Board of Directors and Staff

Board of Directors

These are the local leaders who are making a difference in our community by sharing their time, talent, and treasure.

Alan Pogue

Chairman

Alan Pogue and his wife Kim have been married for close to 30 years and have resided in Senoia for more than 25 years. He is the proud father of daughter Emily and son Elijah. In addition to leading the board of directors, Alan has a passion for working behind the scenes to support the work of this ministry in areas of facilities and operations.

Alan is the Director of Operations, Facilities, and Events Management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Alan is a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia. He holds a Master degree from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Georgia.

Elisa Briscoe

Secretary

Elisa is an accomplished homemaker, wife and mother. She is an active member at StraightForward Church and is one of the Children’s Leaders. She has always had a heart for service and was overjoyed when she found out about I-58. She dove in head first and has been volunteering since 2017. Elisa has the pleasure of greeting and sitting with new clients each week which affords her the opportunity to get to know their needs. She looks forward to serving on the board and seeing how God is going to work in her life and the life of The I-58 Mission.

Brian Franklin

Treasurer

Brian Franklin and his wife, Barkley, have been married for 22 years and have lived in the Fayette County area for 19 of those years. They have three amazing kids: Caroline, Aubrey, and Andrew. They all enjoy attending Passion City Church Trillith, traveling, and cheering for the Braves and the Falcons.

Brian first started working in Chick-fil-A restaurants when he was 15 years old before being hired on at Chick-fil-A’s Support Center back in 2001. During his first 20 years, he supported and helped build the quality and safety program around their non chicken ingredients and then later leading the chicken quality and safety team. For the last 5 years, he has consulted with individual restaurants to help optimize their efficiencies and customer experience. During this time, Brian has enjoyed coaching several of his children’s sports teams and leading teenage boys’ small groups through church. Brian and Barkley are very excited to continue to serve at The I-58 Mission.

Matt Almand

Board Member

Matt Almand is an attorney and Executive Director in the Chick-fil-A Legal Department. Prior to joining Chick-fil-A in 2013, he worked at the Atlanta-based law firm, Troutman Pepper, and as in-house counsel with McKesson Corporation. Matt has a passion for serving and pouring into future leaders, most recently as an elder and middle school small group leader at Southside Church and as an appointed member of the Georgia State Personnel Board and Employee Benefits Council. Matt and his wife Jamison (who serves as I-58’s Clothing Closet Coordinator) live with their three daughters in Fayetteville.

Amy Dixon

Board Member

Amy Dixon, a Fayette County native, holds deep ties to her hometown. A graduate of Fayette County High School and the University of West Georgia with a degree in Marketing, Amy is a dedicated Realtor with a passion for connecting people with their dream homes.

Alongside her husband and two boys, Amy finds joy in community service. She volunteers at Starr’s Mill High School and leads a 7th-grade girls’ group at Southside Church. Amy’s giving spirit extends globally through mission trips to Guatemala. Anchored by Fayette County, Amy’s mission is to make a positive impact in real estate, volunteering, and philanthropy, creating a better world for those around her.

Jeff Holm

Board Member

Jeff Holm and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married for over 42 years and have lived in Senoia for almost three years. Jeff and Elizabeth met while volunteering with the middle school ministry at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX. They have three grown children, Wilson, Emily and Samantha.

Jeff graduated from Texas Christian University and after a 43-year career in sales and marketing in the pharmaceutical industry, Jeff and Elizabeth chose to relocate to Senoia to be closer to their family. Upon moving to Senoia, Jeff was searching for ways to be more involved and give back to the community. He volunteers regularly with Senoia community events and the BackPack Buddies program, but he really found his calling over the past two years through his work at the I-58 Mission. You can find him driving the box truck to Aldi’s buying groceries for the Mission’s food pantry, delivering beds or helping load groceries for the Mission’s clients. He is always ready to serve and give a helping hand around the Mission. Jeff feels blessed to be a part of I-58 and is grateful to have found a place that he can serve God’s people.

Alma Peterson

Board Member

Alma Peterson retired as Deputy Assistant Director for Economic Crime Investigations and Operations worldwide after a distinguished 31-year career with NCIS, specializing in economic crime, counterterrorism, and counterespionage. She holds degrees in Psychology and Human Behavior.

