Board of Trustees

  • Brant Suddath
    President
    Brant attended the University of Georgia. He is the Director of Benefits at Home Depot. Prior to joining Home Depot, Brant worked for Hewitt Associates for 10 years. He and his wife Holly are members of Buckhead Church and have lived in Smyrna for over 9 years. Brant and Holly have two sons currently enrolled at CCS and one son that graduated from CCS in 2012.
  • Kelly Becker
    Vice President
    Kelly graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Communications and has worked for ABC National Television Sales for over ten years.  She and her family are members at Smyrna Presbyterian Church where she volunteers in the nursery, coordinates the Community Acoustic Jam charity events,  and with her husband, Michael, teaches the Wednesday night children’s bible study, King’s Kids.  Kelly and Michael have three daughters, Lily (4th), Ella (3rd) and Amelia (pre-school).
  • David Stallings
    Treasurer
    David Stallings is a mortgage loan officer.  He is 65 years old and has served as an elder, Sunday school teacher at Smyrna Presbyterian Church and former session liaison to the Covenant Christian School Board.  He has served at Hope Presbyterian Church as a deacon, elder, and a Sunday school teacher.
  • Jayne Smith-Dubay
    Secretary/ Board Development
    Jayne Smith-Dubay is a strategic Global Event Manager. After a seven year career in accounting, Jayne decided it was time for a change of scenery and put her creative gene to work.  For the next five years, Jayne’s concentration was providing creative sales proposals to some of the largest trucking companies in the United States.  Tired of sitting behind a computer, Jayne launched herself into the Hospitality industry.  After traveling the world to manage on-site logistics of corporate meetings and incentives, she decided to stay closer to home to start a family. For ten years Jayne was helping an incentive company grow from 35 employees to 175 by being a key contributor in expanding the company’s product offerings.  She currently uses her expertise in creating, planning and executing events.  She currently resides in Atlanta with her husband Jake, son Luke, and their dog Phoenix.
  • Robert Funk
    Robert received a Bachelor’s, MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech. He is currently employed as a Research Engineer with Georgia Tech Research Institute and teaches undergraduate courses in the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering as an adjunct instructor. He and his family are members of Smyrna Presbyterian Church where he has previously served as a deacon. He and his wife Denise have two children attending CCS, Matthew (recently graduated from 8th grade) and Jonathan in 4th grade.
  • Clarence Massie
    Clarence is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia.  He and his wife Dionysia, who is an accomplished litigator and Vice President with Littler Mendelson an international law firm, are the very proud parents of two children.  Trey is a 9th grader attending Woodward Academy and Morgan, a 4th grader at Covenant.  Clarence and his family are longtime members of Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta.  Clarence is a Professor of Psychology at Georgia Perimeter College (Dunwoody location).  He also is the President and Owner of an Atlanta business that provides DUI and Defensive Driving services to clients throughout the state of Georgia.  Additionally, Clarence is a therapist who provides counseling services to clients with various needs, as well as the owner of a 501-c non-profit company catering to the mental health and other needs of fathers and men throughout the state.  In addition to various counseling certifications, Clarence has a B.A in Economics from King University; an M.S in Clinical/Counseling Psychology; and is a PhD candidate (2014). 
  • Mark Jackson
    Technology Committee Chairman
    Mark Jackson graduated from Mercer University and is currently employed by the Cobb County School District as a Technology Specialist. He and his wife Pat have been members of Smyrna Presbyterian Church for 30 years where Mark currently serves as an Elder and is also on the Missions Committee. They have two children who attended Covenant Christian School. While at CCS, Pat and Mark were involved in many roles. Mark is currently serving on the CCS Board as Technology Committee chairman.
  • Matt Ramsey
    Education Committee Chairman
    Matt Ramsey and his wife, Julie, are members of Smyrna Presbyterian Church.  Matt holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and a law degree from Georgia State (cum laude).  Matt  joined the Board in the Spring of 2014 and serves as the chairman of the Education Committee.  Matt and Julie live in Smyrna with their dog, Scout.
  • Ted Schmidt
  • John Larimer
    Mr. Larimer is a graduate of Emory Business School’s Executive MBA Program and held key private sector positions as Executive VP of World Wide Sales for Firestone Building Products and President/CEO of General Roofing Companies.  A local business owner for the last 11 years, Mr. Larimer’s firm (Larimer/Shannon Group) provides technical sales and marketing services for commercial building materials throughout Georgia and Tennessee.  The firm provides specification, detailing and re-construction process management in various exterior building products and specializes in commercial roofing. Mr. Larimer served as a Board Member, Officer and President of the Cobb County Boys and Girls Clubs.   He is currently member of Buckhead Church and he and his wife have lead numerous small groups and newly married groups.  He also serves as a current board member and Secretary of The Global Orphan Project. A long-time local resident and neighbor of the school, John and his wife Kate are the proud parents of a young woman of faith and a nationally ranked Equestrian.  Quinn graduates spring of 2015 from Whitefield Academy.  
 

 

The CCS Board of Trustees seeks to be transparent and accessible. Parents are encouraged to contact board members with any questions, concerns or ideas related to board business and strategic plans. Please be sure that if you have an issue with another person you have taken it up with that person first, in accordance with Matthew 18: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over."

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNUAL BOARD CALENDAR

The Board of Director’s meeting is held the 2nd Thursday of every month.

June

  Board Meeting

  • Share Board survey results and determine action plans

 

July

 

 

 

  Annual Board Planning Meeting

  • Revisit mission; purpose; vision and strategic plan
  • Board officer elections
  • Set annual board goals
  • Approve board committee assignments/goals for the coming year
  • Curriculum report to Board*

  Prepare year-end financial report*

  Annual cleaning project (CCS/SPC)

 

August

  Board Meeting

  First committee meetings of school year

 

September

  Board Meeting

  • Approve final operating budget for current year
  • Review tuition for next school year
  • Board Training 1 (Board Overview; How to Govern; Fiduciary Responsibility**)

  Publish Annual Report to Stakeholders

 

October

  Board Meeting

  • Board Training 2 (How to have productive board meetings**)
  • Approve tuition for next school year

 

November

  Board Meeting

  • Board Training 3 (Board Staffing & How to Ensure High Quality Board**)

  Publish tuition for next school year

 

December

  Board Meeting

  • Appoint nominating committee for new board members
  • Board Training 4 (to be determined)
  • Preliminary operating budget for next school year submitted for review

  Mid-year faculty and staff evaluations*

 

January

  Board Meeting

  • Board Training 5 (Board teambuilding session – must be contracted in advance)

 

February

  Board Meeting

  • Finalize committee budgets
  • Nominating committee presents possible candidate names to board for approval. Board votes.
  • Board Training 6 (Working with the Headmaster**)

 

March

  Board Meeting

  • Review preliminary operating budget for following school year
  • Approve school calendar
  • Board Training 7 (Conflict Management**)

  Board submits new board member candidates to Session for approval.

  Finalize Headmaster performance review and contract

  Review Agreement with SPC

  Renew annex permit with City (every other year)

  Renew liability insurance for school, officers, workmen’s compensation

 

April

  Board Meeting

  • Board Training 8 (Strategic Planning** – open meeting with this before actual planning)

  Complete Board survey online

 

May

  Board Meeting

  • Board Training 9 (Ethics policy & Board commitment forms.) Obtain board member signatures.

  Board orientation for new members (separate from board meeting)

 

 

* Headmaster duty

** Topics from Board Development Manual. Board has complete latitude to re-order topics or pursue other topics that are applicable.