Staff Members
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Jessy Togba-Doya was born in a tiny rural village of Balama, Liberia. He spent time in a family of 26 siblings and 9 mothers. At a young age, he was taken from his family into a life of servitude.
Through many twists and turns in life, Jessy managed to garner the attention of a kind Christian woman. She reared him until he was accepted to college.
With hard work and God's fortune, Jessy graduated from AME Zion University in 2002 with a BA in Business. He earned a scholarship that supported his education at McAfee Seminary and Mercer University. Jessy earned an MS in Business and his Master's of Divinity in 2005.
In 2006, he answered God's call to return to Liberia to make an impact on helping to rebuild the country after the war. He founded the organization and called it Balama Development Alliance, honoring his home village. Many mentors and supporters surrounded Jessy to help him return to Liberia.
The organization became a non-profit in 2011 and in 2018, changed its name to Sustainable Liberia. Now, the focus is on a 150-mile corridor from Monrovia into the countryside for several villages, not only Balama. The method of help progressed from micro-loans to empowering Liberians through our multi-layered process of education, infrastructure restoration, economic empowerment, leadership training, and discipleship.
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Bill Ginn’s career began in finance, where he worked as a Financial Planner and Advisor. Later, he worked as an Owner/Operator of a real estate firm. Bill’s diverse experience includes serving with Walk Thru the Bible as Development Director from 2000 to 2009. He worked in a similar capacity for two years with the Bill Graham Evangelical Association. Bill earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University. He earned an MBA and a Masters of Insurance from Georgia State University. Bill served in the Vietnam War as an Army Infantry Officer. He served a tour in Vietnam and Germany.
Bill first met Jessy while they attended Wieuca Road Baptist Church. When Jessy answered God’s call to return to Liberia, Bill joined the Advisory Committee to develop plans and raise funds for Jessy’s return.
In 2011, the organization was registered as a 501(c)3 (non-profit) organization. Bill agreed to become a member of the Board and was elected Board Chair. Under Bill’s direction, Sustainable Liberia has changed from an organization giving micro-loans to today’s multi-layered organization with five areas of focus.
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Operations Manager, Nicole Morgan, began working with Sustainable Liberia in January 2022. She brings a unique set of skills and experiences that will bring a new perspective to our work at Sustainable Liberia. Nicole is a graduate of American University (Washington, D.C.), where she earned her B.A. in broadcast journalism and child psychology. Nicole is a human resources professional. Her more than 15 years of industry experience spans telecommunications, non-profits, churches, and the automobile industry. Nicole has created processes and procedures, managed employee relations concerns, and implemented training and development programs for these. Her experiences and longevity qualified her to earn two designations: Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Senior Certified Professional (SCP).
Nicole sees her role as making the tasks of others more efficient and effective. She has ideas to refresh the website, encourage engagement, and share the needs of Sustainable Liberia with more people.
Personally, Nicole enjoys reading, writing, exploring museums, and having new experiences. This interest in new experiences likely comes from childhood. Nicole lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for five years due to her father’s engineering position. While living in KSA, the family visited many European and Asian nations. Nicole also participated as a Student Ambassador to Scandinavian countries in the People to People Program for a summer. Nicole credits these experiences with giving her sensitivity to diversity and other cultures. She moved to Atlanta in 1996 and is a member of Dunwoody Baptist Church. Her favorite scripture is Psalm 103.
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Pamela Rath joined Sustainable Liberia as an independent contractor in 2016. She has been serving non-profit organizations for over 15 years, specializing in the areas of marketing strategy, communications, branding, graphic design, executive assistance/administration, technology systems and software training.
Pamela began working in the real estate, mortgage, and title industry while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Media Management Communications and Marketing from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. She felt the Lord calling her to serve with small businesses and faith-based non-profits, and shortly thereafter, she transitioned into her full-time career supporting ministries around the globe.
A native of Colorado Springs, Pamela now resides near the New Mexico border in Trinidad, CO, with her husband, Andy. Their household includes several rescued cats and dogs, two of whom are retired police K9s.
Avid travel enthusiasts, Pamela and Andy enjoy exploring new countries and cultures. Her favorite hobbies include reading, photography, camping with family in the Colorado mountains, and cultivating their rose garden in the summertime.
One of her favorite Bible verses is Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Board of Directors
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Bill Ginn’s career began in finance, where he worked as a Financial Planner and Advisor. Later, he worked as an Owner/Operator of a real estate firm. Bill’s diverse experience includes serving with Walk Thru the Bible as Development Director from 2000 to 2009. He worked in a similar capacity for two years with the Bill Graham Evangelical Association. Bill earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University. He earned an MBA and a Masters of Insurance from Georgia State University. Bill served in the Vietnam War as an Army Infantry Officer. He served a tour in Vietnam and Germany.
Bill first met Jessy while they attended Wieuca Road Baptist Church. When Jessy answered God’s call to return to Liberia, Bill joined the Advisory Committee to develop plans and raise funds for Jessy’s return.
In 2011, the organization was registered as a 501(c)3 (non-profit) organization. Bill agreed to become a member of the Board and was elected Board Chair. Under Bill’s direction, Sustainable Liberia has changed from an organization giving micro-loans to today’s multi-layered organization with five areas of focus.
