CIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2020-2021

Ms. Allen is a Retired Educator of Rome City Schools.

She has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2014.

“I have always wanted to work with children, which is what led me to teaching special education for 32 years. Even through this, I still wanted to find some way to give back to the children and to our community. I jumped at the chance to become involved with Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County initially as a mentor, which evolved into a position serving on the Board of Directors. CIS is an organization who is out there for the students who are looking for help or believe that they need a little more of a push in order to become successful. We are here for motivation, as someone they can turn to if they are having a problem, etc. I have enjoyed being a part of the success of Communities in Schools and are looking towards the future in excitement for all that we can accomplish.”

Byars is the Superintendent for Rome City Schools. 

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2016. 

"Communities in Schools Rome Floyd County has been a partner for Rome City Schools long before I became the Superintendent, so I was able to see firsthand how they help our students to reach their goals. Their support is needed, especially since our focus is graduation. My work with the CIS Board includes supporting the staff. We have Ms. Gail Veal who is the site coordinator for our Phoenix Learning Center, and she is responsible for helping our students by supporting their education. CIS is helpful to us as well because they coordinate many of our volunteer efforts, like school mentoring training. By serving on the Board, I am able to give advice on how to better programs for not only Rome City Schools, but for Floyd County as a whole and the surrounding counties.

"An example of the work CIS does in our schools is connecting us with Helping Hands Ending Hunger, a program that helps us to feed our families who may not have enough. I think that this organization does so much to help with education, it is a natural fit for me when I think of serving my community."

CIS Secretary 

Ms. Cisneros is a Member Service Specialist at Coosa Valley Credit Union.

She has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2019.  

“As a teen mom who attended the Phoenix Performance Learning Center (PLC) and worked firsthand with Communities in Schools, I knew that I wanted to continue to stay involved and help other students, like me, succeed. Ms. Gail Veal and the other staff at the PLC pushed me through each and every class, which enabled me to graduate with my high school diploma. When I was approached about serving on the CIS Board of Directors, I knew that this was my chance to serve as an example to students, so they see that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. To have a group of people, like CIS, looking out for your future is so incredible and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that once I made it out. I couldn’t have done it without the help of Communities in Schools, and I hope other students realize that the entire community is rallying behind them in hopes of helping them succeed.”

CIS Treasurer

Mr. Diehl is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Harbin Clinic. 

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2015. 

“I initially got involved with Communities in Schools through their Mentor Program. I served as a mentor to two different students in 2005 and in 2015 and was really excited to have been asked to then serve on their Board of Directors. I have a lot of belief in the programs that CIS spearheads and believe that the value they bring into the community is second to none. CIS is one of those organizations where it is a win-win. They not only benefit those students who need additional opportunities, but our community gets the value out of those engaged citizens as well. I am proud to represent CIS and I believe that it is a worthwhile program, both individually and community wide.”  

Mr. Hanner is the External Affairs Manager for Georgia Power Company.

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2019.  

“Greg (Wooten) and I met because he is also a Board Member for the Rome Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth. I have served on both the Commission and CIS Boards for a little over one year. I try to assist Communities in Schools by providing any insight I may have that helps us to better serve the educational efforts of children and their families. Education is a huge component of community development, community growth, community well-being and allow our community to thrive. All those great things make not only our local efforts easier, but the efforts at the state and national level are successful if we focus on educating our children. It is a larger goal that we are working for and it is not just the job of our schools and classrooms. This is a community effort to provide our students with what they need. I serve for this reason.”

Mr. Hight is the Surgical Services Coordinator at Redmond Regional Medical Center. 

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2017.  

“I have always been heavily involved with the youth of Rome and Floyd County through my years of coaching and through my participation with the 100 Black Men of Rome. When I was accepted onto the Board of Directors for Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County, I continued with that passion and looked forward to being a part of changing the lives of young people in our community. The 100 has a saying, “what they see is what they will be,” and that is what I truly believe. Getting the youth involved at a young age, in any capacity, is so important and is my motivation. I am thankful for the chance to engage with these students through the positive experiences that CIS provides them.”

