Emily is a political strategist, storyteller, and team leader with a deep resume of communications experience across highly-contested federal races, state government, and Capitol Hill. From national prime-time addresses to viral digital moments, she specializes in developing simple, persuasive narratives that cut through the noise.

Amber Thomas is the Senior Vice President of Operations Effectiveness and Improvements. She leads the NAACP operations team while focusing on internal policies and procedures. She also leads the team of holistic project management, helping to push the Association's projects forward through internal partnerships.

Charles V. Taylor Jr. is executive director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP and principal at Peyton Strategies, a political data firm in Mississippi, which specializes in data collection and management. Taylor provides consulting services for nonprofits and progressive candidates from federal to local districts. With a background in community organizing, political direction and canvassing, he possesses a unique perspective, intuitive insight and sound judgment of political analytics. Taylor served as a state organizer in 2012 for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP “This is My Vote” campaign, which registered more than 29,000 Black voters in the state. He was a field director and campaign coordinator for the Better Schools, Better Jobs ballot initiative to fully fund education, also known as Initiative 42. Taylor is also a member of Freedom Side, a national collective of social justice community organizers. He consults as a data manager for One Voice Inc., a nonprofit that seeks to build a progressive civic infrastructure in the American South. He also serves as the Southern Organizing Advisor to Groundwork Project, founded by Former Congressman Joe Kennedy.

T’Erica Hudson leads with a Spirit of Excellence. She is a compassionate thought leader committed to developing emerging leaders, cultivating community, and pursuing service. T’Erica is a native of Chicago, IL, and a Southerner by education earning a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Jackson State University and an M.A. in Higher Education/Student Personnel from The University of Mississippi. T’Erica currently serves as a Project Manager of Operational Effectiveness and Improvements for The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In this role, she is primarily responsible for developing and executing comprehensive project plans that include scope, objectives, and timelines. T’Erica ensures project goals are achieved and accurately assessed.

Julia provides political fundraising strategy to candidates and elected officials who are building districtwide, statewide, and nationwide reputations as they seek to become the next generation of inspiring and dedicated public servants. Julia has experience advising and leading fundraising teams for nonprofits, political committees, several members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, as well as U.S. Senate and House campaigns across the country. In 2012, Julia directed record-breaking fundraising efforts for Congressman Joe Kennedy III campaign for Congress, and continued to envision and execute Rep. Kennedy’s fundraising strategy through five election cycles. Julia also served as a part of the fundraising team for Forward Majority, an organization focused on flipping state legislatures in states with Republican trifectas, with the goal of dismantling the systematic disenfranchisement of Democrats through gerrymandering and voter suppression. Julia is passionate about leveling the playing field to enable women to run for and win elected office. She helped spearhead the creation of a powerful political giving group in Massachusetts, which supports women candidates and elected officials, and educates women donors on the importance and impact of their political giving.

Pen has focused their career in digital communications and organizing at social justice nonprofit organizations. Before Groundwork Project, they worked as the Senior Strategist of Communications and Digital Organizing at Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates. Pen has an MA in Women’s and Gender Studies from The Graduate Center at the City University of New York, as well as a BA in Cultural Anthropology and a BA in Gender & Activism from Indiana University of Indianapolis. In their free time, you can find them watching reality TV shows and cooking dinner with their wife, and hanging out with their two cats, Poopy and Turkey.

J’Shawna Smith-Hayes is an Oklahoma native that has worked in Oil & Gas for over 15 years, and 12 of those years have been in management. Over the past 2.5 years, before getting more involved in being an advocate in the community, she also served as Chief Financial Officer at All Nations Champions Church. J’Shawna is focused on bettering the community and giving back through her non-profit called The H.O.P.E Foundation (Helping Others Persevere in Excellence), founded in 2022. The H.O.P.E Foundation aims to enhance the community, supporting our youth, providing clean laundry, meals, scholarships, and education to our less fortunate and rural communities. The H.O.P.E Scholarship Fund was birthed out of wanting to provide resources to high school students that want to attend college or a trade school but may not have the resources to do so, which will be awarded each year to a high school senior that is in a rural community. The H.O.P.E Foundation, in 2022 launched a campaign in the state of Oklahoma, called Vote For Change, alongside co-founder Julius Jones and the Julius Jones Institute. VFC’s purpose and focus is voter engagement, education and registration in our local communities, high schools, and colleges. J’Shawna is also an entrepreneur creating her own dry cleaning & laundry pickup and delivery service, Pure Dry Cleaning & Laundry, established in 1999. Her business and non-profit have had the opportunity to establish partnership with Socks of Love & Laundry Love of Oklahoma over the past two years. Raising money and providing free laundry 3 times a year for families in need. In 2022, collectively J’Shawna was able to raise over $15,000 toward scholarships, free laundry, free food, and sponsorship to help with the vision and mission of each organization. Also partnering with the Julius Jones Institute & the Julius Jones Coalition in the endeavor of bringing about change in our state. She also serves as the Voting Coordinator for the Julius Jones Coalition. Specializing in business management, J’Shawna can use that experience not only in the corporate world or the board room, but also in her non-profit, community and within her own business. By focusing on the community, using the skills she has acquired, not only in ministry, but she has also been able to put her master’s degree, in business management, earned at Southern Nazarene University to good use. J’Shawna may spend her days working relentless hours at being an entrepreneur, mom, grandmother, advocate, sister, friend, and community organizer, but it’s the love that she has for her sons, the people, and the desire of wanting a better way of life for so many, that gets her up in the morning. When J’Shawna is not working and giving back she enjoys traveling, shooting basketball, thrifting and spending time with family and friends. She is an ambassador for 988 Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s new Mental Health Lifeline and an influencer for Goodwill Oklahoma. Her hope and desire are to inspire others to simply go and do the same. Lend a hand where a hand is needed, show love where love is needed and give hope where hope is needed.