Our Team
NGP Board of Directors
NGP Board Chair
Francys Johnson
Francys Johnson
Francys, a noted trial attorney, pastor, and educator, is a progressive thought-leader on race, equity, and understandings of power in public policy from Statesboro, Georgia. A graduate of the Georgia Southern University and the University of Georgia School of Law, he has taught courses on Criminal Law; Constitutional Law; Race and the law; and the Civil Rights Movement. He is partnered with Dr. Meca Williams-Johnson, an educational psychologist and professor. They have three sons, Thurgood Marshall Joshua, Langston Hughes Elijah, and the late Frederick Douglass Caleb. Francys lives by the command of Micah 6:8 to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly.
NGP Board Member
Takeo Spikes
Takeo Spikes
Takeo received his Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts at Auburn and M.B.A. from the University of Miami. In 2016, he published his first book, Behind the Mask, a collection of intimate short stories and photographs including some of the greatest linebackers to ever play in the NFL.
Executive Leadership
Chief Executive Officer
Nsé Ufot
Nsé Ufot
Nsé was born in Nigeria and raised in Southwest Atlanta. She attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 2002. She then attended the University of Dayton School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor degree. She recently was recognized as one of Glamour Magazine Women of the Year for 2021 as well as being named one of Time’s 100 Next.
Chief Operations Officer
Kendra Davenport Cotton
Kendra Davenport Cotton
A staunch public-school and voting rights advocate, Kendra is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and resides in Powder Springs, GA with her husband Michael and their three children – a daughter Jarah, a Harvard University junior; and two sons Kael, an 11th grader and Rhys a 9th grader.
Chief Legal Officer
Aklima Khondoker
Aklima Khondoker
Prior to joining the New Georgia Project, Khondoker worked as a Staff Attorney and the Senior Manager for the Voting Access Project at the ACLU of Georgia, a project she created to open pathways to the ballot through effective litigation and advocacy.
During the 2020 election, Khondoker worked as the Georgia State Director at All Voting is Local, a campaign of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. While there, Khondoker increased voting access through targeted initiatives, including adding ballot dropboxes statewide, opening early vote sites in communities of color, and advocating for equitable ballot access through effective election administration locally and nationwide.
She serves on the board of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, and is a member of the Gate City Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, and a contributing member of the National Federal Bar Association.
Khondoker holds a B.A. from Stony Brook University and J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta. She is committed to local and national initiatives that both serve the community and gives everyone a voice through their vote.
Chief Technology Officer
Gabriel Posey
Gabriel Posey
Gabriel previously lived in Nashville where he worked for DigiDems, a progressive political technology group.
He once shook Barrack Obama’s hand.
Chief Development Officer
Candice Drummond
Chief of Field and Organizing
Keron Blair
Chief Financial Officer
Randall Frazier
Senior Leadership
Director of Human Resources
Earvin Hopkins
Earvin Hopkins
Earvin Hopkins is from out west but previously lived in Marietta, GA working as an HR Manager for ABM Industries in Tucker, GA at a bread manufactory for 2 years. Earvin worked in HR for a total of 15 years with a life purpose of walking with people through difficulty in their life. Earvin got his Associates, Bachelors and Masters degree while working in HR at various prison systems throughout the United States for 5 years, from the State Pen to Bureau of Prisons he learned first-hand from inmates how to navigate issues & do follow ups.
He got his HR accolade (PHR) after meeting his mentor in 2016 from the Human Resources Certification Institute, who helped him begin to navigate strategic HR with two principles: doing good work and paying it forward.
Earvin serves as board member of the Communications Committee for the Society of Human Resources – Atlanta Chapter for 3 years & plans to take a volunteer Chair seat in the near future & expanding NGP’s good reputation amongst the HR community of Atlanta.
Chief of Staff
Andrew Dinwiddie
Andrew Dinwiddie
With the Times Square Alliance 2016-2020, Andrew shepherded public art projects across a wide range of disciplines — including works by artists Laurie Anderson, Tania Bruguera, Sophie Calle, Nick Cave, Mel Chin, Chitra Ganesh, Jeffrey Gibson, William Kentridge, Christian Marclay, Wangechi Mutu, and Pipilotti Rist — and was instrumental in the realization of Kehinde Wiley’s monumental equestrian statue, Rumors of War (2019). From 2004-2017 Andrew was a co-everything of the OBIE-winning CATCH Performance Series.
Andrew has additionally worked at BRIC/Celebrate Brooklyn, J.F. Mastroianni & Associates, the MoMA Department of Film, New York Live Arts, the Ralph Lauren Corporation, Rooftop Films, and WNYC / New York Public Radio; and has served as a Contributing Editor to the Movement Research Performance Journal, and a Selection Committee Member of the New York Dance and Performance Awards. An Atlanta native raised in the Southern Labor Movement, Andrew received a BFA from NYU in 2001.
