Meet the Team: Alabama
Stephen Black, President and Founder
Stephen Black, grandson of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black, grew up in New Mexico after most of his family left the state in the 1950's and 60's following his grandfather's role in controversial Civil Rights decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education. Read More >
Sarah Louise Smith, Executive Director
Sarah Louise Smith, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, graduated cum laude from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in June 2006 with a B.A. in political economy. She received an MBA from The University of Alabama in May 2012. Read More >
Cameron Shevlin, Alabama State Director
Cameron Shevlin, a native of Atlanta, GA, graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama International Honors Program with a degree in Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies through New College, a degree in Spanish, and a minor in Liberal Arts through the Blount Undergraduate Initiative. Read More >
Channing Kennedy Bethke, National Program Director
Channing Kennedy Bethke, a native of Athens, Alabama, graduated magna cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in May 2009 with a B.A. in history and political Science and a Distinction in Leadership Studies. Read More >
Kaitlin Nobles, Development Director
Kaitlin Nobles, a native of Pinson, AL, graduated cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. Read More >
Karli Boulware, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Senior Training Coordinator
Karli Boulware, a native of Greenville, AL, graduated magna cum laude from The University of Alabama, where she majored in Accounting. Read More >
Katelyn Dodd, AmeriCorps Member
SpeakFirst Middle School Coordinator, CollegeFirst Coordinator
Katelyn Dodd, a native of Panama City, Florida, graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and minors in Early American History and Corporate Strategy. Read More >
Rebekah McMahen, Fiscal Officer
Rebekah migrated to the sunny south to attend Samford University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. In 2015 Rebekah joined the Impact America team as an AmeriCorps Member, and now serves as Fiscal Officer. Read More >
Lowery McNeal, Recruitment Director, Member Development Director
Lowery McNeal, a native of Trussville, AL, graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a degree in history. Read More >
Amanda Sanderson, Americorps Member
SpeakFirst Program Manager
Amanda Sanderson, a native of Brandon, VT, graduated with Honors from Saint Michael's College in Vermont, with a Bachelor of Arts in peace and justice: conflict studies as well as a minor in psychology. Read More >
Maggie Baucom, AmeriCorps Member
Volunteer Coordinator
Maggie Baucom was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She moved to Birmingham in 2012 to attend Samford University, where she graduated cum laude in 2016. Read More >
Elizabeth Brim
FocusFirst Director
Elizabeth Brim, from Bedford, Indiana, attended the University of Chicago, and graduated with honors with a degree in biological sciences in 2016. Read More >
Jessica Chriesman, Media Production Coordinator
Jessica Chriesman hails from Birmingham, Alabama, the Magic City. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in filmmaking and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Read More >
Isabel Hagood, AmeriCorps Member
SpeakFirst Coordinator
Isabel, a native of Birmingham, graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and a minor in creative writing. Read More >
Vegas Longlois, AmeriCorps Member
Senior Corps Member, College Readiness Coordinator
Vegas Longlois, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in folklore and mythology, and a minor in Spanish and global health and health policy. Read More >
Chris Murphree, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Training Coordinator
Christopher Murphree, a native of Birmingham, AL, graduated from the Sewanee: The University of the South in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in American Studies and minors in education and history. Read More >
Lucy Smart, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Training Coordinator
Lucy Smart, born and raised in Covington, Louisiana, graduated summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College with a double major in Spanish and global and comparative studies. Read More >
Hannah Spivey, Program Officer
Hannah, raised in Murfreesboro, TN, graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a major in biology and a minor in psychology. Read More >
Mary Kate Thomas, SaveFirst Director
Born and raised in Memphis, TN, Mary Kate graduated cum laude from Samford University in 2016. Read More >
Sami Thurber, FocusFirst Director
Sami Thurber was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2016 with a major in global public health. Read More >
Katie Williams, Deputy Fiscal Officer
Born and raised in Albany, GA, Katie Williams graduated cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. Read More >
Maddy Ard, AmeriCorps Member
Maddy Ard, a native of Monroeville, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama, where she double-majored in journalism and political science. Read More >
Cassidy Bell, AmeriCorps Member
Cassidy Bell, an Alabama native, graduated cum laude from Samford University in May 2017 with a major in English and a minor in Latin American studies. Read More >
Lallie Bennett, AmeriCorps Member
Lallie Bennett, a native of Meridian, MS, graduated magna cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in psychology. Read More >
Sheila Blair, AmeriCorps Member
Sheila Blair graduated magna cum laude from New York University, where she majored in anthropology. Read More >
Charlotte Boles, AmeriCorps Member
SpeakFirst High School Coach
Charlotte Boles, a native of Prattville, AL, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science in public health. Read More >
Kenzie Butler, AmeriCorps Member
Kenzie Butler graduated with honors from the University of Georgia in 2017 with degrees in religion and political science. Read More >
Tristan Campbell, AmeriCorps Member
Tristan Campbell graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma, majoring in general studies with minors in biology and English. Read More >
Daniel Chaney, AmeriCorps Member
Daniel Chaney, a native of Marietta, Georgia, graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in fall 2017 with a major in anthropology with a concentration in health professions and and a minor in philosophy of medicine. Read More >
Nathan Cherry, AmeriCorps Member
Nathan Cherry, a native of Gadsden, AL, graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and Spanish. Read More >
Jimika Colvin, Program Officer
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Jimika Colvin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in human development and family studies from Auburn University. Read More >
Roldyne Dolcé, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Coordinator
