Board of Directors

“As a Montanan, one hears about Jeanette Rankin’s advocacy on a weekly basis. She is revered by many in my state, and it brings me great joy to be able to carry out her legacy in the form of advancing education for women.” Betsy is a professor in the department of communication studies at the University of Montana. She received her PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Washington, her Master of Arts in Interpersonal Communication from the University of Montana, and her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Hope College. She has held several administrative positions at the University of Montana including Assistant Provost, Dean of the Davidson Honors College, and department chair. In 2009 she was elected to, and served, as president of the National Communication Association in Washington, DC. Betsy has co-authored a book on communication in organizations and has published additional book chapters, academic research articles, and other applied research.

Rozy has a passion for company culture and for creating a supportive workplace that helps individuals to achieve their goals. She sees her role at Tedia Company as her legacy, handed down to her from her parents, who founded this chemical manufacturing company 45 years ago. Through various roles starting with HR and now 17 years later, including risk management, legal, environmental health and safety, and IT, Rozy continues to support and empower her teams. Growing up in Cincinnati OH, she never thought she would move back after she got her AB in sociology from the University of Chicago.  She worked in the legal field and in healthcare consulting before she attended Indiana University in Bloomington to get a joint degree in law and public administration. She married her husband (Chris), and they lived in Athens GA for a few blissful years until they jumped on an opportunity to move to Cincinnati to join Tedia Company and have grown in their roles ever since. Rozy has two teenage children, Park and Carter, and in her spare time, makes music with her family.

Tracy is the Deputy Director for Finance and Advancement at the Missoula Art Museum in Jeannette Rankin’s hometown. Before moving to Montana in 1998 she spent 12 years in the communications industry doing public and investor relations at boutique firms in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. She has served on more than a dozen nonprofit boards at the local, state, regional, and national level. She has chaired the national board of the YWCA USA in Washington, D.C., as well as the Minnesota Women’s Consortium, and has served as treasurer of the Seattle-based Social Justice Fund and of Montana Conservation Voters. Prior to her work at the Missoula Art Museum, Tracy was the Chief Operating Officer at Forward Montana, an organization that seeks  to deepen young Montanan’s culture of civic engagement and encourages them to vote, lead and run for office.She attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and is a member of Mensa.

Jane Hopkins joined the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation in 2001, and is responsible for advancing the Foundation’s efforts to develop an influential community of socially conscious and service-minded leaders who positively shape the world. She is also Chair of the Board for Emerge Scholarships in Atlanta. In August of 2017, Jane was elected by the Board of Directors to succeed J. Mark Davis as President upon his retirement in late 2018. Outside of the office, Jane is an avid runner whose best days begin with an early excursion through one of Atlanta’s parks. She also loves to read, particularly Southern fiction on the beach, and travel as often as possible.

Vashti Canty took a gap year before med school, securing a job as a Flight Attendant for Delta Air Lines. She planned to work and travel. Her gap year turned into a career. For the past twenty years, Vashti has served in both operations and management at Delta, moving from her Flight Attendant position to Global Diversity Inclusion Specialist. She has served on the Board of Directors for Delta Cares and Delta Scholarship Fund as well as being the Board Chair for the organization for three years. She has a passion for empowering women through education and currently serves as Member at Large on the Rankin Foundation Executive Committee.

Alecia is the Global Head of DEI and CSR for Assurant. She is an inclusive leader with more than two decades of progressive operational experience driving and delivering excellence in the financial industry. Expertise in directing cross-functional and geographically diverse teams to achieve shared objectives by conceptualizing and implementing solutions that support corporate and divisional objectives. She has volunteered with the Rankin Foundation for five years. For three years she was the STAR Party Co-Chair. Alecia said that our mission is what drives her to continue volunteering and supporting Rankin Scholars: “Empowered women, empower other women. That is my mantra and drive!”

Valerie Bell is the executive director of the Athens Regional Library System, which covers five Northeast Georgia counties with 11 library branches. Valerie previously served as Assistant Director for Public Services at the Ocean County Library in Toms River, New Jersey, where she worked for 28 years in various positions. Valerie is a leader who specializes in customer service and community outreach. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the NAACP Community Leader of the Year, Library Journal Mover & Shaker. A proponent of diversity and inclusion, Valerie has served on a number of ALA’s committees and on Council.

Listening to and connecting stories in business or life drives Genie. Mapping connections between people or organizations is where she thrives. The intersection of the Rankin Foundation mission and Scholar Stories and her speaking/coaching expertise in corporate education, higher education and the strength of story drew her to the Rankin Foundation Board in 2016.

