Park Pride is thrilled to welcome seven park champions to its Board of Directors, along with other board members stepping into leadership roles. These individuals will work alongside the rest of the Board and the Park Pride team to ensure that all Atlantans have easy access to a great park. The Board will also assist with implementing the nonprofit’s updated strategic plan, People, Parks, Policy.
Additionally, Alex Brown (Alston & Bird LLP) was elected as Board Chair, and Eden Godbee (Georgia-Pacific) as Vice Chair. Vaughn Marshall (Cox Communications) will serve as Treasurer and Annie Appleton (Sartain Lanier Family Foundation) as Secretary.
“Stepping into the role of Chair of Park Pride feels both humbling and energizing,” Board Chair Alex Brown said. “After serving as Vice Chair and Development Chair, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand how this organization has transformed communities and strengthened Atlanta through the power of parks over the past 35 years. Along the way, I’ve been inspired by the leadership of past Chairs Omari Henderson and Kristy Rachal, whose vision and dedication helped shape Park Pride into the organization it is today. As I begin this new chapter, I’m excited to work alongside an amazing team to ensure that every resident can enjoy vibrant, welcoming parks for generations to come.”
The seven new members include:
Sarah Boyer, who serves as Senior Associate at Lord Aeck Sargent. In her role, Sarah manages multidisciplinary projects focused on sustainable performing landscapes and integrated design. She has served on the board of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Chattahoochee National Parks Conservancy, among others. Sarah sees great parks as both personal spaces for memory-making and shared legacies worth protecting.
Becky Evans, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives. As State Representative for House District 83 and House District 89, Becky sponsored 18 pieces of Environmental and Clean Energy legislation, and she was also the GA State Lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. She currently serves on the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance board, among others. Becky’s favorite park activity is walking the trails that connect various greenspaces in DeKalb County.
Lee Harrop, the Atlanta Stitch’s Vice President of Delivery & Design. In his previous role with the Westside Future Fund, Lee strategically acquired land to ensure the development of affordable housing next to Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park, Mattie Freeland Park, Lindsay Street Park, June Elois Mundy Park, Cook Park and the Westside Beltline Connector Trail. He was also part of the original Atlanta Beltline team and oversaw the acquisition of the 22-mile rail corridor, with over 800 acres for new greenspace and development. Lee’s favorite park is Red’s Farm Preserve in Ormewood Park.
Amy Howell, who serves as the Director of Legal at Chick-fil-A Inc. She is a strategic leader with extensive experience across legal, public service, and operational businesses, with a focus on strengthening systems that serve people and communities. Amy previously served as the Board President of the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance. She believes that well-designed and well-maintained parks are essential to thriving communities, and her favorite greenspace is DeKalb County’s Deepdene Park.
Glenn Kurtz, Senior Vice President of Legacy Parking Company. His strengths include community organizing, fundraising, parks, real estate and strategic planning. Glenn previously served on the board for multiple park conservancies, including Grant Park, Chastain Park and South Fork, and currently sits on the board for Central Atlanta Progress and Marietta Street Artery Association. His favorite park is the Lionel Hampton-Beecher Hills Nature Preserve in southwest Atlanta.
Cory Rayburn, the Senior Water Resources Engineer at Jacobs. He has spent his 20-year career advancing urban flood resilience, green infrastructure, and asset management. Cory recently managed the rehabilitation of Historic Fourth Ward Park’s riparian landscaping and fountain infrastructure. He currently serves as District Supervisor for the Fulton County Soil & Water Conservation District and previously served on the board for the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, the Southeast Stormwater Association, and the City of Atlanta’s Green Infrastructure Task Force. Cory’s favorite park is Rodney Cook Sr. Park in Vine City.
Susan Rutherford, who has served as an inter-agency connector for greenspace conservation through her work on the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning (where she helped acquire over 2,000 acres of parks and greenspace), the Department of Watershed Management, and the Mayor’s Office as Senior Policy Director for the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. She also worked for The Georgia Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy. Susan’s favorite park is Brownwood Park in East Atlanta.
Park Pride’s board members who recently completed their terms of service include Erik Brecheisen, Delta Air Lines; Board Chair Omari Henderson, Chick-Fil-A; Randall Kent, Community Volunteer; Treasurer Cynthia Searcy, Georgia State University; Susan Stainback, Sylvatica Studio; and Atiba Mbiwan, The Zeist Foundation.
To see Park Pride’s full Board of Directors, click here.
Meet the new Chair and Board Chair
Alex Brown, Chair
Alex Brown and his wife, Lori, have lived in Morningside for 17 years, where they are raising their children, Wyatt (10) and Quincy (8). When Alex is not advocating for or enjoying Atlanta’s parks with his family and dog Walter, he is a nationally recognized litigation and investigations Partner at Alston & Bird. His practice focuses on high-stakes consumer protection, antitrust, AI, privacy, and cybersecurity matters.
