Board of Directors, Staff, and Advisory Board
Interested in becoming an advocate? Our Board of Directors and Advisors assist with providing strategic vision for Waymark.
Board of Directors
Chairman
Naren Patel is the Vice President - Southeast Region at Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing, and has been with them since 1999. He has a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Florida. He attends First Baptist Woodstock, serves as an Adult Sunday School Teacher, and has served on various boards such as Associated Builders & Contractors of GA, company advisory board for Alpha, and is a current board member for Sure Connexions.
He lives in Marietta and has been married to Charlotte for 25 years and they have 3 adult children. They also support missions in Portugal and India.
Founder / Executive Director
Since 1997, Tasha Whitener has served youth in various ministries and programs. She was on staff at First Baptist Woodstock in the Children’s Ministry for 11 years, which included serving as Director of ongoing programs with an attendance of over 600, and implementation of special events ranging from 500-10,000 people. Her work included recruiting and training leadership, creation, and teaching of training materials and curriculum, designing promotional materials, coordinating vendors, and the maintenance of day to day operations of these programs. She was a CPS caseworker with the Department of Family and Children’s Services in Georgia and has directed RFKC since 2008. Tasha was also a First grade Sunday school teacher for 11 years. She and her husband, Doug, are the founders of Waymark (formerly known as Kids Cubed). Tasha has served as the Executive Director since its establishment in 2009.
Treasurer
Amy Ransom graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.B.A in 1997. She was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in September, 2000. Amy was a partner at Mashburn, Ransom & Lemmings, P.C. until she retired in 2019. After a 27 year career in public accounting, she joined local real estate brokerage, Realty One Group Edge, as Controller. She is also actively involved in her church, First Baptist Church Woodstock, where she volunteers in Awana and serves in the special needs ministry, Thrive. She served as the Treasurer for the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter from 2005-2008, South Cherokee Recreation Association from 2010-2013 and Waymark from 2010-2015. Amy lives in Woodstock with her husband and two children.
Director
Randy has worked for 28+ years in the Ceramic Tile and Flooring industry. He has managed locations and outside sales for distributors and manufacturers with the responsibility of developing and growing business in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast territories of the United States for corporations such as Dal-tile, Florida Tile, and Marazzi USA.
Randy and his family spent 17 years living in Macon, Georgia, attending Vineville Baptist Church. Along with his wife, they fostered four girls, taught Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, and fourth grade girls Sunday school. They taught couples’ small groups, in the middle school ministry and Randy co-taught their Sunday school class. They moved to Canton in 2006 and began attending First Baptist Church Woodstock. Randy has volunteered with Stand Up for Kids, a nonprofit organization for homeless kids in downtown Atlanta, and started working with WeFoster through FBCW becoming a FaithBridge foster family in 2011. Randy has also served at the Woodstock Royal Family KIDS Camp and Journey Weekend camps as Dean of Men.
Secretary
Jim Young graduated from Minnesota State University at Mankato in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science. He is a Senior Manager of Enterprise Applications at Cox Enterprises in Atlanta, Georgia, where he has worked since 2004. He’s been a resident of Woodstock, GA since 1998.
Jim and his wife, Sheri, are proud parents for four adult children, including identical twin boys. Outside of work and family, Jim is passionate about investing in his community’s youth. He and his wife became certified foster parents in 2016 and continue to serve in the foster care community. Jim is currently active in two youth mentoring programs Big Brothers Big Sisters (Beyond School Walls) and Teach 1 to Lead 1 (T1L1). As a T1L1 mentor, Jim worked with at-risk kids, assigned to the program through the Cherokee County juvenile court system, on leadership through universal principles. Jim has been an active member of First Baptist Church Woodstock since 1998 and is an ordained Deacon. He and his family have actively supported and partnered with Engraved Orphan, WeFoster, and WayMark Ministries. Other hobbies include cycling, triathlons, playing golf, and traveling.
Theda is the Director of Global Learning and Development for Manhattan and Associates and has years of award-winning experience in Learning and Development. Her current focus centers around Leadership Development. She holds a BS Degree in Business Management from St. Peter’s University and an MA in Psychology from the University of Phoenix.
Theda is married and has two biological children (whom she affectionately refers to as “heartbeats”) along with three bonus babies.
In the past, Theda served on the board of a charter school in New Jersey, where she spent most of her life. Additionally, she was on the Board of a nonprofit organization focused on food service, collaborating with The Atlanta Food Bank. Currently, she is an active member of Peace Baptist Church. Her involvement includes being part of the Praise and Worship Team, leading women’s small groups, and serving as a charter member of the church’s Cancer Support Group, which partners with The City of Hope. Theda’s passion for music led her to release her debut Christian single in 2019.
Theda derives joy from giving back and serving others, guided by the principle: “To whom much is given, much is required.”
Leadership Team
Program Administrator
Christee has a degree from Emory University in Political Science. As both a homeschool mom and pastor’s wife, she has served in numerous teaching, organizational, and administrative roles both inside and outside of the church through the years. She is passionate about the mission of Waymark and is excited to have the opportunity to use her God-given skills and gifts to assist in furthering the goals of the organization.
Co-Founder and Director of Development
Doug Whitener graduated from Georgia State University with a BBA in Computer Information systems and has served in various IT leadership roles for several Fortune 500 companies including Fiserv,
Siemens, and PwC. In addition, in 2021 Doug obtained his real estate license and has helped both investors and buyers purchase and sell various properties across metro Atlanta.
Doug and his wife, Tasha, are the proud parents of a soon-to-be graduate of Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business and have lived in Marietta for over 30 years. Doug’s hobbies include engagement with his local church, working out and spending quality time with his family. In addition, he loves their regular trips to the mountains and beach.
