Click Board Member name for bio 

Board meetings are generally held at 4 p.m. the 3rd Wednesday of the month in February, April, May, July, September and November. Please call 770-205-4573 for location and agenda info.

Ross Gericke

Ross grew up in Stone Mountain and moved to Forsyth County in 2005. After teaching high school for two years, he began working with the Forsyth County Public Library, eventually becoming the Branch Manager of the Hampton Park Library. As an Eagle Scout, Ross has a lifelong interest in finding practical ways to preserve the environment. He joined the KFCB board in 2020 after being impressed by the organization’s outreach and events. Like any good librarian, Ross likes reading books but also enjoys hiking, birding, vintage computing, and dragging his daughter to NASCAR races. 

​

Tracey Jones

A South Florida native, Tracey was compelled to transplant her husband and four children to Forsyth County in 2007 after a brief family visit. Following an initial career as a physical therapist, she thrived as a full-time mom, school, and community volunteer. In more recent years, she co-founded a local brick and mortar DIY studio and now owns Rustic Trace where she makes custom home décor. Tracey joined the KFCB Board in hopes of maintaining the community feel and beauty of the landscapes that initially led her family to the area. She has been married to her high school sweetheart Todd since 1992. They love to hike, workout, volunteer, and go to UF football games which they will soon do more of as they become empty nesters. 

​

Jon McDaniel 

Jon was born and raised in Eastman, GA “the home of Stuckey’s Pecan Candies” and moved to Forsyth County in 2001.  After receiving an undergraduate degree from UGA and Masters degree from UNC Chapel Hill, he became a career public librarian, spending his last 20 years as the Director of the Forsyth County Public Library. Jon joined the KFCB Board in 2015 to bring his attention to detail and love of order to help preserve our outdoor spaces. He enjoys reading, cooking, biking, kayaking, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. His favorite saying is “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”.

​

Ralph Cromer 

Ralph is a retired engineer who spent his career working in the energy sector. Originally invited by a neighbor to join the KFCB board, Ralph jumped at the opportunity due to a keen interest in preserving the water quality in our creeks and streams. In addition to volunteering at major KFCB events, he recently became a certified Adopt-A-Stream trainer and is working to grow the number of stream monitors in the County. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking and playing the clarinet with The Atlanta Wind Symphony.

​

Jennifer Archer

Jennifer was born at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and moved to her father’s hometown of Cumming in 1992. From a young age, she was always in her element when outdoors and still finds her happy place while horseback riding, hiking, bicycling, and reading in her hammock. Jennifer’s position as the Cumming City Center Property Manager led to her to become acquainted with KFCB in 2018, as she pursued the title of “Tree City” for the City of Cumming. She joined KFCB knowing it was an organization that had the ability to influence and educate our community. Her strong desire is that her children and children’s children grow up with the opportunity to love and enjoy the great outdoors as she did- which leads to one of Jennifer’s favorite quotes “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

​

Don Bailey 

Don grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to Georgia in 1979 to take a position as the Manager of the Buford Library. In the late 80’s, he became a Reference Librarian at the Cumming Library where he worked in various capacities until retiring as Facilities Supervisor of the Forsyth County Library System in 2010. A childhood love of the outdoors and later, trips with his children to Lake Lanier and county parks sparked Don’s desire to preserve the natural beauty of our county. Active with KFCB since 2001, Don is the longest serving Board Member. In addition to cheerfully lending a hand at most KFCB activities, he enjoys gardening and photography. He is also active at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum where he operates trolleys and serves as a member of their Board.

​

Crystal Johnson

After leaving the corporate world behind in Texas in 2000, Crystal Johnson moved to Cumming with her husband and two small children. Here, she dove right into volunteer work that aligned with her passion for the environment- first as a Forsyth County Master Gardener and then with KFCB. Her accomplishments included the installation of two outdoor classrooms and establishing the first environmental education and recycling programs at Dave’s Creek ES. In 2007, she made it official and joined the KFCB Board, using her expertise to help start school-wide recycling programs at Shiloh Point ES and Piney Grove MS. In the same year, she founded “Crystal Johnson Health” through which she continues to help people improve their health through nutrition. Crystal is a Forsyth Chamber of Commerce member, Leadership Forsyth graduate, and is active in community charity organizations. She enjoys yoga, gardening, biking, hiking, reading and spending time with her family.

​

Andrew Malphurs

Originally from Boca Raton, Florida, Andrew has been calling the creeks and timber of Forsyth County home since he was a small child. His studies of stream health and herpetology at the University of North Georgia, where he earned a B.S. in Biology, sparked a passion for sustainability and natural resource protection. While at UNG, Andrew also held leadership positions with Baptist Collegiate Ministries and currently serves with the Concord Baptist Church on their praise, tech, and student ministry teams. His current role is Co-Owner and VP of Muse Cabin, an art and music studio at the new Cumming City Center. With a passion for building a healthier environment locally and globally, Andrew joined KFCB to help preserve the natural beauty of our county. 

​

Anu Venkateswaran

Anu grew up in India and moved to the U.S. in 1998. After a period in Kansas City, she moved to Cumming where she was captivated by the beauty of Forsyth County. She currently works for the Cumming Branch of the Georgia United Credit Union and holds a leadership role in her multi-faith spiritual community service organization. Anu is married with two children, both Forsyth County school alumni. She has two pets, a Schipperke named Onyx and a domestic short-hair rescue cat named Kitty who are always wanting attention. Anu joined the Keep Forsyth County Beautiful board as a way to give back to her community.

Denise Webb

As part of a military family, Denise has lived in many places but loves calling Forsyth County home. She initially taught K-6th grades and is now a STEM Teacher actively involved as a state and nation-wide teacher mentor. Denise feels strongly that environmental education promotes critical and creative thinking skills that inspire kids and their families to become more engaged with their communities. It is this passion that led her to join the KFCB Board. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, gardening, raising bees, and spending time with her husband and son- both fellow environmental advocates.