DeKalb Brilliance Academy: where the strength of our community nourishes the brilliance of our students.
We have a charge from our community to build a school that redefines education and brings the real world into our classrooms. Are you a visionary leader ready to show what is possible for children? Apply today!
Meet our Staff
Our founding story
Our co-founders, Jocelyn Alter, Terri Knox, and Kedra Herbert Williams worked for three years with South DeKalb families and community members to design a school that empowers students to be leaders in any field they choose. When we asked over 1,000 community members “what should the purpose of school be?” we heard:
1) help my child understand their unique gifts, talents, and interests
2) help my child understand the paths for impact
Families pushed us beyond college and career readiness to focus on students' legacies. Our school empowers students to be leaders through combining rigorous & relevant academics with social-emotional learning. We put all of this together through our Real-world Project-based Learning, where students learn not only from their teachers and peers, but also directly from scientists, lawyers, engineers, and designers.
Admin Team
Co-founder / Principal
Co-founder / Head of School
Director of Operations
Assistant Principal of 2nd-4th Grades & ELA
Assistant Principal of Scholar Supports
Assistant Principal of 1st-Kinder & STEM
Operations Manager
Operations Team
Front Office Manager
Operations Associate/Cafe Manager
School Nurse
Scholar Support Team
Special Education Teacher
Special Education Assistant Teacher
EIP/Intervention/Gifted Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Special Education Assistant Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Special Education Teacher
EIP/Intervention/Gifted Teacher
School Social Worker/Counselor
Special Education Teacher
Enrichment Team
Kindergarten Team
Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
First Grade Team
First Grade Teacher
First Grade Assistant Teacher
First Grade Teacher
First Grade Assistant Teacher
First Grade Teacher
2nd Grade Team
3rd Grade Team
Third Grade Teacher
Third Grade Teacher
4th Grade Team
Fourth Grade Teacher
Fourth Grade Teacher
Meet our Board of Directors
Chair, Board of Directors
Michael Freeland
Michael Freeland has been a resident of DeKalb for over 13 years and has spent over a decade of his career in education, serving the Metro Atlanta community. Mr. Freeland currently serves as Senior Director at Leading Educators, where he partners with school districts nationwide to build and sustain systems for teacher and leadership development. Through one of Mr. Freeland’s recent projects with Leading Educators, he supported curriculum implementation for Atlanta Public Schools. Previously, Mr. Freeland served as a teacher, coach, and curriculum leader with DeKalb County School District. In addition to his educational duties with DCSD, Mr. Freeland coordinated and led local HBCU college tours for DeKalb students. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Freeland later relocated to Atlanta where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from Morehouse College, followed by a Master of Science in Education in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Brian Howell
Brian Howell is an Atlanta native, and commercial real estate leader with a commitment to serving his community. He has served on the High Museum of Art Young Professional Board, NAIOP Developing Leader's Forum, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s young professional group. Mr. Howell is currently the Senior Vice President at Foundry Commercial. Previously, at Stream Realty Partners, he represented three million square feet of Class A offices. In 2016, Mr. Howell was Stream Atlanta’s top producer and received the Costar Power Broker award. He has also worked in asset management at Rosemont Realty and Columbia Property Trust. Mr. Howell holds his MPS in Real Estate from Georgetown University and his BS in Business Management from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Quentin Johnson
Quentin Johnson directs the Expanding Diversity in Economics (EDE) Summer Institute at the University of Chicago, aiming to support talented undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. The program integrates faculty, guest speakers, skills training, and events to encourage economics majors. In his role, he oversees all programmatic and financial responsibilities for the program, including managing the program's $1.2 million operating budget, providing oversight and support for the fundraising strategy, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations and standards.
Quentin has a human-centered approach to diversity and equity, having worked in various roles across government and higher education. He is a connector and network builder within the economics community, creating strategic partnerships with colleges, universities, and organizations. Additionally, he serves in advisory and committee positions for the Sadie Collective and Pathways to Research and Doctoral Careers (PREDOC).
Secretary, Board of Directors
Toby Egbuna
Toby Egbuna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Chezie. Toby was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but grew up in Clemmons, North Carolina. He attended UNC-Chapel Hill where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. After school, Toby went on to work with Accenture as a Management Consultant, where he spent 5 years. In 2020, Toby launched Chezie with his sister, Dumebi. Toby and Dumebi are first-generation Nigerian Immigrants, and Chezie is the Igbo word for 'reflect.' Chezie helps companies maximize their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) by providing them with a comprehensive solution for capturing data on events, budget, engagement, and membership.
Board of Directors
Joseph Akpan
Joseph Akpan is a business transformational leader with a track record of successfully guiding technology companies through SaaS (software-as-a-Service) transformation, both organically and through acquisitions. Joseph is passionate about STEM and design thinking in K-8 education, with over six years of experience leading the development, growth, and renewal of a K-8 charter school. Additionally, he has experience in leveraging educational technology to drive student interest in STEM, through his work at the Liberty Science Center, where he was part of a team behind the “Live from …” series, a program that “offers students a unique opportunity to peer into an operating room and interact with medical experts.”
