Karon Cook, a California born Actress and Producer, now calls Georgia home. Her husband Kevin, a Delta Pilot, was transferred from Los Angeles to Atlanta in Summer '08. Karon has appeared in dozens of commercials, in major motion pictures and on magazine covers. She was the host of a TV Program "Body Image & The Media", and conducted workshops for young girls in San Diego. Girl Talk is a great fit for Karon, she looks forward to being an active participant in the years to come!
Kara Friedman is a licensed therapist and the Middle School Counselor at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School (Atlanta, GA). Kara grew up in St. Louis and received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Miami University. She then went on to earn her Masters and Educational Specialist degree in Counselor and Counseling Education from Indiana University. She is passionate about working with children and adolescents regarding the trials and tribulations of growing up as well as more serious mental health problems. In her free time, Kara enjoys time with her family and friends, traveling, volunteering in her community and being active in the outdoors.
Tonya Kilpatrick is the proud wife of Bert Kilpatrick, and the mother of Haley, Will and Kelly. Tonya is a native of Albany, GA and has a passion for helping others. When not working hard as a TV personality or decorating homes, you can find her on the beach in Seagrove, Florida. Tonya sits on the fundraising committee for the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition and she frequently helps with fundraising for the American Heart Association and her local Salvation Army. She is the WALB-TV (NBC) and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s spokesperson for the Buddy Check 10 program. This nationally recognized program saves lives by promoting early detection through self-breast examinations.
Pam McDonald is Group Vice President at Security Bank in Albany, GA where she is responsible for private banking, sales and marketing and advertising. Prior to joining Security Bank, Pam was a bank examiner with the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance and an English teacher. She is a member of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Girl’s Inc. Committee of 100 and a volunteer with Boy Scouts and United Way. Pam also serves on the Boards of the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association and is a member and committee chair for Junior League of Albany.
Melody Mejeh is the President of ImagineART-inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Manhattan. The mission of this organization is to create a safe space to nurture, inspire and educate young minds. This mission is coupled with the desire to foster confidence and build teamwork skills to help youth thrive in today’s changing world through music, creative writing and dance.
Melody grew up on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan and attended Polytechnic University where she majored in Computer Science. She is now currently enrolled in Baruch College where she is completing her undergraduate studies in Marketing. She is a professionally trained pianist of 13 years, and makes teaching the art of music a passion and a commitment.
Dr. Kelli Ritter inspires parents to make the most of play with their children. In only a few sessions, Dr. Ritter’s short-term coaching model encourages parents by engendering confidence in and control over their own parenting style. Dr. Ritter’s parenting book & DVD, Come Play with Me!, illustrates her true passion for working with parents, caregivers and teachers to improve relationships with children. Dr. Ritter is also an enthusiastic and inspiring public speaker and presenter.
The Founder and President of Effective Parenting, LLC in Atlanta, Kelli B. Ritter, earned her Ph.D. in counseling from Georgia State University where she specialized in child and family counseling. Dr. Ritter is trained as a play therapist with many years of experience and research in child and family therapy. She possesses a unique approach to helping families by utilizing concepts and skills from both play therapy and Individual Psychology.
Dr. Ritter has served many non-profit organizations and headed numerous community service fundraising projects including The Northside Hospital Foundation’s Celebration of Lights and CREW’s Compassion in Action. Dr. Ritter has served as a Board member for The Center for Children and Young Adults and as Past-President of The Board for the Inman Park Cooperative Preschool.
Dr. Ritter now spends the majority of her professional time as a parent coach and lives in historic Inman Park with her husband and two boys.
Marcia Romanuck founded The Design Company in Boston in 1998. She has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of identity, collateral, packaging, product development and retail products graphics. In 1992 she took the company to Atlanta, where she works with clients nationally and internationally, predominantly in packaging. Marcia is a chair holder and active member of the Color Marketing Group which sets trends for the next one to five years out for color, marketing and design issues. The Design Company has won numerous awards and has been recognized in several major design publications.
Staci Rose graduated from Terrell Academy in 1993 and earned a B.S. in Public Relations from Georgia Southern University in 1997, where she was a member of Phi Mu national sorority. Staci spends the majority of her time with family and friends and enjoys exercising by competing in triathlons and state-wide runs. Staying active within her community also means a great deal to her, as she volunteers her time to work with political campaigns. Staci loves the opportunity to meet as many people as possible.
Keli Smurda attended nursing school in Charleston, SC and received her training as an Obstetrical Registered Nurse at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL, where she met her husband. They relocated to Georgia in 1998. Womens’ mental and physical health issues have always been important to Keli. She believes very strongly in the mission of Girl Talk, remembering middle school as a very hard time growing up. She is an active member in the Junior League and is a board member for the Miss Albany Pageant. Keli has served on the board for the American Heart Association in Washington County, GA, where she was a member of the Pilot Club. She currently lives in Albany, GA with her husband, Paul, and four sons Dylan, Carson, Mac and Luke.
Alison Snipes was raised in Pelham, Georgia. She attended Georgia Southern University and received her B.S. in Health Science. She was also an active member of Alpha Delta Pi. She has been in sales for 12 years and is currently employed with Medtronic. Alison and her husband, Steven Snipes, were high school sweethearts and currently live in Albany, Georgia. Alison enjoys spending time with friends and family and volunteering with Girl Talk. She feels that one of her biggest achievements is her 7 year old daughter Amelia and her 2 year son Colin.
"I believe that in today's society that Girl Talk plays a crucial role in the lives of middle school kids. There are so many choices that girls have to make in society and I believe that having an organization that can help them think through these choices is imperative. My hope is that my daughter will one day be involved in Girl Talk to reinforce the values and quality decision making that she is taught at home."
Jim Wilcox is a Columbus, GA native and the Vice President/General Manager of WALB-TV (NBC). Jim has been with WALB-TV for 12 years and has worked in television for 29 years. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for both the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and Easter Seals of Southwest Georgia. Jim sits on the Board of Directors for Albany Tomorrow and Albany Technical Institute, is a member of the Albany Rotary Club and was a part of the Class of 2005 for Leadership Georgia. He has also previously served as Campaign Chairman and Chairman of the Board for The United Way, Chairman of Leadership Albany and Director for the Albany Chamber.