Lori McCleese joined Georgia Public Policy Foundation in December 2025 and has more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, following an earlier career in banking.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Lori served as President of Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio from 2019 to 2024. Her previous experience also includes serving as President of a community foundation, where she worked closely with donors and community leaders to advance effective and strategic philanthropy. After relocating to Georgia in September 2024, Lori spent a year providing nonprofit consulting services to organizations in the areas of strategic planning, fundraising, and government relations.

A native of Ohio, Lori is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and earned her CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential in 2017—an internationally recognized, voluntary certification that supports professional growth and reflects a rigorous commitment to ethical fundraising and trusted leadership within the philanthropic sector.

Lori resides in Roswell, and has two adult children, one living in Northeast Ohio and the other in upstate New York. Outside of work, she enjoys interior design, traveling, reading, hiking, spending time with her children, exploring Atlanta’s food scene, and is a dog lover.