Dr. King is the Dean of the School of Education at Shorter University. 

This is her first year serving on the CIS Board of Directors. 

“Being a teacher, I quickly realized that students have needs beyond just academics. It was only fitting to be involved with Communities in Schools because they meet those needs, whether that need is physical, like clothing or food, or just social and emotional needs. I recognize the importance of serving the whole child and sometimes, as educators, we are limited to what we can do, which is where CIS comes in to fill that gap. I have enjoyed getting to see, firsthand, the evidence of our work and how it has manifested itself within these students and their futures.”

Mr. Lee is Engineering and Facilities Manager at Pirelli Industries.

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2018.  

“Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County’s mission to support students through mentoring and serving as that positive role model in their student’s lives is something that I know I benefitted from growing up, which is why I am so passionate about helping the students of Rome and Floyd County. Through my increasing involvement with the 100 Black Men of Rome and the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Center, I was able to connect with several members of CIS who opened that door to continue aiding children on their path to success. There are so many kids who do not have that ‘village’ to help support them, which is where Communities in Schools steps in to help guide our students to stay on the right path. Anything I can do to help my children, as well as other children, succeed in life is something that I have always wanted to do.”

CIS Vice Chair 

Dr. Ringer is the former System Support Specialist for Floyd County Schools who is now serving as Assistant Principal at Armuchee High School. 

She has served on the CIS Board of Directors for two years. 

“Just like the name, Communities in Schools Rome-Floyd County consistently works to put our community back into our schools. I enjoy being a part of CIS and serving on the Board of Directors because of the nonprofit’s service mentality. I am all about serving our children and making sure they are equipped with everything they need to succeed. And it’s not just about our students, CIS also works to assist our student’s parents through offering parenting classes and so much more. It is not just about preparing the child, but also preparing the family to be successful as well. I am proud to be a part of Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County.”

CIS Board Chair 

Ms. Roman McCool is the Owner of Farmers Insurance of Rome.

She has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2018.  

“This year makes my third year serving on the CIS Board. I first want to thank Greg (Wooten) for considering me for this position. He reached out to me and I am so glad he did because I had been searching for a meaning way to give back to my community through our school systems. Mentoring was something that I considered and when Greg came to me with a proposal to join the Board, I was thrilled and humbled to be considered for the position. I have enjoyed working with Communities in Schools and the mission to support the education of students in our area. We work to play a role in the lives of students directly through our mentorship program and even providing resources to them. We all come together to identify the areas of opportunity to make an impact and Greg does a wonderful job of identifying those specific needs. I never feel like it is my responsibility alone because of the involvement of our Board. I have always felt this is a group effort and I am so proud of the goals we are able to accomplish.

Mr. Williams is a Private Practice Attorney at Keith J. Williams, PC.

He has served on the CIS Board of Directors since 2019.  

“A friend of mine, Todd Jones, was the CIS Chairman of the Board when I became involved with Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County. They had an attorney on the Board who was their unofficial legal authority and had stepped away from serving the organization. They were looking for someone who could fill that need and Todd asked if I would be willing to serve on the Board. I have known Todd since college, and it sounded like a great program to be a part of. I told them I would be happy to help. I have been a Board Member for three years and I serve as the legal consultant. I help when there is a change in policies and make sure to assist if there are any concerning issues. I feel that education is the key to any person’s future, so that is why I feel that CIS is a way I can help to make a lasting difference in my community. Having proper educational support for anyone who needs it is important. If I can help in just a small way, I feel that time is more than worth my efforts.”

Ms. Powers-Smith is  

President of the Rome Floyd Chamber of Commerce.

"The Chamber has had a long history of a great relationship with CIS, and we’re happy to continue that as I take on this new board position. The Chamber strongly believes in a strong education because that will ultimately create a strong community and workforce, so it’s a good fit for us to learn about all the things that CIS does on a regular basis. I’ve been so impressed with Greg and what CIS is doing for our community and am so thankful that we have this organization in our community."