Johns Creek is home to an amazing community of people — some born and raised in the area, some choosing to make the city their home, some who commute in from nearby neighborhoods to work here, but all of them making Johns Creek a better place.
For our first print issue, we wanted to highlight a few of them and shine a light on their lives, accomplishments and contributions to the city.
From volunteers and artists to entrepreneurs, city officials and everyday people — they help create the fabric of this thriving city. And all of them are examples of the heart and spirit that make the Johns Creek community a uniquely wonderful place to live and work.
Mayor John Bradberry – City of Johns Creek
Recently sworn in for his second term, Mayor John Bradberry is a face that many in the community are familiar with. Though he and his wife, Christy, grew up in Sandy Springs, they settled in the area that would later become Johns Creek after they finished college. They married in 2003 and put down roots (and started a family) in their North Fulton neighborhood where Bradberry went on to serve as president of the homeowners association (HOA).
When Johns Creek was incorporated in 2006, Bradberry, like many others in the community, felt the new city would offer residents the kind of protection and local control (of policies and expenditures) that could benefit everyone directly. But through his role in his neighborhood HOA, he became increasingly aware of the challenges faced by the city and its newly formed government.
Bradberry began attending city council meetings and became involved in the Johns Creek Community Association. As a citizen, he founded Preserve Johns Creek, a group dedicated to protecting the city’s residential character and quality of life.
Before being elected mayor in November 2021, he served four years as a city council member for Post 3. His message then — as now — included three important themes and priorities for Johns Creek: “safety first, building greater community and forward together.”
Outside of his work for the city, Mayor Bradberry, Christy and their daughter Gracie attend Northpoint Community Church and are deeply connected to the community they call home.
Bradberry owns a landscaping design business and has other business interests (mainly in real estate), as well. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a BBA in management information systems, he is a former United States Marine and a member of the Johns Creek Veterans Association. He has also served on the board of One Johns Creek, a coalition dedicated to helping with youth mental health and the prevention of substance abuse.
In a recent message to residents, Mayor Bradberry shared that he’s excited for the year ahead and all of the growth, progress and improvements in the city.
As someone who has lived in Johns Creek since before it was formed, has given time and energy to community projects and now serves as mayor, he’s committed “to continuing to build the best possible community for all our residents and businesses.”
Council Member Dilip Tunki – City of Johns Creek
Dilip Tunki is not just a proud member of the Johns Creek community, he is also an elected city council member, currently at the start of his second term. Originally elected to the post in 2021, he also served as mayor pro tem (deputy mayor) in his council position from 2024 to 2025.
A strong advocate for community-driven growth, fiscal stewardship and public safety, Councilmember Tunki has played a key role in advancing local initiatives that strengthen Johns Creek’s quality of life — including parks and trail expansions, stormwater and infrastructure improvements and the continued development of the city’s Town Center.
Originally from India, Tunki came to the United States in 1991 to pursue a master’s degree in environmental engineering. He later earned an MBA in finance from Georgia State University and transitioned into business leadership, building a 30+ year career that spans information technology, real estate and entrepreneurship. He is the founder and CFO of Serenity Infotech and has been involved in multiple local business ventures and community partnerships.
Beyond his role on the city council, Tunki has served on numerous advisory boards and civic committees, including the Town Center Advisory Committee, Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee and The Art Center board. He has also been part of the Johns Creek Cricket Association and has dedicated time to mentoring North Fulton small business owners through SCORE, a resource of the Small Business Administration.
All of this reflects his ongoing commitment to community service, resident engagement and collaborative leadership.
He and his wife, Padma, have been married for over 28 years and have called Johns Creek home since 2000. They are proud parents to their daughter, Sindhu, who earned her master’s degree in public health from Boston University.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Councilmember Tunki shared that he enjoys hiking and traveling, and said that he “values building connections that bring neighbors, families and local leaders together to shape a vibrant and inclusive future for Johns Creek.”
