Board of Directors

Zakiyyah Shahid

Zakiyyah Shahid is an Atlanta native and is a Special Education Teacher. Though teaching is her profession, social work is her passion.

For the past ten years, she has been volunteering and working with individuals, families & organizations in an effort to combat poverty and end homelessness. She began volunteering with Change to Humanity in September 2020 and joined the board in March 2022.

Board of Directors

Matt Gammon

Business mogul that owns several companies including Zeppelin Agency, The Mac Space, Atira Lighting systems, Zeppelin Records, Zeppelin Films, and SMP IT. He has been in the music industry since 2000. He has recorded many, i.e. Ying Yang Twins, Killer Mike, Rehab, Dead Prez, Bubba Sparxx, Kilo Ali, Raheem The Dream, Lil Jon, Collective Soul, Jarren Benton and more. He then entered the film industry in 2005 and has made commercials and music videos for clients such as : AT&T, Burger King, Krystals, Mazda, Jeep, Topgolf, Reebok, PGA Pro Wake Board Tour, Ritz, Usher, 2 Chainz, TI, J Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka, VH1 and more. He then started his own marketing agency called  The Zeppelin Agency and has worked with clients such as Delta, Sprint, Meineke, Braces Braces, LED Cents, Kraft, Atlanta Braves, Georgia Swarm, and Mercedes. Matt has also appeared in movies and TV shows such as Remember the Titans, We Are Marshell, Zombieland, Flight, and The Walking Dead.

He went to college and played football at Georgia Southern University from 1998 to 1999. His team won the national championship in 1999. He graduated KSU in 2005 with degrees in Business Management, Communication and got a minor in IT.

Matt is a humanitarian and philanthropist, he has volunteered with many organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Must Ministries, Join our Fight, End it Movement, Messengers of Hope. He recently joined his church ministry on a trip to Uganda to assist in building wells for clean water for the people of Uganda. He has a passion for helping humanity.

Board of Directors

Chris Macksey

Topher Mack Floral & Events’ owner, Chris Macksey, is an award-winning floral and event designer whose love for creating beauty from nature blossomed during time spent in the garden with his mother and grandmother as a child. Lured by Southern hospitality, Macksey moved to Atlanta, Georgia after years of designing high-end floral and events in NYC. He believes that when you love what you do, who you do it with, and who you do it for, his clients experience the love that is put into their design. The mission of Topher Mack Floral & Events bloomed from these core beliefs and so did a collaboration with Change to Humanity.

Macksey is guided by his mission of love and is excited for the enriching opportunity to expand his service to the community as a board member for Change to Humanity.

Board of Directors

Claudia Thompson

Claudia Thompson has been a resident of Atlanta since 1988. She attended Georgia State studying art history and opened her retail store , Providence , in 1991 in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta , where it was an intricate part of the community for 21 years. Claudia is currently a decorating consultant and also teaches energy and spiritual practices . Her passion is with children , where she is connected to 4 schools that she volunteers with, focusing on mindful and meditation practices . Claudia has been volunteering with Change to Humanity for 5 years and is committed to supporting this organization so that it can continue to serve many people and communities in the greater Atlanta area.

Board of Directors

Rick Claussen

Rick Claussen is originally from a small town in Missouri, and after a short stint in the military, he moved to Miami. Florida, where he worked as a tree trimmer and eventually got a degree in art and education at the University of Miami. Currently he is a SAHD and a visual artist, focusing primarily on sculpture and 3-D printing. More recently he has begun dabbling in acrylic-pour abstract painting. He began volunteering with Change to Humanity in early 2020 and enjoys the feeling of contributing to the local community and helping to reduce the level of food waste.