2016 EMERGING LEADERS PROFILES
Ericka Alston
Ericka Alston is charged with amplifying the voices of the young people in
Sandtown-Winchester. Presently, Ericka Alston serves as the Director of Youth
Services, Violence Prevention & Community Outreach for Maryland Community
Health Initiatives, Inc., the parent organization to The Penn North Recovery
Center, The Penn North Community Resource Center, Penn North Supportive
Housing Program, and the New Penn North Kids Safe Zone where she serves as
the Founding/Executive Director. The Kids Safe Zone is a safe recreational haven
for the children in the Sandtown-Winchester community of West Baltimore, and was the organization’s
response to the uprising in Baltimore in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death.
The resounding notion across the city was that Baltimore City children, specifically children in Sandtown
Winchester were devoid of resources, lacked recreation and needed an outlet. Under Ericka’s vision and
direction, Penn North Community Resource Center is answering the call. Ericka is passionate about young
people and helping them reach their full potential, and the Kids Safe Zone is the vehicle used to move her
passion forward.
Candace Chance
Candace Chance’s story starts out in West Baltimore, Maryland. Having parents
who—through their own lives—taught her to think critically, question deeply, create
her own path, and advocate for others, she was destined to be BOLD. Her parents
being from Queens, New York and Guyana, South America just added a little flavor
to her personality.
Growing up, many people knew something was different about her, and she did too.
She received her B.A. in Biology and M.A. in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College in Towson, MD.
Having an interesting interplay between entrepreneurship, rebelliousness, and desire to empower others,
Candace knew she couldn’t remain at her job for long. Although she enjoyed it, she leaped from her
salaried position as an Environmental Education Coordinator, in August 2015 to pursue her own social
ventures.
Candace’s purpose is clear: to empower others (especially youth!). Youth have, what she calls, a deep
reservoir of resilient power potential. She aims to activate that potential and then watch them take off into
success. She has learned a lot about entrepreneurship, leadership, and self (with a ton more to learn!). She
activates, educates, and connects people to resources to create their most empowered self.
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Damion J. Cooper, M.Th.
Damion uses his startling life’s story of being shot an inch above the heart at point
blank range by one of two gunmen to teach lessons of forgiveness, self-control,
discipline, and redemption via mentorship. While mentoring a young man in prison
during his years in Seminary, he discovered that his mentee was the assailant who
shot him years earlier. This inspired him to create Project Pneuma; a holistic program
focused on forgiveness and curbing impulse actions in young African-American
males and men in the penal system by teaching them yoga, mindfulness, breathing
techniques, and martial arts.
Damion currently serves as the Director of Neighborhood Relations for the City Council President. He is
charged with building relationships and bridging the gap with City Government, Communities, FaithBased Institutions, City Schools, and Colleges, bringing forth new initiatives and potential legislation that
would better the communities in Baltimore. Damion is also a certified Gang Awareness and Intervention
Trainer through the Department of Juvenile Justice, trains competitively with the Warlord’s Academy of
Martial Arts, and is a 2014 BMe Leadership Award Recipient.
Damion lives in Northwest Baltimore and is married to the former Towan Nicole Stanback and they have
four wonderful children, Alexis, Tiana, Nigel, and Nevaeh.
Saran Fossett
Committed, passionate, strategic, creative, multidisciplinary leader, and youth advocate
with an eye for innovation and possibilities. Saran worked the gamut of careers in
fashion (professional model, boutique owner, model agent, stylist, merchandising,
consultant, fashion event producer, and creative director), and although her skill set is
vast, her greatest expertise and passion resides in the worlds of youth advocacy,
fashion/charity event planning, program development and management, and
marketing. Her wish is to combine her knowledge and experience in these areas, to
deliver extraordinary youth programming addressing the cultural, social, emotional, critical thinking, and
life skills development of youth. It is her hope and vision to open state of the art youth centers that will
offer programs that support the promotion of self-love, and information that encourages and help youth
to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally...from strength to strength. Currently the Executive
Director of Aziza/PE&CE Youth Programming, Saran’s commitment is to providing a safe and empowering
place to reach, educate, inspire, grow, and nurture today's generation of young women and men by
motivating and teaching them the value of self-love, self-actualization and self-acceptance. She also loves
interior design and shoes!
