Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
JOHN KRUEGER
John is a real estate investment professional with more than 15 years of expertise in merger and acquisition transactions, portfolio management, asset management and financial advisory services. John has experience ranging from start-ups to multi-billion- dollar companies, and his entrepreneurial and strategic perspective is extremely valuable to his role as chairman for RISE UP!
John currently serves as the founder and managing director of Shoreline Real Estate Advisors in Atlanta. He also served as the vice president of Five Star Realty Partners, responsible for the asset management of its $500 million hotel portfolio and capital markets initiatives.
John earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University, where he was a four-year starter for the Duke football team. He furthered his education with MBA Classes at Northwestern and Rollins College.
John met his wife Jenny while at Duke, and they enjoy the challenges of parenting four children. It was in John and Jenny’s backyard that RISE UP! began in 2012. John was instrumental in encouraging Jenny to see her dream into fruition.
John enjoys using his skills behind the scenes with business and financial strategy/forecasting for RISE UP!, but he’s been know to transform into the giant Goliath for a RISE UP! skit on courage!
Board Member
Jenny Krueger
Jenny founded RISE UP! in her backyard in 2012, and she stepped down as the RISE UP! Executive Director in 2022. She brings all 10 years of her experience to the Board of Directors. At RISE UP! meetings, Jenny loves to lead, laugh, teach and make things messy! She believes following Jesus is a blast, and she is passionate about creating an environment where people from all backgrounds can see what it looks like to follow Him. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Jenny attended Duke University where she earned her Bachelors’ degree in History and English with a minor in Education. She was also a member of Duke’s Track team and Volleyball team.
Jenny’s heart for mission work has sent her travelling to Spain, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, the Dominican Republic, Cambodia and the Philippines. But it was here, in Georgia, that Jenny recognized that there are children in our own communities who may never hear of or experience the love of Christ. God began tugging on Jenny’s heart in 2011 about starting a children’s Bible group. After a year of praying, she started the group in her backyard and it grew into a ministry! Jenny is married to her college sweetheart John and is a mother to four children, Jordan, Courtney, Justin, and Kennedy.
Board Member
BILLY PHENIX
Billy Phenix is currently the North Point Ministries Director of Staff Development having previously served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church for six years. He served on the initial launch team of Buckhead Church (the second campus of North Point Ministries) in 2001. His tenure in both volunteer and vocational ministry has given him experience in a variety of areas, including singles, students, small group, and children’s programming.
Billy is an Atlanta native and Georgia Tech graduate with an architecture degree which he used for a season as a corporate architect for Chick-fil-A before going full-time into ministry. He also holds a Masters of Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has loved giving volunteer energies to Young Life, Walk to Emmaus, Atlanta Mission, and as a mentor at Woodson Park Academy.
Billy currently lives in East Cobb with his family. His favorite places to be are Lake Burton, watching Atlanta sports teams, somewhere in California (his wife’s home state), around coffee, and anywhere he can be next to his family.
Board Member
SHERYL SPOHN
Sheryl is the Managing Director of Transition Advisory Group (TAG), providing healthcare consulting and project management services in the hospital and physician marketplaces. While Sheryl loves her role in healthcare, her career shies in comparison to her love for Jesus and the opportunity to be involved in a movement that brings Jesus into the hearts of young people while building the character traits that Jesus wants to see in all of us.
Sheryl is married to her husband Scott and they have two kids, Carter and Libby. Sheryl volunteered at RISE UP! chapter meetings when her children were in elementary school. She loved seeing how excited the children are when they arrive to RISE UP! ready to have fun and hearing the stories they are telling as they leave.
Board Member
ANDY SURESH
Andy Suresh has been a practicing Endodontist (Root Canal specialist) in East Cobb since 2003. He was born and raised in Ohio where he received most of his college and professional training. He soon moved to Georgia where he began his own practice in Endodontics. His Endodontic profession involves improving the overall healthcare in the community but his role in RISE UP! is focused on the spiritual health of our kids. He has served as a RISE UP! small group leader since 2013 at the elementary school where his 2 kids attended. He loves being a part of a ministry that strives to give the younger generation a strong foundation in their faith before they move on to middle and high school.
Dr. Suresh resides in Marietta with his wife, daughter, son & black lab. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching, Shine Ministries, and watching Ohio State football.
