LAGRANGE, Ga. (Jan. 26, 2026) - The Georgia Education Advancement Council’s Board of Directors recently named its 2026 officers and welcomed new board members to support the organization’s mission of advancing higher education advancement professionals across Georgia.
Frances Beusse, associate vice president of alumni and constituent engagement at Kennesaw State University, is serving as GEAC president for 2026.
Macie Thompson, director of development for the College of Lifetime Learning at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is serving as president-elect. In this role, she also serves as chair of the 2026 GEAC Conference.
Seth Walker, vice president of university advancement and executive director of the GCSU Foundation at Georgia College and State University, is serving as conference co-chair.
Lauren Talley, vice president for institutional advancement at Lanier Technical College, is serving as secretary, while Kelsey Bassett, Ed.D., senior director of corporate and foundation relations at Agnes Scott College, is serving as treasurer.
Jodie Snow, chief operating officer of the ABAC Foundation at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, is serving as immediate past president.
Four new board members began three-year terms on January 1. They are:
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Laura Evans, marketing strategist at Augusta University
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Darcie Johnson, executive director of the Gwinnett Tech Foundation at Gwinnett Technical College
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Mona Mackenzie, director of foundations at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
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Sydney Scott, multimedia specialist at Georgia Southwestern State University
GEAC’s 19-member board and five advisory board members plan to continue fostering collaboration and professional growth across Georgia’s higher education advancement community. They are currently organizing GEAC’s 2026 Annual Conference, which will be held Nov. 9-11 on Jekyll Island. To learn more, visit geac.org.
Pictured are (top row, left to right) Frances Beusse, Macie Thompson, Seth Walker, Lauren Talley, Kelsey Bassett, (bottom row) Jodie Snow, Laura Evans, Darcie Johnson, Mona Mackenzie and Sydney Scott.