Genie is a professional speaker/executive coach and Founder of SnyderRemarks and Genieus Team. Her alma maters, Georgia College & the University of Georgia, offered her the foundation to pursue her hybrid passion for both corporate and higher ed campuses. Her doctoral research was focused on diversity, mission development and organizational change/leadership. Her work is moving people + process collaboratively toward never imagined spaces. Her grandmothers and great-aunt pursuing college as the first women in their families has always inspired. Thus her connection with Rankin Foundtion is a great fit.

Working or for fun, Genie loves travel (with husband, Pete) for live theatre, art, dance, and good food – always paired stimulating conversation. Stories gathered are the stuff of life!

Dr. Gil has dedicated her career in mental health and social work to improving the lives of individuals, particularly those that are marginalized, oppressed and underrepresented. Of specific interest has been the teenage and student parent population. Her doctoral research project explored the factors that contributed to academic success in the form of college degrees among Black and Latina teenage mothers. The findings of her research speak to the importance of providing opportunities for women who are looking to improve their lives and those of their children via a college education. The mission of the Jeanette Rankin Foundation is at the heart of Dr. Gil’s passion and purpose.  

Dr. Gil currently serves as Deputy Director of mental health services at the Children’s Aid in NYC. As part of her commitment to the field of social work, Dr. Gil also serves as adjunct assistant professor with Columbia University Graduate School of Social Work, Fordham University’s MSW program and York College (CUNY) BSW and MSW program.

Dr. Gil is a published author and expert guest speaker on the topic of trauma and the stigma of mental health within the Latinx community. She has hosted workshops on mental health related topics such as trauma, women’s resilience and the importance of raising awareness on mental health within the Latinx communities.She is passionate in her approach to the work and is committed to serving the community.

Dr. Gil earned her Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, her Masters degree in Social Work from Fordham University and the Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in sociology from the City College of NY.  

Wendy Miller is a financial services consultant, working with global financial institutions on process and system improvements and helping to improve overall profitability. Wendy has held previous roles in global organizations, in various product management positions, and was fortunate enough to combine her love of travel with her career development. A project that brought a combination of personal and career fulfillment was working in the Philippines on a microfinance project. The project focused on entrepreneurial women looking to pull themselves and family out of poverty. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the State University of New York at Oswego. While working full time, she later went on to obtain an MBA and later a Certificate in Global Affairs at NYU.

Peg Olson brings 20 years of recruiting expertise combined with an intuitive skill for assessing individual talent and organizational needs. She has conducted a multitude of searches for Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, General Counsels, Human Resource Leaders, CIOs, Chief Medical Officers, Executive Directors and other top-level executives. Peg has a successful track record of identifying and aligning leaders with both publicly traded and venture capital/private equity-backed organizations.

Kimberly has over 20 years of experience in leading development and marketing teams at several national and global organizations working as well as working as a management consultant for businesses and nonprofits. She traveled and worked with clients throughout the U.S., South America, and Asia and started the European office of a management consulting group, based in Amsterdam. Her research interests include mergers and acquisitions in the nonprofit sector, measuring impact on social enterprises, and corporate sustainability in the extractive industry.

As an associate professor at King’s, Reeve teaches International Business, Business Ethics, Decision-making and Negotiations, and Nonprofit Management. She earned a B.A. from Colby College, an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas, a Certificate in Global Affairs from New York University, and she completed her Ph.D. in International Business at ISM in Paris, France. Kimberly and her husband live in Newark, NJ, where they spend their weekends restoring their 300-year-old home.

Jacqueline is the Manager of School and Outreach Programs at Children’s Museum Atlanta. Jacqueline is a native of Atlanta and a former early Childhood Education teacher. Jacqueline also worked as a teaching artist for over 15 years with organizations like The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta Public Schools as well as The Metro Atlanta Boys & Girls Clubs. Jacqueline is known for creating fun and engaging programs that impact students who are experiencing homelessness, attend Title 1 schools, and who reside in low-income and underserved communities.

Jacqueline earned an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2015 and has served as a Lead Pre-K Teacher for the Atlanta Mission’s, My Sisters House a school for homeless children and the Arthur Blank Early Learning Center. Because of her work in her community, Jacqueline was recruited by the Morehouse House School of Medicine under the leadership of Dr. David Satcher to lead the “Smart and Secure Children” Parenting Program. In this program, Jacqueline has trained over a hundred parents, caregivers and teachers who share her vision for making early childhood education fun and exciting while building a community of lifelong learners.

Stacy is an Executive Coach and founder of Stride Executive Coaching, LLC where she is a catalyst for individuals and corporations taking decisive, transformative steps on their leadership journeys. Stacy is passionate about education, lifelong learning, and continual personal development. Her favorite pastime is to combine her loves of travel and running with her sisters and extended family. She was a partner with ISHR Group for 21 years and previously worked as a Human Resource Manager for General Electric. Stacy earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and a Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources from Michigan State University. Stacy and her husband Alan both grew up in Michigan. They have raised three children, two of whom are studying in the midwest and one who will soon follow. While they live in Atlanta with their two rescue dogs, they return to Northern Michigan as often as possible.

