As the deinstitutionalization movement progressed, she became an administrator and collaborated with the clinical directors of nine community services boards in the Tidewater region of Virginia to ensure comprehensive coordination of services before and after discharge.  Later, in the private sector, she managed two start-up chemical dependency and mental health inpatient programs where she supervised all clinical and support staff, and prepared the programs for review by the national Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and for inspections for Medicare coverage and state licensure.

Mary Ruth holds a MA in psychology from the College of William & Mary and a BA in English from Cleveland State University.  She describes herself as a reader, outdoors enthusiast, and nana to seven exceptional grandchildren.

As principal at Direct Invest, Carlton is focused on developing strategies to bring capital markets to disinvested communities to invest in the development of “sustainable restorative” human settlements. This strategy of sustainable restorative development addresses human social, economic and cultural capital development while at the same time preserving environmental resources for future generations and returning a market rate of return for investors. Brown is spearheading Direct Investment’s initiative in helping community-based organizations mine value from their under-utilized real estate assets via sustainable development strategies.

She brings these same skills to bear in her role as VP of Design Innovation at DignityMoves as she creates ways for companies, government agencies and individuals to contribute to meaningful solutions that will improve the lives of unhoused individuals.

Elizabeth’s skills include consensus building, project management and community advocacy. She has served with new organizations building their processes and building their brand/mission, as well as with established organizations experiencing change and renewal. Asking the right questions with an open mind is an important part of her learning / program-building approach.

Chef Lett launched her catering business in 2010 as a wedding catering business in Orlando, Florida and went on to win the prestigious “The Best of Weddings” from The Knot in 2013 and has since won the award an additional seven times. Chef Lett has competed twice on the Food Network Channel, in 2017 on Cooks vs. Cons and in 2018 on Food Network Star Season 14. Since relocating to Atlanta, Red Door Events & Catering has served clients such as YouTube, Morehouse, CARTERS, Mercedes Benz, Edelman and has worked on a host of film sets. Having previously experienced homelessness, Chef Lett is excited to bring her passion and vibrancy to Lotus Campaign’s Board of Advisors.

He advises half of the Fortune 10 on climate and sustainability strategy. Brenden has over 15 years of experience in energy and carbon solutions in the built environment at all scales – from home renovations to campus master plans to statewide regulations. Prior to joining Integral Group, Brenden served as Pacific Region Director for the US Green Building Council. At USGBC, he ran all programs for the $80M organization’s largest market, and his office in San Francisco was USGBC’s primary lead with Fortune 100 companies, cleantech startups, and high performance building product and service providers. Brenden is a LEED AP (BD+C) and has lectured internationally on sustainability, green building, and environmental policy. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and of Yale University.

Previously, McMahon spent 14 years as Vice President and Director of Land Use Programs for The Conservation Fund, protecting more than 5 million acres of land. He co-founded and was President of Scenic America, a non-profit devoted to protecting America’s scenic landscapes. He taught law and public policy at Georgetown University for 9 years, and served in the U.S. Army, both at home and abroad.

‍McMahon is the author or co-author of 15 books and over 500 articles and has worked with more than 600 communities on a wide variety of land use and economic development issues.

McMahon has a BS from Spring Hill College; an M.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Alabama, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law School.

More specifically, his role focused on connecting corporate and foundation partners across the country while ensuring the company upholds its community promise, focusing on four key areas including innovation and entrepreneurship, financial wellness, upward mobility, and homeownership.

Woodfolk graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership from the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School. As part of his studies, Woodfolk focused on housing policy and analyzed the ways in which local, state, and federal policies played a part in disproportionately affecting underserved communities throughout the U.S. in the 20th century.

Now at Darden, Chris is a Consortium Fellow and Future Year Scholar, VP of Business Development for the Community Consultants of Darden and brings with him a strong background in strategy and quantitative analysis. This summer he will be an MBA intern at Nike, working on the company’s Connected Membership team.