The Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), pursuing the vision of a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. Since 1973, CDF has been leading the movement to build power for child-centered public policy, informed by racial equity and the lived experience of children and youth.
Dr. Wilson is board chair for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and vice chair of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE). He also serves boards for CDF Action Council, Duke Divinity School, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and Sojourners.
From 2011 through 2020, Rev. Wilson was president & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, a faith-based philanthropy for child well-being and racial justice in St. Louis. Under his leadership, Deaconess constructed and established the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, a community action tank engaging more than 15,000 citizens annually. From 2008 through 2018, Dr. Wilson also pastored Saint John’s Church (The Beloved Community), an inter-racial, inner-city congregation related to the United Church of Christ.
After the police killing of Michael Brown, Jr., Wilson and the church hosted the #BlackLivesMatter Freedom Ride to Ferguson and served as the welcome center for #FergusonOctober. In service of community healing, Wilson co-chaired the Ferguson Commission. In 2015, they released the ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity’ Report, calling for sweeping changes in policing, the courts, child well-being and economic mobility.
Dr. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Duke University. For his public theology, he was awarded Doctor of Public Service and Doctor of Divinity degrees honoris causa by Saint Louis University and Eden Theological Seminary, respectively. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Starsky is married to Dr. LaToya Smith Wilson, a dentist and child advocate. They are raising four children.
Calissa is an Engagement Assistant with the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center (BTC). Their work includes supporting efforts to build strategic partnerships and the pipeline of leaders that engage with the Budget & Tax Center on fiscal and economic policy at the state and local level. Prior to working at BTC, Cal served for 11-months as their Public Ally Apprentice. Public Allies is an AmeriCorps fellowship program that pairs young leaders with local nonprofits. Calissa is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a B.A. in Public Policy & Sociology.
30 years ago, Gina Brown began caring for her trauma exposed stepchildren. Ms. Brown was the sole caregiver to her ex-husband’s children. She cared for them during his military service, which included extensive tours out of the country. Additionally, Ms. Brown took on the informal kinship role for her step granddaughter. After five years of caring for her step granddaughter, Ms. Brown requested the child welfare agency to become involved as actions by the mother had become dangerous. Without the assistance of the child welfare agency, Gina could not guarantee the safety, health, and well-being on her own for her step granddaughter. In 2016, Ms. Brown joined the North Carolina Program Improvement Planning workgroup. In 2018, Ms. Brown was appointed to the North Carolina Child Welfare Family Advisory Council (CWFAC) as one of the inaugural members. In her role with CWFAC, Ms. Brown provides consultation on state and federal child welfare policy. Ms. Brown’s expertise and insights illuminates lived experience to the realities of child welfare policies and programs. In addition to policy and program consultation, Ms. Brown is working with NC Child, to help advance public policies to ensure that every child in NC has the opportunity to thrive. Lastly, Ms. Brown is well-versed in trauma-informed, family-centered practice.
Nikia Bye is the Founder and Executive Director of Trusted Parents, an organization that support and serve parents and caregivers of children with special healthcare needs. She is also the Owner and Executive Director of Bye Enterprise, LLC., a consulting and coaching agency. She earned two Bachelors of Arts degrees at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, one in Psychology and the other in Religious Studies. She is a graduate of the Disability Rights Council of North Carolina Partners in Policymaking, a disability advocacy training program. Nikia serves as Chair to the Family Support Network of NC Executive Council and Coordinating Affiliates. She is an active member on the NC Child Parent Advisory Council. She holds multiple accreditations and certifications in fields of parenting coach, life coach, career coach, disability rights advocate, caregiver consultant, and spiritual advisor. She co-pastors Built on Faith Ministries in Charlotte, NC with her husband of 25 years and resides in Huntersville, NC with her husband and three beautiful children, one of which is diagnosed with Intellectual Disabilities.
Vikki leads NC Child’s environmental health program to ensure that children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and meet developmental milestones in an environment free of toxicants. She also manages the North Carolina KIDS COUNT data program, providing advocates and decision-makers with reliable data to better understand child well-being. Born in Chicago, she moved to western NC with her family at age 5. Today, she lives in Raleigh with her husband, Bill, and their two cats, Olive and Penny. When she’s not advocating for policy change, Vikki enjoys crocheting, hiking and reading in a hammock. Vikki holds a Master of Social Work degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor degree in political science and sociology, also from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Demetrius Deloatch is a Consultant of Public and Government Affairs with APCO Worldwide, a global public relations firm. He possesses over seven years of government experience. He implements federal and state issue campaigns to position clients with legislators, congressmen, and other key stakeholders. He also develops grassroots advocacy with the general public and monitors developments in client issues; specifically, those involving opportunities for client engagement.
