Board of Directors
Bekah Schmidt
PRESIDENT
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Bekah Schmidt is the Corporate Communications (External Affairs) Analyst for Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama (TMMAL). Bekah works directly for Toyota North America and is responsible for TMMAL’s social innovation, public relations, media relations, and local government affairs.
Before joining the Toyota family in May of 2021, Bekah served as the Executive Director for the South Huntsville Main Business Association (South Huntsville Main), a Main Street Designated Community. In partnership with the City of Huntsville and Main Street Alabama, South Huntsville Main is working to revitalize South Huntsville and create a vibrant community. During her tenure, South Huntsville has had $153,000,000 of private investment, 25 new businesses open their doors, and created over 200 new jobs, and broke ground on the new 850-acre Hays Farm Development. Before working for South Huntsville Main.
Bekah graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Political Science & International Studies and was a University Honors Scholar. In May of 2018, Bekah received her Effective Facilitator Certificate through Leadership Strategies. In 2020 she was named the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber Young Professional of the Year.
Bekah is on the board of the Women’s Economic Development Council; is a graduate of Connect Class 18, serves on the City of Huntsville Community Development Board, and is the Treasurer for the Chaffee PTA. Bekah and her husband Stephen have four children, Kyle (age 7) and Emma (age 4, going on 16) and eight-month-old twins, Sophia and Allison.
Bekah enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and a good cup of coffee. Her husband is a military veteran and she is extremely proud of his service. In her free time, Bekah folds laundry, jumps on the trampoline with her kids, does puzzles, avoids cooking, and watches reruns of the West Wing, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. As an extrovert Bekah rarely meets a stranger, is an ENFJ, and feels privileged to call Huntsville home.
MELANIE THORNTON
Vice president
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Melanie is an award-winning communications professional with over 20 years of cross-sector experience working with federal, state, and local governments, as well as nonprofits.
She is currently the Executive Director of Madison Visionary Partners, a nonprofit that focuses on community projects in the City of Madison.
In her previous role, she was the Director of Public Relations for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) system, where she built the Library’s brand image and social media presence. Her efforts in promoting the Library landed the HMCPL in national publications, including the U.S. News and World Report and the Library Journal. She is also the former Director of Alabama’s oldest preservation organization - the Historic Mobile Preservation Society, located in Mobile.
When the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill happened in 2010, Melanie was working in Washington, D.C. as a public affairs officer for the Minerals Management Service, the Interior Department agency that oversees oil development for the United States. She worked directly on the response, alongside the Secretary of the Interior and the White House.
She has worked in numerous community roles, both in a professional capacity and as a volunteer. Her passion for community building can be traced back to her roots, growing up in a small town in South Louisiana. She worked directly on recovery of the region after Hurricane Katrina by acting as an ambassador of the State of Louisiana and representing the tourism industry, the region’s second-largest economic driver.
She uses her volunteer time to empower women through mentorship and education by serving on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Economic Development Council and the Christian Job Corps. She is an alumna of the Alabama Leadership Initiative and a former committee member of the Alabama Bicentennial.
LAUREN SMITH
secretary
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Lauren Smith is the EEO Compliance Director for Leidos Inc., an innovative solutions company providing support for government and private industries. After 12 years of private practice as an employment lawyer, Lauren brings a strategic approach to a variety of issues impacting Leidos’ 44,000 plus employees, focusing on the changing landscape of federal and state employment laws, affirmative action plans, audit responses, government reporting, and internal processes.
Lauren lives with her husband and two sons in Huntsville and spends as much time as she can reading outdoors.
ERIN BLOXHAM CURTIS
PAST PRESIDENT
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Customer and Marketing Senior Consultant, Deloitte
Erin Bloxham Curtis, a true Gen Xer, is still basking in the new employee glow of landing her dream job as a Customer and Marketing Senior Consultant for Deloitte. With almost 20 years of communications, marketing, human centered design, and customer strategy experience, Erin delivers creative solutions to complex problems for our Nation’s Warfighter.
Erin thrives when she’s building authentic relationships, contributing on a team, and giving back to the community. Her current philanthropic endeavors include serving on the Women’s Economic Development Council (WEDC) Board of Directors, an Ambassador with the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, and volunteering at her church. An alumnus of the University of North Alabama and the University of Alabama, she is also a graduate of Leadership Huntsville’s Management Academy Class 8 and Connect Class 10 where she will gladly engage in the Best Class Ever debate.
When not working, Erin is busy serving as head chef, personal stylist, chauffer, and chief play date coordinator to her elementary school aged daughters Ella Grace and Adeline. Daily Erin thanks her lucky stars her oldest, Houston and Grayson, have long since left the nest, and society deems them as fully functioning adults. In rare moments of calm, Erin and her husband Russ, like to pretend the to do lists don’t exist, their house renovations are fully underway, and they might get to take that dream kid free vacation one day.
