President & CEO of Independent Sector

Dr. Akilah Watkins is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive. Since joining in 2023, Dr. Watkins has been a key voice on policy and practice in the charitable sector and an advocate for the nation’s 1.8 million nonprofits and philanthropies.

With over 25 years as a national thought leader, community organizer, and nonprofit executive, Dr. Watkins’ expertise spans nonprofit leadership and advocacy, equity in the nonprofit sector, and community development. She has led initiatives that have transformed vacant properties into vibrant community spaces, tackled systemic inequities, and helped hundreds of communities across the country thrive. Her thought leadership on racial equity and community development has been featured by CNN, The New York Times, and Essence.

Prior to Independent Sector, Dr. Watkins was the president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress, the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping state and local governments turn vacant properties into vibrant places. Her work began at the age of 14 when she led efforts to convert a vacant lot and abandoned home into a community center in Roosevelt, New York. Since then, she has served as an executive leader for nonprofits and community development initiatives with NeighborWorks America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.

Dr. Watkins holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and an MA in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also holds two MS degrees in Education and Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University, and a BS in Community and Human Services from the State University of New York, Empire State College. She currently serves on advisory boards with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University and the Maryland Chapter of CISV International.

Partner at Arnall Golden Gregory

Althea Broughton is more than a real estate attorney—she’s a community builder. As a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG), she has helped shape communities across the country—guiding complex affordable housing, mixed-use, and urban redevelopment projects that have resulted in the creation or preservation of tens of thousands of housing units.

Her leadership extends beyond the deal table. At AGG, she has served as Hiring Partner, Chair of the Real Estate Practice Group, and Chair of the Diversity Committee—roles that reflect her commitment to mentorship, inclusion, and excellence.

Deeply rooted in community service, Althea serves on the boards of National Church Residences, Drew Charter School, and Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, and currently chairs the board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2013.

Her work has earned widespread recognition, including:

Atlanta 500 Leader – Atlanta Magazine

Best Lawyers in America – Real Estate Law

Globe St. Woman of Influence – CRE Counsel

Atlanta Business Chronicle Woman Who Means Business

Georgia Super Lawyer – Real Estate

Law and Justice Woman of the Year – 2018 Law and Justice Awards

Most Effective Deal Maker – Fulton County Daily Report / Georgia Legal Awards

Atlanta Tribune Woman of Influence

CREW Network Impact Award – Economic and Community Improvement (2014) for her work on the National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Hyperion Award – Women’s Affordable Housing Network

Althea earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia, where she was a Hardy Cross Dillard Scholar, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University, where she served as Senior Class Marshal.

She is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and recently completed a term on the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law. She also serves on the ULI Atlanta Capital Markets Council and the National ULI Affordable Housing Product Council.

Executive Director & Board President at the Center for Puppetry Arts

Beth Schiavo is the Executive Director of the Center for Puppetry Arts, the largest nonprofit in the United States dedicated to the art of puppetry. Since taking on the role in 2020, she has guided the organization through a period of renewal and growth, expanding its artistic programming, deepening its community partnerships, and ensuring broad access to the transformative power of the arts and the power of puppetry.

Beth brings more than 30 years of leadership experience, blending a successful corporate career with a deep commitment to the nonprofit arts and education sector. Before joining the Center, she was a Partner at EY LLP, served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of North Highland Consulting, and later launched her own consulting practice. She now leverages this expertise to strengthen the sustainability and reach of arts organizations.

Her dedication to community impact extends beyond her work at the Center. Beth is an active philanthropic leader, having held many nonprofit Board leadership positions: Fund Development Chair and Audit Committee Chair on the board of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, member of the Woodruff Arts Center’s Audit Committee, Finance Committee and Chairperson of Young Audiences at the Woodruff Arts Center, and Audit Committee Chair of the Fulton Education Foundation. Outside of the arts and education sectors, Beth served as Audit Committee Chair on the Board of Techbridge and served on the Artemis Board of Fernbank Museum. She currently serves on the Midtown Alliance Board.

Beth was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a Woman of Excellence in 2021 and and one of “50 Influential Atlanta Women You Should Know” in 2021 by Metro Atlanta CEO.

Beth is a Certified Public Accountant, an executive coach, and holds certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She is passionate about helping arts organizations thrive, championing inclusive leadership, and ensuring that the arts education remain a vital priority of community life. In her empty-nesting free time, Beth enjoys weekend jaunts with husband Ross and their fur baby, Nellie, and frequent visits with their children, daughter Alex (Auburn) and son Thomas (Georgia Tech).

Executive Director of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation

Brittany is a trusted strategic advisor in philanthropy and social impact, with nearly 20 years of experience advancing systems change through community development, place-based investments, and education policy. As Executive Director of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation, she leads governance, strategy, and investments to expand equitable access to education and mental health supports for families across Georgia. Under her leadership, the Foundation has broadened its impact across the American South, strengthening partnerships and championing community-driven solutions.

Previously, Brittany served as the Founding Director of PAACT (Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive) at GEEARS, where she convened public and private stakeholders to improve early childhood outcomes—culminating in a $20 million investment in partnership with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Public Schools. Her career includes leading place-based investment strategy at Purpose Built Communities and serving in executive roles at education-focused nonprofits, reflecting her deep experience at the intersection of community development, education, and equity.

