About

OUR VISION & Mission

Our vision is that all Georgia families have safe and decent housing in vibrant neighborhoods.

Our Mission is to build, support, and inform a statewide network of thriving organizations, professionals, and individuals advancing equitable housing and community development.

Our Story

Who we are, what we do, and the impact we make.
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Our Team

Meet our Staff and Board of Directors
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Our Partners

Meet the awesome organizations we are proud to call our sponsors.
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Who We Are

Georgia ACT is a statewide membership organization representing the state’s nonprofit housing and community development organizations. Georgia law provides a commitment to safe, decent, affordable housing for all. Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., is dedicated to engaging a broad coalition of organizations and individuals to make that vision become a reality.  We advocate for a more favorable policy environment for the nonprofit housing industry. We advocate to state and federal government executive and legislative branches, stakeholders, and other organizations targeting a similar population. Georgia ACT seeks greater resources to support the nonprofit industry and provides forums where nonprofit organizations can network, exchange information through peer learning and recognize member contributions. We provide communications tools to inform members and the public, promote key issues, and commission research regarding affordable housing and community development.

Our Story

Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc. (Georgia ACT) was founded in 2001 with one mission in mind: to build and support a statewide network of thriving member organizations and trained professionals engaged in housing and community development serving families with limited housing choices.

Housing is the bedrock for strong families and vibrant communities. Today, half of every Georgia renter households is cost burdened, paying over 30% of their income for housing – a challenge that is unaffordable and results in housing that is insecure, uninhabitable or nonexistent. Georgia ACT’s Policy and Advocacy Agenda supports strengthening resources and commitments to meet the affordable housing needs for all Georgians over their lifetimes, including rural, underserved, and vulnerable populations of seniors, children, veterans, homeless, and people with disabilities.

Our Promise

Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., will constantly work towards growing and building relationships with organizations, core and community partners which will include: developing advocacy training, organizing materials for all trainings while supporting policy efforts of the project, providing policy analysis as related to the project, as well as providing an inclusive and sustained effort to inform and influence strong pathways between community members and policy makers. Georgia ACT has established a network of civic groups and grassroots advocacy organizations throughout the State of Georgia; advocating for Federal and State fair housing, disaster relief, HMDA, CRA, proposed tenant and rental legislations, immigrant housing, housing choice vouchers, CDBG, HOME and more.

Our Staff

AllLeadershipStaffConsultant
President & CEO

Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown
Director of Operations

Jocelyn M. Smith
Program and Policy Analyst

Xinyuan Zheng
Consultant - Legislative Analyst

Elizabeth J. Appley, Esq.
Office and Administrative Services Coordinator

Alva Hammond
Social Media Marketing Intern

Devon Ezell

President & CEO

Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown

Dr. Bambie Hayes Brown is a native of rural Georgia and holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management, an MBA, a Doctor of Theology and a PhD in Biblical Studies. She is the CEO of Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., a statewide membership organization of housing and community development agencies. Bambie has lived experience of housing instability through homelessness and a former public housing resident. She has 24 years’ experience in rural and urban housing, community and economic development and secured a rural Empowerment Zone designation resulting in a $20 million investment in Southwest Georgia. Bambie is also the Founder and CEO of Hayes Brown Enterprises, LLC, an Atlanta-based, strategic consulting agency.

Bambie is a registered lobbyist, Real Estate Broker, Certified Economic Development Finance Professional & co-chairs the HouseATL Policy Committee. Also, Bambie serves on the Board of Directors of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, Up for Growth Action, NAACP DeKalb County Branch, and the ATL Airport Chamber of Commerce. She serves on numerous advisory committees including the Enterprise Community Partners Southeast Advisory Committee, Housing Justice League, and Cadence Bank. Bambie, a licensed and ordained minister, is married to Shearon Brown and they are the proud parents of 5 children and 3 grandchildren.

Director of Operations

Jocelyn M. Smith

Jocelyn joined Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc. and now serves at the Director of Operations. With 22 years of experience in Affordable Housing, she has worked as a Development and Project Manager as a grantor with the City of Atlanta, in the Office of Housing implementing Atlanta’s Neighborhood Stabilization, HOME and CDBG Programs and with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, specifically working with the Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) for the State of Georgia.

As a grantee real estate development professional, Jocelyn has worked with nationally renowned organizations – The Integral Group and H.J. Russell & Company, as part of the redevelopment teams for The Villages at Carver, The Village of Castleberry, and many more portfolio projects.

Jocelyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a focus in Accounting and Management and is a member of the Project Management Institute, currently pursuing a PMP Certification. Jocelyn is the proud mother of one son and two “fur” boys.

Program and Policy Analyst

Xinyuan Zheng

Xinyuan is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with two master’s degrees in Public Administration and Information Science. She also has her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She has over seven (7) years of experience studying public administration and has a passion and knowledge of data analysis.



Consultant - Legislative Analyst

Elizabeth J. Appley, Esq.

Office and Administrative Services Coordinator

Alva Hammond

Social Media Marketing Intern

Devon Ezell

Board of Directors

AllOfficersMembers
Chair

Rita B. Gibson
Vice Chair

G. Mitchell Brown
Treasurer

Eula J. Parker
Secretary

Elizabeth “Betsy” Wallace
Board Member

Jim Beaty, Jr.
Board Member

Sherrell Byrd
Board Member

Dr. Christie Cade
Board Member

Robert Cooke
Board Member

Kelly Cooney
Board Member

Melanie A. Faison
Board Member

Dana Ingram
Board Member

Ingrid Thompson

Chair

Rita B. Gibson

Rita B. Gibson is a native of Atlanta, graduating from Spelman College with a degree in Economics. She holds a Masters of Business of Administration from Howard University and has done further study at Georgia State University. She has over 20 years of experience in the areas of Real Estate Development, Program and Policy Development having held positions at Invest Atlanta, The Integral Group, Atlanta Board of Education, the Juvenile Court of Fulton County and the Governor’s Commission on Children and Youth. While a the Integral Group she served as the Senior Development Director for the redevelopment of three of Atlanta’s public housing communities which leveraged Federal funds of more than $250 with private funds. These three communities – Villages at Carver, Capitol Gateway and Auburn Pointe are model mixed income communities in Atlanta. A strong advocate for housing equity, Rita currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of the University Community Development Corporation where she collaborates with partners to help revitalize economically challenged and underserved communities with affordable housing which is critical to community health and quality of life.

Vice Chair

G. Mitchell Brown

A native of Dayton, Ohio, he learned the importance of teamwork and community involvement through leadership in social and church groups. Mitchell graduated from Morehouse College and continues to exemplify his commitment to community engagement through the leadership of Resources for Residents and Communities of Georgia, a non-profit CDC providing housing, home ownership counseling and community outreach services. In his spare time, Mitchell engages in outdoor activities including hiking, biking and camping. As a one-time resident, he served as the neighborhood NPU representative, participated in neighborhood clean-ups and coordinated volunteer activities for the Wheelbarrow Summer Theater community festival. While serving as the Vice-Chair of the RRC Board, Mitchell chaired the Personnel Committee and contributed to the efforts of several other board committees. He worked in partnership with the Board Chair to facilitate and encouraged the Board’s active role in the growth of this changing organization’s expansion of services to include a five-county area. 

Treasurer

Eula J. Parker

Eula Parker is a Senior Vice President of South State Bank where she has been employed for over 30 years. Currently, she is the Community Development Officer for the State of Georgia. Her focus is serving the needs of Low/Moderate income families with housing needs and revitalization projects within the banks assessment area. She works closely with cities, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. She also serves the community through her involvement on numerous boards such as: Junior Achievement of NE Georgia, Wesley Community Center, Marietta Housing Authority, Savannah CASA, Neighborhood Lending Partnership of GA, and Georgia ACT. She is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for Chatham County. Eula graduated from Savannah State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, she is also a graduate of The Georgia Banking School at the University of Georgia, Leadership Savannah and Leadership Georgia.



Secretary

Elizabeth “Betsy” Wallace

Betsy is committed to strategic leadership, governance, and growth strategies for nonprofits and small businesses. In 2017, Betsy founded E. Wallace Strategies, LLC, a firm specializing in organizational development consulting, including board governance, strategic thinking, leadership transitions, and executive and team coaching. EWS also provides expertise in meeting design/facilitation and adult education. From 1999 to early 2017, Betsy was a Senior Relationship Manager with NeighborWorks® America, the country’s preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development.  Betsy is a trainer for the NeighborWorks® Training Institute and has served as a Lead Coach and Team Coach for the NeighborWorks® America’s Excellence in Governance (EiG) programs. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Architecture and from Rutgers University with a Master of City and Regional Planning degree. Betsy has also completed Emory University’s Essentials of Management Certificate.

