Supporting the arts throughout Dunwoody is our mission. If you would like to contact us with any questions or comments, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you.
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Create Dunwoody is a non-profit organization with the goal of attracting, supporting and promoting the arts and artists in our community. Through partnerships with other community and non-profit organizations, our goal is to improve the quality of life among those who live, work and play in Dunwoody.
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President
Katie is dedicated to creating connections through the power of words. After operating communications for a nationwide retailer and a company that quadrupled in size over six years, she was catapulted into her own consultant business, Leverage Communications. She works with startups, small businesses and corporations across the country in need of strategic and tactical communications. Katie’s passion to build relationships and truly understand the needs of a personal brand or organization differentiates her from the crowd and results in a more engaged and informed audience for multi-tiered platforms.
Outside of school and work, Katie has always had a special interest in art, culture, and community. Katie is also coming out with her first children’s book in 2022, Be a Superhero. Katie lives in Dunwoody with her husband and two daughters.
Vice President
Dr. Erica Anstey works at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Maternal, Infant, and Toddler Nutrition team in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) translating research into guidance. She received her PhD in public health from the University of South Florida in Tampa, has a Master’s degree in women’s studies, and is a certified lactation counselor (CLC). Erica’s work is generally centered around breastfeeding disparities, maternity care practices, infant and young child feeding in emergencies, and continuity of care. She is committed to centering racial equity at the core of all her work and believes that dismantling structural racism is a critical component of improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Aside from work, Erica lives and plays in Dunwoody with her husband and two teenagers. She has had a lifelong interest in the arts and recently returned to painting and drawing (@paintingbyerica). As part of the Create Dunwoody board, she is excited to contribute to Dunwoody’s growth into a flourishing arts community. She is also interested in pursuing ways in which Create Dunwoody can play a role in building a community around the arts while actively addressing social justice issues.
Secretary
Barbara Simons Flexner is an artist working in watercolor and mixed media,in addition to drawing, weaving and surface design techniques. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, South Carolina and Georgia. She is currently serving on the board of Dunwoody Fine Art Association. Her work has received numerous awards and honors. She has been invited to teach and demonstrate both fiber art and fine art techniques at conferences, community centers and to many informal groups. She is a proud resident of the city of Dunwoody.
Treasurer
Debbie and her husband, Glen, transferred to Atlanta in 1998 and made their home in Dunwoody. Prior to Debbie’s adventures in the non-profit world, her experience was in sales, sales team management, training and event management. Debbie recently retired as Managing Director for Stage Door Theatre. She previously served as Executive Director for various non-profits in Dunwoody - Dunwoody (Perimeter) Chamber of Commerce, Dunwoody Preservation Trust, and Men’s Health & Wellness.
She has served as an active board member with the Stage Door Theatre, Dunwoody Nature Center, Dunwoody Highlands Homeowner Association, and has co-chaired Dunwoody Police “Christmas for Kids” event since its inception in 2010.
As a part of the Create Dunwoody board, she is looking forward to the connection of the arts to the community; making art available to all who live and visit; and to bring focus to the performing arts by having more availability to those who have yet to enjoy the thrill of a live performance!
Alan Mothner is the CEO of the Spruill Center for the Arts, a nonprofit with a vision to serve as a beacon for the community by providing access and opportunities for all to create and enjoy the arts. In that role, he oversees long-term strategy and day-to-day operations of the Spruill Education Center and the Spruill Gallery. Before joining Spruill Alan formed and acted as the principal of Town Square Collaborative, a nonprofit consulting firm, and was also the former Executive Director of the Dunwoody Nature Center. Prior to his nonprofit work, Alan was a professional photographer and artist for 15 years.
Alan has served in a variety of roles throughout the city and with several agencies that help Dunwoody function including: CREATE Dunwoody, the DHA, Chamber of Commerce, Dunwoody High School, and Murphey Candler Park.
Alan moved to Atlanta in 1992 to pursue a career in advertising and he and his wife, Karen, settled in Dunwoody in 2003 with their two children.
Michael Starling is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Dunwoody, Georgia. Michael has been in this position since 2010 and is responsible for leading the City’s efforts to expand the local economy through business development efforts. Priorities for the City include retention of existing businesses, recruitment of new firms, and the redevelopment of existing commercial areas.
Michael is actively involved with the Dunwoody Convention and Visitors Bureau and Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb (2007) and the Regional Leadership Institute (2009). Michael is a founding member of the Innovation Crescent Regional Partnership, a coalition of more than a dozen counties focused on growing the technology industry in Georgia. Prior to joining Dunwoody, Michael worked for DeKalb County as a Business Development Manager for six years and the Atlanta Regional Commission as a Senior Program Manager in the Governmental Services Division for nearly a decade.
Michael earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics from the University of South Florida.
Michael is married to Denise Starling and they have one child Will who attends Chamblee High School. They reside in Brookhaven.
Rachel Waldron serves as the Recreation Program Supervisor for the City of Dunwoody Parks and Recreation Department. During her eight-year tenure, she has helped expand program offerings to now include key annual events, such as: Black and Women’s History Month Mural Exhibits, Kids to Parks Day, Groovin’ on the Green Concert Series, Dunwoody Wine Stroll, and Holiday Lights. She manages marketing and social media for the department and works closely with the city’s Program Partners through partnerships and promotion.
Rachel resides in Smyrna with her husband and two kids. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and watching her little ones grow.
Melanie Williams has been a resident of Dunwoody since 1978, during which she and husband, Jim, have raised two sons and stayed involved in community service, including work with at-risk children. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro where she majored in Housing and Interior Design. Since her retirement from a successful forty-year career in interior design, she has been an active member of Dunwoody Preservation Trust, the Spruill Center for the Arts, Dunwoody United Methodist Church, Dunwoody Fine Art Association, and Create Dunwoody. Her interests include painting and the visual arts, travel, golf, and fitness, and engaging with her six young grandchildren. She believes in the powerful influence of good design and the arts on all people and looks forward to participating with Create Dunwoody to facilitate that belief.
After three combat decorations in Vietnam as an Infantry Sgt., Bill graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1978 and moved to Dunwoody that same year, and started a business serving the Theatrical Film industry. Bill was active as a volunteer manager year-round with the Atlanta Arts Festival from 1984 to 1998. Since selling his business and retiring in 2006, Bill has volunteered as Lead on a Task Force before Dunwoody was formed in 2008, served on the first Comprehensive Plan Sounding Board for the City, and served for the first nine years of the City on The Planning Commission and Dunwoody Village Design Review Committee. Bill served as Dunwoody Homeowners Association President from 2010 to 2013. Bill started and continues to manage for the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, the City's second most popular event: Dunwoody Food Truck Thursdays. Bill has served as a Dunwoody Community Garden and Orchard Treasurer and board member since 2013. These days, Bill spends his time on things he enjoys: Community; music; travel; and teaching chess to elementary school students.
Carolynn Lord received a BFA and MA in Art Education at the University of Mississippi. She has taught art in four different states across all grade levels for the past 19 years. Along with teaching art to young people, Carolynn organized student art shows and contests and is known for her neighborhood summer art camps. Carolynn has designed a line of stationary and sold her paintings, upcycled art, and floor cloths in Buckhead and Smyrna. She continues to paint in all media and on any surface as long as it is not moving. She and her husband have been residents of Dunwoody for 22 years, have three kids, one rescue dog, and 12 huge blueberry bushes that produce buckets of blueberries!
