The People Guiding Our Progress

Greg Giornelli served as President of Purpose Built Schools Atlanta from its formation in 2016 until 2025. Over the course of more than 35 years, he led transformational projects at both the city and neighborhood levels, holding diverse leadership roles in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Prior to Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, Greg was President of Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit that partnered with local leaders in more than 25 cities nationwide to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. He also held various positions with the City of Atlanta during Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration, including Chief Operating Officer and President of the Atlanta Development Authority (now Invest Atlanta).

Greg was the founding executive director of the East Lake Foundation, the nonprofit that developed and continues to implement a bold, innovative, and successful model of community revitalization. In that role, he helped form the city’s first charter school, Charles Drew Charter School.

Earlier in his career, Greg practiced law privately and served as an Assistant District Attorney for DeKalb County.

Thomas G. Cousins is a real estate developer, sports supporter, and philanthropist, primarily based in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Cousins was a leader in shaping the skyline in Atlanta.

In 1995, Mr. Cousins founded the East Lake Foundation in Atlanta. The Foundation partnered with the Atlanta Housing Authority to build a mixed-income apartment block in a local low-income area with a high crime rate and put additional resources into education options and job provision for the tenants. Based on the results of the East Lake Foundation project, Mr. Cousins, with partner Warren Buffett, created Purpose Built Communities. Purpose Built Communities currently partners with 13 other communities in the United States.

In April 1968, Cousins purchased the Hawks basketball team and moved them from St. Louis to Atlanta, renaming them the Atlanta Hawks. At the time, Atlanta did not have pro ball facilities, but Mr. Cousins was building a local arena complex.

In 1993, Tom Cousins was the recipient of the Bill Hartman Award, which recognizes former varsity athletes from the University of Georgia who have demonstrated excellence in their profession. On March 8, 2010, Mr. Cousins was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Atlanta Sports Awards for his role in promoting sports in Atlanta.

In 1995, Cousins purchased East Lake Golf Club and restored it to its former glory. He also helped to establish East Lake as the permanent home of the TOUR Championship, which is the season-ending tournament for the PGA TOUR. Profits from East Lake Golf Club go to the East Lake Foundation, which in turn goes to help the East Lake Community.

Mr. Cousins graduated with a BBA from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He has also received an honorary degree in Doctor of Humane Letters from Oglethorpe University.

Mr. Cousins was named the Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Atlanta Chapter in 2015, as well as a 2012 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society.

Alex Robertson is the president and Chief Operating Officer of Tiger Management LLC, where he oversees the operations of a firm dedicated to sourcing and developing future leaders in the investment management industry. Prior to joining Tiger in 2008, Alex served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole.

Alex serves as a trustee and board member of the Robertson Foundation, the Tiger Foundation, the Boys’ Club of New York, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Board of Overseers, the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, the East Lake Foundation, and Purpose Built Communities. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Stanford GSB.

David Daniels has been part of the Bainum Family Foundation team since 2012, serving in a variety of leadership roles. Most recently, as Chief Operating Officer, he oversaw the implementation and operational activities for all programs and initiatives, translating the Foundation’s mission, vision, and goals into sustainable processes, systems, and procedures to deliver quality program services. He also served as internal leader of the organization, promoting a high-performing culture that fostered the Foundation’s core values of continuous learning, integrity, collaboration, and commitment.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Daniels served as Principal of Takoma Academy in Takoma Park, Maryland; Mount Vernon Academy in Mount Vernon, Ohio; and Liberty Christian Academy in Columbus, Ohio.

In addition to his role at the Foundation, Daniels serves on the boards of Maryland Philanthropy Network and Pine Forge Academy. He holds a Master of Business Administration, Finance, from Franklin University and a bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Columbia Union College. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Business Administration from Wilmington University.

Douglas Jutte is a physician, population health expert, and longtime advocate for neighborhood-based investment in health and equity. He is the founder and former executive director of the Build Healthy Places Network, a national organization dedicated to bridging the health, community development, and finance sectors to create stronger, more equitable communities.

Dr. Jutte currently serves as a Senior Advisor with Connecting Science + Community, an initiative of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Center for Health Care Strategies. He has advised organizations including CommonSpirit Health, Trinity Health, the Primary Care Development Corporation, and Enterprise Community Partners.

