Cold River brings together a leadership team with decades of experience in property tax, real estate, banking, finance and processing.  Our team enjoys unrivaled credibility and an unmatched network of industry professionals.

John is the founder, and Managing Partner for Cold River Land, LLC, an asset management and property tax management company.  John’s background includes 34 years as an owner/entrepreneur in a family of companies in the real estate, land development, heavy equipment contracting, engineering and asset management business that constructed over sixty thousand lots in the Southeastern US.  Cold River manages property taxes on over 6 billion dollars in FMV, and has underwritten over 3 billion dollars in portfolio and single project acquisitions for its clients and joint venture partners.   John is an organizer/director at Foothills Community bank and is the founder/chairman of Mission Joint Venture International (MJVI.org).    John holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Truett McConnell University and serves on the Board of Visitors there.
 
John has served in the past as the Chairman of the State of GA Contractor’s Licensing Board, Utility Division, Treasurer for the Forsyth County Library Board of Trustees, Board of Directors for the Northeast GA Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Board of the Council for Quality Growth.

Jennifer Cleveland serves as the tax department manager.  She received her Associates Degree in Management and Supervisory Development with Lanier Technical College in 2008.  Since 1997, she has been engaged in all facets of property development and finance, and has been the executive assistant to the CEO of a site-work, engineering and development group that produced thousands of lots for national and regional builders.  Jennifer was a key member of the team that developed Cold River’s tax management program.  Jennifer resides in Forsyth County with her husband and three children.  She enjoys spending time with her family, camping and watching her children compete in sports and activities.

Zach Horsley, Appeal Director.  Zach manages the appeal team, works with the client and coordinates our team of affiliates nationwide to coordinate the successful resolution of appeals for Cold River’s clients.  Zach leads appeal resolutions at both the informal and formal level.  He oversees a portfolio of over 5 billion dollars in fair market value and has successfully resolved of tens of thousands of appeals.  Zach has led the way for recovering over $250 Million in value reductions since 2013 for our clients.  Zach received his BA in Business Administration and Management from Truett-McConnell College in 2013.  He holds certifications in title abstracting and has completed technical courses in valuations and appraisals.. 

Kelsey has been a part of the Cold River team since 2012 and currently serves as a Senior Account Manager over Tax Management. She has completed the Property Tax School provided by the Institute for Professionals in Taxation and is certified in Title Abstraction. She is pursuing her Associates in Business Administration at the University of North Georgia, where she is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Kelsey and her son enjoy spending time with their family

Chip Pearson is a Partner in Cold River Land LLC and leads the asset management and development group.    Prior to Cold River Land Chip was president and co-founder of Paramont Grading and Pecos Inc., an engineering,  land development, site work and utility company that developed and constructed over sixty thousand residential lots in communities ranging from in-fill projects to master planned golf communities in Georgia and the Carolinas for the nation’s top national and mid-range builders.

Chip graduated from Shorter College with a degree in Business Management.  He is a former member of the Board of Industry Trade and Tourism. He was also a former Georgia State Senator for three terms representing the 51st Senate District of Georgia from 2005-2010 where he Chaired the Senate Economic Development Committee. He is a founding board member of Foothills Community Bank in Dawsonville Georgia.