Our People
Meet our Board of Directors, our Staff, and our Alumni Board: the leaders who support our development, run our operations, power our passion, and spark the spirit of our Foundation.
Board of Directors
Kirk Tyler is a third generation owner of Atlantic Bottling Company serving southwest, central and south central Iowa. He spent the last 36 years working in the family-owned business.
Kirk grew up in the sales side of Atlantic Bottling Company and has served as president since 1991. He also serves as Treasurer and Director at The Coca-Cola Bottlers' Association, Inc. and as a Director of The American Beverage Association.
Ulysses L. Bridgeman Jr. is the owner and chief executive officer of Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, LLC, a Kansas limited liability company which owns and operates a Coca-Cola production/manufacturing facility in Lenexa, Kansas, and 17 Coca-Cola distribution facilities sprinkled across the USA’s heartland, including Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.
Mr. Bridgeman is also part owner of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited with Larry Tanenbaum, a prominent Canadian businessman and philanthropist. Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited employs approximately 5,800 associates and operates five production facilities and over 50 sales and distribution centers. Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited conducts business in all 10 Canadian provinces and three territories.
Mr. Bridgeman acquired the Heartland manufacturing and bottling territories from Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, LLC in late February 2017. The Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited acquisition was completed in October 2018, and both transactions made Mr. Bridgeman one of the Coca-Cola system’s newest independent bottlers.
Prior to acquisition of the Heartland and Canadian bottling operations, Mr. Bridgeman was the owner and chief executive officer of various companies operating over 450 restaurants in 20 states, including 263 Wendy’s restaurants and 123 Chili’s restaurants. His companies received several prestigious awards during his tenure including the Diamond Award (most effective neighborhood marketer), the Wendy Award (exemplary performance by a franchisee), the Founder’s Award (recognizing operational excellence by a franchisee), the Jim Near Legacy Award (for employer of choice) and the Hall of Fame Award (for overall achievement) from Wendy’s International, and the Franchisee of the Year Award (2012) and the Chili’s Sales Award (2015) from Brinker International.
Mr. Bridgeman attended the University of Louisville where he graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He was a three-year letter winner and starter on the University’s basketball team, receiving All American honors as a senior
From 1975 to 1983 and from 1986 to 1987, Mr. Bridgeman played professional basketball with the Milwaukee Bucks. During the interim period of 1983 to 1986, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mr. Bridgeman currently serves on the Board of Directors of Meijer, Inc., Churchill Downs, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the James Graham Brown Foundation, Simmons College, and the West End School. He served as past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Louisville.
Mr. Bridgeman has personally received many awards, including the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame; Volunteers of America Tribute Award for Outstanding Service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky; John Thompson Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award; Coach John Wooden Key to Life Award and the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
Lisa Chang is the global chief people officer for The Coca-Cola Company, overseeing the company’s talent and people strategies, culture, and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. In her role, which she has held since 2019, she is responsible for leading the company’s global people strategy, aligned to the company’s purpose of refreshing the world and making a difference. Chang and her team are focused on creating an environment where employees can thrive, and equips the organization to win.
Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Chang served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer for AMB Group, LLC in Atlanta, a privately held sports and entertainment conglomerate.
Chang has held HR roles at various companies, including Equifax, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and The Weather Channel Companies.
Chang serves on the Board of Advisors for Catalyst, a non-profit organization with a mission to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion. She also serves as a Board member for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and on the Board of Directors for Frontier Communications.
Chang has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Virginia. She earned an MBA from the Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University.
Josh Dorminy serves as Senior Vice President, Assistant to the Chairman & CEO of Coca-Cola Consolidated. In this role, Josh is responsible for advising the Chairman & CEO regarding various aspects of the business and participating in the management of the Chairman’s office. Josh is deeply involved in the strategic direction and planning of Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Culture & Stewardship, t-factor, Rapid Response and charitable giving programs.
Josh joined Coca-Cola Consolidated in 2016. Prior to joining Coca-Cola Consolidated, he was the Broker and Managing Member of a commercial real estate brokerage firm. Additionally, Josh served for a number of years as the Executive Director of Timothy Barnabas where he led efforts to train and encourage pastors and their spouses around the world.
President of Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England since 2013, Mark began his career with Coca-Cola in 1993 in Portland, ME.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Manchester, NH, Boys & Girls Club and the Board of Governors for the Coca-Cola Bottlers Association, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Coca-Cola Bottlers Sales and Service and the New Hampshire Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Mark graduated from Bentley College with a B.S in Accounting. He resides in Merrimack, NH, with his wife Tracey and daughter Taylor, where they enjoy supporting and volunteering for several local organizations together.