Organizing Director
Billy Michael Honor
Billy Michael Honor
Billy previously lived in Orlando, Fl, where he was a child actor and public speaker. Billy attended Beulah Heights University, where he obtained his B.A. in Biblical Education. He also obtained a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center and a Master of Theology degree from Emory University. Billy was also a Religion and Racial Justice fellow with the Aspen Institute and selected as one of the 500 Most Powerful Leaders in Atlanta by the Atlanta Magazine in 2021 and 2022.
Deputy Field Director
Elijah D. Grace
Elijah D. Grace
Elijah is a Morehouse Alumnus from Chicago, Illinois. Previously, Elijah has held internships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation & City of Chicago and has worked as a political fundraiser in the Metro Atlanta area.
Policy Director
Stephanie Jackson Ali
Stephanie Jackson Ali
Stephanie has worked in progressive politics in Georgia since 2010 holding jobs advocating for reproductive justice, consumer safety reform, immigrant justice, HIV medication access, and – most consistently – voting rights and voter access.
Stephanie is a triple Dawg with undergraduate degrees in English and journalism and a Masters of Social Work in Community Empowerment and Program Development. When she isn’t working, Stephanie is dedicated to her son, her husband, her dogs, and her comic books.
Research Director
Ranada Robinson
Research Director Ranada Robinson
Ranada previously worked as a economic development consultant and has worked for clients ranging from Cheyenne, Wyoming to St. Petersburg, Florida, and even in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Ranada’s overarching goal for everything she does is making historically disadvantaged communities better for future generations. Ranada holds a Master of Science in Urban Policy Studies with specializations in policy analysis and economic development and planning and a Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance from Georgia State University. Ranada is also a graduate of Tougaloo College, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science.
Digital Marketing Director
Vanessa Kelly
Vanessa Kelly
Pre-COVID, Vanessa served as the Marketing Manager for GES, a global live events company. As the world shut down, GES employees spent months furloughed and many, including Vanessa, were eventually laid off. Always looking for ways to give back, Vanessa signed up as a poll worker during the pandemic and through this work, connected with NGP leadership and found a new home where she was able to combine her marketing experience with her passion for serving her community.
Vanessa attended the University of Alabama Birmingham where she received her BA in Graphic Design in 2010. In 2013, she attended Georgia State University where she graduated from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business with a Master of Science in Marketing. She has spent years volunteering with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals and Urban League Guild, where she served terms as Public Relations Chair for both, was a member of the Junior League of Atlanta and is an alum of New Leaders Council. A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Vanessa enjoys freelance photography and being a dog-mom to her pup, Harlem.
Design Director
Jen D. Rafanan
Jen D. Rafanan
A renaissance woman, she is both artist and activist, with 22+ years of creative experience of which the latter half has been focused in the progressive political and non-profit advocacy space. She merges her creative talents with her passion for advocacy, utilizing this combination to help amplify the voices of those who struggle to be heard. Jen is equally known for her activism and leadership in Georgia and national politics, and her work as both artist and activist has been recognized locally and nationwide.
Jen is passionate about life, creative engagement, building community and helping others. She and her partner of 13+ years, Al, expanded their family in 2018 when they adopted Agapi, the sweetest rescue pitbull ever. She’s obsessed with Japanese stationery and you can always count on Star Wars as a great icebreaker when meeting her for the first time. She still wishes Bernie Sanders was elected President.
Loose the Chains Director
LK Pendleton
LK Pendleton
LK has served in pastoral ministry as an ordained elder for over twenty years in the United Methodist Church. While serving as president of the Columbus, Georgia branch of the NAACP, she led several successful efforts in the city. She has received several awards and recognitions for her work in the church, community, and academy. She continues to serve as a coach for pastors seeking ordination into the United Methodist Church.
LK is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. She is affiliated with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
LK loves music and considers herself a bootleg musician.
Director of Membership &
Volunteerism
Roderick Smith
Director of Institutional Giving
Connor Cook
Communications Manager
Paul Glaze
IT Manager
Brittany Bengert
Brittany Bengert
Brittany previously served in IT as a Project and Program Manager before coming to the New Georgia Project. Brittany has a Bachelors in Political Science from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Political Science from American Military University, and a Masters in Strategic Public Relations from The George Washington School of Political Management. Her favorite movie is My Cousin Vinny, and she believes the day after the Academy Awards should be a holiday.
Senior Writer
Annie Lipsitz
Annie Lipsitz
Annie grew up in Atlanta and previously lived in Washington, DC where her multifaceted career included a short stint on Capitol Hill, years as a nonprofit fundraiser, and more than a decade as a Leadership Team member and camp counselor with Girls Rock! DC, which she co-founded.
