New Year = New Board Members!

At a small nonprofit like the Nest, our Board of Directors is an integral part of the organization. The Wren’s Nest Board doesn’t just help plant the seeds of strategic direction and guide organizational planning–they also get hands-on to tackle critical projects and help bring our mission to life! If you stopped by our table during one of the recent Atlanta Streets Alive events in West End, you may have noticed Board volunteers setting up and breaking down our table, chatting with attendees about the Nest, encouraging people to take our community survey, and even giving museum tours to folks who wanted to explore inside the house! Board members also help set up exhibits, write fundraising copy, and manage campus improvement projects, like reconstructing the ramp on our accessible entrance and efforts to make our campus more beautiful and secure. 

We’ve had a lot of new faces join the Board in the last six months. As we launch into the New Year, we wanted to introduce our new volunteer leaders to our friends and followers. If you see one of them at any of our various programs or events, you’re warmly invited to say “Hi” and strike up a conversation. 

Without further ado…meet our new board members!

Ansley Whipple

Ansley is a native Atlantan and resident of West Lake. Currently she is a Project Manager for Programming and Activation at Midtown Alliance. She has extensive experience activating public spaces and as a social impact designer, strategist, communications expert, storyteller, researcher, and fundraiser. Ansley received a MA in the History of Design and Curatorial Studies from Parsons The New School for Design and a BS in Industrial Design from Georgia Institute of Technology. Previous positions include: Project Manager at Central Atlanta Progress, Assistant Executive Director of the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator at Pratt Institute, Foundation Programs Director at Worldstudio, Assistant Director of Exhibitions at AIGA/NY, and Director of Operations at the Museum of Design Atlanta.

Ansley states:

“I am thrilled to join The Wren's Nest board and contribute to an organization whose mission aligns so well with my skills and passions. With a career focused on community work and programming, I look forward to leveraging my experience to support the organization's goals. I am especially drawn to TWN's connections to some of my favorite topics: history, house museums, storytelling, and the arts. I look forward to collaborating with this dynamic team to make a meaningful impact.” 

Bobby Cowart

Bobby is a dynamic Learning and Technology Program Manager at Delta Air Lines, where he focuses on Technical Program and Service Delivery management. Renowned for his mantra, "connecting people to processes and processes to people," Bobby epitomizes the essence of seamless integration in our fast-paced tech landscape. His contributions extend beyond the professional sphere, deeply rooted in community  engagement. A proud graduate of the United Way VIP program and the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy, his service as a former Board Member for Raven's Project, a mentor at KIPP Academy, and a volunteer with Hands on Atlanta, showcases his unwavering commitment to uplift those around him. 

Bobby shared: “I joined The Wren's Nest board to leverage my experience in program management and community outreach to help The Wren's Nest achieve its goals and reach a wider audience.” 

Constance Cannon

Constance brings a track record of driving customer success and revenue growth in SaaS companies. With expertise in building and leading customer success teams, developing scalable systems, and aligning functions with the voice of the customer, she will be able to offer strategic guidance to the Board. Constance’s experience includes transformative initiatives, centralizing customer experience efforts, and achieving record-level revenue increases. 

Constance shared: “I am enthusiastic about joining the board of The Wren's Nest because of my passion for preserving and promoting literary heritage and history. As a parent deeply invested in fostering a love of storytelling and cultural awareness in my children, I believe in the importance of The Wren's Nest's mission to celebrate and educate about the rich legacy of Joel Chandler Harris and Southern folklore. I am eager to contribute to an organization that plays a vital role in our community by inspiring future generations through the power of stories.”

John Morgan

John has 13 years of experience with PwC leading a large variety of initiatives (projects, training, etc) focusing primarily on the extraction and analysis of large amounts of data. Additionally, he has a real estate investment company with 8 properties he owns/manages. John enjoys solving difficult problems or helping to educate others. In addition to his real estate investment company he and his wife own a duplex in an historic district ~1890. John also has a deep appreciation for the preservation of the past.

John said: “My passion for historic real estate drives my commitment to preserving the home of author and journalist Joel Chandler Harris as I believe in safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations. By joining the nonprofit board, I aim to use my expertise to ensure this landmark is both preserved and appreciated, allowing its rich history to inspire future visitors.”

Pam Auchmutey 

Pam is a Georgia native who grew up in the Baltimore–Washington, D.C., area. She graduated from Georgia State University, where she majored in journalism. Pam began her career as a copy editor with The Macon News in central Georgia. After settling back in Atlanta, she wrote stories and edited magazines for the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and various industries. Pam spent most of her career at Emory University as a writer and editor with the faculty/staff newspaper, The Carter Center, and the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. She’s now retired and volunteers with The Wren’s Nest, the Georgia Writers Museum, Intown Cares Food Pantry, and the Atlanta Humane Society. She’s also been part of the same book club for 30-plus years.

Pam shared: “I’ve been a volunteer with The Wren’s Nest for some time, helping with the Scribes youth writing program and various special events, and where I recently hosted my book club, which was a blast! As a board member, I hope to broaden The Wren’s Nest ties with the Atlanta community, especially by helping children and teens become confident writers and storytellers.”

Reid Laurens

Reid Laurens is a retired marketing and nonprofit executive and photographer. He is a native of Atlanta and earned a BA from Georgia State University and MBA from Regis University (Denver, CO). He is married to Mary Ann (Upchurch) Laurens (43 years and counting) and has three children and two grandchildren.

Reid stated: “I was drawn to the Wren's Nest because I love Atlanta, my hometown, and I want to help preserve Atlanta's history. Joel Chandler Harris was a storyteller, and I want to help continue storytelling as both cultural history and entertainment.”

Valencia Jones

Valencia Jones is a resident of West End and currently works as an Insurance Adjuster for State Farm. With volunteer experience at church events and through work-based opportunities, Valencia is excited to deepen her community engagement. Valencia feels "there is a need for people from West End to do their part and help fulfill our own community's needs." She also has an interest in the literary arts and feels like this opportunity is a perfect cross-section of her interests.

Valencia shared: "I have been a member of the West End community for ten years, I am wholeheartedly invested in the development and betterment of my community. I am intimately aware of community needs and areas of opportunity and would like to bridge the gap by engaging in community outreach. I have experience in event planning that may be valuable in creating and executing events."