Henry Cheng – Music Director/Conductor, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra
Born in Taiwan and immigrating to the US with his parents as a child, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Conductor and Music Director Henry Cheng grew up in Atlanta, but spent much of the last twenty years living and working between Europe and Asia.
He worked professionally in Berlin for a decade, including as the chief conductor of the Klangkraft Orchestra in Duisburg. He has directed performances in Europe, Asia and North America. And he spent three years in South Korea before returning to Georgia.
While music has taken him all over the world — and he’s grateful for that journey — Cheng shared that “in many ways, coming back to this area feels like coming home.”
“I’ve been blown away by how the community has been so incredibly open and warm and willing to welcome in not just me, but my family too,” he said in a recent interview for “The Creek.”
Cheng and his family have been in Johns Creek for about six months, moving here after he was named JCSO’s new music director following a year-long international search that included a field of 106 applicants.
The position with the orchestra was the major reason he committed to making a home here, explaining that he didn’t see it as just a conducting job, but as an invitation to build something meaningful with a community that cares about excellence, education and culture.
“What I love most about Johns Creek is how intentional it feels. It’s a city that values quality of life — great schools, beautiful parks and a strong sense that families are building something here long-term,” he said.
“As an artist, I’m also inspired by how much potential there is for the arts to grow,” he continued. “Johns Creek has the energy of a place still becoming itself, and that’s exciting to me. It’s a community where you can imagine bold things and actually make them real.”
In his short time here, Cheng has already had a huge impact, focused on building relationships across the city through the orchestra’s work: with schools, local leaders, community organizations and partners who believe in arts access and education.
He said that one of his favorite things about his role with the JCSO is that the orchestra isn’t only performing concerts — they’re showing up as a civic partner. “Whether that’s supporting young musicians, collaborating with local institutions or creating new ways for families to experience music together, I see community involvement as part of my responsibility.”
For 2026, Cheng has been appointed the principal conductor of the Ozark Music Festival, which takes place June 9–26 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is also excited to continue the JCSO’s IMAGINE: Your Playlist concert series, with performances in March, April and May. Beyond that, he is looking forward to future seasons of innovative performances and deepening his connection with the local community.
“I’m most proud that we’re building momentum,” he said, “not just artistically, but as a true orchestra that is listening to and serving the community.”
“For me, the goal isn’t simply to present great performances, it’s to build something lasting,” he added, “a cultural home the city can be proud of and a musical experience that people feel connected to personally.”
Skylar Topper – Real Estate Agent
Realtor® Skylar Topper was born and raised in Johns Creek “before it was truly Johns Creek.” Her first home was off Sargent Road, where she lived with her parents as a newborn and young child, though it was considered an Alpharetta address at the time.
“I grew up in the Shakerag neighborhoods, off McGinnis Ferry/Rogers Bridge, graduated from Northview High School and moved back to Johns Creek with my [own] family in early 2024, after our first child was born,” Topper shared. “So, all in, basically 25 years of my life!”
Since then, Topper and her husband have welcomed a second child — a daughter born in December 2025. And she’s continued to make a name for herself in the metro Atlanta real estate community as part of the family-run Team Toth office with Compass.
According to her bio, Topper is an “integral part of Team Toth — a family real estate team that includes her mom Deniece, stepdad James and sister Piper.” Consistently recognized as a top producer by the Atlanta Board of Realtors® and the Wall Street Journal‘s prestigious “The Thousand” list, the family continues to add to its long list of awards and achievements.
Upon graduating from the University of Alabama, where she worked in the Alabama football program, Topper went on to various marketing and social media roles, including on ESPN‘s social team, before returning to her roots in metro Atlanta and going into real estate.
Today, she’s a graduate of Leadership Johns Creek, is involved in the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce and is active with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta — a cause she is passionate about. She is also active in her community’s HOA and in various roles at St Ives, as well as in numerous committees and roles within the Atlanta real estate community.
