SLT Elections - September 2025

SLT Candidates

Odufa Aburime
My name is Odufa Aburime, I am a Clinical IT Manager who grew up in the Decatur area. My husband and I have lived in Decatur for about 10 years with our 3 kids - a 10th grader at Decatur High, a 6th grader at Beacon Hill and 4th grader at Talley. I recently completed a 2-year term on the Beacon Hill SLT, collaborating on initiatives to improve our schools. I have also served on the PTA at Beacon Hill & Talley, collaborating with the Teacher Grants process at the middle school, TigerFest & DEI at Talley, in addition to contributing to various volunteering and other initiatives while my children attended lower elementary at Clairemont & Glenwood. While on the PTA at BHMS, one of the major initiatives I participated in was engaging the PTA boards across all 9 schools to collaborate and improve processes by learning and pooling resources, function in a more cohesive manner, along with working together with the CSD central office. As a stakeholder in the CSD community, I was an active participant in the Decatur Dinners endeavor and the equity consultant sessions leading to the spotlight on equity issues and the correlating impact on student outcomes.

Despite my fulltime job, my passion is to see all our children succeed. The ability to be engaged and informed enables me to advocate for a well-rounded and academically enriching safe space for all of our children to succeed in this segment of their education journey. I hope to bring my experience as a parent who has in depth knowledge of our district spanning across various schools, and my collaborative skills to the forefront, in continuing to impact positive change in our school district. It would be an honor to serve on the DHS SLT to work towards ensuring a successful and intentional environment where all stakeholders in the DHS community can thrive and contribute to positively impact our students. A stronger DHS community leads to the ultimate success of our students and staff. Thank you for the consideration and I look forward to serving!

Jean-Jacques Credi
My name is Jean-Jacques Credi, and I am a parent of 3 including a 10th-grader at DHS. I am motivated to serve as a parent representative on the DHS School Leadership Team (SLT). As an experienced educator, equity-centered leader, and community advocate, I am passionate about supporting our school’s mission and ensuring that every child thrives in a safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environment.

I bring over 25 years of professional experience in education, leadership development, and community building. I’ve served as both a teacher and administrator, coached 1,000+ professionals, and designed systems to support talent development and instructional improvement. My work has consistently focused on creating equitable outcomes, fostering strong school cultures, and building collaborative teams that keep students at the center of every decision. I served in City of Decatur Schools as an Instructional Coach at Winnona Park and Assistant Principal at Oakhurst and Clairemont for a total of 11 years. I have experience as a Principal and currently serve Emory University in the Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance.

What draws me to serve on the SLT is the opportunity to partner with school staff, fellow parents, and community members to ensure that all voices are heard and that decisions reflect the needs of the diverse families we serve. I believe that meaningful family engagement is critical to a school’s success, and I am eager to contribute my time, skills, and perspective to help strengthen our school community.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. I would be honored to support our school’s continuous growth and help ensure that all students have the opportunity to thrive.

Kristen Denius

My name is Kristen Denius and I'm a proud parent of a 2025 DHS graduate and a current DHS Sophomore. My family has lived in Oakhurst since 2004 and we have been part of the CSD community since our recent DHS graduate started Pre-K at College Heights in 2010.

Professionally, I worked as an attorney for the City of Atlanta from 2001 until 2019 where I advised on legal compliance, employment matters, pensions, and open government requirements. In that role, I also routinely drafted legislation and other policies. In 2019 I was appointed as Atlanta's first Chief Transparency Officer with purview over policy development, training, and compliance with open government laws, including the Georgia Open Records Act. I am passionate about the importance of proactive and easy to understand communication with constituents as a critical component of transparency in an effective public agency.

Throughout my family's fifteen years in CSD I have been grateful for my children's creative, amazing, and dedicated teachers and school-level administrators. I've also been frustrated at times by the level of communication to parents about important matters that affect our students and I've become increasingly concerned about the achievement gaps in our district and the effects of the current political situation on public education access and funding. During the 2023-24 school year I decided to get involved by applying to fill the remaining term of a DHS SLT seat that had become vacant. During the 2024-25 school year I served as the Chair of the DHS SLT. Serving on the DHS SLT has been an incredible experience. It has been a great way to gain a deeper understanding of all things DHS, contribute to decision-making and process-improvement at the school, and to advocate for DHS at the district level. I would like an opportunity to continue contributing to our DHS community through another term of service on the DHS SLT and I hope that you will consider voting for me to fill one of the two open parent representative positions.

Yazhou Zhang

My name is Yazhou Zhang, and I’m interested in serving DHS as a member of the School Leadership Team.

I have been an Analytical Manager at Interface Inc. in Georgia since 2017, where I oversee projects, guide teams, and ensure the highest standards in analytical work. Before that, I spent several years in Germany conducting research at an academic institute, and later moved to Jackson, Mississippi. There, I worked for eight years at a university, where I taught students, conducted research, and managed an analytical laboratory. These experiences have given me a strong foundation in leadership, mentoring, and teamwork, which I am eager to bring to the school leadership team.

My daughter, Bella, began her education at Talley Street in 3rd grade and is now at Decatur High School, which has given me a deep appreciation for the values and strengths of CSD. This is the primary motivation behind my application to the School Leadership Team. Having lived and worked in China, Germany, and the United States, I bring a global perspective along with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness—ensuring that every student and family feels welcome and represented. In addition, as a Ph.D. in Chemistry, I am passionate about encouraging students to pursue STEM fields and explore the opportunities those disciplines can provide. I would be honored to contribute my experiences and perspective to the School Leadership Team in support of the continued growth and success of our school community.