Board of Directors
Board of Directors and Officers
As a nonprofit membership corporation, MIC is governed by a Board of Directors elected by voting members of MIC. Our bylaws provide for the Board of Directors to staggered two-year terms. The Board elects the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. These positions are usually filled by Board members, but may be filled by other MIC members.
Beth Akers, Chair
Elizabeth “Beth” Akers and her family relocated from the Dallas, Texas, Metroplex to Mableton, Georgia, in 2015. Beth is an experienced professional with a career spanning 25 years across three industries. She has undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Criminal Justice and a master’s in Social Work from the University of Texas. Beth has advocated for marginalized individuals and communities and founded two companies. She is currently the President of the Homeowners Association in the Glore Crossing II community and served on the MIC Economic Development Committee. Beth has volunteered and served on the board for several nonprofits over the years and is excited to dedicate her time and attention to Mableton as MIC’s Board Chair.
Cassandra Brown
Cassandra Brown is a resident of Mableton since 2022 and a proud graduate of Tuskegee University with a degree in Political Science. She is an active member of the community and serves on the Cobb County School Board Facilities & Technology Citizens Oversight Committee, Brookmere Homeowners Association, past board member and current Advisory Board member of Students Without Mothers, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Professionally, Cassandra has over 30 years’ experience in the IT field, encompassing operations, people management, business development, sales, and customer relationship management. She is currently a Sr. Sales Specialist at Microsoft. Cassandra believes in Mableton, its residents, its potential and is excited to join MIC’s board and looks forward to leading the HOA Network. Cassandra and her husband Jeff reside in the Brookmere Subdivision
Joel Cope, President
Joel was elected to the MIC Board in 2005; and is currently MIC’s President. He has previously served as MIC’s Board Chair. An attorney who lives in the Cooper Lake Road area, he has also held offices in his HOA. Joel currently serves on the Cobb County Neighborhood Safety Commission, a citizens’ panel that acts as a liaison between the public safety community and the citizenry. Joel has served on the Cobb County Transportation Advisory Board, the Austell Road LCI Committee, the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, and the Austell Road Corridor Access Committees. Joel was recently appointed to the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority.
Becca Ford
Becca is a lifelong resident of South Cobb, having lived off Old Alabama Road since 1985. She loves Mableton’s diversity, small-town feel and proximity to Atlanta. Becca has a background in retail management and marketing, where she has developed skills in communication, creative problem solving and teambuilding. Her volunteer experience includes county wide voter registration and election awareness activities, Mableton’s roadside cleanups and helping improve the Boys & Girls Club’s vegetable garden. She has served as an active member of the MIC Zoning Committee since 2020. Along with her husband and dogs, Becca loves her life in Mableton and is excited to play a role in its progression. She is passionate about advocating for the community’s growth while maintaining its unique character and accessibility. Her free time is spent gardening and tracking down all the tacos in 30126.
Demetrius Lockett
Demetrius has lived in the Mableton area since 1999. As a member of the MIC Board of Directors, Demetrius chairs the Parks Committee. He is a 30-year veteran of the mortgage business and is passionate about the importance of education and homeownership. Demetrius previously served as Chief of Staff for State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan. He presently partners with schools in the South Cobb area and works around the state teaching courses on personal finance and homeownership. Demetrius directs the drama department at his local church and is a proud member of the Morehouse College Alumni. Demetrius believes that an investment in your community is time well spent and will pay large dividends for years to come. When not working to help people realize the American dream or volunteering, you will find him in his backyard with a good book and some tomatoes to plant.
Jim Lyons, Vice President and Secretary
Michael McNeely
Michael manages MIC’s Public Relations, and also serves on the Zoning Committee. Michael has extensive leadership experience in the public safety arena, currently serving as an executive level leader with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice; and having previously served as both a military and civilian police officer. His formal education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia Southern University. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Michael has been appointed to several boards over the years such as the Georgia P.O.S.T. Council, Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and the West Georgia Technical College. He currently serves on the Cobb County Schools Facilities & Technology Citizens’ Oversight Committee and Cobb County Government’s SPLOST Citizens’ Oversight Committee. Michael and his wife Jennifer live in the Mableton community of Legacy at The River Line. Michael was selected into the Cobb Chamber’s Leadership Cobb program in 2023.
Linda Pharr, Vice Chair
Linda was elected to the MIC board in 2023 and presently serves as MIC’s Vice Chair and also chairs MIC’s Marketing Committee. She is a senior marketing and communications executive who is strategically focused, results oriented, and has strong analytical skills. She is hands-on and brings a wealth of business, brand development and communications knowledge to any team. Linda also worked at the leading ethnic advertising agency in 1985, she became a member of the agency’s management committee, and EVP Director of Account Services. She also worked with Fortune 500 companies to develop marketing initiatives to the African American, the Hispanic and Asian consumer markets. Linda worked at a major agency managing a portfolio of more than $300 million. She was responsible for all marketing disciplines including advertising, sales promotions, public relations, database management, telemarketing, internet marketing and international marketing. Linda graduated from NYU School of Commerce and attended NYU Graduate School of Business. She spent 12 years in the mid-west and returned to her native New York in January 1997. In 2006 she relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia where she worked until retirement in 2012.
Brandeis Thompson
Brandeis Thompson, her husband and two children, have resided in Mableton since 2020. Brandeis co-chairs MIC’s Education Committee, where she has assisted with façade improvements at Lindley Sixth Grade Academy and celebrated high achieving students at Lindley Middle School. Outside of volunteering with MIC, Brandeis has a plethora of unique volunteer experiences including being a judge at the annual Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, donating items to those less fortunate and creating events for a purpose. She is committed to impacting the community surrounding topics that affect daily life. Brandeis is a board member for Charge Up Campaign, an active member of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Omega Chapter. Professionally, she is a communications specialist at a large public health organization. Brandeis has a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee State University and an MBA from Keller School of Management.
Carolyn Turner, Treasurer
Carolyn has served on the MIC Board of Directors and as its Treasurer since 2015. She is responsible for receiving, recording, processing expenditures, and reporting all financials related to Mableton Improvement Coalition and the Mableton Community Fund. She is the Committee Chairperson for MIC’s Historic Mableton Community Garden, both previous and future efforts. She lends support for MIC’s Economic Development efforts and all coordinating projects in advocating for a better Mableton and Cobb County. Her 30-plus year career in county government included Real Estate and Personal Property tax assessments and collections, mapping and appraisals, coordination with community CIDs, and Department of Motor Vehicle administration. Carolyn currently serves on the Cobb Board of Tax Assessors as an Appointee of the Cobb Board of Commissioners for the past 11 years. Carolyn is the owner of Turner Business Associates, a business consulting, tax and accounting firm, d/b/a Quick Tax Professionals. She is the founder and director of H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center, Inc., a 501c3 organization providing basic need for families and children in the South Cobb and surrounding communities.