Michael Esposito
Michael Esposito is a native of East Rockaway, New York, having moved to Marietta, Georgia, from Coral Springs, Florida, with his wife Ann (a Registered Yoga Teacher) and two teenage children. He moved to Georgia to join The Home Depot’s Northern Division as its Director of Associate Relations in 2005.
Mike’s career started in Human Resources and then migrated to law after he earned his Juris Doctorate degree nights from The Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. He worked in private legal practice and in-house as a labor and employment attorney before serving as the Chief HR Officer for two multi-billion dollar organizations. Michael’s current job allows him to integrate his legal and HR experience to help promote employee engagement to drive customer service for a division generating over $25B in sales and boasting of 800 stores and 100,000 associates.
Mike currently serves on the Alumni Board of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Dr. Lee Patouillet, president of the firm, brings more than 30 years of full-time institutional advancement experience in higher education and nonprofit management to his consulting practice. Patouillet has led three different alumni associations: the University of South Florida, the University of Pittsburgh and most recently the University of Florida. At all of these institutions, he served on the senior leadership team responsible for all aspects of advancement including two different capital campaigns in excess of one billion dollars each. He is a faculty member at Nonprofit University and a consultant for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.
Patouillet began consulting in the 1980’s and contracts with other professionals as needed for given projects. The firm works with public and private colleges and universities of all sizes as well as the social sector. Patouillet Consulting LLC enjoys the involvement and support of an advisory board comprised of industry leaders.
Lee earned a B.A. in American Studies with Honors from the University of South Florida, a M.S. in College Student Personnel from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in Administrative and Policy Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
He is a charter member of the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and is a long-time active volunteer leader for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He is also a charter member of the editorial board for The International Journal of Educational Advancement. The associations led by Patouillet have received more than 10 CASE Circle of Excellence awards.
Stuart C. Johnson
Stuart C. Johnson is the managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Atlanta office, a member of the firm’s Management Committee, the chairman of the firm’s Private Equity Practice Group, and a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. He is a corporate and transactional lawyer, and has assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate financing transactions, and general business matters in a variety of industries such as telecommunications, manufacturing, plastics, home building, business services, chemicals, logistics, food services, life sciences medical devices, and healthcare.
Stuart has authored and been quoted in numerous articles relating to mergers and acquisition trends and activities, particularly those related to growth-oriented businesses and private equity transactions. He has organized and participated in business growth and business expansion programs sponsored by institutions such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, the Georgia Society of CPAs, the Atlanta Business School Alliance, the Technology Association of Georgia, Lorman Educational Services, and the Academy of Management.
Stuart Johnson is also actively involved in community activities and organizations. He is a member of Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc.’s board of directors and is chairman of its finance committee. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, where he presently serves as Vice President of Finance. He is also a member of the advisory Board of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Board of Governors of the City Club of Buckhead.
Stuart received his B.A. with distinction in 1982 from the University of Virginia and his M.A. of Economics in 1986 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1987, he earned his J.D. from the University Of Virginia School of Law, where he was named to the Order of the Coif. He is admitted to practice law in the state of Georgia.