Outside of work, Topper said she likes trying new local restaurants with friends and exploring Johns Creek with her husband and children.
“We love everything about the community,” she shared. “Of course, more than anything, it just feels like home to me having grown up here. It has everything we need and more — amazing parks for our kids, schools that we love, … activities that keep us socially engaged and physically active and … plenty of local businesses, restaurants [and] shops that we have loved and supported over the years.”
As a rare Johns Creek native, Topper said that she has seen and experienced the firsthand growth of the community since its incorporation.
“Most of my life and so much of my real estate business is in Johns Creek, and I love seeing the growth and development of the entire city — its various neighborhoods, businesses and more,” she said. “I love that I enjoyed growing up here so much that we moved back to raise our family, as many others are doing.”
She said it’s no surprise to her to see all of the accolades the city has received, and she will continue to champion the community’s growth and development, “especially after all that the community has given me over the years.”
Shay Foley – President/CEO, Johns Creek Chamber
Shay Foley, president and CEO of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce, has lived and worked in cities throughout the US, Europe and Asia, but now happily calls Johns Creek home.
He moved to the area from Singapore in 2016 for a position as general manager at Alcon, Atlanta Manufacturing, a global leader in eye care.
“I had an opportunity to lead a large high tech and highly automated campus in Johns Creek that was developing, manufacturing and distributing medical devices globally, where we were either number one or number two in every world market,” he said.
He retired as VP/GM from Alcon Atlanta in 2024, and has been leading the Johns Creek Chamber now for almost two years.
In his life, Foley has earned three master’s degrees: a master’s in mechanical engineering, a master’s in polymer science from University College Dublin and an MBA (Marketing in Asia) from the University of San Francisco — all of which he’s put to good use.
He has also made it a point to be involved in local and state-wide organizations. He’s a former member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber Board of Advisors, a former board chair for the Georgia Bio Council, former board member and finance chair for the Center for Global Health and Innovation and served as a board member for the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
These days his focus is on the work he’s doing at the Johns Creek Chamber.
“Johns Creek has been voted the best city to live in North America for the last two years,” said Foley. “It is a diverse, culturally rich and well educated community. The city has a great mayor, a great city council and a great development project called Medley.”
“[It] is very safe [city] with very little crime,” he continued. “It has great schools, great police, a great fire department, a great hospital and wonderful golf courses. We now have a great chamber to match all of the above and to help local businesses connect, grow and thrive.”
Foley said that the chamber is 100% committed to helping local businesses in every way possible.
“This is a great location to do business in and to launch from and expand rapidly,” he explained. “It’s easy to get good professional and motivated talent [here]. There are great universities in the area, and the elected officials in [Johns Creek] are very supportive of business and the community.”
Apart from work, Foley shared that he enjoys soccer and family. He’s a “proud father of four daughters who like to shop,” he said. So these days, he spends a lot of his spare time “disposing of Amazon Prime boxes.”
Lizen Hayes – Executive Director, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve
Lizen Hayes is the executive director of the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center. In her role, she leads a talented and dedicated team and helps teach and shape many of the preserve’s programs, connecting residents of all ages to local history, environmental stewardship and the arts.
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest closely surrounded by her great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, Hayes said that she holds a deeply personal commitment to intergenerational connection and believes that “shared experiences across ages strengthen both families and communities.”
She and her wife Morgan moved to Johns Creek in February 2014. Today, they and their two children are still proud to call Johns Creek home.
“We were looking for a community where we would feel safe and welcomed, with good schools, because we knew we wanted to grow our family here,” she said of their initial move to the city. “Johns Creek quickly became that place for us.”
At the time, Hayes worked in Norcross and then in Alpharetta in the marketing field. It wasn’t until later that she discovered and became involved with the nature preserve.
“I had lived in Johns Creek for about three years before discovering Autrey Mill,” she said. “One of the things I hear most often from first-time visitors is that it’s a ‘hidden gem.’ Many people don’t realize that this cost-free, 46-acre forested preserve — complete with an extensive trail and stream system — is practically in their own backyard.”
