Mrs. Jillian Palmiotto

Jillian Palmiotto is a Cobb County native, growing up in the Acworth, Kennesaw, and Woodstock areas. She attended the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Inclusive Special Education. Jillian currently resides in Marietta with her husband, Anthony, and her two adult children, Samantha and Nicholas who are attending Kennesaw State University and Georgia State University. She is the founder and CEO of Together We Care, a disability support organization. After a 12-year career in the public school sector, Jillian pursued her calling of full-time vocational ministry for 8 years, serving as the special needs and disability minister at Mount Paran Church, where she has attended with her family since 1998. She is also the founder of the Together Conference, a nationally recognized Disability Ministry Training Conference that helps churches of all denominations learn how to better welcome and include people with disabilities. Jillian is passionate about seeing people with disabilities included and valued in their communities and enjoys working to support them in their endeavors.

Kathleen McDuffie, PhD

Dr. Kathleen Y. McDuffie is the president, CEO, and chief consultant of Inspiration Avenue, LLC. With more than 25 years of professional experience as a health scientist, consulting psychologist, and health and wellness advocate, she has conducted health-related research and analysis, served in public health leadership roles; trained, coached, and advised thousands of professionals regarding self and other awareness, as well as mindfulness and whole-life goal setting.

Dr. McDuffie is a recent retiree from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, where she held the rank of Director Scientist, O-6 (CAPT).

She has held several public health positions at the federal level, including, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Interim State Chronic Disease Epidemiologist and National Center Associate Director for Science. Dr. McDuffie has supported major public health initiatives such as worldwide Polio eradication efforts, the response to the Ebola epidemic in 2014, and preparedness and response activities related to pandemic influenza and hurricanes. She has also served on the Federal Collaborative for Health Disparities Research, Mental Health Science Group.

Dr. McDuffie is a certified instructor of the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, a Certified Canfield Trainer in the Success Principles and recently earned the Senior Fitness Coach credential by the International Sports Sciences Association. Dr. McDuffie holds various certifications and has extensive experience with several self-awareness assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, EQi 2.0, Gallops Strengths Finder, and Extended-DISC.

Dr. McDuffie earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in Psychology and a master’s in Public Health in Maternal/Child Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has completed two postdoctoral fellowships; one in cardiovascular disease prevention and the other in field epidemiology.

Dr. Wilson Holland

Dr. Wilson Holland, a Tampa, Florida native, has been married for 40 years to Harriet Holland whom he met at Wake Forest University during their undergraduate years.  They have one adult son.
Wilson is a graduate of Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed residency training at Emory Affiliated Hospitals.  He was Emory’s first Geriatric Fellow in the early 80’s and he supplemented his education with a Rheumatology fellowship ten years later.  After co-starting the Geriatric Clinic at the Atlanta Veteran Affairs Medical Center(VAMC), he continued to practice there as a clinician educator for 35 years.  Wilson served as Emory’s Geriatric Fellowship Program Director for a number of years and was the Associate Chief of Staff for Education Atlanta VAMC.

Wilson has been awarded numerous teaching awards including the Clinical Distinction, Master Clinician Emory School of Medicine.  In 2010 he was the recipient of the Mark Wolcott Award which recognizes one physician annually in the VA system for excellence in patient care. He was also honored in 2016 by the American College of Physicians Georgia Chapter with the Mark Silverman Award for excellence in bedside skills, teaching, and mentoring younger healthcare providers. Wilson is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory School of Medicine. He continues to teach healthcare providers on a local, regional, and national level.    

An advocate for the underserved community in Atlanta, Wilson participates several days a week in the assistance ministry through his church, First Baptist Church, Decatur.  He has served on multiple committees at First Baptist including Master’s Hands, Risk Management (Chair), Corona Virus Task Force, and the Deacon Council of which he was chair in 2006 and 2007.  For over 20 years, Wilson and his wife, Harriet, also taught young married Sunday School classes.   Wilson enjoys golf, walking, and reading history.