Kunal is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Finance for Innova Solutions.  Kunal has a background in Business Finance with an emphasis on business financial health. Kunal believes that finance and social responsibility go hand-in-hand by implementing Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in businesses' health impacts, client engagement, and employee fulfillment. Kunal was introduced to the Rankin Foundation by the current Board of Directors through his work and served on the Rankin Foundation Finance/Investment Committee for a year before joining the board.  

J. Maria Waters is currently serving as an in-house staff counsel for Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. Her professional accolades are evenly matched by her thoughtful social contributions. Maria is also on the board of Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center. She’s vice co-chair of the Law School Orientation Subcommittee of the State Bar of Georgia Professionalism Committee and she’s a community investment volunteer for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, along with other organizations and state bar committees.

Charmaine is a retired professor at USC-Aiken, where she was also the chair of the Department of Communication Studies. She is a Missoula, MT native and graduated from Hellgate High School and the University of Montana. She received her MA in Organizational Communication from Purdue University and her PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Washington.

Charmaine’s greatest passion is teaching others and working with her students one-on-one to help them pursue their goals. She is the youngest of 6 kids, and two of her brothers and a sister still live in Missoula. Like all Montanans, she has a strong affinity for Jeannette Rankin.

Dimples joined Synchrony Financial in 2014, and she leads the strategy development and implementation for credit programs for a $2 billion portfolio. She previously worked for General Electric for 14 years working in Sales, Marketing, and Client Development. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech University. She serves as a mentor for high school and college-bound students and teaches them leadership skills and college preparation. She lives in Cumming, GA, with her husband Travis.

Robin Walls is the Executive Director/CEO of the King County Housing Authority in Seattle, WA. Robin has more than 22 years in the affordable housing field. Her extensive experience, deep knowledge of HUD programs, and demonstrated record of success position her as a leader in pursuing solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crises in King County. Robin participates in several professional organizations including the National Leased Housing Association, where she serves on the board, and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, where she serves on multiple standing committees.

Robin hails from Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. She looks forward to using her knowledge and experience to further the mission of the Rankin Foundation.

Originally from Atlanta, Madeline’s family has called Athens home for the last four decades. Raising her five children here, they have since scattered to the winds from New York City to the Western Rockies.She has a BSN from Arizona State University, an MSN from the Medical College of Georgia, her CRNA from Georgia Baptist School of Anesthesia in Atlanta, and a “midlife” BAJ at UGA, that led to her working for Atlanta’s ABC TV affiliate and Athens’ NPR radio station for a time.

Madeline has served on a number of boards and commissions over the years. Among them she was founding chair of the Oconee River Land Trust, a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Athens Justice Project, a founding board member of the Georgia Faith Health Nursing Association, and 20 years on the Oconee River Greenway Commission. 

Letty joined Genuine Parts Company after a nearly 20-year long career with Delta Airlines where she was a key leader in Delta’s global strategy to meet its civic obligation to the communities where their employees lived, worked, and served around the world. She is an experienced D&I leader and served as Delta’s Director of Global Diversity where she worked to promote the hiring and retention of a first-class workforce that reflected the diverse demographics of a rapidly changing and interconnected world. Letty also led Delta’s efforts to combat human trafficking and was instrumental in the company’s training of its more than 80,000 employees worldwide. She became a nationally sought-after speaker on this topic and has given testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in support of Delta’s commitment to combatting human trafficking.

Letty has served on multiple non-profit boards and has been recognized by numerous organizations for her commitment to Diversity, Leadership and Human Rights. She is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

Kathryn W. Shanley is a the former Professor of Native American Studies at the University of Montana-Missoula, and also worked as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Native American and Indigenous Education. She has published widely in the field of Native American literature, most notably on the work of Blackfeet / Gros Ventre writer James Welch. Recently, Dr. Shanley has published several articles on Ojibwe writer Gerald Vizenor. She co-edited Mapping Indigenous Presence in 2014, and currently co-edits (with Ned Blackhawk) the Yale University Press Henry Roe Cloud American Indians and Modernity series. Dr. Shanley served as president of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association from 2011 – 2013, and has served as a Regional Liaison for the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program. She is an enrolled Nakoda from the Ft. Peck Reservation.

LaToro is an Enrollment Specialist in Higher Education most recently serving as the Executive Director For Enrollment Management at York College of the City University of New York. There he was responsible for managing three departments: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Testing. He has 14 years of experience in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs and has led York College to three consecutive years of their highest enrollment in the school’s history. He is active in the community and helped create a homework-to-play program at the Salvation Army in Jersey City. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University in 2013.