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, President
Elizabeth “Beth” Akers currently serves as President of the Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC). She joined MIC in 2022 as part of the Economic Development Committee.
She brings a unique blend of professional experience and personal conviction to her role, having built a 25-year career spanning criminal justice, social work, and business operations.
Beth served as a high-risk offender adult probation officer, where she developed a reputation for helping probationers successfully complete their programs and rebuild their lives with dignity. She then transitioned into capital punishment work, founding her first company, a mitigation firm, where she built a strong track record of successful rulings and impactful case outcomes.
Her expertise in restorative justice, client advocacy, and system navigation continues to inform her work in civic leadership today.
In addition to her role at MIC, Beth has served as President of her local Homeowners Association since 2021 and is the founder and principal designer of New ERA Designs where she focuses on residential and commercial spaces with creativity, authenticity, and purpose.
Beth lives in Mableton with her husband and children and is passionate about advancing initiatives rooted in integrity, equity, and purpose, believing that real transformation happens when people and systems are encouraged, equipped, and empowered.
Cassandra Brown, Secretary
Cassandra Brown has been a resident of Mableton since 2002 and is a proud graduate of Tuskegee University, holding a degree in Political Science. She is deeply committed to community engagement, serving on the Cobb County School Board Facilities & Technology Citizens Oversight Committee, the Brookmere Homeowners Association, the Cobb Works Literacy Board, and the Mableton 2045 Comprehensive Development Plan committee. She is also a past board member of Students Without Mothers and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Throughout her 30+ year career in the IT industry, Cassandra held several leadership roles. In 2024 she retired from corporate life to pursue nonprofit leadership. Cassandra now serves as the Development Director for Students Without Mothers, where she is dedicated to advancing the organization’s mission and impact.
As a member of MIC’s board, she is eager to take on her new role as Secretary and is committed to championing initiatives that enhance the community. She and her husband, Jeff, are residents of the Brookmere Subdivision.
Joel Cope
Joel was first elected to the MIC Board in 2005. During his tenure, he has served as Vice President, Chair and President, most recently serving as interim President from late 2024-2025.
An attorney who lives in the Cooper Lake Road area, 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, as well as the Precinct Discussion Group (PDG) for Precinct 2. He also serves on the Board of the South Cobb High School Foundation and serves on the Wellstar Advisory Board. Joel was appointed to the Mableton Development Authority, where he was elected by the members of that Authority to serve as its Vice-Chair.
Joel has served on the Cobb County Transportation Advisory Board, the Austell Road LCI Committee, the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, the Board of the Harmony-Leland Elementary Board and the Austell Road Corridor Access Committee. In addition he has held offices within the Board of his HOA.
Becca Ford, Zoning Chair
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, Membership Chair
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, Chair
Jim Lyons has been a proud resident of Mableton since 2020, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer. He currently serves as Chair of the Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC) and is an active member of the Zoning Committee.
Jim previously contributed to MIC’s Economic Development Committee, serving as both Data Analyst and Vendor Coordinator for the Taste of Mableton festival. With over 17 years of experience in banking and mortgage compliance, he brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance, data analytics, and real estate development.
Passionate about community impact, Jim has consistently volunteered with organizations that support educational, artistic, and economic growth in Mableton and the greater Atlanta area. He holds an MFA in Film and strongly believes in the transformative power of the arts to enrich education, strengthen local economies, and enhance overall quality of life.
Michael McNeely, Vice President
Michael is MIC’s Vice President and Public Relations Chair, and also serves on the Zoning Committee.
He has been a Public Safety Executive with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice for over 14 years. The agency employs 3,400 employees and has a budget of $360 million, serving justice-involved youth at 25 facilities and 78 community services offices across the state.
Michael is also a community leader, regularly engaging with residents, elected officials, community and business organizations. He serves on several boards and committees including: WellStar Regional Hospital, Cobb Collaborative, Cobb SPLOST Oversight, Cobb Board of Education Oversight and he is the Co-Founder of Mableton Men Vote. Additionally, he is a graduate of Leadership Cobb 2024 and Cobb 101 Citizens Government Academy.
Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia Southern University, is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and is a U.S. Army Veteran.
Linda Pharr, Marketing & Vice Chair
Linda moved to Mableton in 2012 and joined MIC as a lifetime member that same year. She was elected to the MIC board in 2023 and serves as Vice Chair and chairs the Marketing Committee. In 2025 she led the production of Taste of Mableton.
She is a senior marketing and communications executive that brings a wealth of business, brand development and communications knowledge to the team. In her role as Director of Client Services of the leading minority owned agency, she developed marketing initiatives targeting African Americans, Hispanic and Asian consumer markets for Fortune 500 companies.
Prior to that, as a managing director at a major agency she managed a portfolio of more than $300 million. She was responsible for all marketing disciplines including advertising, sales promotions, public relations, database management, marketing research, telemarketing, internet marketing and international marketing.
Linda is originally from NY and graduated from NYU School of Commerce and attended NYU Graduate School of Business. She spent 12 years working in Chicago and returned to her native New York in 997. In 2006 she relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia where she led the marketing organization for a major healthcare company until retirement in 2012.
Troy Refuge, Treasurer
Troy has lived in Mableton since 2016 and, with his wife, has called the area home since 2018. He looks forward to the community’s continued growth with additional restaurants, entertainment, and recreational options. Troy has been a member of the Mableton Improvement Coalition since 2019 and previously served on its Zoning Committee.
He has also served on the Cobb Board of Tax Assessors for four years and as Chair of the Identifying Publicly Owned Properties Subcommittee for the Advance Cobb Housing Task Force, where he helps provide strategic solutions to the county’s workforce housing shortage.
Troy holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston, an MS in Management Information Systems from Houston Christian University, and a JD from South Texas College of Law. With over 20 years of experience in real estate and 15 years in real estate law, Troy is licensed as both a Real Estate Attorney and Commercial Real Estate Broker in Georgia and Texas, with Refuge Law, PLLC and Berkshire Hathaway’s Commercial Division.
Before transitioning to real estate, Troy gained extensive experience as an IT project manager, overseeing global server installations for a major oil and gas corporation.
He is involved in his church’s hospitality ministry, mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, is a member of Leadership Cobb’s Class of 2025, and is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Sharicka Samuels-Johnson, Sponsorship Chair
Sharicka Samuels-Johnson has proudly called Mableton home since 2015, alongside her family. With over two decades of cross-industry leadership experience, she is a trusted executive advisor known for her strategic foresight, operational excellence, and crisis management expertise. Sharicka holds dual master’s degrees in Legal Studies from Emory University School of Law and Organizational Leadership from Brenau University, underscoring her commitment to impactful, values-driven leadership.
Deeply committed to service and civic engagement, Sharicka has held volunteer and board leadership roles with several nonprofit organizations, including the Grady Young Foundation, Atlanta Women’s Foundation, The Junior League of Atlanta, and Atlanta GLOW. She is also a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Sharicka is passionate about fostering vibrant, inclusive communities through outreach, empowerment, and local economic development initiatives.
Brandeis Thompson, Education Chair
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.