John Gould has served as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association (CCBA) since 2012. Prior to assuming his current role, he served as its Chief Operating Officer.
CCBA is an over 100 year-old member-based trade association comprised of every independently-owned Coca-Cola Bottler in the United States. Its core mission is to build the long-term sustainable value of its members by promoting and protecting their best interests; providing services to improve their efficiency and effectiveness; promoting communication; and providing educational programming and networking to increase capabilities.
John oversaw a remarkable period of growth at CCBA as its membership base expanded substantially in size and relevance through the refranchising of the Coca-Cola system from 2013-2017. In addition to its partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, CCBA expanded the scope of its partnerships to include Monster Beverage Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and BODYARMOR under the leadership of John and his team.
Prior to joining CCBA, John spent 22 years at The Coca-Cola Company progressing through roles of increasing responsibility. After starting his career in a series of corporate audit, commercial finance and business planning roles, John served as Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to the President of Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) from 2000-2004. He then went on to hold several senior Strategy and Planning roles including leadership of key Strategic Initiatives, M&A projects, Competitive Intelligence oversight and responsibility for CCNA Performance Management. From 2009-2010 he served as Vice President of Transformation and from 2010-2011 he led Retail Large Store Strategy & Design.
John holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and a Masters of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He is also a Certified Internal Auditor.
Angela Harrell joined Voya Financial in 2014 and serves as senior vice president, Chief Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Officer. Angela also leads Voya’s philanthropic work as President of Voya Foundation.
Voya’s corporate responsibility is based on its work across the enterprise in four pillars: Empowering Our Employees, Serving Our Clients, Investing in Communities, and Protecting the Environment. Angela leads these efforts and the Foundation’s mission to help young people achieve financial resilience and to empower educators to attain excellence in the classroom.
Prior to joining Voya Financial, Angela spent 12 years at The Coca-Cola Company, where she led initiatives across a broad range of disciplines including corporate responsibility, financial and sustainability reporting, media relations, internal and executive communications, digital/social media, community affairs and stakeholder engagement. Her final position with Coca-Cola was as global director of operations, Coca-Cola Ambassador. Angela’s experience also includes positions as an English as a Second Language teacher in several countries, business analyst, and executive recruiter.
Angela earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in international affairs from Yale University. She serves on the nonprofit boards of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and Soles4Souls. In addition, she is a director on the advisory board of ClearRock, a Boston-based human capital consulting firm and certified Women Business Enterprise.
Crawford J. Jones is the Vice President of the East Region for Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED. He assumed this role in 2021 and is responsible for sales and distribution in the majority of UNITED's Georgia territory, which includes sales centers in Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, Gainesville, Lawrenceville, Macon, Metro Atlanta, Milledgeville, Tifton, McRae, Savannah, Statesboro, and Waycross.
Crawford joined the Coca-Cola system in 2003, beginning his career as a Management Trainee then moving to a Key Account Director role before his most recent position of Senior Director of Customer and Revenue Growth for Coca-Cola UNITED.
Crawford received his BA from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and his MBA from The University of Alabama. He has served on several boards in the beverage system for Coca-Cola, Monster Energy, Body Armor, and Dr. Pepper, as well as serving as the incoming chair of the Georgia Beverage Association. Crawford is involved in several community groups including United Way, Smile-A-Mile, Fernbank, the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and serves as an elected Board member of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Crawford enjoys golf, fly fishing, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Stewart, have three daughters, Heyward, Anne Turner, and Julia, and reside in Atlanta.
Beatriz "Bea" Perez is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships Officer for The Coca-Cola Company.
Perez oversees a diverse portfolio and manages networked teams that lead and support the company's business objectives. This includes commitments to global leadership in the areas of environmental, social and governance (ESG). Perez leads global external and internal communications, including digital media strategy for company-owned channels; global brand public relations; financial communications; and leadership communications.
Perez also leads the strategic direction and business performance for the company's retail, licensing and attractions portfolio of assets. Until January 2022, Perez oversaw strategic marketing assets of the company, including renewal of a partnership with the International Olympic Committee; marketing activations for FIFA; and all global marketing assets.
Her roles included serving as chief marketing officer for Coca-Cola North America, where she built brands and developed key relationships, including with American Idol and NASCAR. Perez was named as the company's first chief sustainability officer in 2011. Her team went on to become the driving force behind the company's World Without Waste program. Her team also developed and led global commitments to advance water stewardship and women's economic empowerment, among other key ESG goals.
