Board of Directors

Peter Hildebrandt is an engineer, entrepreneur, business mentor, and freelance string bassist who has been a member of the Johns Creek Symphony since 2011.  He currently manages Aria Lights, a music stand light manufacturing business serving professional musicians and orchestras around the globe.  After selling a previous business, he became Director of Global Research and Development at Steelcase, where he spent 13 years managing teams on three continents.

Also serving on the Michael O’Neal Singers board, he is former president of the Georgia Philharmonic and chairman of the Associated Chamber Music Players Foundation, an NYC endowment which provides grants to promote the playing of chamber music for fun.  Peter is the founder of the Georgia Chamber Music Retreat, an annual weekend event since 2002 in North Georgia.  In his spare time, he volunteers with SCORE teaching workshops and doing one-on-one mentoring to guide small business owners.

Marilyn Margolis is the retired CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital. She began her career at Emory Healthcare more than 35 years ago at Emory University hospital as a staff nurse in CCU.  After caring for patients at the bedside for 15 years, she went to the Emergency Department as the Unit Director and began a career in leadership roles at EHC that included Director of nursing for emergency services and neurosciences, and Nursing Director for Operations.  Marilyn has extensive experience leading quality initiative teams throughout the Emory Healthcare system in areas such as Emergency Services and ICU at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown.  She has also worked with teams to develop operational changes with patient flow and transfer services.  Marilyn has been a champion for patient and family centered care and has worked with patient/family advisors to institute change with patients and family input.

Marilyn came to Emory Johns Creek Hospital in early 2011 and was named CNO in August 2011.  In April 2013, Marilyn was promoted to Vice President of Operations in addition to her CNO role.  On September 1, 2014, she was named interim Chief Executive Officer before being named permanent CEO in January 2015.

Notably, Marilyn is the recipient of the Nursing Management’s Visionary leader award in 2007 and the Georgia Hospital Association’s 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award.  In October 2017, Marilyn received the Distinguished Nursing Achievement Award, which is awarded to an Emory School of Nursing alumnus whose career has demonstrated continuous and exemplary contributions to the profession of nursing and/or healthcare.

Marilyn received a master in nursing administration from the Nell Hodgson Woodruff Emory University School of Nursing.  She also has done post graduate work at Harvard Business School and the Woodruff Leadership Academy.  In 2017, she was appointed and currently serves as Chair of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce, and is an active Board Member of the Johns Creek Advantage.  Additionally, Marilyn is a member and is the President-elect of the Rotary Club of Johns Creek.

Bill Abely has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance focused on planning, analysis and sales support. He currently works for LeapFrog Services in the Finance area.

Bill was born and raised in the Boston area. He earned a BA in history from Boston College and an MBA from Duke University. Following graduate school, Bill accepted a position with Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida. Subsequent to Harris Corporation, Bill has been employed by BellSouth, Intergraph Corporation, Nationwide Credit Inc., Pathfire, and CSM Bakery Products.

Bill resides in Johns Creek with his wife, Catherine.

Kevin Brown has over 35 years of experience in the Atlanta arts community.  For 25 of those years, he managed volunteers and front of house operations with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Atlanta Symphony Hall and Chastain Park Amphitheater.  He also managed the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and played a role in their performance during the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games.  While with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kevin worked with classical artists ranging from Itzhak Perlman to Yo Yo Ma and popular artists ranging from Elton John to Prince.

Kevin is currently Volunteer Services Coordinator for Sacred Journey Hospice. He previously was Director of Volunteer Services at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, where he served on the board of the Georgia Hospital Association’s Georgia Society of Volunteer and Retail Professionals, (GSVRP).  He won three consecutive annual Best Practice awards from the GSVRP for “Unique and Innovative Programs focusing on Community Outreach.”

Kevin is a member of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce.  He is the President of the Glenhurst Homeowners Association and also directs the Social Committee.

Kevin received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercer University, Atlanta.  He enjoys collecting antique arcade games, slot machines, phonographs and radios – including a 1946 and a 1958 jukebox.  A resident of Johns Creek for over 20 years, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Jann, and two boys, Nick and Luke.

