LEAD Program

Our girls leadership program is a structured, multi-session series for middle school girls ages 11 to 15.

Summer Fashion Camp

Girls learn to craft their designs, launch a fashion business, and rip the runway at Winston-Salem Fashion Week!

Girls Rising Expo

Girls and their parents/guardians gather for a fun-filled day of learning, sharing and future planning.

Sponsor LEAD

Your opportunity to help middle school girls build brighter futures.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LEAD

Board of Directors

Katina Little

Chair

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Katina Little is married to Lieutenant Dwayne R. Little of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and is a loving mother of three remarkable boys! She is a proud graduate of the illustrious Hampton University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2002 and then went on to Duke University School of Nursing, where she earned her Masters in Nursing in 2009.

With over two decades of experience in Pediatric Medicine, Katina has dedicated her career to making a difference in the lives of children and families. Throughout her career, she has worked at federally qualified health centers and prominent hospital facilities such as Duke Medical Center, Atrium Baptist Health, and Novant. It is here that she gained invaluable insights into the gaps present within the healthcare system. Her appointment to key leadership roles within these clinical settings further solidified the need for her to remain true to her commitment of ensuring that families across the community receive compassion, education and empowerment, irrespective of their socio-economic status or geographical location.

Her purpose and God given assignment lead to the innovation of Purposeful Pediatrics!

Katina reinvigorated “House Calls” due to a sincere, heartfelt commitment of providing equitable, high-quality, personalized and compassionate healthcare options to all the families in the Triad and surrounding areas. As the pioneer of the first pediatric nurse practitioner-owned and operated practice in the Triad that is dedicated solely to house calls, she exemplifies the empowerment and courage that she desires to equip others with. Her decision to step out stands as a beacon of her unwavering faith and genuine passion for innovating a positive change in how healthcare can be delivered.

Katina is also active in her community through partnering and serving with various nonprofit organizations. She is a dedicated leader in her church, serves on the board of H.O.P.E of Winston Salem, and she is also a member of the Parental Advisory Board for the WSFCS and the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board. Her participation in Leadership Winston Salem Flagship Class of 2023 reflects her continuous dedication to grow as a leader and an individual to ensure she will be an influential, unapologetic changemaker in the spaces she occupies.

Lucia Higgins

Vice Chair

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Lucia Higgins is the Director, Philanthropy and Public Relations for Family Services, Inc. In her 7 years at Family Services, Lucia has served in a few roles and has experience in community engagement, annual funds, capital campaigns, and more. Lucia earned her CFRE (Certified Fundraising Professional) certification and serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Triad Chapter, currently serving as Secretary. Prior to her work at Family Services, Lucia worked for 17 years at Salem Academy in the Admissions Office. Lucia learned about LEAD Girls of NC through a friend and started her service to LEAD on the Marketing Committee, then with Soirée planning and now she is excited to join the Board of Directors.

Tahja Gaymon

Treasurer

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Tahja is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and spent her high school years in Lawton, Oklahoma. She received her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications from Bennett College and her MPA in Nonprofit Management from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is also DEI certified. Tahja is the Director of Alumnae Engagement for Salem Academy where she enjoys connecting with alums and students to hear about their experiences at the Academy. She is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Tahja believes change must start within each individual person. “We have to move beyond our comfort zone and make meaningful connections with people that do not necessarily reflect how and where we grew up. This will not only begin to change each person, but it can change our communities.”

Tahja is active in the Winston-Salem community. She serves on the Winston-Salem Foundation Women’s Fund Events Committee, YWCA Women of Vision Committee, and is a board member for Horizons Residential Care Center. She enjoys reading, movie night with her husband, and being a dance mom for her daughter.

Fanetta Bryant Jones

Secretary

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Fanetta is a Master’s Prepared Nurse currently employed with Veteran Affairs. She obtained her BSN from Winston-Salem State University in 1996 and her Master’s in Public Health from Walden University in 2011. She is a wife and a mother of two loving children, one who joined LEAD as a 7th grader and stayed actively involved until she graduated. Fanetta believes in nurturing children and giving back to help others: “I believe what we put into our children is what we get out of them. I enjoy helping others and giving back what has been given to me.”