Perez began her career at the company in 1996. She went on to hold senior-level branding, marketing, operations and public policy roles that utilized her breadth of experience, business acumen and passion for sustainability to create and build programs and partnerships that have enhanced the lives of people and communities worldwide. This included learning how to drive a Coca-Cola delivery truck to see the business from the ground up.
Numerous organizations have recognized her commitment and accomplishments: Perez has been recognized as a "Conservation Trailblazer" by The Trust for Public Land; the Association of Latino Professionals for America named her to its "50 Most Powerful Latinas" ranking in 2017, 2018 and 2019; she was on Hispanic Executive magazine's list of top ten leaders; she was featured as one of the "25 Most Powerful Latinas" on CNN and People en Espanol; she is a member of the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the Sports Business Journal's Hall of Fame and the PR Week Hall of Fame; and PRovoke (formerly The Holmes Report) has listed her as a member of the Influence 100 for communicators since 2017.
Perez is a committed advocate for community engagement, serving on various boards. She is chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation, the company's global philanthropic arm. She serves in leadership positions for several not-for-profit organizations, including the board of trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. She is a public director for Primerica and W.W. Grainger, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland.
Bea was kind enough to join us on The SIP, the Coke Scholars Ignite Podcast. Listen to her episode, How Educated Risks Led to an Unorthodox Career Path, here.
Pamela Stewart has spent 20 years across the Coca-Cola System in various key senior leadership roles in the areas of global, national and regional sales; operations; finance; revenue growth management; general management; foodservice on premise and B2B retail business segments. She currently is Chief Customer Officer - Retail for the North America Operating Unit at The Coca-Cola Company. As President of West Operations, she was responsible for 81M consumers, 600+ customers, 20+ bottlers, franchise leadership and all routes to market for the West geography. Prior to this, Pam led large global and U.S.-based retail customers as Senior Vice President, National Retail Sales at The Coca-Cola Company. Prior to Coca-Cola, she spent several years in finance across the Telecommunications industry.
She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of GLAAD; Co-Chair of one of Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms’ Advisory Councils; Board member of The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation; Board member of 3DE by Junior Achievement; and Board member the Global Advisory Board of OUT Leadership. Beyond her undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Georgia State University and Oglethorpe University and her Harvard Business School executive education certification, Pam also is a proud graduate of the GCLS Writing Academy and Leadership Atlanta.
Pam is the recipient of numerous honors, including 2021 Top African American in Business by National Diversity Council; 2020 Visionary by Consumer Goods Technology; 2020 The Global Diversity List – Senior Executives; 2020 Woman of Influence in the Food Industry by Griffin Report; 2018 GO national magazine’s Top 100 Women We Love; 2016 AGLCC Business Woman of the Year; 2016 P.U.R.E. Humanitarian Award; 2016 Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery of the Year; and 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40. She also is featured in the 2019 #1 bestselling Amazon book release, “9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive” by Jo Miller.
Dan White is a highly accomplished executive-level professional with extensive global experience in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) sector, having driven transformational change for internationally recognized brands such as Coca-Cola, Tyson, Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Ban, Hanes, Monster Energy, and McDonald's.
His intrapreneurial approach and commitment to fostering a positive culture have enabled him to establish clear strategies, spearhead innovative initiatives, and secure sustained growth for businesses. He possesses exceptional full P&L responsibility, with expertise in areas like global brand leadership, high pace product innovation, portfolio management, business transformation, and M&A funding.
Throughout his prestigious career, Dan has held a range of challenging and diverse positions, most recently as the Head of New Revenue Streams at The Coca-Cola Company. With an unparalleled ability to drive growth, he has demonstrated success in turning around businesses, accelerating the implementation of various acquisitions, and contributing to both large-scale projects and the daily operations of an organization.
Alongside his corporate achievements, Dan is also a founder and general partner in Venture53, a venture capital fund focused on investments in supply chain and logistics.
Holding an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School and an MBA in Management and Marketing from Clarkson University, in addition to a BS in Management and Marketing from the State University of New York at Geneseo, Dan White is a multi-faceted expert in marketing, strategy, and change management.
T. Martin Williams was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works in December 2015.
He was previously the Director of Sales Information for the company from 2009 to 2015. He began his career with Coca-Cola as an account manager for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. in 1998 before becoming a Sr. Financial Analyst there from 1999 to 2003.
Martin has a degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.
Staff
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 serves on the Board of Directors of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, the Jeanette Rankin Foundation, and GA CASA, and on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater, Centre College. She is the past Chair for the Emerge Scholarships in Georgia and the past Treasurer for the National Scholarship Providers’ Association.
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. Read what Jane’s tweeting at @janehalehopkins.
