Speaker Bios
Region 1 Spring Meeting
Missy Owen
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Davis Direction Foundation
In March of 2014, Missy and her husband
Mrs. Owen currently serves on the Board of Cobb Community Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse, Inc, is a member of the Georgia Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative and has received certification for “Media Training” by the National Safety Council.
Missy and her husband Michael reside in Cobb County. They have 5 children, one of whom resides in Heaven. They are members of the Marietta First United Methodist Church.
Talley Wells
Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
Talley Wells is in his second year as the Executive Director of Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. During his tenure, Talley and his team have positioned Georgia Appleseed to be a key voice for systemic change for low-income Georgia children in healthy housing, school climate, school-juvenile court partnerships, and children’s behavioral health. He is a frequent speaker on these topics.
Talley was the lead author of a 2018 Companion Guide for Georgia court officials to provide accommodations for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. It was created by the Access, Fairness, Public Trust and Confidence Committee of the Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Courts.
Prior to joining Georgia Appleseed, Talley was at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society for seventeen years. At Atlanta Legal Aid, Talley served as the Director of Disability Integration Project where he advocated for children and adults with significant disabilities. His primary focus was on the implementation of the United States Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C
Talley earned his Bachelor's degree from Duke University, a Master's in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Juris Doctorate from the Duke University School of Law.
Talley is a former skipper on the