Roldyne Dolce, a native of Cap-Haitian, Haiti, has lived in the United States since she was nine. In April 2017, she graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a B.S. in health education. Read More >
Alyx Hawkins, AmeriCorps Member
Alyx Hawkins, a native of Birmingham, graduated in 2017 magna cum laude from Auburn University with a degree in health services administration and minors in business and history. Read More >
Josh Hillman, AmeriCorps Member
Community Outreach & Logistics Coordinator
Josh Hillman graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama with degrees in history and political science. Read More >
Aaron Jacobs, AmeriCorps Member
Aaron Jacobs hails from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania—just outside of Philadelphia. In 2017, he completed a double major in Government and Public Policy and graduated with highest distinction from the University of Virginia. Read More >
Chandra Johnson, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Coordinator
Chandra Johnson is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. In 2016, she graduated magna cum laude from Southeastern Bible College, with a bachelor's degree in Leadership Ministries. Read More >
Sarina Juma, AmeriCorps Member
Sarina Juma, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Agnes Scott College in 2017 with a B.A. in public health. Read More >
Madison Kaemerer, AmeriCorps Member
Raised in Littleton, Colorado, Madison Kaemerer attended American University in Washington, D.C., where she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in International Relations. Read More >
Michelle Kagei, AmeriCorps Member
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Michelle Mariko Kagei graduated magna cum laude from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she majored in anthropology & human biology with a minor in global health, culture, & society. Read More >
Bekah Leary, AmeriCorps Member
Rebekah Leary, born in Richmond, VA lived in Kiev, Ukraine for 11 years. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2017 with a double major in Russian language and literature and youth and social innovation and a minor in global studies in education. Read More >
Sierra Lowe, AmeriCorps Member
Sierra is from West Palm Beach, Florida and attended college at Florida State University. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in child development. Read More >
Devin Luckie, AmeriCorps Member
Devin Luckie, a native of Madison, AL, graduated from The University of Alabama in 2017 with a Bachelor's of Science in psychology and a minor in biology. Read More >
Declan McBride, AmeriCorps Member
Declan McBride returned from Surrey, England to study Sociology at Wittenberg University, where his senior thesis focused on institutional racism surrounding Ohio Election Law. Read More >
Jamie McClintock, AmeriCorps Member
Jamie McClintock, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University in 2017, with a BA in English: Public and Professional Writing and a minor in French. Read More >
Catherine McIntyre, AmeriCorps Member
Catherine McIntyre, raised in Anderson, South Carolina, graduate Clemson University in 2017 with a major in psychology and a minor in legal studies. Read More >
Lindsay Natzel, AmeriCorps Member
Born in Walled Lake, Michigan, Lindsay moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to attend the University of Alabama where she graduated summa cum laude in 2016 and obtained her Bachelor's degree in social work with minors in psychology and Spanish. Read More >
Laura Núñez, AmeriCorps Member
Laura, originally from Los Angeles, California, completed her undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in international relations and minored in East Asian languages and civilizations with a concentration in Korean. Read More >
June Rhew, AmeriCorps Member
June Rhew grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in family, youth, and community sciences. Read More >
Siena Richardson, AmeriCorps Member
Media Production Fellow
After moving around internationally for most of her childhood, Siena Richardson graduated with Honors from New York University in the fall of 2016, with a major in drama and minor in documentary film. Read More >
Devynne Roahrig, AmeriCorps Member
Returning from half a year in China teaching English, Devynne previously graduated summa cum laude from Samford University with a Bachelors in human development and family science. Read More >
Kaitlyn Roberts, AmeriCorps Member
Born and raised in Hoover Alabama, Kaitlyn Roberts, graduated magna cum laude with University Honors from the University of South Alabama with a major in chemistry in 2017 Read More >
Tara Runyan, AmeriCorps Member
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Tara Runyan graduated with University Honors from the University of Alabama with a psychology major and biology minor on the Pre-Medicine track. Read More >
Ryan Schmidt, AmeriCorps Member
Ryan Schmidt was raised in Portland, Oregon, and graduated with honors in chemistry from Willamette University in 2017. Read More >
Lizzie Shackney, AmeriCorps Member
Lizzie Shackney grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated with High Honors in government from Wesleyan University, where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society. Read More >
Makilah Skipper, AmeriCorps Member
Makilah Skipper, born in Seattle but raised in Alabama, graduated from Troy University in 2017 with a major in accounting and minor in theatre. Read More >
Yelizaveta Slutskaya, AmeriCorps Member
Media Production Fellow
Yelizaveta was born in Ukraine and has lived in Maryland most of her life. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2016 with a BA in anthropology with honors and a minor in film production. Read More >
Meredith Smith, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Coordinator
Meredith Smith, from Homewood, AL, graduated cum laude from Auburn University with a major in Political Science and minor in Community and Civic Engagement. Read More >
Hailey Spencer, AmeriCorps Member
Hailey Spencer, a native of Enterprise, Alabama, graduated from the University of Alabama in 2017graduated with University Honors in history with a minor in international studies. Read More >
Jania Walker-Anderson, AmeriCorps Member
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Jania graduated from Wesleyan University in 2017 with a major in biology. Read More >
John West, AmeriCorps Member
Born and raised in Brewton, Alabama, John West graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama's Honors Program in 2017, where he majored in chemical engineering and minored in biology. Read More >
Bianca Wright, AmeriCorps Member
Bianca Wright, a native of Montgomery, graduated from the University of South Alabama in December of 2017, where she majored in communications with a concentration in digital cinema and television and minored in sociology. Read More >
Staff and corps members for
Impact America, an AmeriCorps Program, is housed and supported by the Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama. Additional office space is provided by UAB and Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC.
