Atlanta Education Foundation

Rusty McWhorter – Distinguished Alumni

Dr. Robert “Rusty” McWhorter is a pediatric dentist and owner of two clinics, Toothtown Dentistry for Kids in Pocatello and Rexburg, Idaho. Active in his community, he is a regular participant in the Give Kids a Smile program that provides free dentistry to underserved children across the country. McWhorter has also served on humanitarian dental mission teams in impoverished areas of Peru and Honduras, where people of all ages receive free dental care and oral hygiene education. As a volunteer dentist for these missions, Dr. McWhorter provides free services to patients who have never had or had limited access to dental care. McWhorter is passionate about providing these much-needed services that improve the overall health of the communities served.

A graduate of the AHS class of 1985, McWhorter completed a two-year service mission in Osaka, Japan for The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints and then worked in New York City for Teiki Kanko International. He then received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a minor in Japanese from Brigham Young University in 1992. McWhorter received his DDS from Creighton School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1998 and completed a pediatric dental residency at UMKC/Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri in 2000.

He is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Southeast Idaho Dental Society, and is credentialed at Madison Memorial Hospital and Rexburg Surgery Center. He is Board Certified and has served as an evaluator on the Idaho State Board of Dentistry Sedation Committee for the last eight years.

Rusty and his wife Natalie are parents of four children, Chase, Remington, Mason, and Aysia. They are also proud grandparents of Brooks and Coco. The McWhorters live and raise their family in southern Idaho, where they enjoy sports, traveling, and most of all, love spending time with family. They are active members of their church where Rusty currently serves as a bishop to a young single adult ward on Brigham Young University’s Idaho campus.

Travis Ransom – Distinguished Alumni

Travis Ransom is a 1996 graduate of Atlanta High School, attended Texarkana College and earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Ransom is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve and serves as a Brigade level Command Sergeant Major, the highest rank for a non-commissioned officer. He has been mobilized and deployed multiple times in support of peacekeeping and contingency operations around the world. He recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan where he led a formation that included over 400 Soldiers and 87 contractors spread over six countries in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. Ransom was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in July 2021. His military awards also include the Meritorious Service Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and numerous other campaign awards and decorations.

He has served as Mayor of the City of Atlanta since August 2017. In his time as Mayor, the city has experienced strong economic growth in residential, commercial, and industrial segments. A lifelong Atlanta resident, Travis works for Offenhauser Insurance in Atlanta. Prior to joining Offenhauser, he served as a legislative aide in the Texas State Senate for eleven years.

An active community leader, Travis has served in a variety of volunteer positions. Travis serves on the Executive Board for the ARTEX Council of Governments and is a graduate of the Red River Leadership Institute’s inaugural class. He is a former president of the board for the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, and a member of the Atlanta Lions Club where he currently serves as District Zone Chair and previously served as President. Travis has served on the Christus St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta foundation board, chaired the Atlanta Public Library Advisory Board, and served on the Executive Board of the Caddo Area Council Boy Scouts of America. Ransom is an Eagle Scout and father of an Eagle Scout.

Travis his wife Emily reside in Atlanta have three children, Coyt, Anna, and Lucy, and attend First Baptist Church - Atlanta.

Sherri Steward-Ganz – Distinguished Alumni

A 1971 graduate of Atlanta High School, Sherri Steward-Ganz received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology/Physical Education from the University of North Texas and graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Cell Biology from Texas Women’s University. She is a 30-year veteran educator in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As an ardent supporter of the sciences, she has worked with world-leading scientists, including Dr. Jane Goodall in Africa on groundbreaking wild chimpanzee research, and was Scientific American Frontier’s Teacher Ambassador to the Galapagos Islands with actor Alan Alda. Since 2005, Sherri has served as the Director of Sports Medicine for Ferris Manufacturing, a large wound care corporation in Fort Worth.

Sherri has dedicated much of her life to teaching young people about the sacrifices made for democracy and freedom. She currently serves as a Texas liaison for families of fallen heroes and has traveled to South Korea with families of the fallen and missing. She is active in national and Texas veterans’ affairs and has traveled to Korea, Germany, and France on behalf of our American heroes.

Sherri’s many adventures have taken her to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, the Inca Trail, and scuba diving around the globe. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Disney American Teacher Award Outstanding High School Teacher; Time magazine’s Earth Teacher of the Year; the Texas Veteran’s Commission Outstanding Educator; and the Texas House of Representatives Volunteer of the Year. Sherri was honored as to serve as an Olympic Torch Bearer for the Salt Lake City Games Torch Relay and also to carry the veteran’s banner with her son in the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Parade in Sainte-Mère-Eglise, France.

In 2021, Sherri completed her first book, Bringing Davy Home, the true saga of two Atlanta, Texas, brothers and combat veterans of WWII and Korea. An avid runner, Sherri has competed in six National Track & Field Championships and marathons. Sherri’s son, David is the namesake of her fallen uncle, David Daniel Steward of Atlanta. Sherri and her husband, Michael Ganz reside in Northlake, Texas.

Charlotte Stanley – Distinguished Service Award

Charlotte Stanley is the current president of the Board of Trustees of Atlanta ISD and has served on the board for eight years. She is a 30-year public school educator and taught school for 22 years in Atlanta and Texarkana. Stanley holds a Master of Education from East Texas State University at Texarkana, a Bachelor of Science from East Texas State University - Commerce, and graduated from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas.

Under her leadership, Atlanta ISD has been an A-rated school district for three years. In addition, Atlanta Elementary School has just been awarded the coveted Blue Ribbon School designation by the United States Department of Education, one of only 325 schools in the entire nation to receive this honor. Enrollment in AISD has increased during her term by over 200 students. Facility improvements in the district during Stanley’s term include a new band hall, installation of artificial turf on the football field, a new track surface, and refacing of AHS including landscaping. Stanley is the first female school board president in the history of AISD and only the 4th woman to ever serve on the board. While implementing improvements in curriculum and instruction such as blended learning and STEM, she has helped to shape the culture at AISD to become the area school of choice.

Stanley is a charter member of the Atlanta Education Foundation and currently serves on the Executive Committee. She is past chairperson of the First United Methodist Day School, past president and current member of the Atlanta Band Boosters, member of the Atlanta Athletic Booster Club, and past president and member of the Amity Study Club. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Atlanta and has served as trustee, staff/parish relations committee, leadership/nominations committee and day school board.

Charlotte is a principal shareholder and co-founder of Stanco Manufacturing, a local business and industry leader producing high-quality flame-resistant apparel, protective clothing and industrial safety products. Married to Edward Stanley for 57 years, they have two children, Mark Stanley and wife Jennifer, and Alison Highland and husband Kevin. The Stanleys have five grandchildren, Hannah, Harper, and Hayes Highland, and Brooks and Gray Stanley.