CMoA Board

2023 Board of Directors

Lonnie Mimms – Founder and Board Chairman

Lonnie Mimms has over 35 years of experience working in the Commercial Real Estate industry. In his role as CEO of Mimms Enterprises, his primary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions, overseeing the company’s fiscal activity, and providing strategic direction for the company.

Prior to becoming CEO, he spent 22 years in several capacities for Mimms Enterprises and Malon D. Mimms Company, with roles as Chief Financial Officer and in sales acquisition, finance, leasing, and construction.

A lifelong computer enthusiast, Lonnie is the founder of Computer Museum of America, where he is also the curator and board chair. By founding the museum, he hopes to leave a legacy of a world-class museum that preserves the historical artifacts of the digital revolution and inspires future generations of innovators. He is also the co-founder of the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast.

He formerly served as Vice President of the Executive Board for Visit Roswell, and Roswell Inc. Lonnie is a native of Atlanta and graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

Favorite exhibit:
That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child. It’s all of them and the ones to come too!

First computer:
A Sol-20 my dad bought and I wrote programs on for the family real estate business from my bedroom.

Why I serve on the CMoA board:
To contribute, in collaboration with other board members, the insight, vision, and expertise necessary to build CMoA into a world-class museum.

Lonnie Mimms

Board Chairman and Founder
Nick Allen – Director

Nick began his career in 2005 as the founder and CEO of a network appliance startup company based out of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s incubator program. At GE Healthcare, he was a Lean/Design Thinking Leader from 2008-2012, served as the Director of Technology from 2012-2015, and led User Experience from 2015-2020. Currently, he is the Head of User Experience for Fidelity Institutional.

Nick has 20 years of Lean, Six Sigma, and Design Thinking experience, with influences from Stanford D School, IDEO, GE’s Doug Dietz, and ShingiJutsu. Nick is also the founder of School-for-Haiti, which is bringing world-class education to K-12 and University students in Haiti.

Favorite exhibit: The Pixar Image Computer.  It’s extremely rare and shows how a company like Pixar had to build the very tools they needed to make the movies they always dreamed of.

First computer: My dad brought a TI-99 home for Christmas when I was five, and I remember he made a program that drew a Christmas tree on the TV.

Why I serve on the CMoA board: To help relive the stories many of us experienced growing up with the technology that inspired us, and to be able to experience those memories again with family and friends.

Nick Allen

Director
Gil Amelio – Director

During his four decades of technology and business leadership, Gil has achieved a number of business, scientific, and technological successes, including orchestrating the transformation of several Fortune 500 companies. He has served as the CEO and chairman of Apple Computer, the president, CEO and chairman of National Semiconductor, and the president of Rockwell Communication Systems, a unit of Rockwell International. He moved into venture capital with Sienna Ventures. After seeing several acquisitions through executive leadership roles, he retired in September 2008 and has since spent time launching and guiding several new companies and serving as the Chairman of the Board of two companies. Throughout his career, he has served in leadership roles for several associations, forums and institutes, and at the request of both President Reagan and President Bush.

Prior to his management career, he was a successful technologist. He is responsible for the development of the first practical charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor, which is used today to register images in consumer camcorders, professional video cameras, digital still cameras, and in astronomical and other equipment. The CCD is the eyeball of the Hubble Space Telescope and is used extensively at observatories around the world.

Gil is an IEEE Fellow, a retired pilot, holder of 17 patents, recipient of numerous awards, and is the author or co-author of three books. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Favorite exhibit: I enjoyed seeing the Apple 1 and Lisa 1 among the other impressive early micro-computers. I was also excited to see the Apple treasures in storage. That exhibition will be tremendous one day.

First computer:  Apple 1

Why I serve on the CMoA board: There is no area untouched by technology today and many of us have witnessed it firsthand. From the race to space to the race to put computers in every home, these exciting stories need to be remembered and told. I am thrilled to bring my experience and expertise to CMoA so that these stories, the stories being told today, and those to come are preserved for future generations.

Gil Amelio

Director
Michael Burns- Director

Michael Burns is the managing partner at Scroggin & Burns, LLC. His practice focuses on tax, estate and trust, and business planning. He is a frequent speaker on tax planning and serves as the President-Elect for the Florida Tax Institute. As an adjunct professor for three years at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, Michael taught tax and estate planning courses.

Michael has previously served on the boards of other non-profits and is a founding member of RoswellNEXT.

Before entering practice, Michael received his law degree and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Florida and is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association.

Favorite exhibit: Tribute to Apollo 11

First computer:  1995 Gateway 2000

Why I serve on the CMoA board: CMoA and the team at the museum have compiled an unbelievable collection of historical technological items and exhibits. CMoA has the ability to inspire young inventors, engineers, and leaders to build upon the innovation in computing power, which has become an extension of daily life. As a father of three young children, I hope to assist CMoA in this mission while preserving and honoring the contributions of past generations.

Michael Burns

Director
Alfred Dowe – Director

Alfred T. Dowe is Senior Director of Development at the United Way of Greater Atlanta and joined the board at CMoA in 2021.

His professional background includes experience in financial services, higher education, and non-profit. His extensive work includes revenue generation, B2B sales, civic planning, graduate recruitment, and fundraising. He’s previously served on several civic, professional, and educational boards, including Rotary Club of Roanoke Valley, First Tee, Athletes for a Better World, and the White House Black Community Stakeholders Committee.

Alfred earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University and a master’s in operations management, and a doctorate in public/higher education policy from the University of Arkansas.

