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Create Dunwoody is a non-profit alliance 501(c)(3) with the goal of advancing commerce and cultivating vibrant communities and culture while elevating the arts throughout the City of Dunwoody. With a focus on economic vitality, our goal is to partner with other organizations to support the growth of placemaking and improve the quality of life for all who live, work, and play in the City of 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.
Acting 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/Secretary
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!
Susan Mitchell has held leadership positions with corporate, government and not-profit entities. She volunteered extensively with the Dunwoody and Chamblee area schools including serving as PTA president of Austin Elementary. Her other civic contributions include volunteering with the Community Assistance Center, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Camp Kudzu and The Galloway School. She has served as vice chair of Dunwoody‘s Zoning Board of Appeals, on Dunwoody’s Edge City 2.0 study advisory committee, and is a current member of Dunwoody’s Development Authority. Susan is a proud Dunwoody High School graduate, holds a B.A. degree from Notre Dame of Maryland and M.B.A. from Emory University.
Valerie Failla embodies the success story of a scrappy New Yorker turned PR pro with a passion for fashion, food, the arts, and the modern South. Valerie secured a degree in advertising and communications and later a degree in cosmetic and fragrance marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her years working at two, global public relations agencies in New York City connected her with heavy-hitting clients including Procter & Gamble’s Pantene, Max Factor, Bain de Soleil, Olay, Gillette’s MACH3, Hugo Boss, Old Navy, M&M’s and numerous other lifestyle clients, celebrities, and authors.
She’s also worked on publicity and event campaigns for Atlanta-based brands such as Fado Irish Pub, Perennial Properties, Taste of Atlanta, Atlanta Magazine, GettaBite app, legacy brand Midtown Bowl and many more. Valerie was instrumental in catapulting Chef Ford Fry's brand, Rocket Farm Restaurants, from one restaurant to one dozen additional restaurants in two states and oversaw a five-person public relations and events team.
Today Valerie is the founding force behind self-started Via Failla, based in Atlanta that has a stellar culinary and entertainment client roster
Terri Polk is a Marketer with a background in Promotions, Sales, Finance and Brand Marketing with companies like SunTrust, Frito-Lay, Reckitt & Colman, Vanity Fair Intimates, and The Coca-Cola Company. As a marketing professional, she develops and strengthens brands, launches new concepts, and brings together diverse parties to achieve a common goal. As a Finance graduate of UGA with a marketing-focused MBA from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business, she has worked collaboratively within multiple Fortune 500 companies to expand brands and services to diverse consumers.
Terri and her family have been a part of the Dunwoody community for over 25 years, where she raised two sons in the DeKalb County School System and has volunteered across numerous organizations.
Catherine Lautenbacher served in the Air Force for four years as an Intelligence Officer for a C-130 unit. She then worked as a Product Engineer in a manufacturing plant.
She and her family moved to Dunwoody in 2000, and she became an active participant in the non-profit world. She has been board president of Community Assistance Center, Dunwoody Nature Center, and Mill Glen Swim & Tennis. She served on the board of Discover Dunwoody, and Every Woman Works. Catherine has been married to her husband Conrad for 30+ years.
She attended Boston University and graduated with a BS in Aerospace Engineering. She received her MBA at UNC Charlotte.
Catherine Lautenbacher was elected to the Dunwoody City Council’s District 1 Post in November, 2021. She continues to work as the Program Director for Leadership Sandy Springs, teaching community leadership to foster more involved and effective residents.
Bio coming soon.
After transferring from her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama in 2017, Jennifer King, her husband Jeremy, their two young children and three dogs have found a wonderful community in Dunwoody.
Jennifer received her B.A. in Art with a focus on Graphic Design and a minor in Communication Arts from the University of Montevallo. She has worked as a Creative Director for non-profits such as Children's of Alabama and Dunwoody Baptist Church. As a freelance artist Jennifer has created a wide body of design work from government proposal graphics to designs for non-profits such as the American Heart Association, and spirit wear for all of our schools in Dunwoody.
She has previously served as an active board member with Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Virginia Samford Theatre and MOPS of Dunwoody. She is currently on her fourth year on the board of directors for the Redfield Swim and Tennis Club and serves on the Austin Elementary Yearbook Committee. Jennifer also volunteers her time with the Community Assistance Center, Dunwoody Baptist Worship Team and Reins of Hope, a therapeutic riding program for breast cancer survivors and thrivers.
Jennifer believes art is vital to the community because each art form has the potential to inspire, educate, empower, validate, soothe or heal the individual viewing, listening or creating.
