(Thomasville, NC) Mary Jane Akerman has been actively involved youth leadership for many years, most recently in youth development and service learning. Her passion is providing young people the tools and resources they need to be successful in life and helping them navigate the journey. She is currently the Wellness Coordinator for Thomasville City Schools and is responsible for pregnancy prevention programs, safe and drug free schools, improving physical activity and nutrition, and anything else that improves the health and wellness of the students in Thomasville. A number of the programs developed by Mary Jane have received state and national recognition. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies and Advocates for Youth have both identified Thomasville’s pregnancy prevention program as a model program. The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina honored Thomasville with the Hispanic Outreach Award in 2005 and the Youth Achievement Award in 2006. Mary Jane is a trained Low Ropes facilitator and oversees the local Challenge Course including training of new facilitators. She is a successful grant writer, a necessity to support her programs and see her great ideas come to fruition. Active in the community, she serves on the CIS of Thomasville, YMCA, Thomasville Parks & Recreation boards. Mary Jane earned her BA at Austin College, Sherman, Texas and her MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. She lives in the suburbs of Thomasville where she enjoys family, friends and the slower pace of life. She holds fast to the motto “go forth until apprehended”.
(Charlotte, NC) Ana Jassel Covarrubias was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and considers Spanish as her first language. One of her most recent accomplishments is her graduation from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, with a Business Degree (Major in Marketing) in the Spring of 2008. Ana shares her expertise of public speaking and community organizing as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where she provides training support and consultation to the Communities In Schools’ “Teen Outreach Uplifting Charlotte (TOUCH)” Youth Philanthropy program in Mecklenburg County. Additionally, Ana has worked for Douglas K. Simmons and Associates Law Firm for the past four years. Ana moved to Charlotte in 2004 and lives with her husband and two year old son.
(Charlotte, NC) Vernisha Crawford is a 2008 graduate of Ashbrook Senior High School located in Gastonia, North Carolina. She is currently a undergrad student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she is majoring in Pre-Kinesiology/Exercise Science and minoring in Dance and Communications. She's involved with many student organizations on campus such as: the prestigious Student Alumni Ambassadors Organization, Kinesiology Student Organization, Tantrum HipHop Danceteam and more. She now works as a Student Organizations Program Assistant at UNC Charlotte as well. Vernisha is full of personality, very easy going and is always smiling. She's a hard worker and very dedicated. Her ability to work with others is a wonderful attribute to our team. Vernisha works as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where she has provided training support and consultation to the “Teens Changing Gaston County (TCGC)” Youth Philanthropy program in Gaston County and to the 'Communities In Schools’ “Teen Outreach Uplifting Charlotte (TOUCH)” Youth Philanthropy program in Mecklenburg County. She comes from a family of 10 siblings(5boys;5girls), she being the fourth of ten. Vernisha enjoys singing, dancing, reading, poetry and helping others.
(Durham, NC) Aidil has a degree in public relations from UNC-Chapel Hill and has worked with youth for the last decade. Her youth work ranges from being a summer camp counselor to advising youth-led advocacy initiatives. She currently works at Youth Empowered Solutions. Aside from youth empowerment, her experiences include community/ neighborhood organizing, non-profit board membership, grant writing, media relations, and event planning. Aidil is also earning a Master’s in counseling. Aidil shares her innovative and inspirational facilitation skills as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where she provides support and consultation to the North Carolina Native American Youth Organization’s “GIVE (Giving Indians Volunteer Experience)” program as well as the Youth Philanthropy program in Nash/Edgecombe Counties.
(Rock Hill, SC) A California native, Pat Kelsaw earned a BA in communications and a teaching credential from the University of California, Davis. As an elementary school teacher, Pat taught in the Rio Linda (Sacramento area) and Los Angeles Unified School District for five years. Being a passionate advocate for youth, families and communities inspired Pat to return to school to obtain a Masters in Social Welfare from U.C. Berkeley. Working in the field of maternal and child health for over 25 years, Pat received numerous commendations for her work in social/human services and community health; addressing issues of ethnic health disparities and African American infant mortality. As a grant writer and former program officer, Pat has garnered over $2 million in funds for community health initiatives and programs aimed to reduce infant mortality and teen pregnancy. Prior to joining the LTC staff, Pat worked as a trainer for the California Adolescent Family Life Program, the California Women’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Dependencies, in addition to facilitating numerous strategic planning meetings and staff retreats. To fortify her love for teaching, she works as an adjunct instructor for several local colleges in North and South Carolina.
