Foundation Board of Trustees

Aleisa Howell, a certified public accountant (CPA) and partner at Mauldin & Jenkins was named President of the TCSG Foundation Board of Trustees. Howell specializes in not-for-profit and governmental practice at Mauldin & Jenkins. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges and on the Georgia Society of CPA’s Not-For-Profit Task Force. Howell is a graduate of Franklin University.

Dan Linginfelter is a 1979 aviation maintenance technology graduate from South Georgia Technical College (Americus, GA). At South Georgia Technical College, Linginfelter obtained his A & P license and is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed mechanic. Linginfelter is the now the Senior Airworthiness Inspector for Gulfstream Aerospace. Linginfelter is currently living on St. Simons Island and enjoying his second “retirement” job. He joined Gulfstream in 2015, after retiring from Certified Aviation Services, a leading provider of MRO services for fleet operators around the world. He served as director of Operations and was responsible for supporting CAS management and staff in both East Coast and West Coast stations as well as Los Angeles, Seattle, Ontario, California; San Diego, Las Vegas and San Francisco. He had previously retired from Delta Air Lines, where he had worked for 32 years, most recently as Atlanta Station manager, International.

Sloane Drake is senior vice president of Human Resources for Georgia Power and Southern Company. She leads the HR East Region Organization, which includes talent management, diversity and inclusion, volunteer services, labor relations, health and well-being services, and HR delivery for Georgia Power; oversight of HR for Southern Company Gas; and talent acquisition, talent management and the development of diversity & and inclusion strategies for Southern Company. Drake joined Southern Company in 2001 as a participant in Georgia Power’s Professional Development Program, and has held several positions in Southern Company’s HR organization, including the dual role as assistant to the vice president of Human Resources and talent manager. In these roles, she supported strategic initiatives across all areas of human resources and led the development of solutions to enhance leadership and employee development, as well as diversity and inclusion. She also lead the HR team responsible for HR delivery and staffing for Southern Company’s two new nuclear units at Plant Vogtle, located outside of Augusta. Prior to her current position, Drake served as Director of Human Resources at Southern Company, where she was responsible for providing HR consulting services for accounting, finance, and treasury, marketing service, human resources, system air, general counsel, external affairs, internal auditing and information technology. Drake graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Active in her community, Drake serves on the board of directors for the Anit-Defamation League Southeast, Atlanta children’s Shelter, Technical College System of Georgia Foundation, Southeast Labor and management Public Affairs Committee, and Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission.

Bryan Batson is president of Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas, and senior vice president for Southern Company Gas. In this role, Batson oversees all aspects of operations for the two southern region natural gas utilities, which serve approximately 1.6 million customers in two states. He also is a member of the Southern Company Gas Management Council.

Previously, Batson served as senior vice president of commercial operations for Southern Company Gas (AGL Resources) where he was responsible for delivering service to enable top-line growth and customer experience for the company’s 4.5 million customers served by its seven natural gas distribution companies, as well as for setting regulatory and legislative strategy for the enterprise.

Batson has more than 35 years of professional experience with Southern Company Gas, and he has held leadership roles as senior vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs, senior vice president of external affairs, vice president of regulatory compliance and affairs, director of state regulatory affairs, division engineer, division manager and service center manager.

He has served on a variety of non-profit and industry boards. He currently serves on the boards of directors for Southern Company Gas’ Charitable Foundation; Central Atlanta Progress; the Georgia Nature Conservancy; Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta; Council for Quality Growth; and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He serves as chairman for the Georgia Chamber Energy & Natural Resources Policy Committee; president of the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees; and a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress Community and Government Affairs Advisory Council. Batson is a member of Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2004; and Leadership Georgia, Class of 1997.

Batson received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Clemson University and is a registered professional engineer. He also holds a master’s in technology management from Mercer University.

Batson and his wife, Kathleen, are residents of Sandy Springs, Ga. He has one daughter, India.

Dan Baker of Cedartown is founder and president of Duffey Southeast. This construction company have a portfolio that includes tenant improvements, administrative, financial, retail and industrial buildings, service operations and data centers and healthcare facilities. The company is headquartered in Cedartown. Baker developed a love for the construction process through helping his father on projects as a child. He turned his summer job in middle school into a full-time career, earning his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama and ultimately founding Duffey Southeast, Inc. in 2002. An active member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Baker has served numerous years in leadership roles at the State and National level.

