Amy Easter (she/her) serves as an Executive Assistant, supporting foundation operations, such as expense management, onboarding, payroll, and technology. She also supports the board and colleagues with logistics and project management. She lives in North Carolina where she has co-founded several nonprofits focused on leveraging bicycling as a means to promote healthy lifestyles and foster communities that are connected, sustainable, and thriving. She also serves on the City of Winston-Salem Bicycle, Pedestrian, Active Mobility Advisory Commission. Over the years, she has handled various aspects of operations for several organizations, planned and facilitated unique community events, and worked to positively influence local development and policy through direct action and community engagement. Amy considers herself a lifelong learner. She loves reading, watching documentaries and visiting museums. When she’s not playing with her daughter, she enjoys traveling and going on multi-day “bikepacking” trips with friends. 

As people and culture officer, Ashelee helps MRBF’s staff team foster a strong, joyful organizational culture steeped in racial equity, aligned with the Foundation’s values and reflective of fairness, respect and collaboration. Reporting to the chief finance and operations officer, Ashelee’s role is to ensure all employees feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute their best work in service of MRBF’s mission, vision, values and commitments.  Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as senior manager of people and culture at Fair Fight Action. She led the organization through a cultural transformation, changing the function, structure and impact of human resources across the organization through new programs, policies, processes and systems. She has nearly a decade of experience providing strategic guidance, working alongside leaders and with diverse teams across various sectors, from nonprofits to big companies.   Ashelee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgia State University and relevant HR certifications. She enjoys singing, reading, relaxing on the beach, and spending time with her daughter.

Christine Mayers (she/her) oversees the administration of all grants and manages the data systems for tracking and evaluating program impact. She also helps prospective and current grantee partners navigate Babcock’s online application and reporting system.  Before joining the Foundation, Christine served as Director of Client Services at Foundation Source, a philanthropic support firm in Fairfield, Connecticut. There, she supported hundreds of private foundation clients nationwide. 

Elena Conley-Jones (she/her/ella) leads MRBF’s strategic grantmaking and influence work, manages the program team and supports the Foundation’s program-related investment strategies. A member of the program and management teams, Elena trains, supports and supervises network officers and supervises the grants manager. She helps the Foundation maintain an explicit focus on racial equity in everything it does. Elena has been managing grant portfolios and relationships since arriving at the Foundation in 2014, and her role has continually evolved to include more strategic and managerial functions. Before coming to MRBF, Elena was an organizer with the Beloved Community Center of Greensboro, which focuses on economic and social justice issues. There, she led several teams and campaigns, including Beloved's civic engagement and get-out-the-vote campaigns, as well as their internship and service-learning programs. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Elena moved to North Carolina to attend Guilford College, where she received her B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology. Elena resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and two stepsons.

Ethan Hamblin (he/him) manages Foundation relationships and grant portfolios in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. Before joining MRBF, Ethan served as program associate for strategic initiatives at Berea College in Kentucky. Prior to his time at Berea, he worked for the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, first as an affiliate coordinator for the AmeriCorps VISTA program, then as regional philanthropy coordinator. He also worked as an administrative assistant at the Brushy Fork Institute.   Ethan received his Master of Arts in Rural Sustainability from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Appalachian Studies from Berea College. A proud native of Gays Creek, Kentucky, he enjoys good food, singing on the porch and spending time with his family in Perry County. 

