ALUMNI NEWS
LAWRENCEVILLE-DULUTH (GA) ALUMNI CHAPTER The Lawrenceville-Duluth (GA) Alumni Chapter presented multiple Achievement Awards to various community leaders. Their award in Business was presented to Santiago Marquez, CEO of the Latin American Association. Mr. Marquez was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 1971. He is a graduate of Georgia State University; alumnus of the Buckhead Business Leadership Class; alumnus of Leadership Atlanta, best class ever-2013! Mr. Marquez joined GHCC in September 2008 as the COO. Mr. Marquez has been working in the non-profit sector since 1998, cutting his teeth with Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Inc., while attending graduate school at Georgia State University. After CCCS, Marquez served as the Director of Employment and Housing for the Latin American Association, starting the first housing department to focus on Hispanics in Atlanta. In 2004, Marquez joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America where he worked for
four years as the Director of Latino Outreach. During this tenure, his duties included implementing a Latino outreach strategy in multiple Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. The Latino outreach initiative focused on outreach to Latino youth and families, while helping Clubs increase the number of Latino staff and board members. Most recently, Mr. Marquez served as the Director of Development, NE region where his duties included fundraising and corporate relations in the northeast region of the United States. Marquez became the President of the GHCC in 2017. In 2020, Marquez graduated from the University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business, with a Masters in Nonprofit Administration. He also returned to the LAA as the CEO, a life-long dream. He is the proud husband of a beautiful wife and very proud father of two beautiful daughters.
One of their awards in Education was presented to Dr. Adrienne Simmons, District IV Board of Education of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Dr. Adrienne Simmons joined the School Board in January 2023. Her electoral district includes all or portions of the Berkmar, Brookwood, Grayson, Meadowcreek, Parkview, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett clusters. Dr. Simmons has served in public education as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, literacy coordinator, and statewide administrator. She holds a master’s degree in reading, language, and literacy from Georgia State University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Clark Atlanta University. Her current term will expire in December 2026.
Another of their awards in Education was presented to Dr. Al Taylor, Chief of Schools, of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Dr. Al Taylor is currently oversees the Division of School Improvement and Operations (SIO). In short, the SIO division provides direct support to local schools to ensure that they are able to safely operate with maximum efficiency to promote student achievement. Dr. Taylor has been in GCPS since 2002 and has spent his entire educational career in Gwinnett. Prior to his current position, he has held positions as a middle and high school teacher, a high school assistant principal, a middle and high school principal, and a middle school assistant superintendent. He also serves as an adjunct professor for Piedmont University where he teaches a myriad of graduate-level courses. Dr. Taylor holds a B.S. in Business Education from Georgia Southern University, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies also from Georgia State University.
Achievement since 1926
The Southeastern Khronicle | Summer 2024 | 23
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