Our Team
Essah Cozett-Diaz
Essah is the Lead Summit Organizer. She is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and Ph.D. candidate specializing in Literature and Language of the English-speaking Caribbean at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. She is the Founder and President of Hermanas de Agua, a nonprofit focused on self care and wellness in PR.
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Tamieka Atkins
Tamieka is the Convener of the Women of Color Initiative. A pioneer of civic engagement, having served with National Domestic Workers Alliance – Atlanta Chapter, and volunteers with Amnesty International USA, Highlander Research and Education Center, Atlanta Jobs with Justice, Annie E. Casey’s Community Investment Fund, and the Board of State Voices and State Innovation Exchange (SIX).
Alnory Gutlay
Alnory is a Summit Organizer and has been with WoCI since 2022 for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Georgia. She previously served as a Vice President of Health Equity at an immigrant and refugee nonprofit. She now serves as a Community Impact Director at the American Heart Association.
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Bernadine Byer
Ms. Byer is the Board President of Our Turn. She served her community as a Librarian for over 30 years, implementing programs to improve the lives of People of Color. Now she serves as the Board President of Our Turn, a national nonprofit focused on the well-being and longevity of Black women. She continues to remain involved in her community in Trinidad, where she emigrated from in the 1980s.
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Casey Davis
Casey is the Summit Logistics Coordinator who oversees the logistics, marketing, and technology. She has a Masters in Conflict Management and has worked with many small businesses and nonprofits providing a variety of services, which aids in her role of executive assistant.
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Sandra Barnhill
She has 30+ years in the nonprofit field, working at the highest levels of executive leadership. She founded Foreverfamily in 1987, a nonprofit that serves children and families of incarcerated parents, and she continuously uses her skills to consult for other nonprofits.