Leadership

Kwame Johnson serves as the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, overseeing the largest and most effective youth mentoring agency in Georgia. He has drastically transformed the organization’s operations, programs, and fundraising, increasing overall revenue by 80%.

Kwame is also the award-winning author of The Hope Inside: Harnessing the Power of Mentorship in Life and Career and a highly sought-after public speaker and consultant in fundraising, leadership development, strategy, marketing, and innovation.

Kwame found his passion while incarcerated during his senior year of high school, making history as the first youth to take the SATs in jail. He was accepted into Hampton University and later dedicated his life to service, beginning his social entrepreneurship journey at 19.

Before joining BBBSMA, Kwame served as National Program Director for the Woodson Center, Director of Corporate Relations for Communities In Schools, and CEO of Power My Learning Atlanta, where he increased revenue by 65% and program reach by 115% in three years.

Kwame’s work has been recognized nationally, including the Social Entrepreneur Program of the Year Award from the Manhattan Institute, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEO, and Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40. He was also named one of Atlanta Magazine’s Top 500 Most Powerful Leaders and featured on WSB-TV as a Georgia Game Changer.

He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and an Executive Education Certificate in Nonprofit Strategy from Harvard University.

Michele Pearce serves as Chief External Relations Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, where she is responsible for managing all fundraising activities, recruitment efforts, public relations, and marketing programs. She has more than 20 years of experience in development in Atlanta, which began when she served as Senior Development Associate for BBBSMA from 1995–1999.

Before returning to BBBSMA in 2015 as Vice President of Development, she was the Chief Development Officer for ClearPoint Financial Solutions (formerly CredAbility/Consumer Credit Counseling Service) — a national nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta. She has also served as Director of Development and Co-Producing Artistic Director for Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, and Director of Development for Moving in the Spirit and Cool Girls.

Michele holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive designation awarded by CFRE International, and she is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

A proud Atlanta native, Gaither brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in both government and nonprofit management to the agency, along with a deep commitment to the youth and families of the metro Atlanta community.

Gaither joins BBBSMA with a proven track record in strategic operations, organizational development, and community engagement. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Atlanta Board of Education. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association. He is also a Big Brother in the BBBSMA program.

Gaither holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College and a Master of Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University. His leadership and service have been recognized throughout the city, including being named Citizen of the Year by the Atlanta Police Foundation and honored in the Apex Power 30 Under 30. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Outstanding Atlanta, and the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.

Kathy’s career spans more than 25 years of leadership experience in financial management, business leadership, and corporate and non-profit business strategy. Prior to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, she served as VP of Finance and Accounting for Sylvan Homes and CBRE in the global real estate industries.

Kathy is an executive leader that brings a wealth of business knowledge and experiences. She also possesses the unique ability to manage high performing, virtual, cross functional teams across a broad geography. Her management skills and knowledge within this business and organization have granted her the opportunity to be acknowledged by various leaders, colleagues, and subordinates.

Kathy also had an opportunity to be a part of the non-profit space working with The Salvation Army — Metro Atlanta location prior to CBRE, where she served as the Controller/Accounting Manager over the DHQ division. Kathy holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Saint Leo University.