Notable Alumnae to be Honored During Reunion Weekend

In 2017 GPS established a Notable Alumnae Awards Program to recognize outstanding graduates. One alumna from each reunion class is chosen through a selection process that includes nominations by her classmates and then honored during our GPS Reunion Weekend.

Notable Alumnae Awards are given to GPS graduates who are considered to be the most outstanding in their classes, including leaders in their communities, directors of organizations or businesses, elected officials, high-ranking military officers, and those who have made a significant difference in the lives of others.

The following alumnae will be recognized during a special presentation on Friday, October 4, as part of the GPS Reunion Weekend festivities.

Following GPS, Dr. Jane Carter earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College before attending George Washington University for medical school. She completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary fellowship at Brown University where she then became a member of the faculty. At Brown, Jane launched the first international medical exchange program for Brown with Moi University Medical School in Eldoret, Kenya, at a time when Global Health was not a recognized discipline. During the 29 years she led that program, over 100 Kenyan trainees studied at Brown while over 200 Brown trainees studied in Kenya; this exchange became the model for subsequent international educational collaborations at Brown. An interest that developed during her pulmonary residency years before led her to the Rhode Island tuberculosis clinic, where she spent two-plus decades. She has served on the Advisory Committee for the Elimination of TB at CDC and led the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease. She has also served on the technical review committees of the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB, and Malaria; of Unitaid, and of TB Reach at the STOP TB Partnership in Geneva. Jane was one of the founding educators to initiate the first pulmonary/critical care training program in Ethiopia, a country of over 120 million people without a single pulmonary physician at the time of the fellowship opening in 2012. She was the 2013 recipient of the World Lung Health award from the American Thoracic Society. Retired from clinical pulmonary practice at Brown in 2023, she continues as an international TB consultant/educator and as a TB staff physician at the Department of Health in Honolulu, Hawaii. An avid runner (starting at GPS as a requirement of the varsity volleyball team), she has completed 28 marathons, including Boston. 

After graduating from GPS in 1979, Lyn Harris attended Mercer University, where she was elected vice president of the sophomore and senior classes and president of the junior class and of her sorority, Chi Omega. She then earned her master’s degree in history from Georgia College & State University. After teaching high school history for several years, Lyn returned to her Chi Omega roots, working in the headquarters as the Director of Chapter Services from 1989 to 1997 and becoming the organization’s national archivist in 2006. In 2020, she received the organization’s highest award, the President’s Award, which recognizes extraordinary alumnae service to the fraternity. While Lyn still serves in a volunteer capacity for Chi Omega today, her career took her to the Arthritis Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee, and later Chattanooga, where she served as executive director and increased special event fundraising by 30% in just two years. Over the years, Lyn has been heavily involved with Cempa Community Care (formerly Chattanooga CARES), where she has been the top fundraiser for the past 15 years. Her dedication has earned her several awards including the Chairman’s Award from Cempa Community Care and the Don Harwell Award from Chattanooga CARES. In her free time, Lyn enjoys travel, antiques, and cheering on the Lady Vols basketball team. She lives in her family home on Missionary Ridge with her miniature wire-haired dachshund, Hoover (named for the vacuum cleaner, not the President!).

Jennifer Davis Ward is the Executive Director of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (GDLA), the state’s civil defense bar. After earning her B.A. from Emory University, she began her career at the State Bar of Georgia, where she served as the Director of Communications. During her 12-year tenure, Jennifer was elected chair of the American Bar Association's (ABA) National Association of Bar Executives Communications Section and received a Luminary Award for Excellence in Public Relations. In 2000, Jennifer entered the law firm marketing arena, working for numerous Atlanta-based offices before moving to GDLA in 2009. In 2011, she was appointed by the State Bar President to serve as a public member on the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism (CJCP); she was reappointed in 2013 and currently serves alongside retired Supreme Court chief justices and other dignitaries as an advisor to the CJCP. She also serves as a lay member on the State Disciplinary Board, which investigates and adjudicates alleged lawyer misconduct. In 2016, Jennifer was honored by DRI, the national association for civil defense lawyers, with the Executive Director Award, recognizing her as the best such leader in the country. Under her leadership, GDLA has twice been named by DRI as Outstanding Defense Organization. Also, the GDLA magazine she edits and publishes is a nine-time winner of the State Bar of Georgia’s Best Newsletter Award. Today, Jennifer resides in her hometown.

