2024 Impact Award Winners – Round 1

Dr. Amieris Lavender, Chief Program Officer at YWCA of Asheville, is a proud Black, queer, first-generation college graduate, caregiver, social justice advocate, and Dad joke aficionado dedicated to eliminating barriers and smashing silos continuing to threaten Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) youth achievement and advancement. She has worked to dismantle white supremacy systems and culture at every step, remaining fiercely committed to implementing effective, responsive, anti-racist programming and nurturing intersectional community collaborations. Dr. Lavender’s critical racial justice lens has also been pivotal in reshaping Asheville’s educational ecosystem through her executive role on the Asheville City Schools Foundation Board, as tri-chair for the Asheville Buncombe Preschool Planning Collaborative, and as the Facilitator for the Education Impact Focus Area of the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Reparations Commission. Until Black educational excellence is the standard, she persists – undeterred and unafraid in upholding the unlimited potential of Black learners.

Read to Succeed (R2S) co-director Ashley Allen championed community-powered literacy as a fast-track path to meaningfully improving inclusivity, accessibility, and equity in education. In her R2S programming and Asheville City Schools (ACS) leadership, Ashley integrated diverse storytelling to challenge oppressive, dehumanizing systems invested in perpetuating the opportunity gap undermining the health, wealth, and welfare of all students. Ashley’s education empowerment mission has included collaboration with ACS school-improvement initiatives, Claxton Elementary‘s Social Justice League, and North Carolina Association of Educators instructor equity promotion efforts, as well as partnering with the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, Asheville PEAK Academy, Christine Avery Learning Center, and Community Action Opportunities leaders. Spoiler Alert: Students are the heroes in the system change story, and Ashley’s advocacy continues until education equity is secured.

Don’t sleep on this dynamic community catalyst! Asheville’s own Brandy Mills is an award-winning advocate, entrepreneur, speaker, nursing professional, Executive Coach of Brandy Mills Consulting, and Founder of Woman Strong – a women’s empowerment movement offering coaching, workshops, and meetups to inspire, empower, and support women of color in business sector leadership. Her goal has been to motivate others into massive action by quieting the noise of self-doubt, shifting the mindset of oppression, and challenging limiting beliefs born from systemic racism, discrimination, and sexism. Brandy has spoken on numerous “Women in Business” panels and workshops in partnership with Mountain BizWorks, Noir Collective AVL, Webb Investment Services, the Indigo Innovation Group, WomanUP, Hendersonville’s RE-GROUP Women Empowerment Collective, and The Beauty Boost Asheville. She sits on the Mountain BizWorks Catalyst Fund Committee and serves on the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and All Souls Counseling Center boards.

Asheville native Gene Ettison is a Community Health Worker (CHW), peer support, and social change agent on a mission “to impact one million lives before leaving this earth.” Gene transformed his lived experience of hardship into 10+ years of impactful service, focusing on people of color impacted by incarceration. At the United Way of Rutherford County, Gene led a team of CHWs in providing wrap-around services and resource guidance, exemplifying his commitment to holistic, resilience-building community strategies. Gene’s storytelling, policy change advocacy, and community engagement efforts have proven essential in reshaping problematic narratives and combating stigma around justice-involved individuals. His deep collaborations with Operation Gateway, the Justice Resource Center, NC Second Chance Alliance, Pisgah Legal Services, and the Center for Participatory Change (CPC) helped create a robust network, enhancing local capacity to meet the diverse needs of those transitioning from incarceration to community life by not only addressing immediate needs but also promoting long-term, systemic change.

