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MATTHEW SMITH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Matthew Smith is a proud Alabama native with a passion for working with young people and a full-hearted belief in the healing power of laughter. Before co-founding ACE in 2015, he worked as a Field instructor for a wilderness therapy program in the mountains of Georgia, served as co-director for the Anytown Social Justice Leadership Summit in Central Alabama, taught US history for a traveling school in New England, and worked as an environmental educator for the Cahaba Environmental Center near Montevallo, Alabama. While studying Human Ecology at the University of Alabama, Matthew also served as an AmeriCorps member through the YWCA of Central Alabama and traveled to local schools to facilitate discussions on dating violence prevention and crisis management. Matthew is a certified life coach, teacher and leadership trainer. He is also certified in Transformative Leadership for Organizational Development, Responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Social Justice Leadership, and Crisis Prevention and Intervention. Matthew held the role of Vice-President for Birmingham’s Community Affairs Committee Young Partners, an organization focused on promoting human rights and improving race relations in the City of Birmingham. He was a member of the Alabama Safe Schools Coalition Coordinating Committee, and now serves as a member of Mayor Randall Woodfin's LGBTQ+ Advisor Board for the City of Birmingham. In his free time, he enjoys digging in the garden, exploring the great outdoors, and working on renovations to the hundred-year-old mountaintop bungalow that he calls home. Matthew is so very excited to be working every day to make Social Emotional Learning an integral part of our communities! |
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SHAINA BERRY, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Originally from a small town outside Lexington, Kentucky, Shaina has called Birmingham home since 2013. Shaina specializes in organizational development, communications strategy, and nonprofit management. Since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2010 with a degree in Integrated Strategic Communication, Shaina has dedicated her career to serving nonprofits and is passionate about creating equitable communities. Shaina loves spending time with her family and chasing her twin toddlers and 5-year-old in her spare time. |
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ANDREA MILLER, PROGRAMS DIRECTOR
Andrea was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama and has called Birmingham her home since 2011. She graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Communications degree in 2015. She has been part of the ACE team since 2016, when she served as the very first ACE volunteer. In 2017, she became an AmeriCorps Program Specialist and served for two years in that role before stepping into the role of the Life Skills Education Program Manager, and now serves as the Programs Director. Andrea plays roller derby on the Tragic City Rollers team and also serves as the Board President, plays community softball, loves to sing, listens to NPR, and enjoys road-trips and theme parks. |
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ROSA DELGADO, PROGRAMS MANAGER
Rosa Delgado moved to the Magic City about 5 years ago from Montgomery, AL. She graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Psychology degree in 2018. She has partnered with the Birmingham Museum of Art in teaching art classes to inner-city youth. She is passionate about destigmatizing mental health, sharing the healing powers of art, and incorporating emotional intelligence within her community. Becki loves to dance to Latin music, spend time with Mother Nature, bake for her sweet tooth, and paint with friends. |
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CYNTHIA GAGE, CULTURE COACH CONSULTANT
Dr. Cynthia Gage thrives on challenging educators to think “outside the box” to get optimum results whether learning, teaching, or leading. As the CEO of Leadership Lens, Cynthia is an organizational guru with a talent for implementing “whatever it takes” to get desired results. More than anything, she is a passionate teacher, an encouraging leader, and an inspirational speaker with a big heart for audiences of all ages. Dr. Cynthia Gage is a native Chattanooga, but has lived in Birmingham, Alabama for the past 30 years. Cynthia began her career as a 7th and 8th grade reading teacher in Chattanooga in 1986. Thirty four years later, she has worked in 3 states, taught at 6 schools for 8 different principals, worked with over 300 teachers, and has taught almost 4,000 students. Cynthia received her undergraduate degree in 1982 from Bryan College, a private Christian liberal arts college in Dayton, Tennessee. She also received her graduate degree, her Ed.S. and her Ed.D. from Samford University in Birmingham. Audiences enjoy her sense of humor as she pushes the boundaries of how to improve relationships at home, at school, and in the workplace by using the DISC Personality Test. Currently, she is contracting with AlaQuest Collaborative for Education as a Culture Coach for Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama. |
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LORRAINE SHACKELFORD, AMERICORPS VISTA SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Lorraine Shackelford is currently serving in xer second AmeriCorps position as the Social Justice Coordinator VISTA. Previously, Lorraine has served as an AmeriCorps State Member with the Building Communities Bettering Lives Program through the YWCA of Central Alabama as a Program Assistant for YouthServe. Xer involvement with non-profits has also included paid internships with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Southern Vision Alliance of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a research fellow with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. She also has been involved with Social Justice programming since she was an Anytown delegate in 2015! |
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LINDA COOGAN, INTEGRATIVE NURSE COACH
Linda Coogan (AKA Nurse Linda Kay) is a multistate licensed registered nurse. She is a recognized leader in the field of healthcare with a passion for helping others improve quality of life. Linda has board certifications as an Integrative Nurse Coach, a Healthcare Quality Professional, a Tai Chi for Health Coach and has achieved Fellowship status with the American College of Healthcare Professionals. Linda is a proud alum of the UAB School of Nursing and School of Health Related Professions where she earned her BSN and MSHA. She founded and serves as the CEO of AlaQuest Center for Performance Excellence. A passionate community volunteer, Linda co-founded the AlaQuest Collaborative for Education in 2015 with her son, Matthew and serves as our President Emeritus. She has served her community as a Board Member of the Alabama ACHE, AlPex Baldrige award program, VOCAL, AAHQ, and as an Elder in her church. She also serves as a member of the Alabama and American Nurses Associations. The American Holistic Nurses Association, the Alabama and American College of Healthcare Executives, the Tai Chi for Health Community, American Association for Healthcare Quality, Alabama Women in Business, and Everytown Survivors of Gun Violence. Linda has recently discovered her passion as an author and writes weekly inspirations on her blog. Joshua Pearls, dedicated to her son who was murdered in his sleep. She is also writing a book. "The Impact Statement" sharing her journey in finding the strength to persevere through tragedy. |