Board of Directors

Christin Waters is originally from Franklin, TN, and graduated from the University of Mississippi. In 2008, she moved to Meridian, MS after marrying her husband, Josh Waters. The couple has a daughter named Callie who is currently nine years old. Christin has held employment at Benefits Management Group, American Cancer Society, Anderson Regional Health System,

Melanie Powell is the Executive Director of the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. With over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, Powell offers a unique blend of leadership, vision, and knowledge. In 2022, she was selected as the Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Washington County. She previously served as Executive Director of the

Keith Fulcher is the President of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, where he is spearheading the Foundation’s bold initiative to grow its assets to $50 million by 2028. He joined the Foundation in 2019 following a distinguished 23-year career at Delta State University, where he held key leadership roles including Director of Development, Executive

Vickie Powell is the Senior Vice President of Foundations at the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), bringing over 25 years of experience in proposal development, grant writing, program management, and implementation. Her career also spans human resources, business development, and corporate affairs, making her a versatile and accomplished leader in both the nonprofit and private sectors.

Meggan Gray is the Director of Advancement for St. Patrick Catholic High School, where she passionately advocates for quality Catholic education. A dedicated community leader, she also serves on the executive board of St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy in Biloxi and is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast. For two decades, Meggan was a

Michael Dixon serves as the Executive Director of the Pinebelt Foundation, a community foundation that has distributed more than $25 million in grants to support philanthropic efforts across the region. Prior to this role, he served as Director of Extra Table, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger in Mississippi. In 2007, Michael founded Ekklesia Hattiesburg,

Marcus Ward is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Alcorn State University and Executive Director of the ASU Foundation, Inc., where he leads fundraising, alumni relations, and government affairs for the nation’s oldest historically Black land-grant university. Since 2010, Marcus and his team have raised more than $15 million in scholarships, programmatic, and operational

Sanford Johnson is an education consultant based in the Mississippi Delta, where he continues to champion equity and access in education. A native Mississippian, Sanford has spent the past 16 years working to improve educational outcomes across the region. His career began in 2003 as a Teach for America Delta corps member, teaching high school

Reena Evers-Everette is a prominent civil rights advocate, speaker, and the Executive Director of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute. As the daughter of iconic civil rights leaders Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, she has devoted her life to carrying forward their legacy of justice, equality, and education. In her leadership role, Reena spearheads national