Who We Are

Bringing together professionals - for good.

Our board and executive director are local professionals who give their time and expertise for the good of Two Sparrows Village. We couldn’t be more grateful to them. Meet our team below.

Jacquelyn Thornton - Executive Director

Jacque currently serves as the Executive Director for Two Sparrows Village and SageNavigator, respectively. She has served as a change agent for 20 years in association management with her focus in the field of aging services, as well as 13 years in the public health arena as an analyst.

In her recent positions, Thornton was the Senior Vice president of LeadingAge Georgia and the Georgia Institute on Aging and the Population Health Director at National Church Residences, Georgia.

In addition, Jacque’s career and volunteer activities have been devoted primarily to working with governmental and nonprofit organizations such as LeadingAge National’s Professional Development Network, Co-founder and Board Chair of SageNavigtor, Board Member of Two Sparrows Village, Center for Positive Aging, Atlanta Regional Commission’s Advisory Committee on Aging, AARP Georgia AgeFriendly Collaborative, Clark Atlanta University Guild Member & Officer, BridgeBuilders of DeKalb & East Point, Atlanta Healthy Start Initiative, Children 1st, NCNW Life Member, Hands-On-Atlanta, and others.

Jennifer Conforti - President and Founder

Jennifer Conforti has over 15 years experience as a business consultant and has owned her own consulting firm since 2001. In 2013, she took a new path as Executive Director of Southside Support, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving special needs families in South Metro Atlanta. During her 3 years of service with Southside Support, the realization of the need for housing for adults with disabilities was too great to ignore.

On May 1, 2017, Jennifer founded Two Sparrows Village, Inc., and was appointed the Executive Director position once again for the purpose of building an intentional community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Fayette County, GA. Jennifer is married to her husband, Byron, and has one child, Abby, who is 6-years old. Abby was diagnosed with Parial Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2012. Abby is the fuel that keeps Jennifer’s fire for the special needs community burning.

Steve Rigo - Treasurer

David Ballard

David S. Ballard, a trial attorney and litigator, represents a variety of clients in South Metro Atlanta. His practice includes personal injury, general civil litigation, bankruptcy, family law, and criminal defense. He also serves as the city attorney for the Town of Woolsey and is the managing partner of the Peachtree Law Group.

David grew up with special needs siblings and has a stepson with special needs. He understands the importance of helping all individuals reach their full God-given potential and the need to continue to support special needs individuals after they enter adulthood.

In addition to his work with Two Sparrows, David is a past president of the Fayette County Bar Association, an officer at Petroflame, Inc., a member of the Peachtree City Rotary Club, a former adjunct professor at Georgia Military College, and a member of New Vision Church. David, his wife, and his family reside in south Fayette County.

Laurel L. Hart

Laurel Hart is the Vice President of Asset Management and Preservation for Columbia Residential. In this position, Laurel is responsible for leadership, strategy, and implementation of Columbia’s policies for sustaining its portfolio, which includes 7,500 affordable and mixed-income apartments located in Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.

Prior to joining Columbia, Laurel was part of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) leadership team for more than eighteen years. As Director of Housing Finance and Development, she was responsible for the administration and operation of Georgia’s affordable housing programs for the financing and/or development of multi-family affordable housing.

Before she started her tenure at DCA, Laurel was a practicing attorney in Chicago for more than 20 years.

Laurel has a Juris Doctor from Chicago Kent College of Law. She is also a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Brian Cooper

Brian Cooper is the principal at Red Tail Consulting, a company focused on helping Georgia companies connect with the film industry and further the development of studio space in the Georgia market. Prior to forming Red Tail Consulting in 2019 he served as VP of Operations at Pinewood Atlanta Studios for 6 1/2 years. He is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, but has called Georgia his home since 2000. He is an avid sportsman and past co-chair of the Fayette County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and serves as committee member for the National Wild Turkey Federation Line Creek Chapter. He has served on the national board for Partnership 4 Conservation as is currently the treasurer for Southern Conservation Trust. Brian’s commitment to the Fayette County community leads him to invest his time in organizations that truly benefit the community he calls home. He believes that the greatest gift one can give is their time, talent, or treasure to others. Brian is a member of Fayetteville First United Methodist Church.

Paula Barnes

Paula Kocher Barnes served as Deputy Associate General Counsel for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. She joined the CDC/ATSDR Branch of the Office of the General Counsel in 1987 and was selected to lead it in 2005. Mrs. Barnes supervised a staff of 24 attorneys in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and other locations. She is also an emeritus adjunct professor at both Georgia State University College of Law and Emory University School of Law, where she contributed to curriculum development and taught public health law. In 2020, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Public Health Law by the American Public Health Association. Mrs. Barnes received her BA from Coe College and her law degree from Emory University.