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Who is Dr. Katrina P. Young?
Katrina is a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, minister, and sista to her beloved community. It would be too easy to recite Katrina’s accomplishments, and for the world—I have chosen to highlight a few because Katrina's focus is service and not accolades.
Katrina is a published author who integrated her elementary school in Rockdale County, Georgia, and later became the first African American Chair of the Rockdale County Board of Education. She is a graduate of Georgia State University and holds an honorary Doctorate for Christian Humanitarian from School of Great Commission Bible College and Seminary. Katrina is not one-dimensional and is a proud former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader. Her early life experiences in education led her to become an inspirational speaker and education advocate who served on the Rockdale County Board of Education and as the President of the Georgia School Boards Association. Katrina was selected by Governor Nathan Deal in 2015 to serve on the Georgia Education Advisory Board. In 2017, the governor appointed Katrina to serve on the state's Professional Standards Commission (PSC), where she was selected as the first African American Vice Chair for the Georgia PSC.
"Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs." African Proverb
As an Education Advocate
Dr. Young was elected to the Rockdale County Board of Education in January 2007. She was elected Chair of the Board, 2019.
Dr. Young was elected as President of the Georgia School Boards Association in 2018 representing 180 elected boards of education for the State of Georgia. She was appointed by the President of the National School Board Association to several prestigious national education committees.
As a Civic Partner
Dr. Young is a charter member of Rockdale Newton Section of the National Council of Negro Women and served as the section's inaugural historian. She has served in an array of community leadership positions in Rockdale and Newton Counties.
Family Matters
Dr. Young has been married for over 39 years, and they are the parents of two children, who are married - son and his wife and daughter and her husband and two grandsons, one granddaughter, and two grand-fur babies.
Taking Care of Business
Dr. Young is owner of Stellar Consulting Group an organizational firm that specializes in assessment and leadership development and SK Young Enterprises offerings services in event planning.
Currently she is working in Economic Development with a local development authority.
A Lifetime of Firsts
In 1968, at age seven, Dr. Young voluntarily helped to integrate Pine Street Elementary in the Rockdale County Public School System. In 1975, she became the first black woman to make the Rockdale County High School High Steppers Drill team. February 1981, she competed alongside 22 women in talent, evening, swimsuit and judge's interview to be crowned Miss DeKalb Community College and she was the first black to receive this honor. Ironically, that same evening she was crowned, she was not allowed to keep the crown. In 1982, she was the first black employee for Rockdale County Juvenile Court. January 2019, she became the first black chair for Rockdale County Board of Education.
Highly Credentialed
Dr. Young holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Georgia State University. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate for Christian Humanitarian from School of the Great Commission Bible College and Seminary. Dr. Young is a member and a licensed minister at Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers.
She's authored several articles with a focus on Leadership and Advocacy. She is published in the Agenda Magazine Fall 2018 edition. She is a noted speaker/presenter and expert panelist at the state and national level. As a former Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader (AFC), she is active with the AFC Alumni organization performing and making appearances in Metro Atlanta.
On Becoming a Book Author
Dr. Young wrote this book to capture the recipes in one place for family members and to share the experiences of a black family journey through time of faith, family, food, fellowship and fun. This is for the next generation to realize the simple value of coming together as a family breaking bread together and just loving on each other.