(Greensboro, NC) Monique Steele has over a decade of experience working with youth and nonprofits. Since graduating from The Ohio State University with a BA in English and obtaining a certification in nonprofit management from Duke University, Monique has worked in all areas of the nonprofit sector. Currently she is a Program Officer for The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, where she manages the Community Grants Program, coordinates several funding initiatives, partnerships and scholarships. Prior to moving to the Community Foundation she worked with the Greensboro Public Library where she became familiar with the functioning and management of nonprofits by providing technical assistance, training and resource development. Aside from her nonprofit background, her experiences include student leadership trainer for college and university student leaders, Freedom School trainer for the Children’s Defense Fund, program development and event planning. Monique has conducted workshops and trainings on goal setting, time management, stress relief and organizing for success as well as many other topics. She currently serves on the program committee of the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers and is on the board of various community organizations.
(Durham, NC) Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Nancy Tom attended UNC-Chapel Hill for a B.A. in Communication Studies and Dramatic Arts. She then moved to Boston in 2005 to attend graduate school at Lesley University where she completed her Master’s degree in Intercultural Relations with a focus in Intercultural Training and Conflict Management in 2007. During these two years, she discovered her passion for diversity training and social justice and began working with youth in the areas of leadership development and social advocacy. She continued this work while traveling the world aboard a passenger ship turned transnational university for an intercultural academic program in 2008. She has since returned to North Carolina and is currently working on a documentary as an Associate Producer. Her enthusiasm and love for travel, nature, yoga, and art motivate her work in social justice and her approach to life. Nancy shares her extensive training and leadership development experience as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where she provides support and consultation to the Winston-Sale Youth Grantmakers In Action as well as the Greensboro Teen Grantmaking Council.
(Charlotte, NC) Erik M. Turner is a native of Charlotte and graduated from North Carolina Central with a B.A. in History and a concentration in education. While attending college, he was a member of the student chapter of the NAACP, Campus Ambassadors, History Club, Sigma Tau Delta (literary honor society), Alpha Kappa Mu ( national honor society), Pi Gamma Mu (social science honor society) and Phi Alpha Theta ( history honor society). During this time Mr. Turner worked as a Crisis Behavior Intervention Technician and High Risk Intervention Technician for Carolina Behavior Services and Alpha Omega Health. After his undergraduate work, Erik began teaching seventh grade students geographical, historical and cultural information about nations in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Realm. Additionally, Erik has worked as a member of the Charlotte Fire Department and has created a training ground for young men that have the potential and desire for greatness called the Nile Academy. Erik recently worked with Citizen Schools in North Carolina and shares his solid presentation and negotiation skills as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where he provides training support and consultation to audiences from Florida to Virginia. He is a proven public servant with leadership skills that have allowed him to help assist children and adults throughout the Carolinas.
(Fayetteville, NC) Fred Baker is a native of the Bronx, NY and joined the United States Air Force in 1987 where he served his country for 10 years. During that time, he has traveled the world extensively. He is a disabled veteran of the first Persian Gulf War. In 1995, Fred moved to Fayetteville, NC where he currently resides, and is the co-owner of D F Marketing Inc. a multi-media company. He is very active in his church and serves his community by volunteering his time, and talent. As a member of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church he serves as a Senior Deacon, and is the Young Adult Sunday School teacher, Wednesday Night Youth Bible Study Teacher, Youth Care Specialist, President of the Laymen League and a host of other duties.
Fred works diligently in the community with organizations such as the City Rescue Mission Inc. which is a homeless shelter for women; he serves as treasurer. Fred is also a member of C.A.R.E.S. (Coalition for Awareness Resources and Education of Substances), where he serves as the vice chairman. Fred is a male mentor for the Cumberland County Workforce Development Center; and was a presenter for the YES (Youth Empowered to Succeed) Leadership Conference. Fred recently accepted the position of Youth and Adolescent Motivational Coach for Room 538 Gifting Organization, which is a small non-profit organization for youth with disabilities. He was also a presenter on numerous occasions for the Project Virtue Junior Social Club, an organization for adolescent girls. In addition, Fred is also the vice chair for the Cumberland County Coalition for Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Adolescent Parenting.
(Charlotte, NC) Desmond Miller is a native of Greensboro and graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a B.S. in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and a concentration in Child Development. While attending college, he was a member of Black Child Development program and taught swimming lessons. Since this time Desmond has worked as a Crisis Behavior Intervention Technician for Youth Focus, as a Recreational Programmer for the City of Greensboro, and as a swimming instructor and lifeguard with the YMCA. Currently Desmond is employed with the YMCA in Charlotte, NC and shares his passion for training and life skills through his role as a mentor with Big Brother / Big Sister program and as a Training Associate with Leading To Change where he provides training support and consultation throughout the country from California to the Carolinas.