Tim Aucoin is a nationally recognized music educator and bassist. He is a native of New Orleans, but now resides in Atlanta, GA. Tim has performed internationally with many diverse acts such as Grammy nominated jazz vocalist – Nnenna Freelon, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Mamas and the Papas, Allen Toussaint, Pete Fountain, Luther Kent and Trickbag, and the Georgia Symphony Jazz Orchestra. He continues to be active in the Atlanta jazz and commercial music community. In addition to recording as a sideman, he has released two albums of original jazz music, “Swing First, Think Later,” and most recently, “Mystified,” by his band, Professor Aucoin and the Jazz Scientists.  Tim has served as President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators and is a past director of the Atlanta All-Star Grammy Jazz Band. Jazz ensembles under his direction have performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators and Jazz Education Network Conferences.   While Performing Arts Department Chair and Orchestra Director, North Springs High School was named a “National Grammy Signature School.” Under his direction, the Northview High School Chamber Orchestra was a featured performer multiple times for the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. The ensemble was also featured three times at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. The Northview Chamber Orchestra represented the State of Georgia in Austria and the Czech Republic for “Mozart: 2006” – a 250th Celebration. The Northview Chamber Orchestra has also been featured at the National School Board Association Conference. Tim has several compositions for alternative style strings published by Alfred Music Publishers, JW Pepper My Score, and Gamba Music. In addition to degrees from Loyola University in New Orleans, he holds an Educational Specialist Degree from Georgia State University. Tim has been named a Georgia ASTA Music Educator of the Year, GMEA Music Educator of the Year, and was recently named the Atlanta Federation of Musicians Music Educator of the Year. He has served as adjunct faculty at Loyola University of New Orleans, Georgia State University and the University of North Georgia. Tim has recently retired as the director of orchestras at Northview High School and Chairman of their Fine Arts Department.

Pamela Boles currently serves as a Judge on the Municipal Court, City of Cumming. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Council of Magistrate Court Judges, the Council of Municipal Court Judges, and National Association of Women Judges, just to name a few.

Pamela started her career as a Registered Nurse and has maintained her RN to date. She has a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration and a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

Pamela served in the U.S. Army for over 20 years with multiple deployments, and she retired as a LTC. She is a charter member of the Women in Military Service of America – Women’s Memorial in Washington D.C., and is a Founding Member of the National Museum of the United States Army. Pamela taught for the U.S. Army at various installations and locally at Lanier Technical College, Forsyth County Campus.

Pamela is an active member of the Johns Creek Rotary Club and has served in various positions, including past president of the club. Over the course of her career, she has been a member of a variety of other organizations and has served on a variety of boards.

Pamela loves to travel and experience new and interesting places.

Scott Braynard is Vice President of Sales at Incident IQ, a software company providing a service management platform specifically for K-12 school districts.  He has been a technology sales executive throughout his career, and developed an expertise for scaling high performance enterprise software sales teams over the last 15 years.  Originally from the midwest, Scott earned a BA degree in Communications from the University of Iowa.  He and his wife, Jennifer, have lived in what is now Johns Creek for over 30 years.  Together they have raised a family of amateur musicians and continue to actively support the local arts community.

Amy Chang A talented and accomplished musician, Amy Chang has brought the beauty of music to audiences everywhere, switching seamlessly between violin and viola throughout her 25-year professional performing career. During this time, she played with world-renowned conductors and soloists while touring around the globe with the Houston and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras. Amy’s professional tenure began in Houston, where for over 14 years she performed with the Houston Ballet Orchestra, the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 2003, Amy moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she performed regularly with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera Orchestra where she served as Acting Viola Principal. She was also a violist with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra from 2005-2017. During her musical career, Amy has produced numerous recordings with the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which were the recipients of several Grammy Awards. In addition to her performances with nationally recognized orchestras, her talents have delighted audiences across the United States and the globe in a variety of guest appearances. As an active chamber music musician, Amy was a regular guest artist at the Texas Music Festival and performed in numerous chamber music concerts in Atlanta, Houston, Michigan, and Hong Kong. Amy was also invited to teach violin at the Interlochen Music Festival in Michigan and as viola faculty at the Asian Youth Orchestra in Hong Kong from 2009-2013. In 2016, she was appointed as a viola coach for the Harpa International Music Academy in Reykjavik, Iceland, and was invited to give a viola masterclass at the College of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Music in Singapore in 2019. Amy was also a violin and viola teacher at the Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia from 2011-2018, where she served as a Director of the String Chamber Ensemble.

