Board of Directors and Advisers

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is a group of volunteers who meet routinely to review the management and financial security of the school.

• Bill Porter (President): Attorney – formerly a civil litigator, now practicing real estate and business law with his own firm. B.S. in Information Sciences from University of Pittsburgh. Law degree from Georgia State University. Joined Porter Academy Board in 2011.
• Lynn Schoeneck (CEO, CFO): Head of School 2016 – present; Assistant Director 2011-2016; Occupational Therapist 2004-present. M.S. in Occupational Therapy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A. in Psychology (with honors) from Wake Forest University. Joined the Porter Academy Board in 2011.
• Tom Smith (Treasurer): President and founder of Great SSO, Inc. that provides tuition scholarships to children grades Kindergarten through twelve. Certified Public Accountant working with Melvin P. Wilkes and Company. Joined Porter Academy Board in 2011.
• Tracy Depew (Director): Tracy has an Education degree with a minor in Physical Ed. She taught elementary education for ten years and middle school for eight years. She has four children of her own, one with special needs. Her daughter is what brought her to Porter Academy. She attended Porter Academy for ten years. Joined Porter Academy Board in 2019.
• Rich Matthews (Director) – Rich serves as an Academic Program Support Specialist for The Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth (AISLG) at Kennesaw State University. Rich Matthews brings a diverse and dynamic professional background to his role at AISLG. With over a decade of experience in public administration, he served as Director of Public Transportation for Athens-Clarke County, Georgia.  He played a key role in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transit requirements for Knoxville’s public transit system. Following his tenure in public service, Rich transitioned into hospitality management, a path that eventually led him to higher education. His passion for inclusive learning brought him to Kennesaw State University, where he began teaching and supporting neurodiverse students. Today, he supports Georgia’s first inclusive post-secondary education program at KSU by leading community outreach initiatives and providing essential support services to students enrolled in the program. Rich joined the Porter Academy Board in 2025.
• Amy Squires (Director): Amy Squires is a Speech Language Pathologist and the Founder and Director of TLC Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and French from James Madison University and her Masters degree from Florida Atlantic University where she was named Graduate Student of the Year. Amy spent several years working in the Fulton County public schools before starting her private practice. She specializes in working with children with Autism, Oral and Written Language Disorders, Dyslexia, and Social Communication Disorders.​ She is trained in PROMPT, Talk Tools, and the Orton Gillingham method. Joined the Porter Academy Board in 2022.
• Alan Porter (Director): Alan, husband of founder Claudia Porter, is (mostly) retired after a long career at The Georgia Institute of Technology. He does still work part time at Search Technology. Alan joined the Porter Academy Board in 2025.

Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board is a select group of our stakeholders convened by the organization to give advice and support.
Our Advisory Board members include:

• Leslie McClane (Secretary): Leslie serves as Field Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Human Services at Kennesaw State University. Joined the Porter Academy Board in 2017 and retired from the Board in 2025.
• Dr. Nancy Reed – Ph.D. Northwestern University in Communication Disorders: Learning Disabilities; M.A. in Communication Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology; B.A. Education/Speech-Language Pathology. Certified and Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. Last position as liaison/consultant to Regents Center for Learning Disorders at Georgia State University (1994-2010). Served on Porter Academy Board 2013-2015.
• Judy Murphy – Co-founder of Data Media Associates, nationally known company for medical business assistance. Former nurse. Now working as a full time grandmother. Served on Porter Academy Board 2010-2016.
• Dr. Sharon Berger – Doctor of Optometry; Vision Therapist since 1973; specializes in working with children and adults with special needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and head injuries; written and lectured on vision and Sensory Integration
• Robert Schroeder – J.D., St. John’s University School of Law in New York, NY, Graduated with Honors in top 10% of class; B.S., Finance & Economics, St. John’s University, NY, Graduated Summa cum Laude. Partner at Robert F. Schroeder, P.C., (Formerly Malcolm & Schroeder, LLP), Atlanta, GA. 1997-present. U.S. Department of Justice, Atlanta, GA – Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Georgia, 1996-1997 & 1987-1995.