ATLANTA, GA.- The High Museum of Art announced the appointment of three new board members today to serve three-year terms: David Neal, Caryl Smith and Sunda Uzzell.
“Each of our new board members is actively engaged in the museum and our progress, so it’s fitting to leverage that leadership with an expanded commitment to our mission,” said the High’s Director Rand Suffolk. “They each bring a unique perspective on the High’s role in the community, and we look forward to their increased involvement as we collectively shape the museum’s future.”
David Neal is president of Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC, overseeing more than 2,000 employees and 13 gypsum mills manufacturing building products in the United States and Canada. He was named to the role in 2023, having previously served as vice president of operations for the company. Neal joined Georgia-Pacific in 1997 and has held various positions within the gypsum business. Notably, he led the construction of a $325-million greenfield plant in Sweetwater, Texas, resulting in an increase of over 1 billion feet of additional ToughRock®. Neal serves on the external advisory board for the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech and is a member of the current Leadership Atlanta class. He is actively involved with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and has also served as the board chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Georgia and as a board member of the Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce in Brunswick, Georgia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University.
Caryl Smith has been a longtime supporter of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction and served as cochair of the Auction in 2021 and 2022. She is a partner with the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, where she started its Atlanta public finance practice as an associate in 1989. She has been involved in numerous high-profile bond financings, including for Atlantic Station, Philips Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and was ranked Band 1 in the Chambers USA 2024 Legal Guide. She has spent her career focused on affordable housing and 501(c)(3) financings, specifically for higher-education clients. She was the cochair of the Atlanta History Center’s 2024 Swan Ball, has chaired fundraisers for local nonprofits including Zoo Atlanta and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and serves on the advisory board of Skyland Trail and on the board of trustees for Terminus Modern Ballet. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.
Sunda Uzzell, who most recently served as cochair of the High’s 2024 David C. Driskell Prize Gala, has a multifaceted background spanning finance and arts management. Following six years as a CPA with Deloitte, she transitioned to finance roles with organizations including Marriott and the Sara Lee Corporation. She then shifted her career to the arts and began developing cultural programs for institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago Cultural Center. From 2004 to 2019, she was a member of the North Suburban Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders. During that time, she held leadership positions including president, program manager, foundation chair, fundraising chair and teen sponsor. Uzzell has served on boards and volunteered for various organizations including the Atlanta Regional Council of the Smithsonian Institution, Children Helping Children, Atlanta History Center, Mint Atlanta, Trinity School and The Westminster Schools.
Neal, Smith and Uzzell join the 44 other members of the High’s Board of Directors, including Chair Dan Baldwin and Ben Hill and Lisa Cannon Taylor, who both return this year after a brief hiatus.
