Gwinnett Coalition Staff
Renée Byrd-Lewis
President and CEO
Renée Byrd-Lewis serves as President and CEO of the Gwinnett Coalition an organization dedicated to leading systems change to address Gwinnett County’s most complex social issues. Nearly three decades of private and public sector experience fuels a diverse portfolio of capabilities in community development, social responsibility, and communications. Previous roles include Vice President of Advancement and Strategic Communications at Georgia Gwinnett College, Director of Community Relations at Cisco Systems and Scientific Atlanta, and senior consultant for nonprofits seeking to increase organizational capacity. Ms. Byrd-Lewis is adept at transcending industry and functional boundaries and leveraging an extensive network to achieve desired outcomes.
A Gwinnett County resident since 1995, Ms. Byrd-Lewis is an engaged leader with deep community knowledge. She is a Past Board Chair of Leadership Gwinnett Foundation and serves as a Board member of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation. Ms. Byrd-Lewis earned a master’s degree from Georgia State University, dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Emory University and resides in Buford with her husband and two sons.
Dr. Teresa Raetz
Chief Operating Officer
Teresa Raetz went to college and stayed for the next couple of decades, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University, her Ph.D. in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia, and working in higher education for 25 years. She moved to Lawrenceville in 2002, serving in roles as Director of Student Affairs for Extended Campuses for UGA and Director of Policy Analysis for Georgia Gwinnett College. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Gwinnett Coalition. She has served as a higher education consultant and served in leadership capacities in the Oklahoma College Student Personnel Association, Georgia College Personnel Association, ACPA: College Educators International, and the Association of College and University Policy Administrators. Teresa has volunteered at many organizations, including Rainbow Village, North Gwinnett Co-op, Adopt-a-Highway, Girl Scouts, and Scouts BSA. She served as a board member for Covenant Counseling and Family Resource Center. Her professional and academic interests include servant leadership, organizational culture, stress and coping, and wellness.
Vala Clark
Senior Director of Engagement
Vala Clark serves as the Director of Engagement for the Gwinnett Coalition. Vala attended the University of Georgia where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Sociology. For nearly a decade, she worked in the private sector focusing on project management and process development and optimization. Though the work was exciting and allowed her to spend time abroad, Vala had a desire to impact and serve her community, which ultimately led her to return to college…as a member of the staff. At Georgia Gwinnett College, Vala spent several years serving in leadership roles within Academic and Student Affairs and Public Affairs where she specialized in digital communications, communications strategy, and engagement. When Vala isn’t strategizing and creating for the Gwinnett Coalition, she can be found exercising her green thumb, painting, and enjoying the outdoors.
Kamesha Walker, MPH
Community Health Program Manager
Kamesha Walker serves as the Community Health Program Manager for the Gwinnett Coalition where she is leading initiatives and programs that build capacity and improve community health in Gwinnett County.
Kamesha has a bachelor’s of Biology from Spelman College and a master’s of Public Health from Mercer University. She is an experienced clinic manager and public health professional with a strong background in patient care management, program management, grant writing and community outreach. Kamesha is passionate about positively impacting hospital and healthcare program development in our community.
Silvia Molina
Administrative Assistant
Silvia Molina has 20 years of experience working as a personal and confidential assistant for Senior Executives. After 32 years of federal government service, she retired on December 31, 2019. At that time, she was working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region, Atlanta, GA. She served as Executive Assistant to the Regional Forester, serving in that position since 2005 and during her tenure served under five Regional Foresters. Prior to such she worked with several other agencies under U. S. Department of Agriculture such as Veterinary Services and Veterinary Biologics.
Since her retirement she has been serving in a volunteer role in the Southern Retirees Association as their Membership Chair. Silvia is also a Veteran who has also served in the U.S. Army. She is a native of Puerto Rico and fully bilingual. Silvia serves as a part-time administrative assistant to support all programs of the Coalition.
Milcah Mccall
Helpline Specialist
Milcah Mccall serves as a Helpline Specialist for the Gwinnett Coalition. Upon retiring from a major airline in 2020 as a Ground Operations and Customer Service Leader, she decided to follow her passion, which is helping her community. Milcah has held many extraordinary leadership positions where she was responsible for providing distinctive customer service and a delightful experience, all of which helped her grow in many aspects of her in life. Her background also includes being a Finance Manager for over 13 years, college-level coursework in Childhood Education and Entrepreneurship, owning a restaurant in her hometown Chicago, where she spent countless hours cooking for families in need.
Felicia Theobald
Helpline Specialist
Felicia Theobald serves as a Helpline Specialist for the Gwinnett Coalition, where she is responsible for assisting Gwinnett County School System officials and residents of Gwinnett County in obtaining assistance with various types of crises. She has been active in the school system and has served the special needs community for the past six years. Felicia is a New York native, a dedicated mother, and has a passion for helping others, both in her personal and professional life. Her goal is to help turn stressful situations into solutions all while putting a smile on everyone’s face.
Deicy Vega
Health Equity Navigator
Deicy Vega serves as Gwinnett Coalition’s Bilingual Health Equity Navigator.
Her name is Deicy just like the flower that blooms in adversity. She became involved with her community at a very young age and loves to give back. She has more than six years of experience working within local hospitals and nonprofits which has provided her with the skills needed to navigate the healthcare system and be able to provide assistance to the community. Her motto is “Be the change you would like to see in the world”. Outside of work, Deicy is a college student pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.
Board of Directors
Marqus Cole
Grace Fellowship Church
Jill Edwards
Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending Manager, United Community Bank
Tina Fleming
Department of Community Services Director, Gwinnett County
Jennifer Hibbard
Counselor & Chief Executive Officer, View Point Health
Dr. Clay Hunter
Associate Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Victoria Huynh
Bianca Rayner
The Fet Group
Suleima Salgado
Director of Telemedicine & Rural Health Initiatives, Georgia Department of Public Health
Chuck Warbington
City Manager, City of Lawrenceville
