GCO BOARD MEMBERS
Catherine Hardrick
Catherine Hardrick was born in Michigan but has lived in Snellville for over twenty years. Her three children were raised here and attended Britt, Snellville Middle and South Gwinnett. Catherine is a military veteran who served in the United States Army. She is passionate about our veterans and volunteers with a number of organizations and programs dedicated to helping our heroes upon their return home. Catherine has worked and retired from the Financial sector in 2018 before starting her own health and wellness focused business: Journey Within. She earned her Associates Degree in Banking and Finance at Gwinnett Tech and earned her Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science from Georgia State University.
Charles Weems
Charles E. Weems III was born and raised in Decatur, Ga. He attended Columbia High School (in Decatur, Ga) and received a full golf scholarship to Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. While in school, Mr. Weems began his software engineering career by having the opportunity to work with university IT professionals to improve school related software and work with the schools web presence using technologies such as Adobe Flash. Upon graduating from college with a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics, he began his career at a small IT firm located in the Atlanta area as a junior software engineer specializing in web application development for government agencies. He also worked with smaller clients building web sites and tutoring students in mathematics. After learning more about business through relationships with other business owners, in 2006 Charles organized Weems Design Studio (WDS), starting with himself to offer his expertise in web design and software engineering to small firms. Mr. Weems has received many accolades from industry professionals for his expertise in software engineering like being one of the first to implement HTML5 technology to design games that could be implemented on mobile devices and gaming consoles. Today, WDS has grown to a staff of 50+ people and expanded its services to include data analytics and bioinformatics. Mr. Weems has received many accolades for his leadership such as Class II Award with the GMSDC for companies that gross between $1M and $10M annually (Nominated Nationally as well), Small Contractor of the Year for USDA for work in software modernization, and most recently honored for his direction in TOP (The Opportunity Project) for Archymedes.com (a digital tool to tackle minority access to capital on behalf of the MBDA). He has been featured in Black Enterprises Magazine, The MBDA, and TVOne online.
LaShanta’ Cox
LaShanta’ Cox leads all Human Resources services for Gwinnett Technical College and oversees the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center. Cox is responsible for the planning and implementation in acquiring and developing talent, training, and development of faculty and staff, optimizing human resources operations and providing guidance and support to faculty and staff that includes adherence to best practices for employee relations.
Prior to joining Gwinnett Tech in 2010, Cox worked in Human Resources at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
During her tenure at Gwinnett Tech, Cox has served as Assistant Director of Human Resources and Director of Human Resources. Cox earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources from Southern Illinois University and a Master in Organizational Leadership from Walden University.
Jorge Granados
Dedicated leader Jorge Granados brings over a decade of multifaceted experience, showcasing excellence as a General Manager at Bruster’s Real Ice Cream and contributing meaningfully as an intern at the Georgia House of Representatives. A proud alumnus of Meadowcreek High School, Jorge seamlessly blends corporate expertise with a passion for public service and community engagement. Currently serving as the President of the Gwinnett County Young Democrats, he champions the cause of youth involvement in local politics, orchestrating impactful events and initiatives. Jorge’s commitment extends to education, demonstrated through sponsorship at Lilburn Middle School and active participation on the Meadowcreek High School Local School Council. With adaptability and resilience as his guiding principles, Jorge remains poised for continued leadership and positive change.
Zachary Hartley
Zach Hartley was born and raised in Buford, GA. He attended Mercer University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and founded “Camp For a Cause” which is one of the largest philanthropic events held at Mercer. Zach got married right after college to his wife Sydney, and they now have a daughter. In their off time they enjoy hiking, going to Braves games, and playing golf. Zach runs a financial planning practice based out of Athens specializing in personal and business planning.
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson attended Morehouse College from the fall of 1989 to 1993 and graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Psychology. He then spent a year working as a mitigation specialist with the Southern Center for Human Rights in 1993. He started Emory Law School a year later and did clinicals during the school year with the Southern Center for Human Rights, The American Civil Liberties of Georgia, LaFace Records and The Dekalb County Child Advocacy Project. Following his graduation from Emory Law in May of 1997, he worked for 7 years as an Assistant Public Defender with the Dekalb County Public Defender’s Office and later worked for three years as a Assistant District Attorney with the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office. In March 2008, he left the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office to start his own law practice in Decatur, Georgia. In that same year, Mr. Johnson was appointed by the Georgia Attorney General to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General, representing Georgia Department of Human Services. Mr. Johnson has continued in that role since 2008, representing the Department of Family and Children Services, Division of Child Support Services and the Office of Inspector General.