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Tonee Lawson
Tonee Lawson is a Washington, DC area native, but has made Baltimore her home
since her college years as a Towson Tiger. She graduated in 2007 with a dual Bachelor
of Science degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics (MB3) and
Biology. Tonee continued her education at the University of Maryland University
College, where she received her Master of Science degree in Biotechnology, with a
concentration in Management (2010). Tonee is an active member of the Junior
League of Baltimore, Greater Baltimore Leadership Association, and the Rho Xi
Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
It was through her dedicated service with her sorority where she first discovered her desire to serve
Baltimore’s youth. In 2010, she served as the Program Coordinator for her chapter’s Emerging Young
Leader’s Initiative, a leadership development program for middle school aged girls. With a team of
dedicated volunteers, she developed a curriculum and executed monthly activities for 120 girls at the
SEED School of Maryland. Tonee continues her service to youth by serving as a Volunteer Workshop
Facilitator for the Baltimore Urban League’s Saturday Leadership Program.
After dedicating her time and talents to serving youth through established organizations, Tonee decided
to take a leap of faith in 2014 and start her own nonprofit youth development organization. She is the
Founder and Executive Director of The Be. Organization, whose mission is to encourage and nurture youth
to live above their socially-imposed limitations; to develop their character, talents, and leadership skills
allowing them to go beyond a dream and achieve remarkable excellence.
Tonee is employed with the Corporation of National and Community Service, AmeriCorps National Civilian
Community Corps (NCCC) as an Assistant Program Director, where she develops projects for young
people ages 18-24 to strengthen communities through team-based service throughout the Atlantic
Region; Tonee mentors and trains corps members on civic engagement, professionalism, and project
development. She is undoubtedly a dedicated servant leader and enjoys nothing more than sharing her
time and talents with young people to help them reach their full potential.
Damien Myers
Damien Myers, MD, MPH is the Founder and CEO of the Academy of Future Health
Professionals, LLC. The organization works to cultivate the next generation of leaders
in clinical medicine and public health. The hallmark program is a 4-week summer
enrichment camp held at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Students are
introduced to the principles of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Dr. Myers
is also the program director for the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical
Sciences pathway at Western High School in Baltimore, MD. The program has over
120 students from all over Baltimore City who are pursuing their dreams of a career in the health sciences.
Dr. Myers holds degrees from Morehouse College (BS, Biology), University of Alabama at Birmingham
(MPH, Epidemiology), and Wright State University (MD). Under his direction, all graduates from the
biomedical program completed one or more internships, 100% were accepted to college, and 94% are
pursuing STEM degrees in college. The initial cohort of 16 students all earned scholarships to attend
college. Dr. Myers was also awarded the 2014 BMe Leader Award for his efforts in connecting people,
inspiring youth, and improving the economic conditions in Baltimore.
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Feyi Odukoya
Feyi Odukoya is a young entrepreneur on the rise, determined to instill
boldness in girls and women, while teaching them to live a life of purpose.
After starting her first business at the age of 13, Feyi became passionate about
discovering how to best use her gifts & talents to touch the lives of others.
Motivated by an encounter with an 8 year-old battling self-esteem issues, Feyi
quit her job as an Auditor in order to fully focus on Project Beautify You, Inc., a
nonprofit organization she founded, whose mission is to raise a generation of female leaders by assisting
12-18 year old girls in developing increased levels of self-esteem, confidence and purpose.
DeJuan Patterson
DeJuan is a community organizer and researcher from Baltimore, Maryland. He holds
a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Public Policy from Bowie State University.
DeJuan’s research interests include societal issues in education, public policy, social
justice, and ethnic/racial studies. His passion for advocacy and social justice has
taken him from a Baltimore city street corner to a corner office on Capitol Hill.
Recently, DeJuan through his group, BMore Family, has fed, entertained, and
educated over 400 Baltimore City residents through their BMore Family Dinner and
the BMore Family Toy, Clothing Drive, and Art Exhibit.
Not only does DeJuan have a strong presence in the community, he is very active in legislation. He has
developed policies, lobbied for community & youth re/investment, mental health, and business
development. Dejuan has helped implement a variety of youth development and enrichment programs
and increased student funding and access to national and international research opportunities.
When DeJuan is not trying to change the world, he enjoys educating and inspiring anyone within reach
through his writings and public speaking. If you ask him, he is a passion pusher, cultural crusader, and
inspiring Life Liver who simply likes to educate and inspire.
4|Emerging Leaders 2016