After more than 25 years of performing on world-class stages, Amy and her husband William Pu founded the William Pu Music Academy in Alpharetta, Georgia in 2014. The William Pu Music Academy is a prestigious pre-college music academy that is dedicated to providing high-quality lessons to K-12 students of all playing levels. Amy’s passion for music education has helped many of her violin and viola students win prestigious honors. Under her tutelage, her students have won national and international competitions, participated in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, won sections and principal positions in the local youth orchestras and all-state orchestras, and received scholarships in prestigious university music conservatories and programs. In 2019, Amy and her husband William also founded the Atlanta Festival Academy. The Atlanta Festival Academy (AFA) is a non-profit organization, the first of its kind international classical music festival hosted in the Southeast region of the United States. It has attracted young musicians, renowned instructors, and world-class performers from around the world. The AFA offers a myriad of resources and opportunities for helping the next generation of classical music artists. In 2021, Amy and William founded the Atlanta Festival Chamber Orchestra and Atlanta Festival Sinfonietta to offer young musicians the opportunity to explore the rich and challenging literature of the orchestra repertoire.

While Amy has enjoyed a lifetime of musical success in the United States, her talents and values trace to her upbringing in Asia. Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, she came to the United States in 1982 to continue her music studies after winning the 1st prize in the Taiwan National Music Competition. After graduating from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, Amy was offered a full scholarship to study at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a violin performance major and was honored to keep receiving the full scholarship for her six years of studying at the Shepherd School of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1989, and followed in 1991, with her Master of Music degree, also at Rice University.

Amy and William were honored to represent the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women Atlanta Chapter as recipients of the 7th Annual “Exemplary Couple Award” at the 2019 GFCBW World Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Amy will be appointed as the 4th President of the Global Federation of Chinese (Taiwanese) Business Women of Atlanta in 2023.

Dr. Ping Helen Chen is Managing Director at Otogentics, which specializes in genetic testing for multigene and complex genetic diseases. She was a graduate from the University of Chicago, and awarded the best dissertation in biomedical research by the Pritzker School of Medicine and recognized for outstanding performance in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Chen was a tenured faculty member at Emory University School of Medicine. She is currently the managing lab director for clinical testing and test development with clinical lab director licenses from GA and NY. She has received grant awards from NIH, March of Dimes Foundation of Birth Defect Research, and Human Frontier Science Program, European Union. The studies led by her have been published in scientific journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Cell Biology, and PNAS. In addition to teaching and training graduate and medical students, and post-doctoral fellows, Dr. Chen has served as a reviewer for NIH for research grants and fellowship applications.  She also participates frequently in international science program reviews including UK Wellcome Foundation.

Back in 2003, Ting Chiu, Ms. Ting to those close to her, was a contented Montessori teacher. With her caring attitude and devotion to education, this talented, well-educated woman was making a name for herself in her career. An unfortunate event changed her view on life, realizing that people needed basic financial literacy. With the help of World Financial Group, she took up the cause of educating people with financial knowledge and providing solutions to build and protect wealth for families. She quickly evolved into a more decisive, inspirational leader, receiving honors and accolades, because she believes that people can always be helped by teaching them the basics of personal financial strategies.

Ting, who has impeccable personal ethics, with well-developed principles of strong family values, is changing families’ lives in very positive ways and, with her business skills and abilities, has helped others become proponents of financial literacy as well. Indeed, this selfless dedication, hard-work, and single-minded focus on her cause helped Ting get her promotion to Executive Vice Chairman in 2015. She is currently managing over 300 licensed agents across 15 states and serving clients in over 30 states.

She added to her qualifications by receiving her designation as a Certified Financial Educator (CFEd), by becoming a Certified College Planning Consultant, and by becoming a Registered Representative with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. Ting, highly regarded in her community, is active in her church and is involved in several nonprofit organizations.

Erin Elwood practices law in Roswell and is proud to be an active resident and small business owner in Johns Creek. She is an owner of Johns Creek Books, the only independent bookstore in the city.  She also serves as a member of the Johns Creek City Council.  She completed her undergraduate work at Agnes Scott College, before earning a JD from Georgia State University College of Law and Masters of Library & Information Science from Valdosta State University.

Erin is in a phase of her life where she wants to prioritize things of beauty — whether literary, visual, or musical arts or the natural environment.  She lives in the Rivermont community with her husband Mark, a freelance visual artist and folk historian, and son Anders.

Angela Harvey is a retired educator with a masters degree in Middle Childhood Education. She was selected to Who’s Who Among American Teachers and was Teacher of the Year.

Angela attends Johns Creek Presbyterian Church.  She was married to the late Hubert (Bud) Harvey and has three children and three grandchildren.

Shafiq Jadavji is the Founder & CEO of 60 Financial where he inspires individuals and growing businesses to create a purpose driven financial future.

