Our Team

rkelly@libertyclassicalschools.org

Robert H. Kelly, JD, MPA, MA is a Certified Public Manager with 8+ years of extensive experience in management, policy development, and compliance working with executive level stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Prior to Liberty, Rob worked for key elected officials in the metro Atlanta for several years. In his role as Chief of Staff for Fulton County, Rob led the team that supported the management, operations, communications, legislative affairs and outreach for the Commission 6, District Office. Rob holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree and a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Georgia and earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of West Georgia. He is married to his law-school sweetheart and is the father of two toddlers.

mcarraway@libertyclassicalschools.org

Mariah Carraway has over 10 years of administrative and customer service experience, as well as 5+ years of HR experience. Mariah attended the College of Charleston, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership, Change, and Social Responsibility. She is also a Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Prior to working for Liberty, she worked in Human Resources at a medical university. As Managing Assistant, Mariah works directly to support the CEO. As a mother, she understands the importance of education and fostering a safe and inclusive environment for students. She believes it is important that the school administration and employees are well supported, so that they can focus on the students and fulfilling the school’s mission.

jcrump@libertyclassicalschools.org

Joi Crump is a Sociology M.A. graduate from Georgia State University who enjoys using data to understand people and help communities thrive. Her work blends mixed-methods analysis with a genuine commitment to insights and storytelling through numbers. Joi has had the privilege of supporting projects with organizations such as the Shepherd Center, Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the Environmental Equity Institute of Savannah, and Fulton County Department of Education.

At Liberty, Joi continues turning data into meaningful insights and enjoys contributing to work that supports a classical education program and student outcomes.

sesposito@libertyclassicalschools.org

Shari brings over 25 years of human resources, payroll, accounting, and management experience. Shari has a notable acumen in business matters and has successfully managed these departments over the years by continuing to stay within budget while maintaining competitive benefits and compensation packages. She strives to provide first-rate support to the staff and management. She obtained her PHR certification with HRCI in 2006 and received her Bachelors in Sociology at Florida State University and an Associates in Business Accounting at Branell College.

sfoat@libertyclassicalschools.org

Sam Foat joins Liberty Classical Schools as Director of New Schools and will be leading the organization's effort to open new schools and bring classical education to students across the Southeast. Mr. Foat comes to Liberty from where he was. He brings valuable experience to the role, having served as both a Hillsdale College K–12 Education Office school leader fellow in residence at Cincinnati Classical Academy and a founding teacher and school leader at Treasure Coast Classical Academy.

Throughout his career in classical education, Sam has taught literature, moral and political philosophy, history, mathematics, and science while serving in school leadership roles focused on supporting and developing faculty, shaping school culture, strengthening school operations, and advancing the mission of classical education. He has presented at Hillsdale College's K-12 Summer Conference on topics including John Milton's Paradise Lost, Shakespeare's Macbeth, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and the relationship between classical education, human nature, and artificial intelligence.

Sam holds a B.A. in Ministry, with a concentration in Student Ministry and a minor in Philosophy, from Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is currently pursuing an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion, also from Palm Beach Atlantic. Outside of his work, Sam enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with his wife and their two golden retrievers, Calvin and Goose.

dfranklin@libertyclassicalschools.org

Dudley Franklin is passionate about securing the resources needed to pursue Liberty’s mission in the life of each student for years to come. For the past 20 years as a fundraising and volunteer management professional, Dudley has helped non-profits grow their capacity and expand their impact. Prior to her work in the non-profit sector, Dudley worked in product marketing for companies like New Balance and Coca-Cola. She has been a part of Atlanta Classical since 2012. She was a key member of the launch team for Atlanta Classical and Northwest Classical, and served on the ACA’s founding board from 2014-2017.

ahsu@libertyclassicalschools.org

Angela Hsu’s work at Liberty involves supporting the CFO and others through the accounting process, with primary focus on grant compliance and accounts payable. Before Liberty, Angela worked in a large public accounting firm serving clients in the health care, insurance and manufacturing sectors. Her areas of work included audit, mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructurings. She is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Economics. Angela has three children at Atlanta Classical Academy, and sees firsthand the benefits of a classical education. She feels strongly that every child should have the same opportunity to develop into a virtuous, contributing citizen.

jkeller@libertyclassicalschools.org

Dr. James Keller received his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University. He started his career as a Teach for America teacher and taught in three Atlanta Public Schools for over 8 years. Dr. Keller served as the Special Education Lead Teacher (SELT) at Atlanta Classical from 2018-2021, then became the founding SELT at Northwest Classical Academy. His goal is to bring the same passionate commitment he had for his students to his work in educational policy and advocacy, to impact and inspire the educational repairs that are so desperately needed.

 jlai@libertyclassicalschools.org

Ms. Lai serves as Controller at Liberty Classical Schools. She is an accounting professional with over 10+ years of accounting experience. Jennifer previously worked as the Controller for a private equity and wealth management firm in Atlanta. She is currently the Co-Founder/Managing Partner for TrueView Accounting and the CFO of a multi-location franchisee in the fast-food industry.

She attended Georgia State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. She furthered her studies at Kennesaw State University and obtained her graduate degree in the Master of Accountancy program.

mlambert@libertyclassicalschools.org

mlobdell@libertyclassicalschools.org

nlong@libertyclassicalschools.org

As Liberty Classical Schools’ Chief Financial Officer, Nicole Long brings more than 25 years of executive finance and operational leadership experience across Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, and higher education. Throughout her career, she has led financial strategy, operational transformation, business partnerships, and organizational growth for complex organizations.

