Why Preserving Our Stories Matters More Than Ever in 2026

Ms. Alexis P. Seth is an outcome-focused change agent and architect with expertise in leading people and programs through ambiguity to clarity. She leverages her leadership, relationship building, information technology, and strategic planning capabilities with an equity mindset to enable federal government agencies’ mission realization. Ms. Seth has partnered with federal government agencies to assist senior leaders in shifting agency processes to center people and advance equity in their digital modernization efforts. She has authored policy briefs and developed governance frameworks that enable executives to sustain the integrity of their strategies to realize organizational outcomes.

Ms. Seth is a passionate advocate for social justice and anti-racism. Beyond her professional pursuits, Ms. Seth has shared her organizational change management expertise as a willing volunteer to many of Baltimore’s organizations. Previous board positions include Chair, Community, Inclusion, and Equity, Gilman School; Baltimore Hunger Project, and founding member of Motor House Besties. Recently, she has launched

her own project, “Giggles ‘n’ Sticks,” supporting elementary and middle school girls to develop their leadership skills using lacrosse as the activating mechanism. She is the Recreation Committee Chair for the Continental Societies, Inc. Baltimore Chapter, and has been a long-time Trustee at her home church, First Baptist Church of Baltimore.

Ms. Seth is a proud mother, devoted daughter, loving sister, and doting aunt, and makes her home in the northwest section of Baltimore City. She enjoys meeting new people, reading, coaching girls’ lacrosse, volunteering, and visiting farmers’ markets.

Leslie Radcliffe is a lifelong resident of New Haven, CT. Her academic pursuits included early childhood education, business data processing, and community organizational skill development. She has served on several boards and in positions in her local church as well as in an administration capacity to church and denomination.

Leslie has received leadership training in local as well as national institutions with her work with Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (a chartered member of NeighborWorks America) and currently serves as Board President. She is also a member of the New Haven City Planning Commission for 12 years, having recently stepped down as Chair. In recognition of her community work, she has received the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership and the New England Patriots Myra Kraft Community MVP.

Retiring from 27 years of employment at Yale University has given Leslie the time and opportunity to continue her civic activities advocating for her community in the areas of housing, public safety, community affairs, municipal government and neighborhood beautification. She is often consulted to advise local groups on policy and procedural matters such as governance, meeting etiquette, and has a wide-ranging understanding in community building and organizing. Because of her over 5 decades of experience in the public and private sector, Leslie brings a wide variety of insight and experience into every facet of her civic engagement.

Leslie is the proud mother of one son and grandmother to two grand-children.

Averi Thomas-Moore is a strategist and venture builder who works at the intersection of business innovation, cultural legacy, and systems design. As founder of Process Foundry, she partners with mission-driven organizations to turn ideas into operational reality—aligning strategy, infrastructure, and execution to achieve lasting impact.

Her career spans corporate consulting, fintech acceleration, and international development, with a focus on building ventures and initiatives that expand access, preserve heritage, and strengthen communities. At RGMA, a leader in supplier diversity and business strategy, Averi has led product innovation and client engagement projects, launched enterprise CRM systems, and managed multi-million-dollar initiatives supporting diverse business enterprises.

Her global experience includes designing and leading an accelerator for fintech startups in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria, advising technology ventures in Ghana, and developing programs across Africa that increased access to capital for women-led enterprises and diaspora entrepreneurs. These roles deepened her understanding of how economic opportunity, cultural knowledge, and resilient infrastructure can work together to shape futures.

Averi’s work is grounded in the belief that preserving and telling our stories is as critical as building the systems that sustain them. She brings to the board a rare blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and a global perspective—coupled with a personal commitment to protecting and elevating Black history as a source of power, identity, and connection for generations to come.

Dr. Audrey Jordan is recently retired (April 2024) from the Jerry D. Campbell Professor and DEI Specialist position at Claremont Lincoln University; she is also a certified executive life coach, focused on “accompanying social justice leaders and teams to unchain power for transformation.” In her retirement, she is blessed to pursue the development of practice, documentation, and learning based on a paper she contributed to called Measuring Love in the Journey for Justice: a Brown Paper (2019). Audrey is also an independent consultant with her own practice – ADJ Consulting and Coaching.

Before moving to southern California twelve years ago, Audrey served in various staff roles in academia, philanthropy and community development, most recently in Boston, and Lawrence, Massachusetts (2010-2013), and before that for twelve years at the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, MD.

Before her stint in philanthropy, Audrey accumulated more than fifteen years of work experience in participatory evaluation research in public agencies, non-profits and in academia in Virginia. In a role that established her career trajectory, Audrey was director of Community Evaluation at the Center for Public Policy’s Survey and Evaluation Research Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has an M.A. in Social Psychology from The University of Virginia’s Psychology program, is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Master of Social Work program, and a graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University doctoral program in Social Work and Social Policy. Audrey currently lives in Fontana, CA and enjoys the company of her siblings and their spouses, her two sons, nieces and nephews, and the most recent family additions – her amazing grandnieces, Eloise Faye (6), Jubilee Celeste (3 years old), and Violet Anne (3 years old).