Cherie Bonder Goldman graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Japanese and a minor in teaching and then from Stanford University with a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies. Her intention was to become a Japanese language teacher, but with those positions scarce, she pivoted and found herself in advertising account management, strategizing for Toyota at Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and for Clorox at DDB San Francisco. Yet, all along, Cherie knew her heart had always wanted to be in the classroom. When she moved to Savannah, Georgia, to be near family, she earned her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Armstrong Atlantic State University (now, Georgia Southern) and started a second career with the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. For 13 years, Cherie taught third grade followed by English to Speakers of Other Languages. In 2019, she went back to school again, earning her Education Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership with a Coaching Endorsement from Mercer University, and in 2022, she was named Georgia Teacher of the Year. In that role, Cherie represented Georgia teachers on the State Board of Education and around the state. Additionally, she led the Georgia Department of Education's Teacher Burnout Task Force. Now in her 15th year with the Savannah-Chatham school district, she was most recently named the district's Literacy Effectiveness Officer, responsible for integrating the district's literacy efforts internally across grades PK-12 and externally with families and community partners. In her free time, Cherie enjoys traveling and boating with her husband AJ, being a foodie, doing crossword puzzles with her son Emmett, reading on the couch with her dogs, and playing pickleball.

Dr. Elizabeth Forrester is a highly accomplished leader in cancer biology and infectious disease diagnostics, with a deep passion for public health, biomedical research, and science education. She earned her B.S. in chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before pursuing her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. During her doctoral research, she focused on the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance, significantly contributing to the understanding of the role of growth factors in breast cancer and identifying potential targets for future therapies. Driven by a desire to revolutionize science education, Elizabeth has created and implemented innovative, research-based courses for which she received awards including the NABT Genetics Education Award from the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and the Genetics Society of America (GSA), and the Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year Award for Tennessee from the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth spearheaded the transformation of the Baylor School’s Molecular Biology Research Lab into a COVID-19 testing facility for Hamilton County. Under her leadership, the lab processed tens of thousands of tests for local hospitals and clinics, providing timely, reliable results that helped control the spread of the virus. Her efforts earned her wide recognition, including the Hamilton County Good Samaritan Award, the Daughters of the American Revolution Community Service Award in 2022, and the Champions of Healthcare Innovation Award in 2020. 

In response to the ongoing need for diagnostic services during the pandemic, Elizabeth co-founded Athena Esoterix in 2021, a cutting-edge diagnostic laboratory specializing in cancer and infectious disease testing. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys pilates, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Steven, and their three sons, Jackson (Jack), Walker, and Beau. 

Honorable Ashley Moore Palmer is a State Court Judge in Cobb County, Georgia, where she has served since her appointment in June, 2021 by Governor Brian Kemp. In May 2022, Ashley was elected without opposition to a full four-year term and is only the second African-American to ever serve on the State Court of Cobb County. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University and began her legal career as an associate in a large Atlanta law firm. In 2009, Ashley transitioned to government service, serving as an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender, Clayton Judicial Circuit, for six years, before returning to civil litigation as an Assistant County Attorney with the Office of the Fulton County Attorney. In 2017, she was promoted to Senior Assistant County Attorney, where she managed a team of six.

