Spirit of Atlanta welcomes two new members to its board of directors
ATLANTA – Spirit of Atlanta today announced the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors. The board has voted to elect Dr. Sara Womack and Jason Burns to the Spirit Board.
“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Womack and Mr. Burns to the Spirit of Atlanta family”, said George Dickinson, President of the Board of Directors for Spirit of Atlanta. “Sara and Jason bring a wealth of experience in the education and communications fields, specific areas of expertise that are critical to our re-organization efforts and building the organization for years to come.”
Dr. Sara Womack is the fine and performing arts coordinator for the Atlanta Public Schools. Sarah Womack is creating an arts-rich district with arts-rich schools by providing opportunities for student engagement, building the capacity of teachers, and partnering with community organizations to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality sequential arts education. Before journeying into administration, Dr. Womack served as an elementary school teacher in metro Birmingham, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for 15 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in music education, a Master of Arts in music education, a Master of Arts and instructional leadership from UAPB, and a Doctor of Education degree in music education from the University of Georgia. Dr. Womack achieved national board certification in early and middle school music served as president of the Alabama music educators association and southern division of the National Association for music education, and currently serves the Georgia music educators association as advocacy chair. She was the winner of the 2019 APS Schools First Award, the 2021 GMEA Administrative Leadership Award, and the 2022 Georgia Art Education Association Supervision/Administrative Award for her dedication to supporting the leaders, teachers, and students of Atlanta. She and her husband, Sean, enjoy traveling and hiking with their sons, Will and Mason.
Jason Burns is an award-winning journalist, professional communicator, marketing strategist, and a prominent advocate for arts education. Mr. Burns spent the past 15 years leading digital marketing efforts for some of the world’s most popular brands, including IBM, NASCAR, and the Walt Disney Company. Prior to becoming a marketing professional, he spent 15 years as a broadcast journalist working as a news producer for CBS Network News, Fox Sports News, and various outlets in the Los Angeles market. He currently serves as the lead marketing strategist and community relations manager for Generation T, a digital initiative powered by Lowe’s Home Improvement with the mission to help rebuild and revitalize careers in the skilled trades. Recently, his work was recognized with an American Advertising Award for Best Social Media Marketing Campaign. Mr. Burns is a drum corps veteran, and a former producer on the Drum Corps International television broadcast, working alongside Tom Blair. He studied strategic communications at Liberty University receiving a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies with a focus on Communications and the Arts. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Gigi and their three boys, Joshua, Jacob, and Jonah.
About Spirit of Atlanta - founded in 1976, the Spirit of Atlanta is Georgia based performing arts organization whose primary mission is to provide young musicians and artists with opportunities to develop life and personal skills through affirmative, high-quality, challenging arts and athletic education programs emphasizing character building, a strong work ethic, teamwork, and the pursuit of performance excellence. Its primary program, Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps, is a 20-time Drum Corps International World-Class finalist. Comprised of 165 members between the ages of 14-21, the group travels across the United States each year to compete and perform for hundreds of thousands of fans. Performers spend hundreds of hours perfecting a 12-minute show performed on a football field using brass, percussion, color guard (flags and rifles), dance, and other exciting performance elements. The organization is sponsored by Friends of Spirit Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3).