Halston Fisher‘s journey from personal struggles to a life of dedicated service is a testament to the efficacy of people-powered solutions and the value of impacted individuals’ lived experiences in social change work. As an NC Certified Peer Support Specialist and CHW with United Way of Rutherford County, Halston provided reentry support and resource navigation assistance for formerly incarcerated persons. His peer support expertise has also been crucial to his outreach and impact success in uplifting local Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center communities. Halston has partnered with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, the Justice Resource Center, the Land of Sky Regional Council, and surrounding churches in Asheville, including serving as an overnight Peer Support for Haywood Street Respite and Safe Shelter, which specifically caters to families, the LGBTQ community, and people previously discriminated against in homeless shelter settings. Having personally walked the path, Halston has and continues to inspire others to break the (invisible and visible) chains that bind – one person, one connection at a time.

Michelle Black has been a ride-or-die partner in diversifying the Western North Carolina (WNC) mountain biking landscape since 2013. As the visionary behind AVL Trails, Michelle cultivated an inclusive, accessible environment by carving out new trails in a predominantly white, male-dominated sport. In addition to co-organizing weekly rides for local Latine/x groups, Michelle collaborated with Epic Cycle in Hendersonville, offering bike rental discounts and free bike maintenance classes to foster greater participation amongst female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ bikers. Michelle also volunteered with the G5 Trail Collective, the Pisgah Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association group, and as a group leader with the Blue Ridge Dirt Skrrts and Riding in Color WNC‘s 2024 BIPOC ride. In keeping it dialed in for equity, Michelle has helped transform WNC mountain biking into a vehicle for community connection and social change.

Community has always been center stage for celebrated Asheville native, author, playwright, poet, and spoken word artist Monica McDaniel. Monica’s multimedia advocacy tackled commonly-held taboos in Black communities, from substance use to sexual violence and mental wellness. Her stage productions achieved historic success, including recognition as the first African American writer, producer, and director to achieve a sold-out run in the esteemed Asheville Community Theatre‘s 35 Below space. Off stage, Monica founded “Black Table Talk,” a support network for young Black girls facing adversity, and was the driving force behind “Black Women Against Domestic Violence,” providing a sanctuary of support and empowerment for survivors. Monica’s leadership lineup also entailed board service at Our VOICE, the CPC, and Just Folks of Asheville. Monica’s devotion to social justice and storytelling amplified historically marginalized voices, sparking crucial dialogues in crafting a brighter, inclusive future for all.

Nicole Kott has fervently advocated for Haywood County’s unhoused populations through her nonprofit, Helping Hands of Haywood, which provides emergency shelter, street outreach, case management, and long-term housing navigation. As its volunteer Executive Director, Nicole has addressed homelessness with a compassionate, comprehensive “Housing First” approach shaped by her own experiences of houselessness and discrimination as a Jewish child living in poverty, forged her into an adept resource navigator for those pushed to the margins. Nicole’s passion and resourcefulness are reflected in her multi-pronged approach to relationship-based service and collaboration. She has partnered with Mountain Projects, Haywood Regional Medical Center, Veterans Services of the Carolinas, and local hotels, shelters, and landlords, creating a network of compassion and support in Haywood County. Remarkably, Nicole has guided 70 individuals from 30 households to permanent housing since July 2023 and sheltered over 1,000 people since 2019, transforming lives with each warm embrace and every full fridge.

Rochelle Reich has been a transformative force in Asheville’s interfaith cultural landscape through her roles at the Asheville Jewish Community Center and as Executive Director at Beth Israel Synagogue. Over the last 13+ years, her work has significantly addressed antisemitism by promoting education, awareness, and relationship-building within the greater Asheville community. In these spaces, Rochelle has also worked tirelessly to foster inclusive, welcoming environments by challenging existing xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia as part of an ongoing learning initiative. In addition to collaborating with local and regional Jewish organizations, Rochelle has supported and collaborated with various social justice organizations, including the YWCA of Asheville, Youth OUTright, New Birth Church, and Mountain Spirit Church, in striving to build stronger bridges and understanding between Asheville’s diverse communities. As the Jewish Community Relations Council Chair for six years, Rochelle’s proactive approach has been instrumental in addressing and responding to antisemitism, highlighting her pivotal role in nurturing cross-movement understanding, solidarity, and support on the road to collective liberation.