As an engaged member of the Johns Creek community, Shafiq is involved with various organizations, including the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, Johns Creek Public Safety Foundation, Johns Creek Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee and the Johns Creek Arts Center.   Shafiq is also an active leader of Leadership Johns Creek and has been instrumental in assisting the City of Johns Creek with the annual John Creek International Festival.

In addition to promoting visual and performing arts, Shafiq is also the Founder and President of Johns Creek Cricket Association.  He is passionate about developing the arts and the sport of Cricket in Johns Creek.  Shafiq was inducted into the USA Cricket Hall of Fame in 2022 for his work in the sport over the last 25 years.

Shafiq is a graduate of NYU Stern School of Business (MBA) and University of Buffalo (BS).

Stephen Miller, a proud native of Alabama, was born and raised in the heart of the South, where hospitality and community were ingrained in his upbringing. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the esteemed University of Alabama, Stephen embarked on a fulfilling career dedicated to serving others.

With a compassionate spirit and a drive to make a difference, Stephen became a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, bringing his expertise and care to a nursing home for three years. His commitment to enhancing the lives of those in need led him to take on the role of Chief Professional Officer at the Boys and Girls Club, where he made a positive impact on the lives of countless children in the community.

For the past nine years, Stephen has served as an Assisted Living/Memory Care & Independent Living Executive Director, where his leadership and dedication have created a nurturing environment for seniors to thrive and feel at home. His passion for senior living is not just a career choice but a true calling that has been rooted in him since a young age.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Stephen is a devoted Alabama football fan, proudly cheering on his team with unwavering enthusiasm. However, his greatest joy comes from spending quality time with his family, especially his wife, Ashley and his daughter, Raylan Marie.

Stephen’s deep connection to the senior community and his unwavering dedication to service are rooted in the cherished relationships he shared with his grandparents as a young child. Their wisdom, kindness, and love have shaped his values and inspired him to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, embodying the true essence of compassion and empathy that defines his character.

Orlando Ojeda has led the team at Full Circle Restoration and Construction Services, Inc. for nearly 3 decades, as well as predecessor companies Aqua Removal Technologies, Moisture Removal Technologies, & Full Service Restoration.

Full Circle is a leading Atlanta-based disaster restoration and reconstruction company with a premier list of clients. Prior to having his own company, Orlando was employed by former industry leader Cargocaire Engineering Corp., a Munters subsidiary, where he learned the specialty areas of disaster response and recovery, emergency mitigation, restoration, reconstruction, environmental moisture control, property insurance claims facilitation and insurance claim-related documentation. Orlando continues to learn, serve, and educate by participating in and supporting commercial and institutional customers and clients in positions of leadership with trade organizations like he has held on the Board of Directors for BOMA Georgia and as Secretary and Founding Member of the Georgia Bio Recovery Association (GaBRA).

William Pu The distinguished Chinese-American violinist, William Pu, has served in key roles for two of the premiere orchestras in the United States. For the past twenty-five years, Mr. Pu was the Assistant Concertmaster for the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Associate Concertmaster for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Born in Shanghai, Mr. Pu graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music before coming to the United States. He studied with renowned teachers like Fredell Lack, Camilla Wicks, David Cerone, and Emanuel Borok. Mr. Pu was the National Winner of 1990 Music Teachers National Association Competition (MTNA) and has received many awards in national and international competitions.

At the age of twenty-three, Mr. Pu won the national audition and was appointed by Christoph Eschenbach to become the youngest ever to serve as the Assistant Concertmaster of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 2002, Mr. Pu again won the national audition to become the Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. During his tenured years with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Pu led both as acting concertmaster, on tours, and on recordings. He was featured as a soloist on many occasions, and collaborated with distinguished artists such as Robert Spano, Christoph Eschenbach, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, and Itzhak Perlman. Mr. Pu was invited as a guest concertmaster with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Mr. Pu actively played chamber music with his colleagues and friends in Houston, Atlanta, Hong Kong, and China.

Mr. Pu was invited to be the featured soloist with the Wroclaw Philharmonic in Poland, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Texas Music Festival Orchestra, Moore School of Music Orchestra at University of Houston, Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra etc. In 2005 and 2010, Mr. Pu was invited to perform in Beijing and Shanghai as a member of the orchestra comprised of the top one hundred Chinese musicians from around the world.

