Board of Directors

The board is made up of ordinary citizens who volunteer their time and expertise to support the work of Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & DeKalb.

Craig Blythe

President and Chairperson

Craig became involved with Citizen Advocacy to make an impact in the lives of people society often neglects and forgets. He hopes to help Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & Dekalb grow in size and influence during his time on the board. Craig works in Guest Experience for the Atlanta Hawks, and currently lives in Midtown, Atlanta with his wife and three dogs.

Donald Jumper

Vice-President

Donald is an Atlanta native who works for the Atlanta City Council. He sees “servant-hood” as his highest calling. “I enjoy being a servant to the Public. My role as a Citizen Advocacy board member allows me to echo the voice of those often not heard.” When he is not serving the Public, Donald can be found admiring Japanese Cherry Blossom trees. He is even growing his own.

Russell Spornberger

Treasurer

Russell is a local business owner. He was in a citizen advocacy relationship with Bill Jackson from 2012 until Bill’s passing in 2020. “Citizen Advocacy is practical and direct. Citizen Advocacy builds community by connecting people at the most basic and fundamental level, one on one. That’s what makes it work, face to face, one on one.”

Bo Gaiason

Classical guitarist Bo Gaiason is an Atlanta native. Bo worked on the staff of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. “Serving on the Board of Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & DeKalb is a way to embody the ideal that a community that neglects even one of its members is no community at all.”

Leslie Lipson

Leslie has dedicated her career to working on behalf of people with disabilities. She has an active national consulting practice where she conducts strategic planning for specific advocacy and special education issues. She also leads parents and advocacy group training on topics relating to special education law and advocacy.

Josh cusick

Josh was on the board of People First of Atlanta. He works at AMS Vans.

Marcel Foster

Marcel Foster

Marcel W. Foster, MPH (they/them) is an arts and health evaluator based in Atlanta. They bring expertise in program evaluation and inclusion initiatives, and have experience working with grass-roots organizations, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, universities, and many other institutes and communities. They are interested in serving on the board for Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & Dekalb to expand the organization's creative engagement with advocates, proteges, and communities, and to gain increased understanding on how to advance accessibility.