THE AMT LEGACY

Established in 1959, Atlanta Models & Talent, Inc. (AMT Agency) is Atlanta’s first and most prestigious talent agency. The history goes back over fifty-five years, and the strength of the agency, its reputation, and success is largely due to the forward-thinking of a few remarkable women.

In the early 1960’s, Dot Barber had a small part time model agency called Model’s Inc., when she asked Beverly Needle Copen, on maternity leave at the time, to help her out. When Barber decided to change careers and go into real estate, Copen purchased the agency from her for one dollar (legal tender).

Copen was interested in expanding the business beyond fashion and photography jobs, so she began with the name. Atlanta Models & Talent, Inc. was born. At the same time, Edith Ivey and Jerre Enberg were hard at work with the successful Ivey-Enberg Talent Services in Atlanta, having set in place many of the standards of practice still in use today. In the mid 60’s, Edith and Jerre decided to pursue their artistic careers and turned over their roster of 655 clients to Atlanta Models & Talent, Inc.

Meanwhile, Copen expanded her own sales strategies and hit the road. She traveled to New York and Los Angeles, fostering relationships with film producers and motion picture studios. She reasoned that there was no better shoot location than the South during the snow-covered winter months up North. Her innovative sales strategies paid off. Copen became the first film representative from 1972-73 under President Jimmy Carter.

In July 1970, Kathy Hardegree became AMT’s receptionist. A few years later, she purchased the agency from Copen and was the sole owner for almost 40 years. Kathy served to establish the Atlanta chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and served as Chair of the Atlanta Emmy Awards for five years. She was a founding member of the Atlanta chapter of Women in Film, from which she was honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In September 2010, Kathy was voted the SAG agent of the month, the only agent in Georgia to date to receive this honor.

In 2005, Sarah Carpenter was hired by Kathy after spending years in the entertainment industry. In 2010, Susan Fronsoe, who transitioned from a career in acting and managing talent, moved to Atlanta and began looking for representation herself. Fronsoe became a client of AMT Agency where she met Carpenter. Shortly after, they discovered that Hardegree was looking towards retirement and the timing was ideal. It was then that Carpenter and Fronsoe joined forces to purchase AMT Agency on January 27, 2011. The women opened the doors of the newly purchased agency with only two interns. In January 2015, Fronsoe sold her shares in the company, and Carpenter became the sole owner of AMT Agency, continuing the legacy established by the remarkable women before her.

In 2017, Carpenter hired Jason Lockhart, who relocated from Los Angeles to Atlanta to join AMT as the Head of the TV & Film Department. Bringing more than two decades of industry experience as a talent agent, filmmaker, and entertainment professional, Lockhart helped expand the agency’s presence within the rapidly growing southeastern entertainment market. Around the same time, Kelly Nehmen joined the agency with a strong passion for film, television, and business, quickly earning a reputation for her intelligence, work ethic, and keen eye for talent. Her rapid rise within the company led to her becoming a TV & Film agent, further strengthening AMT’s foundation and continued success.

In 2026, after nearly a decade of working together, Jason Lockhart and Kelly Nehmen purchased AMT from Sarah Carpenter, who transitioned into a consultant role following years of dedicated leadership and service to the agency. With deep respect for AMT’s historic legacy and a shared vision for the future, Lockhart and Nehmen began leading the agency into a new era of growth, innovation, and continued excellence within the entertainment industry.