A pediatrician by training, Dr. Jutte spent two decades caring for children in community clinics and hospitals. He later became a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, where he conducted research and published extensively on the social determinants of health. He was also one of three Senior Scientific Editors of the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2021 report, Community Health & Economic Opportunity.

Dr. Jutte earned his BA from Cornell University, his MD from Harvard Medical School, and his MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. He trained in pediatrics at Stanford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in population health at UCSF as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program.

Dr. Russell W. Booker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Spartanburg Academic Movement in Spartanburg, South Carolina. With an unwavering conviction in the power of education, he believes our greatest hope for the future is to inspire and equip our children for meaningful lives of leadership and service.

Dr. Booker retired as Superintendent of Spartanburg County School District Seven, where he directed many transformative initiatives. Most notably, he led a total restructuring of the district, a complete digital immersion, and a bold, comprehensive capital plan. He began his tenure in District Seven in 2010 after serving as superintendent in York School District One.

Dr. Booker is a South Carolina Liberty Fellow (affiliate with the Aspen Global Leadership Network) and a graduate of the Diversity Leaders Initiative through the Riley Institute. He serves as the Chair of the StriveTogether Board of Directors, as a trustee on the Wingate University Board of Directors, as a board member of Purpose Built Communities, and as a member of the S.C. Education Oversight Committee. Locally, he serves on the board of the Mary Black Foundation and the Spartanburg Regional Hospital Foundation. He is a proud member of the Spartanburg Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

In 2013, Dr. Booker received the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Urban League of the Upstate. He is a past president of SCASA’s Superintendents’ Division. In 2015, Russell was named the South Carolina Superintendent of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) and was also named Superintendent of the Year by the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association. He is a 2015 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Distinguished Alumni Inductee. During a surprise announcement in November 2020, Russell received the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor, during a ceremony honoring his 28 years of service in education.

Dr. Booker received his B.S. degree in Education from Wingate University and his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Russell and his wife Sheryl reside in Spartanburg and are the proud parents of two sons, Grant (US Naval Academy Class of ’23), and Maxwell (Harvard College Class of ’26). They are members of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.

Laura Yates Clark serves as president of Foundation For The Carolinas, leading civic engagement efforts and overseeing initiatives for the fifth-largest community foundation in the U.S. As a member of executive management, Clark works closely with the CEO to set and implement the strategic direction of the organization.

Clark previously served as President and CEO of United Way of Greater Charlotte, leading efforts to improve economic mobility and advance racial equity across four counties. A Charlotte native, Laura was named the sixth leader in the nearly 90-year history of United Way of Greater Charlotte in August 2018. Prior to the role, she joined the United Way team in 2016 as executive vice president and chief impact officer and led the transformation of the organization’s community impact strategy to more directly address economic mobility challenges across the Charlotte region. Under Laura’s leadership, United Way increased its investment to expand two major community initiatives: United Neighborhoods to drive neighborhood transformation and revitalization and Unite Charlotte to improve racial equity and increase social capital.

A proven leader and longtime advocate for children and families, Clark previously served as CEO of the Renaissance West Community Initiative, director of The Larry King Center at Charlotte’s Council for Children’s Rights, and in an earlier stint with United Way as director of evaluation and community impact. She previously served as the chair of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte Branch, and as a member of the board for NC Child.

She currently serves as a member of the Purpose Built Communities Board of Directors and previously served on the board of the United Way of North Carolina. Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in clinical/community psychology from UNC Charlotte.

In her downtime, Clark enjoys reading novels, cooking, traveling to the beach, and relaxing with her two rescue dogs, Mabel and Henry.

Lynette Bell is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in community development and philanthropy. She serves as president of Truist Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to Truist Financial Corporation’s purpose of inspiring and building better lives and communities.
In her role, Bell leads initiatives focused on supporting small businesses and advancing career pathways. Her work reflects a deep commitment to empowering individuals and businesses so they can thrive.

Before Truist’s formation through the merger of equals between SunTrust and BB&T, Bell spent more than 20 years with SunTrust, where she served as Enterprise Community Reinvestment Act officer and managed the bank’s Community Development program for over a decade.

Mike Marino is a senior executive at Bank of America Private Bank, where he brings decades of experience in financial services and a deep understanding of wealth management, strategic planning, and client engagement.

A proud Atlanta native, Mike has built his career around connecting financial leadership with community impact. He has held a range of leadership roles focused on delivering customized solutions to individuals, families, and institutions.

