Alisha Andrews
Colorado, National, International and Virtual
Alisha Andrews is a Colorado native and DEI professional with expertise in racial equity, anti-black racism, and executive leadership. She has worked in the equity field for over ten years, focusing on health, education, veterans, and organizational change. With a strong background in community organizing, Alisha has spent most of her career building partnerships within the community to foster systemic change. Through her service with AmeriCorps, the US Senate, and nonprofits such as Campus Compact, she has gained a strong understanding of systems change and equitable practice. Alisha has a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in Social Work. She is currently a Master's Candidate in Executive Leadership at Champlain College. Alisha enjoys reading and spending time with her family in her free time.
Valentyna Banner
California, National, International and Virtual
Valentyna Banner began her career as a 4th-grade educator at a school for Somali refugees and is currently the Director of Academic Achievement at San Diego Global Vision Academy, a title one TK-8th charter school focused on inquiry, social justice, leadership, and social-emotional learning. She oversees the school's Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and student programs such as English Language Development and Response to Intervention. Valentyna Banner has a Master’s degree in Teaching TK-8th Mathematics and a Master’s in Curriculum and Teaching. She is currently working on a dissertation in school leadership for mathematics at San Diego State University. She enjoys spending time at the beach and event planning.
Cheryl Blankenship
Maryland, National and Virtual
Cheryl Blankenship brings over 35 years of work experience in higher education, fiscal management, and consulting. Her work includes philanthropy, financial and grants management, assessments of institutional and organizational systems, program planning, customer relations, and organizational strategy and image. In addition, she has supported individuals, communities, and organizations to become their best.
Cheryl currently provides administrative assistance to Spirit House Project, a small national 501(c )3. She previously worked in the federal government as a Senior Advisor for Learn and Serve America programs and as Senior Program Officer for AmeriCorps programs at the Corporation of National and Community Service. Cheryl also worked for many colleges and universities, including MIT, the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, and Mills College. She served as Associate Bursar for Student Services, Director of Financial Aid, and Director of Student Affairs. She consulted with the United Nations, the Department of Education, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and Marga, Inc. Cheryl received an MS in Educational Administration from Pepperdine University, a BA in Psychology from Mills College, and is ABD for an EdD in Administration, Training, and Policy Studies from Boston University.
Mildred Charles
Maryland, National, International and Virtual
Dr. Mildred Charles is the Founder of Career Mindset Coaching, LLC. In her previous roles, she taught speech and interpersonal communication, in-person and online, for 17 years to over 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Over the years, she worked as a consultant, curriculum developer, and workshop trainer. She provided subject matter expertise in soft skills and interpersonal communication.
She helps overachievers and working professionals discover their best selves by unlocking the potential of who they are. She specializes in customized 1:1 coaching, online group coaching, self-paced courses, and professional consulting services for public and private sector clients. Dr. Charles earned a BFA from New York University, an MA from American University, and a Ph.D. from Howard University. When she is not working with clients, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga and meditation, bargain shopping, listening to Audible Books, and creating inspirational videos for her YouTube channel.
Elizabeth Colon
New York, National, International and Virtual
Elizabeth Colon-Fitzgerald is a student success professional with over 20 years of experience developing and coordinating student support and academic success initiatives within K-12 and higher education. A staunch advocate for learning and educational attainment, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from New York University, a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Education at Johns Hopkins University specializing in educational psychology. Her research focuses on educational equity for historically disadvantaged populations in predominantly white higher education institutions and effective program evaluation. Working with community partners, she has developed programs for academic access and support, focusing on rigorous major fields.
Khaliah Fleming
Florida, Virtual
Dr. Khaliah Fleming serves as the Executive Director of the National CMV Foundation. With a background in health education, chronic disease management and prevention, health disparities, health equity, and research partnership coordination, she has managed and led multiple education and outreach public health programs, teams, and state-based and international initiatives. Her love of people, relationship building, public health, and professional development for an emerging cadre of public health professionals influence her work in many professional domains, including the Society for Public Health Education, Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues, and the American Public Health Association.
Danielle Moran
New Hampshire, Virtual
An innovative and collaborative educator, Danielle Moran holds 17 years of elementary teaching experience with dedicated expertise in special education, Autism, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Currently working at a Title 1 school teaching first grade, Danielle provides guidance in several areas, including training colleagues in the use of digital learning platforms and leading grade-level and district-level teams in delivering meaningful, individualized instruction to meet the needs of students in a diverse and underserved community. Danielle collaborates with colleagues to map frameworks and develop inclusive and interdisciplinary project-based learning opportunities. Danielle received her Masters in Education, focusing on Interdisciplinary Curriculum, from New England College. She completed an action research project on Student-Generated Rubrics and Their Effects on Student Progress during her studies. Danielle enjoys spending time outside with her family.
