Leadership Gwinnett’s mission is to educate, equip, and engage leaders who move Gwinnett County forward. This mission gains fresh momentum with the addition of two respected professionals to the Leadership Gwinnett Foundation Board: Dr. Catrina M. Jones and Dr. Al Taylor.
Dr. Jones is founder and principal consultant of The Calena Firm, LLC, where she advises global pharmaceutical and biotech companies on R&D strategy and portfolio management. A Six Sigma Black Belt with more than two decades in drug-development leadership, she pairs data-driven rigor with a passion for inclusive, next-generation leadership. Dr. Jones is also a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett’s Class of 2018 and an active mentor within the program.
Jones was senior program manager at CareerBuilder. Catrina has also served as project leader at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, research chemist at DuPont Corporation, and R&D chemist at Dow Corning Corporation. Her most notable accomplishments are her contributions towards the development and launch of pharmaceutical drugs.
Dr. Jones graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She also completed her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. Catrina earned an Executive Doctorate in Business from Georgia State University .
Dr. Al Taylor was recently appointed Interim Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools, Dr. Taylor has held roles from classroom teacher to chief of Gwinnett schools before stepping into the district’s top post this spring.
A lifelong educator in GCPS, Dr. Taylor also held positions as a middle and high school teacher, a high school assistant principal, a middle and high school principal, and a middle school assistant superintendent. He is also a graduate of Gwinnett’s Quality-Plus Leader Academy Aspiring Principal Program) and has taught graduate-level courses as an adjunct professor at Piedmont University.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business education from Georgia Southern University as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Georgia State University.
GGC became launching point for cell biology grad
By Teresa Araque
Antavius Cain never planned to be a biologist. He wanted to be a football star, but losing his college football scholarship his last year of high school forced him to change plans. That was a daunting challenge at the time, because his grades were lacking, to say the least. That’s when he turned his sights to the new college half an hour north of his home in Snellville.
Cain says: “I hoped that Georgia Gwinnett College would accept me, since they were a newer school and seemed like a school that would give everyone a chance.” His hunch proved correct, and he started at GGC in 2016. He decided to try general biology.
“I’ve thought biology was kind of cool ever since I was a kid,” says Cain. “My professors guided me to change my major to cell biology.”
Being a college student kept him off the streets, but just barely. He had to live out of his car for his freshmen and sophomore years. When his car broke down, he slept on friends’ couches. His predicament did not escape his professors, who couldn’t stand watching their bright young student struggle.
One day, Dr. Elisabeth Javazon, associate professor of biology and biochemistry, asked him point-blank if he was homeless. “When I told her yes, she and Dr. Lee Kurtz made it their mission to help me get housing and support,” recalls Cain.
A former GGC physics professor joined the mission and wound up asking Cain to come live with him. Having a real home to anchor his life made all the difference. “Once I was in a more stable environment, I was able to fully realize how cool science is,” he says.
He still keeps in touch with all three professors who gave so much to him. “They helped me get to where I am today. They are basically family.”
Cain graduated from GGC in 2020 and is currently a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Georgia. His goal is to work in medical science liaison.
Cain wants prospective students to know that if he can get through one of the toughest programs at GGC, they can too.
“During the first orientation, the president said it’s not going to school that’s important, it’s finishing school. That’s what helped me stick to it,” remembers Cain. “I didn’t have good grades at the start, but they started to trend up after I got the help I needed. I’m proof that just because you come from a tough background and don’t have the best GPA, it doesn’t mean you can’t do great things.”
Gwinnett communications team wins national awards
The Gwinnett County Communications Department has been awarded with the 2025 Award of Excellence for the Gwinnett Transit Plan Social Media Multiplatform campaign by the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO).
Communications Director Joe Sorenson says “Being recognized by NACIO for our multiplatform campaign is a tremendous honor. It speaks to the thoughtful collaboration, storytelling and innovation our team brings to every project. We aim to connect with residents where they are, and this recognition affirms that we’re doing just that.”
The Communications Department also received two additional 2025 NACIO Awards – one for its Electronic Communications newsletter and another for the Gwinnett Transit Plan video series, Ryan the Transit Guy.
Carter joins Mitsubishi Electric Golf Classic
The Mitsubishi Electric Classic welcomes Chris Carter as its new director of corporate partnerships. The longtime Georgia native will bring his more than 25 years of experience in the professional sports space to the Peach State’s lone PGA Tour Champions event.
Since 2018, Carter has led C3 Consulting where he directed partner activation for the Atlanta Open, leveraged corporate relationships for Cirque du Soleil, established a diverse roster of corporate partnerships for the non-profit, Caring For Others “International Poverty Forum” and closed corporate partnership deals for the Atlanta Dream. He is a graduate of Valdosta State University.
