Kyle
Walcott

President

Kyle Walcott is the senior director of institutional giving for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. In this capacity, he oversees relationships with major corporate sponsors and foundations in order to create strategic partnerships that benefit kids and teens served at 26 Clubs throughout 11 counties. Prior to that, he served 5 years as the manager of development and communications for the Ron Clark Academy, an Atlanta-based nonprofit middle school. In that role, he managed vital operational areas including but not limited to: grant writing, individual and corporate donor engagement, event management, and media marketing.⁣


Since he began his fundraising career in 2015, he’s been directly responsible for securing approximately $10 million dollars in funds from foundations, corporations, and individuals. In previous years, Kyle also served as a staff writer for millennial multimedia company, Blavity, in which he published a total of 27 articles covering entertainment, culture, and news.
 
Within the community, Kyle serves as the President of the Emerging 100 of Atlanta, the young professional auxiliary of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. He is also a graduate of LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2022. Kyle earned his bachelor of business administration in marketing from Georgia State University and currently resides in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood.

Rashad Stallings is the Director of Young Professional Engagement with United Way of Greater Atlanta. Born and raised in Cedartown, GA, Rashad has a passion for serving his community and he thrives on taking initiative and creating positive results. Rashad’s focus and passion has always been the youth and education equity, in which he works to ensure all students receive a quality education, regardless of their financial or material welfare.⁣

He was the first African-American male Chairman for United Way of Greater Atlanta Young Professional Leaders in 2020. Also, he is a member of LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2019 and Leadership Buckhead’s Class of 2015. Prior to being elected as Vice President for the Emerging, Rashad served in leadership capacities as two-time membership co-chair and corporate roundtable co-chair. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for YES!Atlanta Inc., a non-profit organization that seeks to give at-risk teenagers a chance to experience personal success. Rashad received his B.A. in Business Administration at Kennesaw State University.

During his free time, Rashad enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. ⁣

Rashad
Stallings

Vice President

Tony
Mitchell

Secretary

Tony Mitchell is the Director of State Government Affairs for Gilead Sciences throughout the Southern Region. In his role, Tony is responsible for the lobbying and policy activity in the Southern states on a number of issues including HIV and HCV treatment access, drug pricing, and creating a sustainable environment for patient access to care. A Saint Louis University School of Law graduate, Tony entered the world of politics as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Intern in the office of Representative Sanford Bishop (GA-2). As a law student, Tony served as the Legislative Liaison for the National Black Law Students Association and continued his passion for advocacy post-law school in numerous roles. A health policy wonk at heart, Tony is passionate about educating individuals on healthcare disparities, and helping people find their voice through effective advocacy.

Tony is a member of the Emerging 100 of Atlanta’s Class of 2019, and currently serves on the organization’s Executive Board as Secretary. Tony is also a member of LEAD Atlanta’s 2022 class.

Tony, his wife Brittany, son Bryson, and dog Cooper live in Atlanta’s West End. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

CJ Best is a Business Development Manager for Big Nerd Ranch, an IT-services firm based in Atlanta. He manages and oversees a portfolio, which consists of several Fortune 100 Enterprise accounts. Prior to joining Big Nerd Ranch, CJ worked as a regional manager for Sonic Automotive, a manager for Apple, and sales representative at IBM.

CJ joined the Emerging 100 of Atlanta as a member of the class of 2019. He has served in numerous roles in the organization and now proudly serves as Treasurer. Originally from New York, he received his bachelor of arts degree in business administration (with a focus in management) from Morehouse College.

Cornelius "CJ"
Best

Treasurer

Diriki
Geuka

Parliamentarian

Diriki T. Geuka is an Associate in the Atlanta office of Townsend & Lockett where he works in the transactional practice group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital agreements. Diriki was previously a Pinellas Assistant County Attorney where he represented County agencies run by locally elected and appointed officials. Diriki began his career as federal staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and was an intern for the Honorable Julie S. Sneed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Diriki was president of Stetson University College of Law’s Student Bar Association before graduating in 2017 with the Dean Richard Dillon Excellence in Real Property and Marc L. Levine Awards.  He currently serves as member of Morris Brown’s President’s Advisory Board.

Diriki joined The Emerging 100 of Atlanta in 2018, and served as the Process & Governance Chair prior to being elected as Parliamentarian. He has additionally assisted with fundraising, organizational fellowshipping efforts, and community uplift initiatives.

Diriki is an avid anime fan, dog lover, and his favorite sport is boxing.

Members