Demetrius worked as a legislative intern/assistant in the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives for three years. He later joined Troutman Sanders Strategies where he lobbied on behalf of 14 private corporations. He later worked with the North Carolina League of Municipalities where he successfully advocated in the state legislature on behalf of North Carolina’s 552 cities and towns.
Mr. Deloatch graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also attended North Carolina State University to participate in their legislative internship program. He graduated of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a master’s degree in public administration.
Demetrius grew up in rural northeastern North Carolina. He enjoys public speaking opportunities and encouraging young men and women to dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams
As NC Child’s Policy Director, Tiffany Gladney has big dreams for our state’s children. Tiffany leads NC Child’s legislative advocacy efforts, and uses data and research to analyze how public policy can better support North Carolina’s children and families. A native of Winston-Salem, Tiffany studied communications at NC State University. She honed her communications and policy skills in previous roles at St. Augustine’s University, the March of Dimes, and the NC Rural Center.
Sam is a first year at UNC-Chapel Hill who is passionate about political advocacy and organizing. Sam is the Founder and President of the NC Young People’s Alliance (formerly NC for Better Government), an organization dedicated to empowering young people to advocate for political change. The NCYPA uses phone banks, paid canvassing, and direct advocacy to get college students out to vote and provide opportunities for students to advocate for policies important to young people. Outside of advocacy, Sam is on UNC-CH’s Mock Trial team, volunteers for political campaigns, and maintains an interest in the law by helping student-run nonprofits obtain 501(c)(3) status.
When she was eight, Michelle wanted to be a teacher. Today as NC Child’s Executive Director, Michelle oversees the staff, finances, and strategic direction of the organization. Additionally, Michelle serves as NC Child’s primary point of contact to external allies, including policymakers, the media, and private allies. Michelle has worked in the field of children’s advocacy for almost 20 years in North Carolina. She holds Master’s degrees in English and Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill. She loves to cook and is constantly cooking up new ideas as NC Child’s most prolific Idea Generator.
Sarah Jacobson is the Government Relations Director at the American Heart Association in North Carolina. In her current role she works to advance evidence-based policies to address complex social issues and improve the health of North Carolinians. She works collaboratively with volunteers and other stakeholders on policies that address healthcare access and preventative health (including nutrition, tobacco control, and transportation). Sarah received her education at Tufts University and Harvard University. She currently serves on the board of the North Carolina Alliance for Health and steering committee of the Care4Carolina coalition. She lives in Durham with her husband and child and enjoys cooking, reading, yoga, and making pottery in her spare time.
Aminah is a junior at Meredith College studying public policy in education and pursuing a 9-12 social studies licensure. She is an associate editor for their student newspaper, The Meredith Herald, and is the service outreach coordinator for Meredith Hues Organization. Prior to working with NC Child, she served as an intern for Made In Durham’s Youth Network. Aminah also worked with Every Child NC this past summer to create a youth engagement project for Leandro funding. In her free time, she loves to read and listen to music.
As Public Engagement Specialist at NC Child, Arssante builds and sustains relationships with Child Advocacy Network (CAN) members. He has a particular emphasis on growing network leadership among organizations led by people of color.
Arssante has lectured at universities in the Middle East, worked as a school leader in Africa, served as a 1st-8th grade English teacher in the states, and even formed a nonprofit that supports low-income families and youth through socio-emotional learning (SEL) workshops and martial arts training. As an Impact Leader/Instructional Coach, Arssante manages a cohort of Black male educators and provides SEL support as a preventative intervention to teacher burnout.
Elizabeth Miller is the Chief Executive Officer of The Parenting PATH (formerly Exchange/SCAN). A graduate of Wake Forest with a BA in History and a Master’s in Education, Miller brings experience in administration, strategic marketing and relationship building to The Parenting PATH. A 2016 Triad Business Journal “40 Under 40” honoree, Miller volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters for 14 years as a Big and for two years as the chair of the Bigs Council. Miller is a 2018 Leadership Winston-Salem graduate.
At The Parenting PATH, Miller has overseen multiple building renovation projects, many at no cost to the agency as a result of generous in-kind gifts and grants. Tripling event revenue for the agency, Miller has quadrupled private funding and improved the diversity of the agency’s funding. Prior to her work at The Parenting PATH, Miller served as Mission Outreach Director for Susan G. Komen NWNC, overseeing community outreach and administering the grant program annually awarding more than $500,000.
