Oftentimes we get so caught up in the daily grind of schoolwork, sports, clubs, and social life that we forget to appreciate those who make everything at North Atlanta run smoothly. On a deeper level, it’s the people who make extremely important decisions for our school. Jennifer McDonald is that person. She is the vice-chair of APS board of directors and manages district four, which umbrellas North Atlanta as well as the elementary and middle schools that feed into us.
McDonald’s past does not reflect someone preparing to be vice-chair of the APS board. It simply reflects someone with elite levels of ambition, drive, and energy. Graduating from the University of Kansas Law school, she held jobs at businesses including McKesson Technologies, Children’s Healthcare, Gartner Informational Technologies, and IBM. McDonald said, “My past has taught me a lot about getting things done without running people over in the process. That is so valuable for good communication and collaboration in a bigger system like APS.”
McDonald raised awareness of the degrading health of North Atlanta’s track, which resulted in a four month installation of a new turf field and track surface. Her current project is updating the NA baseball field, and she has also helped revise a new literary policy for APS. It may seem tedious, but she said, “I am all in. I am so fully invested in what our goal is here, and I hope and believe that that is evident to everyone.”
Mcdonald is North Atlanta’s sole board member leader, and her excitement for the potential of our school is evident in conversation with her. She says as the largest and most diverse school in the district, we are a symbol of the beauty and perspective that diversity in a student population brings to a school. “Success does not look the same for everyone, but North Atlanta opens up people’s minds towards their potential,” said McDonald.
McDonald has a personal connection to the APS system that many leader s can’t offer. Her son, Luke McDonald, went to E-Rivers, then Sutton, and is now a North Atlanta student. Through it all, she supported him by participating in PTA, being class parent, and making connections in the APS system. McDonald said, “The connective tissue I have to APS is so strong, and that inspires me everyday to put serious time and effort into the schools I support.”
The word community pops up often when McDonald talks. She mentions how important who you surround yourself with is to who you will become. This mindset has taken her far, and she plans to keep up her ambitious attitude past her stint as vice-chair.
