Laverne Woods Poindexter

Laverne passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of July 13, 2025, at 69 years of age, in the Atlanta home she built with her husband, Dr. James M. Poindexter Jr., and where she raised her two children, James Victor and Kaitlyn Nicole.

Laverne attended Catholic elementary schools in Los Angeles and New Orleans, graduating with honors from St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans in 1974. She later attended Dillard University and then the University of Rochester, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Nursing and Psychology. She went on to achieve her Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University in 1990.

Laverne wore numerous other hats throughout her lifetime, including her early career working as a registered nurse, many years as an executive, and as an entrepreneur. Her leadership experience included roles as clinical faculty at Greater Hartford Community College and Executive Director of American Nursing Resources in Hartford, Connecticut. For much of her career, Laverne served as the Executive Director of Georgia Vascular Specialists, the private medical practice she co-managed with her husband, James, for 35 years before reluctantly retiring in 2024. Laverne was also the founder and CEO of Professional Management Resources, Inc. (PMR), which she established in 1993, and co-founder of The Premier HealthCare Network, which grew to become one of the most successful individual practice associations in the state of Georgia. Her other accomplishments and business accolades are too numerous to list. However, in all of her roles, Laverne was a brilliant visionary and thoughtful collaborator, known for her exacting standards and commitment to providing the highest and best level of service in all of her endeavors.

In 1981, while working as a critical care nurse at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, she met the love of her life, her future husband and devoted partner, James. They were together for 44 years—partners both in love and in business—spending the majority of their days working down the hall from one another, building their family and their businesses side by side.

Laverne is remembered and beloved by her family, her many colleagues, employees, and close friends. All who knew Laverne will remember her as a strong, kind, fiercely loyal, dedicated, and passionate wife, mother, and leader. She firmly believed, “If there’s a will, there’s a way!” and was known for never giving up on her dreams and for helping and encouraging all those around her to do the same. She embodied her passions in everything she did and made connections everywhere she went. Turning strangers into friends—and family—was part of her nature.

Her whole life, Laverne held a deep passion for the arts, and particularly for music. From a young age, she was an incredibly talented musician and singer. She spent much of her free time immersed in music—singing, harmonizing, and, whenever possible, making music with her siblings, who are also gifted musicians. Laverne held her faith and spirituality close to her heart, spending much of her free time volunteering, particularly in the last few years of her life, at her church home, St. Luke’s Episcopal.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. James M. Poindexter Jr.; her children, James Victor and Kaitlyn Nicole; her five sisters, Paula, Diana, Laurette, Ramona, and Helen; and her brother, Millard. Laverne will be dearly missed by her large extended family and many friends from all walks of life. We are so grateful for the beautiful life she lived, and we will hold her spirit with us in our hearts always.