“Like so many people in our area, I’m a transplant,” Hayes continued. “Not only was I new to Johns Creek, but so was our newly adopted 11-year-old daughter who we welcomed into our home from the Georgia foster care system. We were looking for meaningful ways to connect as a family and to our new community when I stumbled across an ad for Autrey Mill’s history docent program.”
Hayes attended the informational meeting and learned that Autrey Mill was about to welcome goats to the preserve and needed volunteers to help walk them. She signed the family up to help out once a week. And what began as a simple volunteer opportunity quickly grew into something much more meaningful.
Though Hayes had originally planned to become a marine biologist, she said she enrolled in a wet-site archaeology class during college. That class partnered closely with a tribal community whose ancestral land they were excavating, and she had the privilege of witnessing ceremonies performed by tribal elders and hearing stories about their history and culture.
That experience sparked a deep curiosity and set her on a new path. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in museum studies, and since then, has been drawn to work that connects people to place, history and community. That made her a perfect fit for her role at Autrey Mill.
“What I love most about my work now is creating meaningful experiences that help people feel grounded, curious and connected — both to the past and to one another,” she explained.
“Autrey Mill is not just hiking trails and animals; it is also home to a remarkable collection of historic buildings that were carefully relocated here from across the region, preserving local history in a living, tangible way.”
As both a resident and a cultural leader, Hayes is deeply invested in preserving the natural landscapes and shared stories that define Johns Creek and the surrounding communities.
She said that she deeply appreciates the care and kindness the community has shown her, her family and the preserve. “There is a genuine sense of pride and stewardship here,” she said, “and people truly value the shared resources that make Johns Creek such a special place to live.”
Dr. Andras Tigyi – Veterinarian/Owner, Camden Animal Hospital
Dr. Andras Tigyi’s parents immigrated to the United States from Hungary in the mid-1980s, and he was born in Los Angeles, California. His family then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he grew up and still considers home. He’s been part of the Johns Creek community since May 2014 and bought and took over operations at Camden Village Animal Hospital in 2024, though the clinic itself has been open since 2013.
While Dr. Tigyi loves his hometown — he’s a self-proclaimed Memphis BBQ enthusiast, a Tennessee Vol for life and a loyal fan of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team — he is also happy to have made a new home in Johns Creek with his wife and two children.
“I enjoy all of the events in our parks and public areas and the progress the community continues to make, like at the Medley,” he said. “I also enjoy all of the variety of food, cuisine and culture that we can find so close to one another in Johns Creek!”
Dr. Tigyi graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2010, earning a Bachelor of Science in animal science with a focus on companion animals. He then went on to receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Tennessee in 2014.
After graduating from UT, he moved to the area and practiced at a small, private animal clinic for almost nine years, serving families in Roswell, Alpharetta and Johns Creek. He also worked at emergency and urgent care pet clinics throughout metro Atlanta.
Since taking over Camden Village Animal Hospital, his goal has become clear: to create a veterinary hospital that is founded on forming relationships with families in order to serve their individual pet care needs. According to their website, the clinic’s medical team “would be rooted in service to the client and patient but also in service to each other within the team.”
“I love getting to know our community’s families and taking care of their pet family year after year,” Dr. Tigyi said. “It’s an incredible honor to be entrusted to be their veterinarian. My own personal views and beliefs about how we can care for our pet family is very much aligned with the majority of our community’s beliefs, which is a wonderful environment to practice veterinary medicine and surgery in.”
The Tigyi family have three pets of their own: a cat named Opal and two dogs, Ernest and Eleanor. In his spare time, Dr. Tigyi enjoys spending quality time with his family (humans and pets), going to sporting events and getting outdoors. He also continues to appreciate the connections he’s formed with his Johns Creek neighbors.
