Meet Our Trainers & Consultants
Michele Baker
I love to travel, I love to fix problems, and I love training and public speaking. I’ve been in the business of creating, working with, and helping fix nonprofits since 1995, and it gets more fun every year. I hope we can work together soon!
Margo Brooks
I have had a stellar career in the nonprofit and small business development arenas. My gift of grant writing has garnered more than $150M in federal, state, local and foundational funding for nonprofit organizations throughout the country. I have managed numerous multi-million dollar federal grants and contracts, achieving 100% compliance in all instances.
Mary Ellen Calvert
I am an adult educator and nonprofit consultant and work with organizations in management development, leadership, strategic planning, collaboration, and many others. I developed curriculum and training modules for the Mid South Collaborative for Nonprofit Development, a three-state nonprofit collaborative training over 250 trainers to deliver training to grassroots organizations across the Mid-South.
Michael Dozier
I serve as the principal owner of Carrington, Holland & Leigh, LLC a nonprofit consulting company whose mission is to empower nonprofits and give businesses the opportunity to succeed.
Dr. Stephanie Duguid
I am a motivational speaker, educational consultant, Leadership Success coach, radio/podcast host, and author who strives to help individuals become intentional in developing goals, purposeful in reaching their full potential, and solve challenges. My primary focus is helping women develop positive leadership skills to become confident leaders, and working with individuals to develop personally and professionally, prioritize goals, and create plans, making attainable steps along the way.
Jan Eastman
I have almost 60 years of work experience including management, consulting, accounting, information technology, education, marketing, and retail sales. I am the owner of MindShare of NE MS. I received my B.S. in accounting and a M.S. in Business and Education from MUW.
Sheila Farr
I am an eternal optimist! After 20 years of building and managing successful businesses for others, I stepped out and started my own business in 2017. Now, I'm the CEO of Gulf Coast Training & Education Services, LLC, in Biloxi, Mississippi, where I help individuals and small businesses overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams by developing personalized business strategies and training plans that work.
Amanda Fontaine
I have over 15 years of fundraising experience as the executive director of a nonprofit. I have assisted numerous other associations and coached over 100 organizations. My most requested programs include fundraising and time management. I am very energetic and enthusiastic and also love to plan events.
Michael Goss
I have more than 25 years of experience in leading nonprofits and companies, and entrepreneurially-minded leader with proven effectiveness building strategic systems and engaged leadership teams within organizations. I enthusiastically partner with entities to bring vision into reality through navigating change and building positive momentum.
Terrence Green
I bring 10 years of experience in the animation industry helping companies and organizations effectively educate their audience, train staff, and leverage the power of animation for impactful marketing. My clients can trust me to bring their messages to life and conquer the hurdles of digital marketing through harnessing the power of animation.
Dr. Sharon Griffin
I am a faculty member at the University of Memphis. I develop and implement long-term marketing research communication and branding vision and strategy and assist and implement new technology commercialization research communications activities. This includes overseeing advanced technologies to market and advancing start-up entrepreneurs as it relates to their research.
Maranda Joiner
I am Mississippi-native brand consultant, author, and speaker who quit my job to help as many entrepreneurs as possible feel connected, seen, and heard. I am the CEO and co-founder of Succeed and Elevate, a nonprofit dedicated to helping small entrepreneurs overcome burnout and supported on their way to success, and have consulted and served as brand manager for talent who went onto perform at Essence, on Comedy Central, and TruTV.
Christie J. Lawrence
I am passionate about training and helping organizations assess their situation and craft plans or messaging to achieve their vision. Having run a self-help and marriage seminar for 10 years, I am skilled at creating experienced-based training and workshops that garner more participant engagement and input, even from board members.
Dr. Betsy Leondar-Wright
I am the coordinator for the Staffing the Mission project on nonprofit burnout for Class Action and the lead author of the Sustainable Jobs toolkit. I am also a longtime activist for economic justice, and now a sociology professor at Lasell University, where I teach about race and class inequality, social movement strategy and activist skills.
Dr. Wendy Mahoney
I have over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit and social service field with a vast array of experiences and success years in nonprofit management, program development, grant writing, direct service, school administration, community leadership and development, cultural responsiveness consulting, and personal and professional development trainings.
Nancy Perret
I have extensive sales, marketing, human relations, and management training through IBM. I am certified to administer and interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. I am a past board member and past President of the American Society for Training and Development (New Orleans Chapter) and a past board member of the United Way of Greater New Orleans and the Chamber of Commerce New Orleans & the River Region.
Alisha Johnson Perry
I am a seasoned fundraising professional with a 16-year career marked by effective leadership and a collaborative approach in the nonprofit sectors. I have demonstrated expertise in developing and executing strategic fundraising plans, securing over $20 million in philanthropic support for causes spanning racial justice, immigrants' rights, education, and food justice.
LeKesha Perry
I have extensive experience as an evaluator, policy analyst, strategic planner, and technical assistance provider. I am the founder, CEO, and Principal Associate of Key Concepts, LLC, a research and evaluation firm committed to seeking solutions to some of society’s most challenging and complex problems.
Steve Pickering
I have over 14 years of nonprofit experience, serving in various leadership capacities, advising nonprofit and trade associations on human resource issues, employee training, grant writing and administration, and various reporting functions. I have a doctorate in organizational leadership with a masters in leadership with an emphasis in non-public administration. I am also a certified project manager.
Audrey Reid
I have over 10 years of academic research experience in topics related to children and families. In 2021, I co-founded Elucidata to design and carry out data collection efforts for nonprofits and state agencies by working closely with my clients to make research and data usable for real people.
Ghazala Salam
I am a seasoned and dedicated nonprofit management consultant with a passion for making a positive impact on society. I have over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a profound understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by organizations striving to create lasting change.
Karen Sock
I am the President and CEO of Sock Enterprises, Inc., a full-service consulting firm. I provide companies and organizations with a variety of professional services including but not limited to: strategic and business planning, leadership and staff development, project management, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion workshops.
Elizabeth Stafiej
After eighteen years in the legal field I served as an executive director for a Mississippi nonprofit and the nonprofit world quickly became my passion. I now spend my days consulting with nonprofits and believe that a strong foundation will create a successful and thriving nonprofit.
Maggie Steverson
I am an experienced leader with over 20 years of experience in government and nonprofits. Highly skilled in strategic planning, event planning, program/project management, grant management, staff/professional development, community engagement, media/communications, education, and empowerment, my aim is to make a difference by impacting the lives of people of all ages.
George Stewart II
I am an educator, nonprofit leader, and president of the largest local educator association in Mississippi representing over 700 member educators in the city of Jackson. I have years of knowledge and experience in leading nonprofit boards, organizing, and policy advocacy. My mission is to utilize my knowledge, resources, and experiences in an effort that leads to a better quality of life for those I serve.
LaTanya Wilson
I have a law degree in taxation and am highly experienced in accounting and business consulting. I am the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Diversified Services Management Group (DSMG), and bring over 20 years of experience and unmatched expertise to my clients and look forward to providing exceptional service to my clients for many years to come.