As Chief Executive Officer of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Flozell Daniels, Jr. (he/him) leads the overall operations of the Foundation, from grantmaking to investing, communications and strategy, providing both organizational and field leadership. Flozell represents MRBF’s programs and vision for change to our grantee and philanthropic partners, as well as the general public. He partners closely with the board of directors to ensure the Foundation remains on the cutting edge of sound strategic decisions and field-leading philanthropic transformation.     Flozell previously served as CEO and President of the Foundation for Louisiana, which launched in 2005 to foster an equitable recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It has since grown to become a “catalyst for justice,” supporting communities statewide through grantmaking and loan products, leadership development programs, and advocating on myriad issues facing Louisianians, including climate justice, economic justice, criminal justice reform, racial and gender justice, and more. Prior to his 14+ years leading FFL, Flozell was Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of State and Local Affairs for Tulane University and served in the Mayor’s Office during Marc Morial’s tenure as Public Policy Specialist in the Division of Federal and State Programs.  Flozell has always worked with the understanding that the fates of all Southern people are tied together. From his early work on the Equity and Inclusion Campaign covering Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to his cofounding of Grantmakers for Southern Progress, Flozell holds a longstanding commitment to building the South’s infrastructure for justice and power.    A New Orleans native, Flozell brings expertise in public policy, community development, criminal justice reform, climate policy, transit equity and asset development. Flozell recently served as Chairman of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority and Orleans Public Education Network, is board member emeritus of the Urban League of Louisiana, and serves on the Louisiana Public Defender Board and the Governor’s Climate Action Taskforce. He is a 2013 graduate of University of Oxford Said Business School's Impact Investing Programme, 2011 Fellow of the Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute, a life Fellow of the Louisiana Effective Leadership Program, an alumnus of Leadership Louisiana and a graduate of the Metropolitan Leadership Forum. Flozell holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the A.B. Freeman School of Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from the University of New Orleans.  

Jennifer Barksdale (she/her) joined the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation in 2007 and serves as Chief Finance and Operations Manager. A certified public accountant, Jennifer handles the organization’s budgeting, financial accounting and reporting, audit and tax coordination, grant accounting and human resources. She serves as a liaison for the Foundation’s investment committee and financial advisers who oversee a portfolio of market-rate investments that adhere to environmental, social and governance best practices. Jennifer also manages financial aspects of program-related investments.  For eight years, Jennifer taught Accounting and Financial Reporting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Organizations as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University. Her previous positions include chief financial officer for NC Child, finance director for Uplift, Inc. and audit manager for Arthur Andersen. Jennifer is a member of the North Carolina Association of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.  In her spare time, Jennifer serves on the the board of directors and as Treasurer of the Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center. She also serves on the board of the Children's Law Center of Central North Carolina as well as the Philanthropy Southeast board of directors where she is Secretary-Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Wake Forest University.   

Julius E. Kimbrough Jr. (he/him) works with the Foundation’s investment committee, board and staff colleagues to reimagine, develop and drive innovative strategies to use capital and markets to build power within systems and advance racial justice across the South. Julius sources new investment opportunities, coordinates due diligence, manages relationships with advisors, and monitors the impact and financial returns of the Foundation’s program-related and market-rate investment portfolios. In partnership with the chief finance and operations officer, Julius serves as staff liaison to the investment committee. He also represents the Foundation at convenings to share insights regarding American capitalism and learn with other philanthropic organizations seeking to advance racial equity through their investments.    Julius comes to MRBF from Stonehenge Capital, where he managed the federal New Markets Tax Credit program and helped source other economic development finance opportunities. Before joining Stonehenge, Julius served as executive director of a community land trust, pioneering affordable residential and commercial real estate solutions across New Orleans. He also headed Liberty Bank and Trust Company’s community development unit, which helped families finance affordable homes, and provided capital to small businesses and agencies nationally. Julius also has served as a foundation program officer, urban planner, economic analyst and investment banker.   Julius earned a degree in history from Hampton University and master’s degrees in public policy and business administration from the University of Chicago.   When he is not thinking about work, Julius can be found binge-watching history documentaries or traveling within the Americas to learn more about indigenous cultures.  

