Board Members
Tracy Butler - Founder & Board Chair
Dr. Tracy Butler holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Clemson University as well as an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Furman University. She teaches English as a Second Language courses for Pre-K-12 teachers and administrators at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She is also certified in Nonprofit Management. Prior to teaching at the university level, Tracy was a bilingual English and Spanish speaking elementary and middle school teacher. She is currently serving on the boards of Walt's Waltz and the Eastern Educational Research Association.
Jaime Ponce - Treasurer
Jaime earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Rogers State University in Oklahoma in 2021. Since 2022, he has worked as a public accounting professional and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of South Carolina. He currently works as a public accounting professional with Elliott Davis. As a bilingual English and Spanish speaker, Jaime is passionate about supporting students in their journey to learn English and thrive academically.
Refika Turgut - Secretary
Dr. Refika Turgut is an associate professor of literacy and language education at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on teaching English as a second language (TESL) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She worked as an ESL teacher for more than 10 years, teaching to students of different English language proficiency levels and ages in Cyprus and the U.S. Her research focuses on multilingual education, translanguaging, AI literacy in K-12, and teachers’ professional development.
Amy McGehee - Board Member
Amy graduated with her J.D. and D.C.L from Louisiana State University. She has been practicing tax law for the past 14 years. Her areas of concentration include Tax Controversy and Collections, Business and Tax Planning, Tax Credits and Estate Planning and Administration. She has spent her career advising and representing business owners in tax and governance matters. Amy has opened up her own practice McGehee Law, LLC in which she currently practices tax law.
Rachel Lang-Baldé - Board Member
Dr. Rachel Lang-Baldé holds a PhD in International Family and Community Studies from Clemson, as well as a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Global Health from Emory University. She has actively taught, mentored, and managed programs with immigrants and refugees in several states (Minnesota, California, and Georgia) since her undergraduate days. Currently, she works as a qualitative health research consultant in the United States and in the west African country of Guinea, in addition to working with her recently co-founded research organization, Two Yolk Ventures.
Rob Howard - Board Member
Rob Howard is an accomplished professional with a stellar 28-year career in sales. A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business Administration, Rob consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership and business acumen.
Currently serving as the Vice President of National Accounts, Rob oversees key partnerships and drives strategic initiatives that contribute to sustained growth and success. His dedication to building strong relationships and delivering results has earned him widespread respect.
With his combination of career success and personal fulfillment, Rob embodies the balance of professional excellence and devotion to CLP.