Wellstar Board of Trustees

Dr. Arif Aziz is board-certified in gastroenterology. He has been in practice since 1996. Dr. Aziz received his medical degree from Dow Medical College in Pakistan. He completed internships in general surgery, cardiology, and internal medicine at the Civil Hospital Karachi in Karachi, Pakistan. He also completed an internal medicine residency at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed both a residency and a gastroenterology fellowship at the State University of New York in Buffalo, NY.

Dr. Aziz has, over his career held many leadership position which include, Chief of Gastroenterology at VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia, Chief, Section of Gastroenterology Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, Huntington, WV, Chief of Section of Gastroenterology, Kennestone Hospital, Chair Department of Medicine, Kennestone Hospital, President of Medical Staff, Kennestone Hospital, Chair of Board of Managers of WellStar IPA and Chair of Board of Managers of Wellstar Clinical Partners. He was named Wellstar Health System’s Physician of the Year for 2015.

Dr. Avril Beckford practices at Wellstar Pediatric & Adolescent Center. She is an Academy of Pediatrics fellow and past Georgia chapter president. She completed her residency at Penn State Children’s Hospital and her medical degree at the University of Cape Town. She joined the Wellstar Board of Trustees in 2011.

Dr. Mark S. Berry, Ph.D., P.E., is currently senior vice president of research and development (R&D) for Southern Company Services. In this role, he leads all activities of Southern Company’s industry-leading R&D organization and guides the company’s strategic advancement of technologies that provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy for customers in a net-zero future. This includes developing low- and no-carbon technologies, including advanced nuclear and the hydrogen economy; advancing energy storage, renewable, distributed generation and transportation solutions; modernizing the grid; and promoting negative-emission and sustainability innovations.

Named to the position in June 2022, Berry previously served as vice president of Southern Company Services R&D, as well as vice president of environmental and natural resources for Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, where he oversaw Georgia Power-owned natural resources and managed environmental compliance and stewardship programs to meet or surpass all environmental laws and regulations.

Over his career, Berry has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, including director of Southern Company research and technology management, managing a portfolio of research related to emission controls, energy efficiency, renewables, power delivery, central station generation and carbon capture, utilization and storage. He served as director in the generation sector at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), where he managed research and development efforts in renewables, water management, carbon capture and storage, and advanced fossil generation; and director of energy and environment at Southern Research. He was also manager of environmental assessment for Southern Company’s research and environmental affairs organization, where he managed the company’s regulatory response to federal rule-making activity and the environmental science research program.

Prior to joining Southern Company, Berry attained the commissioned rank of lieutenant commander in the United States Navy as a surface warfare officer. While on active duty, he served upon the USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) in the capacities of deck officer and combat information center officer. After joining the reserves, he served as an engineering officer supporting the USS Sentry (MCM-3) and as an intelligence officer supporting the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA HQ).

Berry holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Alabama A&M University, and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering and Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also earned a master’s degree in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College and is a registered professional engineer. He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta. Berry is currently pursuing a chief technology officer certificate from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Berry is vice chair of the Research Advisory Council at EPRI. He is an advisory board member of the Strategic Energy Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the School of Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Berry is a board member of Wellstar Health System and serves on the boards of the Georgia Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation. Berry is a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, where he leads the mentoring efforts for the organization. Berry also teaches thermodynamics as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is a program evaluator for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Berry is an active, lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He has established two scholarships for minority students pursuing a degree in engineering in the name of his grandfathers – an endowed scholarship in the name of Marion Luscious Nell at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Simpson Berry Sr. Endowed Scholarship at Alabama A&M University.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Berry and his wife, Crystal, have four children.

David Bottoms is President of The Bottoms Group and a Principal of TBX Benefit Partners, a subsidiary of The Bottoms Group focused exclusively on the unique employee benefit needs of employers with more than 5,000 employees. David works extensively with employers relating to the structure, funding and communication of their employee benefit plans. In particular, David is regularly cited as an expert by local and regional publications on healthcare and employee benefit trends and strategy. David and his wife, Brittney, have been married for 21 years and reside in Marietta, GA, with their son, Drew, and daughter, Eliza Grace. They attend Christ Covenant Church in Buckhead.

W. Charles Brock is the owner of Brock Investments, Inc. and is the owner of various real estate investments. He is an organizer and Chairman of Georgia Heritage Bank, serves on the Paulding Hospital Authority, Paulding Regional Board and Wellstar Board of Trustees. Born and raised in Paulding County, Brock attends First Baptist Church in Dallas, GA.

A native of LaGrange, Speer Burdette is president of Callaway Foundation, Inc., Fuller E. Callaway Foundation, and Charitable Services Company. Burdette received a BA in mathematics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA in Accounting from the University of Alabama. He has served on the West Georgia Health System Board of Trustees since 2009, including a term as board chair, and joined the Wellstar Board of Trustees in 2016. He is active on the boards of the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, Troup Country Recreation Commission, Industrial Development Authority, LaGrange Personal Aid Association, Medical Park Foundation and LaGrange College. Burdette is an Elder at First Presbyterian Church in LaGrange.