Ashley currently serves on the Cobb Chamber DE&I Council, the GABWA Foundation Board as Director of its Civil Pro Bono Wills Project, and the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division/High School Mock Trial State Finals Planning Board. She also serves on both the Executive Board of the Nickajack Elementary School PTA and the school’s Parent Advisory Council, and she is a member of the Board of Trustees of Girls Preparatory School, where she serves as Member at Large on the Executive Committee. Ashley is a member of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2025, having been selected from hundreds of applicants. In addition, she chairs the State Bar of Georgia’s Local and Voluntary Bars Committee and is a proud member of both the Leadership Georgia Class of 2020-2021 and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Ashley resides in Cobb County, Georgia with her husband, Robert, and their three children. Her great passions in life are her family, traveling, reading, and relaxing on the beach.

Taylor Lee Vinson attended Auburn University and received a degree in business administration. She spent time working in the development office of the Auburn Athletics department before transitioning into a remote marketing coordinator role with her family’s businesses—Lee-Smith, Inc. and Idealease of Chattanooga. In 2018, she and her family relocated to Chattanooga full time as Taylor took on a larger role within the companies. Today she serves as General Manager and Vice President for Idealease and Lee-Smith. Under her leadership, the companies have garnered numerous industry awards, and Taylor herself was named to the Idealease General Managers President’s Club. Taylor is also a board chair for the Creative Discovery Museum and a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga, the Community Founder of Greater Chattanooga’s WE Project cohort, and the American Truck Dealer Academy class. When she’s not working, Taylor enjoys spending time with her boys, traveling, and being an active member of the Chattanooga community. 

Dr. Jill Gibson was born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She attended GPS for high school and was a member of the crew team. Following GPS, Jill earned a full scholarship to Lee University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry. After graduating, she spent six months in Siem Reap, Cambodia, teaching English before moving on to earn her DDS degree from University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. She completed her training at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry (UTCoD) with a one-year internship in oral surgery and the became the first female in UTCoD history to be accepted into the four-year residency; she earned her Certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in May of 2023 and is a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon practicing at Greenville Oral Surgery Partners in Greenville, South Carolina. Outside of the office, Jill loves spending time with her large family, staying active with Crossfit, and being outdoors on the water. She is recently engaged to Mihailo Nikolic and will be getting married this October!

After graduating from GPS, Mary Chandler Gwin attended Yale University and studied molecular biophysics and biochemistry. During her time as a student, she earned the Luis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Creative and Performing Arts. After undergrad, Mary Chandler headed back down south to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her medical degree and a Master of Public Health, earning the William deB. MacNider Award along the way. While completing a thesis focused on the mental health of pediatric patients with chronic conditions and the wellbeing of their families, Mary Chandler also helped develop a peer support mentorship program to promote and foster wellness throughout the student body. Currently, Mary Chandler is in her second year of pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2021 and aspires to work in primary care with a focus on caring for pediatric patients with complex medical needs. In her personal life, Mary Chandler continues to dance regularly – a passion she has consistently pursued since her time in Terpsichord. 

After GPS, Charlotte Vance attended Auburn University and studied computer science with a concentration in foreign languages. While attending Auburn, Charlotte served as President of the Sports Analytics Club and Head of Finance for the AuburnHacks hackathon. Upon graduation, Charlotte moved to Dallas, Texas, to begin her career in marketing at Epsilon by closely collaborating with clients to create meaningful interactions with their customers based on a deep understanding of their behavior. In addition to her full-time role, Charlotte also worked part-time as the Area Director for Dallas/Fort Worth for Ozone Ministries, a non-profit, faith-based ministry for middle and high school students. Outside of work, she has been a part of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference mentorship program and has worked with the Send It Foundation on their "SendTember" initiative that supports young adult cancer patients and survivors through outdoor activities. Charlotte is now pursuing her MBA at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business where she was recently elected as her section representative. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys reading, cycling, hiking, and authoring a weekly newsletter discussing women's sports.

Congratulations to our Notable Alumnae! We can't wait to celebrate you at Reunion Weekend, October 4-5!

To register for Reunion Weekend, click here.