Meet our Visiting quest Experts!

Mayor, Rev Ed Johnson

Mayor Ed Johnson has been a Fayetteville elected official since Jan. 2012, serving first as a city councilman. He has served as mayor since Jan. 2016. He has lived in Fayetteville since 1994.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Johnson is a retired U.S. Navy commander and educator who now serves as full-time pastor of Flat Rock African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Fayetteville area. He and his wife Dr. Vanessa O. Johnson have two sons and three granddaughters. Johnson says he moved to Fayetteville to put his sons into an excellent school system. He says he is encouraged by the city’s growing sense of community as it encounters well-managed development and growth. Mayor Johnson will be visiting the school on Friday, September 17, to give our learners feedback on the Studio contracts they are writing.

Gerard Robinson

Gerard Robinson is a former Secretary of Education in Virginia and Florida Education Commissioner. He is a school choice proponent and former president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. He was selected to be Virginia Secretary of Education for Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell in 2010. Robins received an AA from El Camino College, a BA from Howard University and a Master’s degree in education from Harvard University. Robinson will be visiting the school on Wednesday, Sept 1, to meet with our learners and discuss character development.

Dr. Tokea Morales

Dr. Morales is the Vice President of Global Talent Enablement at Equifax. She 20+ years of results-oriented professional human-centered design experience. Her expertise is in addressing employee needs, driving value through people, and producing measurable results. Her industry experience comprises of data and analytics, human capital, consultation, higher education, real estate, television media, hospitality, banking, and retail. Dr. Morales will be visiting the school on Friday, September 17, to give our learners feedback on the Studio contracts they are writing.

Nicole Butcher

Nicole is a mom to four children, one who attends the Forest School. She has been in the healthcare industry for 20 years, and has spent the past 5 years dedicating herself to studying and practicing a more holistic approach to health and wellness. She is the co-founder of LightWorks, a business whose focus is dealing with all aspects of the person for total wellbeing through the healing arts. It is her passion to help others as they grow through challenges and to learn to recognize their own potential.

Jesse Lindsley

Jesse Lindsley is the Founder/CEO of Thrust, an award-winning venture studio creating games and apps for 15+ years with over 100 consumer product launches. The Thrust team of behavioral designers, game developers, and research scientists believe that innovation through collaboration can make a difference and leverage a Game Science philosophy, which applies a research-based approach to agile game development to create socially responsible habit-forming-fun solutions that influence and drive behavior.

William Holmes

William Holmes is a curriculum developer and instructional designer out of Minneapolis, MN. With well over a decade of teaching experience in charter, public, and private schools, he is passionate about making learning effective, engaging, and fun. He believes fervently that every learner yearns for tangible, relevant work that pushes them to the limits of their creativity, and critical thinking. Driven by that philosophy, William strives to create challenging, relevant courses that push learners to grow their perspective as well as their skills. William holds a Masters Degree in Social Studies Education, along with a Bachelors in both Philosophy, and Theater.

Dr. David Bull

David L. Bull, Ph.D., is a Senior Health Scientist for Policy and Issues Management in the Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also serves as the Central Asia regional manager for offices in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Dr. Bull has worked with the CDC since 1997, holding several different international program management and policy positions. His international assignments with the CDC include technical assistance visits to Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Israel, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, Haiti, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Prior to his joining the CDC, he served in the Middle East with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency as a technical adviser in the Palestinian refugee camps in West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Syria from 1992-95. In the 1980’s he worked as the Director of a primary health care project in Ecuador with Medical Assistance Program International, and as Regional Director of a tuberculosis control program in Haiti with International Child Care. Dr. Bull earned a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His dissertation research was on immunization uptake in Bolivia.

Beverly Bull

Beverly Bull was an registered nurse for 41 years before retiring. She also worked as health missionary in three countries with her family: Haiti, Ecuador, and Israel. Among other destinations, Beverly has undertaken medical service projects in Lebanon, Peru, Argentina, and Kosovo. She loves knowing people from other cultures and countries, and joyfully volunteers in Clarkston, GA, now with Friends of Refugees and Community Bible Study.

Dr. Randall Edson, MD

Randall Edson, MD previously served as the internal medicine program director at California Pacific Medical Center, in San Francisco, California and as clinical professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. He is board certified in both internal medicine and infectious disease. Before that Dr. Edson was professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and had a 32-year career as an infectious diseases clinician and internal medicine clinician/educator. While at Mayo, Dr. Edson served as program director for the infectious diseases fellowship program and was a senior associate program director for the internal medicine residency program. In 2013, he was a recipient of the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award.

Dr. Edson is Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Infectious Disease Board Exam Committee. He previously served on the ABIM Internal Medicine Exam Committee. He was awarded Mastership in the American College of Physicians in April 2013.

