Doug Peters is a passionate educator and nonprofit leader based in Atlanta, Georgia. With over a decade of experience in youth development and leadership training, he currently serves as Deputy Director of Programs for Best Buddies in Georgia. In this role, Doug oversees more than 50 school chapters and works closely with faculty advisors and student leaders to implement the One-to-One Friendship Program, which fosters inclusive friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities across elementary, middle, high school and college campuses throughout Georgia.
Doug leads statewide training sessions for student leaders and faculty and facilitates leadership workshops each summer for Georgia’s delegation at the Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University. He began his Key Leader journey in 2016 as a Lead Facilitator with Kiwanis International’s Key Leader program, known for his high energy, humor and authentic, student-centered approach.
A first-generation college student, Doug graduated from Carver Early College High School in Atlanta as part of the school’s inaugural class, the first early college program in the state of Georgia. That experience, taking college classes while still in high school, shaped his lifelong belief in the power of education, opportunity, and youth voice. He earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Georgia Southern University.
Doug has held leadership roles in both K–12 and higher education, including positions at Oglethorpe University and the University of South Carolina Upstate. He is passionate about creating spaces where young people feel seen, included, and empowered. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, roller coasters and time with family.