LEADERSHIP

BGCMA is Driven by Experienced and Caring Leaders

The senior leadership team of Boys & Girls Clubs Metro Atlanta has dozens of years of experience in youth development and specialized fields. They come with passion, talent and resolve to meet the needs of our kids & teens. Learn more about the team below.

David Jernigan

President & CEO

David Jernigan is the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. In this role, David is responsible for overseeing the organization which includes 25 Clubs in 10 counties. He brings a wealth of experience to the organization, with more than 20 years in the youth development space.

Immediately prior to joining BGCMA, David served as the Deputy Superintendent for Atlanta Public Schools, where he assisted the Superintendent in realizing a bold vision of transformation. Through his leadership, the district achieved a graduation rate improvement from 59% to 78% and seamless college enrollment growth from 51% to 62% over five years.

Prior to this, David served as the Executive Director for KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools and the Founding Principal of KIPP WAYS (West Atlanta Young Scholars).

David received his teaching certification through Georgia State University and holds a Masters degree in Educational Administration from the National Louis University in Chicago. He is also a Morehead Scholar and graduate of the University of North Carolina Kenan Flagler Business School. In 2012, he completed executive training at the Harvard Business School.

David has received numerous awards throughout his career, including being named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s rising community leaders with its annual “40 Under 40” award and one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend.

An active member of his community, David also volunteers as an alumna of Leadership Atlanta and currently serves on the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools Board of Directors, Hands on Atlanta Advisory Council, and the UNC Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Senior Staff

Desire’e Anthony

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Desire’e Anthony has been a valued member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) team since 2019, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Previously, she held the position of Director of Human Resources within the organization. With over 15 years of comprehensive experience across various HR functions in retail, IT, and non-profit sectors, Desiree brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University. Outside of her professional endeavors, Desiree enjoys spending quality time with her family at Piedmont Park and exploring the Beltline.

Ashley Collier

Chief Development Officer

As BGCMA’s Chief Development Officer, Ashley Collier oversees all fundraising efforts and strategies. Ashley brings with her an impressive wealth of experience, boasting over 14 years of nonprofit and fundraising expertise. Previously serving as the Director of Development at Westside Future Fund, she led critical fundraising initiatives and strategic endeavors. Her remarkable achievements include securing the largest donation in the organization’s history during their most extensive campaign. Before her tenure at Westside Future Fund, Ashley served as the Director of Development at Hands on Atlanta, where she not only expanded the fundraising team but also enhanced signature events to optimize revenue generation. Her dedication to philanthropy extends further back, having held positions as a Development Officer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Furman University. Outside of her professional endeavors, Ashley enjoys exploring family-friendly attractions across Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters, all while fervently supporting Atlanta United.

Victor Fioresi

Chief Financial Officer

Victor Fioresi is the Chief Financial Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. In this role, he is responsible for the organization’s accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, insurance, and treasury activities. Victor has spent his career in various finance roles at non-profit, software, and technology services companies that ranged in size from local to global. Prior to joining BGCMA, he served as the Finance Director for Georgia Audubon, a local non-profit where he was responsible for all finance, HR, and administrative functions. Prior to that, Victor spent much of his career in project finance at Accenture.

Terri Fishback

Chief Programs & Operations Officer

Terri Fishback is the Chief Programs & Operations Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. In this role, she leads a remarkable team of youth development professionals and provides strategic direction to ensure the highest quality Club experience and programming for kids and teens in and around metro Atlanta. Terri previously served as our Vice President for Youth Development from late 2020 to early 2023, where she built and implemented our youth development strategy and supported our organization’s efforts to strengthen the Club experience for kids and teens. Prior to BGCMA, Terri worked for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for eight years where she served as Director of Program, Training, and Youth Development and Senior Director of Strategy & Execution. While at BGCA, Terri launched the first-ever national job placement program by partnering with Gap and Old Navy, securing work-based learning opportunities for 600+ members in the first two years. Terri was responsible for overseeing the national teen membership strategy and is credited for growing the national teen membership from 540k to 588k in 3 years by implementing a dynamic multi-tiered campaign and driving a targeted training program across affiliate organizations. Terri also has extensive operational experience. Prior to joining the Movement, Terri served as the Associate Executive Director for the After-School All-Stars program in San Jose, CA where she oversaw 18 afterschool programs across four counties, serving over 3,500 students annually.

Michael LaMont

Chief of Staff

Michael LaMont is the Chief of Staff for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. He was previously the Executive Director of the Data and Information Group in Atlanta Public Schools (APS). His group was responsible for the management of the complete life cycle of student data for APS, including the student information system, student-based applications, research and evaluation, testing and assessment, accountability, and analytics. Before working at APS, Michael worked for Teach For America (TFA) Metro Atlanta, where he was the manager of data and strategy. Michael’s passion for youth development was sparked while teaching mathematics and science at Carver Health/Sciences/Research and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate. Michael is a proud alumni of Georgia Tech with a degree in structural engineering. He also completed the two-year Strategic Data Project Fellowship, a program at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. In his free time, he loves being outside and going to Atlanta United games.

Kimberly Lucas

Senior Vice President of Safety & Facility Operations

Kimberly Lucas re-joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta in 2013 as the Executive Director of Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Club. Throughout her tenure, she received several promotions including in May 2021 to Vice President of Safety & Facility Operations. In this role, she actively manages organization Real Estate, Information Technology, Facility & Fleet Operations, Risk & Safety, and vendor contracts to provide a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment to thousands of kids & teens in and around metro Atlanta. Prior to her work with BGCMA, Kimberly was a professional basketball player overseas in Turkey until she returned to the States in 1995 to undergo shoulder surgery. Before her procedure, she was introduced to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Delray Beach Unit by a dear friend. She attributes this experience to helping her discover her greater purpose in her life. On that day, she realized Boys & Girls Clubs was a safe place filled with inspiring adults, structure, protection, and fun. In these moments, she knew she wanted to make a difference and become a part of the movement. Kimberly lives in South Fulton with her spouse and their twin boys. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, being active outdoors, traveling, watching movies, and working out.

Shernā “Dr. Nae” Phillips, PhD

Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Dr. Shernā Phillips (“Dr. Nae” for short) is BGCMA’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications. Dr. Nae is a writer, artist, educator, community advocate, and strategic communications expert with a professional mission to help individuals and organizations control their own narratives. In her 17-year communications career, she has had stints as a multi-platform journalist for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, web producer at CBS Baltimore (WJZ-TV), assistant director of communications at The Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, and communications specialist for Atlanta Public Schools (APS). She currently teaches part-time as an English lecturer at Spelman College. In her free time, she enjoys executing DIY projects from her Pinterest boards, attending concerts and live theater performances, writing & producing plays, and spending quality time with loved ones–especially her hubby and their toddler son.