“We have such a beautiful and unique community, and we should be proud of the progress of the last decade in our neighborhoods,” he shared. “Johns Creek continues to be nationally recognized as a great place to raise a family, start a business and live our lives. We’re honored to be part of this amazing community, and I look forward to continuing to serve the community as we grow and expand our services at CVAH.”
Stephanie Donaldson – Executive Director, The Art Center
Stephanie Donaldson, executive director of The Art Center (formerly known as the Johns Creek Arts Center), is a long-time champion of the arts. She has over 13 years of experience in arts leadership, nonprofit management and community engagement — all of which align perfectly with her work at the center.
In her role as executive director, she oversees strategic planning, fundraising, programming and operations, with a focus on expanding access to the arts and strengthening the nonprofit organization’s impact within the community.
Throughout her career, Donaldson has been committed to leading initiatives that support artists, cultivate partnerships and promote inclusive, mission-driven programming. Under her leadership, The Art Center has received the Governor’s Award in Arts and Humanities and recognition and resolutions from the GA State Senate, the GA House of Representatives, Fulton County commissioners and the mayor’s office of Johns Creek.
This year the The Art Center is celebrating its 30-year anniversary. “This milestone is a powerful reminder of the impact creativity has on a community,” Donaldson said. “For three decades The Art Center has been a place where artists are celebrated, and people of all ages are inspired to explore and express their creativity. Through exhibitions, classes, camps and outreach programs, it has enriched the lives and brought people together through the arts.”
Donaldson added that this anniversary “honors not only the past 30 years of dedication and achievement, but also the continued commitment to making art accessible, meaningful and transformative for future generations.”
In addition to the work she does at The Art Center, Donaldson is also involved in the community in a variety of other ways. She serves on the governance council for local elementary schools, is a member of the Rotary Club and the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce, serves as chairperson for the Abbotts Commons Business Association and is a graduate of the Leadership Johns Creek program.
She is deeply committed to the belief that “the arts are a vital force for cultural connection, education and social change.”
Donaldson shared that one thing she really likes about Johns Creek is that it offers such a great quality of life. “The community is safe and welcoming, the schools are highly rated and there are plenty of parks to enjoy,” she said. “The diversity of Johns Creek, along with local festivals and cultural activities, makes [the city] feel vibrant and inclusive.”
Kathy Cioffi – Business Owner, Author and Founder of Arts On The Creek
Johns Creek resident Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi is a woman of many talents. She has owned and operated KRC Communications, a full-service publications and graphic design firm since 1996. She worked as a newspaper reporter, humor columnist, editor and writer in Louisiana, Kentucky, California, Pennsylvania and Georgia for two decades — winning nearly 100 national and state journalism awards along the way. And she is the founder of Arts On The Creek and the Johns Creek Literary Fair.
Cioffi and her husband Ron settled down in Johns Creek in 1996, when Ron accepted a position as a senior art director in Bank of America’s then corporate communications department. With twin kindergartners and a one-year-old at the time, Cioffi said that finding top schools was a priority.
“Since all three went on to earn graduate degrees — two from Georgia Tech and one from UGA — we think we made a great choice,” she added.
In 2008, Cioffi founded the Arts On The Creek nonprofit, which hosted Johns Creek’s first-ever arts festival for five successful years, attracting crowds of over 25,000 people. The organization now serves multiple disciplines — from books and writers to arts and music.
In 2022, she founded the Arts On the Creek Book Fest, the city’s first book festival. Now called the Johns Creek Literary Fair, the popular event celebrated its third year in 2025 with a new indoor location at city hall and the largest turnout yet.
Recalling the initial inspiration for the literary festival, Cioffi said, “As a longtime volunteer with a variety of book-related organizations in the area, I thought it was time Johns Creek had a book festival. So I tested the idea in 2022 with a book fest sponsored by Arts On The Creek at the Johns Creek Arts Festival. It was such a success that I approached the city about supporting the idea in 2023, which they did.”