“I get to work with people who challenge me, and over 6,000 Scholars who inspire me to continue to grow, explore the world, and see no limit to what my own contribution can be. We are lucky to celebrate young people who push themselves beyond what they have been given to achieve great success.”
Jamie Williams, Ed.D., joined the Foundation in 2015 after almost 20 years advising high-achieving undergraduate and graduate student leaders at Clemson, Emory, and Georgia State Universities. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association and was the founder and first president of the Undergraduate Scholars Program Administrators Association.
Jamie recently completed a doctorate in higher education leadership. His dissertation examined the factors and individuals that influenced the college decision-making process of high-ability, high-achieving students.
“I want to hear from undergraduate Scholars how the Foundation can complement their campus-based programs to support their personal and professional goals.”
LaQuanda Prince came to the Scholars Foundation in 2014 and helps Scholars use their award in a way that best suits their unique situation. A mother of 3 children, she enjoys attending their many sporting events and volunteering at their schools when away from the office.
“I am excited and blessed to be a member of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation team, doing what I love and interacting daily with these extraordinary Scholars.”
Carolyn Norton has been a part of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation since 2001, working with their 6,700+ Coke Scholars and alumni around the world to carry out their strategic initiatives of increasing engagement and connectedness among the community, tying them back to the Scholars Foundation, Coca-Cola system, and each other and finding ways to measure impact.
Among many other things, Carolyn oversees CCSF's alumni networking platform and implements engagement opportunities that enrich the lives of their alumni. She also provides oversight of the Alumni Advisory Board, helping to align their goals with the Foundation’s strategic priorities. She spends a big part of her time as an event planner, "super-connector," engagement specialist, and consultant to other scholarship organizations looking to grow their alumni program.
Prior to her work at the Scholars Foundation, she was a second grade teacher. Outside of work, Carolyn enjoys photography, poetry, being an aunt, traveling, and being involved in her church as a mentor and small group leader. Follow Carolyn on Instagram @cnortatl.
“I am blessed to be in a job that I love. Working with our Alumni Advisory Board, connecting with Coke Scholar alumni, and finding ways to engage them is always exciting and fun. They are doing amazing things around the world, and I am grateful to be involved!”
Lauren has been a part of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation since 2007 and showcases the inspirational work of Scholars, alumni, and the Foundation. She creates, executes, and manages all communications, including the Foundation’s digital presence and social media channels.
Away from the office, you can find Lauren running after her twins, Landon and Finn, with her husband, Matt.
“The most fulfilling thing about being a part of the Foundation is playing a small part in helping such deserving students realize their dream of going to college. The determination of Coca-Cola Scholars to make this world a better place for everyone is truly inspiring.”
Ericia Ward has been a part of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation since 2002 and manages the operations of the Foundation.
When Ericia is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and experiencing all of the great wonders life has to offer. She is always ready for a new adventure.
“There is something very fulfilling about seeing a Scholar grow from a teenager making an impact in his or her local community, into a young man or woman making an impact on a greater scale and knowing that the work that you do on a daily basis helped facilitate their success in some small way.”
Jayla Brown joined the team in 2023 and supports all parts of the Foundation to maximize its impact. When Jayla is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and being in nature.
“I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many creative Scholars and play a part in growing the minds of the future.”
Alumni Board
As a self-proclaimed do-gooder, Ben Nicol adores leading the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation, one of the most significant scholarship granting fraternity foundations and an organization that invests in today’s collegians through leadership programming and academic awards. Working alongside donors as they realize their philanthropic passions is his professional mission.
After serving in the roles of Director of Operations and Managing Director, Nicol became CEO in 2012. His approach to non-profit management includes cultivating personal relationships with each donor and increasing face-to-face meetings to develop connections. He has concentrated much of his efforts in strengthening the Foundation’s majoring giving and planned giving initiatives. Today, the Phi Psi Foundation is a leader amongst its fraternal foundation counterparts.
With a strong background in leadership and fundraising, Nicol began his career in collegiate admissions and institutional advancement work before finding his way to the Phi Kappa Psi headquarters team. Nicol enjoys overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation, including Anita Kishlong-range planning, staffing, fundraising and marketing. Nicol is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a designation only 6,100 professionals internationally hold.
Nicol lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with his best friend and wife Abby. They are blessed to have two sons, Graham and Grier, and a daughter, Ashton. He enjoys volunteering for various organizations, particularly bringing the FUN back to fundraising, working out, traveling and also spending time with family, friends and the two furry members of the Nicol family, Finley and Essie, two golden doodles.
Courtney Lynn is the Senior Partner Education and Enablement Manager at Updater, a software development company. Updater makes moving easier for millions of households each year with their client app and Real Estate/Multifamily platform. She previously held training roles with Knock CRM and RealPage, both property management technology companies, and Director of training roles with Multifamily Real Estate companies.
Courtney graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in African what and Afro-American studies. She has interned and worked for with Coca-Cola in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida, as well as Peninsula Beverages for Coca-Cola Southern Africa.
As a one-time sixth grade teacher and cheerleading coach, Courtney has been able to turn her love of learning and teaching into a rewarding career. She has also used those skills serving as a Coca Cola Scholars Leadership Development Institute (LDI) facilitator for the past five years, as well as an alumni coach of first year college students. An avid traveler, Courtney loves finding Coke Scholars around the globe.
Serving on the Alumni Board, Courtney has said is an amazing honor and opportunity to give back to the organization that has impacted her life in such a positive and meaningful way.
Dr. Che Miller is a general and vascular surgeon in Duncan, OK, and currently serves as Chief of Staff for Duncan Regional Hospital.
Dr. Miller is a 1994 Coca-Cola Scholar and attended the University of Oklahoma graduating with honors in Chemistry in 1998. In 2002, he graduated medical school at the University of Oklahoma and began Surgery Residency at the same institution. During his formal education, he held a variety of leadership positions ranging from President of his medical school class to Chair of the Oklahoma State Medical Association Student Section. During medical school he was selected as the Most Outstanding Medical Student by his peers.
Dr. Miller has conducted research in geochemistry, Parkinson’s disease, trauma, cardiovascular disease, vascular surgery, meteorology, and disaster management. He has authored ten abstracts, three peer reviewed journals, and has presented his research at dozens of meetings and conferences.
Dr. Miller has dedicated much of his time to philanthropy in the form of education and healthcare to eight nations on four continents. From ministry in a local bible school in Mexico to performing surgery in a mobile operating room in the rural Philippines, he devotes a block of time every year to missions. From this he has gained knowledge of the healthcare system across the world, studied four languages, and been recognized by the leaders of several countries including a Governor in Mindanao, Philippines, and the Minister of Health in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Dr. Miller married Leah Callicoat in 1995, and they have two children Ava (11) and Ruby (8). Dr. Miller serves on several foundation boards is a founding board member of the Beautiful Day Foundation. Learn more about his work with the Beautiful Day Foundation and how being a Coca-Cola Scholar has impacted his life.
Laalitya Acharya, a 2021 Scholar, is the founder of The Nereid Project, an organization working to end the water crisis through research, advocacy, and policy initiatives. She has developed the Nereid research/device which is a novel method to detect microbial contamination in water through artificial intelligence. This enables communities to always be safe and aware about the water quality in their area.
Laalitya is currently implementing the Nereid device in her hometown in Ohio, in India, and through Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The Nereid Project also hosts regular Water Summits” to facilitate conversation about how we can all end the water crisis. The organization also hosts STEM education programming for students in the local community and online. In addition, she works to use the legislative arm to codify the right to water in law - in order to ensure that all people have access to safe and clean water.
As a student at Columbia University studying biomedical engineering and political science, she is passionate about integrating science and policy together, as seen in her water advocacy. She is a strong believer that, as a globe, we need to bring science-backed initiatives into the real world. Laalitya has already worked extensively in this sphere by working with US Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer on the CHIPS and Science Act, US Congressman Jerry Nadler, Ohio State Representative Rachel Baker, and Columbia University Democrats.
All of these experiences have solidified her belief that whether it be public health, climate change, or more - science and policy must become interwoven.
In addition to being a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholar, Laalitya is a Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholar (SWALS). Selected from nominations from their fellow class of Scholars, the Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholarship is awarded to an active and passionate Coke Scholar who is an engaged and supportive alumnus, and embodies the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation’s mission as a socially conscious, service-minded change agent. SWALS recipients are true difference-makers with strong initiative and powerful, strong voices, with deep passions for creating, leading and administering their own initiatives to educate, enrich, and serve others.
Dr. Mike Doughty, a 1993 Scholar, is an educator who started his career in 1996 as a fifth grade teacher in Western New York. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent for the Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) at the Capital Region BOCES in Albany, New York, which is one of 37 educational service agencies in New York State. He is responsible for supporting administrative and instructional technology for 136 school districts and BOCES in Upstate New York.
Prior to this role he was the Executive Director for Statewide Projects where he led statewide efforts to roll out New York State’s Next Generation ELA and Mathematics Standards. Mike also served as the Deputy Superintendent of the Greece Central School District, the ninth largest school district in New York State, as well as the Deputy Superintendent of Monroe 1 BOCES. He was an elementary school principal for 10 years, has taught elementary school, high school math, undergraduate and graduate teacher education, and certification courses for aspiring school administrators.
