Ronnie Millen
Douglass High School
Ronnie Millen is in his first year as the academic coach at Douglass High School. Ronnie is no stranger to the high school football scene in Atlanta, having served as an assistant coach with Grady’s JV Football Team for three years. Additionally, he has work with Atlanta area youth and their family since July 2006. Ronnie graduated from Colgate University with his bachelor’s degree in May 2006. While at Colgate, he was a member of the Konosioni Honor Society.

Rhonda Daniels
Carver High School
Rhonda Daniels serves as the Academic Coach at Carver High School. She is active in multiple Atlanta organizations, including the Professional Association of Georgia Educator, the Atlanta Food Bank, and Feed the Homeless at the Atlanta Salvation Army. She graduated from Spelman College in May 2008 with her bachelor’s in psychology. Rhonda is currently pursuing her master’s in school counseling from Clark Atlanta University.

Jamaal Clark
South Atlanta High School
Jamaal Clark is in his first year with the Play It Smart Program and works with student-athletes at South Atlanta High School. He comes from an active background, having work at two different youth summer camps. A December 2009 graduate of Valdosta State University, Jamaal was a four-year member of Valdosta State’s football team and worked in the campus recreation office. Jamaal was part of the Valdosta State football team that capture the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Kiona Glass
Therrell High School
Kiona Glass works with the student-athletes at Therrell High School and is in her first year as an Academic Coach with Play It Smart. Prior to coming to Therrell, Kiona was an assistant women’s basketball coach at USC-Upstate. In her first year, she helped the Spartans to their first post-season appearance since 1995. Kiona recruited and coached the 2010 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, Tee’Ara Copney. In May 2005, Kiona graduated from Western Carolina University, where she was also a member of the women’s basketball team.

Tony McCrear
Washington High School
Tony McCrear is in his third year as an Academic Coach with the Play It Smart Program, working with student-athletes at Washington High School in Atlanta. A graduate of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Tony has over 10 years of experience in working with student-athletes. His career in athletics began in 1998 when he was a volunteer football coach for his alma mater.
 

Mary Palmer
Mays High School
Mary Palmer has been an Academic Coach at B.E. Mays High School for the past four years. She has over 20 years of involvement with Atlanta’s school district, serving as a Board and Committee member on various PTSAs. Mary has a strong technology background the led to her working with several major corporations prior to coming to B.E. Mays. Mary, who is also B.E. Mays’ School Parent Liaison, earned her bachelor’s from Jackson State University and her master’s from Georgia Tech.

Kenton Pope
Jackson High School
Kenton Pope is in his fourth year as a Play It Smart Academic Coach and he is currently the Academic Coach at Jackson High School. He has worked with several school systems and is familiar with Atlanta Public Schools, having attended Benjamin E. Mays High School.  Kenton was a substitute teacher in the Durham Public Schools and is currently a substitute teacher with the Atlanta Public Schools.  A graduate of Morehouse College, he has also served as a Teacher Assistant and Tutor at Dean Rusk Elementary Enrichment Academy and was an English Teacher, Tutor and Site Coordinator at Summerbridge.

Alexis Yancy
Grady High School
Alexis Yancey enters her fourth year as the Academic Coach at Grady High School. She began her work in education while attending Colgate University, serving as a Teaching Assistant and a Head Residential Advisor. Prior to coming to Atlanta, she was the Community Educator and Test Counselor for AIDS Community Service of Western New York. She graduated from Colgate with her bachelor’s in May 2005 and received her master’s from Emory in May 2008.

Danny Verdun-Wheeler
North Atlanta High School
A former NFL player, Danny Verdun-Wheeler has worked with student-athletes at North Atlanta High School as an Academic Coach since Jan. 2010. He has worked as a youth counselor at Bright Horizons in Atlanta and was also a sports counselor at Camp Kawaga in Minocqua, Wis. Danny was a four-year member of Georgia’s football team and was part of the 2005 SEC Championship and the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl teams. He graduated from Georgia with his bachelor’s in May 2008.