President Elect Chris Hempfling led the Meeting and introduced Mr. Brandon Teal, as our speaker. Brandon serves as Associate Executive Director for the Morehouse YMCA and Good Samaritan YMCA in the West End and West Side of Atlanta.

    He presented much about his life, notes about his education in North Carolina, and career at the YMCA of Greater Atlanta. He began his presentation with a summary of his formal education which has included an undergraduate degree from North Carolina Central University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Liberty University, a Special Education Degree from University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill, NC where he also worked in health care for 4 years, a special education program manager which including work focused on the social determinates of health (SDoH) - How factors such as food access, transportation, shelter, and medication affordability affect overall health outcome. He noted that NC health disparities are exceptionally high. Brandon attended North Carolina Central University (NCCU), an HBCU in Durham, North Carolina, where he majored in Behavioral Social Sciences. He later earned a Special Education certification through UNC Chapel Hill and taught special education (K–3) for five years, qualifying for full student loan forgiveness through a Title I teaching program. He subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Executive Leadership from Liberty University in 2022, motivated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Brandon has worked with the YMCA of Greater Atlanta in teacher and in special education instructor in summer special education programs. Regarding the YMCA, Brandon mentioned that the YMCA of Metro Atlanta operates 19 locations, is the largest Head Start provider in Georgia, and serves communities across Metro Atlanta and surrounding Georgia counties, including early childhood education program in Augusta, Richmond County.

    Generally, about the Y, Brandon stated YMCA's three core pillars are Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. The BYMOC (Boys and Young Men of Color) program was created to address low high school graduation and college enrollment rates among young Black males. The Good Samaritan YMCA location was developed as a holistic SDoH model, integrating healthcare, fitness, and a community garden to address food deserts and chronic health conditions. YMCA membership is income-based, with scholarships available; the minimum membership observed is approximately $20–$25/month.

    Brandon's prior work at UNC Healthcare involved COVID-19 mobile testing and vaccination units, community health worker certification programs, and closing thousands of healthcare gaps across North Carolina communities. He also said he’s an avid traveler: having visited all six inhabited continents at least twice, with Japan (particularly Okinawa and Tokyo) and Nigeria as personal favorites.

    Brandon said he joined Rotary Atlanta West End specifically because of his geographic responsibility for the West End and West Side of Atlanta, and to contribute to and build community.