Mike is often asked to present regionally and nationally on many topics including artificial intelligence, presentation skills, productivity, and leadership. He is also the host of The School Leadership Show podcast, which he started in 2015 to support aspiring and practicing school administrators.
Mike lives between Albany, NY, where he works, and Rochester, NY with his wife, Theresa and his daughters, Paige (18) and Emma (22), a 2020 Coke Scholar.
Justin, a 1996 Scholar from Kansas, currently lives in Des Moines with his wife Leah, two sons William and Charlie, and daughter Emma. He serves as Assistant General Counsel for Wells Fargo, handling public, regulatory and corporate affairs.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Justin served three presidents as Senior Adviser for Legal Affairs and in other roles at the White House - National Security Council. Justin also worked as counsel for the US Department of the Treasury and clerked for the US Senate Judiciary Committee.
For the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Justin has had the opportunity to be a scholarship selection panelist, Leadership Development Institute facilitator, coach and regional coordinator. He has also taken part in Foundation leadership summits and service trips to the New Orleans area after Katrina and Rita, and is honored to be a member of the Alumni Board.
Ali Hartman is the Head of Responsible Investment at Tiger Global and Head of Tiger Global Impact Ventures (TGIV). In this hybrid role, she leads the firm's approach to responsible investment and the integration of ESG factors across its public and private funds, as well as TGIV’s venture philanthropy and venture impact strategies.
Previously, Ali was Head of Global Citizenship and a Director of ESG Strategy at KKR. Ali also worked on the Global Public Affairs team at Coca-Cola on a range of social and environmental issues, studied worker rights at the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Paris, and completed fieldwork projects abroad in Ecuador, India, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil on child labor issues, human rights, economic development, and sustainability.
Ali holds a B.A. in Women Studies and Human Rights from Columbia College at Columbia University and completed her M.A. in International Affairs at L’Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris).
She’s currently on the Board of Directors for Conservation X Labs, the Advisory Board for Duke University’s CASE i3: Initiative on Impact Investing, the Advisory Board for the Gund Institute at University of Vermont, and the Alumni Board of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Ali has been a small business owner since 2015 and has been an angel investor focused on gender equity and climate tech since 2020. Outside of work, Ali is a burgeoning potter, experienced doula, and avid home cook. She lives in Vermont with her wild, wonder-filled family.
Elizabeth Howell is a 1996 Coca-Cola Scholar who has remained active in the Foundation for 24 years. From serving on the National Selection Committee to coaching or facilitating LDI, Liz can be found giving her time, talent, and treasure to the Scholars community through many facets.
She is a partner and Principal at SEI, a management consulting firm focused on delivering value to customers while maintaining a culture of collaboration and excellence.
Liz has invested her career helping Fortune ranked firms leverage technology and human ingenuity to enable their overall business strategy. Her experience spans multiple industries and verticals, including automotive, consumer goods, food & beverage, healthcare, retail, and telecommunications.
From launching new platforms and products, optimizing business and supply chain operations, to delivering visibility into key business insights via data integration programs; clients served have realized millions in ROI (YoY) through operational efficiencies, productivity gains, and bottom-line results.
In 2020, Liz joined her CEO’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council to inform the firm’s DEIB strategy. Navigating this endeavor amid a health pandemic and racial unrest inspired her message on “Authentic Leadership, which she has delivered to multiple audiences.
Recognized for inspiring excellence and building strong, high performing teams (global and domestic), Liz’s authentic leadership approach comes to bear during times of change and transformation when trust, collaboration and engagement are acutely important.
Her mission is “to be a positive force for good in the world - amplify excellence, lead authentically, while offering insights that drive valuable, measurable, sustainable growth.”
Liz is a first-generation college graduate and holds a B.S in Engineering from Spelman College, a B.S in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech, MBA in Global Business from Georgia Tech, and certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University.
At the heart of Elizabeth’s purpose is her husband, Taras, their children, Taylor and Ethan, and bonus daughter, Tyla. She treasures time with family and friends, traveling the world, sports, and great bourbon. She loves bringing people together and forging authentic connections.
Anita Kishore is a Career & Executive Coach and Consultant. As the Principal & Founder of Access to Opportunity Consulting (A2OC) and a Senior Coach at Management Leadership for Tomorrow, she has worked with nearly one thousand students across the country to help them find their dream jobs.
Prior to coaching, Anita worked in positions of increasing seniority in the healthcare industry. She first followed her passion to increase access to affordable medicines for patients around the world by serving clients in the private and public sectors. Anita worked at Bain & Company, Sandoz (a Division of Novartis), and Pfizer, in strategy and operations in the US and internationally.