Mike holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Emory University. An active leader in the Atlanta community, he has served in leadership roles for several educational organizations, including the Emory University Advisory Board, the Finance Committee for Atlanta Speech School, and the Atlanta Advisory Board for The Posse Foundation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the Capital City Club and Purpose Built Communities.

Othello Meadows provides strategic and executional leadership on critical business priorities and leads innovation efforts, which will expand Blue Meridian’s work as it evolves. He explores new philanthropic investment opportunities, leads due diligence on potential Blue Meridian investees, and manages relationships with current investees.

In his previous role as President and CEO of Seventy Five North Revitalization Corp., a community revitalization and development organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, Othello oversaw the implementation of a $90 million community redevelopment initiative in addition to managing the direction and daily operations of the organization. Previously, Othello served as Executive Director of the Omaha Workforce Collaborative, a nonprofit organization housed at the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, which aimed to restructure the workforce development efforts of the Omaha metropolitan area. His responsibilities included designing and implementing improved workforce delivery systems for low-income and low-skilled workers in the greater Omaha area, as well as building strategic relationships with foundations, community-based institutions, and social services agencies.

In addition to his work with Blue Meridian, Othello owns and operates The Meadows Group, a neighborhood redevelopment consulting firm, and he also serves on several boards in the Omaha area.

Othello earned his BA in Psychology from East Carolina University and his JD from North Carolina Central University School of Law. He and his wife Tulani are the proud parents of two sons, Garvey and Gibran.

Paul Reville is the Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). He is the founding director of HGSE’s Education Redesign Lab. In 2013, he completed nearly five years of service as the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

As Governor Patrick’s top education adviser, Reville established a new Executive Office of Education and had oversight of higher education, K-12, and early education in the nation’s leading student achievement state. He served in the Governor’s Cabinet and played a leading education reform role on matters ranging from the Achievement Gap Act of 2010 and Common Core State Standards to the Commonwealth’s highly successful Race to the Top proposal.

Prior to joining the Patrick Administration, Reville chaired the Massachusetts State Board of Education, founded the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, co-founded the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE), chaired the Massachusetts Reform Review Commission, chaired the Massachusetts Commission on Time and Learning, and served as executive director of the Pew Forum on Standards-Based Reform, a national think tank which convened the U.S.’s leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to set the national standards agenda.

Reville played a central role in MBAE’s development of and advocacy for Massachusetts historic Education Reform Act of 1993. Reville has been a member of the HGSE faculty since 1997 and has served as director of the Education Policy and Management Program.Reville’s career, which combines research, policy, and practice, began with service as a VISTA volunteer/youth worker. He served as a teacher and principal of two urban, alternative high schools. Some years later, he founded a local education foundation which was part of the Public Education Network. He is a board member and adviser to a host of organizations, including BELL, Match Education, Bellwether, City Year Boston, Harvard Medical School’s MEDscience and others.

He is a frequent writer and speaker on education reform and policy issues. He is also the educator commentator, Boston Public Radio, WGBH. He holds a B.A. from Colorado College, an M.A. from Stanford University and five honorary doctorate degrees.

Steve E. Macadam is the retired Vice Chairman of EnPro Industries, Inc., a manufacturer and provider of precision industrial components, solutions, and services. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of EnPro from 2008 to 2019.

Previously, Mr. Macadam served as Chief Executive Officer of BlueLinx Holdings, Inc., a wholesale distributor of building and industrial products in the United States. Prior to joining BlueLinx in 2005, Mr. Macadam was President and CEO of Consolidated Container Company, the second largest blow molder of rigid plastic containers in North America at the time. Earlier, Mr. Macadam served with Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where he held positions of Executive Vice President, Pulp & Paperboard, and Senior Vice President, Containerboard & Packaging. He served as a consultant and then as a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he led the successful opening of the Charlotte, NC, office.

Mr. Macadam brings to the board of directors 30+ years of extensive leadership and operations experience, growing and transforming businesses in the U.S. and globally. Mr. Macadam currently serves as a director of Valvoline Corporation (NYSE: VVV), Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX), Veritiv Corporation (NYSE: VRTV), and formerly served on the board of directors of EnPro Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NPO). Mr. Macadam also serves on the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board.

Mr. Macadam holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in Finance from Boston College, and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.

Mr. Macadam resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Marie. They have four grown children and two sons-in-law.