A Baton Rouge native, Adonica Pelichet Duggan brings nearly 20 years of public education experience to her role as CEO of the newly formed Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. Her experience most recently includes managing external affairs for New Schools for Baton Rouge and leading a successful rebranding of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System while serving as Chief of Communications there for two years. During that time, she served as the district spokesperson and handled all media relations.

A McKinley High graduate, Duggan is an advocate for quality educational options in our community and passionate about Baton Rouge and the city’s children. Prior to accepting a position in East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, Duggan spent more than a decade in leadership of the Zachary Community School District working to establish the first new school district in the state in more than 60 years. Her work there earned awards from the National School Public Relations Association as well as national recognition for community engagement in a school district website.

Duggan is a graduate of the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU. She is active in supporting a number of local nonprofits serving as a current board member for the YMCA of the Capital Area, Rocketkidz Foundation and the Alumni Board of the Manship School. She is an active rotarian and a member of the Baton Rouge Business Report’s 2016 Forty Under 40 and Leadership Baton Rouge Class of 2019.

Dhiyaa-ud-Deen Abdullah is a native of Raceland, Louisiana. Mr. Abdullah holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College. Dhiyaa-ud-Deen uncovered his purpose and passion for education while a student at Southern University, where he served as a mentor with Upward Bound, educational specialist for Operational Pathways, and mentor with Big Buddy. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Mr. Abdullah completed his teacher certification through teach NOLA; TNTP-The New Teacher Project, where he was awarded with the Golden Apple for Excellence in Teaching. 

In 2017, Mr. Abdullah accepted the opportunity to advance his skills in Instructional Leadership and Coaching through Relay’s National Principals Academy Fellowship, where he graduated with distinction. In addition, Mr. Abdullah was a fellow in The Leadership Team Collaborative (LTC) with News Schools for Baton Rouge. In 2018 Baton Rouge Bridge Academy merged with IDEA Public Schools which gave birth to IDEA Bridge Academy. Mr. Abdullah then served as Principal in Residence from 2019-2020 prior to serving as acting Principal of IDEA Bridge Academy in 2020.

Dave Baxter is the Vice President of Sales for Sparkhound and has led business development in the government sector for nearly 17 years. Passionate about education, he’s been instrumental in various initiatives, including volunteering with Junior Achievement, serving on the Advisory Board for the Career and Technical Education Center and serving on Thrive Academy’s Foundation board. His participation in Leadership Baton Rouge and Leadership Louisiana  has guided his focus on improving education in the state.

Committed to action, Dave’s vision is to be “part of the solution, not a Monday morning quarterback complaining about all the wrong things. Let’s make it right!”

Sabrina Galloway is an experienced strategic and creative consultant with a background in the business, non-profit, and political sectors. Throughout her career as a strategist, Sabrina has established herself as a talented consensus builder and communicator with a keen focus on working with businesses, agencies, and individuals to establish and build their brand through strategic messaging, content, and storytelling.

The Galloway Group, LLC is a full service strategy and brand development firm.  Founded by Sabrina Galloway in 2018 to assist both emerging and established organizations.  The Galloway Group was initially focused on providing political strategy for democratic campaigns in Louisiana and also helping construct and develop the business and philanthropic enterprise of professional athletes. Presently, The Galloway Group is focused on providing innovative solutions with strategic goals through timely deliverables that are highly actionable and assist brands and organizations create meaningful impact through their work.

Emily Chatelain is the Founder and CEO of the School Food & Wellness Group and the Executive Director of the Three O’clock Project, a Louisiana-based nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children have access to healthy meals after school and during the summer. She leads an incredible team that supports more than 300 clients across 35 states, helping schools build stronger, more sustainable meal programs.

A graduate of LSU and the University of New Orleans MBA program, Emily lives in Baton Rouge with her husband, Justin, and their two sons. When she’s not at work, she can usually be found on the soccer field, baseball diamond, or basketball court cheering for her kids. She also competes in triathlons and enjoys staying active with her family.

When Emily thinks back to her own school lunch days, she remembers bagged milk, smiley- face French fries, and her lunch pin number — 814 — details that still make her smile and remind her why she’s so passionate about this work.

Joseph Hollins is a Senior Regional Downstream and RES Corporate Relations Advisor for Shell, joining the company in September 2023. A native and resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Joseph received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in December 2012. He then earned his Master of Science in Human Resource and Leadership Development from Louisiana State University in December 2015. Most recently, he earned his Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. Joseph started his career working in the Human Resources department of the Louisiana State Senate, where he oversaw onboarding and employee training. After his time in the Senate, Joseph went on to work at the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

While at the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Joseph worked on many key pieces of legislation, including minimum wage, equal pay, 29CFR29 conformity, and Louisiana’s Work-Based Learning Commission. While State Apprenticeship Director, he grew the number of apprenticeship programs in the state by over 50%. That growth included the state’s first cybersecurity apprenticeship, the state’s first nursing apprenticeship, and the state’s first offender’s apprenticeship program.

Joseph went on to serve as Special Assistant to Governor John Bel Edwards. In this role, he handled a myriad of responsibilities and advising duties. In May of 2021, Governor Edwards appointed Joseph as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority. In that role, Joseph was instrumental in critical oil and gas infrastructure recovery post-Hurricane Ida. In his free time, Joseph enjoys grilling, golfing, watching sports, and spending time with his family. 

Adrian Owen Jones, CFRE, is a partner at Success Labs, where she helps organizations navigate transformation through a combination of analytical expertise, leadership development, and strategic planning. A Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and certified Enneagram facilitator, she specializes in organizational strategy, technology transformation, and leadership development. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Strategy and Philanthropy, Adrian is known for her ability to connect data-driven insights with human-centered leadership solutions.

Before joining Success Labs, Adrian served as Chief Growth Officer at ThreeSixtyEight, leading the agency to record growth and securing Louisiana’s first B-Corp certification. Under her leadership, the agency was named an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company and recognized as one of AdAge’s Best Places to Work. She previously served as Assistant Vice President for Advancement Services at the LSU Foundation, where she spearheaded major technology transformation projects and built the infrastructure for LSU’s record-setting $1.5 billion campaign. She was a founding member of Apra Louisiana, and editor of Apra’s national magazine, Connections, for 4 years.

A lifelong strategist, she honed her analytical expertise in an unconventional setting—as a world-ranked player in World of Warcraft, mastering complex data analysis and dashboarding. This experience reinforced her belief in the power of play to develop critical technical and leadership abilities.

​Coulter McMahen is the President and CEO of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA). McMahen represents dealers before legislative and regulatory bodies and key decision-makers, steers LADA’s strategic direction, and fosters a collaborative community among dealers statewide. McMahen also serves as Administrator for the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Self Insurers’ Fund (LADA-SIF), LADA’s exclusive workers’ compensation insurer, operated by and for dealers, which has returned over $105 million in member distributions since its inception.

Before assuming these roles, McMahen forged his path as a formidable commercial litigation attorney at Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips LLP, where he advocated for businesses across the nation. His contributions were duly recognized, earning him the distinction of being named a finalist for The Frank L. Maraist Young Lawyer of the Year Award by the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. McMahen began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

McMahen earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Finance and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Louisiana State University. He lends his expertise and dedication to esteemed organizations such as the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Emerging Leaders Council, the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Investors Collective Advisory Council, The LSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Advisory Council, and Red Stick Leaders for Students, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to advancing Louisiana’s collective well-being and fostering a brighter future for all.

Coulter enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing, spending quality time with his family, and cheering on his alma mater, the LSU Tigers.