Alma married the love of her life, Joseph Preston Peterson, on September 1, 1990. They were married for 32 years. Alma has one stepdaughter, and her 41-year-old stepson recently passed away following an unexpected medical condition. Alma and her husband were also instrumental in raising four girls, now adult adults, whom they believed God placed in their path.

Following the loss of her beloved husband, Joseph, Alma found purpose in serving others through the I-58 Mission and ONE Church. She is the author of Shadowed Voice, a heartfelt memoir chronicling her husband’s 13-year battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia and the sustaining power of prayer and faith through life’s most difficult seasons.

Lee Whetstone

Board Member

Lee Whetstone and his wife Cheryl have been married for over 35 years and live in the city of Senoia. They are members of OneChurch, have two grown children and a growing number of grandchildren. Lee has served in various ministries and on volunteer boards in Coweta and Fayette Counties and currently works as Director of Business Development with MAU Workforce Solutions. He has a degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech.

Staff & Volunteers

Our mighty staff is leading the way in servant leadership.

Karhma Novak

Executive Director of Operations

Karhma Novak, the President and Co-founder of Project 586, attended the University of West Georgia and graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Education. Karhma holds an MEd in Literacy and has been in the classroom as an English teacher since 1999. Because of Karhma’s empathetic heart, her desire to share and spread the love of Christ, and her willingness to partner with multiple organizations and churches to build a compassionate community, she was brought on as the Director of Operations for The I-58 Mission, Inc. in June of 2015. In this new role, Karhma continues to uphold Isaiah 58 as she serves those who are in need of the merciful and lavish love of the Lord.

Emily Heim

Assistant Director

Emily Heim is Samford University Political Science and Sociology graduate from Birmingham Alabama. She spends her time serving in Southside Churches’ (PTC) Student Ministry where her husband Preston is the Middle School Pastor! Emily spent her time at Samford serving and learning through a faith-and-service based honors college founded on Micah 6:8.

She is currently working towards her Masters in Clinical Social Work, and has a heart for service that aims to point people back to the one who first served us. In her free time, you can find Emily and her husband playing pickle ball or decorating their church lobby for Sunday!

Stephanie Gilliam

Community Outreach Director

Stephanie Gilliam has diverse background in retail merchandising and operations, ocean logistics sales, and church ministry. Stephanie brings a unique combination of leadership, organization, creativity, and a heart for serving others. She has also served as a Campus Coordinator for Southside Church in Fayetteville and works part-time as a fashion content creator. Stephanie is passionate about connecting people, building community, and using her gifts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. In her free time, you can find Stephanie volunteering at the church, spending time with her family and friends, or doing something creative!

Jamison Almand

Clothes Closet Coordinator

Jamison resides in Fayetteville, with her husband and fellow UGA grad Matt (an attorney at Chick-fil-A) and their three ballerina daughters – Wells, Mary Clayton and Hollace. Their family actively serves at Southside Church. Jamison discovered her passion to serve leading mission trips to Guatemala. She felt a calling to show the same love and service to people in her local community – which led her to The I-58 Mission! Jamison currently serves I-58 as the Coordinator of the Clothes Closet. She finds tremendous joy in providing our clients with clothes that make them feel confident, dignified, and loved by God. We are so grateful to have Jamison on our team!

Sara Walton

Home Goods Coordinator

Sara is married to Steve, has two married daughters and six grandchildren. Sara has been serving at The I-58 Mission for over five years in various roles, but truly enjoys helping clients with home goods. Sara also helps to source and pursue grant opportunities for The I-58 Mission. After retiring from owning a business, Sara says she has found her purpose once again by serving God’s people in need along with the other team members.

Judith Glover

Pantry Coordinator

Judith Glover, who moved to Senoia in the summer of 2017, is married to Rod. They have a son, Ryan, and a very pampered rescue dog named Finn. Born in the UK, she has lived and worked around the world. She is a Nursing Graduate with over 25 years experience in both Hospital and In-Home patient care. For relaxation Judith enjoys competitive running. She is an active member of her church, Senoia United Methodist Church. Judith first volunteered at the I 58 Mission early in 2018.