Kentucky |2012

Aldrin Vinton is a recent graduate of Berea College where he studied psychology and worked as the Student Manager in the Office of Admissions. As Student Manager, Aldrin trained ambassadors in order to increase knowledge about Berea College. He focused on communication, honesty, understanding, critical thinking, and boldness to empower future leaders. Aldrin founded the Student Vision Team to provide a direct link between student ambassador perspectives and Admissions Executive Staff.

Furthermore, Aldrin organized a dialogue among Black Men to explore the current definition of manhood, and the various ways it impacts violence as an intern in Mayor Greg Fischer's Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods. He also led a team to edit the 2019 My Brother's Keeper Louisville Report. Aldrin is a member mentor in the S.U.C.C.E.S.S mentorship and the Black Male Leadership Initiative. He raised more than $7,000 as a caller in the Berea College Phonathon. Aldrin researched census data regarding those with low socioeconomic status and the stigmas with which they are associated.

Maria Gurren, MSSW, CSW, works as a Public Protection Coordinator for the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission where she coordinates efforts to improve equity and outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system.

Maria became a social worker because she is passionate about social justice and using her empathy, compassion, and skill in connecting with people to improve the lives of others. After graduating from the University of Louisville with a B.A. in Psychology, Maria worked as a youth counselor at Maryhurst before pursuing her Masters of Science at the Kent School of Social Work. While in graduate school, Maria completed her practicum at Restorative Justice Louisville (RJL), a non-profit organization that uses restorative justice practices to resolve cases diverted from juvenile court. As an intern in the early years of this organization, Maria had the opportunity to participate in the process of building a new non-profit organization. She was also trained in Family-Group Conferencing and facilitated meetings between young people charged with crimes and those harmed by their actions and assisted in the development of a resolution that made things right for the victim while preventing youth from developing a criminal record. Maria learned a great deal about the juvenile justice system and the many obstacles faced by families involved with the system face. She continued learning as a Case Manager for the Right Turn Program where she assisted justice-involved youth in accessing services, finding employment, and reaching their goals. Although she greatly enjoyed working directly with youth and families and spending time in the community every day, she could not pass up the opportunity to have a more systemic impact working at the policy level in her current role.

Maria currently serves as the President of the Associate Board for Nativity Academy, a Catholic middle school providing private education to students from low-income families. Maria is active in her neighborhood as a board member of the Shelby Park Neighborhood Association and still serves as a volunteer facilitator for RJL.

When she is not working or volunteering, Maria enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, doing yoga, and spending time with her friends and her dog Charley.  

Allison Crawford is a communication and development professional with a background in public media. She recently completed two years of AmeriCorps VISTA serving as Communications and Development Director for the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition, during which time she developed over $30,000 in grant, cash, and in-kind resources and elevated the organization’s profile in the press and online by earning 30 media hits and doubling the group’s Facebook reach.

In 2014, Allison earned her Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and television production from Murray State University where she served two years as co-president of the Murray Environmental Student Society and helped re-energize the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition. She became a national award-winning reporter for WKMS, Murray State’s public radio station, before returning to student organizing as a VISTA in 2016. Allison’s several years in social movement and environmental justice spaces have helped her develop an analysis of oppression and an understanding of community organizing which she hopes to bring with her in every aspect of life.  

Allison has always believed that quality communication leads to a stronger community. She would like to combine her communication and organizing experiences to help connect and increase collaboration between progressives across Kentucky, emphasizing exchanges between rural and urban communities, in order to unite Kentucky progressives under a shared story, amplify our efforts, and utilize shared power to bring about a brighter future.

Ana'Neicia Williams, is a native of Louisville, KY. Ana' is a two time graduate of Spalding University. She earned her Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology and followed up with her Masters of Social Work. Ana' is a Certified Social Worker with the state of Kentucky Board of Social Work. Ana' is under supervision working towards obtaining her LCSW. 

Ana' practices as a Senior Social Worker providing therapy to pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders at Centerstone KY. Ana' assists her clients in exploring their recovery, trauma, parenting and mental health by providing therapeutic interventions and tools to empower women on their journey. 

While practicing under supervision at Centerstone, Ana' has been trained to provide evidence based practices to assist clients meet their life goals. Ana offers a variety of therapy services related to; depression, anxiety, substance abuse, mood/personality disorders, domestic violence, trauma and PTSD, grief/loss, self-esteem issues, family conflict, and life transitions. 

