OUR

TEAM

William Johnson

President

Bio

OUR FOUNDER

VISIONARY

William M. Johnson has a passion for youth in urban communities. He desires to see all youth maximize their full God-given potential.

Equipping students, adults and leaders to rise to the top for more than 14 years as a Student Pastor and through working with Young Life as a mentor and counselor. He has served as a chaplain for the Gwinnett Youth Detention Center in Georgia, serving and planting seeds and positively impacting students for 7 years.

SERVANT

William is also the founder and executive director of Thrive Youth Development, Inc.

The organization positively impacts more than 100 students a year through coaching and mentoring in the local school systems, youth detention centers and community initiatives throughout Georgia.

His goal is to bring awareness to the need for social justice and help raise up more leaders across the country that will get involved in missions in their back yard that will unlock their community and save our youth.

Andrea Buzimkic

Development Director

Bio

Andrea Buzimkic was born and raised in Austria, Europe, and also lived in Italy and Germany for several years. With her husband and two sons, she moved to the US in 2016 where they have been enjoying their new life and experiences, adding a family dog along the way. She works as a Service Contracts Specialist for an Austrian manufacturing company (American subsidiary).

Although she misses friends, family and the mountains from home, she likes to use her time for the greater good and engage in projects that leave a positive impact on other people's lives.

Having had earlier years filled with many privileges, Andrea made a promise to herself that she would never become greedy, but rather be as generous as possible, engaging in projects that leave a positive impact on other people's lives.

This desire to give back to the less fortunate brought her to Four Corners Group. It is her goal to provide assistance to ensure that the youth that were handed difficult cards early in life are provided the opportunity to turn their life in another direction, thriving, and living up to their full potential.

When she is not working or volunteering, Andrea likes to spend her time with family and in nature. The mountains and hills in Georgia are where you can find her!

Lisa Wallace

Operations Analyst

Bio Coming Soon..

Greylyn Boscia

Donor Coordinator

Bio Coming Soon..

Justin Squires

Volunteer Coordinator

Bio

Justin Squires is a native of Marietta, Georgia who currently works for a Japanese real estate investment firm. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 2019 with a degree in Linguistics and a sub-focus in Japanese language and culture.

Justin wants to contribute to the end of the institutional oppression of all peoples by helping the youth who grew up on the front lines of this oppression to heal themselves. In this, the institutions that sustained their suffering will be healed as well.

His current passion and pastime involve looking to understand the meaning of this life!

Nina Marinov

Media Director

Bio Coming Soon...

James Taylor II

Technology Specialist

Bio Coming Soon...

Kim Hardy

Program Director

Bio

Kim Hardy is a youth advocate, speaker, entrepreneur, and author of nine books. She has made Metro Atlanta her home for the last six years.

Immediately after arriving to the area, Kim and her husband began mentoring high school students. That role allowed Kim to see the critical needs and gaps of at-risk youth. Through her innovative and creative ways of youth engagement and impact, she was asked to lead in various roles in education and within the public and non-profit sector surrounding youth.

Kim is excited to integrate her passion for youth, healthy families, and community development in her role as program director for 1625 Initiative.

In her free time, Kim loves spending time with her family, reading great books, drinking coffee and cruising around the world.

Brandi Smith

Marketing & Communications

Bio Coming Soon...

Melanie Terrell

1625 Indianapolis Team Leader

Bio

Melanie is passionate about radiating sunshine to those around her. She enjoys making a difference in the lives of youth. She believes that every person is significant and a smile brings a moment of joy to a person’s day.

Melanie brings over 20 years of experience in education, particularly counseling to the Thrive team. Melanie attended Ball State and Indiana State Universities respectively studying social work and school counseling. She is excited to use these skills in her role as coordinator by leading the 1625 Indianapolis Team to recruit volunteers, plan monthly sessions, and make an impact on the lives of our local youth.

In addition to working with youth in Thrive’s program, Melanie loves spending time with her family, serving at her church with the children’s and music ministries, and attending extracurricular events of her children and expanded Village. Melanie is currently working on a second master’s degree in educational leadership through American College of Education to expand her service to advocate for youth.

Learning is a lifelong process that we all must embrace. Sometimes it’s formal and other times experiential. Live, love, learn and THRIVE!

Jonathan Schultz

1625 Georgia Team Leader

Bio

Jonathan is passionate about giving back to the community with his talents. He is a firm believer in developing the gifts in others to bring out the best in others. Jonathan began his journey into musicianship at the tender young age of 7 when he began to play the drums. After becoming a proficient drummer and also adding keyboard, lead guitar, and bass guitar to his repertoire, he took his talents to Atlanta, Georgia to study music and also discovered a knack for business. Upon completing his B.S in Business Administration and music minor at Georgia Tech he has thrived in the music industry and in entrepreneurship starting 2 business.

Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge as an entrepreneur, leader, and musician of 15 years to the FCG Team. Currently, he serves as the Team Lead in Marietta, Ga where his responsibilities include preparing and organizing teams to visit the local Marietta facility, supporting Dr. Johnson in team management, and producing educational music performances for the students to learn and grow from.