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Dr. Albert Coleman is a seasoned educator who served as President of United Methodist University in Liberia. He also worked as the Policy Advisor and Director for Development Strategies for the Ministry of Education (Liberia). Albert worked on creating funding opportunities that supported and enhanced efforts to reduce the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate in Georgia, U.S.A.
His life experience has taken him all over the world: Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Far East, and the United States of America. Albert believes in learning from others, helping people improve themselves to become better citizens, and putting God first.
His favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Albert divides his time between residing in Liberia and in the United States. He brings Sustainable Liberia passion for his home country and a desire to have quality education for all.
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Steve Davis retired after 25 years as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Carrollton. During that time, he also served as a volunteer Chaplain for Tanner Medical Center and as a Tanner Hospice Chaplain. Steve has authored 3 books. He wrote a weekly column for the local paper Times Georgian, for 15 years. He is past President of the Carrollton Rotary Club and has served on numerous boards, including the Carroll County Emergency Shelter and Community Foundation of West Georgia. Steve has a Masters in Theology and a Th.D in Old Testament Studies. He earned his undergraduate degree from Samford University.
Steve is connected to Sustainable Liberia through his wife (who passed away in 2018) she served on a mission team. In his personal time, Steve enjoys golf, art, walking, and going to the gym. His son, Tyler, and daughter-in-law, Caroline, have a daughter and reside in Florida. Steve's daughter, Natalie, will soon graduate from the University of Alabama with an MBA.
Steve's focus verse is: Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven you.”
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Linda Flagler is a seasoned teacher. She taught sixth grade math and science for 25 years in Gwinnett County, Georgia. During those years at Pinckneyville Middle School (PMS) in Norcross, GA Linda acted as the Grade Level Chair. She earned Teacher of the Year at PMS and at Dacula Middle School and was a finalist for Middle School Teacher of the Year for the county in 2008. Upon retirement in 2012, Linda taught at Dunwoody Nature Center for 3 years before moving to the mountains of North Carolina.
She has been a supporter of Jessy Togba-Doya for the past 15 years. "I love the focus of the ministry is on the sustainable humanitarian support through Christian witness. I love Jessy's heart for sharing God's word with his people. I believe the way to share the gospel with others is to show Jesus' love for them through building relationships. That is the reason I've been part of five mission teams."
One of Linda's favorite scriptures captures the basis for missions, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18
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Dr. David Martin spent most of his career serving as the Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Economic Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teachers teach economics in public and independent schools in Georgia.
In retirement, David worked in a variety of leadership roles at Smyrna First United Methodist Church, including past Chair of the Administrative Council and Executive Committee, Chair of the Standing on the Promises Capital Campaign, and as a Stephen Leader. In addition to being a long-time active Board Member, David spends his time picking up trash on the streets of Smyrna, baking banana bread, and visiting the elderly.
He is guided by Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the Law of the Lord."
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Ric Mayfield is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Truist Advisory Services, a division of Truist Bank. In this role, Ric oversees the investment platform, which consists for a robust set of managers and strategies. He has more than 28 years of investment experience and has worked for Truist and its predecessor firms since 1996. Ric holds both CFA and CAIA designations.
Ric has been involved with Sustainable Liberia since a mission trip to Liberia in 2007. In addition, he has served on the Board since 2015.
Ric's favorite scripture is Isaiah 41:35: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
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David Smith leads a team of commercial bankers focused on delivering financial solutions to the middle-market segment throughout Georgia. Prior to joining Regions in 2008, David worked for Wachovia Bank for 24 years, leading their commercial banking efforts in Georgia outside of Metro Atlanta. He also worked for the Comptroller of the Currency from 1979 to 1984. David earned his BS in Banking/Finance from the University of South Carolina. In addition to the Sustainable Liberia Board, he has also served on the Boards of Grady Health Foundation, Central Atlanta Progress, and the Georgia Council for Economic Education.
David was fortunate to visit Liberia, spending time in two of the communities where Sustainable Liberia has had a meaningful positive impact. He has had active involvement with Sustainable Liberia since its inception. David has witnessed the blessings of consistent, focused efforts working with local Liberians to lay a foundation for long-term improvement and sustainability.
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Reverend Allen Taliaferro is the Executive Pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church (DBC). Rev. Taliaferro leads the church staff, and oversees facilities, operations, ministry departments, and programs. He preaches and teaches regularly to equip and encourage the community of faith at DBC. Rev. Taliaferro has been to Liberia many times. In November of 2022, he led the installation of two solar powered irrigation systems.
Rev. Taliaferro is a 1996 graduate of James Madison University with a concentration in finance and business management. He became a professional minister in 2016 after graduating from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. Prior to receiving the call to ministry, Rev. Taliaferro worked in a number of technology leadership roles. He is married to Dr. Sarah Taliaferro, an orthopedic and women’s health physical therapist. The couple lives in Dunwoody, GA. They have two daughters, Taylor and Kathryn, who are both in college.
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Michael first met Jessy in 2005, when Jessy began imagining a return to Liberia to help his people. Immediately enthralled by the idea, Michael spent the next year helping Jessy build a support team, raise funds, and turn his dream into what would become the Balama Development Alliance and later blossom into Sustainable Liberia. A pastor for over 35 years, Michael has recently retired from Heritage Baptist Church (Cartersville, GA) and is looking forward to more time with his wife, Vicki, entertaining friends and family, loving on their two grandsons, and rooting for the Braves.