(NORCROSS, GA)—HealthMPowers today announced five new members to its board of directors. New members are Marcus Foster, Laura Kurlander-Nagel, Esq., Sonali Rao, Shana Scott, and Chris Thomas.
“I am proud to announce five new board members with backgrounds in children’s healthcare, finance, fundraising and community leadership,” said Jennifer L. Owens, President and CEO, HealthMPowers. “Each member will contribute their expertise, as well as their passion for our vision to see all children nourished and active. They join HealthMPowers at a critical time as we continue to build deeper relationships with the communities we work alongside and build a board that is reflective of those communities.”
“The HealthMPowers Board of Directors is a diverse group of professionals who collaborate with the Leadership Team to advance HealthMPowers mission,” said Loreal LeGate, Board Chair, HealthMPowers. “Our board actively raises funds and contributes professional skills to support the organization. We are thrilled to welcome our newest board members who are committed to promoting nutrition education and physical activity programs for children.”
New Members
Marcus Foster
Finance Director
Emory Clinic
Marcus is a Finance Director at the Emory Clinic with over 25 years of experience in healthcare finance. Marcus has led an impressive career as a proven leader in financial planning, budgeting, analysis, physician compensation and operational management. Prior to his current role at the Emory Clinic, Marcus worked as the Chief Financial Officer for DeKalb Medical Physicians Group. During his tenure, he provided financial and operational leadership with a focus on physician growth, driving bottom-line results and improving operational efficiencies. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama. Marcus coaches youth basketball during his time away from work and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.
Laura Kurlander-Nagal, Esq.
Partner
The Johnson Kurlander Legal Group
Laura Kurlander-Nagel is a co-founder and Partner of The Johnson Kurlander Legal Group, practicing general contract law, commercial real estate, and communications transactions. Laura is dedicated to community involvement and is a former President of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, former Vice President of the American Jewish Committee, past Board Chair and an Advisory Council Member of Synchronicity Theatre, and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Atlanta and a 2008 graduate of Leadership Sandy Springs. Laura received a Suzy Bass award as the Volunteer of the Year for the Georgia theater community and a Maroon Citation for her record of alumni service to Colgate University. In addition to Laura’s civic involvement, Laura keeps active several athletic endeavors. She started training for triathlons more than 30 years ago. Her 15 minutes of fame occurred in 2004 when the New York Times photographed her swimming with the caption “Laura Kurlander, Triathlete from Atlanta.” Laura received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Colgate University. She and her husband, Jeff Nagel, have four adult offspring.
Sonali Rao
Project Manager
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Sonali Rao is a Project Manager with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, focusing on people analytics and process improvement. She is also the mother of two very active daughters, ages 8 and 6. Sonali and her family returned to the Atlanta area in 2017 after three expat assignments in Europe and Asia. In 2018, she participated in Inspire Atlanta, a philanthropic leadership development program with The Atlanta Women’s Foundation. A regular Peloton user, Sonali has spent much of her adolescent and adult life educating herself, and now her family, on the importance of health, nutrition and fitness. Sonali has a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Shana Scott
Compliance Director
Barnes Healthcare Services
Shana Scott currently serves as the Director of Compliance with Barnes Healthcare Services. Prior to this, she served as Deputy Director for Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change in the Chronic Disease Prevention Section at the Georgia Department of Public Health. In this role, Shana was responsible for engaging internal and external partners on policy, systems, and environmental changes as well as health systems transformation efforts for chronic disease prevention. Shana holds a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with certificates in Health Law and Advocacy, a Master’s Degree in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
Chris Thomas
Senior Development Director
American Heart Association
Chris Thomas has spent the last 21 years in the area of Health & Wellness in various industries. He began his career as an educator and then moved on to work in sales, fitness and business development. He is currently the Vice President of Development for the American Heart Association. Aside from his involvement with HealthMPowers, Chris is an active volunteer with the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community and is a member of the Alumni Board of Directors for Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
2021-2022 HealthMPowers Board of Directors Roster:
Loreal LeGate, i3MKTG – Chair of the Board
Keith Perkey, Haskell – Vice Chair
Kirk Diamond, Cushman & Wakefield – Corporate Secretary
Amanda Adams, Cherry Bekaert LLP – Treasurer
Andrew Isakson, Isakson Living – Founder
Mary Johnson, SBBOS LLC – Founder
Marcus Foster, The Emory Clinic Physicians Group
Justin Grimsley, Chick-Fil-A
Gerry Halphen, Launch Consulting
Pat Hickok, Atlanta Embroidery & Twill (Retired)
Jasmine G. Hoffman, MBA, APR, Emory University
Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, Emory Global Health Institute
Laura Kurlander-Nagal, Esq., The Johnson Kurlander Legal Group
Denys Lu, Emory University
Elizabeth McMahon, Prophet
Nicole Mosely, McClure Health Science High School
Sonali Rao, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Shana Scott, Barnes Healthcare Services
Laura Stammer, Apollo Bookkeeping Service, LLC
Chris Thomas, American Heart Association
2021-2022 HealthMPowers Advisory Council Roster:
Former Board Members
Afshan Ali, Jackson & Coker
Dr. Diane Allensworth, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Louis Battey Jr., Piedmont Heart Institute
Jason Bernstein, Barnes & Thornburg
Mike Callahan , Aprio, LLP
Randy Carroll, BIP Wealth
Kelly Combs, Anthem, Inc.
Mike Elting, Retired
Chris Johnson, Brightlane Partners, LLC
Michael Neumeier, Arketi Group
Alan Pogue, Emory University
Curtis Sausserig, KPMG LLP
Sonya Tinsley-Hook, Emory University
Heather Voight, Circle Media
Former Staff Members
Kate Bertram, Commerce Middle School
Ashley Rouse, Captain Planet Foundation
Margaret Trent Harris
