Board Members

CPT, US Army Nurse Corps

Donna Rowe was born and raised in Massachusetts. She entered the Army Nurse Corps in 1964 through the Student Nurse Corps ROTC Program; and upon graduation with a “Certified Emergency Room/Trauma” Registered Nurse certification she was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army and was assigned to Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, TX. Her military career spans many years and prestigious assignments in Emergency Rooms at Womack Army Hospital (Ft. Bragg, N.C.), Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, D.C.) with attachment to DeWitt Army Hospital (Ft. Belvoir, VA), and in 1968 -1969 was, as a Captain, the Head Nurse of the Emergency Room/Trauma Triage area at 3rd Field Hospital, Saigon during the Vietnam War. Donna and her husband, Col. Al Rowe, were married 2 years prior to volunteering to serve together in the Vietnam War, after which Donna was honorably discharged from the US Army. Her decorations include Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. Col Rowe remained on active duty and served almost 30 years in which Donna assumed the role of Military (Army) wife and mother.

Captain Rowe continued to serve her community as a Red Cross Nurse with the America Red Cross, served on the Southeast Disaster Response team, and volunteered for Georgia Homeland Security- GA Nurse Alert System after the attack on 9/11. Donna continued her community volunteer service in various and many organizations including Habitat for Humanity, CASA (Child Advocate), Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb County Development Authority, Georgia Vietnam Veterans Alliance (Director), and was President of the Cobb Association of REALTORS.

Donna expanded her professional career by becoming a Real Estate Broker in 1983 and worked for 40 years in the Atlanta area during which time she was Vice President of a major Brokerage Firm in Atlanta; and was in the premier building sector of the residential real estate market for over 30 years.

Captain Rowe has been given many prestigious awards in her many years of service both in nursing and her real estate careers. She was inducted into the Georgia Association of REALTORS Hall of Fame and in 2016 was the first woman inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame.

She lives in Cobb County, is the widow of Col Rowe to whom she was married for over 47 years, and is the happy and blessed mother of her son, Richard, and step-son John. She is a dedicated and tireless advocate for veterans and active-duty military and their families’ causes and issues in the County, the State, and the Nation.

Supt. Marietta City Schools, Ret.

Dr. Emily Lembeck served as Superintendent of Marietta City Schools (MCS) from 2005 until her retirement began on January 1, 2017, becoming just the 12th superintendent since 1892. Lembeck holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Administration and Supervision from Nova University in Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Brooklyn College in New York.

Under the direction of Dr. Lembeck, Marietta City Schools became one of Georgia’s first Charter School Systems; became one of only a few school systems nationwide able to provide the full International Baccalaureate (IB) (K-12) continuum; and launched Marietta Reads!, a citywide effort to foster reading and literacy that is now in its 20th year. For advancing student achievement and support for learning she was named the Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association in 2012; and has received the Cobb NAACP “Living the Dream” Award, the Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award, Blacks United for Youth (BUY) Justice Robert Benham Award, and the Marietta Daily Journal Cobb County Citizen of the Year Award – to name a few.

Dr. Lembeck has served on many professional committees and organizations including Leadership Cobb Class of 2000, Cobb Education Consortium, and the Governor’s Office for Children and Families Georgia Children’s Cabinet. Her service made a positive difference on the boards of the Marietta Schools Foundation, the Cobb County Boys and Girls Clubs, Cobb Community Services Board and Board of Health, United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness, Communities in Schools of Cobb/Marietta, Cobb County Library Foundation, and a long-term affiliation with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.

Upon her retirement and after working for decades to recognize the gifts and address the challenges of our youth, she decided it was time to work on behalf of others who deserved some needed recognition and attention. Our Veterans were at the top of her list. Married to Harry Lembeck, a USMC Vietnam Veteran, it was time to honor him and all who served at that time and those who came before and after in this important service to our nation. As with most other important aspects of our lives, education is critical, and the building of a Memorial will provide the place and focus to honor and support our Veterans and educate our citizens of all ages.

Additionally, she enjoys her family with 5 grandchildren, travel, painting, hiking, providing consultative support for charter systems state-wide, and volunteering at the Early Learning Center, which is named in her honor, and in the community through her long association with the Kiwanis Club of Marietta.

COL, US Army, Ret.

Colonel (Retired) Carl “Skip” Bell is a Georgia native. He was born at Emory University Hospital, received a Bachelor of Science degree from North Georgia College in 1967, and received a Master of Business Information Systems degree from Georgia State University in 1977. Colonel Bell spent a total of 31 years in the Active Army or the Army Reserve. He completed two tours of duty in Vietnam (one as an Armored Cavalry Platoon Leader and Troop Commander, and the second one as a helicopter pilot). He also deployed to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield.

Colonel Bell is a member of several Veteran organizations, including the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, the Georgia Vietnam Veterans Alliance, the Society of the First Infantry Division, the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment Association, the Army Ranger Association, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In addition, he has served as a Mentor in the Cobb County Veterans Treatment Court, and as a Board Member on the Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation. His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Ranger Tab, and Army Aviator Wings. In 2023, Colonel Bell was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame.

In his civilian life, Colonel Bell was in senior management or analyst positions in several different government contracting and computer software companies. He has lived in Cobb County since 1992. He was married for 46 years to Carole. They had three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

SGT, US Army

Bob is a native Georgian. He has traveled to many states and countries but has lived in Georgia, except for 1966 -1967, when he served in the military. He had three duty stations: Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia; Advanced Training at the Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky; and the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam. In Vietnam, he was assigned to a tank company where he served as a tank crewman. After his discharge, Bob enrolled in college taking advantage of the GI Bill to help with the expenses. Upon graduating with a BBA in accounting he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and then to Cobb County to practice his profession. He has provided accounting services, tax preparation, and financial consulting to clients in the automotive, banking, construction, and manufacturing industries, as well as providing tax advice to countless individual clients.
Bob is married to Toria Estes Morgan from Waycross, Georgia. They have lived in Cobb County since 1970 and have two children — Paige and Rob. They also have one grandchild, Thai Johnson. Bob enjoys traveling, fishing, hiking, and gardening.

EDUCATION, SERVICE AND/OR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
BBA Accounting Georgia Southern, 1970
Received CPA certificate, 1973
Member American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
Member of the North Atlanta Chapter of Certified Public Accountants
Relevant Personal and / Or Community Activities Information
• Charter member and member of the Board of Directors of the North Atlanta Chapter of Certified Public Accountants
• Treasurer and member of the original Board of Directors of the Southwest Cobb Youth Soccer Association
• Board of Directors of Calvary Children’s Home
• President of the Cheatham Hill Farms Homeowner’s Association
• Distinguished President of Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club
• Vice Chairman of the Development Authority of Cobb County
• Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of Franklin Gateway Community Improvement District
• Managing Partner of the Accounting Firm Cerqueda, Morgan, & Collins – Established in Marietta, GA in 1952