Tameka Brown, a Durham native, is the Founding Executive Director of H.E.A.R.T.S. Prior to founding the organization in 2012, Tameka holds a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University (the best HBCU in the nation) and served as a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher in both Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Durham Public Schools. Her passion for supporting teen parents began in those classrooms, as she saw firsthand how her own students were forced to drop out of school because support systems weren’t available to help them navigate and overcome their new challenges. Through the journey of developing her craft, Tameka is a graduate of Helius Foundation’s Unity Fellowship program, a Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow (Class of 2021) and is a current United Way 10 to Watch leader. Tameka is a proud mom to her 13-year-old daughter who is the motivation behind her drive.

With over 45 years of experience as an educator, Kathy Chapman has provided support to students, their families and adults as a classroom teacher, administrator, private consultant and college instructor. She received her BA in Education from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, MS in Special Education from Marymount University of Virginia and a MEd in School Administration from North Carolina Central University.

Having worked on the local, regional and federal level of education in New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, DC, North Carolina at North Carolina Central University and in Kentucky at the University of Kentucky, Mrs. Chapman’ bank of information and resources have been valuable tools to share with her community.

Two adult children, 2 grandchildren and 50 years of marriage, provides Ms. Chapman another bank of knowledge and information that supports why she is not reluctant to learn new ideas and continues to be in the forefront of initiatives that benefit all.

Crystal S. Ingram is an attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Right to Education Project. Crystal is a proud alumna of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and North Carolina Central University School of Law. Crystal’s passion for advocating for pregnant and parenting students' rights stems from her experiences as a student and her experiences as a seventh-grade science teacher in Jacksonville, Florida. In her free time, Crystal enjoys spending time with her family, reading, exploring nature, and trying new vegan recipes.

I am a Graduate of UNC Charlotte with a Bachelors of Arts in Computer Science. Upon graduating, I was able to obtain a job at UNC Chapel Hill to gain my programming and technical experience. Over the years, this gave me over 25 years of experience. As I continued to grow in my field this allowed me to obtain a position as a manager. I currently manage a team that supports OnBase and ServiceNow at RTI International. I have been able to apply strong analytical and technical skills, along with being an effective communicator to facilitate relationships with my customers, team members and upper management. Outside of work, I am able to dedicate my time to H.E.A.R.T.S. as a Board Member.

Tanita 'Nina' Wright-Richie is the Regional Property Manager with Drucker + Falk, specializing in team development, new construction management, and maximizing the economic value of each client's portfolio since 2018. With more than 21 years of experience in property management, she continues to lead by example and never hesitates to roll up her sleeves to help her employees. Nina works hard to ensure everyone has a role to play and that no job or task is beneath any title.

Nina has a real passion for the industry and holds a CAM and CAPS certification from the National Apartment Association. Additionally, Nina has a Bachelors of Science in Business Management Organization Development and a minor in Human Resource Management.

The only thing greater than Nina's passion for the industry, is her passion for helping others. In her spare time, Nina enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, dancing, and mentoring young adults. She is an active volunteer within her church and organizes several fundraising events to support those in need in the community.