In nonprofit access to health, she worked at Doctors Without Borders and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, leading global vaccines supply chain logistics. She recently launched New York City’s first internship program in the Life Sciences.
She holds a BS in chemistry from Yale University, an MSc (with Honors) in chemistry from the University of Melbourne (supported by a Rotary scholarship), PhD in chemistry from the University of Georgia, and an MPA from the Robert Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Victor is a 2009 Coca-Cola Scholar and active-duty military member in the Air Force, currently serving as a robotics and artificial intelligence lead for AFWERX. In his previous assignment, he established the Department of the Air Force and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, where his research focused on the intersection of human and robot teaming, reinforcement learning, and small drones for search and rescue missions. He is also an active pilot for the Air Force, accruing nearly 2,000 combat hours supporting various missions around the world.
Before moving to Boston, Victor volunteered as a mentor and coach with several FIRST robotics teams, helping to design pathways for high school students to achieve their dreams through scholarship and internship preparation and training. He loves working with students to build robots, rockets, planes, or any nerdy technology product he can find.
Victor received his undergraduate degree in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and a graduate degree in Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In between, he was also a distinguished graduate and “top-stick” of his pilot training class earning his wings in 2015.
When Victor is not flying big planes or small planes, he loves to travel and eat food from all over the world, getting to know the history behind the dishes. Locally, hiking with his family or sharing a barbeque plate with friends is also on his priority list.
Dr. Jaclyn “Jack” McKinstry is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, where she is an attending in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She also serves as Medical Director of the Pediatric ECMO Team (mechanical life support). Dr. McKinstry specializes in taking care of children and families experiencing life threatening illness, congenital heart disease, and cardiac transplantation. In addition to directly caring for patients, Dr. McKinstry participates in research, teaches NYU graduate students, mentors fellows and serves on several hospital committees.
Dr. McKinstry is a 2000 Coca-Cola Scholar and attended the University of Virginia. She attended medical school at Robert Wood Johnson before completing her residency and fellowships at Columbia and Harvard.
Dr. McKinstry is passionate about travel and international health, having served on various medical missions, most recently in Cairo, Egypt. She has visited 48 countries and is excited to make Sweden the 49th in 2024. She dreams about running The Amazing Race. She lives in New York City and enjoys all things food and walking in Central Park.
The Coca-Cola Scholar’s Foundation has provided Dr. McKinstry with deep joy, inspiration and life-long friendships and she is honored to serve on the Alumni Board; helping ensure that other scholars gain the same rich experience.
Granted a second chance at life, Kari Philbeck believes that time is your most precious commodity and where you invest it is your most important decision. As a result, her faith, family, health, career, and service are her priorities. Her proudest accomplishment is being a Mom of 4 and having an incredibly supportive husband.
Kari’s recent promotion with Crane Company, as the National Director of Strategic Accounts ~ West, resulted in the expansion of her team, territory, and portfolio performance. Prior, she worked for The Coca-Cola Company for 19 years, which she is extremely proud of. Her commitment to community is vital to her personal growth, as it grounds her and provides purpose.
Kari sees the opportunity to serve on the Coca-Cola Scholars Alumni Advisory Board is an honor and one that will not be taken lightly. She is eager to invest her time into a program that has had a significant impact on her life by helping to ensure its continued success and creating a positive ripple effect throughout the alumni community.
Lucas San Miguel is second year at Emory University double majoring in Economics and Chinese Studies where he is a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar and a proud 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar. Before Emory, he took a gap year where he studied for the year at Tamkang University in Taipei, Taiwan, and spent a summer studying at a local school in Chengdu, China, after receiving two National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarships from the US Department of State. He was also awarded the Critical Language Scholarship from the State Department, which allowed him to study in summer 2022 with Changchun Humanities and Sciences College located in Changchun, China.
In 2021, he joined The Coca-Cola Company as a Coca-Cola Campus Ambassador where he represents the company’s brands and wide portfolio and executes experiential marketing activations across Emory. In Summer 2022, Lucas interned at Rancho Santana in Tola-Rivas, Nicaragua, where he led the development and creation of a community strategy department, coordinating with multiple local nonprofits to maximize impact and promote economic development in rural Nicaraguan communities. Summer 2023 Lucas will work as an Economics Intern at KPMG in Los Angeles, California, in their Business Practice Group where he will rotate through positions in Tax, Audit, and Advisory services.
Lucas specializes in intercultural leadership and communication with professional experiences everywhere from Taiwan and Nicaragua to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where he uses his advanced language proficiencies in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese to thrive at the intersection of business and culture.
