The Bent Tree Foundation Board of Directors is composed of nine members. All Board members are homeowners in the local community and are volunteers who receive no monetary compensation for their time and efforts. Each Board member assists with our various fundraising efforts and participates in the creation and planning of the numerous Foundation events.
Chairman: Gerald Hunter
Gerald spent a career working in the food packaging industry. He was a General Manager for several manufacturing plants with Rock-Tenn Company in Norcross, Georgia. He later was General Manager/Sales Manager for Preferred Packaging, also in Norcross. He and wife Julie bought a lot in Bent Tree after visiting here in 2005, and bought a house and retired here in 2013. He now spends his days playing tennis, fishing, and traveling to visit their kids and eleven grandkids.
Gerald has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA degree from Florida State University. Some might say that he is educated beyond his intelligence, which is why he has the perfect credentials to be a humor writer for the Bent Tree Echo magazine. Gerald was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2021.
Treasurer: Colin Thompson
Colin was a senior executive and has significant sales, sales management and executive experience. He worked for Honeywell Information Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq Computer Corporation (now HP). He was also the Chief Information Officer for a large national restaurant chain.
Before retiring in 2002, he was the Vice President and General Manager for Compaq’s Outsourcing Management Services, North American Operations. Born and raised in London, England Colin immigrated to the United States as a young man.
He attended East London University, Northeastern University in Boston, as well as Executive Development at Harvard University’s Business School. He is a United States Air Force veteran and lives in Bent Tree, Jasper, Georgia with his wife, Sheila. He founded the Bent Tree Foundation and has been Treasurer since its creation in 2009.
Secretary: Nancy E. Davis
Nancy moved to Atlanta from Chicago in 1973 when she married her late husband Monte. Nancy and Monte bought property in Bent Tree in the mid-70s, bought a vacation home in the early 90s, and moved to Bent Tree full time in 2000. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, and a master’s degree in Communications from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Nancy worked as an Administrative Assistant to one of the directors of Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois before moving to Georgia. For 15 years she was a Research Associate at Georgia Tech Research Institute, where she was a technical writer and editor and managed a communications group in the Environmental Health and Safety Division. She was also on the Executive Board of the Atlanta League of Women Voters.
Since retiring, Nancy has been active in various volunteer activities, including serving on the Bent Tree Board of Directors; the Board of Directors of the Pickens County Community Resource Association (PCCRA) as secretary (currently); the Board of the North Georgia/Big Canoe Friendship Force Chapter, including as president; and the Friends of the Pickens Library (currently). She worked on the Bent Tree echo for 14 years, as editor, co-editor, and Board liaison. She currently volunteers as a cashier at the Community Thrift Store and has done so almost since the Thrift Store opened. She also volunteers one afternoon a week at the Bent Tree Animal Shelter. Nancy was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2015.
Director: LuAnn Chambers
LuAnn grew up on a farm in Lancaster, WI, the SW corner of the state. She has milked cows, fed pigs and baled hay. So getting her hands dirty and working hard comes naturally. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a BS in Comprehensive Music K-12. LuAnn taught vocal and instrumental music for several years in Reedsville, WI. In 1982, after an extremely old winter, LuAnn moved to Hilton Head Island, SC where she headed up a 16-member singing group comprised of former students and college music friends to be the performers at a new singing restaurant. LuAnn eventually moved to Atlanta and traveled from Boston to Nashville as a Regional Manager for Ogden Allied Childcare Corp. In 1991 she went to work for SP Recycling in Atlanta, managing a recycling plant and doing safety training for the company. She retired in 2016 from the recycling industry but is still involved and a member of the state recycling organization. LuAnn and her husband, Robert, both retired in 2016 moving to Bent Tree full-time. They had built their home 14 years before with the plan of retiring here. Robert had bought the lot in 1994 after fishing here with a friend years before and loved the lake and beauty in Bent Tree. Both Robert and LuAnn have been very active in the community since moving here full-time, especially with the Lake and Wildlife Committee. Robert has been the Co-Chair of Lake the Wildlife, and LuAnn chairs the Events Committee for Lake and Wildlife. LuAnn is very active with the Bent Tree Animal Shelter and has chaired the Waste and Recycling Committee working on Bent Tree’s new facility. LuAnn was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2019.
Director: Calvert (Huff) Huffines
Calvert (Huff) Huffines and his wife, Madeline, live in the Bent Tree Community in Jasper, Georgia. Their son, Calvert, Jr. (Edisto Beach, SC) and their daughter, Hannah (Atlanta, GA) are frequent visitors to Bent Tree, as well as three grandchildren.
Calvert is the Managing Member of the Huffines Company, LLC www.thehuffinescompany.com. He was also Broker-In -Charge of Sotheby’s International Real Estate for many years.
