As Director of Resource Development at Georgia Family Council, Shari Bracy spearheads all aspects of the organization’s development efforts, including donor care and fundraising. In 2007, Shari formerly held the position Director of Operations at Georgia Family Council. Prior to joining GFC in this Interim role, Shari was Vice President of Client Relations at HR OptIn, a division of the ISHR Group.

With over ten years experience in the for-profit sector as an HR Strategic Business Partner, Shari leveraged her experiences in leadership and organizational effectiveness in a variety of industries with Fortune 500 clients. Considered a “bridge builder” among her peers in the business world, Shari derives deep satisfaction in helping others identify and connect to their professional passion. Shari earned her B.A. in Speech Communication from the University of North Texas and an M.A. in Organizational Communication from Texas State University.

Being an athlete all her life, physical fitness is core to Shari’s well-being. In recent years, she has run marathons, half-marathons, completed a triathlon, participated in a team eco-challenge, drove NASCAR cars, rode a Harley and currently enjoys kickboxing. Shari brings this same high energy to her work with clients and with youth development organizations, where she’s served as a coach, mentor, board member, and Interim CEO in assisting young boys and girls achieve their goals.

Originally from the “Show Me” state of Missouri, Shari currently resides in a suburb of Atlanta, GA with her daughter, Alexandra.

As the Director of Communications for Georgia Family Council, Stephen Daniels has the primary responsibility of implementing GFC’s marketing and communications plan, maintaining media relationships, and assisting in donor relations. He also maintains GFC's electronic communications including the website.

Before joining GFC, Stephen served as the Director of Research for the North Carolina Family Policy Council where he managed the research and information used by the NCFPC to educate lawmakers, the public and the press about public policy issues. In addition, he wrote policy papers and produced a weekly radio program.

Stephen holds a master’s degree in public policy from Regent University and a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal and organizational communications from Toccoa Falls College. He and his wife Kim have three children and reside in Lilburn.

As Director of Operations, Kim Ellithorpe manages all aspects of GFC's day-to-day operations, including human resources, finance, volunteers and event planning.

Before joining GFC, Kim spent 14 years with Hilton Hotels Corporation. After working extensively in all areas of hotel operations, Kim has specialized in human resources and finance. Working as the Assistant General Manager, she managed the daily operation of a 250 room Embassy Suites Hotel in Atlanta for eight years. Kim received a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Administration from State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Kim and her husband Dan moved to Atlanta in 1996 from Syracuse, NY where their families still live. They reside in Alpharetta and have two sons, Jakob and Justin. Kim loves to travel, spend time with her family, cook and scrapbook.

Randy Hicks is the president and CEO of Georgia Family Council (GFC), a non-profit research and education organization committed to fostering conditions in which individuals, families and communities thrive. GFC is organized into three Centers:

• The Center for Policy Studies – Influences public policy by helping government leaders and citizens understand the government’s proper role in contributing to human flourishing and strong families.
• The Center for an Educated Georgia – Helps provide parents and their children with the best options for each child’s education.
• The Center for Community Initiatives – Builds local coalitions throughout the state to strengthen marriages and reduce the rates of divorce and unwed childbearing.

Randy is regularly in demand as a speaker and commentator on family issues for local, state and national media outlets. He carries the message of community revitalization to civic, business and religious groups throughout Georgia and the nation, and his weekly column appears in newspapers across the state.

As a longtime student of the social effects of family breakdown, Randy works with local and national policy leaders to elevate marriage, family and community-based collaboration in our cultural and public policy discourse. He partnered with the White House to convene a roundtable on the topic of marriage-affirming community initiatives that accompanied GFC’s release of a national study on the taxpayer costs of divorce and unwed childbearing. He also serves on the Community Mobilization Committee for the Marriage CoMission and the Site Selection and Program Committee for the World Congress of Families.

Here in Georgia, Randy has led GFC’s effort to help with the startup and launch of 12 community-based initiatives that work to reduce divorce and unwed childbearing at the local level. He currently serves on the Georgia Commission on Children, Marriage and Family Law, established by former Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears.

Prior to joining GFC, Randy served as a key player in creating and nurturing state-based family advocacy organizations in 12 states.

Randy also spent four years as a field representative for a California state senator, serving as the senator’s principal speechwriter and as a liaison to constituents, business groups and public agencies.

He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California and a Master’s Degree from Biola University in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Marilyn, reside in Suwanee, Georgia with their five children.

As Director of Government Affairs, Jamie Lord researches policy, drafts legislation, and works with lawmakers—lobbying for bills that strengthen family relationships, testifying before committees and writing speeches.

Jamie’s opinion editorials on policy and cultural issues have been featured in newspapers across the state and nationwide. She is also regularly featured on television and radio outlets statewide, sharing research findings and insight into family policy.

Jamie joined GFC in 2000 after completing the Witherspoon Fellowship at the Family Research Council in Washington D.C. While there, she worked in the Legal Studies department and wrote for the weekly publication, Legal Facts.

Jamie is a graduate of Georgia State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

As Chief Operations Officer, Terry Tucker manages all operational aspects of the organization. He has previously served as a consultant to senior management of both large national and international organizations as well as small start-up companies for over 15 years. His career includes stints with Coopers-Lybrand (Now Price Waterhouse Coopers), Ernst & Young and the international law firm of Troutman Sanders. For the past four years he has worked with The Sullivan Center, focusing on poverty prevention and self-sufficiency through financial planning, education, lifestyle classes and employment counseling.

Terry is a member of both the American and Georgia Bar Associations and is admitted to practice law in all Georgia Courts. He has authored several articles regarding trademark and copyright law. Mr. Tucker also served as an Ad-Hoc professor at Duke University’s School of Law. He has served on several advisory boards including those of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, The American Association of Gifted Children and the United Way Young Professionals.

Terry earned his B.A. degree with honors from Troy University and his M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He later earned a J.D. degree from Duke University’s School of Law.

As Education Policy Specialist for the Center for an Educated Georgia, Patrick Kaiser analyzes and critiques state education policies and serves as an education policy expert for Georgia Family Council's government affairs team. Additionally, he manages communications, including CEG's monthly Education Reform Newsletter and Capitol Updates.

Originally from Minnesota, Patrick graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics. While in college, Patrick interned for both a US Senator and British Member of Parliament. Before joining GFC, Patrick taught fifth grade at St. James Catholic School in Savannah, GA. While teaching, Patrick completed his Master’s in Education through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a two-year service program where recent college graduates serve as full-time teachers in Catholic schools across the southern United States.

In his spare time, Patrick enjoys traveling, basketball and a good game of kickball.

As Vice President of Community Initiatives, John Jauregui directs MarriageNet, GFC's program that implements Community Marriage Initiatives across the state. This includes implementing the Healthy Marriage Intiative (HMI) grant program, which provides communication and training tools for marriage in six specific communities across Georgia.

Prior to joining GFC in 2002, John spent 34 years with Lockheed Martin as an engineering manager, designing airplanes for military and commerical use. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

John and his wife Janice have been married for 40 years. They have two adult daughters, Jacqueline and Jessica.

John is also the proud grandfather of Isabella. John and Janice enjoy traveling, cruising the high seas and spending time with family.