The mission of the Decatur Education Foundation is to enable the full potential of our young people. We believe that every child deserves equal access to quality education and the opportunity to thrive. We work with the City Schools of Decatur, the Decatur Housing Authority, and the City of Decatur to ensure that ALL students have the resources and experiences they need to foster their growth and academic success.
Our work revolves around four core pillars:
- Removing Obstacles to Learning
- Providing Empowering Opportunities
- Supporting Educators and Programs
- Strengthening Community Initiatives
We take pride in our impact and remain committed to building a more equitable and prosperous future for ALL children in Decatur.
Our Mission
We solve the problems that keep our kids from finding success by connecting people, resources, and ideas. Central to this work is a commitment to eradicating barriers caused by systemic racism, income inequality, and the lack of behavioral health supports.
Our Vision
All Decatur youth realize their full potential, regardless of economic status, ethnicity, race, nation of origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, cognitive or physical ability.
Our Values
- We are committed to anti-racism work in our organization, in our schools and in our community.
- We are flexible and responsive to the changing needs of children in our community.
- We are inclusive and welcoming to all who want to engage in our work.
- We operate with a philosophy of collaboration and support rather than competition.
- We value integrity, equity of opportunity, collective impact, and entrepreneurship.
Our Team
Our small and efficient staff, our dedicated Board of Directors, and a large group of community volunteers drive the success of the Decatur Education Foundation.
Our Staff
Muslimo Sheikh
Muslimo joined the DEF team as a student intern and transitioned in the staff role of Program Coordinator in 2020.…
Merry Pope
Merry Pope joined the DEF team in 2024 as the Finance Manager. Merry oversees all financial management and planning for…
Meagan Berardi
Meagan Berardi rejoined DEF as Executive Director in 2024, after previously serving as DEF's Director of Community Engagement and Director…
Drew Johnson
Drew Johnson joined the team in 2019 and oversees day-to-day operations at the DEF office. He comes to the organization…
Board of Directors
K.C. Baker
Kent (KC) Baker, originally from Charlotte, NC, migrated to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University. A dedicated father of four,…
Haqiqa Bolling
Haqiqa is recently retired after working as a school counselor at Renfroe Middle School for 24 years. She is also…
Brennan Breed
Brennan Breed serves as Associate Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary and Scholar in Residence at Decatur First…
James Cobb
James is a trial and appellate laywer and a founding partner of Caplan Cobb LLP. James also serves on the…
India Epps
India is native of Southwest Georgia and a graduate of Spelman College. She and her husband, Will, have 2 kids…
Doug Faust
Doug Faust has extensive experience in affordable housing development at the local, state, and federal levels and serves as the…
Robert Jeffrey
Robert has more than twenty years of experience as an educator. He holds degrees in music education, administration and leadership.…
Reggie LaFond
Reggie and his wife, Amanda, moved to Decatur from Pittsburgh, PA in 2018. They have two children who attend City…
Jeremy Lewis
Jeremy is Executive Director of Urban Recipe which is an organization committed to making sure families have the food they…
Claire Miller
Claire Miller is the Director of the City of Decatur’s Children and Youth Services Division. Before joining the City of…
Martha Moore
Martha Moore has over twenty years of experience in business accounting and management. She is currently studying to become a…
Karen Paty
Karen recently stepped down as the Executive Director of Georgia Council for the Arts, having worked at the intersection of…
Lynn Paxton
Lynn has held multiple leadership positions at the CDC in the field of infectious disease. She recently came out of…
Shannon Scalese
Shannon Scalese is a CPA with a Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. She and her husband Anthony…
Weonhee Shin
Weonhee was raised in Virginia and now resides with her family in Decatur, GA. As a mother of three CSD children…
Raul Trujillo
An Atlanta native, Raul and his wife, Mary Lynn have lived in Decatur since 2000. Their 2 children attend City…
Hans Utz
Hans and his wife Ginger have lived in Decatur since 2008 and have four kids in Decatur schools. He was…
Gyimah Whitaker
Dr. Gyimah Whitaker is superintendent of City Schools of Decatur and ex-officio member of the DEF board. She joined CSD…
Financial Information
Download the 2022 IRS Form 990.
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