Welcome
Sapphire Youth Development Center, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is an educational, recreational, and social organization dedicated to providing after-school programs for youth ages 5 to 17.
Our mission is to equip youth with invaluable skills through creativity and personal development putting them on the path to fulfilling their full potential. This is accomplished by providing after school opportunities that allow the youth to explore, dream, and grow into outstanding citizens, building lasting, positive changes in their lives. We instill our core values of integrity, excellence, self-discipline, and personal growth and development.
Sapphire is solely funded by donations and grants. No donation is too small. Our goal is to raise enough funds to change the lives of our youth and enrich and deepen their growth and development. To date, we partner with local school systems as a part of their community school division.
We offer a wide variety of after school programs promoting positive youth development recognizing their developmental needs and encouraging the expansion of their minds during various phases of their social, physical, and intellectual maturation.
Board of Directors
Barnes Chatelain
Executive Director/ Managing Partner
Legend BLC Enterprises, LLC
Barnès Chatelain is joining the board following a successful 30-year career in leadership across the fields of Risk Management, Property & Casualty Insurance, and Legal Investigations. A proud native of The Bronx, New York, he graduated from The University at Albany with a double major in English and History and is an active and Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Barnès is deeply committed to youth mentorship and community engagement, working as a mentor in the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Community Mentoring Program and previously serving as a coach and instructor for various youth initiatives. He is passionate about meaningful leadership, tutoring students, college prep, career management/mentoring, and the proactive transferring of knowledge and skill sets to the next generation. ...more
Tiffany Crawford
Head of Marketing
UCB Pharmaceuticals
Tiffany Crawford, the Head of Marketing at UCB Pharmaceuticals, is a seasoned Pharmaceutical Executive with over 25 years of industry experience and a distinguished career that spans engineering, marketing, and sales leadership roles across Consumer, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical sectors. Recognized for her high-performance leadership, she is an expert in disruptive marketing strategies, new product launches, business growth management, and sales leadership, consistently exceeding business targets and excelling in highly competitive environments. She has a strong track record of building high-performing teams and developing future leaders, with previous key positions at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble where she drove rebranding initiatives and product launches, earning her multiple distinguished Marketing & Launch Excellence Leadership Awards. ...more
Steven Jones
Senior Director, Cybersecurity GRC and Mergers & Acquisitions
Cox Enterprises
Steven Jones is the Senior Director of Cybersecurity GRC and Mergers & Acquisitions at Cox Enterprises, leading a multi-functional organization responsible for information risk and compliance programs, securing new strategic investments, and guaranteeing exemplary data protection across the enterprise. In his role as the leader of Cybersecurity Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), he strategically directs CEI's cybersecurity risk and compliance programs to maintain adherence to all current requirements, collaborates with emerging business entities on their regulatory and security compliance needs, and spearheads transformative efforts to implement controls, technologies, processes, and policies that achieve new security compliance objectives. ...more
Lisa Robinson
VP for Finance and Administration
Southern Association of Colleges
Lisa Robinson is a seasoned leader and the Chief Financial Officer for SACSCOC, where her passion for education fuels her work for the organization that provides accreditation for over 780 institutions of higher learning across eleven states. With a career spanning over 25 years in higher education, she has held significant financial roles at institutions including the University of West Florida, University of Texas Medical Branch, George Washington University, and Georgetown University, in addition to time spent as a Tax Accountant at the American Cancer Society. Holding both a BS in Accounting and an MBA from Troy University, Lisa is also a dedicated member of several professional and civic organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and she resides in Lawrenceville, GA, with her husband, enjoying reading, traveling, and expressing her "Cajun Queen" roots through the art of good cooking. ...more
Ronda Youngblood, MBA
CEO / Owner
Brainiak Academic Services
Ronda Youngblood, MBA, is a lifelong educator, entrepreneur, and community leader who brings over 25 years of experience to her role as a Board Member of Sapphire Youth Development Center. Beginning her career teaching university-level math and literature, Ronda later showcased her entrepreneurial success by opening a used bookstore in Indiana, which earned her Business Woman of the Year honors and a feature on a small business management textbook cover. After moving to Georgia, she spent eight years on executive teams for leading tutoring companies before founding Infinity Learning Educational Services in 2018, which has earned the Best of North Atlanta award for five consecutive years and recently launched the new Brainiak brand to expand innovative academic and college-prep opportunities. Beyond her business achievements, Ronda's passion for service is evident in her long tenure on the Sapphire Youth Development Center board, her leadership roles with Business Networking International (BNI), and her three decades of commitment to her church and numerous nonprofit organizations, all reflecting her core belief in the power of giving back and creating lasting impact. ...more
Derek Higgs
Co Founder / Chief Visionary Officer
Sapphire Youth Development Center
Derek Higgs is a passionate advocate for personal and professional development, leveraging over 25 years of corporate experience and deep expertise in leadership growth to guide individuals and organizations toward realizing their full potential. Driven by his calling to help others, he made the pivotal move from a comfortable corporate career to entrepreneurship by starting his own company as certified coach, trainer, and speaker dedicated to empowering clients to achieve meaningful results through a courageous, transformative process. He later joined PuzzleHR, where he now serves as a Learning Consultant. Beyond his professional work, Derek and his wife co-founded the Sapphire Youth Development Center in Atlanta, a non-profit dedicated to equipping and guiding young people toward success, which he considers a significant part of his purpose. For Derek, life is about growth, and it is a journey, and like us, that journey is ever evolving. "It's time to enjoy the journey!" ...more