2025-2026 Officers & Directors Candidates
JennGSCA is pleased to announce the nominees for GSCA Officers and Directors for the 2025-2026 year. Information regarding each nominee follows. GSCA are encouraged to read the candidates' information, watch their candidate video, and vote for the future of GSCA from November 7 until 5 pm on December 5, 2024
VOTING WILL OPEN 11/7/24 AFTER MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY
President-Elect
Katrina Wilson, Pine Street Elementary School, Rockdale County Public Schools
Vision for GSCA
My vision for GSCA is to elevate and advance the overall mission of our organization which is to support school counselors in Georgia as they promote student success. I will also continue to educate invested parties on the role of the school counselor. Finally, I will listen to ideas from our members and create opportunities to empower them towards GSCA leadership and overall involvement.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
Hello, my name is Katrina Wilson, and I am running for President-Elect of the Georgia School Counselors Association. It is a huge honor to seek this position to represent the school counselors of this state. I have been a member of GSCA for over 13 years and a member of ASCA for the past 4 years. I have had the privilege of serving Pine Street Elementary School in Rockdale County for the past 15 years. I am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS). My professional memberships include The Southern Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors (SCAES), and the Licensed Professional Association of Georgia (LPCGA). I have led my school in becoming a Recognized ASCA model program and in serving in various building leadership positions including the PBIS coach. I have also had the pleasure of serving in GSCA for the past 14 years. I started out as a member of this great organization then moved to serving as the Region IV Director, Region III Liaison, Metro Director, the APEX Liaison, Elementary Director, Conference Committee Member, Parliamentarian and currently as the Co-Chair of the Beacon. I would now like to continue serving the counselors of Georgia as the President-Elect of GSCA. Above everything professional accomplishment, I take the most pride and humility in being a school counselor. In conclusion, I would like to represent the exceptional counselors of Georgia as the President-Elect of the Georgia School Counselors Association. Thank you for your support.
If elected, what two goals would you like to accomplish during your term?
Membership Engagement & Recruitment– To encourage current membership involvement beyond their current commitment, in order to attract the recruitment of new members. I would also like to create a variety of opportunities and spaces to transition and empower more members toward GSCA leadership.
Student Support Professional Collaboration- To create collaborative relationships with other school support professional organizations which would include: school social workers, school-based mental health professionals, school psychologists, etc., to strengthen our support for students.
Experience
As previously stated, I have had the pleasure of serving in GSCA for the past 14 years. I started out as a member of this great organization then moved to serving as the Region IV Director, Region III Liaison, Metro Director, the APEX Liaison, Elementary Director, Conference Committee Member, Parliamentarian and currently as the Co-Chair of the Beacon.
Why should GSCA members vote for you?
I have seen amazing work from the counselors of this great state, in trying to accomplish meeting the academic, social emotional, and career needs of our students under challenging circumstances. My personal leadership philosophy is defined as that of a servant leader. If given this opportunity, I will work to fulfill the mission of GSCA by stewarding this organization with character, fidelity, and integrity. Please extend to me the privilege of supporting you as you promote student success. Thank you.
Secretary
Mark Ellis, North Springs Charter High School, Fulton School System
Vision for GSCA
My vision is that GSCA will serve all Students, Professional School Counselors, and School Districts in Georgia. GSCA will work with professional school counselors in order to provide professional learning and support to counselors in order to ensure that all Students are College & Career Ready.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
My name is Mark Ellis, and I am running for GSCA Secretary. My first goal is to advocate for Professional School Counselors from all GA School Districts to be represented at the GSCA Conference. My second goal is to increase both our college partners and business partners by 5% in order to offset the cost of the GSCA Conference. I have a Master of Arts in Counseling and a Specialist in Ed Leadership Admin & Supervision. This is my 21st year with the Fulton School System. I was a Professional School Counselor (PSC)/Head Counselor at Milton High School for 6 years, System Coordinator for 6 years, and a PSC/Head Counselor at North Springs High School for 9 years. I have been a member of GSCA, ASCA, and Fulton School Counselor Association for 19 years. In addition, I have been a member of the GA Licensed Professional Counselor Association for 23 years. I am a National Certified School Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. Currently, I am the GSCA Secondary Liaison. In addition, I have held the following GSCA and FSCA positions, respectively: Secondary Director, Member at Large, Coordinators/Educators Liaison, Professional Recognition Co-Chair, Parliamentarian, Region 3 Chair, Region 3 Legislator, Performance Management Committee Member, FSCA President Elect, and FSCA President. My awards and honors: GSCA Region 3 Secondary School Counselor of the year, GSCA Supervisor of the Year, FSCA Counselor of the Year, FSCA Supervisor of the Year, FSCA Advocate of the Year, Anchor Hospital Service Excellence Award Winner, and Anchor Hospital Employee of the Month Award.