Favorite exhibit: The evolution of the cell phone

First computer: A hand-built large PC with monitor (no name brand)

Why I serve on the CMoA board: Rarely do you experience a museum that has exhibits of international quality and a global reputation that deserves more local and regional exposure. My hope is to help provide that.f

Alfred Dowe

Director
David Larsen – Director

David Larsen is a retired instructor in electronic instrumentation and automation from Virginia Tech. He has acquired many computer artifacts, mostly related to microcomputer technology. From this collection, he opened the Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum in Floyd, VA, which operated from 2009-2016 (when the large collection was acquired by CMoA). David was part of the Blacksburg Group, which built and designed digital teaching equipment and computers and taught hands-on courses for microcomputer users. They developed the Blacksburg Continuing Education Series of “Bugbooks” which were pioneering in helping students, engineers, scientists, technicians, and others to quickly learn how to use new technologies and electronic techniques.

David is a ham radio operator and was an electronics technician in the Navy.  Since retiring from the University, David has founded charitable organizations related to amateur radio goodwill, education about technology, and community advancement.

Favorite exhibit:
The microcomputer exhibit. From the late 60s, I was heavily involved in teaching, creating the book series and training aids, and “lived” the years from the first microprocessor through the early years of personal computing.  Thus, these historical microcomputers hold special meaning for me.

First computer:
A PDP 8 minicomputer which he used during some of his years at Virginia Tech.

Why I serve on the CMoA board:
I strongly support the vision to expand the museum as a leading innovation and technology museum with a wonderful reputation worldwide.

David Larsen

Director
Serena Saks-Mandel – Director

Ms. Sacks-Mandel is the Microsoft Global Chief Technology and Transformation Officer for the education industry. Prior to joining Microsoft, she was the Chief Information Officer at two unique, technically advanced, large, and diverse public school districts where she enabled student-centric teaching and learning, which resulted in dramatic improvements in literacy, graduation rates, test scores, and advanced placement credits.

She has led innovation teams at IBM, Walt Disney World, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and provided management consulting at many others. Serena has won numerous state, national, and global awards for leadership, vision, technical excellence, and her commitment to improving student outcomes. She and her husband, Scott are adventure seekers – biking, hiking, traveling, and boating, often with their three wonderful adult daughters.  

Favorite exhibit:
The STEAM Timeline with tech, people stories, and pop culture

First computer:
IBM PC with dual floppy drives and a Casio calculator

Why I serve on the CMoA board:
The Museum is important for preserving our shared technical past, inspiring future innovation, and has the potential to be a magnet for community, connection, education, and economic development.

Serena Sacks-Mandel

Director
Steve Stroud – Director

Steve Stroud is the Executive Director of Roswell Inc, a 501c6 nonprofit that promotes economic development through a public-private partnership with the City of Roswell. Since the organization’s inception in 2012, Stroud has held this position, and under his leadership, Roswell Inc has developed networking, educational, and support programs for small businesses, and worked one-on-one with business owners, entrepreneurs, and state project managers to retain, expand and recruit businesses to Roswell. Additionally,  in 2021, Roswell Inc became an accredited economic development organization (AEDO) through the International Economic Development Council.

Prior to Roswell Inc, Stroud owned and operated his own small business in Roswell, Stroud’s Printing & Design, for 30 years. An active member of the community, Stroud has been involved with civic and nonprofit organizations throughout North Fulton for more than 20 years. Most recently, joining the board of the North Fulton Community Improvement District.

Favorite exhibit:
The Apollo exhibit, because it’s nostalgic of my childhood.

First computer:
Heathkit

Why I serve on the CMoA board:
CMoA represents not only the past, present, and future of technology, but it’s also a one-of-a-kind destination for Roswell. Destinations are the foundation of placemaking, which is key to successful economic development. With the city’s master planning underway, CMoA will undoubtedly be a key piece of that vision.

Steve Stroud

Director
Barkha Suri – Director

Barkha Suri is often described as a technology evangelist; she has had an impact through her work with various community-focused organizations. Her comprehensive professional IT experience has allowed her to deploy holistic solutions in education, business management, and development. She uses her creative experience as a way to bridge the gap between engineering and many other domains, focusing on increasing the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields. She is a leader in the design and delivery of STEM education programs, engaging the future brightest minds of America and enhancing their learning experience.

Barkha is the CEO of Strem HQ Tech Academy, Metro Atlanta, which she founded in 2015 to make technology education the nation’s #1 priority. Using the latest innovations in technology and robotics to enable students to have a propitious advantage for their future, over 18,000 future engineers, doctors, programmers, and scientists have been impacted throughout the United States. She also founded Socialyte Media, Metro Atlanta, in October of 2021, where she serves as the Chief Creative Officer.

She began her career in the commercial sector working in business development, project and product management, and quality assurance roles at Ozonix, Inc., Baxter Healthcare, Envision, Inc., and Parke Davis (India).

Barkha holds a Bachelor of Technology, a Bachelor in English, and a Master of Business Administration. Certifications include Six Sigma, Green Belt; Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner; Executive Global Information Technology Management Certificate; and a Diploma in Marketing & Management.

Favorite exhibit:
A tribute to Apollo

First computer:
1988 Commodore PC20-III, Dial-up

Why I serve on the CMoA board:
CMoA has amazed me from the moment I stepped inside the museum’s doors. With the integration of education and technology, the museum will enable great minds to gather and utilize the abundance of knowledge and history that the Computer Museum of America offers. I strongly believe that with the various awe-inspiring exhibits and the plethora of historical gadgets, CMoA has the potential to enrich and inspire future generations as they take the journey of the evolution of technology through time.

Barkha Suri

Director

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