Board Member

Jim Beaty, Jr.

Board Member

Sherrell Byrd

Board Member

Dr. Christie Cade

As Vice President, Dr. Cade directs the deployment of NeighborWorks America’s financial and technical services throughout thirteen states in the Southeast Region of the U.S. and the District of Columbia.  She leads a team of professionals focused on advancing real estate development, homeownership promotion and preservation, community and economic development and lending in both urban and rural communities. 

Dr. Cade has over 30 years of executive experience and has served in leadership roles for nonprofit, public, and fortune 500 entities. Dr. Cade currently serves on the Georgia Advancing Communities Together Board of Directors, Cadence Bank Community Development Advisory Board, Emory University Board of Visitors, Gateway Regional Council Board of Directors, and HouseATL Committee Co-Chair and several committees. 

She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Business Achieving Excellence and has a PhD. in Organizational Development and Leadership and bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from Avila University.



Board Member

Robert Cooke

Robert was born in South Carolina, but grew up in South Georgia, and attended college in Alabama. He has undergraduate majors in Religion/Philosophy and Accounting and a cum laude MBA degree. Since 2000, he has served as the Executive Director of Southwest Georgia United, an Empowerment Zone and community development corporation. He administered more than $40 million in program funding and has written successful applications for more than $11 million. He oversaw construction and operation of a 55,000 square foot business incubator, managed more than $13 million annually in community assets, and acquired and managed more than 100 affordable rental homes, He developed, implemented, and supported housing counseling, workforce development, after school care, childcare, and a variety of other community programs. He wrote Southwest Georgia United’s successful application for certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Southwest Georgia United’s current portfolio includes both business and housing loans. Assets have grown from less than $250,000 in 1999 to more than $8.3 million as of 2014.

Board Member

Kelly Cooney

Kelly Cooney is a housing specialist with the Housing Assistance Council, a national nonprofit working to improve housing conditions for the rural poor. She provides technical assistance and training on housing and organizational development topics to nonprofit organizations and local governments. Kelly earned a Master of City Planning degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from Miami University.

Board Member

Melanie A. Faison

Melanie A. Faison, is the Director – Production & Program Services for NeighborWorks Columbus. She is a business strategist and impact leader with over 20 years of experience championing organizational growth and expansion. Excels in market positioning, revenue growth, financial management and driving operational excellence. Skilled in facilitating the combination of public, private, and philanthropic capital to advance real estate development and mortgage lending. Innovative and skilled in directing and mentoring diverse teams with direct accountability to CEO and/or Board of Directors.

Board Member

Dana Ingram

Dana Ingram is the Founder and Executive Director of JCVision and Associates, Inc., a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization located in Hinesville, GA. For over 15 years, she has served as a certified housing professional and has obtained her accreditation with the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE).

As a spouse of a disabled military veteran, Ms. Ingram has dedicated her life and skills in assisting consumers to identify housing and financial solutions that will develop fiscal responsibility, increase economic resources, and build wealth for an active or retired military household and the general public. Ms. Ingram holds Georgia licenses as a Residential Builder, EPA Lead Inspector and Risk Assessor. She is an Enrolled Agent as awarded by the Internal Revenue Service. She holds a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Troy State University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Slippery Rock University. Ms. Ingram has been recognized by The White House, under President George W. Bush’s administration, for her work to increase consumer financial literacy and rural housing development within Coastal Georgia. s League’s Women of Influence “Tenured”.

Board Member

Ingrid Thompson

Ingrid began her career with Delta Airlines over 35 years ago and is currently the CEO of Nehemiah Project Community Development Corporation and the founder of Harvest Rain Early Learning Academy in Fairburn Georgia. Ingrid has been a champion in the South Fulton Community in Early Childhood Development, Afterschool Enrichment, and Leadership Programs for at-risk Youth for over 19 years. Her passion and commitment to Community Development have contributed to improving the quality of life for hundreds of families in the areas of Affordable Housing, Neighborhood Revitalization, Health, Economic Development, Education and Advocacy. Ingrid has over 20 years of experience in acquisition, rehabilitations, renovations, and real-estate management. Ingrid graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Business Administration and Marketing and a Master of Education from Regent University. She is an active leader in her church and a member of various community groups.

Who We Work With

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