Board of Directors

CRJBF’s board brings together leaders with experience in public history, education, community engagement, nonprofit governance, and cultural preservation. Board members help guide the organization’s mission, support strategic growth, and help ensure accountability to the community the Center serves.

Officers

Hattie Thomas Whitehead
President

Hattie Thomas Whitehead spent 27 years in operations management in corporate America and an additional 12 years working as a property manager. A direct descendant of Linnentown, she is president and community outreach coordinator for the Linnentown Project and co-chair of the Justice and Memory Project. She helped draft the 2021 Linnentown resolution for recognition and redress, which became the first official call for reparations in the state of Georgia. She is also the author of Giving Voice to Linnentown and helped create Linnentown, a musical that premiered in 2024. In addition to her leadership with CRJBF, she serves on the boards of Taylor-Grady House and Athens Area Habitat for Humanity.

Frank Platt, Jr.
Vice President

Frank Platt, Jr. is a retired public safety leader with 41 years of service in Athens-Clarke County. He retired as a lieutenant with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and later served as chief of police for the Clarke County School District. He has also served on local boards and committees, including the Athens Housing Authority, the 2023 TSPLOST Oversight Committee, and the Athens-Clarke County Charter Review Board. A longtime deacon at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, he brings deep experience in public service, leadership, and community engagement to CRJBF.

Melanie A. Taylor
Secretary

Bio to come

Alison Huff
Treasurer

Alison Huff has served on the CRJBF board since its founding in 2022. She first served as secretary and now serves as treasurer. Her nonprofit leadership also includes 14 years on the board of the Friends of Sandy Creek Nature Center, including more than five years as treasurer, and 12 years as treasurer of the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society. Professionally, she worked in marketing and communications at the University of Georgia and at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She brings to CRJBF longstanding experience in nonprofit governance, communications, and community engagement, with particular interests in housing justice, workplace discrimination, and voting rights.

Kimberly Davis
Parliamentarian

Kimberly Davis is a senior editor at a nonprofit organization in Atlanta. Over the course of her career, she has worked in journalism, higher education, political communications, and nonprofit consulting. Her professional background includes work for Ebony, several newspapers, and as an instructor, freelance writer, and academic editor. In addition to her professional work, she has been active in community and cultural organizations in Athens. Her board and civic service includes Historic Athens, the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission, the Morton Theatre Corporation, and Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery. She brings to CRJBF deep experience in communications, public engagement, and community-based leadership.

Rachel Bentley
Board member

Rachel Bentley serves on the board of directors of the Athens-Clarke County Center for Racial Justice and Black Futures (CRJBF). Professionally, she works at the Athens-Clarke County Library as a library specialist in the Archives and Special Collections. Her educational background includes degrees in history and museum studies from the Universities of Georgia and Oklahoma. 

Cameron McGlothen
Board Member/IT Specialist

Cameron McGlothen studied sociology and psychology at Grambling State University and later came to Athens to pursue a Master of Social Work. While interning with the Athens-Clarke County government, he was introduced to the history of Linnentown and the work of the Athens Justice and Memory Project. That experience shaped his commitment to truth, remembrance, and justice. He later joined the county government full-time and continued supporting efforts to preserve Linnentown’s legacy. At CRJBF, he brings IT expertise and a strong commitment to community-centered work.

Teresa A. McLean, Ph.D.
Board member

Teresa Mclean is an experienced nonprofit and public health leader who serves on the boards of the Athens Area Community Foundation and CRJBF. Her work has focused on cancer prevention, health equity, and community engagement across federal public health, academic research, and nonprofit leadership. McLean previously served as volunteer executive director of Unified Healthcare for the Rural Underserved, where she helped lead the development of the Georgia Colon Cancer Prevention Project. She also worked as a behavioral scientist in the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, focusing on increasing cancer screening among underserved populations.

Andrew Salinas
Finance Chair

Andrew Salinas works at the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, where he focuses on building strategic partnerships. His community work centers on land stewardship, public history, and cultural leadership. He serves on the board of the Athens Land Trust and was the chairperson for the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission. Salinas also worked at the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans, where he managed fine art collections and curated exhibitions on African American history.

Niké Shimobi-Obijuru
Board Member

Niké Shimobi-Obijuru works as library manager and head of adult services at the Athens-Clarke County Library, where she is also a member of the executive director’s leadership team. Her nonprofit work includes leadership with the Morton Theatre Corporation, where she serves as vice president, treasurer, and programming co-chair. Through her work in public institutions and community-based organizations, she brings experience in administration, programming, and public service to CRJBF.