For much of her career, Miller worked in the athletic department at Wake Forest University as the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Services. There she oversaw 70+ part-time employees as well as provided case management for approximately 300 student-athletes each year.
Letha Muhammad is the Director of the Education Justice Alliance (EJA), based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As Director, Letha is working to advance the organizations impact on dismantling the School to Prison and School to Deportation Pipeline in their local school district, Wake County Public Schools, and in other districts across the state. She believes that one of the most effective ways to dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline is to work with parents and families that are directly impacted by this issue which will help ensure that Black and other students of color have access to a quality education. As such, her work includes engagement and leadership training with parents, families and community members to ensure they know their rights and how to advocate for themselves and their students. Working with other community stakeholders and organizations to bring awareness to the issue of school pushout is another one of her key roles as director. Letha represents EJA on the Coordinating Committee of the National Dignity in Schools Campaign and serves as co-chair of their fundraising/finance committee. Letha is also a member of Muslim’s for Social Justice (MSJ) and on the steering committee of the Movement to End Islamophobia and Racism (MERI). She is a wife and the mother of two school age children and one college student.
Born in West Virginia, Adam moved to Salisbury, NC (the home of Cheerwine) at age 12, where he lived out his dreams of soccer stardom. As NC Child’s Statewide Cat Herder, Adam leads our grassroots advocacy efforts to promote economic opportunity and improve children’s health and well-being. Adam also leads the Child Advocacy Network. Adam received his BSW from Appalachian State University and MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Shanda leads NC Child’s campaign to make early education and child care accessible to every family with young children in North Carolina. Shanda is a native of Sumter South Carolina, where she still owns two child care centers. In addition to her perspective as a successful small business owner and early childhood professional, Shanda brings a strong background in project management. She holds a BA from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from Webster University. She and her husband and three children live in Raleigh.
Stephanie Terry is a Race Equity Community Organizer, activist, and advocate for healthy families. She was the Founding Organizer for Justice United in Community Effort, and Industrial Areas Foundation organization. She is also a Co-Founder of Organizing Against Racism Orange County, a Racial Equity Institute Affiliate. Stephanie was the Founder Organizer for the Campaign for Racial Equity in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools where she led a campaign to address the achievement gap by getting an equity assessment report with recommendations adopted and incorporated into the district by the school board. Stephanie has consulted with The Durham Health Department to incorporate a race equity lens along with The Chatham County Health Dept, Chatham DSS, RAFI-USA, Duke University Trauma-Informed Care Project, and more. Stephanie is currently the Director of Organizing for CORE and the Executive Director of WEBB Squared. She lives with her husband in Pittsboro, NC.
Kenia Thompson is an experienced Master Communicator and Marketing professional and the founder of WordCrumbs. Driven by her own need to break the silence, she takes pride in providing the best communication solutions possible. As a Master Communicator, her goals are to share her love for education and communication – combining them into a unique approach using her C.R.U.M.B (Creating Unique Messages that Build) method approach. This approach, coupled with each service, aids professionals and leaders in discovering their authentic selves and identifying their most effective communication style.
Elaine Townsend Utin (she/ella) – a proud Peruvian-American – is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LatinxEd. In this non-profit capacity, Elaine leads state-wide efforts to expand educational equity and opportunity for Latinx immigrant families in North Carolina. Her mission in advocating for the Latinx community, especially those facing financial and geographic limitations, originates from her own experiences growing up in rural NC as a 1.75-generation immigrant.
Elaine specializes in conscious leadership development, talent pipelines and coaching, and positive racial-ethnic identity formation. She was recognized on Forbes’s 30 Under 30: Education list for her work in creating pathways to educational, professional, and civic engagement opportunities for new generations of Latinx leaders.
Prior to LatinxEd, Elaine earned her B.A. in Middle Grades Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a first-generation college student and a Gates Millennium Scholar. She then worked in South Korea as an elementary teacher via a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. Raised in Waxhaw, NC, she currently lives in Durham, NC with her husband and adorable toddler.
Ramón is from a small farming town in Jalisco, Mexico. His family has worked in the fields, food processing, and manufacturing plants in California and North Carolina. Ramón participated in Student Action with Farmworkers’ (SAF) Levante program in High School and the Into the Fields internship in college. Ramón joined the SAF staff in 2011 and has directed various programs and projects. Currently Ramón directs the Levante Leadership Institute and co-directs the “Hacia los Campos” summer theater group.