Management
Neil Shorthouse
nshorthouse(at)cisgeorgia.org
President and Founder
Neil Shorthouse has dedicated his adult life to improving educational opportunities for all children. Neil is one of the founders of Communities In Schools, a nonprofit organization with more than thirty-five years of service to the State of Georgia's public school students. CIS serves as a model for dropout prevention programs and has been replicated throughout the nation.
Communities In Schools is a community-based organization whose primary goal is to help kids succeed in school and prepare for life. Neil's vision for the community is a holistic investment of resources dedicated to student success. With this belief in mind, Neil has garnered the support of some of the largest businesses and private foundations in the US to invest in local ideas and solutions. Through Neil's leadership, Communities In Schools retains its grassroots approach while producing a replicable, sustainable model for student success.
Realizing the connection between communities and public education, Neil is an active member of the educational and business communities. Neil serves on numerous boards of directors, including the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Charter Schools Association, Kids In Need of Metro Atlanta, and Creating Vibrant Communities. Neil is a respected leader and consultant to numerous organizations and assists the Georgia Department of Education in its work with the state's children. Neil and his wife, Patty Pflum, are members of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. They have four children and six grandchildren.
Carol Lewis
clewis(at)cisgeorgia.org
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Carol F. Lewis first became involved with Communities In Schools as a volunteer and mentor to CIS students in 1989 in Troup County. She is skilled at many levels of the organization having served as a local board member, CIS executive director of a CIS affiliate in her hometown of LaGrange, community development specialist in the state office, and manager of Community Development in the state office. In her role as Vice President for Field Operations, Carol provided her staff with opportunities for growth and is proud of the expansion of the CIS Network in Georgia through numerous grants including PIRC, Compassion Capital Fund, Adolescent Family Life, Americorps, Americorps VISTA, and RIF. In her current role as the COO, she helps lead CIS of Georgia and the 42 local affiliates as they strengthen their capacity to work in partnership with school districts to reduce the dropout rate among at-risk kids in Georgia.
A graduate of Mercer University, Carol is an avid volunteer and believes that in order to solve our many world problems we have to work to redirect resources to where they are most needed. Her dedication to community extends to Scouting, where she works to make sure that scouting is available to those not traditionally involved with the program.
Carol enjoys giving back and has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, a Steward and Scouting Ministry, a member of the Board of Directors of Maidee Smith Memorial Child Care Center and served as a member of LHS PTO and Band Boosters. She also serves as a role model advancement Chair for BSA Troop 316 and Assistant Cub Master to many young people.
Raymond H. Reynolds, Jr.
rreynolds(at)cisgeorgia.org
Vice President for Development
Raymond Reynolds joined CIS of Georgia in 2005 as Vice President for Development. Raymond supports the local network affiliates that directly serve students.
Raymond has raised tens of millions of dollars to support higher education in Georgia, first with Georgia Tech and later with the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Raymond brings this passion for quality education to CIS of Georgia. As Vice President for Development, Raymond seeks to engage individuals, corporations and foundations into the work and mission of CIS. Raymond's commitment to improving educational opportunities for all of Georgia's children is a driving force for his active pursuit of financial support for CIS of Georgia.
Raymond is a native Georgian and graduate of the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech and Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He is an active member of the Buckhead Rotary Club and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Raymond has a long history of volunteer service in his community that includes coaching youth basketball and baseball teams. Raymond is married to Bobbie Ann Harrison. He and Bobbie Ann are the proud parents of two sons, Graham and Matthew.
Catherine Broussard
cbroussard(at)cisgeorgia.org
Director of Marketing
Catherine Broussard has been the Director of Marketing for Communities In Schools of Georgia since 2001. One of the things Catherine is most proud of is the development and continued success of the Student Achievement Month contest, an annual event that recognizes students who are sometimes overlooked and often expected to underachieve. The contest honors hundreds of kids yearly and she looks forward to interacting with students during this event.
Since joining CIS Catherine has worked with Communities In Schools National, CIS of North Carolina, CIS of Florida, CIS of South Carolina and other offices to help increase the organization's visibility regionally and nationally.
She has a Bachelor's degree in marketing and has held marketing and public relations positions with city and state agencies, a college, and an international public relations firm. Additionally, Catherine has been a marketing consultant and the owner of a small business that sold wholesale stationery products nationally and to Kroger and Cub Foods in the southeast.
Linda Kelley
lkelley(at)cisgeorgia.org
Director of Evaluation & Technology
Linda Kelley first began serving Communities In Schools in 1997 as information and evaluation specialist. Linda engages both her creative and scientific talent by helping local CIS sites communicate their daily work through numerical and graphical data analysis and reports. She is often in awe of what local sites are able to accomplish with limited resources and likes to be in a supportive role for them.
Linda holds a Masters of Arts degree in Sociology and Applied Social Research from Tulane University, and Bachelor degrees in Sociology and Biology from Newcomb College at Tulane University in New Orleans. She has taught in both pre-school and university classrooms and enjoys helping communities and individuals look at data to improve programs. Her interest in applied research has led her to past roles as freelance social researcher, evaluator and tutor. Linda has been married to her husband and fellow CIS evaluation professional for over 20 years.
Prosper Kpentey
pkpentey(at)cisgeorgia.org
Director of Finance
Prosper Kpentey joined CIS as a staff accountant in 2001. His prior work with the Ghana Statistical Service provided expertise for his current role as Finance Manager and team leader to two CIS staff accountants. Prosper manages, controls and reports the status and use of the financial resources of Communities In Schools of Georgia. His work includes preparing and interpreting financial reports for management, donor agencies and regulatory bodies.
Prosper received his Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM) degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Accounting Information Systems from DeVry University in Decatur, GA.
Saadia Mazhar
smazhar(at)cisgeorgia.org
Director of Human Resources
Saadia came to CIS of Georgia in 2007 with a background in Human Resources Management from Georgia State University. She has worked with several non-profit agencies, including CIS of Atlanta, DUNS Educational Facility, and the Atlanta Fulton County Library. Working with non-profits has been worthwhile for Saadia because they have a purpose aside from personal gain. Working with CIS, in particular, adds value to her work, because not only is she here to help ensure employees are happy, but to also support and assist the organization in its mission to ensure kids graduate. She enjoys working with people and being of service to staff members.