Jay Cunningham is the founder and president of Superior Plumbing Services, Inc. In 1988, he began Superior Plumbing Services which specializes in residential plumbing services throughout the greater Metro Atlanta area. Superior Plumbing is well known throughout the Metro Atlanta area for its commitment to the betterment of the community.

In recognition of his widespread community service and active philanthropy, Jay was awarded the 2017 Cobb County Citizen of the Year. He serves on numerous boards including governor appointed Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board since 2012, Technical College System of Georgia and the State of Georgia Workforce Development Board. Superior Plumbing Services has been recognized as a top 25 small business by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. Jay has seven children, nine grandchildren and resides in Kennesaw with his wife, Lee.

Dr. Douglass serves as Chief, Division of Cardiology and Director, Cardiovascular Services at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. He practices clinical and interventional cardiology at Wellstar Metro Atlanta Cardiovascular Medicine. In addition, he serves as clinical assistant professor (Cardiology) at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Douglass received his undergraduate degree in biology from Northwestern University and medical degree from Meharry Medical College. He received postgraduate training in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease at Emory University School of Medicine. He is also a past Chair of the Hospital Board of Atlanta Medical Center.

James Holmes serves as the Market President for North Fulton & Forsyth Counties for BB&T. James is responsible for overseeing the commercial banking team and integration of all other lines of business. James is a 24-year banking veteran that has been employed with BB&T since 2005. As a strong believer in community service, his community involvement includes current board positions on the Executive Board of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Carl Sanders YMCA Board of Directors, and Wellstar North Fulton Regional Health Board. James is the 2017 recipient of the GNFCC’s Harry Rucker, Jr. Volunteer of the Year Award. He is a graduate of Leadership Cobb, Cherokee, and Sandy Springs programs. James is a graduate of Morris Brown College and Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking.

Dr. Hornsby is currently in practice with Wellstar Family Medicine. Prior to joining Wellstar, Dr. Hornsby was the CEO and Medical Director at Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, a non-profit family medicine/dental clinic. He received degrees with highest honors from University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia, and completed his residency training at the University of Tennessee Department of Family Medicine, St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He has delivered medical services in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Nairobi, Kenya, Lhasa, Tibet and Kabul Afghanistan. Dr. Hornsby grew up in Augusta, Georgia and currently lives in Marietta with his wife, Kip, and two children Alea and Jackson.

John McKibben is a licensed funeral director and co-owner of a family funeral business in Hogansville, GA. John currently serves on the Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center Board of Trustees, and is a past member of the FLAG Bank Board of Directors in Stockbridge, GA, and The Citizens Bank Board of Directors in Hogansville, GA. John is also currently serving or has also served on the Central Midwest Georgia Chapter of American Red Cross; Hogansville Development Authority; Hogansville Downtown Development Authority; Meriwether County-City of Hogansville Joint Development Authority; LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce; United Way of West Georgia. John is a graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta, GA and has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Georgia College, now Georgia College and State University.

Mitzi Moore is president, owner and co-founder of Sundial Plumbing in Marietta. She has more than 23 years of experience emphasizing business development and leadership in the plumbing contract industry. She serves on numerous boards, including Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College.

Greg Morgan is the partner-in-charge of the Atlanta office of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC, where he is responsible for the administration of the Atlanta office and ensuring Mauldin & Jenkins meets client expectations. He is a certified public accountant and graduate of Georgia Southern University. Morgan is a previous chairman of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

Ed Richardson is President of Richardson Management Group (RMG), an IT staffing and federal government contracting firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Prior to launching RMG, Ed served in technology leadership roles at such firms as The Home Depot, Alltel Information Services, SciTek and Accenture. As an active community volunteer, Ed has served as Chairman and Treasurer of the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority, Secretary of the Cobb Schools Foundation and member of the Cobb Hospital Authority and Wellstar Cobb Regional Health Boards. Ed received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Morehouse College and also holds a master’s degree in operations research from Georgia Tech.

Frank P. Ros was the Team Captain of the University of Georgia’s 1980 National Football Champions, Academic All-SEC and past recipient of the University of Georgia Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Post-Graduate Award. He currently serves as Vice President, Hispanic Strategies for The Coca-Cola Company where he transformed a one-market urban community relations program, Coca-Cola Presents Art of Harmony, into a nine-market, nationally recognized and award-winning property. Born in Barcelona, Spain, Ros lives in Kennesaw, Georgia with his wife, Jan Floyd-Ros, and sons, Frank VI and Bryce where he enjoys mountain biking, weightlifting, running and reading.

Dr. Swayze is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and current president of Pinnacle Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, LLC. He started practice in Marietta in 1992 and specializes in surgery of the hip and knee. He received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi. His orthopedic training was completed at Emory University.

Ambica Yadav is the Founder and former CEO of Karna LLC, a rapidly growing organization focused on providing health-related professional services in the areas of health science, research, information technology, and management consulting. Karna has been recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. (Inc. 500) and in Atlanta (Pacesetters Award). Prior to Karna, Mrs. Yadav has worked with several premier health-focused firms including Constella Group (now SRA International), WebMD, and Ernst and Young. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Master of Public Health from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.