GENE MASON, PRESIDENT
Gene Mason is a writer, speaker, teacher and leader, serving both nonprofit and marketplace organizations for 38 years. Gene is an adoption and foster care advocate, with concentration in special needs and trauma-informed parenting. He and his wife, Keri, are parents of three adopted children. His books, Walk Like a Man, and The Men at the Table, are now available.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Leadership Ministries, Inc. is governed by a Board of Directors. Currently serving are:
Senior Managing Director/CEO (Retired)
Bridge Investment Group, Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Mr. Shaw has more than 25 years of direct experience in commercial office real estate brokerage, leasing, acquisitions and direct operational oversight in executive and leadership positions. He sits on the office investment committee for Bridge’s office funds and leads Bridge Commercial Real Estate, Bridge’s office operations company. He has held senior leasing positions with brokerage companies Insignia/ESG (CBRE) from 1998 to 2003, Compass Management & Leasing (JLL) from 1997 to 1998, and Cushman & Wakefield from 1994 to 1997, where he was responsible for direct leasing and oversaw over 16 million square feet of many of the Southeast’s largest urban and suburban office buildings.
Co-Founder and Partner
Bearing Partners
Andrew Day is a native Atlantan and co-founder of Bearing Partners, a private equity firm that for the last 10-years has focused on making direct investments into founder-led businesses. Andrew has an extensive operating background working as the CFO for two founder-led companies and overseeing multiple direct investments. More importantly, Andrew is married to his beautiful wife Natalie. They moved to Birmingham, AL in the summer of 2025 to continue raising their two amazing daughters, Finely and Marin.
Andrew is a Friday morning guy, having attended Friday Morning Men's Fellowship for the last 17-years, currently leading a table in Mountain Brook, and serving on the board since 2021. Andrew's hobbies include saltwater and freshwater fly fishing, exercising, skiing, and coaching Finley and Marin in their various sports.
Chief FUNdraisering Officer
A Consummate Devotee to Social Architecture/Entrepreneurship, with a Cause, and On Purpose
A Maker/Nurturer Sparketype Maven. Mature Ambivert. Specialist in Elevating your Effectiveness to BEing Effortless. An Authority Asset and Creative Craftsman. An innovative ANSWER to your Service, Hospitality, and Personnel PROBLEM.
A Compassionate Rational Optimist forging through adversity and unprecedented circumstances with Innovation and Creativity. DIVINE-Centered, Purpose-Driven, Principle-Inspired FUNdraiser. World Class Collaborator, Strategist, SharesMan, & Socialpreneur. Playing The Infinite Game! The only Eternal Investment is still made into Human BEings-seek out an Appreciating Asset, and make a priceless deposit!
CEO and Development Partner
Pope and Land
Mr. Zimmerman has more than 37 years of experience in commercial real estate investment, development, brokerage and leasing. He is also the owner of Western & Atlantic Development, LLC, a real estate service and investment company. He is a founding member of the Town Center Area CID and its former Vice Chairman and Chairman. Additionally, he served on the Board of the Cumberland CID from 2003 to 2019 and serves on the Board of Little Five Points CID. Mason has held Board and leadership positions in numerous philanthropic organizations and trade organizations including National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Urban Land Institute (ULI), CCIM, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Ministries and Gwinnett FCA. He is also the former Chairman of the Town Center Community Alliance and The Council for Quality Growth.
President, US Kids Golf
he U.S. Kids Golf Foundation also owns and operates Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Southern Pines, NC, which includes our U.S. Kids Golf National Academy. Our "Living Lab" is constantly innovating and learning to benefit that game everywhere. We are proud to have made such a positive impact on golf communities globally. But our focus is always one player and family at a time. I'll never lose sight of what it was like to be a dad just wanting to play golf with his son. If we can serve "that family", we're accomplishing our mission.
