUGA member since 2017 |
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ANN MEBANE LEVINE
SUGA Curriculum Chair, Program Manager (retired) West Virginia University, Volunteer, Carter Center |
Ann is the Curriculum Chair at Senior University of Greater Atlanta (SUGA) where she has been a member since 2004. In that year she retired from a career at West Virginia University as a Program Manager of a state-wide professional development organization. Since moving to Atlanta to be near family, she has volunteered at The Carter Center and at her church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.
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DAVID McCOWEN
Architect |
David is a retired Architect, born in Macon, GA and graduated from Georgia Tech. Always based in Atlanta, his career involved diverse projects in Egypt, Ghana, Burbank, CA with the Disney Imagineers, Iran (before the revolution), and his favorite: the 1990’s library addition at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur. After retiring in 2004, he joined SUGA about 2007. Married to Mary, they have two daughters and two grandsons. David has led several classes at SUGA over the years and has been a SUGA Board President back in the Mercer days.
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ANNE MacDOUGAL
Member, SUGA |
Growing up in Indiana, Anne MacDougal came of age in the 1950’s and 1960’s when so many of the great musicals came into being, and she loved them. After retiring from a long career in IT, she joined SUGA and began presenting classes about some of those musicals. She has had a great time finding out so much fun and interesting information then sharing it with everyone.
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ELLERY McLANAHAN
Member, SUGA |
Ellery received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1962, majoring in American Studies. He is a published poet, short story writer, and public speaker. He is a member of SUGA.
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JEFF MILSTEEN
Attorney, Chief Deputy Attorney General of Georgia. |
Jeff graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University in 1981. He received his law degree in 1984 from Emory University School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Emory Law Journal. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and all federal and state trial and appellate courts in Georgia. He served for 19 years as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Georgia. Jeff is also an avid photographer who enjoys teaching photography-related courses in the metro area, including “Iconic Photos of the 20th Century” at SUGA in 2021. His most recent course at SUGA was “Iconic Trials of the 20th Century.”
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DAVID Y. MITCHELL
Executive Director Atlanta Preservation Center (APC) |
Since 2020, David has served as the Executive Director of the Atlanta Preservation Center (APC). Previously, he served as APC’s Director of Education and Operations. Since taking over as Director, he has greatly expanded partnerships and programs and has regularly voiced the preservation center’s position in the media. David Mitchell graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a past recipient of the Society of Georgia Archivists President’s Award for his work with the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia.
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MARILYN MORTON
BS and MS, Art Education, PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies, Emory U.. |
Marilyn received her BS and MS degrees in Art Education, and her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Emory University in 1998. She has taught art in the public schools and taught Art Studio as well as History of Art at the University of Tennessee and Atlanta College of Art. She teaches at various Atlanta-area senior lifelong learning programs, including at SUGA for many years.
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LISA NEWBERN
Yerkes National Primate Research Center Researchers, Coordinator |
Lisa Newbern is Chief of Public Affairs for the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University. She arranges and coordinates annual courses at SUGA with faculty members who do research at Yerkes.
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NICHOLAS R. ORTON
Coordinator Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Department of Physical Therapy, Mercer University |
Nicholas Orton is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and physical therapist in the Mercer Physical Therapy Clinic. He received his Doctor of Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina and his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Wofford College. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist. In addition, he is Orthopedic Residency Coordinator and Director of the Anatomy Lab in the Department of Physical Therapy. Dr. Orton is currently engaged in research on the use of point of care ultrasound to detect trigger points in individuals with headaches.
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LARRY PINSON
SUGA presenter |
Live theater and opera, and other forms of music theater and musical movies have been of continuing interest most of Larry’s life. He sings in a choir and volunteers at Spivey Hall, the well-known Atlanta classical music theater located in Morrow, as well as at The Atlanta Opera. Participation encouraged him to spend many hours enjoying live performances and stimulated him to listen and watch recorded and filmed performances. High on the list of enjoyment have been attending opera performances in cities including New York, Seattle, Budapest, Vienna, and Sydney. He has been privileged to meet composers, performing artists, set and lighting designers, directors, and others in the field. He has presented 5 opera classes for SUGA, as well as taking all music/musical theater/movies classes offered at SUGA. Being semi-immersed in music and theater, and preparing for opera classes continue to feed Larry’s avocational interests!
