About Us

Christopher Norman is the Executive Director of the Metro Atlanta Land Bank (MALB) and has been instrumental in leading the restructuring of the MALB, expanding its programmatic initiatives, and increasing its funding. Prior to the MALB, Norman served as the co-founder and Managing Partner of the boutique investment banking firm, Dunwoody Asset Management, LLC.  He has more than 17 years’ experience in the financial sector during his corporate/investment banking career having been involved in over $1 billion in debt and equity transactions.

Norman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Emory University and a Masters of Management in Finance, Management & Strategy, Operations and Decision Sciences from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Michael Morgan is a retired Senior Associate Justice with the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He is a 2024 candidate for the Democratic nomination of the Governor of North Carolina.

Morgan earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in both History and Sociology from Duke University. He went on to obtain his Juris Doctor Degree, with honors, from North Carolina Central University School of Law. In 1989, he was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge with the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. In 1994, Justice Morgan was appointed as a Wake County District Court Judge. He was elected to the Superior Court bench in 2004 for an eight-year term and was re-elected to the post in 2012.

In his first statewide quest for elective office, Justice Morgan was elected in November 2016 to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He is the only jurist in the history of the State of North Carolina to have held four different judgeships.

Chase retired in 2021 from his position as Vice President for Business and Finance at Tennessee State University. In this role, Chase served as the chief financial officer reporting directly to the president and serving on the president’s cabinet. He provided leadership and development of areas that included: financial services; general and grants accounting; financial reporting; budget; procurement; human resources; payroll; campus police; facilities; and equity and inclusion.

Previously, Chase served 17 years as the Vice President for Financial and Administrative Affairs at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, TN. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Accountancy from Mississippi State University in 1986 and his MBA from the University of Tennessee in 2000.

Prior to his service for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Courtney Pogue held similar positions as Director of Economic Development for the City of Dallas, TX, Clayton County, GA and for Cook County, IL. This public service followed 15 years of experience in corporate and investment banking, commercial real estate finance, and real estate advisory experience. Pogue was honored by Consultant Connect in 2020 and 2022, who named him one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Development Directors.

Pogue has a Master’s degree in business from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor’s degree in finance from Howard University.

Ralph “Ted” Phillips III, is co-founder and principal at Synergy Development Partners, LLC. Phillips’ company specializes in Construction Management, Program Management, General Construction, and Real Estate Development.

Prior to starting his own company, Phillips practiced construction management and real estate development for more than 20 years for two large construction companies and one real estate development firm in several capacities.

Phillips is a registered licensed contractor for the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Alabama and is actively involved in the day-to-day operations of his business. He has a degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in Architecture with a specialized minor and certificate in Construction Management.

Since 2013, Mead has worked in Inspections and Engineering Analysis in the areas of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. His chief duties include, performing analysis and design of structures for compliance with local building codes; assessing damage and performed forensic analysis of wind, hail and water damage structures; and performing field site inspections for proper installation according to code design specifications. Mead has prior experience as a Claims Adjuster for E.A. Renfroe and Prime Construction Group.

Mead earned both his Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s Degrees in Engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Ricky Lawrence Lewis has been employed in the Aerospace industry for the past 38 years. He has served on the Board of Directors at the Weingart Aquatic Center YMCA in South

Los Angeles and for four consecutive years he served as the Chairman of the Board.

Lewis is also the Executive Director of the Omega Youth Leadership Conference and

Mentorship Program in Los Angeles, where he has impacted the lives of over

8,800 young men over the last 28 years. Most notably, Mr. Lewis serves as the 42^nd Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Lewis is a graduate of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Mark E. Jackson, Sr. is the Deputy Executive Director for Enterprise

Infrastructure Services with the Defense Logistics Agency. In that capacity, he supervises, manage and leads a staff of 600+ civilian and contractor personnel. Mr. Jackson also serves as the Vice-Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Jackson earned his Bachelor of Science in Information Management Systems from Southeastern University in 1996.

Our team member is a highly skilled and motivated individual who brings a wealth of expertise and experience to our team. With a strong background in Chariman, they have a deep understanding of the industry and a proven track record of success.