Elementary Director
Rebecca Burkhart, Savannah Chatham County Public School System
Vision for GSCA
As Elementary Director, I would collaborate with GSCA board and leadership team, fulfilling our organization's goals and be a voice for all elementary school counselors in Georgia. My vision is to increase membership, highlighting benefits including professional development, collaboration, and advocacy for our great profession at state level.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
I'm Rebecca Burkhart, a 14 year veteran school counselor, with 19 years total in education as I before served as a PreK teacher. As a former GSCA executive board member (Middle Director 2018-2020), I have had the opportunity to be a voice of middle school counselors in our state, and now am honored to hopefully have the chance to further be a voice for elementary school counselors. It is a goal to again have the opportunity to serve on the GSCA executive board, connecting all school counselors and thus supporting our Georgia students!
Secondary Director
Dwight Jackson II, Gwinnett Online Campus
Vision for GSCA
My vision for GSCA is to continue to build on the amazing foundation of advocacy while also expanding the profession to new potential counselors.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
As a dedicated and experienced member of the school counseling community, I am excited to be running for the position of Secondary Director in the GSCA organization. With over ten years of experience as a GSCA member and five years as an ASCA member, I am deeply committed to advancing the profession and serving the needs of students and educators. My educational background includes a master's degree in counseling, and I hold relevant certifications and licensures. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated strong leadership skills and have been actively involved in various professional organizations, where I have received recognition and awards for my contributions to the field. My extensive experience, coupled with my passion for the well-being of students, makes me a strong candidate for the role of Secondary Director. If elected, I am committed to leveraging my skills and insights to drive positive change and further enhance the impact of school counselors in our community. Thank you for considering me for this critical position.
Metro Director
Tierney Langdon, Bay Creek Middle School, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Vision for GSCA
My vision for GSCA is to serve as collaborative organization lead by school counselors. Through the collaboration of GSCA school counselors, we are able to mentor, advocate and provide meaningful resources to enrich and continue to educate school based Mental Health Professionals.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
My career as a middle school counselor began in 2014, with our Counseling Department earning RAMP recognition for the 1st time, in 2015. This recognition became the catalyst to my mantra to “FIND YOUR CAN” and improving adolescents’ development and mental health. I have presented at the Georgia School Counseling Conference 2017, 2021 and 2022 2024 and The American School Counseling Conference in 2019 with focus on mindfulness and growth mindsets in Schools. This year I am presenting at the Georgia School Counseling Conference in Savannah, on ways school counselors can support students with cancer and students with parents and siblings with cancer.
When I am not at work, I enjoy horseback riding, sketching, hiking, HIIT workouts, and yoga. I believe in helping to build relationships not only with students, but with the community as well. My horse Keaton and I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Equestrian Connections. This program partnered with Children’s Health Care of Atlanta. Equestrian Connections, utilizes various areas of Equine Based therapy to groups of children learning to live with various ailments such as scoliosis, Osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, various spectrums of autism as well as various spectrums of ADD and ADHD. I believe that encompassing a mind/body wellness philosophy through non traditional methods is a valuable tool in improving mental health. I aspire to spread these therapeutic opportunities into society, in hopes to enrich people with natural, healthy, positive coping skills for life challenges and traumas.
Finance Committee (General Member)
John Nwosu, Garrett Middle School, Cobb County School District 
Vision for GSCA
I want GSCA to continue being the top resource and advocate for school counselors in
Georgia by identifying effective ways to 1.) lower school counselor ratios and increase pay, 2.) inspire counselors to develop innovative comprehensive programs that close opportunity gaps, and 3.) develop accessible pathways to school counseling for marginalized groups.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
My name is John Nwosu, and I am running to become a member of the GSCA finance committee. This is my 8th year serving as a middle school counselor. During that time I have served in several roles in the Cobb School Counselor Association (Scholarship chair, Membership chair, Professional Development Chari), GSCA (Professional Development Chair, DEIJ Co-chair), and ASCA (DEI Committee, Anti-racist Committee Co-chair). Prior to being a school counselor, I served as treasurer for our school’s Black Student Alliance and the National Black Graduate Student Association. I am passionate about finance, financial literacy, and making sustainable, healthy decisions with money. I look forward to serving again, and I appreciate your consideration.
Finance Committee - (Past President)
Jennifer Jones, East Coweta Hight School, Coweta County School District
Vision for GSCA
My vision for GSCA is to maintain financial integrity and to ensure our members that we are using our funds in the proper manner to provide resources for school counselors throughout the state.
Statement on Goals and Qualifications
My goal would be to work along with the other members of the Finance Committee and the Executive Board to continue to support our school counselors. I have served in many capacities in GSCA through the years...Evaluations Co-Chair and Chair, Professional Recognition Co Chair, Parliamentarian, Region 4 Chair, GSCA President 2020-2021, Conference Team member, and am currently on the Finance Committee as the Past President.
I am very committed to this organization, the counselors around this state and the students we serve on a daily basis. I believe in what our organization stands for and the work we do to support school counseling in the state of Georgia.