Before joining Liberty Classical Schools, Nicole served as Vice President of Finance and Administration and CFO at Agnes Scott College, where she strengthened the institution's long-term financial sustainability through strategic planning, revenue diversification, and enhanced financial reporting. Prior to entering the education sector, she held senior finance leadership roles with The Coca-Cola Company and WestRock, leading large-scale mergers, business transformation initiatives, and commercial finance operations.

Nicole is the recipient of the 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle Education CFO of the Year award and is passionate about developing leaders, making finance accessible to non-financial audiences, and using sound financial stewardship to advance an organization’s mission. She is most proud of being the mother to her daughter, Madison.

kmatthews@libertyclassicalschools.org

Kristen Matthews developed a deep appreciation of classical education as she saw the positive impact it had on her own children at Northwest Classical Academy. Inspired by this and eager to contribute to something she believes in, Kristen joined Liberty Classical Schools in late 2024 as the Development Database Manager where she supports fundraising efforts across the Liberty network. Prior to joining Liberty, Kristen earned a BBA in Marketing from The University of Georgia and worked in corporate branding, messaging, and advertising.

amccoy@libertyclassicalschools.org

As Director of Data and Accountability at Liberty Classical Schools, Avery leads data management, compliance, and strategic planning to support efficient operations and informed decision-making. He focuses on integrating data systems and processes that provide clear, actionable insights for school leadership, stakeholders, and boards.

Prior to joining Liberty Classical Schools, Avery served as the IT Manager for a network of 13 schools at Regina Caeli Academy. In his time at Regina Caeli Academy, Avery evaluated, implemented, and managed information systems, assisted with financial analysis and facilities management, and played a key role in launching new schools. Avery holds a B.A. in music performance from Kennesaw State University and a B.S. in Management Information Systems and Technology from Albany State.

kmessini@libertyclassicalschools.org

Kent Messini has over 15 years of operational leadership experience. Prior to joining Liberty, Kent served as the Director of Operations at Northwest Classical from 2022-2025 and brings with him a well-informed perspective on the work and relationships needed to establish a strong operations team. His goal is to deliver excellence through servant leadership so that students can focus on their education and being part of a beautiful, growing community. Kent and his wife, along with their two children, enjoy making memories together as a family. Kent holds a B.A. in Communication from San Diego State University.

cmueller@libertyclassicalschools.org

Cari Mueller is responsible for providing strategic guidance and leadership for all aspects of the human resources function and establishing a vision and direction for the full complement of core human resources programs, policies and services. Prior to this position, Cari was the HR Manager for a small business in Population Health where she has proven success executing Human Resource activities, including establishing and implementing business processes and operations standards, HR start-ups, planning and integration resulting from M&A’s, and business reorganization. Cari attended Kennesaw State University’s Human Resources Management program and achieved the SHRM-CP Certification in 2015.

jrodgers@libertyclassicalschools.org

Recognizing the profound, generational impact of excellent education, Jake Rodgers’ work at Liberty Classical Schools is driven by the conviction that classical education, with its timeless focus on intellectual depth and character formation, should be an option for every child.

As Chief of Schools, Mr. Rodgers will guide the network's campuses in continuous improvement across curriculum, instruction, school culture, and teaching and learning. He will work with the Heads of School to ensure that each campus serves students, families, employees, and external stakeholders with excellence.

Prior to joining Liberty, Jake served as President of Pinecrest Academy, where he spearheaded strategic initiatives that drove significant academic growth, capital projects, endowment fundraising, and sustainable enrollment expansion while broadening institutional accessibility. Under his leadership, Pinecrest was recognized by the College Board as an AP Platinum school, ranked by Niche as the top Catholic school in Georgia (and No. 7 nationally), experienced a 43% increase in revenue, and secured multiple seven-figure gifts.

Jake began his career in the classroom as a high school English teacher and basketball coach, while concurrently volunteering in community-based juvenile justice programs. These formative early experiences working with at-risk youth deeply shaped his perspective on the critical role schools play in providing mentorship, stability, and expanded opportunities for underserved populations.

A recognized leader in educational advocacy, Jake is a fellow of the University of Notre Dame’s Reform Leaders Summit, a graduate of the Leadership Forsyth cohort, and a past recipient of the Knoxville News Sentinel "Top 40 Under 40" honor. He holds an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College (Peabody Honors Scholar), an M.A. in Humanities and Philosophy from the University of Dallas, and a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy from Dallas Baptist University.

sshaw@libertyclassicalschools.org

Sunny Shaw joined Liberty Classical Schools with over two decades of experience in non-profits and K-12 classical education. After attending college in Indiana, Italy, and Washington, DC, earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in Social Work, she returned to metro Atlanta. Prior to joining Liberty, she taught in and supported the operations of classical academies, wrote grants and managed offices. Recently, Sunny became a Certified Professional with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-CP).  She and her husband have five children, the youngest four of whom attend a Liberty Classical School. Sunny is passionate about creating more opportunities for classical education for children and bringing onboard the faculty and staff necessary to bring this vision to life.

jtomko@libertyclassicalschools.org

Janet Tomko provides ongoing enrollment guidance and support for current Liberty schools and outreach for new schools. Janet has a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a JD from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC, where she worked at the US House of Representatives and the US Supreme Court before entering private practice with an emphasis on civil rights and litigation. Her two daughters were members of the first and second graduating classes of Atlanta Classical Academy, Liberty’s flagship school. Janet joined the ACA team as Enrollment Manager in 2018, has managed enrollment at Northwest Classical team since before the school opened in 2021, and looks forward to opening more schools so that every child has access to this excellent education.

kwilliams@libertyclassicalschools.org