Ruth has a long and distinguished career in Higher Education having served in faculty and administrative positions at Mississippi Universities Center, University of Mississippi, University of Louisville, Agnes Scott College, Kennesaw State University and University of Georgia. Her specialty is in lifelong learning/adult education with a focus on education of adult women. In 2013, Ruth retired from University of Georgia as Assistant VP of Academic Affairs Emerita, but has continued in retirement to be involved in teaching, grant writing and executive coaching. She served on the Board of Directors and President of the Board (6 years) for the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Foundation and has held numerous offices in both state and national adult education associations.

Lindsay Bridges of Atlanta is vice president of communications and member services for Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC). She has worked at the statewide trade association serving Georgia’s 41 electric cooperatives since 2013 and manages the communications and member services department which offers a full range of communications, community, public and member relations, professional training, media relations and youth programs. 

Her experience beyond cooperatives and the energy industry includes serving as branding and communications lead for US operations of Argos and public relations representative for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Bridges holds a B.S. in Communications from Georgia Southern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Georgia. She currently serves on the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation Board of Directors and resides in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her husband, Blake.

Rick Douglas is the Senior Manager and Head of Department for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) Team Relations Department, charged with employee relations, internal and external communications, and public and government affairs for the company. Rick has worked in OEM automotive manufacturing for over 34 years, consisting of responsibilities in both production and administration. Rick managed various vehicle launch programs and engineering trials of new models, as well as managed the launches of (3) highly automated paint shop start-ups from the construction phases to production. 

Jesse Killings is vice president of operations for Southern Company Gas subsidiaries Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the company’s operational excellence in delivering clean, safe, reliable, affordable natural gas to more than 616,000 customers in Georgia and Tennessee.

Killings brings more than 25 years of company experience to his role. Prior to his current position, he served as vice president of operations for Atlanta Gas Light and Florida City Gas. In previous roles, he was regional operations director for the company’s South Metro region, where he led local operations, including distribution, field service and meter reading. He also has held several management positions in sales, safety and training, regulatory compliance and field operations.

Killings takes special interest in organizations that support career development, leadership and education. He serves as chair of the Southern Company Gas Diversity & Inclusion (LEAD) Council and as a board member of the Technical College Systems of Georgia Foundation, the Georgia Chamber and the Georgia Energy & Industrial Construction Consortium. He is a former board member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the Georgia Chamber Diversity & Inclusion Council. In addition, he is an active member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, and he has worked with boards and education-related committees of organizations such as Fulton Education Foundation, South Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club and United Way.

In 2015, Killings was recognized as one of Atlanta’s “Men of Influence” by the Atlanta Business League.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Killings earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Tuskegee University. Killings is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Coweta.

Killings resides in Atlanta and is the proud father of two children.

Tammy Palmgren serves as a Medicare Sales Director at Kaiser Permanente, one of United States’ leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field and healthcare management, Palmgren was previously with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. and AmeriLife. She received a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Covenant College and very active in civic organizations in Cobb County and the metro Atlanta area. 

Sparky Reeves, retired President of South Georgia Technical College became the first sitting technical college president to have the “President Emeritus” status voted on and approved from the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

The President Emeritus status is a lifelong appointment for individuals who retire from the position of President of a Georgia Technical College with honorable and distinguished service in the Technical College System of Georgia.

Reeves has devoted over 42 years of his career to South Georgia Tech and was selected to be President of South Georgia Tech in 2004. He served as an instructor, supervisor, and Vice President of Economic Development prior to being named President.

During his tenure of visionary leadership, steadfast dedication and relentless perseverance, South Georgia Technical College increased its enrollment, led TCSG in graduate and award efficiency rankings, and had the highest transition rate from the Adult Education/GED program to post-secondary education enrollment. He led the college to obtain accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, improved facilities and led campus beautification efforts, supported the intercollegiate basketball program which advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament five times, encouraged students to advance to national prominence in the colleges’ clubs and organizations and provided a complete college experience for technical college students in south Georgia.

Under his constant encouragement and guidance, South Georgia Technical College increased partnerships with business and industry including Caterpillar, Georgia Power, John Deere, Metro Power, and Kauffman Tire as well as other educational institutions and grew the South Georgia Technical College Foundation.

Marjie Roquemore of Macon currently serves as Agricultural Water Project Manager for the Environmental Protection Division for the Department of Natural Resources. She began her career in government working for the Office of Governor Nathan Deal, where she held a variety of positions including policy and legislative affairs coordinator and agriculture policy advisor. After serving with Deal, Dickey became executive director of the REACH Georgia Program and then executive director of the REACH Georgia Foundation before transitioning into her current role.

Roquemore grew up in Crawford County and graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S.A. in Food Industry Marketing and Administration.