Judge Joseph Booth

Judge Joseph Booth grew up in rural Jackson County, Georgia, attended public school in Commerce and enrolled as a freshman at North Georgia College in 1970. Active in the Corps of Cadets and Sigma Nu fraternity, he was enrolled in senior ROTC, and planned to be commissioned upon graduation, until a motorcycle accident and resulting spinal cord injury led to a discharge from the Army Reserves at the end of his junior year. After rehab, he rejoined his class at North Georgia to complete his BS in Business Administration in 1974. He graduated from Atlanta Law School in 1977 and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia later that year. He worked primarily as a private practice attorney, in Decatur and then in Jefferson, for 25 years until being appointed to the Superior Court bench by Governor Roy Barnes in 2002. He has served as a Superior Court Judge in the Piedmont Circuit – consisting of Barrow, Banks and Jackson counties- since January, 2003. Judge Booth and his wife Susan Allen Booth have been married for 32 years, and they live on the family farm in Jackson County. Susan is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Their daughter, Whitney Booth, is a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School, and employed with Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

Ann Bradshaw Drew 

Ann Bradshaw Drew is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, where she graduated from the University of Cincinnati and worked for a number of years as a litigation paralegal. She lives in Augusta, Georgia and is an active member of The Church of The Good Shepherd (Episcopal). She has two daughters and two grandchildren, also in Augusta. One of her daughters is a resident of a DDM home. Ann is now in her third term as a member of the board of trustees, having previously served the first term from 2007 to 2011 and a second term from 2013 to 2017. 

Ronnie Jowers

Ronnie Jowers is a former Trustee for DDM.  He is married to his blind date, Kay Byars, whom he met at Furman University. They have been married for 45 years and have two children, 5 grandchildren, and a daughter-in-law.  Born in Williston, SC, Ronnie received his BA from Furman University in Greenville, SC, majoring in Economics and Business Administration. After working for First Piedmont Bank and Mortgage Company, he went into medical education with the Greenville Hospital System in Greenville, SC. While there, he received his MBA from Clemson University. In 1987, he became the Administrator of Internal Medicine with Emory University. In 1991, he was promoted to Assistant Vice-President of Health Affairs for The Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University. Over time, he was promoted to the role of Vice-President for Health Affairs and Chief Financial Officer of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center which consists of Emory’s schools of medicine, nursing, and public health, the Yerkes Primate Center, and Emory Healthcare with its numerous hospitals and physician practices. He has served as Vice-Chair of Emory-Adventist Hospital and on the Board of Pathways for Success. He retired from Emory in 2016. He is active at First Baptist Church, Decatur, serving as Chair of the Finance Committee, a Deacon, and the Personnel Committee.

Mr. Terry McMichael

Terry McMichael is a 2005 graduate of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and has been practicing public accounting for 15 years in McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks and Co.’s Not-For-Profit group. Terry was admitted as a Partner of McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks and Co. in 2015. He is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, AICPA, Chartered Global Management Accountants and National Association for Cooperative Accountants with a primary practice focus in audit and taxation for Not-For-Profit organizations in the Southeastern United States. Terry and his wife, Jaime, are residents of Monticello, GA and have three children. The McMichaels are active members of Macedonia Baptist Church in Jackson, GA, where Terry serves as a Deacon and Treasurer.

Rev. Bart McNiel

Rev. Bart McNiel serves as Associate Pastor at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Bart has been teaching and preaching in churches for more than 30 years. Prior to accepting a call to full-time Christian ministry, Bart worked as a civil defense attorney for 12 years, serving insurance and corporate clients. Bart has a B.A. from the University of Mobile in Religion & Psychology, an M.A. from Florida State University in Religion in Western Antiquity, and a J.D. from Florida State College of Law. Bart and his wife Stacey live in Snellville, GA with their two daughters ages 9 and 11. Bart enjoys day trips with his family, reading, music and movies.