Teaching has long been Mr. Pu’s passion. In 1989, Mr. Pu received the Dorothy Starling Foundation Scholarship to become a teaching assistant to Fredell Lack at the University of Houston. For many years in the summer, Mr. Pu was invited to teach at the Texas Music Festival, the Asian Youth Orchestra in Hong Kong, the Harpa International Music Academy in Reykjavik, Iceland, and continues with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) International Youth Orchestra Camp. His students are now in many professional orchestras and top music schools in the United States and abroad.

Since 2014, it was due to his love of music and deep commitment to provide educational opportunities for young musicians, Mr. Pu and his wife, Amy Chang, have founded following educational institutions in Atlanta:

William Pu Music Academy (2014), a successful pre-college music school dedicate to providing high quality lessons to all level students start from age 4.

Atlanta Youth Orchestra (2016), a premium summer youth ensemble that provide professional orchestra training and performance opportunities for young musicians throughout metro Atlanta.

In 2019, together with his wife Amy Chang founded the Atlanta Festival Academy. The AFA was successfully launched as an international platform of music collaborations and performances for young musicians around world. In 2021, they founded the Atlanta Festival Academy orchestras which offers the young musicians to explore the rich and challenging literature of orchestra repertoire.

Mr. Pu has been awarded as a recipient of the “Outstanding Georgia Citizen” by Governor of the United State of Georgia, Brian P. Kemp. Mr. Pu received the certificate of appreciation from the ambassador Roger Wise at the Opening Ceremony of the Inaugural Atlanta Festival Academy on July 21, 2019.

Mr. Pu was nominated by Mr. Wise to receive the award, given to Georgians who go above and beyond in their dedication to the well-being of the state. The award certificate text captures the nature of the honor: “May this Outstanding Citizen be afforded every courtesy as a Goodwill Ambassador from Georgia in her travels to other states, to nations beyond the borders of the United States of America, or wherever he may hereafter travel or reside. Thank you for your service to our State.”

Mr. Pu has been engaging and volunteering to his community. He is in the Legacy Center Task Force, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Partners and as the board member of the Emory Hospital Johns Creek.

Karen Robertson-Wall is currently in the process of pursing the Certified Financial Planner professional designation. She has been in the financial services industry for over 40 years, and with her current firm for 25-plus years.

Karen began her career on the municipal trading desk at Kidder Peabody, and then she moved to Dean Witter Reynolds on the retail side. She jumped at the opportunity available to her by A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. to move her clients for better personal service. (A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. was purchased by Wachovia Bank, and then was acquired by Wells Fargo). She earned her Bachelors of Science degree from Reinhardt/Emory and finished her MBA program at Reinhardt in May 2016.

Karen grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She has lived in the suburbs of Atlanta for over 45 years, including Dunwoody, Alpharetta, and Milton. A widow, she has three successful children: one in the medical sector, the other two in the small business sector. She has also has five grandchildren that are great fun! In her spare time, Karen enjoys race-walking, walking the dogs (two), exercising, bicycling, sailing, walking on the beach, listening, and reading books.

Doug Russ Doug serves as Managing Partner for Finance and Operations for Premier Logistics Partners, LLC, a 3^rd party logistics business (3PL) providing shipping and logistics solutions for its customers and clients. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Wittenberg University and his MBA in finance from Pennsylvania State University. Upon graduation, he moved to Atlanta and has been practicing as a CPA in Georgia for over 30 years.

He also has experience providing turn-key services for business startups, as well as consulting and strategic planning for small to mid-size businesses via BizLaunch Now, a Johns Creek consultancy he founded. Doug also served as President of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce from 2009-2011. During this span the Chamber more than doubled to over 425 members. His vision for the JCCC saw the combined efforts of its members facilitate consistent and robust growth for the benefit of the Johns Creek business community.

He was also a member of the North Fulton Transportation Planning Task Force. Doug is an active member of Perimeter Church, where he was a founder of Boy Scout Troop 317. He has three grown children, and enjoys running, reading, tennis, travel and time with his family.

Diana Weitz is a Learning Team Manager at State Farm Insurance.  In her 20 year career in State Farm she has held various leadership roles, currently leading a team responsible for the facilitation of new and existing employee training across the enterprise. An insurance professional, Diana has obtained her Chartered Property and Casualty designation and is near completion of the Fellow, Life Management Institute designation.

Diana earned her BS from William Paterson University and her MBA from Dowling College.  A northeast native, raised in NJ and lived in NY and PA, Diana relocated to Alpharetta in 2015.  Diana along with her husband spend most weekends on various bleachers supporting their two active daughters.