Dr. Amy Gates Stroud is a veteran public school educator and nonprofit executive with more than 30 years of experience advancing educational opportunity, strengthening communities, and supporting mission-driven organizations in her home state of Connecticut and her adopted home of Georgia. While in Connecticut, she contributed her leadership to multiple state education task forces, the state Health Advisory Board, and C Votes for Animals, where she advocated for legislative changes in the CT General Assembly to improve the lives of companion animals. Deeply committed to her hometown, Gates Stroud also helped create the first Children, Youth, and Family Master Plan and contribute her time and expertise to the Commission on Elderly and the Disabled and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission. She also served for seven years as an adjunct professor at a local community college, where she worked closely with older and first-generation students.

Since leaving public education, Gates Stroud has continued her commitment to service by leading nonprofit organizations focused on youth development, community improvement, and enriching lives through targeted programs and comprehensive supports. Her areas of expertise include fundraising, strategic planning, program development, community partnerships, and leadership growth. In 2022, Gates Stroud earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management. She currently serves as President of North Fulton Community Charities, which supports clients in North Fulton by providing financial assistance, food, education, workforce training, and clothing. A Roswell resident for the past 10 years, Gates Stroud remains deeply engaged i the local community. She contributes her time and leadership as a board member for RoswellNEXT, the Roswell Farmer’s Market, and has volunteered with Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta for the past seven years. Her commitment to service also extends nationally. After donating a kidney to a stranger in 2023, Gates Stroud became a peer mentor for the National Kidney Foundation, supporting others through their own health journeys and has been a peer mentor for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the past 5 years. She lives in downtown Roswell with her husband, youngest daughter, and four-legged family members, and recharges by reading, resting, and spending time outside.

David “Asch” Aschenbach moved to Roswell in 2018 from East Cobb, where he and his wife, Amy, raised their four children. He began his career with IBM in Dayton, Ohio and later moved to Atlanta, working nearly 38 years in sales and client leadership. During that time, he also volunteered for 13 years with Kidz2Leaders, a nonprofit that helps children of incarcerated parents build brighter futures, serving as a camp Cabin Dad, Business coach, and mentor. After retiring from IBM in May 2025, Asch began his encore career by joining Kidz2Leaders as their Major Gifts Officer.

Kristin McCrary (Waites) is an Atlanta native with a background in student ministry and nonprofit work, and she has been involved in prison ministry for many years. She joined the Kidz2Leaders team in January 2025 and currently serves as the Director of Community Relations, where she focuses on building relationships with current partners and developing new ones. Kristin is married and lives in Smyrna with her husband, Patrick, and their two dogs. She is grateful to be here today and excited to share more about the mission of Kidz2Leaders.

Cheryl Carter  is a results-oriented administrator with over 40 years of executive level experience in the development growth and leadership of not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Carter possesses solid capabilities in outcomes-based program development, fundraising, event production, media relations, market research, public/private partnership development and public speaking. Cheryl’s passion lies in creating programs that empower individuals to overcome poverty.Cheryl has served on the Board of Directors for various nonprofit organizations and has received prestigious awards for her community leadership and professional contributions. Before her nonprofit career, she served in the US Army’s 103rd Military Intelligence Division, earning recognition for her service. Cheryl holds degrees in Business Administration Management and Human Services Management, and she resides in Grayson with her husband Drew, an entertainer. They have three successful adult children and a high school senior.