Founder and CEO Love Your Natural Self Foundation 

Imagine waking up in the seventh grade to find all of your hair on your pillow. You feel lost, alone, and afraid. You soon get diagnosed with a condition called Alopecia Universalis, and your life is changed forever.

This was my reality. With every strand of hair, I lost a bit of my confidence, until I was left with nothing. I felt completely empty on the inside. I couldn’t even look in the mirror.

The bullying I faced was endless- I received everything from gum in my wig to a mean note in my locker titled “50 Ways to Go Kill Yourself,” to a Facebook page created to make fun of me. However, I noticed something: People said mean things to me, but the things I said to myself were much worse.

I knew something had to change. Just like I taught myself to hate who I am, I had to teach myself to love who I am. I worked to slowly change the language in my head.

It started with simple things; when I woke up and looked in the mirror, instead of saying “you are ugly,” I had to say “you are beautiful,” even though I didn’t believe it at the time. 

Eventually, I found the courage to go without my wig. For the first time, I felt free. In August of 2011, I developed the concept of The Love Your Natural Self Foundation. I wanted others to find the same freedom I found.

I made an organization to change the lives of others, but every day more and more, it changes my life. I am grateful for the work I do and hope to create a world with more self-love and self-acceptance.

U.S. House of Representatives (Retired), Chair and Founder at National Museum and Center for Service

Brian N. Baird Ph.D.,  is a clinical psychologist and President of 4πR2  Communication. He is a retired six-term Member of Congress (WA 3rd), former President of Antioch University’s Seattle campus. Dr. Baird is an award-winning instructor and was named the funniest celebrity in Washington DC for his stand-up comedy performances.

In addition to his background in government and academia, Dr. Baird has worked in industry, written three books and made numerous media appearances on national and regional programs. From the one-on-one intimacy of clinical work to speaking before crowds of thousands of people, Brian understands communication in unique and exceptionally insightful ways. Participants in Brian’s courses consistently rate the experience among the most informative, valuable, engaging and entertaining of their careers.

Senior Fellow for Peace Education at the Alliance for Peacebuilding, a Rotary Peace Fellow, Rotary Positive Peace Activator, and Global Peace Ambassador for Rotary strategic partner Institute for Economics & Peace

In addition to her official peacebuilding work, Patricia is Chief Catalyst and Executive Director of international nonprofit Mothering Across Continents through which education projects are managed in several countries in East Africa. Previously, Patricia held senior positions in change management, communications, and corporate affairs in two global Fortune 100 companies. She holds an MSc in Consulting and Coaching for Change – a joint venture of Oxford University, UK, and HEC France; an MBA, from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management; and MA, in Journalism from The Ohio State University.

NEWGEN PEACEBUILDERS℠ is a global, award-winning peace education, training, and mentoring program that equips people to BUILD PEACE. REPEAT THE PEACE.℠ in their communities, countries, and the world. 

Director of Community & Culture

Matt Stevens joined the Creature Comforts team in 2017 as its first Director of Community & Culture. A self-described ‘boomerang’ of Athens, Georgia, he’s returned to the Classic City during four chapters of his life, including years at the University of Georgia where he earned his MPA in Nonprofit Administration. Creature Comforts’ unique approach to community impact has been recognized across the city, and state, leading to Matt’s 40 Under 40 honors in 2020 and culminating in both a CBC Presentation and TED Talk, both delivered in 2021.

Prior to a career in craft beer, Matt worked in the public and nonprofit sectors, including 6 years as the Associate Director of UGA’s research station in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Altogether, he’s now spent the past 15 years asking essentially the same question: How do you position an organization to best impact the community around it?

Educational Psychology, Educational Research, Measurement, and Assessment at Auburn University

David Marshall, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of educational research in the College of Education at Auburn University. His research focuses on high school graduation outcomes, school choice and charter schools, and innovative approaches to preparing teachers. He spent the past year examining the impact that COVID-19 is having on K-12 schooling. Additionally, he has experience conducting evaluation work in K-12 and higher education settings funded at the federal and state level, as well as by industry.

Dr. Marshall worked with teacher residency programs in Virginia for seven years, serving in several capacities. He began his career in education as a middle and high school social studies teacher, where he taught in both traditional public schools and public charter schools in Philadelphia, PA. He currently serves as the Chair of the Alabama Public Charter School Commission.

Executive Director of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park

Kim Carter Fuller grew up in Plains, Georgia and has the pleasure of still living there and working in her community. She and her husband Mark have been married for 42 years and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren.

In her former life Kim taught school for 31 years… teaching English and Speech to high school students in Sumter County and surrounding counties.

She is now the Executive Director of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. The Friends help the Park fund various projects needed to adapt President and Mrs. Carter’s story for a public audience. They also partner with the Georgia Department of Education to fund an education program within the Park by providing an education specialist, giving school children an opportunity to learn about President and Mrs. Carter.

In addition to projects associated with the Park, Kim has the responsibility of working with the downtown historic district which includes the Plains Historic Inn and Antique Mall, the Buffalo Café, the Plains Community Center and various other properties downtown. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in Kim’s day!

Kim is a part of the SAM Short Line Train Authority and serves as a Plains City Council member. She is a member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains and teaches Sunday School each Sunday.

Mayor of the City of Americus, Georgia

Retired after teaching history for 30 years with Sumter County Schools, Lee Kinnamon has served on numerous boards and authorities at the state and local level, including chairing the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board and serving as a regional vice president on the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society. 

In addition, he chairs the state authority overseeing the Historic SAM Shortline Railroad, a position he has held for over twenty years. Recently completing a two-year term as president of the Sumter Historic Trust, Lee was elected in November of 2021 to a four-year term as mayor of the City of Americus. 

A sixth-generation resident of Americus and Sumter County, Lee has been married for 33 years to his wife Karen, also a retired Sumter County educator. They reside in Lee’s family home on West Church Street in Americus. Active members of Calvary Episcopal Church, the Kinnamons have two grown children, Charles, a former law enforcement officer and U.S. Marine Reservist now serving as a logistics analyst under a contract with the Department of Defense, and Thomas, a senior at Mercer University double majoring in history and political science. 

Language and Literacy Coordinator at Furlow Charter School

An enthusiastic educator of languages, cultures, and literacy, JoAnna Arnold combined her degrees in business and world language education (French, Spanish & English) to develop a service-learning program at Furlow Charter School. She is also the curator of the Jubilee International Symposium held each year in Americus, Georgia. Arnold is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Reading Education from Auburn University. With more than thirty years of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary experience, Arnold uses innovative teaching methods with project-based learning, service learning, and technology to inspire her students to use their developing language skills to evaluate and meet the needs of their world. Arnold's classroom has evolved into a place where students have meaningful opportunities to build relationships with diverse groups of people around the world. She nurtures her insatiable love for adventure and shares personal reflections and stories of her family and travels in her blog, anthologies with Old Mountain Press, and through speaking opportunities such as GeorgiaSouthwesternU's Tedx event.  JoAnna Arnold lives in Americus, Georgia, with her husband Bob.