Ana' enjoys giving back to her community by serving on the Board of Directors for the YMCA Chestnut and volunteering at the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Services through her collaboration with Council on Prevention and Education; Substances (COPES). When Ana is not being of service to others, she spends her time creating her best memories with her favorite little human on Earth; her daughter.

Angela White was born in Hueytown, Alabama but now calls Covington, Kentucky home. She is Assistant Counsel at Children's Hospital Medical Center. Prior to her role at Children’s, Angela worked as a contract specialist at Executive Jet Management, a Net Jets company as well as Aerouris Abogados, a boutique law firm in Madrid, Spain that specializes in aircraft management.

Angela graduated from University of Louisville with a BA in Political Science in 2009. She graduated from the evening law program at Northern Kentucky Chase College of Law, while working full time in 2015.

On the weekends, Angela enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Carly is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky, completing a Ph.D. in Education Sciences, Curriculum and Instruction in Social Studies. She earned her BA in Secondary Education in Social Studies, Masters in History, and Masters in German Studies at the University of Kentucky, and her Masters in Education at Georgetown College. She taught high school social studies for several years before returning to graduate school.

Her research focuses on integrating civic education within all subjects. She is guided by the belief that applying learning to relevant civic matters empowers students to meaningfully engage in civic life. Her current research project analyzes civic education within world history courses, addressing how teachers foster global mindsets and inform civic participation.

Carly’s schooling and service work is driven by a desire to advocate on behalf of Kentucky educators and students. She has held several fellowships building resources for educational organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jefferson County Public Schools, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies (KCSS), and the Korean War Legacy Foundation. At present, she holds several leadership positions for national and state organizations, including serving as the Executive Director of KCSS; Managing Editor of C3Teachers.org; Steering Committee representative for the Central Kentucky Chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC); and advocate for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Carly spends much of her free time running around Lexington and enjoying the company of her family and friends, who she forces to engage in political discussions with her. She also plays D-league volleyball, where her main strength is enthusiasm, rather than ability.

Christopher A. Walters is a strategic marketing consultant for McClatchy in Lexington, Kentucky. He assists businesses by researching and developing customized, evidence-based digital marketing plans to help them reach their goals. He then monitors and optimizes these campaigns to maximize efficiency, and also leverages this new data to uncover additional insights and targeting options for his clients. Prior to joining McClatchy in 2016, he worked in market research in Cincinnati.

Outside of work, he is a member of the Urban League Young Professionals. His passion for policy and government was cultivated by the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association, and he now volunteers as a facilitator at their retreats to promote servant leadership. His interest in business took root at the age of 13 when he started his first business to fund his student ambassador trip to Europe.

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Christopher is a graduate of Bryan Station High School and Northern Kentucky University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing with a minor in business administration, cum laude. He is now a proud alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity after receiving the Leave Your Mark award. He also received the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Leader, and the Drum Major for Social Justice awards from Northern Kentucky University for his advocacy on campus on behalf of disenfranchised groups.

Cody Cook, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Centre College. Cody now serves as the Assistant Director of Residence Life at Centre where he supervises and supports a team of resident assistants and residence directors, promotes residential community development, and works with student accountability and success as a conduct officer. Additionally, Cody serves as the co-chair of the Centre College workplace campaign supporting the Heart of Kentucky United Way, the co-advisor of the Diversity Student Union, and a selection committee member for the New Horizons Scholarship and the Grissom Scholars Program. Cody is passionate about creating an equitable, accessible, and inclusive educational environment where all students can receive the academic, emotional, and social support they need to thrive.  

Outside of his career, Cody serves as a court-appointment special advocate (CASA) volunteer for CASA of the Bluegrass where he represents abused and neglected children in the family court system to ensure their voices are heard. He also works closely with the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP), assisting the Program with its scholar, faculty, and staff selection processes.

In his free time, Cody enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, traveling, and keeping up with current events.

Donald Mason is the Executive Director of the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center in Lexington, KY. Tasked with directing the historic African American venue into a leading regional arts center, Donald has become an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in the Central Kentucky region and beyond. He has become a voice for diversity, inclusion, and equity on a national scale, presenting Breaking Barriers: Diversity in Arts Leadership and Programming at the 41st and 42nd Annual League of Historic American Theatres Conferences in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, respectively).

