GAINESVILLE, Ga. (April 11, 2019) — The Board of Directors for Center Point, an agency dedicated to promoting the success of students and families through teaching and personal development, announced the hiring of a former pastor and North Hall high school teacher with a strong background in nonprofits as the center’s new Executive Director – replacing its longtime leader David Smith, who recently retired.
Mark Mobley, who already has many ties to Gainesville nonprofits and the local area, will take over as Executive Director of Center Point on April 15, according to today’s board announcement.
“It is an incredible honor and great opportunity to work with such an accomplished team,” Mobley said. “Center Point’s services are critical to helping navigate the challenges that families and young people face in today’s culture. I am excited about working together with the board and staff to transform lives and build a better future.”
Mobley’s experience spans more than 20 years in professional roles that include service as a senior pastor, high school teacher, consultant and a nonprofit executive.
“He has significant expertise in community collaboration and partnerships, leading strategic planning efforts, and navigating organizational growth and change,” said Kathie Futrell, Center Point’s board president and a member of its executive search committee.
Mobley’s work with youth and families in the Gainesville and Northeast Georgia area includes his role as Director of Strategy & Programs for Supporting Adoption & Foster Families Together (SAFFT), Executive Director at the Georgia CALLS assistance program for former inmates, Senior Pastor at the Living Word Worship Center in Jefferson and math teacher at North Hall High School. He also has served on the City of Jefferson City Council since 2012.
“David and the team have created an effective organization that enables students and families to succeed,” Mobley said. “I will be building on that momentum to help Center Point serve more people. We have an ambitious agenda and an excellent staff that can turn those goals into reality. I am especially delighted to be based in the Gainesville/Hall County area again. It feels like coming home.”
Mobley and his wife, Robbin, along with their children, Mackenzie and Evan, live in Jefferson.
Center Point was founded in 1967 by four Gainesville-area churches with the mission to supplement and broaden religious studies for local youth. Today, the agency offers counseling for children and families, religious education through its release-time classes for Gainesville High School, mentoring, substance abuse prevention, and teen pregnancy intervention services. Through the years, the agency’s mission and staff have evolved with a team that now includes educators, licensed clinical psychologists, therapists, and social workers. Center Point has offices in Gainesville and South Hall. For more information, visit the Center Point website at CenterPointGa.org.
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