Serving on many Boards including banking, conservation, wildlife, community development and foundations, Calvert brings a host of experience to the Bent Tree Foundation. Huff was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2022.
Director: Judith Crain
Judith (Judy) moved to Bent Tree from Middle Georgia in September 2008 to be near their son and daughter-in-law. She and her husband have thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful community and the wonderful people who live here.
Judy enjoyed 40 years of banking, working her way through serving as a loan clerk to group vice president. Her husband was transferred from Clarksville, Tennessee to Salt Lake City, Utah and again to Scranton, Pennsylvania and one more time to Macon, Georgia while employed with The Trane Company. Each location provided an opportunity for her to continue her employment in banking with Wells Fargo Mortgage, PNC and lastly SunTrust Bank.
Judy attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee from September 1972 through May 1976.
Judy enjoys golfing with friends and with her husband. Occasionally she and her daughter-in-law have an opportunity to walk together in the hills of Bent Tree and catch up on their family activities. She also enjoys the Friday morning bible study at Club Tamarack facilitated by Dale Newman with 50 other women.
Judy and her husband enjoy their church family in Jasper where they continue the friendship of numerous Bent Tree families and others in the Jasper and surrounding areas. Judy was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2023.
Director: Kevin O’Brien
Kevin was born and grew up in Endicott, NY. He graduated from Wilkes College in 1980 with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and Computer Science. He was awarded the Scholar Athlete for the College with the highest GPA and starred in Tennis. After graduation he was hired by IBM in Tucson, AZ., as a Cost Accountant. Kevin held many positions at IBM in the Accounting and Finance Field in key analyst, Management and Executive roles. When IBM started the IT Services and Outsourcing business, Kevin helped to craft new operating procedures and processes for this new business and held many Account Executive roles to lead many customer IT transformational programs. After 35 years of service, Kevin was offered similar roles with Microsoft where he led again many customer transformational programs in Account Executive Roles for 9 years. He then retired after 44 years of a rewarding and fulfilled career. He purchased a home in Bent Tree on Lake Tamarack. He greatly enjoys the friendships in Bent Tree as well as the golf, lake life and tennis in the community. He enjoys regular volunteer efforts with fellow neighbors and is thoroughly delighted to be a part of this community. Kevin was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2023.
Director: Leah Kelly (photo forthcoming)
Leah has been a resident of Bent Tree since 2018. During this time, she has been active in the community, serving on the Architectural Committee, leading the Newcomers Committee, assisting with Bunco, contributing to the development of an interest survey, and spearheading holiday meals for Public Safety. Additionally, the Kellys help support and promote the Public Safety Day in October.
Leah obtained a B.S. in Middle Childhood Education and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Georgia State University. She has 25 years of experience as an educator. In the elementary environment, she served as a classroom teacher, as the Student Support Team Chairman, acted as an administrative assistant, and trained student teachers as a Teacher Support Specialist. Leah moved to the middle school setting in Instructional Technology. While in that role, she managed 1,200 students, faculty, and staff members.
Leah hails from Charleston, South Carolina, and she has resided in the Jasper area since 1996. She was elected to the Nelson City Council and volunteered for DFCS and Partners of Pickens Pets. She has been married to Matt for two decades and they have a son who is a chef. Leah is excited to be a member of the Bent Tree Foundation and is eager to transition her focus from volunteering to philanthropic efforts. Leah was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2024.
Director: Bruce Parker
Bruce and his wife Karen are transplants from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Bruce spent many years hiking, fishing, skiing and snow shoeing the northern Colorado high country which is where he developed his deep appreciation for nature and wildlife. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wichita State University then accepted the position of Director of the Creative Arts Center in Greeley, Colorado. While there, he became certified to teach at the secondary level. During the next 15 years, he taught and coached in public schools in northern Colorado while obtaining his Masters of Art Education at the University of Northern Colorado. While teaching, he pursued an administrative endorsement and continued to be involved with kids as an athletic director, assistant principal and finally as a middle school principal before his retirement in 2006. Bruce established a memorial scholarship program for high school students in 2006 which provided financial assistance for female athletes from the area.
Bruce and Karen met in 2007 and married in 2010. Between the two of them, they have four great kids and seven amazing grandchildren scattered from St. Augustine to the west coast of San Diego with some still in Colorado. After a few years of beach living in Ponce Inlet, Florida, the mountains called them back to their life in northern Georgia. Playing pickleball, hiking, kayaking, volunteering with Lake and Wildlife, exploring with photography and enjoying their cabin on the side on the mountain makes their life full. Bruce was elected to the Board of the Bent Tree Foundation in 2024.