He is an award-winning educator and consultant on issues of equity in education. He is the Principal at Filling the Gap Educational Consultants, LLC. and was appointed by Gov. Cooper to serve as a North Carolina State Board of Education member, representing the Southwest Region. He is the former Program Director at the Public School Forum of North Carolina, an education think-tank and policy advocacy organization.

A former museum educator, high school English teacher, and newspaper reporter who served as Director of the Writing Center at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC. The Vice President of Education and Programs at Levine Museum of the New South from 2015-2017, she specializes in curriculum and program design, audience and community engagement, and is trained in dialogue facilitation. Her work centers on access, education, and empowerment.

Jerry J. Wilson is an educator, researcher, and advocate committed to making learning environments productive and welcoming for all students. After teaching social studies in Chicago Public Schools for three years, Jerry enrolled in graduate school to study education policy. His work centers on teacher diversity and representation, the politics of education, civic learning, and the educational experiences of marginalized students.

Beth Rowell earned her Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Journalism from the University of South Florida in Tampa. While attending USF, Beth completed two internships at WUSF Public Media, Tampa's NPR affiliate station.

After graduating, Beth worked at the Central Florida Development Council as a Marketing Associate, where she focused communications efforts on growing the economy of Florida's fastest-growing county. An advocate and organizer for social change, she focuses on lifting people and stories in the most marginalized communities. Beth is originally from the UK but grew up in Tampa, Florida, and now lives in New York City.

admin@creed-nc.org

Stephanie Talarek has a B.A. in History, Paralegal Certificate, and a M.S. in Conflict Resolution, specializing on facilitation, intractable conflicts, identity conflict, and the suppression of marginalized communities in Southeast Asia.

She currently is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte working towards her PhD in Public Policy with a focus on the intersection of social, health and environmental policies.

An entrepreneur, educator, choreographer, and marketing professional. She has a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and a Masters in Business Administration. Melissa's strong background in education, event management, and choreography led her to combine all her talents and found Melissa McDaniel 360, LLC, a multi-faceted organization that serves to educate, engage and empower businesses, organizations, and individuals through the work of five subsidiary companies.

Corina De La Torre is a first-generation Chicana scholar-researcher, born and raised in East Salinas, CA, where she learned the importance of hard work and community through her family's and neighbors' resiliency. Corina is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on rural Latinx youth identity development and cultivating racially and culturally inclusive, community-oriented learning spaces. Outside of the classroom, Corina is a community organizer advocating for long-term policy changes that will result in safe, thriving neighborhoods and schools.

Kimberly is an educator with over 10 years of experience in disability services, school counseling, and program coordination. She has worked with several school districts in NC, advocating for students and families while ensuring all students have equitable access to public education. She is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University, earning her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. She also received a Masters degree in Counseling Education from Salem College.

Khamiah Alderman is a Charlotte native and earned her bachelor's in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In undergrad, she interned for a few organizations, including CREED, the Aurora Institute, and North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. Khamiah served as a research assistant for professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she gained valuable research experience grounded in education equity, intersectionality, and African American history. She is passionate about educational equity and is working to improve the education system for all learners, regardless of race, gender, religion, and ability. She hopes to continue her work to transform the education system to be accessible for all.

Eduarda de Souza is a junior at Stetson University in Florida, originally from the Amazon Region of Brazil. She is majoring in Political Science with minors in Elementary Education, Community Engagement, and French. Eduarda has actively worked in Brazil to democratize access to education by promoting language classes, inclusivity, and antiracism in educational settings. After authoring a state law bill titled “Antiracist Education,” which aimed to institutionalize anti-racist practices in schools, she shifted her focus more intensely toward racial justice. Since then, she has collaborated with nonprofit organizations in the U.S., including Vocal Justice and The African American Policy Forum, and is currently interning at CREED. She views her work with CREED during fall 2024 as a great opportunity to gain deeper insights into the realities of education in the U.S., especially in the South.

Angus Withee is a senior sociology major at Appalachian State University, where he also serves as a Peer Academic Leader. He is pursuing a career in social research and data analysis, with a focus on intersectional social justice issues such as senior advocacy, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, and education equality. Angus is dedicated to fostering understanding and advocating for meaningful change in these areas.

Brooke Xu is a second year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing a degree in Public Policy and English & Comparative Literature with a minor in Social & Economic Justice. She is passionate about educational equity since volunteering as a peer tutor and writing instructor in high school. At UNC, she currently works with the Affirmative Action Coalition and Campus Y Student Organization, specializing in communications.

Tracee is a native of Dunn, NC where she lives with her daughter and mother in her childhood home.  She brings extensive experience in early intervention and education specializing in culturally responsive practices that support ELL, multilingual, and diverse student populations. With a commitment to promoting equity in education, she excels in applying and analyzing early literacy and culturally responsive instructional practices while pursuing her Master's of Education in Reading and Literacy at East Carolina University.

Executive Director, CREED

Superintendent, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Policy Fellow, Chapin Hall Center for Children

Executive Vice President, Foundation for the Carolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Principal, Education Innovations Group