For the past ten years, David has represented clients in Atlanta as both a public defender and criminal defense attorney. David is active in the non-profit community and helps advise students seeking careers in the non-profit sector. David holds a Bachelors degree from Kenyon College and earned his law degree at Fordham University.

Michael J. Morrier (Ph.D, BCBA-D) completed his doctorate in special education at Georgia State University with a focus on educational policy issues. He has worked with children with autism and their families for the past 25 years. Dr. Morrier currently consults to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an expert clinical reviewer for their Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Dr. Morrier has co-authored several journal articles and book chapters on autism and childhood early intervention, including several articles with Dr. Hess on best practices used in public schools and disproportionate representation of ethnically diverse students with disabilities in public schools.

Sarah received a bachelor’s degree in human development from Arizona State University and a Masters degree in Public Health from Emory University in 1996. Sarah is a certified diabetes educator and has spent the past 20 years helping people prevent or live healthy with chronic diseases. Currently, she designs and delivers health coach training on diabetes prevention nationwide and leads diabetes prevention groups. Prior to coming to Emory, Sarah has worked as a diabetes educator and health educator in a variety of settings including a local Atlanta nonprofit, Grady health system, a rural Navajo reservation in New Mexico, to name a few. Sarah is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars on topics such as diabetes prevention, health literacy, improving patient-provider communication, facilitation skills, wellness topics and behavior change. In her free time Sarah enjoys writing children’s books for family and friends, and spending time outdoors with her family. Sarah is the parent of a Hess academy student who loves Hess because of the teachers and the “outside time.”

Renee has spent 15 years dedicated to improving the lives of families and children. A massage therapist by training Renee has owned the Pregnancy Massage Center in Virginia Highlands since 2007. Her commitment to whole family wellness includes working as a doula, providing infant and adult massage, and educating and supporting families during significant life changes. Renee is excited to continue to support children and their families through her work on the Hess Academy Board.

James is the owner of Atlanta Pro AV (APAV). Using his background as a professional touring musician, he developed an audio visual company that specializes in live production, integration, and design for corporate clients. He has been contracted by several institutions of higher learning (Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, etc…) as a technology solutions provider. James loves the emphasis on individualized instruction and active learning at Hess Academy. He is very happy to be a part of the Hess community.