Dr. Edson received a Bachelor's degree in music history at Yale College and a Master's degree in music from the Yale School of Music. He attended medical school at the University of Iowa and completed his internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.

He joined Field Activities as an Accreditation Field Representative in June 2021

Dr. Matilda Garcia, MD, MPH

Matilda C. Garcia, MD, MPH, is board certified in pediatrics. She graduated from St. Louis University College of Medicine in Baguio City, Philippines, and then attended San Diego State University School of Public Health, where she obtained a Master’s of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health. She completed her internship and residency training in pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, where she also served as chief resident, before she moved to San Diego and joined Mercy Health Centers, now part of the Scripps Mercy Healthcare. Dr. Garcia joined the faculty and then became the program director of the pediatric residency program at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center (now merged with Phoenix Children’s Hospital) in Arizona from 1998-2003. She was a member of the ACGME Review Committee for Pediatrics from 2002-2004. In addition to graduate medical education, Dr. Garcia is passionate about helping underserved children and families. Due to this interest and passion, she has been in private practice, worked at federally qualified health centers, worked at Phoenix Indian Medical Center, and served in local and global medical mission work. As a pediatrician, she has taught and supervised medical students and residents in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric settings. A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Garcia has also been an active member of the Regional Council for First Things First, partnering with families and communities supporting the early development and learning of Arizona’s young children. She has also been an active member of the Quality Improvement Committee for Comprehensive Medical and Dental Program, that partners with foster care providers to ensure provision of appropriate and quality health care services for the well-being of Arizona's children in foster care. Dr. Garcia officially joined the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Field Staff in January 2019. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona and enjoys indoor and outdoor activities with her husband and grandchildren.

Dr. Lindsey Grossman, MD

Dr. Lindsey Grossman is a graduate of the Boston University College of Liberal Arts and School of Medicine. She completed a general pediatric residency at the University of Maryland and a fellowship in general academic pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and was a member of one of the first classes of the Midcareer Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellowship for Women at Drexel University. She has served as a member of the faculty in general pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, The Ohio State University, the Medical College of Virginia, the University of Maryland, and Tufts University, rising eventually to the rank of Professor at Tufts and Chair of Pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital. She joined the Accreditation Council for Graduate Education in January 2016 and conducts site visits for residency accreditation as a Field Representative. Prior to her current position, with ACGME, she served as the Chief Operations Officer at a community health center in Massachusetts. Her research has centered on health services issues, and her interests have always involved graduate medical education and service to underprivileged children, particularly those with special needs. A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, she has also been active in the Academic Pediatrics Association throughout her career. She and her husband, Dr. Neil Grossman, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, reside in Massachusetts and are often found on Martha’s Vineyard with their two daughters and four grandchildren.

Dr. Laura Hempstead, DO

Dr. Laura Hempstead graduated from Coe College in 1983 and from University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1987. She completed her internship and family medicine residency in Grand Prairie, Texas. She was in solo private practice until 1999, when she joined the faculty in the Community and Family Medicine Department at University of Missouri Kansas City, eventually rising to the rank of Professor. She served as the Osteopathic Program Director and Director of Medical Education in UMKC’s dually-accredited family medicine residency program from 2008-2017. She has been an ACGME Accreditation Field Representative since June of 2017. She has been very active in osteopathic organizations, serving on the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians In-Service Examination Committee as the vice-chair, and as a past president of the Missouri Society for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, and the Kansas City Regional Osteopathic Medical Association. Her interests include caring for multiple generations within a family medicine practice, and fostering the use of Osteopathic Medical Treatment in the clinical practice setting. She and her husband, Stan Smith, a nursing home administrator and executive for Paradigm Health Solutions, reside in St. Louis and enjoy spending time with their three children and two grandchildren.

Dr. Ali Fadlallah

Dr. Ali Imad Fadlallah is an admissions specialist, adjunct professor of College Success, and professional leadership coach from Dearborn, MI. He supports leaders and executive teams across leading organizations nationwide. Ali is a Doctor of Education Leadership (Harvard University), MBA (Emory University), M.Ed. (University of Mississippi), and BA in English (University of Minnesota).

As co-founder of Medina Medina LLC, Ali has also had a decorated career in media. Highlights include his 2017 TED Talk on “Hit Song Science;” serving as a 2019 Voqal Fellow; and more. Find hi in IG at @aliimadwrites.

Dr. Mark Martin

Mark Martin returned home to Alabama after nearly 15 years away to launch Build UP, an innovative early-college workforce development program that comprehensively addresses poverty and urban blight. He most recently graduated Harvard’s Doctor of Education Leadership program where he worked with Jobs For the Future (JFF) and the Alabama State Department of Education on education-to-career transitions and workforce readiness.

