Anytown Alabama Co-Director Team
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Katherine NanceKatherine has been a part of ACE since 2015, serving as a board member and education consultant in the early stages of our organization. You may know her as Kat if you've been to Anytown—she's been a staff member at camp since 2015 and served as Co-Director in 2022. Most recently, she volunteered with our life-skills program in Fairfield City for the 22-23 school year.
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Lorraine ShackelfordLorraine attended Anytown in 2015 as a delegate which sparked xer passion for social justice. Xe then was closely involved with Peace Birmingham as a student from 2015-2108. Xe later continued xer fight for social action as xe served as the Social Justice Program Coordinator under AmeriCorps VISTA for ACE from 2021-2022. In addition to serving as an AmeriCorps member, Lorraine has also served on staff for Anytown from 2021-2023. Outside of ACE, Lorraine is a creative and works as a field producer for a creative storytelling agency with clients such as: EdFarm, Apple, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Xe is also a freelance photographer and filmmaker. Xe hopes to one day use xer love of storytelling, digital media and art to elevate the voices of those who are marginalized and eradicate injustice.
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Melissa Self PatrickMelissa has served in executive leadership, program and fundraising development capacities in several greater Birmingham non-profit and faith-based entities for 35+ years. Her past roles include being Executive Director of Youth Leadership Forum, Development Director for Birmingham Youth Serve, Training Organizer for AL Constitutional Reform with GBM, and Executive Director of Urban Ministry, Inc. Most recently, Melissa was Director of Community Ministries & Outreach at IPC, where she directed the expansion of food security supports for children at Hayes K8 School in Woodlawn and was inspired and transformed by leading international journeys to Mwandi, Zambia; Chiapas, Mexico; and Nairobi, Kenya, along with relationship building journeys in Wilcox County in Alabama’s Black Belt.
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Kierra BurksKierra fully understands the value of the programs ACE has to offer as she began her journey with ACE participating in Heritage Panel at her high school. She then participated in Anytown Alabama as a delegate in 2019 then came back to serve on staff in 2022 and as co-director in 2023. Kierra is highly involved in her community as she works with The Transformative Justice Coalition to encourage young people to use their vote, has been a fellow for the Jefferson County Memorial Project, and an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated. She aims to empower young people to use their voice and make a change in their communities. In her free time Kierra enjoys to read, write poetry, and sleep! She is also a 1L law student at Faulkner Law School.
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