Kiara Boone (she/her) manages Foundation relationships and grant portfolios across the South. Before joining MRBF, Kiara served as deputy director of community education at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a nonprofit law organization committed to ending mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial injustice in America, based in Montgomery, Alabama. In her role, Kiara contributed to research for EJI’s racial justice education materials as well as the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. With EJI’s Community Remembrance Project, Kiara supported community members across the country in memorializing documented victims of racial violence and fostering meaningful dialogue about race and justice. Kiara has also worked as a fellow for the Jessie Ball duPont Fund in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.  Kiara earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Davidson College and a nonprofit executive management certificate from Georgetown University. She enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Kiona Carrington (she/her) serves as an Executive Assistant, coordinating board and staff meetings and events, supporting colleagues with logistics and contributing to the overall culture of the Foundation.    Kiona comes to MRBF from Young Mothers, Inc. in Washington DC, as an administrative assistant. She also has provided administrative support in several healthcare environments, from dermatology to dentistry.   A native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Kiona enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, volunteering at local organizations and trying new restaurants. 

Scott Edmonds (he/him) helps manage existing Foundation relationships and identify new ones in specific parts of the South. Prior to joining MRBF, Scott served as a program manager at MDC, Inc., a research, analysis and advisory organization and frequent partner of the Foundation based in Durham, North Carolina. There, Edmonds contributed content for publications (including MDC’s flagship State of the South), and conducted project design and management, community coaching, and policy and data analysis to address the systemic and structural forces that constrain upward economic mobility and perpetuate racial inequities. He also provided strategic consulting services for several philanthropic foundations as part of MDC's Passing Gear Philanthropy work.    Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in political science (cum laude) from the University of Missouri and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his personal time, Scott enjoys cooking, international travel, live music, being outdoors and spending time with his wife and two young sons. 

Tania Durán (she/her) manages relationships and grant portfolios in parts of the Foundation’s 11-state footprint. She brings decades of experience in everything from grassroots organizing to policy advocacy, capacity building, coalition building, leadership development and social justice philanthropy.  She has been actively involved in cross-movement networks on racial justice, democracy, reproductive justice, economic justice and alternative economic models, climate justice, and language justice in the United States and her home country of El Salvador.      Tania comes to MRBF from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, where she served as a senior program officer co-leading the state-level systemic change strategy. As part of the SLSC work, Tania developed and implemented strategies for the “promoting social and economic justice” portfolio. She also built relationships with applicants and grantee partners, closed access gaps to resources, power and infrastructure, and strengthened grassroots BIPOC infrastructure. Tania co-led the Foundation’s racial and gender equity work, deepening a collective equity lens and developing mechanisms to operationalize this lens. Tania led strategy alignment and leveraging efforts with philanthropic partners through her work in funder collaboratives.   Before joining ZSR, Tania was the North Carolina Program Manager for Hispanics in Philanthropy and coordinated the NC Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities – a network of funders building the capacity of Latinx-led organizations and infrastructure. Previously, Tania worked as the Director of Youth Programs at El Pueblo, where she helped develop youth leadership, engage youth in effective community organizing, and build leaders’ capacity to engage in intergenerational work. Previously, Tania worked with NC WARN as a community organizer on environmental, energy and climate justice issues. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Centroamericana “Jose Simeon Cañas” in San Salvador, and a Master in Politics of Alternative Development, with a focused on decolonial approaches and movement building, from the International Institute of Social Studies Erasmus at the University Rotterdam in The Hague, Netherlands. She also has an international certificate in popular education methodologies. In her spare time, Tania enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and dancing. 

Velvet Scott (she/her) works with network officers, the grants manager and others to support grantmaking processes, and evaluate the impacts of MRBF’s programs, grants, investments, and related activities. She brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning, program management, and community engagement. Her impressive career includes leadership roles such as Director of Civic Engagement & Voting Rights at the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable and Managing Director at Mississippi Votes. A proud member of the National Council of Negro Women, Attala County Section, Velvet is deeply committed to empowering women and advancing social justice. As a wife and mother, her passion for equity is rooted in her vision of creating a more inclusive and just world for future generations. Velvet holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience & Cognitive Studies from Millsaps College and has been recognized as a 2021 Mississippi Black Leadership Institute Fellow and a 2022 EMILY’s List Ignite Change Fellow.