Staff

Joycee Black joined IEL as the Senior Program Manager in October 2024. As Senior Program Manager, Joycee manages the technical assistance initiatives for the transition programs. She holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology and an MBA, both from Roosevelt University. She has a robust background in non-profit management and a skill for fostering organizational […]

Pam Romero joined IEL as the Southern Regional Director in October 2024. Pam brings an extensive background of over 20 years in youth development; 10 years of which were within Community Schools, as well as lived experience as a proud product of a Community School. Pam has served in the roles of Coordinator, Manager, Director,

Maddy joined IEL in 2024 as a Program Associate and currently works on Everyone: An Advocate, The Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP), and IEL’s policy efforts, bringing her commitment to educational access and equity. Prior to joining IEL, Maddy gained valuable experience working as an equity-focused educator, student organizer, and public servant. She interned

Liz Thacker joined IEL as the Community Connections Manager, and now serves as our Senior Manager of Partnerships and Engagement. She is no stranger though to IEL having contracted with IEL for nearly four years to support the operations of our Coordinators Network. She brings over 10 years of experience working as a Coordinator with

Zipporah joined IEL in December of 2022. As a program associate, Zipporah is responsible for ongoing administrative and logistic support for the staff and initiatives at IEL. Currently, she supports the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program, the Virginia Career Pathways project, and IEL’s portfolio youth leadership programming. Before joining IEL, Zipporah held a variety of

Proud Puertorriqueña who believes Education and Community are key for a successful life. Love spending time with my family and friends.

Passionate about and committed to helping and bringing people together. Specializing in personalizing diverse events and handling stressful event situations with grace. Creative designs with incredible attention to detail and structured + logistical event flow is a signature.

Christa Rowland believes in the power of uniting communities to create a brighter future for all children. Before joining the IEL team, Christa was the Director of Community Impact at the United Way of Treasure Valley in Boise, Idaho. She helped grow the system of Community Schools in Idaho, founded the Idaho Community School Learning

Dr. Donnie Hale is a proud father, husband, son, and friend that loves to create possibilities with others.  He leads growth strategies, strategic partnership, and innovative solutions to build on IEL’s vision for an equitable society by supporting the development of leaders focused on the betterment of their communities, connecting people who strengthen communities and

Community organizer. Loves family, basketball and poetry. Believes in the power of people to make meaningful change.