Donald serves on the LexArts Board, Picnic with the Pops Commission, Business Volunteers for the Arts, Academies at Bryan Station - StationARTS Chair, EMERGE Conference Steering committee, Projects committee for Leadership Lexington Alumni and co-founder of the Origins Jazz Series. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Lexington program as well as the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange.

He holds a B.S. in Management and Ethics from Asbury University and is an MBA candidate at Southern New Hampshire University, holding a Masters certificate and Modern Musician specialization from Berklee College of Music. Donald also founded and fronted the funk band, Soul Funkin Dangerous as the lead singer/songwriter.

Beyond the arts, Donald is a double boxer dad (Max and Bella), as well as keeper of four turtles (Cannonball, Miles, Mingus and Thelonious), plays Magic: The Gathering competitively and would love to have lunch with Bill Withers.

Erica is a native of Huntsville, AL. She embarked on her journey to Kentucky by way of Berea College from which she earned her Bachelors of Arts in African and African American Studies. During her tenure at Berea, Erica was a highly involved student which led her to become passionate about serving and working within the community. However, her service began way before her matriculation to Berea. She worked with Wings of Faith Foundation (formerly She’s All That) as an intern and mentor in her senior year of high school. The Foundation, founded by her mentor Tara Furlough, encourages young women in the community towards reaching their full potential through gaining applicable life skills, experiencing hands-on work/service opportunities, and earning scholarship funds towards higher education.

As Erica continued to pursue opportunities at Berea, she followed this very passion of mentorship and service. Erica volunteered with the Hispanic Outreach Project utilizing her Spanish-speaking skills to connect, mentor, and teach in the community. She was also a member of the Black Student Union and the Latin American Student Association that led and engaged in impactful charges, such as rallying for social justice issues impacting communities of color, cultural understanding, and bridging gaps amongst diverse communities. Previously, Erica worked in the Office of Admissions for her alma mater, which solidified her career goals to be involved in higher education. Erica currently works as an Administrative Assistant for Berea’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, dedicated to grant management for several externally funded programs, and the Liberal Arts Diversity Officers Consortium, a national consortium dedicated to promoting best practices and strategies for areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. She also is serving her second year as an Assistant Track and Field Coach as an event specialist for hurdles and jumps. Erica aspires to continue work with social and community engagement.

Kehontas is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and holds two honorable discharges, one from the US Navy and the other from the Kentucky Army National Guard where she served as a Military Police Officer. Kehontas has a BA in Technology, Arts and Society from Mills College, an MSc in Cyber and Information Security from Capitol Technology University and working towards her Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Decision Sciences (BADS). She is also a certified Full-stack Web Developer and holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Kehontas co-founded and served as the Financial Director for Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) an organization that focused on policy reform of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and continues to focus on policy reform and oversight of Military Sexual Trauma. This work is mentioned in “ Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists” By Courtney E. Martin.

Locally, Kehontas has volunteered and worked with organizations including voter registration during the 2008 primary for Kentucky Jobs with Justice, The Fairness Campaign, and The Kentucky Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression (Arts and Activism youth camp).

During her undergraduate studies, she volunteered and worked with women and girl tech-centered spaces, including Black Girls Code, Iridescent, Julia Morgan School for Girls, Women of Color Resource Center and founded the Mills College group Women in Math and Computer Science. During this time Kehontas was identified as a Google Women Techmakers Scholar ‘12. She was also a team member for the DevPost Civic Hackathon Winner for AccessibleSF - an application dedicated to making public transportation planning in San
Francisco easier for persons with varying physical abilities specifically wheelchair bound, 2016.

Kehontas is a contributor to the published work “Misogynistic Language on Twitter”, research that identifies the correlation between degrading tweets towards women and reported rape statistics per capita by state and published poetry. Kehontas’s experimental video “DIY: Queer Learning Lab” accompanies the published work: Positive Resistance and the Queering of Digital Media Theory: On Course Dis/contents and Classroom Spaces by Jörgen Skågeby and Lina Rahm.

Kehontas has a strong interest in improving the lives of individuals and groups who are not at the forefront of exposure or resources through technical and civic engagement and currently serves as a Data Analyst for Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Leo Braddock is the founder and Executive Director of Children Shouldn't Hunger, a non profit based around the power of food and mentoring, serving the Kentuckiana region.