In addition to being a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar, Lucas is a Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholar (SWALS). Selected from nominations from their fellow class of Scholars, the Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholarship is awarded to an active and passionate Coke Scholar who is an engaged and supportive alumnus, and embodies the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation’s mission as a socially conscious, service-minded change agent. SWALS recipients are true difference-makers with strong initiative and powerful, strong voices, with deep passions for creating, leading and administering their own initiatives to educate, enrich, and serve others.
Nina is a 2014 Coca Cola Scholar and a southerner at heart. She was born and raised in Spartanburg, SC, before moving to Cambridge where she graduated from Harvard and worked for the university afterwards. Since then, Nina’s held various roles in politics and has recently transitioned to the private sector.
She loves classical music, Georgia sports teams, and spending time with her family (including her two brothers, both also Coke Scholars!).
Will Schultz, a 1994 Scholar, is a shareholder at Merchant & Gould, an intellectual property law firm located in Minneapolis. Will is chair of the firm's Internet, Cybersecurity, and eCommerce practice group. He specializes in brand protection and emerging tech, including Web3 and AI.
Will’s passion for Internet law began in 1995 as a foreign exchange student in Spain. He first programmed a website in Spanish. Will graduated from Drake University in 1999 with a B.S. in Marketing, and Drake Law School in 2002. A teacher at heart, Will has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and the University of Saint Thomas, teaching intellectual property and appellate advocacy courses. He also coached mock trial and moot court teams at Drake University and the University of Minnesota.
Will developed and presents a nationwide brand protection seminar featuring topics such as anti-counterfeiting, cybersecurity, NFTs, Blockchain, and AI. He has multiple patents pending, including a collaborative story generation tool, a brand threat analysis tool, and a digital asset protection method. Will enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids, coaching youth hockey and football, and supporting his kids in equestrian and karate.
Pamit Surana is a 1989 Coca-Cola Scholar, part of the original, first scholar class whose cohort is affectionately known as “Classic Coke” Scholars. He has been active for 34 years with the Foundation and enjoys spending time with many of his lifelong Scholar friends. You can find him supporting many Scholars as a mentor or donating his time and expertise to support many of their non-profits.
Professionally, Pamit is Chief Revenue Officer of Gigapower, a multi-billion dollar startup, fiber broadband company backed by BlackRock and AT&T. Prior to that, Pamit was a senior managing partner in management consulting at Accenture Strategy and Alvarez & Marsal where he was ranked #1 in sales and delivery and equally recognized as leader for mentoring and developing junior colleagues. He has helped clients launch several $multi-billion divisions, helped lead over $100B in pre/post M&A activities and helped turnaround several firms.
He is well known for his gourmet chocolate tastings where his chocolatier skills takes you through several flights of fine chocolates paired with several flights of fine drinks. When he’s not enjoying sweets and alcohol, he’ll quench your thirst for New York City history as he takes you on a walking tour of Lower Manhattan complete with maps, history, stories, and entry into city’s oldest buildings.
Pamit received a Masters in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business in Finance and lives in New York City.
Samuel Wakefield, a dedicated social entrepreneur with nearly 20 years in education, advocates for black and brown families through his work with The Wakefield Group and as a facilitator for school leaders.
He's played key roles in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, holding leadership positions in educational nonprofits and schools. Samuel's educational background includes a Political Science and Economics degree from Emory University and an MPA focusing on Nonprofit Management from Georgia State.
Above all, Samuel is a proud husband, and father to four daughters, an author on fatherhood, and an enthusiastic education blogger.
Mike Woodward currently serves as the Regional Program Officer (U.S. South) at the Schott Foundation for Public Education. In this role he works closely with grantees and external stakeholders to cultivate and support effective campaigns focused on building systems to provide all students an opportunity to learn and thrive.
Mike comes to the Schott Foundation from College Track, where he served as the Site Director and the Regional Executive Director in New Orleans, and most recently the Chief Program Officer, working to support twelve centers and more than 3,000 first-generation college students nationwide from 9th grade through bachelor’s degree and beyond.
Prior to College Track, Mike was a high school math teacher and department chair at Lake Area New Tech Early College High School in New Orleans. Mike began his career in education as director of special projects at Urban League College Track.
As a first-generation college graduate, Mike earned degrees in bioengineering and human biology from Stanford University and went on to earn his Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at Tulane University. While at Stanford, he founded the First-Generation/Low-Income Partnership (FLIP), a student group dedicated to supporting and advocating for first-generation college students from low-income households.
Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mike is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys playing basketball, tennis, and chess.