Board of Directors
Dr. Curtis Armour
Dr. Curtis Armour, Jr., is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. After completing public school studies in DeKalb County, Dr. Armour attended and graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Education in Social Students Education. In 2007, he accepted a high school teaching position with the Atlanta Public School System where he served as the Social Studies Department Chairperson and ultimately the Social Studies Instructional Coach. Dr. Armour received his Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in Educational Leadership from Clark Atlanta University in 2012 and in 2015 accepted a position as Assistant Principal with the Fayette County School System. While in Fayette, Dr. Armour’s Assistant Principal position afforded him the opportunity to serve as the registrar and testing coordinator at the high school level. In Fayette, he was also responsible for framing Professional Learning Communities that led to significant gains in student achievement on the Georgia Milestone and Advanced Placement Assessment in US History and Economics. Dr. Armour then served as a Principal with the City Schools of Decatur where the school that he led experienced a 25.4 point increase in their College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCPRI) and was recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as a Title One Distinguished School for two consecutive years. He is a Courageous Conversations About Race Affiliate Practitioner and has extensive experience in addressing racism, sexism, heterosexism, and ableism. During his tenure as principal, his school was honored with being re-credentialed in all three dimensions of student achievement at the EL Education National Conference in Chicago. Dr. Armour currently serves as Associate Director of Partnerships for the Atlantic Region for EL Education where he provides leadership development for public and charter schools on the east coast. He is a proud, active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and resides in DeKalb Brilliance Academy’s immediate community.
Board of Directors
Jazmin Counts
The daughter of a retired Marine veteran and Entrepreneur, Jazmin moved around often, but has made DeKalb County home for over 10 years. Jazmin graduated from Howard University located in Washington, DC in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology. Jazmin graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 2016. Once a member of the Georgia Bar, Jazmin has spent her entire career thus far in public service specifically within criminal defense, and currently as a Fulton County Public Defender-State Court. Her passion for criminal defense is steeped in the truth that for many people, and as early as childhood they are failed at having a leveled playing field in life, and her quest is to counteract that fact. Jazmin believes that in order to curtail crime in youth offenders, education must be of high quality, easily accessible and inclusive of a team consisting of zealous educators and engaged parents/guardians. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), and proud member of DeKalb County’s Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Board of Directors
Mesha Greene
Mesha is an Atlanta native and a product of the Atlanta school system. She believes educators are responsible for equipping students with the needed knowledge and skills to impact our ever-changing global society. However, for educators to do this, they must have the necessary resources to be successful.
Mesha started her teaching career in DeKalb County and now has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom and beyond. Her understanding and experiences with curriculum, instruction, community relations, school safety, and operational systems are a few reasons why she is excited to serve as a board member. In 2021, she founded Cultivate & Sustain Educational Consulting; she supports schools and districts in various capacities to improve student success. Although her path to education was not traditional, she knows that this was the best decision she ever made because she has had an eternal impact on individuals’ futures. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master of Education (M.Ed.), and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.). She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Mesha is excited to continue her passion for educational equity, educational policy, and personal growth through her commitment to the scholars, families, staff, community, and partners of Dekalb Brilliance Academy.
Board of Directors
Brittany Hartman
Brittany Hartman is a community-minded resident of Atlanta who is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Science degree in both Psychology and Biology from Clemson University and currently works as a Compliance Manager, specializing in technical, process, and risk management. In addition to her professional pursuits, Brittany is an active member of Open Hand Society, Open Hand Atlanta's Young Professional Board, and serves as the Auction Chair for Party in the Kitchen, their signature fundraising event. She is also involved with the Partnership committee and committed to contributing to the success of the DeKalb Brilliance Academy.
Board of Directors
Brandon Riley
A native of Lithonia and current DeKalb County resident, Brandon Riley has been dedicated to developing and implementing youth development programs since college. He is currently the Senior Director of Program Operations for Operation HOPE. Most recently, Mr. Riley served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Stonecrest. Previously, he served in roles at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta organization for seven years, including as the Executive Director of the East DeKalb Boys & Girls Club, where he increased average daily attendance by 64 percent in three years. Brandon holds his M.S. in Sports Administration from Georgia State University, holds his B.S. in Biology from Alcorn State University, is a former collegiate baseball player, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb.
Board of Directors
Tareva Ruffin
Tareva Ruffin is the owner of Helping Hands Speech & Language Services, a pediatric speech and language facility based in Georgia and North Carolina. Tareva has been a national certified Speech Language Pathologist for 10 years and has worked in several settings. Settings include public schools, private practices, daycares/preschools, and Headstart programs. She collaborates with team members effectively. Tareva serves on the board as the secretary of the Change Coalition of Wilson, a non-profit organization promoting equity for marginalized people of color in the Wilson County, NC. She is a graduate of NCAT State University where she holds her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology and Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Board of Directors
Deonte Watters
Deonte Watters is a United States Navy veteran committed to serving his community through volunteerism. Through his strategic leadership as the Vice President of Contracts for Mythics, Inc., he leads a team of dedicated contracting professionals to find creative solutions to complex and unique client contracting needs for innovative technology solutions supporting the corporate mission. He aims to inspire and influence the next generation of leaders to create sustainable positive organizational environments that allow high-performance teams to thrive. Deonte believes connecting our youth with positive influencers and leaders is a successful formula for creating a better tomorrow. Mr. Watters holds a B.A. in Political Science from American Military University and a Master of Strategic Leadership Development from Clayton State University.