Responsible for providing client services and managing staff personnel and consultants at Rufus Ingram, PA. Instructor of managerial accounting, corporate finance, principles of accounting, auditing, and income taxation at multiple Universities through out Baltimore City and County.  Objectives are to have students develop and analyze financial statements, apply basic auditing techniques, and prepare income tax returns. Responsible for preparation and review of financial statements, incurred cost submissions, cost proposals, and indirect rate structures.  Provide guidance to staff members on financial and government contracting issues.  Provide liaison support for activities involving government audit agencies at Automated Information Management, Inc. Responsible for providing consulting services to Department of Defense and other federal government contractors.  Duties include providing guidance on Cost Accounting Standards and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, writing policies and procedures manuals, reviewing and developing budgets and rate structures, and preparing other regulatory documents.  Additional duties include conducting training seminars and providing liaison support during audits and reviews at KPMG. Responsible for assistance in planning monthly and quarterly accounting services provided to clients.  Duties also include planning and conducting audits, training staff members, and providing consulting services such as preparing loan packages and budgets. Responsible for independently performing audit functions for the United States Department of Defense on specific engagements of government contractors.  Experienced in many facets of commercial and government audits such as overhead audits, special review audits, contract termination and progress payment audits.

Nigel Holly serves as the Executive Director of Future Leaders California (FLC). With a background rooted in both entrepreneurship and community service, Nigel has emerged as a prominent advocate for at-risk youth (at-promise youth), harnessing his experiences to foster positive change.

In 2014, Nigel launched the Community Attendance Assistance Program (CAAP), which offers engaging, educational, and culturally relevant activities to deter youth from delinquency and improve academic performance. Nigel is actively involved in multiple youth-centered organizations, serving as a board member for the California Association of Youth Courts, California Institute for Health and Social Services, and as the coordinator for the Los Angeles County Teen Court program.

Further underscoring his commitment to social and academic equity, Nigel co-founded the Justice Sunday Arts Initiative (JSAI), a nationally recognized program commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. The program includes a mentorship component that connects youth with alumni who provide guidance, scholarships, and internships, contributing to a retention rate of 64%. Other initiatives, such as Teen Talk, Youth 4 Justice, and the Youth Advisory Committee, focus on bridging gaps between local youth and law enforcement, fostering constructive dialogue and understanding.

Nigel holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He has received accolades from the White House, U.S. Congress, California State Assembly, and California State Senate. As a father of four, he believes his journey is just beginning and remains dedicated to ensuring that every child has access to opportunities for success. He champions inclusivity and responsible leadership, aspiring to create a brighter future for the youth. His philosophy, that blessings are for everyone, regardless of race, religion, or creed, guides his mission to uplift underserved communities and cultivate the next generation of leaders.

Olivia Lynes is a systems thinker and strategic builder who brings deep expertise in organizational development, people-centered leadership, and mission-driven operations. With a background in scaling programs, leading high-performing teams, and designing thoughtful infrastructure, she ensures TSAAN’s vision is executed with both clarity and care. Rooted in her own lived experience and shaped by a lifelong passion for community, Olivia co-founded TSAAN to bridge storytelling with legacy, and to help future generations feel seen, supported, and proud of their heritage.

Dean Radcliffe-Lynes is a producer of Emmy Award- winning programs and lifelong digital storyteller whose work spans nationally distributed documentaries, nonprofit campaigns, and community-centered media. A Yale School of Drama graduate, Dean has spent decades uplifting the stories of Black people through film and television. She has produced content for the 400 Years of African American History Commission, The National Returning Citizens Conference, Outreach Extensions, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and more. Whether leading creative projects or mentoring new voices, her mission is to educate, empower, and ensure that the stories of the unheard are seen, valued, and preserved.

A proven leader, Danise Jones Dorsey uses her creativity to resolve problems, mobilization skills to encourage people to action, and her gift to foster “Esprit de corps” among stakeholders to facilitate the formation of lasting cooperation.

Ms. Jones-Dorsey, an anti-poverty activist, has a rich background administering and managing human service delivery programs: and fighting material poverty. She says “my professional and volunteer life has provided me the opportunity to contribute to the elimination of societal structures that perpetuate material poverty, undermine family life, and destroy communities.”

As a volunteer, Danise currently serves as: Commissioner for the Community Reinvestment and Reparations Committee (CRRC); Member of League of Women Voters; Member of the RJY Chick Webb Council; Chair, for SHARE Baltimore INC; Member of the Archdiocese of Baltimore local advisory board for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD); Continental Societies Incorporated (CSI) Prince Georges County Chapter 1st Vice President; Member in “good standing” Prince Georges County Chapter of the Continental Societies Inc. (PGCC CSI); Member of Transforming Life Church Christian Women’s Connection (CWC); Life member for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Danise is the widow of the late Rodger Charles Dorsey. She has two sons Joseph 51 and Robert 41. Danise has two grandchildren. Granddaughter KamaRa Isis Cecelia Dorsey is 16. Grandson Aaron Tomoya Harris is 11! Danise delights in her grandchildren’s demonstrated desire to learn and to be self-reliant.

Dr. Stephanie Clintonia Boddie is an Associate Professor of Church and Community Ministries at Baylor University. At Baylor, she is affiliated with the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, George W. Truett Seminary, and the School of Education as well as the Digital Humanities Minor and the Environmental Humanities Minor. She was selected among Baylor faculty for the 2023 Community of Change award and as a 2023-2024 Baylor Fellow for teaching excellence. She is also currently professor extraordinarius at University of South Africa. Dr. Boddie also participates in initiatives at University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Michigan. Dr. Boddie was the 2015-2016 CAUSE post-doctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University and a 2017 Artist-in-Residence at the Kelly Strayhorn Theatre. She also served as a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, as well as lead consultant for the Anne E. Casey Foundation’s Faith & Family Portfolio and on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis. She is co-author of three books, three edited volumes, and over 60 journal articles, book chapters, and reports. Her work has been featured in Time Magazine, Religion News Service, Urban Faith, and several news outlets. During her CAUSE fellowship, she created the musical documentary, Unfinished Business. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and University of Pennsylvania.