After many years in the hospitality world, Leo realized he had more to give after witnessing the high rate of food insecurity and huge workforce shortage in our region. Seeing a natural way to link the two, while empowering communities with skill sets, Children Shouldn't Hunger was born. In the mission lies his belief that hunger is not only a sprawling destructive force in our region, but also a byproduct of many other issues that can be defeated holistically; using cooperative ideas crossing cultural, intergenerational, and socio-economic lines. At the root of this mission lies the belief that all have something to give, and each individual's unique talents are but a moment away from blooming for all to see. Because neither people, nor food, should ever go to waste.

Leo is the husband of Jessica, and together they have 5 brilliantly beautiful kids ranging 2 1/2 to 21.  He is also the oldest sibling of 7, and son of Sheila, a retired Jefferson County Public School teacher.

Currently working on a double major from Indiana University Southeast in History & Political Science, while double minoring in Economics & French, Leo is excited to be a 2019 NLC Fellow, putting his life experience and education to great use.

Leo has a passion for giving back, learning,  equitable policy initiatives, traveling, anything outdoors, good books, wine, food, and meeting new people. Lastly, Leo is also a proud 2018 BMe National Fellow - BWho?!

Lucy Paez believes in and looks for the good in the world. Her ultimate goal is to be part of that good. She loves her dogs, spending time with family and friends, going to parks and on hikes, cooking and enjoying delicious food, interesting conversations, learning in all forms and especially about other cultures, traveling, gardening, drinking almost too much coffee, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, trying new things, and observing the world around her -- in no particular order.
 

She has an entrepreneurial spirit and works as a Brand Consultant for her own small business, Paez Theory. Lucy develops brand strategies and helps her clients define their authentic stories and refine their messaging to better connect with their audiences. She's branded everything from spirits brands and financial groups to nonprofits and pet companies. She truly enjoys branding because she gets a “behind-the-scenes” look at a wide variety of industries which keeps life exciting and ideas fresh. Lucy is especially passionate about her work knowing and seeing firsthand the power stories have to shape our perception.
 

A graduate of the University of Louisville with two degrees in Business Administration and Spanish, Lucy prefers to consider herself a lifelong learner. In all aspects of life, she seeks understanding and knows the best place to start is to by asking the right questions.

Travis Scott is a proud Eastern Kentucky native living and working in Louisville. Travis is a Senior Account Executive with Viamedia, the video industry’s largest independent local ad management company, based in Lexington.

Travis was an active leader in the Kentucky Young Democrats for over a decade, serving in many roles including as President from 2016-2018. From 2011-2013 Travis served as Chairman of the Rural Caucus of Young Democrats of America. As chairman, he organized campaign invasions in crucial swing districts in North Carolina and Nebraska, and promoted rural issues across the country.

Travis worked from 2007-2011 for Governor Steven L. Beshear, both in capacities of his election and reelection campaigns and in the Office of the Governor: Department for Local Government, where he specialized in helping county governments with Federal Grants for Flood Control and Land and Water Conservation, as well as working with the Office of Adventure Tourism.

Travis is a 2004 graduate of Morehead State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Communications (Journalism) and is currently pursuing his Masters in Public Administration. While in college, Travis served as Vice President of the MSU Student Government Association and State Secretary of Kentucky 4-H. He has worked as an AmeriCorps with Lexington Habitat for Humanity and was also a member of the Morehead Area Habitat for Humanity board of directors.

Travis lives in Louisville with his wife Amber, and the two of them, throughout the course of their relationship, have made it a goal to visit and go on a date in every Kentucky County, of which they are currently at 102. Travis is a 34 year Leukemia survivor.

Troy Ransdell is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. After graduating Troy spent four years assisting on political campaigns. In 2009 he moved from politics to a career in banking. Troy was a proud associate at PNC Bank. He spent 7 years working as a fraud investigator, working on money laundering, identity theft, and check fraud. Excellent skills to develop when your passion is politics.

In 2016 Troy joined the corporate real estate team at PNC specializing in lending. From 2011 to 2017 he served on the PNC Financial Empowerment Team. Troy taught basic financial literacy at the Volunteers of America Family Emergency Shelter. In 2016 Deborah Williams and Troy Ransdell won the Joe Belew Award from the Consumer Bankers Association for PNC Bank. The award is given to financial institutions who show innovative solutions when addressing pressing social and community issues.

Troy was a part of the inaugural class of individuals to go through the Louisville Metro Community Financial Empowerment Certification. That means Troy is a licensed financial educator helping on behalf of the city. In addition, he helped craft the curriculum for the Start Fresh! course offered through Bank on Louisville. Troy has taught hundreds the importance of sound fiscal responsibility.

