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GLA consists of fourteen Georgia educators with extensive experience in matters of school system governance, training, policy, and compliance. Individual trainers have:
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delivered over 200 trainings to local boards
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provided consultation to numerous local boards
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provided a variety of other services and consultations to local school boards including superintendent searches, planning retreats, policy consultation, salary studies, and analysis of specific local issues.
Dr. Sandy Addis
Sandy Addis has 42 years of experience in public education in Georgia and South Carolina as a teacher, counselor, principal, and central office administrator and currently serves as a local school board member. He has led successful superintendent searches for 15 Georgia school boards and delivered over 50 training sessions to Georgia school boards. Sandy served as Director of Pioneer Regional Educational Service Agency from 2004 to 2013.
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Dr. Ron Busbee
Dr. Ron Busbee is retired Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for Houston County Schools. He is a former part-time professor for the University of Georgia where he taught graduate level courses in School Personnel, and he currently teaches School Law, Ethics and Personnel classes for Piedmont College. Dr. Busbee has extensive personnel experience and has served as a consultant in the areas of planning, school operations, and Human Resources. He has presented at both the state and national levels.
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Dr. David Carpenter
David Carpenter is a retired superintendent of the Houston County School System. During his 35-year career he was named a National Distinguished Principal and was recognized as an Outstanding Educator by the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. He served as president of both the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and the Georgia Association of Elementary Principals. He has presented at both state and national conferences on the topic of Effective Leadership.
Dr. John Lairsey
Dr. John D. Lairsey spent 34 ½ years in the Charlton County School System serving as a teacher, principal at all school levels, an associate superintendent and concluded his time there as the superintendent for 9 ½ years. In addition to his service in Charlton, he was an active member of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and the Georgia School Superintendents Association. He served the Okefenokee RESA as its chairman/vice chairman for 7 years. At RESA, he helped create and teach a Growing Leaders program and provided professional learning to future school leaders.
Dr. Lairsey has taught adjunct courses at Georgia Southern, Armstrong and Valdosta State University. He is currently employed in the Leadership, Technology and Workforce Development of VSU where he works with students in the graduate school. He earned his Ed.D. from Valdosta State University.
Linda Horne
Linda Horne retired from the Houston County School system as an Assistant Superintendent for School Operations. During her 39-year career as an educator, she has served as a teacher, counselor, instructional coordinator, principal, executive director for elementary operations and assistant superintendent. Linda has presented on topics dealing with curriculum and instruction both at state and national conferences. She has provided staff development for the Houston County School system and other systems throughout the state, working with teachers, administrators and central office personnel.
Frank King
Mr. Frank King is currently President of King Educational Services and has worked as superintendent for three school systems. He has extensive experience in matters of school system governance, finance, and executive succession
Dr. Allen McCannon
Allen McCannon is a 1987 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Georgia. In his educational career in public education, he has worked at every level (elementary, middle school, high school, and central office). Dr. McCannon has been a teacher, coach, club sponsor, and principal at every level. In addition to his experience as a superintendent, he has served as Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations including finance and personnel and the Associate Superintendent where he was the chief academic officer for all instruction and curriculum. His experience gives him credibility with board members, administrators, and teachers.
Dr. McCannon has twice been named as a finalist for Superintendent of the Year. He has received the President’s Award from the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association and has been named Citizen of the Year twice for Madison County. He served as the chair for the Charter System Foundation, Foothills Education Charter High School, and the Madison County Board of Health.
Dr. Jack Parish
Dr. Jack Parish has over 37 years of experience in K-12 and higher education. Dr. Parish has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, human resources director, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. During his eight years in higher education, Dr. Parish served as a faculty member in the Educational Leadership Department and as Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement in the University of Georgia’s College of Education.
Dr. Parish has been involved in state educational organizations for many years. He is a past-president of the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), and he has worked as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL). He has also served as a member of the GAEL Board of Directors, the Georgia School Boards Association’s (GSBA) Superintendents’ Advisory Board, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Board of Directors, and on the steering committee of the Georgia Educational Leadership Faculty Association.
Dr. Paul Shaw
Dr. Paul Shaw is currently serving as Director of Educator Ethics for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Dr. Shaw has served as a superintendent in South Carolina and Georgia. He was named Superintendent of the Year for South Carolina in 2000, recipient of the Bill Barr Leadership Award for Georgia in 2007, and Superintendent of the Year for Georgia in 2010. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Service Award for AASA.
Mr. Wes Taylor
Mr. Wes Taylor has served 38 years in public education and is currently Executive Director of Coastal Plains RESA. Preceding his move to CPRESA, he served as Superintendent of the Lowndes County School District in Valdosta, Georgia for ten years. Prior to serving as Superintendent, Mr. Taylor served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and 21 years as a high school principal.
​Mr. Taylor earned his Educational Specialist degree from Florida State University, his Master’s degree from Georgia Southwestern, and his Bachelor’s from the University of Georgia.
In 2011, Mr. Taylor was selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as the National High School Principal of the Year and was also named as the 2011 Georgia High School Principal of the Year. He also received the “Professional Educator of the Year Award” and the “Outstanding Educator Award” from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. In 2017, he was recognized by the Georgia School Superintendents Association with the prestigious “Bill Barr Leadership Award” . Mr. Taylor was a finalist for the Georgia Superintendent of the Year award in 2018 and 2022.
Dr. Charles Webb
Dr. Charles Webb is a retired school superintendent with more than 32 years in education, including extensive experience from the classroom to the boardroom. His areas of expertise include strategic leadership and planning, educational administration, collaborative team building, teaching and learning, executive coaching and mentoring, and interscholastic athletics organization and administration.
For more information about GLA Training or to set up a training session for your local school,
contact Dr. John Lairsey
Mailing Address
Dr. John Lairsey
46 Amber Circle
Folkston, Georgia 31537
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