Our Team

Jeff Nevison serves as Chairman of the Board for Next Step Ministries, bringing a faith-centered approach to leadership, service, and stewardship. A devoted follower of Christ and longtime member of First Baptist Church Woodstock, Jeff is the owner of Mountain Lakes Insurance and founder of the Woodstock Christian Business Network. He is passionate about serving others and advancing Next Step Ministries’ mission to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Jeff and his wife, Karen, have been married for 48 years and have two grown children. He enjoys gardening, learning new things, and dreaming of someday returning to his roots with a small farm.

Ben is an Architect by trade, with 40+ years of experience. Ben is founder and CEO of Epic Facility Solutions of Georgia established in 2011. He served as the Architect and Project Manager for the renovation of the existing property at Turner Road in 2014. Ben's relationship with Next Step began when he met Lori Baker through the LoveLoud community assistance services projects provided to Next Step through First Baptist Woodstock. Ben recognized a deep-rooted sense of concern for the level of care that needed to be provided for Next Step’s clients and saw it as an opportunity to provide support for the very significant work of Next Step Ministries. Ben is the father of a beautiful daughter and a very beautiful granddaughter. He has lived in Cherokee County for the past 34 years.

Susan Newman is an alumna of Westfield State College located in Massachusetts with a BSE in special education and elementary education. She holds a Masters in Administration from the University of Houston, and a EdS in Administration from Georgia State University. After 33 years of teaching and school administration, Susan chose to partially retire from public school education. As a part-time retiree, Susan served as an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University. until 2019. Her experience in education ranges from pre-school to adults. Susan’s professional journey has led her through many geographic territories including, Massachusetts, the Department of Defense in Germany, Houston-Clear Creek ISD, and Georgia. She is a proud mother of two daughters and grandmother of four grand children. During her free time she enjoys creating memories with her family. In addition, Susan is an entrepreneur, she revels in helping her customers look, live, and feel better through her holistic wellness, skincare, and haircare company.

ohn Cochran is an Atlanta native who grew up in Tucker and attended Marist High School and the University of Georgia. After college, he started a family and moved to Woodstock, where he worked on bridge projects, including the Highway 92 bridge over I-575. As a local residential contractor, John worked in several building groups including BridgeMill, Towne Lake, and Deer Run. After selling his business in 2003 he joined John Wieland Homes and went on to become Vice President of Custom Homes. John is now enjoying the mountain life in Ellijay, GA, and enjoying both his 2 children and 4 grandkids. "My future is serving the Lord."

A native of Hickory, North Carolina, James Cordell holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education with an emphasis on choral conducting and vocal pedagogy from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.  He served for nearly 30 years in church music, Christian education and private school administration in Hickory, NC.  He is a published music composer. He and his wife, Karen, moved to Woodstock, GA in March 2018, following their daughter, Kari, son-in-law, Sam and most importantly, two granddaughters, Evelyn and Eliana Mae.  Their son, Landon, also made the move and is a combat medic with the Georgia National Guard.  James and Karen are active members of First Baptist Church Woodstock. Presently James serves as the Family Service Manager at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Kennesaw, GA.