Doug’s commitment to the community includes supporting various ministries from local & global missions, orphan care, serving the homeless as well as personal involvement on a mission trip to Nicaragua. He also serves as one of Waymark's Compass Group Mentors.
In 2009, Doug and his wife, Tasha, founded Waymark (formerly known as Kids Cubed).
Program Director - Community4Youth
Jason Mahr has been coaching students for over 27 years, starting when he took over the lead in his church’s student ministry at the age of 17. That experience led him to get his Bachelor’s degree from Liberty University in 2002 with a focus in Student Development. After spending over 20 years doing student ministry, Jason decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication, which he completed in May of 2022.
During college, Jason was the leader of a traveling singing and drama team that did weekend retreats for Middle School and High School students. Jason met his wife Angel while on that team, and they have been married since May of 2000 and have five children together. They both have a heart for serving youth in foster care and served as foster parents for two precious boys earlier in their marriage.
Jason also plays guitar, sings and has always been involved in the creative arts. He also loves public speaking and takes advantage of every opportunity to teach others how to achieve their goals and loves to inspire students to realize their full potential. Jason’s passion for guiding students is shown in the many families that he has been able to help, and is still in contact with former students who are now raising their own families!
Program Director - RFKC and Enlistment
Julie graduated with her Bachelors of Business Administration from Georgia State University in 1993. She has worked in children’s ministries since her teen years, starting with a before and after school program at her church for working parents. She has been involved with WayMark since 2008, assisting with the recruiting and training of our volunteers, to organizing and assisting with camps. Julie, and her dog, Willie, have also completed certification for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs Program. They serve in assisted living communities, schools, at community events and of course, WayMark.
She and her husband, Lee, attend The Grove Church in Acworth. They serve in the children’s ministry in their church and Julie works as a layperson to connect the needs of foster care to the church body. They have 4 adult children.
Advisory Board
Director
Marcy Stidum is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs for Wellbeing at Kennesaw State University and was the Founding Director of Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment (CARE) Services.
Her efforts in supporting students at KSU has earned Marcy numerous state and regional awards for KSU’s CARE Services, including the Georgia College Counseling Association’s 2011-2012 Clinical Program of the Year Award, Atlanta Magazine’s 2014 Innovation Index Award, KSU Department of Residence Life’s 2014-2015 SOAR Award, and most recently, the 2017 Cobb Community Collaborative Policy Council on Homelessness William E. (Bill) Hanson Collaboration Award.
Marcy has been involved in several national organizations committed to helping homeless youth. She served as chair of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) Higher Education Committee, served as the co-chair of the Community on Homeless & Foster Care for NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, a current member of the Embark Georgia statewide conference steering committee where she serves as the conference curriculum co-chair and a board member of the Marietta/Cobb Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care (HUD CoC).
Prior to joining Kennesaw State in 2010, Marcy was Project Coordinator for the Valdosta State University Division of Social Work Project Healthy Grandparents Grant. She also brings 10 years of senior-level management of county mental health facilities and five years of experience as a surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brewton-Parker College and Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration from Valdosta State University.
Ms. Cannon-Taylor has extensive experience in property management – specifically hotel, commercial/retail, mixed use and multi-family. Ms Cannon-Taylor began with Hyatt Hotels and focused her career growth in the field of Full Service Hotel Sales and Marketing. From her start with Hyatt Hotels she progressed to Director of Sales and Marketing of the Full Service, 5 star, Peabody Court Hotel in Baltimore (Member Leading Hotels of the World). She then moved to Beaumont Hotels, as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, and later Corporate Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Brookshire Hotels. She established her own company, Cannon & Associates, a full-service marketing company and later joined Cornerstone Management & Development (national, property Management Company) and served as its Vice President for over five years. She then formed CUSA, LLC and serves as its President. Ms. Cannon-Taylor directs all corporate contract development and company oversight. CUSA has provided property management services for commercial/retail, mixed use, multi-family, hotel management for over 30 years. Ms. Cannon-Taylor's & CUSA’s experience ranges from 20,000 square foot to 250,000 square foot commercial and retail centers to small boutique properties, limited service inns and hotels to full service convention and resort hotels. Ms. Cannon-Taylor is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the States of Georgia and South Carolina and is a Certified Receiver with the State of New York. She also serves as the Director for the Third Grade AWANAs program at FBCW, is a teacher of the Elementary New Christian Class at FBCW and serves as the Chairman of the Board for First Care Women’s Clinic (Cobb Pregnancy Services) and has served on this board for over 20 years.
Lee Welborn graduated from University of Georgia Law School in 1988 with a JD Degree, after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in History from Georgia State University in 1985. He is a partner in the law firm of Downey & Cleveland in Marietta, Georgia, where he has worked since 1988. He is the founder of Cole House Mediation Services and mediates legal disputes for attorneys and parties.
Lee has been involved with children’s ministry for many years as a Sunday school teacher, counselor at children’s camps, and co-director of a before/after school program. He has served on the board of New Horizons for Children, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to ministering to Eastern European orphans. He and his family have hosted many of these children in his home as well as adopting two of these special kids as his sons.
Lee is actively involved at The Grove Church in Acworth. He is also a member of the Christian Legal Society and Christian Authors Guild.
Charles Mingonet, Jr. graduated from the Asbury College in Wilmore Kentucky with a B.A. in Business in 1980. He served as the Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Atlanta as his final position completing twenty-five years of service in the Navy. This past year he retired from being the Senior Science Instructor for the Navy Junior ROTC unit at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. He also served on the Board of the Good Shepherd Ranch, a youth Ranch for those in need located in Jasper, Georgia. Charles and his wife, Sandy, currently reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.