By Steve Esser
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Young Harris College’s Board of Trustees elected three new trustees – Clayton Franklin, Jordan Kiel, and Stephen Shepherd – at the Board meeting April 11 on campus.
Clayton D. Franklin
Franklin, a 2008 graduate of Young Harris College with an Associate of Science degree, went on to Berry College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Government in 2009, and then graduated from Mercer University School of Law in 2012 with a Juris Doctorate degree.
Franklin has worked as General Counsel for Fieldale Farms, since 2013, as the small company in Baldwin, GA, has become one of the largest independent poultry producers in the world.
He serves on the Habersham United Way Board of Directors, Leadership Habersham, Habersham Chamber of Commerce, and is a current member of Leadership Georgia Class of 2025.
He is married to Allyson Waters Franklin, a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, and they have a son, Chandler Franklin.
Jordan S. Kiel
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Georgia, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgia State University. He is also a Certified Private Wealth Advisor.
Kiel has extensive experience working with high-net-worth families and owners of closely-held businesses to provide investment management and credit structuring solutions. Prior to joining Northern Trust in 2014, he worked at BB&T and Accenture for 10 years.
He serves on the Board of Advisors for Shepherd Center, a specialty not-for profit hospital in Atlanta and served as Board Chair of Trustees for Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Buckhead.
Stephen Shepherd
A native of Atlanta, GA, Shepherd attended The Westminster Schools, earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina, and a master’s of Business Administration degree (Concentration Risk Management and Insurance) at Georgia State University. He also likes to say he has a PhD from the School of Hard Knocks.
He began working full-time in the construction industry in 1974, is currently President of Shepherd Construction Company, Inc, Vice President and Secretary of Plant Improvement Company, Inc., a Vice President of Seaboard Construction Company, and served as President of Rogers Bridge Company, a Vice President of ShepCo Paving, Inc., and is still working full time.
During his career, Seaboard Construction Company, Shepherd Construction Company, and Rogers Bridge Company have won numerous Quality in Construction Awards, national NAPA awards, GDOT Quality Initiative Awards, GQI Achievement Awards (including Seaboard Construction Company being awarded the #1 ranked quality control rating for bituminous asphalt plants for many years), and GDOT Contractor of the Year Awards.
Shepherd has personally worked on State and Interstate roadway and bridge projects in many locations in Georgia and North Carolina, a National Park Service roadway project, municipal airport projects, and commercial development projects including regional malls, strip shopping centers, and office parks.
He is currently serving as a Director on the Boards of the Georgia Highway Contractors Association (GHCA) and the Georgia Asphalt Pavement Association (GAPA), was elected as Chairman of GHCA from 2000-2002, served on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Highway Contractors Self-Insured Workers Compensation Fund for several years and served two terms as Chairman of that Fund.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
