The main phone number at Rhodes Hall is 404-881-9980. You can also contact staff members at Rhodes Hall state headquarters directly. The last four digits of the direct line also serve as the staff member’s extension when calling the main phone number. As always, we welcome your phone calls and invite you to stay in touch with us by phone, fax (404-875-2205), or contact us through the website.
President & CEO
W. Wright Mitchell comes from a successful law career in private practice, specializing in civil litigation and historic preservation law. In 2005, Mitchell founded the Buckhead Heritage Society and served as its volunteer president for 10 years. Under his leadership, Buckhead Heritage implemented numerous historic preservation programs and received the Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Georgia Trust in 2009 for the restoration of Harmony Grove Cemetery. Buckhead Heritage also brokered the deal with the City of Atlanta that allowed the Randolph-Lucas-Jones House (a Georgia Trust 2020 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award recipient) from Buckhead to Ansley Park.
While involved with Buckhead Heritage, Mitchell continued to practice law and opened his own practice, where he litigated historic preservation cases and advised neighborhoods and homeowners on a variety of historic preservation related topics.
Senior Director of Communications
Traci Clark is responsible for the Trust’s communications strategies, media relations, marketing materials and promotions. A sixth-generation Georgian and native of coastal Georgia, she holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a focus in advertising and public relations, from the University of Georgia. Traci has been working in the marketing field for more than 20 years. Her hobbies include running, gardening and visiting historic sites with her husband, Joe, and their son.
Senior Director of Development
Bryn Chanudet moved from West Palm Beach, Florida to Atlanta in 2011 and began her career with the Trust. She received a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Tennessee and started her nonprofit career in Florida with a children’s healthcare organization. Bryn was promoted from Director of Special Events to the Sr. Director of Development with The Georgia Trust in 2016. Bryn resides in Marietta with her husband, Anthony and their two sons, Knox and Nash. She enjoys cooking for friends and family, being outdoors, cheering on the Tennessee Vols and learning about historic preservation.
Director of Special Events
Brittany has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a history minor and a certificate in special event management from Georgia State University. Prior to the Trust, Brittany was a sales associate at Ashton Gardens, a wedding venue in Sugar Hill. While a student, Brittany was an intern in the Development Department where she assisted with special events for several years. Brittany lives in Duluth with her husband, Kendon, and their children, Avery and Mason.
Senior Director of Preservation and Legislative Advocacy
Ben Sutton has been with The Georgia Trust since 2014, becoming Director of Preservation in 2018. Ben has a master’s degree in heritage preservation from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University. He is a certified Historic Real Estate Development Finance Professional and has a background in history, education, and outdoor leadership. Ben was drawn to preservation because of its interdisciplinary nature and is motivated by the complex challenges that historic buildings can present. He lives in historic Grant Park with his wife, Katie, and two young boys.
Preservation Programs Coordinator
Danielle Meunier joined The Georgia Trust in 2017 as the Preservation Communications Coordinator and now serves as Preservation Programs Coordinator. In this position, she works with the organization’s advocacy and educational programs, which involve working toward preservation solutions for endangered historic sites; educating constituents about preservation techniques and policies; connecting them with resources; and providing technical assistance and guidance. She also assists with the organization’s preservation-related communications. Previously, she spent seven years with Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) as the Preservation & Education Coordinator. Danielle holds a BFA in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is passionate about understanding the stories that buildings and places have to tell. She also enjoys sharing this passion through education, especially with younger generations.
Historic Properties Coordinator
Kate is responsible for managing the Trust’s easement properties, working with the Georgia Trust Revolving Fund, and overseeing the cyclical maintenance of Rhodes Hall. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in Architectural Studies and minored in Film. After her studies in architecture, she was drawn to the field of historic preservation and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in historic preservation design from SCAD.
Prior to joining the Georgia Trust, Kate gained valuable experience through preservation internships across the United States, including roles in Sitka, Alaska and Jekyll Island, Georgia, where she engaged in hands-on preservation efforts.
Membership and Finance Manager
A graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design, Chrystal Butts holds a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation and architectural history. Before coming to the Trust, she worked for Revival Construction in Atlanta. She resides in her hometown of Fayetteville, Georgia with her husband, Will, an electrician whose services have been used at Rhodes Hall many times by special request from his wife and their daughter, August.
Chief Financial Officer
Dana Ponder graduated from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and upon graduating relocated to Atlanta. She began a nine-year career in banking, earning her CPA before she left her position as CFO for Southern Bank Group Roswell, Georgia. Dana transitioned to public accounting as an Audit Manager for Brooks, McGinnis & Co. She spent 13 years auditing non-profit clients while she continued to consult and perform accounting services for a select group of her own clients.
In 2014, she became the Director of Finance for Desire Street Ministries, where she streamlined the accounting processes and managed several large rebuilding projects associated with the Hurricane Katrina disaster. She joined the team at The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation at the end of 2019 and continues in the role of Finance and Accounting.
Dana and her husband Bill attend Buckhead Church. They have a grown daughter, Adelaide Douglas Ponder. Dana and Bill love animals and give a good home to several dogs and cats.
Rhodes Hall Events Director
Caroline is responsible for coordinating and managing private events held at Rhodes Hall. Prior to the Trust, she served as the Catering and Events Manager at the Peachtree Club in Midtown Atlanta and has worked closely with hundreds of couples on their wedding days.
After graduating from Campbell High School in Smyrna, Caroline majored in Religion and minored in History and Spanish at Ohio Wesleyan University. In her free time, Caroline enjoys trying as many of the different restaurants in Atlanta as she can, practicing yoga and playing her piano.
Communications Associate
A fifth generation Atlantan, Lane is responsible for social media and supporting our communications. Prior to joining The Georgia Trust, he worked for nearly three decades at AT&T in a variety of sales, marketing and operations leadership roles in Florida and Georgia. With his interest in historic architecture, he grew a large statewide social media presence as Old Georgia Homes. In his spare time, Lane enjoys time with his rescue animals and exploring off-the-beaten path locations throughout Georgia.
Director of Hay House
A Middle Georgia native, Aubrey manages all aspects of Hay House, a National Historic Landmark and a property of The Georgia Trust in Macon. Prior to joining the Trust, Aubrey served for 18 years as the director of real estate development for Damaste Real Estate in downtown Macon, where he worked on mixed-use commercial and residential developments, utilizing both state and federal historic tax credits.
Aubrey holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Georgia. He has served on the boards of Historic Macon Foundation, Hay House, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Theatre Macon and Main Street Macon, and the Jones County Historic Preservation Commission.
Hay House Operations Manager
Originally from Gray, Georgia, Clint comes to the Trust with many years of management experience that he gained while working at Geico and Birch Communications. After spending 24 years in numerous positions with Geico in Macon as well as Lakeland, Florida, he moved back to Macon to be closer to his family.
Hay House Manager of Collections and Education
Erin Evans is a graduate of Georgia State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Art History in 2012. She began her career by working for the Atlanta Historical Society as a docent at the Margaret Mitchell House. In 2016, she moved to Los Angeles and took on the role of programs scheduler and volunteer outreach coordinator for Kidspace Children’s Museum. Most recently, she had the pleasure of working at the Getty Research Institute in special collections. It was there that she learned how to handle fragile and rare documents, books, architectural drawings and more. Erin became a stay-at-home mother in November 2019 when she and her husband, Adam, welcomed their son, Remy. She and her family moved to Macon, Georgia, in July of 2020 to be closer to family. She eased back into work life as a part-time docent at the Trust’s Hay House. Now, she is excited to apply the knowledge gained from previous positions to her role as Manager of Collections and Education.