Marietta in the Middle's Board of Directors
Kayla Sargent, President
Kayla Sargent is the Board President and Executive Director of Marietta in the Middle. Kayla and her wife are long time Ward 3 residents and have 5 children in the Marietta City Schools district. She brings to the group expertises in pediatric clinical neuropsychology as well as applied research and data analysis. As a psychology professor, it’s no surprise that Kayla is passionate about keeping books on shelves and academic expectations high. The majority of her academic work focuses on the intersections of behavioral health, prejudice, and identity. Some books near and dear to her heart this week include Women Who Run With The Wolves (Estes), My Brilliant Friend (Ferante), Disappearing Earth (Phillips), and Sabrina & Corina (Fajardo-Anstine), but her favorite from the MCS no-no list would have to be Juliet Takes a Breath (Rivera).
Karla Jacobs, Secretary
Karla Jacobs is a native Georgian whose many roles include freelance writer, community volunteer, and secretary of Marietta in the Middle. A parent of two Marietta High School graduates, Karla has a strong connection to the Marietta City Schools district. She served as PTA president of A. L. Burruss Elementary, and in 2015, Georgia PTA District 9 awarded her the PTA Visionary Award for her efforts to make PTA more accessible for Spanish speaking parents and for her work with local government officials on various community issues. Karla has a BA in Literary Studies from The University of Texas at Dallas and an MBA from UTD as well. She enjoys reading and knitting. Her all-time favorite book is Cold Sassy Tree by Georgia author Olive Ann Burns, and she loves a wide variety of genres including the 19th Century fiction of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, biographies, historical fiction, and even chick lit and sci-fi/fantasy. She loves the outdoors, and most weekends her family is outside hiking, camping, or biking. Free Flamer!
PJ Hardy, Treasurer
P.J. Hardy serves as Marietta in the Middle’s Treasurer. He is a Marietta native and has lived in the city continuously for over 25 years. PJ has two kids–one who graduated from Marietta High School’s IB program and is now studying Economics at the University of Georgia and one who is a 6th grader at MSGA. PJ has a BBA in Finance from UGA and a Master's in Building Construction from Georgia Tech. He’s worked in investments and corporate development and has been a business advisor to privately held companies for the past ten years. PJ believes that education is the single most important thing we can give our children. He is a product of and am grateful for the public education he has received in his own life. “The inspiration I have and the life I live are a result of that education.”
Stormy Webster, Director of Community Engagement
Stormy Stephens Webster is a Georgia girl at heart. Though she moved away for college and beyond, she knows there is no place like home. Since moving back to the area 6 years ago, she has enjoyed being involved in both Marietta City Schools with PTA as well as the community at large. She has served on various boards but her favorite is giving back to anything that has to do with her little human, a student in MCS. Stormy is excited about the future of Marietta in the Middle and the very important work the organization plans to take on. In her free time, she likes to read, travel, and take long walks.