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JUDY PLECKO
Director of Social Work at the Marcus Center |
Although Judy was born in Cleveland, Ohio, she grew up in Mobile, Alabama. She came to Emory for college and has remained here, except for 2 years when she went to the University of Texas to obtain a Masters in Social Work. Her long career includes medical social work positions at Grady Hospital, Dekalb Medical and Shepherd Spinal Center. She was also the Director of Social Work and Family Support at the Marcus Center, before starting her own private counseling and therapy practice. Much of her time was spent working with Children with Disabilities and their families. She is married to Mike Plecko, and their daughter and her husband live in Atlanta with their 2 daughters, age 15 and 9. She loves spending time with them, but also enjoys bridge, mah jongg, reading, and travel. Judy and Mike have been fortunate to enjoy many trips and cruises. Judy participates in 2 Book Clubs including the one at SUGA, where she and Mike have enjoyed classes for a number of years.
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B. DENISE RAYNOR
MD, MPH, Emerita, Emory Univ. School of Medicine, Member, SUGA |
B. Denise Raynor MD, MPH is an emerita of the Emory University School of Medicine. She joined the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics specifically to serve underserved minority women at Grady Hospital and to train residents, fellows and medical students. While her primary clinical focus was in fetal ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis, she took a lead role in resident education, eventually implementing a new national approach to graduate medical education and serving as Residency Program Director. In retirement, Dr. Raynor has intensified her focus on healthcare disparities and inequities across all aspects of our society based on skin color. She has given presentations at Emory University Emeritus College, taught courses at OLLI@Emory and is currently researching a book on implicit racial bias in medical education. She is a member of SUGA.
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SHAI ROBKIN
Serial entrepreneur |
Shai (pronounced “Shy”) is a serial entrepreneur. Born and raised in Atlanta, he moved to Israel in 1976 immediately following his marriage to fellow Atlantan, Judy Birnbrey. After a career in international banking, Shai and Judy opened in 1981 Israel’s first combination bookstore/coffee shop. They returned to Atlanta in 1984, using the proceeds from the sale of the Israeli store to acquire Vernon, a manufacturer and distributor of library supplies. Vernon’s technology division was sold in 2011 to One Equity Partners, a division of JP Morgan. Shai has continued to direct Vernon’s operations while engaging in outside business consulting and education. He has taught a variety of behavioral economics courses at SUGA since 2017.
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BRANDT ROSS
BA, Marshall University, Managing Partner (retired) Corporate Finance Associates, Inc. of Southeast Atlanta |
Brandt has a BA from Marshall University and was Managing Partner at Corporate Finance Associates, Inc. of Southeast Atlanta, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. For 22 years, he held senior management positions becoming President and COO of Corbin, Ltd. He has served as a board member of the Third National Bank, The United Way, Family Services and several Chambers of Commerce. He was President of Marshall University Business School Advisory Board and helped found their internship program. His hobbies include 12-stringed guitar and folk music, history, genealogy, and baseball. He currently volunteers as a folksinger in retirement homes and as a financial arbitrator.
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STEVE RUSH
Environmental Consultant (retired) |
Steve graduated from Emory University in 1973. He retired from a career as an Environmental Consultant in Los Angeles and moved back to the Atlanta area about 6 years ago. He’s been a volunteer with the Peace Education Program since then. While facilitating several Peace Education Workshops, he’s seen first-hand the phenomenal transformation that occurs when a person connects with their inner self.
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SHELLEY SCHER
Teacher (retired) Member, SUGA |
Shelley Scher earned her BA from Hofstra University and her MA from Fairfield University. She has taught both high school and college-level courses. She taught Advanced Placement English courses at Chattahoochee High School for 15 years. During her career she has reviewed college-level Business English textbooks for John Wiley Publishing Co. She and her husband are members of SUGA.
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DAVID SCHOENBERG
Corporate attorney, UGA 1984 |
David practices business, international and trusts and estates law in Buckhead. He serves on the Board of Interfaith Atlanta and is the Chair of the Interfaith Speakers Network (ISN). David is active in his synagogue, Temple Sinai, is a past president of Second Helpings Atlanta and is a recent member of the Board of Actors Express.
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ROBERT SIEGMANN
Retired professional photographer |
Robert Siegmann has had several careers in teaching computer courses and photography courses in the Atlanta area. In his last career he had his own portraiture business where he transitioned from using analog cameras to digital cameras. During the last 10 years he has enjoyed and used the amazing iPhone camera for all his photography needs. His purpose now is to share his iPhone camera experience and knowledge with as many seniors as he can.
