The Tull Charitable Foundation appointed three distinguished leaders to its Board of Trustees: Beth A. Lowry, President & CEO of Holder Construction Company; John O’Neill, President and Managing Partner, Southeast for Partners Real Estate; and Janelle Williams, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Kindred Futures.
“Since 1952, the Tull Foundation has been committed to building a more just and equitable future,” Gabby Sheely, Executive Director, said in a press release. “Beth, John and Janelle each bring a distinct depth of leadership — in construction and real estate, in economic mobility and racial equity — that will strengthen our board and sharpen how we support nonprofits navigating a rapidly changing landscape. We are honored to welcome them.”
The new trustees join the Foundation at a pivotal moment. In 2026, the Foundation offered Rebuild Grants that help the region’s nonprofits redesign their business models so they can better withstand ongoing changes in federal funding and policy. These grants will support nonprofits in strengthening the elements that make them more adaptable, stable and mission-driven over a long period of time, according to the release.
About Beth A. Lowry
Beth Lowry is President and CEO of Holder Construction Company, a multibillion-dollar construction services firm based in Atlanta and founded in 1960. Lowry began her career with Holder in 1994 as an intern and joined the firm full-time in 1995 after graduating from the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. She is the first woman in Holder’s history to serve as President and CEO.
Lowry is active across the Atlanta community, serving on the boards of the Georgia Power Company, the Georgia Research Alliance, Atlanta Police Foundation, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, the Kennesaw State University Foundation, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Rotary Club of Atlanta. She has a deep passion for advancing the next generation of leaders across industries and, in 2022, created the Lowry Family Scholarship at Kennesaw State University, an endowed scholarship for underrepresented freshmen pursuing degrees in construction management.
About John O’Neill
John O’Neill serves as President and Managing Partner, Southeast, for Houston-based Partners Real Estate. Prior to joining Partners, O’Neill spent 20 years with Cushman & Wakefield, where he represented clients in headquarters transactions and multi-market accounts and held a range of leadership roles, including Managing Principal of the Atlanta office, President of the Central region (Midwest & Sunbelt markets), and President of U.S. Multifamily Capital Markets.
A graduate of Leadership Atlanta, O’Neill has been named to the 500 Most Powerful Leaders in Atlanta Magazine and recognized as a Corporate Diversity Champion by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He serves on the boards of directors for the following organizations: the Atlanta Police Foundation (Board Chair), Morehouse College (Executive Committee), the Buckhead Coalition (Executive Committee) and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. O’Neill is the past president of Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, The Rotary Club of Atlanta, former Chairman of the Board and current Advisory Board member, Chastain Park Conservancy. He earned his Psychology degree from College of Charleston and his MBA from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
About Janelle Williams, Ph.D.
Dr. Janelle Williams is a nationally recognized executive and strategist shaping how capital, ownership, and economic power converge to build wealth in American communities. As Co-Founder and CEO of Kindred Futures, she directs innovative strategies to transform how capital reaches communities that have been under-resourced by design, aligning cooperative enterprises, community centered policies, and mission-driven investors to close the racial wealth divide across the American South.
Her career spans central banking, national philanthropy, and federal policy. At the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, she served as Principal Adviser on the Community and Economic Development team, where she co-designed the Federal Reserve System’s Racism and the Economy series, a national platform that engaged leaders across all twelve Reserve Banks. She previously directed economic opportunity initiatives at the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site and served as a Congressional Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A sought-after voice in economic mobility and community investment, Dr. Williams serves on the boards of United Way of Greater Atlanta and Hope Credit Union. She is an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow, an alumna of Leadership Atlanta, and a member of the inaugural Power, Innovation, and Leadership Executive Education cohort at Harvard University. Dr. Williams holds a doctorate in international family and community studies from Clemson University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia, and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Florida Memorial University.
