MEET OUR BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ross Cooper, Chairman of the Board

As a founding member of the organization in Georgia, Ross Cooper began his role with Camp To Belong Georgia in 2007, directing its recruitment of volunteers. He became Chairman of the Board in early 2008, and subsequently served as a camp counselor at the inaugural camp in Georgia. As Board Chair, Mr. Cooper is responsible for overseeing board business.

Mr. Cooper is also President of QLM Quantum Marketing. The agency provides marketing services to a wide variety of industries and brands, including Hanes Brands, Russell Athletic, Bellsouth/AT&T, and Kraft Foods. Mr. Cooper started his career with Procter & Gamble where he led promotion planning for all food and beverage division brands, such as Jif, Duncan Hines, Pringles and Folgers. He then joined Prince Foods as Group Product Manager where he launched Classico Pasta Sauces, a line of premium regional Italian sauces. Mr. Cooper joined QLM in 1992 as Vice President Account Director where his responsibilities have grown as has his
innovative promotion expertise.

Mr. Cooper is married and has three teenage children and two siblings. These relationships have strengthened his commitment to the rights of sibling connection for foster children. Mr. Cooper lives in Dunwoody, Georgia, with his family.

 

Julie Stevenson, Chairman of Finance and Camp Director

With a heart for helping foster children, Julie Stevenson joined the board in November 2007, and fell in love with CTB-GA mission of bringing separated siblings back together. As Director of Finance, Mrs. Stevenson oversees the organization’s accounting needs.

Mrs. Stevenson grew up in Georgia and graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS and MS in Accounting before moving back to Georgia. She is a C.P.A. and works for Porter Keadle Moore, LLP, as an audit manager. In her free time, she loves playing golf and scrapbooking.

Mrs. Stevenson resides in Dunwoody, Georgia, with her husband, Mike, and children.

 

Debby Carty-Campbell, Co-Chairman of Volunteer Recruitment

Debby Carty-Campbell became a Camp To Belong Georgia team member in 2007. Since that time, she has acted as the Secretary of the Board of Directors. Mrs. Carty-Campbell is also co-chairman of counselor recruiting for CTB-Georgia and has served as a camp counselor for every camp. She is passionate about CTB's mission and purpose.

Mrs. Carty-Campbell has worked with students with special needs for 17 years. For the past ten years, she has worked helping special needs students acquire job skills so they are employable when they graduate from high school. Mrs. Carty-Campbell is also a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for Cherokee County, where she advocates for children who are in abuse or neglect situations and sometimes in foster care.

Mrs. Carty-Campbell and her husband, John, have raised three daughters and have seven grandchildren. They live in Canton, Georgia.

Kasey Carty Jordan, Chairman of Grant Writing

Kasey Carty Jordan serves on the Board of Directors of Camp To Belong Georgia as the Director of Camper Recruitment and Fundraising. Before joining the founding board in 2007, she served, and continues to serve, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in Cherokee County, Georgia. Using her experience as a CASA, Mrs. Jordan works with other CASAs and caseworkers throughout Georgia to bring separated siblings to summer camp. As the Director of Fundraising, she serves as the primary grant writer for CTB-GA.

Mrs. Jordan resides in Hawaii with her husband and their five children.

Joan McCall, Fundraising and Grant Writing Committee Member

Joan McCall joined the Camp To Belong Georgia Board in October 2009. Ms. McCall is an active volunteer with children’s programs, community organizations and church. Prior to her retirement, she worked in student affairs on several college campuses. She then became executive director of a national women’s educational association and director of leadership development at the American Council on Education, both located in Washington, D.C. While she lived in Florida, she headed up a community program serving 800 children at Christmas. She also was the founding member of a county-wide commission on children’s affairs. Since moving to Georgia in 2005, she has continued to focus on children’s needs and service programs, both at her Kiwanis club and her church.

Ms. McCall serves on the CTB-GA fundraising committee for which she has written grant proposals the past two years.