In addition to working with the 1625 program, Jonathan serves as the Music Director for Kingdom Living Ministries. He also enjoys leading worship sets for the International House of Prayer, creating his own music, developing his businesses, and spending time with family.

Will Guy, II

Coach

Bio

Hometown: Stone Mountain, GA

Owner & Executive Chef, Thin Line Catering

Cookbook Author, The Audacity to Cook

Graduated from Georgia Southern University (Hospitality Management - 2014)

Has served with Thrive Youth Development as a mentor and facilitator since 2015

Loves Duke Basketball, San Antonio Spurs, and he will beat you one on one.

Addicted to Avocados

After being arrested at 17 and facing up to five years in jail, he later gave his life to Christ after his release and is on a mission to see young guys become the man God created them to be!

Ron Green

Lead Coach

Bio

Ron Green was born and raised in South Bend, IN and has been a resident of the greater Atlanta area for 19 years. As a father of 6, he knew he had a gift to impact youth! Mr. Green is a Program Facilitator for the Independent Work Program at the Collective. He’s also the Founder and CEO of Operation Snatch Back, a 501(c)3 nonprofit youth development organization. Mr. Green specializes in equipping youth to withstand negative influences, push through hardships, and make a successful transition to adulthood. He helps them to uncover gifts within, so they become leaders in their homes, schools, and communities. His vast training in counseling, including experiential group training and CIT training allows him the ability to show empathy, connect well with people and the ability “to walk in other’s shoes”. In his spare time, Ron enjoys traveling, reading, and most of all, building relationships with people of all walks of life.

Qayyim McKoy

Toastmasters Coach

Bio

Qayyim enthusiastically believes in the expression Pay it Forward. He is passionate about seizing any opportunity to learn from, inform, positively guide and uplift at-risk children and his community.

Qayyim’s early start as a youth mentor began at Thrive Youth Development mentoring students ages 12-18. Being “all in”, Qayyim connected strongly with the youth, organization and community and was selected Volunteer of the Year (2) times for his outstanding community service and leadership. He later became a certified Toastmasters coach and earned a certificate for Outstanding Services as a Toastmaster Coordinator. Additionally, he had the grand opportunity to teach a life skills and universal principles curriculum to an all-male group at Dekalb Academy of Technology & Environment and public speaking skills at Marietta Middle School as a Toastmasters Instructor and Coordinator.

In addition to his role as Toastmaster Coordinator for the 1625 Initiative, Qayyim is a paraprofessional at the Center for the Visually Impaired (toddler level). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Film and TV Broadcasting from Full Sail University and is a freelance writer, creative director, and producer for several visual mediums.

When he’s not pouring into the lives of youth, Qayyim enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, and creating vision boards.

Terrell K. Johnson

Coach

Bio

Born May 6, 1984 in Jackson, Mississippi. Terrell is a gifted and passionate speaker, mentor, trainer, and coach. After having success as an assistant coach at Stephenson High School (2004, 2008 and 2015 State champions) and as an AAU coach (10 tournament titles), coaching basketball led Terrell to realize the same principles he taught students to win in the game of basketball were the same principles they could use in winning in life. Terrell worked with Thrive Youth Organization where he served as a Lead Trainer and mentor 2009-2015, served in prison ministry with Four Corner from 2010-14, worked with served as Youth Pastor at The House Of Miracles and Blessings from 2013-2016, serves as a member of Jackie Brewton’s Y.E.S. Team (Youth Empowerment Speakers), worked as a Recreation Supervisor in the Department of Juvenile Justice 2013-2014, works as paraprofessional at Stephenson High School, he is in his 15th year at UPS and in his 16th years as assistant coach of the women’s basketball team at Stephenson High school.

Terrell has spoken on a host of different subjects and areas that include abstinence, college preparatory seminars, training seminars for teaching at-risk students, leadership classes, life group sessions, volunteer training, relationships, single life and much more. Terrell believes it is essential to change the mindset of society and in order for this to change to occur, we have to change what and how we teach young people. Terrell is a graduate of Stephenson High School and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Clayton State University.

Janet Porter

Success Coach

Bio Coming Soon..

Robbin Barnes

Success Coach

Bio

Robbin Barnes was born and raised in Panama City, FL. In 2015, she and her two daughters relocated to the Atlanta area. She is very passionate about empowering youth and has a strong desire to help them find their way out of an unclear path.

Most of Robbin’s career has been in education, working with at-promise youth. She has worked as a reading and math tutor, credit recovery personnel, youth advisor, and as a key catalyst in leading students that are in an alternative environment to graduation from high school. She was happy to lend her hand to the youth in our communities all while raising her daughters and accomplishing her goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Argosy University in December 2017.

As a Pathways Success Coach, Robbin’s goal is to bring a restored, more productive, hopeful thought process to our youth, leading them down a more successful path in life. She is committed to bringing families together, helping them to create healthier support systems as one cohesive unit.

In her free time, Robbin enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, watching movies, and traveling.