An active civic leader, Brittany contributes to philanthropic collaboratives at local, regional, and national levels and serves on several nonprofit boards. She has been recognized with honors including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s and Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40, the Outstanding Atlantan Award (2021), and fellowships with Leadership Georgia (Class of 2025), the IWF Leadership Fellows Program (2025), and Rockwood Equity in Philanthropy (2024).

Driven by a deep belief in equity and opportunity, Brittany is committed to building systems that create access to resources and pathways for all individuals—regardless of socioeconomic background—to thrive. She holds a B.A. from Spelman College and an M.Ed. from Georgia State University. Based in Atlanta, Brittany enjoys international travel, mystery novels, and Pilates, and balances a fulfilling professional life with her husband and three children.

President & CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation

Dr. Carmen Rojas is the president and CEO of Marguerite Casey Foundation. Under her leadership, the foundation launched the prestigious Freedom Scholar award, and since starting in 2020 granted more than $165M in funding to dozens of organizations doing the hard work of shifting power to those people who have long been excluded from having it. Prior to MCF, Dr. Rojas was the cofounder and CEO of the Workers Lab, an innovation lab that partners with workers to develop new ideas that help them succeed and flourish.

President & CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Since joining the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta in August 2020, Frank has united the power of his experience and the anchor institution’s 70+ years of regional leadership to serve as a force for good, championing equity and shared prosperity for all.

Frank achieves this through leveraging human, reputational and financial assets to pursue equity in both systems and place-based work as well as through inspired giving with his 1000+ donor partners, amassing grant-making exceeding $130M annually.  

A recognized leader on affordable housing and economic development, Fernandez’ is an ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow and a member of the 2023 Leadership Atlanta cohort. He holds a philosophy B.A. from Harvard and an M.P.A. from the University of Texas.

Chief Legal Officer, Equifax

Julia Houston serves as EVP and Chief Legal Officer of Equifax. In this role, she is responsible for global legal services, government and legislative relations, corporate governance, compliance, privacy and enterprise risk.  She currently serves as the Board Chair for Leadership Atlanta and is Chair Elect for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.  She also serves on the Boards of the Woodruff Arts Center, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Police Foundation and Agnes Scott College. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, the Atlanta Rotary Club and the Carter Center’s Board of Councilors.  Houston holds a Juris Doctor degree summa cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree with distinction from the University of Virginia.

CEO, Hope Atlanta

Julio is an award-winning change-maker and collaborative nonprofit leader with a proven record of driving measurable impact for organizations advancing the stability and success of youth and families in underserved communities. Since joining Hope Atlanta as CEO in April 2022, Julio has championed a bold vision: that Georgia—known as the #1 state for business—can also become a model for addressing homelessness through collective action.

Julio brings a wealth of experience from key leadership roles, including COO of Families First and executive positions at TechBridge and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. His leadership has earned him accolades such as the Bill Bolling Nonprofit Leader Award,  50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40, Atlanta Magazine’s Atlanta 500, and Georgia Trend’s Top 500 Leaders.

Originally from Colombia, Julio holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Spain and a certification in Strategy and Innovation from Columbia University. He currently serves on the board of Leadership Atlanta and the Governing Council of the Atlanta Continuum of Care, and he is a past board member of Agape Youth & Family Center, Atlanta Victim Assistance, and the GreenLight Fund, where he continues to be an active supporter.

Julio’s impact extends beyond the walls of Hope Atlanta. He is a driving force behind innovative solutions like The Melody Project—a collaboration with Partners for Home and the City of Atlanta that rapidly converts container units into permanent housing with wraparound support. In just four months, the project created stable homes for individuals experiencing homelessness, reflecting Julio’s ability to translate vision into action.

President & CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank

As President and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Kyle Waide leads one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the U.S. Working with a network of 700 community-based nonprofit organizations across 29 Georgia counties, Kyle and his team facilitate the distribution of $250 million in food and resources each year to approximately 700,000 neighbors facing food insecurity. During his tenure, Kyle has led the Food Bank through a decade of dramatic growth and expansion, quadrupling its annual output while launching multiple innovative initiatives to expand food access and increase food security.

Prior to joining the Food Bank, Kyle held several management roles at The Home Depot Inc. in disaster relief, corporate responsibility, community affairs and store operations. He also previously served as a founding member of the team that created and launched Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier charity evaluation service. Kyle is a graduate of Harvard University and an alumnus of Teach For America.

Kyle currently serves as the Chair of the National Council for Feeding America, the largest public charity in the U.S. He also serves on the boards of the Southeast Regional Cooperative, Feeding Georgia, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill of North Georgia. He is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2015, the Rotary Club of Atlanta, the Community Advisory Board for The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc., and the Committee for A Better Atlanta.

In 2020, Kyle was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the “Most Admired CEO” among nonprofit organizations. He is regularly recognized as one of the most influential leaders in metro Atlanta and north Georgia by publications including Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Trend, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Kyle resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Christina, and their three children.