Lori Olson
California, National, International and Virtual
She was a school counselor for the past ten years in various socio-economic and ethnic areas developing school counseling programs by researching what the community needed to build programs. She has experience with K-12 students in the social and emotional support of students and academics. Her expertise includes partnering with stakeholders like parents, County and District officials, administrators, teachers, coaches, and other support people. She was a school counselor during devastating fires in Northern California. She utilized her experience in natural disaster response and recovery efforts. In addition, she was a certified trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid. MA in Counseling from the University of San Diego, where multicultural counseling practices were the focus. She soaked in the life experiences of living in both mountain and ocean cities. For fun, you can find her weightlifting, shooting hoops, walking her dog Penny with her fiancé, traveling to familiar and new locations, cooking gluten-free meals, spending quality time with her friends and family, and recharging with reflective and self-care activities. She still likes to visit the ocean and the mountains for a nature getaway. She recently got certifications for UX Research, coding, and marketing, and she became Scrum Master Certified.
Verdis L Robinson
Vermont, National, International and Virtual
Verdis is a fellow of the Aspen Institute's Faculty Seminar on Citizenship and the American and Global Policy and the National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Seminar on Rethinking Black Freedom Studies: The Jim Crow North and West. He is a board member of the National Issues Forum Institute, Reacting Consortium, Citizen's Campaign, and Bringing Theory to Practice. He was also a Public Scholar of Humanities New York. He is currently the Lenora Montgomery Scholar at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, where he is studying for the Unitarian Universalist ministry. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the Urban College of Boston.
He has served as the Director for Community College Engagement at Campus Compact, where he led its Community Colleges for Democracy (CC4D) network after serving as the National Director of The Democracy Commitment.
Verdis is the author of “Bacon’s Rebellion, 1676′ (2014), a Reacting to the Past game in development, “A Charge to Keep, I Have: The Biography of Bishop Charles Campbell” (2001), and has co-authored "Beyond These Gates: Mountains of Hope in Rochester's African-American History" (2018) as well as contributed to "Higher Education's Role in Enacting a Thriving Democracy: Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change" (2018). In addition, he was the co-editor of "Community Colleges for Democracy: Aligning Civic and Community Engagement with Institutional Priorities."
Verdis holds a BM in Voice Performance from Boston University, a BS cum laude, an MA in History from SUNY College at Brockport, and an MA in African-American Studies from SUNY University at Buffalo. Before his national civic leadership service, Verdis was a tenured Assistant Professor of History and African-American Studies at Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, NY, where he taught web-enhanced, writing-intensive, service-learning history courses.
With the other publications)- He was the co-editor of Community Colleges for Democracy: Aligning Civic and Community Engagement with Institutional Priorities.
Verdis is a board member of the National Issues Forum Institute, Reacting Consortium, Citizen’s Campaign, and Bringing Theory to Practice.
Geralyn Williams
New Jersey, National, International and Virtual
Geralyn Williams is the Assistant Director for Student Engagement & Leadership in the Pace Center for Civic Engagement at Princeton University. She supports students in preparing to enter the community ethically and authentically, engaging with community partners, and reflective practices. She leads the center's leadership, activism, and advocacy initiatives through programming, curriculum, resources, and advising of student organizations. She worked in the Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness, and Social Action at The University of San Diego. There she advised service and justice-centric student groups, coordinated center-wide retreats and training, and supported local community partnerships. She has a master’s degree in higher education leadership from the University of San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in history from Rutgers University. Her professional and personal goals are to create spaces that enable others to convene, create joy, and subvert and supplant systems of oppression. She is a self-identified Jersey girl, a baker, a sci-fi enthusiast, a frequent San Diego Comic Con panelist, and a mental health advocate.
Tiveeda Stovall
Washington DC, National, International and Virtual
Tiveeda Stovall is the CCEO (Chief Community Educator and Organizer) and Founder of Griffin Legacy & Associates LLC, a consulting company grounded in work to "build better communities." Dr. Stovall has worked nationally and globally as a consultant in education, business, and social services for over 35 years. In addition, she served for ten years as Executive Director/Founder of Excel Youth Zone, a statewide nonprofit in California that engaged over 32,000 K-12 youth in service-learning opportunities.
In addition, she has developed curricula and taught within Graduate and Professional Studies on Community-Based Education and Leadership. Between 2002 and 2016, she served as an adjunct professor in sociology and psychology, an assistant professor, and a Professor of Practice/Community Fellow at the Mulvaney Center for Community, Advocacy, and Social Action at the University of San Diego. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of VISIONS, Inc in the United States. In addition, she is a member and advisor on two international Boards of Directors, one in South Africa and one in Ghana.
Tiveeda has presented at numerous national and international conferences and was a subject-matter expert on a local National Public Radio station and other media platforms. Dr. Stovall co-authored and published the article "Service-Learning and The Future of America and Education." Tiveeda has a Doctorate in Education from Johns Hopkins University and earned her MSW from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a past recipient of the Youth Award for Colorado Black Women for Political Action and recipient of the 2007 Congresswoman Susan Davis Award for an Adult Actively Engaging Students in Service. In her free time, she loves to travel near and far, explore art and history museums, practice photography, and runDisney races.