Get to know the leaders of FJC!
PRESIDENT | SCHAFER SMITH
Schafer grew up in the Athens, GA area and attended Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School. He attended Georgia College & State University and graduated in the spring of 2016 with a B.B.A. in Management and a minor in Finance. After graduation, Schafer moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in sales. He currently works for Procter & Gamble as a Territory Sales Manager in their Professional Oral Health division. Schafer attended and worked at the Athens YMCA summer camps growing up, and was looking for volunteer opportunities in the Atlanta area to help serve local children again. He discovered and joined FJC in December of 2016, and later helped on the Cheers committee. Last year Schafer served as the Membership Chair, and this year is serving as the President of the board. In his free time, you can find him playing golf, enjoying some live music, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.
An Atlanta native, Emma grew up in the Druid Hills & Decatur areas. She attended St. Pius X for high school, then later graduated from Valdosta State University with her bachelors degree in speech communication, emphasis in public relations. After starting her career in the medical and nonprofit sectors of Atlanta, Emma is now the Recruiting Coordinator at SalesLoft in Midtown. Emma has always had a passion for philanthropy and making a difference. She originally joined FJC to broaden her network and become involved with CHOA and the community. After being social chair last year, Emma is thrilled to become even more involved this year as VP. This will be her second year serving on the board. On the weekends, Emma loves to play ALTA tennis, walk the Beltline, travel, and have fun nights out with her friends!
 Rachel is originally from South Carolina – she grew up in the Charleston area, and graduated from Clemson University's Calhoun Honors College in 2018 with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Branding. After graduation Rachel moved to Atlanta to work for the Georgia Institute of Technology as a Marketing and Events Coordinator.
Throughout college Rachel worked closely with Special Olympics South Carolina, serving as a swim clinic instructor, State Games volunteer, and public relations intern. After moving to Atlanta, Rachel wanted to find a similar organization in the local area to help serve children. Less than a month after moving to Atlanta, she discovered and joined FJC and has loved it ever since. Outside of the office, Rachel can be found at a spin class, on a lake, or in (the real) Death Valley cheering on the Clemson Tigers! |
In her spare time you can find Natalie in Piedmont Park with her puppy, exploring Atlanta's latest restaurants and breweries, and cheering on the Dawgs!
Meagan is originally a Tarheel – she was born and raised in Raleigh, NC and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!). After graduation, Meagan began working for Huron Consulting as a healthcare finance and operations consultant. Her job allowed her to travel extensively, working for hospitals in New York City, Boston, New Orleans, Memphis, and even Mumbai, India, and eventually led her to settle here in Atlanta. While at UNC, Meagan got involved with Dance Marathon, a student group benefiting the local Children’s Hospital. When she moved to Atlanta, Meagan wanted to join a similar charitable organization. She was excited to find the FJC, which provided an opportunity to help kids in the community, and meet other young professionals who were interested in doing the same thing. In her free time, Meagan enjoys traveling, running, eating her way through Atlanta’s awesome culinary scene, and spending time with friends and family.
Beginning at USC, Reema was involved with Dance Marathon and volunteering with the Children's Hospital. Since then, she has continued that involvement and was excited to join FJC where she could meet others that shared her same passion of giving back to the community. In her free time, Reema enjoys traveling, hanging out with family and friends, exploring Atlanta and all the food it has to offer, and re-watching The Office for the millionth time.
James is excited about serving on the FJC board for a second year. Prior to joining the FJC board, James served on UGA’s Terry Young Alumni Board for 3 years. In his spare time James enjoys spending time with family and friends, heading to Lake Hartwell, and going to Athens to watch the Dawgs!
In her free time Marie volunteers on Tuesday evenings in the ICU at Scottish Rite, works out five times a week, and enjoys spending quality time with friends and family while cheering on her Wofford Terriers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish! |
Natalie is an Atlanta native who attended the University of Georgia. With a degree in Publications Management, Natalie currently works in Marketing at KPMG. Having been involved with CHOA since High School, Natalie loves being involved with FJC. Take a look at our Events Calendar and sign up to join her on Wednesday nights as she gets crafty with the kids!
Reema grew up just across the border in South Carolina. She attended the University of South Carolina where she received her degree in Biology. Post grad, she worked as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism. She then received her Masters in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston before moving to Atlanta to start a job with Emory Healthcare. 
James was born and raised in the Atlanta area. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a BBA in Risk Management and Insurance and a BA in Political Science. James currently works for Cloudreach as a Cloud Engagement Manager where he helps clients migrate to different cloud platforms.
Marie is originally from Columbia, SC and attended Wofford College from 2007-2011. While at Wofford she worked in the athletic department with the football team assisting in end zone filming, equipment management and recruiting tours and visits. After working the last spring practice in 2011 she was the first female to letter in football as the team manager. 
SIGNATURE EVENTS CO-CHAIR | SAVANNAH TAYLOR
Savannah grew up in Roswell, GA where she attended Roswell High School. She then graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Relations with an emphasis in Hospitality. Savannah moved to Atlanta after college where she began working at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. She now works at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta as a Meetings and Special Events Manager.
After wanting to get involved with the community and always having a soft spot for the kids, Savannah joined Friends Junior Committee in January 2018 and has enjoyed volunteering at Scottish Rite and Egleston. Last year, Savannah was active on the Cheer’s for Children planning committee is excited to now be the Signature Events Co-Chair.
In her spare time, you can find Savannah spending time with her friends and family, exploring new Atlanta areas and restaurants and always cheering on the Falcons (even during the rough times)!
Kelly joined FJC in 2017 after learning about the organization from a friend and wanting to become more involved in the community. She has volunteered on the Cheers for Children event committee and is excited to now be the Signature Events Chair for the upcoming term. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys traveling (Australia & New Zealand are next on her bucket list), running along the various beautiful trails in the Atlanta area, playing volleyball, spending time with family and friends and taking in a comedy show. |
Kelly has lived in Georgia since 1995. She went to McIntosh High School in Peachtree City and graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She is currently the Marketing Events Coordinator for Veristor Systems, Inc. helping plan their corporate and regional events in the Southeast.
After attending many great FJC events and having a blast, Cassidy knew it was time to get more involved with FJC and five back to CHOA. This is her first year in the board and she looks forward to another great year! |
Cassidy is a Georgia native and attended Holy Innocents' Episcopal School in Atlanta before attending Auburn University and graduating with her degree in marketing. After graduation, Cassidy moved back to Atlanta to work in marketing for Crystal Springs and is currently attending the University of Georgia for her MBA. In her free time, she enjoys weekends at the lake, spending time with friends and family, trying new restaurants, and cheering on the Auburn Tigers. 