Prior to last year’s literary fair, the JCLF had been held in the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater at Newtown Park. “Hurricane Helene [in 2024] motivated us to find an indoor venue,” Cioffi explained. She said they will return to city hall for this year’s event, and plans for that are already underway, with more information to come.
“Planning starts the day after each JCLF and becomes nearly a full-time job leading up to the next one,” she said.
In addition to her work, event organizing and championing local authors, Cioffi also volunteers with several Atlanta-area author groups, including Roswell Reads, Atlanta Authors and the Atlanta Writers Club. She’s even an author herself — her debut novel, “Mama Tried,” was the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year finalist for First Novel.
To Cioffi, the sense of community she’s found in Johns Creek has been life enriching. “While the city has experienced explosive growth in the past three decades, the melting pot that is Johns Creek still manages to feel like a place peopled by extended family,” she said. “This was a fabulous place to raise a family and — with the city’s founding in 2006 — get in on the ground floor of helping incorporate the arts into what ‘U.S. News & World Report’ says is the best place to live in the country.”
Martin Neuhaus – Principal, Northview High School
Martin Neuhaus has been an educator for an impressive 30+ years — all in Fulton County and in the Johns Creek community, in particular. And he’s been a highly regarded principal (at several local schools) for 24 of those years.
He and his wife have lived in or near Johns Creek for the last three decades, raising their two daughters (successful UGA grads) and being actively involved in the community.
With a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Clemson University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Florida and a leadership degree from Georgia State University, Neuhaus started his career as a teacher in 1995 at Findley Oaks Elementary School the second year it was open.
From there, he transitioned into Fulton County’s Administrative Intern program, working at various schools throughout the county at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
When he finished the internship, he was hired by Northview’s founding principal, Mr. Zervakos, to serve as an assistant principal at North Springs High School during the summer of 2000 before becoming assistant principal at Shakerag Elementary that fall.
Neuhaus then became principal at Shakerag in the 2002-2003 school year. After serving the Shakerag/Northview community for 16 years, he moved into the principal position at Barnwell Elementary, then came back in the 2022-23 school year to serve as principal at Northview High School, where he is today.
Currently in his fourth year at Northview, Principal Neuhaus said that while he and his wife live in South Forsyth these days, they are still very much a part of the Johns Creek community — through his work and in his off-time. He doesn’t have a long commute into the city, and they often spend their weekends running errands and enjoying the parks in Johns Creek.
“Besides having amazing schools, I like the diversity of our community and how it is centered around fostering and supporting a strong education for all families,” he shared. “I also enjoy the conveniences that Johns Creek offers, having a variety of food, retail, healthcare and parks.”
Chris Shearer – Principal, Johns Creek High School
Chris Shearer has been part of the Johns Creek community for over 20 years, serving at Taylor Road Middle School, Autrey Mill Middle School and at Johns Creek High School. He’s now in his eighth year as principal at JCHS, and feels as “deeply rooted in the culture and spirit of the Johns Creek community” as ever.
He shared that what he enjoys most about leading at JCHS is the students. “Watching them grow over their four years and celebrating their achievements is the most rewarding part of [my] work,” he said. And he remains dedicated to “fostering an environment where students thrive academically, socially and personally.”
Those who follow Shearer on social media get a clear sense of his personality, as well as his school and community pride, as he posts about JCHS athletics, theatre productions and his Coffee with Chris meetings, alongside positive messages, words of wisdom and school updates.
In his principal’s message on the Johns Creek High School website, he wrote of four principles he follows in his work — valuing transparency and authenticity, communicating clearly and concisely, being present and accessible and asking questions to challenge the status quo. All of which help keep education “fresh, engaging and relevant for our students.”
Outside of school, Shearer said he is “passionate about music of all kinds, enjoys a good cup of coffee, loves spending time at the beach and is an enthusiastic supporter of girls’ lacrosse.”
This article was originally published in the February/March issue of THE CREEK magazine.