(Charlotte, NC)
Kelly Jeffries is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she earned Bachelors of Arts degrees in both Criminal Justice and Political Science. Kelly also possesses a Juris Doctorate degree with a special concentration in Family Law & Social Policy from Syracuse University. Kelly has over 10 years experience working with youth people primarily in the areas of teaching and program development for middle and high school youth in Los Angeles, California and the Carolinas. She has dedicated most of her professional career to empowering and educating young people who are most vulnerable to succumbing to crime, teen pregnancy, drugs and low educational attainment.
In addition to her work with Leading To Change, Kelly currently works as a legal compliance and program contractor for the Teen Health Center in Rock Hill, SC. In this capacity, she is responsible for ensuring the agency’s compliance with federal, state and local laws as well as coordinating a middle school mentoring program and teaching health education classes. She is very passionate about her work as an advocate for youth and families. Kelly is a California native and mother of one son. She strives to lives her life according Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
(Greensboro, NC) Stephanie M. Walker most recently served as the Deputy Director for the Center for Youth, Family and Community Partnerships. She is the principal in the firm of Walker & Associates Consulting Inc., with more than 30 years of experience and expertise working with community organizations in the areas of management, strategic planning, organizational development, capacity building and executive coaching. Her project experience includes the serving as the director of the $1.5 million N.C. Discovery Alliance Initiative sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and organizational facilitator for the Southern Rural Development Initiative which promotes local ownership and/or community based sustainable social and economic development in the rural south. She has served in many community organizations in key roles including executive director, director of development and communications, and director of annual giving.
She received her BA in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed her professional coach training with the Institute for Life Coach Training in Fort Collins, Colorado. She received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 1990. She is a graduate of Leadership Greensboro and played an integral senior management and leadership role in the successful development and implementation of IMPACT Greensboro. She is a recipient of the Order of Long Leaf Pine by Governor James Hunt, one of the most prestigious awards presented by the Governor of North Carolina to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state, and the J.B. Spilman Award for Most Outstanding Executive Director in the State of North Carolina (while serving as Executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Greensboro, North Carolina).
(Wilkesboro, NC) Annette Snider received her B.A. from Metropolitan State University in Family Studies/ Cultural Diversity Awareness and her M.A. from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Human Development with her Focus on Understanding Poverty. She is a certified trainer of Dr. Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and a nationally certified trainer for Bridges out of Poverty. She has been an adjunct professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota and is an ordained minister.
For the past 20 years she has worked directly and indirectly with families in crisis and at various social service organizations, schools, and has supervised an alternative response child protection pilot project. She has also spent five years doing overseas mission work in the area of community development in the Philippines and Jamaica, working with indigenous tribal people, street kids and those that are considered the poorest of the poor.
Annette presently works for Wilkes County Board of Education as the Parent Involvement Coordinator /Diversity Specialist/ Character Education Coordinator for the district. She is also the Circles Coordinator-Community Organizer for Wilkes Circles of Care, Inc., which is an initiative to end Poverty.
She is married and has lived in Wilkesboro for the past four years and has three teenage children.
(Charlotte, NC) The self-proclaimed "Rockstar" of Leading To Change, Ahmed has visited three continents and five countries, and considers himself a humble and somewhat-cultured individual. He enjoys learning about groups of people, foreign and domestic, because it is his hobby to broaden his scope of knowledge and fully appreciate life. He is a 22 year old graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a native of New York with ties to The Ivory Coast. He enjoys helping people and plans on leaving a positive impression on the world as a trainer with LTC - where he has worked with communities from Columbus, OH to the Carolinas.
(Shelby, NC) Marcella Young is a native Texan having moved to North Carolina in 2009. Marcella is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and holds a BA in Journalism with a minor in Sociology. After working a year in the news industry, Marcella now works as a Graduation Coach for Cleveland County Communities in Schools. She works with freshman and sophomore students, at Shelby High School, who have been identified by teachers, counselors or administrators as at-risk to be held back or dropout. Marcella has found that her true passion is connecting students with the resources they need to succeed, and helping them realize their potential. Having a big personality with a bit of a competitive streak, Marcella is a great member to the LTC team.
(Wilkesboro, NC)
Lance Ben Y'Israel is the Founder and CEO of Integrity Integrated Services and Executive Director of Kolnonia Development International. Kolnonia is a 20 year old NGO Co-operative that has been to 30 nations providing community development, trainings, and relationship building to families and children at risk. Lance achieved his degree in Foundations of Community Development at the University of Nations in Kona, Hawaii. A relentless advocate for social justice and community change, Lance has shared his talents as a Training Associate with Leading To Change with youth and adult educators throughout North Carolina.
(Charlotte, NC) Bio coming soon
