Board of Directors
MELANIE THORNTON
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
Vice President
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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.
VERONICA A. CRAM
Secretary
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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.
Allie
Komara
treasurer
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Coming Soon!
Bekah
Schmidt
PAST 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.
MONA
MILLER
Director
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Mona is the Program Director of the Women’s Business Center at The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship in Huntsville, Alabama. She’s dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs and small business owners grow through education, training, and technical support. Mona leads program development and partnerships, connecting women with the resources, funding, and training they need.
Through workshops, coaching, and networking events, she ensures the center is a key support hub for women at all stages of their business
journey. Before her current role, Mona held leadership positions in sectors like NASA, higher education, nonprofits, and the defense industry. She’s led initiatives in workforce development, STEM education, mentorship, and recruitment. Her experience in finance, strategic planning, and as a co-founder of a small business has equipped her to help women entrepreneurs gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
Mona is an advocate for female leadership and STEM education. She’s involved with
organizations such as Drake State Foundation (Board President), WEDC, Junior League, and Leadership Greater Huntsville. In her spare time, Mona pretends to run, dabbles in painting (but
mostly sticks to paint-and-sip nights), and excels at reading instead. She is also a proud boy mom to an almost Auburn graduate.
Kanique Mighty Nugent
DIRECTOR
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Kanique is a wife, mother and entrepreneur whose aim in life has been to help her fellow entrepreneurs put their best foot forward when it comes to their online presence. A native of Jamaica and the last of 3 children, she is the definition of a hard worker with a fierce determination to succeed at whatever she puts her mind to.
She is CEO/Founder of her own business, Komposition LLC, a Web Design and Live Video Strategy company, which she opened in 2010 in Baltimore, MD while being a stay at home mom. In 2011 her husband Kirk received a call to work as Director of IT at the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division based in Pretoria, South Africa. This is where they called home for 4 years before moving back to the states to Huntsville, AL in 2015 to serve as CIO (him) and Webmaster (her) at Oakwood University.
In 2018 she moved her business to Huntsville, AL and in 2020 Kirk joined the business full time as the Live Video Coach expert and developer of that side of the business which has been quite a success as he has also developed a platform for himself on YouTube.
Komposition has been honored to be named in the top 3 Web Designers in Huntsville for 2 straight years, 2021 and 2022 and winning the CommunityVotes - Huntsville AL Best Web Designer for 2023.. We have also had the amazing opportunity of being featured in a virtual interview with Vistaprint in 2021 and were a part of the Spectrum Reach Pay It Forward Program in 2022. Kanique is a 2022 Dare to Dream recipient and has been featured in the Canvas Rebel digital magazine.
Kanique has served in volunteer opportunities such as; VP of Fundraising for her children's school PTO, Chair and Co-Chair of the Recognition Committee and also Co-Chair of the DEIB Committee in the Women's Economic Development Council organization, she recently accepted a seat on the Reify board and has held multiple leadership positions in her Business Network Internation (BNI) Gateway Chapter. She has also had the opportunity to speak on various occasions on the topic of Entrepreneurship, a popular topic during the pandemic.
Kanique is wife to Media Pastor Kirk Nugent of the Oakwood University Church and mother to two children, Karsyn 14 and Khenzi 13.
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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Meet Tenesha – a dynamic nonprofit consultant who thrives at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and impact. As the founder of On Board Solutions, she brings a wealth of experience in municipal government, nonprofit management, and community service to help organizations move from good intentions to measurable results. With a keen ability to facilitate strategic plans that inspire action, cultivate boards that function with confidence, and promote workplace cultures rooted in purpose, Tenesha ensures that the organizations she works with aren’t just maintaining momentum – but scaling their mission for long-term success. She believes that missions and visions are only as strong as the people behind them, which is why she infuses solutions from a people-first approach, guiding teams to not only serve their target demographic but to do so in a way that is sustainable, intentional, and meaningful.
In addition to On Board, she's the founder of Ready Set Holistic Wellness, a passion project turned business inspired by her own life-altering transformation of losing over 100 pounds. She believes it’s never too late to make the rest of your life the best of your life, and, through her work, she empowers clients using practical tools that cultivate balance, intention, and holistic wellness in both their personal and professional lives.
In her free time, you’ll likely find her exercising, practicing Spanish, perfecting her glazed salmon recipe, and discovering new ways to nourish her mind and creative spirit. She believes, “Personal success starts with wellness, purpose, and the courage to evolve.”
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 serves as the Executive Director of the WEDC Foundation (WEDCF), working closely with the Board of Directors to advance the WEDCF mission. Established in 1998 by the Women's Economic Development Council as a separate 501(c)3, the WEDC Foundation supports women in our community by empowering their journey toward self-sufficiency and economic independence through higher education. To date, the WEDCF has impacted the lives of over 200 women, providing mentorship, professional networking opportunities, leadership development programs, and flexible financial assistance in the form of scholarships. Committed to offering a hand up rather than a handout, the WEDC Foundation helps scholars in North Alabama achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families by investing in their pursuit of 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.