Our beginnings and commitment to our mission.
to provide children from families with financial need throughout the State of Georgia with greater opportunities to secure a quality PK-12 Catholic education.
Our goal is to afford qualifying families a quality education while providing donors with an opportunity to use their tax dollars towards Catholic school scholarships.
How We Began
GRACE Scholars was founded by former Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop J. Kevin Boland of Savannah in 2008 to take advantage of the SSO/tax credit legislation. Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv. of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and Bishop Stephen Parkes of the Diocese of Savannah currently serve as the Chair and Vice Chair of the GRACE Board of Directors and are committed supporters of the GRACE mission.
GRACE Scholars is a Georgia nonprofit corporation and tax exempt charity (501-c-3 organization) and has met the requirements for designation as a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO) in Georgia. Since GRACE is an SSO, Georgia taxpayers can contribute to GRACE in exchange for a generous tax benefit created by the Georgia legislature – a 100 percent tax credit. Since 2008, thousands of taxpayers have contributed to GRACE. The donations collected become scholarships for students wanting to attend one of thirty-two GRACE participating schools in both the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah. All students receiving awards have demonstrated financial need and are funded for their entire career at a school as long as they demonstrate need each year.
Board of Directors
The Most Reverend Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop
Archdiocese of Atlanta
The Most Reverend Joel M. Konzen, S.M.
Bishop of Atlanta
The Most Reverend Stephen D. Parkes, D.D.
Bishop of Savannah
G. Bliss Jones, CPA*
Shareholder, Jones Kolb CPAs, Atlanta
Carrie Jane Williamson
Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Savannah
Stephen S. Leonard, CPA*
Partner, Hancock Askew & Co. LLP, Savannah
Diane Starkovich
Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Atlanta
Bradley J. Wilson
Chief Financial Officer, Archdiocese of Atlanta
* Indicates independent member of the board
Officers & Staff
Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer
Vice-Chair (2021-2022) **
Chair (2022-2023)
Bishop Stephen D. Parkes
Chair (2021-2022) **
Vice-Chair (2022-2023)
Deacon Rick Medina
Chief Executive Officer
Bradley J. Wilson
Chief Financial Officer
Melissa Bassett
Director
Email
404.920.7902
Laurie Morse
Coordinator
Email
404.920.7903
** The Archbishop of Atlanta and the Bishop of Savannah rotate annually between the offices of the Chair and Vice Chair