AMANDA POPE
treasurer
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Amanda Pope currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Invariant Corporation. She joined the organization in 2021 after realizing her passion was truly in helping small businesses not only succeed but thrive. Previously, she served as the Department Manager of the Sensor System Analysis and Engineering department at Dynetics. She earned a Bachelor of Accounting degree and an MBA from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Amanda saw the value in servant leadership at a young age and believes that a culture of accountability can lead to incredible victories for any organization.
She started with Women’s Economic Development Council (WEDC) as a WEDC Milestone member in 2015 and has gone on to lead as the communications chair for several years. She is currently serving as a co-chair of the finance committee in addition to serving as a director on the board. She has volunteered on the WEDC Foundation’s Women Honoring Women event committee, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy event committee for Rocket City’s Got Talent and went Over-The-Edge for Kids to Love last year and is excited to do it again this year! Amanda graduated from Leadership Greater Huntsville’s Management Academy 12 in May of 2022. In addition to Amanda’s work and volunteer commitments, she stays active by learning to play hockey, walking her dog and enjoys traveling as much as possible.
VERONICA A. CRAM
Director
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Veronica, Founder and CEO of InSight Strategic Solutions, brings a wealth of both education and experience to her clients. With over two decades working in financial operational capacities, and eight years studying accounting and business, she has cultivated her gift for identifying “any holes in the boat,” providing solutions to plug those holes, while setting a successful course to a business’s destination.
Her formal education began at New Mexico State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy. Initially enrolling for a Management degree (with the dreams of becoming an entrepreneur), she found studying accounting made perfect sense, and could not understand why others did not find it was logical as she did! She quickly changed her program of study to Accounting and earned a Master of Accountancy from The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Fifteen years after initially choosing to venture down the Accounting path, she earned her Executive Master of Business Administration from Auburn University.
Veronica has worked in a variety of industries, including nonprofit healthcare clinics, vehicle fleet management, manufacturing, defense, and for-profit education. No matter the industry, she learned that numbers speak the truth, and simply reducing expenses in an effort to become profitable can stifle growth. She works with clients today to lead them to success by continuously exceeding goals, resulting in higher cash flows and increased profitability. From one-person start-ups to multi-faceted businesses, Veronica’s guidance has proven invaluable to clients in a variety of industries across the country. Her deep understanding of business, combined with the appreciation of what work-life balance really means, has allowed Veronica come full circle, becoming that entrepreneur by utilizing her extensive education and professional experiences to solve the financial and accounting challenges her clients face on a daily basis. Her successes speak for themselves.
When she’s not working with business owners, she can be found with her husband and daughter cheering on the Auburn Tigers football team, walking their three rescue dogs, or just enjoying life.
LAJOY A.
JOHNS
Director
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WOMEN’S ADVOCATE, WORKS IN STEM, PROMOTES EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
LaJoy’s career spanned twenty-five-years in human services, she worked with youth in foster care, persons with disabilities and seniors aging in place. She returned to college as a non-traditional student in 2009 to lead by example and inspire the six foster girls in her care at a local group home. LaJoy graduated from the School of Business at Athens State University and began work at Torch Technologies, Inc. where she has followed a career path in STEM for the past seven years. She currently serves on three non-profit Boards and as President of Torch Helps; an employee funded non-profit which awards large grants to other local non-profits which serve the basic needs of our community. It is her commitment to give back through volunteer and board service that demonstrates her passion to improve the quality of life for underserved women and families in our local community.
Lajoy is a graduate of TN Valley Diversity Leadership Colloquium and a current Leadership Greater Huntsville participant (MA-13).
When it’s time to unplug from work, meetings, and social media LaJoy enjoys cruising to other countries and visiting historical sites while experiencing their diverse cultures.
Community Activities
- President, Torch Helps 6/2022-Present
- Board Member, Women’s Economic Development Council 2020-Present
- Board Member, Family Services Center 2019-Present
- Board Member, Terry Heights/Hillandale Neighborhood Association 2012-Present
- Diversity & Inclusion Task Force and Committee WEDC, 2020-Present
- Board Member, Torch Helps since 2020
- Board Member, Past President Torch in Action 2018-2021
- Board Member, (President) American Association for University Women (AAUW) 2012-2022
Amy
Roark
Director
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Amy Roark is Contracting Officer with the Missile Defense Agency’s SM-3 Missile program. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, The University of Alabama School of Law, and Leadership Greater Huntsville’s Connect Class 19. She cofounded give256, a giving circle that makes philanthropy accessible to everyone, and she has served the community in many roles including as the President of the Junior League of Huntsville and as a member of the Committee of 100 YP and of Huntsville Hospital’s Development Council, among others. She loves headbands, Huntsville history, and themed parties, and her favorite Taylor Swift album is Reputation.