Beth Willetts

Beth Willetts is retired from the pastorate. She has served Baptist churches in Fairfax, VA, McLean, VA, Annandale, VA, and South Wales. A graduate of South Wales Baptist College, University of Wales in Cardiff, she holds degrees in Theology and Pastoral Studies. Beth is a council member of the Mid Atlantic Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Stone Mountain and are the parents of three children.

Tim Bailey was born in Tallahassee, Florida, but moved to Atlanta shortly thereafter. He has lived in Marietta since 1999.

Tim attended Wake Forest University and graduated with a business degree in 1986. He attended the University of Georgia Law School, and graduated in 1992. After graduation he moved to Atlanta and began practicing law. Tim is admitted to practice in Georgia State Courts and the United States District Courts. In May 2010, he was proud to be admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.

Tim is an active member of the Cobb County Bar Association. He served two terms on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Marietta Metro, and was President in 2016-2017. Tim is also on the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations, LUO inc. which supports children living in poverty in South Africa and Oasis of Life International, Inc., whose mission is to support at-risk children and women in India. He is also a mentor to a 10th grader at Marietta High School with the Mentoring for Leadership program.

Tim and his wife, April live in Marietta with their three dogs – Zuzu, Handel and Henrietta. In his free time he enjoys sports, reading and music.

Education
Ed. D. 1985: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, Education Administration
Ed. S. 1973: University of Georgia, Athens, GA, School Psychology
Ed. 1971: Georgia Southern College, Statesboro, GA, School Psychology
B.A. 1968: Georgia Southern College, Statesboro, GA, German/English

Certification
L-7  (Leadership)
S-7 (School Psychology)

Other
Mediator/trainer, Justice Center of Atlanta
Assessment of Young Children, Gesell Institute
Project Management Certification
Governor’s Leadership Institute
Collaborative Leadership Trainer

Professional Experience
2012-2019: Associate Professor, Piedmont College

2002-2012: Assistant Professor of Education and Assistant Cohort Coordinator and Cohort Coordinator, Piedmont College

1995-2001: Director of Special Education, Henry County

1987-1995: Director, Division for Exceptional Students,
State Director of Special Education, GA Department of Education

1985-1987: Director of Program Unit, Division for Exceptional Students, GA Department of Education

1978-1985: Coordinator, Psychoeducational Network for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Students

1974-1978: Director, Flint Area Psychoeducational Center for SED Students, serving nine school systems

1973-1974: School Psychologist, Flint Area Psychoeducational Center

1971-1973: School Psychologist, Southwest GA Shared Services and SW GA CESA

1969-1971: Assistant Dean of Women, GA Southern College

1968-1969: Graduate Assistant to the Dean of Women, GA, Southern College

Professional-Community  Memberships  
International Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Administrators of Special Education (CASE)
Georgia CASE
Georgia Association of School Psychology, founding member; National Association of School Psychologists
Phi Delta Kappa
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
Member of Association of Retarded Citizens
Sponsor and contributor to and for State and Local Special Olympics
Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL)
Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE)
Lakehaven Homeowners Association, President (2006 – 2018) and Chief Financial Officer (3 years)
Georgia Retired Educators Association (2001): Member since 2001; AREA 10 Director, 2014-2016
Henry County Retired Educators Association (President Elect, 2007-2009; President 2009-2011; Past President 2011-13); 2019-2020, Secretary
Member of McDonough First United Methodist Church
Henry County Relay for Life, American Cancer Institute
McDonough First United Methodist Church, McDonough, GA
Park Springs, Member Association Finance Committee Member, January 2019 to 2020
Park Springs Member Association, President Elect 2021, President 2022, Past President, 2023; Park Springs Executive Council Liaison to Health and Wellness Committee 2023; Member of Park Springs Infectious Disease Task Force 2022 to Present; Member of the Park Springs Health and Wellness Committee, 2024 – 2026 (3-year term)
Member of the Developmental Disabilities Ministries (Residential Services) Board of Trustees (2021 – 2025, five-year term); Served as Program Committee Chair 2023- Present