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ARTHUR SLAVIN
Banking Manager (retired) |
Born and raised in Chicago, his education includes degrees in English, Educational Psychology, Bank Management, and Finance from Northern Illinois University, LSU, and the University of Virginia. His minors include French and History. After college, Art spent three years in the Army, where he learned Chinese Mandarin and was stationed in the Far East. Art and Ethi, his wife of 56+ years, moved to Tucker in 1969. They have a daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild, all of whom are kind, generous, and intelligent members of the community. Art spent 30 years in the banking industry, managing large departments in credit cards, operations, marketing and retail loan administration. He retired in 1999 and has spent his time volunteering as a tutor, teacher of English to foreign students, and as a general factotum at Senior University since 2005. He stays in shape by getting to the gym and pool at least four times each week. He is a fan of murder mysteries, cryptic crosswords, music and film. He and Ethi have been fortunate to have traveled several times to western Europe as well as to the Caribbean on Disney Cruises, but are happy at home and in their garden.
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NORMAN SLAWSKY
Attorney |
Norman is a SUGA member and currently serves as its President. At SUGA, he has presented classes on law, Atlanta authors, and climate change. A labor lawyer for 35 years, he has served as chair of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Sections, the chair of GreenLaw, a nonprofit environmental law firm, and vice-chair of the Georgia Sierra Club. He is a treekeeper with Trees Atlanta. Norman has a B.A. in Economics from SUNY-Binghamton, an M.A. in Mathematics from CUNY, and a JD from the University of Georgia. Prior to attending law school, he was a high school math teacher.
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ROY M. SOBELSON, JR.
Law Professor (retired) Georgia State University College of Law |
Roy recently retired after serving 30+ years at Georgia State University College of Law as a professor, 10 years as Associate Dean, and 2 years as Director of the LL.M. program. His special areas of focus are legal ethics and malpractice, civil procedure, and litigation. Before teaching, he practiced law and served as managing attorney of the Georgia Legal Services office in Brunswick, Georgia.
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MIKE SULLIVAN
Lawyer, AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist) Edward Jones designation |
Mike is a financial planner who works with families and small business owners to overcome complexities and navigate through critical life events. He has been with Edward Jones since 2008 and holds the AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist) designation. He earned a law degree from Georgia State University and served as a Calvary Scout in the United States Army. A native of upstate New York, he enjoys traveling, golfing, learning about history and watching sports. The lead singer of a local rock band, he likes to relive his glory days believing that he is still relevant. He also volunteers his time as a bus driver for three daughters who play volleyball, softball and basketball. While this position is unpaid, the opportunity to refine his dad jokes is priceless.
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SANDRA THORNTON
Georgia Tech School of Public Policy (retired), and Thornton & Rose, Attorneys at Law, Member, SUGA |
Sandra Thornton received her PhD from Georgetown University and her JD degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. She taught from 1962 until 1997 at Georgia Institute of Technology, teaching Political Science, Russian and International Affairs. She was also in the private practice of law from 1981 to 2007. She has been a volunteer lawyer for the
ACLU and the Dekalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. She is a member of SUGA. |
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GEORGE WIEDER
USAF, serial volunteer |
George is on the Board of the Senior University of Greater Atlanta and has been a member since 2020. He coordinates SUGA Zoom activities and is also a member of the Curriculum Committee. George had a career in the United States Air Force followed by 15 years in the cellular business. He is a member of the Atlanta Kiwanis Club and supports many of their non-profit members.
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ROSEMARY WOOLFITT
Dekalb Symphony Orchestra, Cellist |
Rosemary was given a cello on her 8th birthday by her parents who fondly imagined their 3 children playing trios together. That was never going to happen, but Rosemary joined the Saturday morning children’s orchestra in her home city of Aberdeen, Scotland at aged 10 and has been playing in community orchestras of various types and sizes since then. Having moved to Atlanta, she first heard of the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra from a fellow parent – and DSO cellist – while both were waiting outside their children’s auditions for middle school all-state band. She became a member of the DSO in 2010. Rosemary loves being part of the DSO. There is a friendly camaraderie, the opportunity to get an intimate insight into the way a complex piece of music is constructed, and always the enjoyment of contributing to the overall sound of wonderful music.
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