Through his work in homeless outreach Troy was asked to join the board of the Louisville Coalition for the Homeless. For three years Troy has worked to help the neglected in his community. He worked alongside many dedicated individuals helping to make lives better for Louisville’s homeless population.

In 2017 Troy left PNC to join a real estate team at Cushman & Wakefield. His office manages the real estate portfolio for Humana Inc. It’s a dynamic responsibility because Humana has offices across the country. The responsibility for finding and maintaining each property is all housed out of this office.

After the 2016 election Troy realized he had to get involved in politics again. He became a legislative district chair for the 31st House District. He joined the Executive Committee for the Louisville Metro Democratic Party as well. Seeing that future elections will be won or lost in the suburbs Troy founded the Floyds Fork Democratic Club to mobilize voters in Eastern Jefferson Co. Troy is committed to building a new Democratic Community of voters and crafting a message of cooperation among those anxious about our political future in Kentucky.

Vanessa Grossl works in Multicultural Affairs with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and helped open the Lexington Global Engagement Center in 2015. She serves on the Mayor’s International Affairs Advisory Commission and works closely with a number of city and community partners, including the Kentucky Interpreter and Translator Association (KITA), where she has served as Director of Development and Marketing for the past 2 years.

Prior to joining the civil service, Vanessa spent nearly a decade as a foreign language teacher and received the 2013 Outstanding New World Languages Teacher Award presented by the Kentucky World Language Association. She also worked for the U.S. Embassy in Japan at the Agricultural Trade Office where she co-authored the 2007 Exporter Guide.  

Vanessa is committed to and passionate about her community, person-to-person exchange, economic integration, civic engagement, inclusion, and equity. She brings a unique, informed perspective, having lived on 5 continents and worked, traveled, and studied in 52 different countries/territories. These opportunities, complemented by her professional experience, have made her insightful on the impact of public policy and decision-making on both local and international levels. While she plans to continue to work toward improving the quality of life for those in Central Kentucky, as a native eastern Kentuckian, she also has a passion for Appalachia and serving as an ally with and advocate for marginalized and underrepresented people in many capacities.

Vanessa is active in numerous community organizations. She serves on the Blue Grass Community Foundation Board of Directors, is the Membership Hospitality/Assembly Chair for the Junior League of Lexington, and serves on its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She also serves on the Board of Bluegrass Tomorrow, is a Lexington Forum member, and is a Leadership Lexington graduate.  

Vanessa’s undergraduate degrees are from the University of Louisville, where she participated in the Rotaract Club and International Service Learning Program. She completed her graduate degree at the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. Postgraduate work at Northern Kentucky University allowed her to earn Japanese Language and Social Studies Teaching Certificates. In 2018, Vanessa was appointed by the Kentucky Department of Education to their School Guidelines and Profiles Committee and worked on her first local political campaign, which was a success. In her spare time, she enjoys the arts, documentaries, nonfiction, charity fundraisers, being a lifelong learner, and spending time with her brilliant husband, Cameron; and two sweet felines, Max & Amelia.  
 

Will Barnett is the Director of Training from Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co., a Louisville based mining and construction equipment distributor for Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. In this role, Will administers, develops curriculum, and leads classroom and lab instruction for equipment technicians enrolled in Brandeis’ Apprentice Technician Program. Will also works with Louisville area high school technical programs by speaking to classrooms about pathways to careers in the trades, sharing resources and experience with technical educators in those schools, and has provided professional development instruction for instructors in the Kentucky Community and Technical College network.  

Will has served as a Member of the Shelby County Board of Education since June of 2017. He was appointed by the former Kentucky Commissioner of Education, Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt to fill the unexpired term of a resigning member. Will used his time as a board member to advocate for students with a concern for equal access to educational opportunities, the need for quality instruction and resources in vocational and technical education, and the dire need for a return to pre-recession SEEK and local funding for public schools. 

Will is currently the 2nd Vice President-Elect for the Shelbyville Area NAACP with his term in that role set to begin in January of 2019. He is also serving on the executive committee for the Shelby County Democratic Party and writes a blog about the people, policies, and politics that impact the students and residents of Kentucky.

Will is a single father to two adult children and one child in middle school. He is a native and current resident of Shelby County and he’s hoping that through his involvement and training with NLC he can become more effective in inspiring and recruiting young progressives to engage in civic organizations and leadership in his hometown.