tenesha
Thomas
Director
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Tenesha Thomas is the owner of Ready Set Holistic Wellness - an endeavor birthed from her personal transformation and healing by virtue of an over 100lb weight loss. Fueled by her passion and advocacy for aligning mental, spiritual, and physical health, she works to craft holistic strategies for individuals and cohorts that improve quality of life. Having spent years in municipal government, public service, as well as nonprofit leadership, she’s developed a holistic approach that transcends individual wellness and enriches the community at large.
In addition to championing wellness, she extends her impact through serial volunteerism and serving on various boards & committees. During idle time, you can spy her creating meaningful moments with loved ones, exercise of some sort, practicing Spanish, or cultivating Sometimes I Struggle, a podcast focusing on normalizing mental health and learning from things that we all, admittedly or not, struggle with.
Stephenie
walker
Director
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In 2010, Stephenie co-founded Rocket City Mom Media Group, a media company and hyper-local parenting resource for families living in Huntsville and North Alabama. Before selling the company in 2022, she was Executive Editor of RocketCityMom.com for 12 years, and worked with local attractions, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to help promote their programs and events to parents looking for fun things to do with their kids and engage in their communities.
Like any true ENFJ and Enneagram Type Seven, Stephenie believes deeply in working to make her community better for others through service. She volunteers on the board at several local nonprofits - the Women’s Economic Development Council, Madison Visionary Partners, Crisis Services of North Alabama, Madison City PTA Council, and Madison CEO. Fueled by her passion for strong public education, she serves on the Bob Jones PTSA and Madison City Schools District Counseling Advisory Council, and is a member of the Madison Friends of the Library.
Bree Taylor Wilbourn
Director
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Bree Taylor Wilbourn is a partner with the law firm of Grace, Matthews & Debro, LLC. Her practice is centered on general civil litigation. Bree graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and received her Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
After graduating, Bree practiced law in Nashville, Tennessee before returning to Alabama in 2006. Bree is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association, Tennessee State Bar Association, and Huntsville Bar Association. Since returning to Alabama, Bree has continued to help the Huntsville Bar Association grow and has previously served as board member of the Huntsville Young
Lawyers, CLE Chair, Law Day Committee as well as other various committees.
She currently serves on the Huntsville Bar Association Executive Committee, Alabama State Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion in the Profession Committee and the Specialization and Certification Task Force. She also serves as a District One Director of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. Bree has heavily invested her spare time in community service as a member of the Huntsville
Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, The Huntsville Committee of 100 Board of Directors, Women's Economic Development Council Board of Directors, Greater Huntsville Community Foundation Compass Society Committee, Leadership Greater Huntsville, and Alabama Leadership Initiative. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for Junior League, Chair of Huntsville Hospital Foundation Development Council, Committee of 100 Young Professional Chair. Bree is also an active volunteer with Holy Spirit Regional Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic High School.
DWAYNIA WILKERSON
Director
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OWNER/CONTENT WRITER PROSE & PENS CONTENT WRITING, GHOSTWRITING, BRAND MESSAGING
In 2016, after spending 11 years teaching English at a local university, Dwaynia Wilkerson traded her grade book and dry erase markers for laptops and coffee shops. That was the start of Prose & Pens, a brand messaging and content writing service. She works closely with CEOs, founders, and other leaders who need help using written content to build their personal brands. Her clients include leaders of both local and national organizations and brands.
Outside of work, some of Dwaynia’s favorite things include spending time with family & friends, books, LMN movies, red wine, and gift cards. She also gets a kick out of laughing loudly at her own jokes.
Dwaynia dreams of running a half marathon someday. However, there is no existing evidence that this will actually happen.
Jennifer Linton
Ex-Officio Director
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Jennifer Linton is the Executive Director, assisting the Board of Directors to accomplish this mission of the WEDC Foundation. The WEDC Foundation was created in 1998 by the Women's Economic Development Council to empower women in our community to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence through higher education. Over the years, the WEDC Foundation has helped over 200 women by providing mentors, professional networking, development programs, and flexible financial assistance (scholarships). The desire is to give a hand up, not a handout to scholars in North Alabama, striving to achieve their goals and dreams through higher education.
Prior to the WEDC Foundation, Jennifer worked for HEALS, Inc. for eight years. She is a native of Huntsville and attended college at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, MS. After spending over a decade enjoying Charleston, SC, Asheville, NC, and Phoenix, AZ, she returned home in 2010. She and her family live on Monte Sano.