Originally from Chatsworth, Georgia, Juanita Tipton has lived in Dahlonega since 1999. She received a B. A. in English from Berry College and an M. A. in English from the University of Georgia. Now a retired educator, Juanita taught high school and college English in school systems across Georgia, teaching her last seven years at Lumpkin County High School where she served as English Department chair and coached a successful Mock Trial team. During her teaching career, Juanita was selected numerous times as Teacher of the Year and STAR Teacher and attained National Certification in the English Language Arts from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

When she retired in 2006, Juanita began volunteering with the Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition, first serving as a tutor and then coordinating volunteer services. A member of the Board of Directors for three years, she has also had great fun participating in the Literacy Coalition’s Spelling Bee for the past four years.

A 2008 graduate of Leadership Lumpkin, Juanita is involved in her community in a number of other ways. She is the current chair of United Way for Lumpkin County, a member of Georgia Mountains Master Gardeners, a member of the Personnel Committee and Documents Review Committee at Dahlonega Baptist Church, and chair of the Scholarship Committee for Lumpkin County Retired Educators Association. Juanita has a daughter, Tara, and a son, Todd, and two beautiful grandchildren, Elizabeth and Jack. 

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Chair Elect

Jason Lemley

A graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s of Science in English and North Georgia College & State University with a Master’s of Education in English, Jason Lemley currently teaches English at Lumpkin County High School. In addition to teaching, Jason is also the lead teacher/department chair for the Freshman Academy of LCHS and the administrator in charge of tardy and bus discipline, 504 Plans, and Response to Intervention (RTI). In his second year of teaching, Jason was selected as the 2009 Freshman Academy Teacher of the Year, and in his third year as the 2011 Lumpkin County High School Teacher of the Year. 

Jason serves as the faculty advisor of the LCHS Student Council, the Event Chairman for the 2011 Relay For Life of Lumpkin County, and the President-Elect for Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition. He is currently working on his Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership at NGCSU, getting married in April, and beginning a new chapter of his life with his soon-to-be wife, Ashley, and stepdaughter, Malaya.

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Geoffrey Kridel has been in marketing and sales most of his life. Born on the island of Manhattan in New York City, he went to school at the Choate School in Connecticut and later in Coral Gables, Florida at the University of Miami for his BBA. He also attended their MBA program. He first moved to Georgia in 1980 after being transferred from South Florida. Work experiences took him to the Napa Valley, San Diego, Miami, and back to Atlanta in 1989. 

Geoffrey held regional and senior management positions in the consumer products business.  His roles supporting non-profits include board positions on the Miami Museum of Fine Art, Easter Seals of Dade County, Buckhead Business Association (VP 9 years), YoungBucks (President), The Buckhead Art Crawl (Founder), and The Buckhead Business Foundation (Vice-Chairman). Geoffrey has served on the board of  The Community Helping Place, The Dahlonega Rotary, and now serves as President of the Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition. He currently is selling real estate in Lumpkin County as well as teaching classes in wine education. Geoffrey and his wife, Sharon, along with their five cats moved full time to Dahlonega in 2003.

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Christine Wilbanks has a passion for reading, and loves the opportunity of working and living in beautiful Lumpkin County. Christine is the Marketing Specialist for North Georgia College and State University's Public Service and Continuing Education department. Prior to that, she was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Chestatee Regional Hospital for over five years. Prior to her career shift, she had over 18 years experience with Progressive Insurance and Liberty Mutual Group as an Underwriter, Claims Adjuster and Management.

Christine received her B.A. in Public Relations/Communications from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York and received her Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, Orlando Campus. Christine and her husband, Scott relocated to Dahlonega, Georgia in December 2002. She has a 3-year-old son, Ethan, and a 19-year-old Step Daughter, Michelle who is at student at the University of West Florida. Christine is the former co-chair of the Lumpkin County Women in Lumpkin Leadership (WILL) group, a Family Connection Mentor at the LCMS, and a 2007 Graduate of the Leadership Lumpkin County. Through her service on the Literacy Coalition Board, she hopes to inspire other community members to join the cause and help to increase the awareness of illiteracy and take the steps in making our community an even better place to work and live.

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Litton graduated from Georgia Tech University with a BS in Civil Engineering. Early in his career as an engineer for the Fulton County Health Department he set up their Air Pollution Control Division. He served as a manufacturer representative in the water and sewage treatment industry before before establishing his own company in that business.

Litton operated the Principle Environmental Company for 15 years before selling it to retire in Dahlonega with his wife of 21 years, Karoline. He has one daughter and now, “two wonderful grandchildren.”

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Kim  Bruce - EMAIL              
Stephanie Davis - EMAIL

Litton deJarnette - EMAIL

Bill Ellenberg - EMAIL
Elsa Ann Gaines - EMAIL              
John Gerheim - EMAIL

Donna Gessell - EMAIL

Geoffrey Kridel - EMAIL

Julie Leibel - EMAIL   

Jason Lemley - EMAIL                         
Donna Logan - EMAIL
Denson Martin - EMAIL                            
Coleen Rotunno - EMAIL
JoAnne Taylor - EMAIL

Juanita Tipton (Chair) - EMAIL
Arienne Wallace - EMAIL

Christine Wilbanks - EMAIL
Andrea Woody - EMAIL