A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION CHAMPIONING OUR LOCAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS. PHOTOGRAPY BY JESSICA WHITLEY.

KATIE COLLIER, SCHOOL NURSE; ELIZABETH LESLEIN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER; KATHY TOLBERT, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT; MOLLY PEARSON, MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL; SHANNON BRYANT, LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL; KRIS VAUGHN, DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS; ANNA SPINKS, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION. NOT PICTURED: KRISTEN KREUTNER, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION, INSTRUCTION & CURRICULUM.

First Presbyterian Day School
5671 Calvin Drive, Macon
478-477-6505
www.fpdmacon.org

Women in Business

What is the mission of your business?

FPD exists to educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory.

Why is Central Georgia a good place to do business?

There is a special sense of community that exists in Central Georgia that you do not find in many other places. Families care deeply about and are invested heavily in their child’s education. Our community values relationships, supporting each other and seeing our community thrive through our shared goals. That sense of community coupled with FPD’s mission allows us to continue to support the school and serve our Central Georgia families.

What are you most excited about right now in our community?

We are excited about the growth that we are seeing not only at FPD, but in Central Georgia as a whole. New partnerships continue to identify themselves as we fulfill our mission, and we love to see our alumni return and give back to their community.

You might be surprised that: From the beginning, FPD has believed in educating the whole child – meaning we help students grow academically, spiritually, emotionally and physically. We offer rigorous academics, all while integrating a Biblical worldview into our classes. We are also always looking for ways to make our students’ experiences better. To this end, we are excited about continuing to invest in our students in new ways by offering two innovation labs for our 2022-2023 academic year! One lab will be specialized for our Lower School students, while the second will serve our Upper School students.

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

It is so gratifying to walk the halls of FPD every day and see the amazing foundations being laid for our students. Seeing students realize their gifts as they utilize the opportunities before them is truly fulfilling. We are also grateful for those long-term relationships with families and friends of the FPD community, how each partner brings something different to the table and how these various strengths help us in the pursuit of our mission both in the short and long term.

How do you define success?

Remaining faithful to the mission of our school and seeing our students fulfill their God-given potential to make positive impacts on their communities is success for us.

How can women better support each other?

Our faculty and staff is majority women, so we get a lot of practice at this every day! Daily encouragement for one another, affirmation of each other’s gifts and celebration of our successes along the way are some of the ways we practice supporting each other.