Mark previously served as the School Director at Langston Hughes Academy, a preK-8 public charter school he co-founded in 2007. Under his leadership, the school achieved six consecutive years of academic growth, piloted the state’s “Diverse Delivery” early childhood education initiative, and built New Orleans’ first post-Katrina school facility, a $32mm project. He was a founding Board Member of THRIVE, Louisiana’s first public urban residential school, which posted the highest one-year academic gains in state history.

Investing 15+ years educating children in poverty, Mark began his career with Teach For America in Atlanta’s Woodson Elementary, where he was honored as the Employee of the Year and as West Atlanta’s Cub Scouter of the Year after founding Troop 351. Mark has served on Advisory Boards for the University of Alabama’s Blackburn Institute, University of New Orleans College of Education, and Christian Active Parenting. He has led and served on mission trips to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Swaziland, Africa; and Katrina Relief in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mark graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Alabama and earned an MBA from the University of Georgia. Mark and his wife Tiffany have two children, Marilee and Rhett.

Dr. Annice Fisher

Dr. Annice Fisher founded DCC and The BEE FREE Woman with a commitment to coach individuals and teams to recognize their power & capacity for leading from love and trust versus fear and doubt. She is the 2021 inaugural Anti-racism Pedagogy Scholar at American University where she coordinates faculty learning in Anti-racism pedagogy and practice. She also designed and teaches Exercising Conscious Leadership to doctoral students in the EdD program. Her DEI & leadership work expands across the country and across education, business, government, and the non-profit sectors including coaching executive teams, designing organizational cultural competencies, training state agency leaders, program chair for the Harvard Adaptive Leadership Network, serving as vice-chair for the City-Council appointed Durham Human Relations Commission, serving as an elected National Co-Chair for African American Knowledge Community, developing race & equity leadership courses, and numerous national presentations. Annice often serves as a writer and speaker on topics related to race, gender, leadership, social justice, and mindset. Her work has garnered several awards. She was most recently recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumni Under 40 from the Iowa State University Alumni Association. Annice is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

She recently published her first book, "The Power Within Me: The road back home to the real you".

In her efforts to democratize coaching, Annice launched The BEE FREE Institute, an online coaches certification hub for The BFW Coaches Academy & Conscious Leadership for Equity Coach. Annice has a B.A. in Rhetoric & Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M. Ed in Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University, and Ed. L.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds certifications and trainings in Immunity-to-Change Coaching, HAVEN Interpersonal Violence, Safe Zone Ally, and the Social Justice Training Institute.

Dr. Timothy Christian, MD

Dr. Christian does cardiac imaging work in cardiac MRI, Cardiac CT, Echocardiography and nuclear imaging. He has teaching experience at several medical schools.

After receiving a degree at Harvard for public administration, Dr. Christian spent two years as a senior fellow at Harvard conducting research on economics of healthcare delivery including insurance reform and payment reform. He taught in seminar format at the Kennedy School for two years on the interaction of medicine, business and government with an emphasis on international trade policy and the pharmaceutical industry as well as different models of insurance and healthcare delivery models. Currently at mathematica, have focused on healthcare measures and other forms of quality metrics with direct involvement in programs in conduction with Medicare and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations. He is directly involved in accountable care organization programs through the CMMI.

Dr. Prasad Abraham

Dr. Prasad Abraham is an experienced pharmacy manger with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. He is skilled in Lean Six Sigma, Healthcare Management, Healthcare, Clinical Research, and Patient Safety. He is a strong healthcare services professional with a Doctor of Pharmacy - PharmD focused in Pharmacy from the University of Houston.

Dr. Nadria Lyn

Dr. Nadria Lyn is an emergency medicine physician in Fayetteville, Georgia and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Northside Hospital Cherokee. She received her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and has been in practice between 6+ years.

Pam Williams, RN, cpn

Pam Cole Williams, RN, CPN, received her 2008 Associates Degree in Nursing (RN) from Georgia Perimeter College and in 2010 received her certification in Pediatric Nursing from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). She has been employed by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Egleston, since 2008. Until 2020 she served as a staff nurse on the Cardiac Acute Care Unit (CACU) at Egleston and now serves as a Patient Teaching Coordinator on that unit. In addition to serving the children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Pam has also had to opportunity to serve other communities, both local and international. Through Grace Fellowship Church, Snellville, she has participated in medical mission trips to Peru and Kosovo. In fact, she had the opportunity to accompany Dr. Thigpen’s group on his high school trek through the Andes Mountains of Peru and to serve as the nurse on that trek. Dedicated to her local community, Pam is also a qualified American Heart Association CPR Instructor and has conducted training sessions with local hospital staff, businesses, camp counselors, lifeguards, HOA’s, and anyone else who may be interested in learning this lifesaving skill. Pam has been married to Mike Williams for 43 years. They have been blessed with three children, all adults now, and each with an amazing spouse. They have also been blessed with nine grandchildren.

Experts help us blur the lines between school and real life. Read their bios below!