Allison Smith

Allison Smith is a Graphic Designer at Banyan Communications in Atlanta, GA. She has a background in public health and is most passionate about leveraging her creativity to educate and empower marginalized communities, especially as it relates to public health. In her work with governmental agencies and non-profit organizations, she looks for opportunities to propose creative solutions to complex challenges with a people and community-first approach.

In her years as a self-taught graphic designer, Allison has worked with numerous clients, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Global Health, Division of Violence Prevention, and National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. She has also worked with the Drug Advisory Programme, National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and many more.

Prior to becoming a Graphic Designer with Banyan, Allison interned with Golin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP), and with the University of Michigan as a CDC Undergraduate Public Health (CUPS) Scholar.

As a former dancer in Moving in the Spirit’s Apprentice Corporation, Allison has been connected with the organization for many years and looks forward to giving back through serving on the Board of Directors.

Richard Storrs practices law and serves as an ADR professional in Atlanta, Georgia. Richard has practiced construction law and commercial litigation in Atlanta since 1984.

In his ADR practice, Richard is known for being a creative and experienced mediator, focusing on resolving construction and commercial disputes. He also serves as a respected arbitrator in construction and commercial matters.

Richard represents clients in construction law matters, commercial litigation and real estate issues. For businesses, in addition to handling disputes, he employs his extensive experience and contacts to quarterback clients’ legal matters. He also assists with forming and structuring organizations, drafting agreements, and avoiding disputes before they arise.

Richard has taught design and construction law at the University of Georgia School of Law and Georgia State University College of Law. He has appeared at numerous seminars and has written extensively about construction law issues. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia, where he graduated with honors and served as a Notes Editor of the Georgia Law Review.

Jeff Stratton is the President of Structor Group, a commercial Construction Management firm providing  construction services to clients in the Education, Healthcare, Office and Specialty markets. He provides strategic  guidance and oversight to a team of 60, ensuring the firm delivers on their commitment to Build Smarter, and to  Build Clients for Life. 

Jeff is an Atlanta native. He grew up watching his father, a construction company owner and executive, that  owned and managed one of the largest commercial construction companies in Atlanta. Their focus was airports,  schools, commercial and industrial construction throughout the Southeast but there is not much he didn’t build. 

Jeff started his construction career in 1995, managing interior renovation projects for Aaron Rents. Soon after he  started his first construction services company, a commercial painting company called Simon Industries. He spent time at his father’s construction company running their special projects division and then at one of Atlanta’s  oldest commercial construction companies running their special projects and healthcare division. His first ten  years were about learning the industry from both the owner’s perspective and from the contractor’s perspective.  In late 2005 Jeff met his business partner, Mike Schilling, and they formed Structor Group together. Jeff has also  helped start other construction services companies, like Environmental Services Partners, and sits on the board  of a technology company, United Sciences. 

Jeff regularly gives back to the organizations Structor Group builds for. He has been co-chair of the Hotlanta  Charity Classic, a golf tournament whose proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare  Winship Cancer institute, for fifteen years. He is a board member of MODA – the Museum of Design Atlanta- which  Structor built in 2011. Jeff particularly enjoys working with non-profit organizations to build the facilities they  need for the funds they have. Recent non-project clients include Dad’s Garage, Camp Southern Ground, Moving in  the Spirit and Whiteford Inc., an organization that addresses the health and educational needs of children and  families, with the understanding that healthy children achieve more. Structor also builds a Habitat House every  year along with a team of other Atlanta contractors. 

Jeff is an active parent in Lovett School and has served on the Board of LAB Atlanta, an organization which  provides real-life community engagement and education opportunities to urban youth. He is a supporter of the  Giving Kitchen, an organization which provides support to restaurant industry workers as well as the Buckhead  Christian Ministry which provides financial assistance to out-of-work wage earners at risk for evictions and  homelessness. He has proudly served as football coach in the Northside Youth Organization’s football program for  the Littles LSU Tigers and Navy Midshipmen at Chastain Park for 15+ years.  

Jeff and his wife Amanda have three children.

Malesha (a.k.a. Mali Irene) Taylor-Browning is a vocal artist, TEDx Speaker, strategist and the creator of The E.L.E.V.A*T.E. Framework: 8 Guiding Principles for BIPOC leaders and organizations. This framework is apart of her consulting practice as Founding Director of museSalon Collaborative (www.museSalon.org). Malesha is a proud Urban Bush Woman SLI Alum 2019 and has published articles with Arts for a Changing America and HowlRound. She has been a professor and/or guest lecturer at Harvard University, Spelman College, Scripps College- The Claremont Colleges, California State University, San Marcos and Clark Atlanta University.