Youth Mentoring Organization Strengthens Board of Directors
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Adds Board Members from Coca-Cola Refreshments, Ernst & Young and Peach State Health Plan.
ATLANTA, March 15, 2012 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA), the South’s oldest and largest youth mentoring organization, recently added three new board members to its distinguished Board of Directors, the organization announced Monday. Joining the diverse group of metro Atlanta based business leaders is Ernst & Young’s Katherine H. Fritts, Douglas Herrington of Coca-Cola Refreshments and Leslie Naamon of Peach State Health Plan. All three bring a passion for helping children and improving metro Atlanta through civic and corporate responsibility.
Katherine Fritts is Ernst & Young LLP Southeast Sub-Area Tax Managing Principal based in Atlanta, where she’s lived since 2008. Prior to her role here in Atlanta, Katherine served as an International Tax Principal in New York. She holds Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, a Juris Doctorate from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and a L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. While in New York, Katherine served more than five years on the board of Union Settlement, acting as Treasurer. Katherine brings to BBBSMA a strong business acumen proven success in the field of finance, and is the first Ernst & Young representative to join this board of directors.
Coca-Cola is a long-standing partner of BBBSMA, representing over $200,000 in support in 2011 and a maintaining consistent representation on the organization’s board. Newly appointed Doug Herrington is the Vice President of Sales Operations for the South Area of Southeast Region of Coca-Cola Refreshments, the bottling division of The Coca-Cola Company. Doug has held a varied of leadership positions in his 15 years with the Coca-Cola system, and has served on the boards of Chicago’s James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club and the Chicago Bulls Family Life Center. Doug holds a Political Science degree from Southern Illinois University and lives in Marietta, Ga. with his wife and three sons.
Leslie Naamon, is the first ever representative of Peach State Health Plan (PSHP) to sit on the BBBSMA board of directors. PSHP is a health insurance company for Georgia’s Medicaid Population and serves many disadvantaged youth across the 12-county metro Atlanta area, much like BBBSMA. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Leslie is responsible for the organization’s strategic operational excellence leading to the highest quality care management experience for members. Prior to joining Peach State, Leslie held senior leadership positions at several health care organizations such as CareNex Health Services, WellPoint, Inc., Horizon Mercy, Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC), and Horizon BlueCross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Leslie has a long history of community involvement including board representation with Covering Kids and Families and the Ohio Association of Health Plans. She has won numerous awards including Who’s Who in Black Indianapolis, Top 100 Under 50 MBA Executive Leaders and the CEO Most Valuable Player Award from CareSource Management Group. She is a graduate of Yale College cum laude and holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers Business School.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA)
Founded in 1960, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The Mission of BBBS is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. In 2011, BBBSMA served approximately 3,400 children ages 6-18, in a 12-county service area, making it one of the largest affiliated agencies in the United States. For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta or to sign up as a volunteer adult mentor, please visit www.bbbsatl.org or call (404) 601-7000.