Shari L. Williams, Ph.D., Executive Director

 Dr. Williams's interest in family history and genealogy evolved into a passion for historic preservation within her maternal ancestral communities of Boromville, Creek Stand and Warrior Stand, Alabama. Her preservation activities include nominating the Creek Stand AME Zion Church cemetery to the Alabama Historical Commission's historic cemetery register, spearheading a donor campaign to purchase and erect a historic cemetery marker at the site, and writing the grant proposal that launched The Ridge Project. Dr. Williams is a 2012 National Trust for Historic Preservation Diversity Scholar. She holds a  Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University,  a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Memphis,  and a Ph.D. in History from Auburn University.

Email:  [email protected] 

​Corlis Clark, Board Member

  Corlis Dallas Clark is virtually a life-long resident of the south Macon County, Alabama community. She is an alumna of the historic South Macon High School (also called the Macon County Training School). After graduation, Ms. Clark completed coursework at Tuskegee University. She earned Lab Technician credentials from Alexander City Jr. College and went on to begin a career with the U.S. Postal Service as a Rural Route Mail Carrier. Her career spanned 30 years. After retirement in 2007, Ms. Clark worked as an adjunct data collector and instructor with an agriculture and nutrition program for youth that was housed at Tuskegee University. Ms. Clark is a member of the Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church, Roba, Alabama. 

Gary Cox, Board Member

Gary Cox is an accomplished technical support professional with extensive experience the IT system environment as a systems administrator and specialist. His professional experience also includes business manager and financial reporting specialist. 

JOHANNA ROBINSON, Board Member

Johanna resides in Escondido, California but is deeply emersed in Macon County history by way of her spouse’s ancestral roots in Warrior Stand, Macon County. She is an avid genealogist & professional Project Manager. She volunteers extensively to mentor with nonprofit & for-profit organizations mentoring technology & business entrepreneurs in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Johanna served as a volunteer logistics coordinator for the 2022 and 2023 Old Federal Road Storytelling Festivals and as a 2023 festival planning committee member. She and Dr. Williams co-authored the Reader’s Theatre play for the 2023 festival entitled “When Freedom Came”

Kurling Robinson - Board Member

Kurling Robinson is a founder, musician, and start-up visionary with over 25 years of expertise in software engineering and the entrepreneurship space. He is passionate about the intersection of technology and the common good. He is the CEO of Fōkcus. Fōkcus assesses entrepreneurs to intelligently match them with business mentors. The company’s platform is supplemented with events called “City Highlights,” which Fōkcus deliberately populates with diverse entrepreneurs and mentors, making it easier for all types of entrepreneurs to meet their future selves. Kurling is most proud of his work with the Code for America project, bringing the Family Assessment Form (FAF) to the cloud. FAF allows governments to analyze big data on how individual states/provinces are dealing with teen pregnancy, suicide, and other social issues, providing insight into applying successes in other states to “help children, families, and make the world a better place.” Kurling became involved with The Ridge Project through his deep ancestral roots in Warrior Stand, Macon County, Alabama, including his Reid and Moore family tree branches.

Cedric G. Sanders, Ph.D., Board Member

  Cedric G. Sanders is a descendant of ancestors from Creek Stand in south Macon County, Alabama. He is an Instructional Designer in the University of Georgia’s Finance and Administration Department. Dr. Sanders’ research focus is African American men’s experiences in obtaining graduate level academic degrees in higher education. His dissertation, Counternarratives of African American Male Doctoral Students at Predominantly White Institutions, highlights the significance of this work and the need for intentional mentorship support, and meaningful interventions to increase the enrollment of African American men in higher education. He obtained his Ph.D. in Learning, Leadership, and Organizational Development with an emphasis on adult education from the University of Georgia. Dr. Sanders is a former police officer and throughout his twelve-year career, he served at Georgia State University and The City of Stone Mountain, promoting community policing and finally serving as a School Resource Officer in the Dekalb County School System. During his career, his passion and focus has always been to encourage other black men to thrive and to promote social justice. He is also the founder of a men’s group called Brother’s Keepers where he has created a safe place for black men to engage in conversations and lead them on a journey of discovering and understanding their power. In addition to a doctoral degree, Dr. Sanders holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Adult Education Instructional Technology from Troy University.   

 The Ridge Board of Directors is dedicated to telling the stories of indigenous Native Americans and the  free and enslaved pioneer settlers and travelers on the Old Federal Road into the Alabama frontier during the 1800s, highlighting the transformations of the area from then until now. In 2021, The Ridge Board is celebrating ten years of fulfilling our mission.  We are a member of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits.