05/11/2026
Co-Founder Sarah Higinbotham Unanimously Elected Incoming Board Chair For Common Good Atlanta
Common Good Atlanta’s Board of Directors has unanimously elected co-founder Sarah Higinbotham as incoming Board Chair. Her two-year term begins January 1, 2027. As Chair- Elect, she joins the Executive Committee immediately, bringing to that table the same presence she has brought to prison classrooms across Georgia.
“Sarah brings a powerful combination of academic and nonprofit expertise, along with a deep and unwavering commitment to the mission of Common Good Atlanta and to the broader carceral community,” said current CGA Board Chair, Sonia Toson. “She has always been the true shepherd of our mission and a guiding north star for this organization. I could not be more excited to see her step into this role at such a pivotal moment, as Common Good Atlanta continues to grow, serve, and elevate. She is the right leader at exactly the right time, and I look forward to this next chapter of her extraordinary leadership and to serving alongside her.”
Along with co-founder Bill Taft, Sarah established CGA’s first classroom in 2008 at Philips State Prison. Today, CGA provides accredited classes in four state prisons, two state transitional centers, and the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta.
In recent years, Sarah stepped back from her administrative role at Common Good Atlanta, trusting the leadership to others. But she never stepped back from the work itself. She has taught continuously at Burruss Correctional, while also earning tenure at Emory, leading a semester abroad in London, and co-authoring a writing textbook with Common Good Atlanta alumnus NoĂ© MartĂnez — who once sat in a prison classroom.
“I am honored to step back into board service as we turn the corner into our twentieth year of college programming in prison,” said Sarah. “There is nowhere I would rather be.”
