Clayton County schools foundation outlines convocation center plan as board presses for audit and oversight

The Clayton County Public Schools Foundation on Sept. 29 presented a progress report on the district’s Convocation Center, donor commitments and operations planning while several board members pressed the foundation and the superintendent for clearer financial reporting and stronger governance.

Hailam Tedesi, chair of the foundation, described the organization’s mission and recent progress, saying the foundation “exists as a philanthropic organization fostering the sustainable growth, development, and academic achievement of students in Clayton.” He outlined a financing and sponsorship pipeline that includes a $5,000,000 Delta commitment for the Junior Achievement Learning Center and said the foundation’s reported total assets were about $7.1 million and that revenue and donations have grown year-over-year.

Why it matters: the Convocation Center is a multimillion-dollar venue intended to host graduations, job fairs, concerts and regional sporting events. The foundation and district say it could reduce the system’s spend on offsite graduations and create new earned revenue. Board members said that potential revenue and naming-rights deals require transparent oversight because the school system provided seed funding to the foundation and the building will carry the district’s name.

Presentation and fundraising: foundation staff and consultants described efforts to secure naming-rights sponsors and a broader sponsorship strategy. Tedesi and colleagues showed a prospect list they said included about 40 top corporate targets and said the foundation and its commercial consultants were conducting outreach, hosting tours and preparing tailored naming-rights packages. The foundation also described an executed short-term MOU with the convocation operator to protect confidential negotiations while a longer management agreement is finalized.

Board concerns and requests: Board member Dr. Jesse Goree said the BOE had made “a very large investment in the foundation of $3,000,000” and asked for greater board inclusion and checks on hiring and spending. Goree said she did not see a satisfactory “return on investment” and pressed for details on executive pay and operational transparency. Board member Dr. Goree: “I would like to know how much money the executive director made because it seemed like to be a significant amount of the money that we gave to the foundation.”

Several board members asked for more frequent financial reporting and clearer audit work. Board member Sabrina Hill explicitly requested a more intensive review: “I would like a forensic audit, not just a, audit.” Foundation leaders said their accounting team had produced an audit-preparation report and that an independent external audit had not yet been started. Foundation treasurer Pastor Jeremy Tuck and staff said they are preparing final audited financials for 2023–24 and continuing work on 2024–25.

Operations and timeline: foundation staff described recent two‑day work sessions with the convocation operator to refine operational plans, stakeholder roles and project milestones. They said the foundation is developing project plans, RACI charts and booking strategies and expects to increase community engagement and event scheduling as operational readiness advances.

Naming-rights approach: the foundation described a tiered corporate sponsorship strategy and said Delta has already been a lead donor; Tedesi noted Delta’s committed support for the Junior Achievement Learning Center. Foundation staff said naming-rights negotiations can be lengthy and that potential sponsors frequently want to tour the facility before committing. Board members asked to be part of the outreach and approval process for any deals carrying the district name.

Next steps: foundation leaders said they are identifying an interim executive director while conducting a national search for a permanent leader, continuing to refine governance and reporting, and pursuing both donor commitments and a final management agreement with the convocation operator. Board members asked for biweekly or weekly updates, copies of the temporary MOU and the audit-preparation materials, and clearer lines of accountability between the foundation and the BOE.

Ending: foundation and district officials said they will return with more detailed financial statements, a final audit engagement plan and proposed long-term agreements for board review.