Early Care and Education Franchise

Meet the Legacy Academy Corporate Office

Frank and Melissa Turner

Founders and Owners of Legacy Academy, Inc.

Frank Turner is President of Legacy Academy and of our affiliate, Commercial Contractors, Inc. Frank has been actively involved in the construction business for over 20 years and personally oversaw the design and copyright of our building. Frank oversees the site selection and building of each of our schools. A successful real estate investor and developer, Frank graduated from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia with a degree in business information systems. Prior to his development of Legacy Academy, he had a successful career in the high tech industry focusing on telephony and videoconferencing. Frank serves on the Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America NE Georgia Council.

Melissa V. Turner

Melissa is Vice President and partner of Legacy Academy, Inc. In her role as VP, she has successfully overseen the development and opening of every Legacy Academy for Children® early care and education center throughout several states. Melissa is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and has had a successful career in banking, managing a billion dollar wholesaler of mortgage loans. She has successfully overseen SBA loan applications with her franchisees. Melissa received Governor Sonny Purdue's appointment to the Georgia Early Care and Learning Board in 2005.

Melissa and Frank served as the owners of Legacy Academy for Children® in Oakwood, Georgia from 1997 to 2002. Under Melissa's leadership as the Director of this school, they successfully achieved NAEYC Accreditation in 2000. This hands-on operational experience has proven to be a huge asset as they support new owners. Melissa and Frank are ongoing sponsors of the Autism Georgia Golf Tournament, AFLAC Cancer Center and Dare to Share. Frank and Melissa are the proud parents of two children - two huge reasons for their decision to commit to the early care and education industry.

Laura J. Johns, Ph.D.

Director of Education

As Director of Education for Legacy Academy, Dr. Johns oversees the integrity of the quality assurance program and the implementation of the Legacy Academy curriculum, Framework for their Future®. She also serves as each center's mentor as they work toward Accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laura has 20 years of experience as an early care and education consultant and adult educator and 15 years of experience working directly with children. Laura's past work experiences in the design, implementation, management and evaluation of accredited employer and community-based early care and education programs coupled with her theoretical understanding of child development and learning allows her to work with each owner from an operational and best practice perspective.

Laura is a 1985 graduate of San Diego State University and received her Ph.D. with an emphasis in early childhood education from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Laura's dissertation was a phenomenological research study regarding the young child's experience of being listened to by their preschool teacher.

Laura is the past Chairperson of Advancing Careers through Training and Education (ACET); GA's Professional Development System for Early Care and Education Professionals. She is the past affiliate president for the Fingerlakes Association for the Education of Young Children and the Georgia Association on Young Children. She has also served as Chairperson for the NAEYC Affiliate Council and is a past Mentor and Validator for NAEYC.

Terrie M. Buckner, M.Ed.

Quality Assurance Associate

Terrie Buckner has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the field of early care and education. An accomplished educator and strategist, her vision and expertise in the field have driven notable professional development and operations enhancements which have ultimately led to quality improvement in programs at both state and national levels.

Offering a rare blend of practical experience and academic knowledge, Terrie has overseen the development and implementation of a number of landmark programs in Georgia, including the Incentives and Scholarships programs which assist and reward early care and education professionals for increasing their level of knowledge through formal education. Terrie has advanced center administrator growth nationwide through her development of a comprehensive director training program for a national corporate provider as their Director of Training, and as a co-author and trainer for the National Administrator Credential (NAC) training program administered by NCCA out of Washington, DC.

Terrie received a BSM in Management from Shorter College, where she served as an adjunct instructor in its School of Professional Studies for seven years. She earned an MEd in Adult Education and Human Resources and Organization Development from the University of Georgia. Most recently she has completed studies and research leading to an EdD in Adult Education and Occupational Studies at the University of Georgia.

Christopher M. Sleeme

Business Development and Fiscal Operations Associate

In his role at Legacy Academy, Christopher supports centers as they achieve and maintain fiscal health. Reviewing monthly enrollments, profits and losses, local tuitions and keeping his pulse on child care demographics, Christopher is able to track trends in enrollment and fiscal success.

Christopher brings to Legacy a diverse background in management, marketing, and employee training. His reputation for highly effective customer service, strong interpersonal skills and his outstanding ability to establish rapport and loyalty with diversified clientele have proven to be a key factor in owner satisfaction.

Christopher earned a B.B.A. in Risk Management from the University of Georgia and is a life member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. As the resident techy at Legacy, Christopher supports centers with their management software as well as other computer applications.