Ms. McCall received her BA degree in English from the University of Iowa and MA in student personnel administration from Syracuse University. She resides in Alpharetta with her cat, Allie.

 

Michael E. Stevenson, Ph.D., P.E. - Chairman of Fundraising

Dr. Stevenson is President and CEO of Engineering Systems Inc. (ESI), a national, multidisciplinary engineering and scientific consulting firm. Dr. Stevenson specializes in the performance and analysis of engineering materials and systems in a variety of applications and complex failure investigations. He has conducted complex, multidisciplinary failure investigations pertaining to buried infrastructure systems, structural failures, vehicles, aircraft, industrial and consumer products.

Dr. Stevenson is an avid sports enthusiast, and has participated in a number of youth sports programs in metro Atlanta. Specifically, he co-founded the Walton High School Rugby Club, which has thrived by winning state championships and developing several student athletes to regional, national, and international accolades.

Melody Akaraskul, Co-Chairman of Counselor Recruitment

Melody Akaraskul became a member of the Camp to Belong - Georgia family in 2009. Her initial draw to the camp was the opportunity to work with children as part of a course in nursing school. Because of the wonderful experience she had from the previous year as well as her love for kids, Melody returned to CTB-GA to volunteer as a counselor after receiving her nursing degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2010.. In 2011, Melody was asked to step in as one of the counselor nurses and continued to work alongside the children as well as the head camp nurse. Melody joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and now serves as joint-chair for counselor recruitment.

Melody attended the University of Georgia to complete her undergraduate and went on to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Medical College of Georgia. She now works at WellStar Health System's Kennestone Hospital in a medical/surgical/trauma ICU as a registered nurse. Melody has recently applied to several nurse anesthesia programs and will go on to complete her master's degree in nurse anesthesia to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Kelly Gaines, Assistant Camp Director

Kelly Gaines joined the Camp To Belong, Georgia board in 2011.  Prior to her joining our board she has served several summers as a volunteer camp counselor for CTB- NV and assistant camp director for CTB-GA.  Her passion for the Camp To Belong organization comes from her own experience of being an adopted child and her reliance on her sibling bonds to persevere through life challenges. As a board member she plays a pivotal role in planning and executing an unforgettable, fun and meaningful camp experience for all the siblings.

Ms. Gaines owns a business as an Independent Style Consultant exclusively working with J. Hilburn, a men’s clothier company.  She is also working toward her MBA from Northeastern University.

Ms. Gaines, a Chicago native currently resides in Orlando, FL with fiancé Scott.

Lindsay Newman, Co-chairman Camper Recruitment

Lindsay Rose Newman attended the University of Alabama and has an undergraduate and masters in accounting.  She is currently going to school to obtain her cosmetology degree to complete her dream of opening her own spa.

Lindsay is close to her family, including a brother and two sisters.  She grew up on the lake in Guntersville, AL and currently lives in Huntsville, AL.  Lindsay still very much enjoys being around water and participating in outdoor activities.  Lindsay spent all of her summers from elementary school to high school on the lake and attending summer camps.  Lindsay has always enjoyed how camp can bring people of different backgrounds and different situations together. 

For CTB-GA, Lindsay hopes to be able to share how important sibling and family connections are.  She is so excited to lend my support of bringing separated siblings together and allowing them to have the connection that she was lucky enough to make three times.

 

Stephanie Crane, Executive Director

Stephanie Crane joined Camp To Belong Georgia as the Executive Director in 2011. With a background in social work, child welfare and non-profit management, Camp To Belong was a perfect fit. Mrs. Crane has been involved in the helping profession for over 15 years holding positions with United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. She has an undergraduate degree from Florida State University in English Education and a Master of Social Work degree from University of Georgia.

Mrs. Crane has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for over four years and serves as a youth leader in her church, The Vine UMC in Braselton, GA. She is passionate about social justice and advocating for those in need. In her spare time, she reads, knits and practices martial arts with her husband and two children.