The Berry College Board of Trustees has tapped new leadership in Chair Rick Gilbert (77c) and Vice Chair Bert Clark (82C), as well as electing three new members and welcoming a fourth in an ex officio capacity. Gilbert, who previously served as vice chair, follows J. Barry Griswell (71C), who died June 5.
Gilbert
A trustee since 2008, Gilbert is co-founder and senior advisor of Atlanticus Holdings Corp. and a graduate of John Marshall Law School. He is a member of the Georgia Bar and the American Bar Association and chairs both the Georgia Community Foundation and the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, which seeks to improve K-12 educational opportunities for students statewide. He and wife Debra Bourne Gilbert (76C) live in Rome and have two children, Rich and Lindsay.
Clark
Clark, a trustee since 2002, holds a history degree from Berry and a law degree from the University of Georgia. The wealth management advisor and principal of Clark Financial Group in Atlanta serves on the boards of the Woodruff Arts Center, High Museum of Art and Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, continuing a long history of service to cultural, educational and professional organizations in the region. He and wife Cathy live in Atlanta; they have three children: Ben, Matthew and Julia.
Jackson
The newly elected trustees are all alumni who have served on the Berry Board of Visitors. The new ex officio member is Patricia Tutterow Jackson (82C, FFS), president of the Berry Alumni Association. Jackson is a career educator who served more than 30 years in the Cobb County, Ga., School District, first as a special education teacher and later as district professional learning supervisor. She also taught as an adjunct professor at both Reinhardt University and Berry College. Most recently, she was a regional success coach with RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency). She lives in Marietta with husband Mark.
Lewis
Angie Wilkey Lewis (89C) is a leader in the finance industry who currently serves as group executive of enterprise risk for Synovus. She is a recipient of Synovus’ James H. Blanchard Leadership Award and a product of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Lewis began her career as a CPA and maintains her licensure. She and husband Jon Lewis live in Rome.
Mesfin
Araya Mesfin (98C) is senior vice president of wealth management for UBS Atlanta. The former Bonner Scholar and Berry soccer All-American is a native of Ethiopia who moved to Atlanta when he was 14. Today, he is a certified financial planner who also serves as a senior portfolio manager and wealth advisor. He and his family live in Buckhead.
Swarthout
Robert Swarthout (04C) is co-founder and board member of ShootProof, a web-services solution platform for wedding and portrait photographers. The successful entrepreneur previously co-founded PaperBackSwap.com and also has worked as a software developer and digital engineering executive with companies such as Yahoo and CouponMom. He and wife Tessa Frye Swarthout (07C) live in Atlanta.