Alex is grateful to former board chair Omari Henderson for his exceptional leadership over the past two years and is excited to continue working with Park Pride to provide vision and resources for parks across Atlanta and DeKalb.
Continue reading to get to know Alex in his own words!
What does the “power of parks” mean to you?
To me, the power of parks is rooted in family, community, nature, and fun. Parks bring people together, give families a place to make memories, and create shared spaces where neighbors can connect with one another and with the outdoors.
Why are parks an important part of the community?
Parks are essential gathering places. They give people space to clear their heads, run into neighbors, host birthday parties, and bring entire neighborhoods together. Park Pride’s mission to ensure every neighborhood has access to a great park is what inspired me to get involved.
What are you most excited about regarding your new role?
I am excited to help build on Park Pride’s stellar reputation and Atlanta’s growing national reputation as a city that values parks and make sure all communities in Atlanta reap the rewards from that growth. Atlanta’s rise in park score rankings in recent years shows that the city is more focused on parks than ever before. The Bezos Earth Fund’s $9.4 million award to Park Pride to lead a transformational redesign of Four Corners Park in Peoplestown is another sign that organizations around the country are taking notice of what Atlanta’s community leaders have known for years: parks are central to strong, vibrant neighborhoods.
How do you hope to empower communities to engage and make a difference in their neighborhood parks?
With national recognition and increased funding come more opportunities to turn communities’ park dreams into reality. I hope to help Park Pride continue listening closely to neighbors, supporting Friends of the Park groups, and connecting communities with the resources they need to advocate for and improve the parks they love.
What’s your favorite park memory?
Teaching my kids to ride bikes in Sidney Marcus Park is one of my favorite park memories. It is a simple but special example of how neighborhood parks become part of a family’s story.
Favorite Atlanta Park—and why?
Sidney Marcus Park is my favorite because it is our local park and part of our family’s life in Morningside. It also has an excellent Friends of the Park group that my wife, Lori, has worked with for years, and that connection ultimately introduced me to Park Pride. I also regularly use Piedmont Park and the Beltline for running, biking, and taking Walter for long walks on the weekends.
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Eden Godbee, Vice Chair
Eden Godbee leads Business Unit Communications for Georgia-Pacific’s Building Products division, where she oversees business communications strategy. After spending several years in Washington, D.C., she returned to Atlanta, where she previously built her career in television news and corporate communications. An Atlanta native, Godbee is passionate about strengthening community in her hometown and believes parks are among the most powerful places to bring people together across generations.
Continue reading to get to know Eden in her own words!
What does the power of parks mean to you?
The power of parks is their ability to bring people together. They create spaces where neighbors of all ages can connect, build relationships, and strengthen their community. Parks also support our physical and mental well-being by giving us a place to recharge, enjoy the outdoors, and simply spend time together. In a world where genuine connection can be hard to find, parks help create the sense of community we all need.
Why are parks such an important part of our communities?
Parks are one of the few places where everyone belongs. In many ways, they’ve become our modern-day town squares—places where people gather, connect, and celebrate. Community doesn’t happen by accident; it has to be cultivated, and parks provide the space for that to happen naturally.
What are you most excited about regarding your new role?
I’m excited to help introduce even more people to Park Pride’s incredible work and expand our network of advocates, volunteers, and donors. Many people—especially millennials and young families—are rediscovering the value of parks as “third places” where they can connect outside of work and home. That’s a tremendous opportunity to grow Park Pride’s impact as Atlanta continues to grow.
How do you hope to empower communities to engage and make a difference in their neighborhood parks?
I hope to lead by example. My own neighborhood is changing, and I’ve seen firsthand how engaged residents can transform a community. Park Pride gives people the tools and confidence to advocate for the places they care about. It starts with improving a park, but that momentum typically extends far beyond the park. Parks are often the catalyst for broader community investment and stronger neighborhoods overall.
What’s your favorite park memory?
Learning to ride my bike at Riverdale Park is one of my favorite childhood memories. It was always full of families—parents walking, kids riding bikes, neighbors playing sports, and catching up. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just learning to ride a bike. I was learning what community looked like. Those experiences shaped my love for parks and the role they play in bringing people together.
What’s your favorite Atlanta park?
Grant Park has always been my favorite. Growing up, my aunt lived nearby, and visiting Grant Park was something I always looked forward to. I fell in love with the park’s beautiful trees, historic character, and the vibrant community that surrounds it. In fact, I eventually chose to live in the neighborhood because of Grant Park. It’s a place that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.