staff

Allen Hoskyn

Pipeline Career Program Catalyst

Allen is a true community weaver, a fast learner, and a strong visionary. Allen is currently working to develop BWAB's newest program: Pipeline, focusing on connecting high-impact young people with transformational companies. Allen is passionate about transforming the future of the workforce by developing both youth and companies today.

Anna Currie

Chief Operating Officer

Anna's desire to fight alongside young people came out of her own fight for life. She is a relational builder who cares for people in a way that draws out their best. Anna is currently the Chief Operating Officer, though she wears many hats.

Christine Emmet

Chief Marketing Officer

A native Miamian, Christine has served with Boy With a Ball in Costa Rica, in San Antonio and in Atlanta. Christine has the mind of a business strategist, a designer's skill set and a youth developer's heart. Christine is Pete's wife, Lucia's mom, and keeps a pulse on everyone on the team.

Ellen Banta

Velocity Director

An Ohio native, Ellen originally began her involvement with Boy With a Ball as a summer intern. After graduating college, she moved to Atlanta to be part of the Velocity staff and has grown to direct the program in Gwinnett County schools. Ellen loves young people and is uniquely gifted at identifying and bringing out the talents and gifts within them.

Jamie Johnson

Executive Director

Jamie and Kathy Johnson emerged from their own trouble as teenagers to raise three children, Joshua, Nina and Joey, and to help found Boy With a Ball. Jamie is a strategic equipper whose capacity for casting vision helps Boy With a Ball grow.

Josiah Johnson

Development Director

Josiah Johnson, affectionately called Joey, grew passionate about helping young people reach their dreams as his life was transformed by deep friendships while studying at the University of Georgia. Josiah is a creative connector who uses humor to care for people and lead them. He functions as the Development Director and works creatively at finding ways to rally a city to care for its own.

Maria Bortolucci Lao

Love Your City Director

Maria is a passionate and gifted communicator who originally fell in love with Love Your City as a volunteer. On her first Walkthrough, she said it "just felt like home." Maria is dynamic and fun to be with, cares deeply about others, and is a gifted learner which makes her uniquely wonderful in Love Your City.

Molly Johnson

Communications Director

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Molly has spent most of her life in greater Atlanta. Molly is passionate about creating beautiful things that have impact. She is the Director of Communications, helping our teams across the world share their world-changing stories.

Team

James Williams

Born in Mississippi, James served as part of Boy With a Ball's first team in San Antonio and our second team in San Jose, Costa Rica before settling down with his wife, Katie, and three children, Louis, Phineas and Thea here in Atlanta. James is a courageous adventurer who makes anyone around him better.

Jeniffer Gomez

Jen grew up in Colombia and moved to the United States as a 10 year old. Her own journey of navigating life and culture has made her a fierce fighter for people. She also has laser like vision, a great mind for systems. Jen is an MBA graduate and works at a commercial real estate company.

Kathy Johnson

Kathy was born in Germany and grew up sharing time between her mother's country, Costa Rica, and her father's, the United States. Kathy is the natural mom to Joshua, Nina and Joey but a spiritual mother to many others. She combines a fierce practicality with a passion for people that has made her a key part of many people's stories.

Katie Williams

Katie grew up in Atlanta, GA and received a bachelors degree in applied linguistics from Georgia State University before marrying James and becoming mother to Louis, Phineas and Thea. Katie is passionate about teaching English as a Second Language. Katie's gentle, jarring insight and evangelistic focus are key to our team's health.

Nina Byars

Nina Byars’ heart was captured as a 13 year-old in San José, Costa Rica as she helped begin a young girls’ group in the El Triángulo squatter’s settlement. She fell in love with Boy With a Ball’s mission, propelling her into her passion for people. Today, together with her husband Rocky, she serves as part of the global team.

Pete Emmet

Pete is a native of Boston who has attended more Ivy League schools than the rest of us can pronounce. Husband to Christine and father to Lucia, Pete is a skilled youth developer and visionary educator. He has a powerful mind is combined with a child-like heart and somehow has a nose for adventure and stability all at the same time.

Rebekah Yoder

A Gwinnett native, Rebekah is a gifted teacher who strongly believes in advocating for all children. She co-leads the tutoring center in Love Your City Norcross, but beyond that is a help to all things. She is a thoughtful friend and the kind of leader that makes everyone around her better.

Rocky Byars

Originally from east Texas, Rocky moved to Atlanta for an internship in video and animation, met and married Nina and joined the team. Rocky's strength and capacity to serve make him a strong protector of anyone in need of protecting and ready to fight for hurting young people.

Virginia Smith

Virginia Smith grew up moving between a small town in Mississippi and the booming city of Rome, Italy. She is now studying for her Masters of Counseling at Georgia State University. Her time abroad developed a dynamic love for people and their cultures, and a desire to unite communities by helping people discover their dreams.

staff & team

staff

Team