Camille Davenport

Director

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Camille Davenport is a Regional HR Business Partner for CompassOne Healthcare where she has worked as an HR leader for 16 years. In her current role, she provides strategic HR support for 6 Regional Vice President and 7500 associates covering 18 states. With over 20 years of Human Resource experience and a passion for leader development, Camille has become a valuable resource both within CompassOne and within the community for providing strategic HR advice and guidance, leader training and mentoring support for young HR leaders.

Camille is passionate about ensuring that girls of all ages come to know who they are and that they discover the beauty and power that they possess. Camille resides in Clemmons with her husband Michael; they are parents to three adult children and two school-aged children, and they recently welcomed their first grandchild.

Shana Folk

Director

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Shana Folk serves as the Assistant Vice President, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE+I) Officer, with Allegacy Federal Credit Union. As part of a dynamic Human Resources team, Shana leads Allegacy’s journey to create a culture of belonging, oversees the organization’s employee engagement, and spearheads the DE+I efforts across the community. Shana relocated to the Triad and joined Allegacy in 2018, bringing a diverse background in Human Resources and Talent Acquisition.

Previously Shana was part of Human Resources teams in government contracting, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Justice, all in the greater Washington DC area. Shana is passionate about life-long learning, adoption, travel, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and her kids – a smart and creative daughter and a funny and sweet son.

Shana is active with Winston-Salem Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), earned her BA in Political Science and English from Bucknell University, and recently completed her MBA at Wake Forest University. Shana is excited to partner with LEAD Girls and inspire young women to believe in themselves and strive for excellence!

Victoria Burgos

Director

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In both her professional life and her volunteerism, Dr. Victoria Burgos has had the opportunity to serve students in a variety of settings and age groups from kindergarten to adulthood. Currently, as a Talent and Development Consultant for Forsyth County. Victoria is privileged to support the growth of the professionals and the organizational excellence of the county.

Formerly, as Dean of Students of her alma mater, Salem College, Victoria prioritized creating a supportive and empowering campus environment for students. In roles such as Director of Orientation, Student Engagement, and Intercultural Activities and Director of Recruitment & Enrollment, Victoria passionately pursued innovative strategies to provide equitable opportunities for all students. Her experiences as a daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college student have infused her professional endeavors with a passion for flattening students’ barriers to educational access.

Victoria recently graduated with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2022 and is very excited to be a part of the LEAD Girls team!

Caitlin Browne

Director

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Caitlin is originally from New Jersey. She grew up as a part of the 4-H program, learning the importance of supporting the local community. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Guilford College and an MBA from Wake Forest University.

Caitlin is passionate about building an equitable society. She has spearheaded networking events and groups that allow women to build their strengths and confidence, showcase their ideas, and provide a forum to learn from one another. Caitlin has recently joined Ontex Operations USA, LLC as a Cost Controller at the local plant where they produce affordable feminine hygiene solutions. Caitlin’s definition of success is having a positive impact on those around her. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys hiking with her husband and husky Aspen, galivanting around town with her friends, and playing cards with her family.

Dr. Angela Monell

Director

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Dr. Monell is a native of Prince George’s County Maryland and has resided in the Winston-Salem area for many years. As an educator, Dr. Monell’s passion for students is evident in her daily work as a Principal.

Dr. Monell received her undergraduate degree at Towson University in Mass Communication. As she began to explore her career interests, she obtained her Master’s in Special Education at Bowie State University. In 2014, she received her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction and her Administrative Certification at North Carolina A&T in 2016.

Working in the community and guiding students to find their way are Dr. Monell’s passions. She has a particular interest in working with Middle School students, as she recognizes that being in the “middle” is challenging in more ways than one. She believes that middle school is a critical time to engage students and provide structure and resources that will not only take them through their formative years, but will also be valuable throughout their lives.

Jasmine Pitt

Director

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Jasmine was raised in Winston-Salem and graduated from West Forsyth High School. She graduated from Wake Forest University, where she was a four-year varsity athlete. She received her law degree from Wake Forest School of Law, where she served on the Law Review and competed on Moot Court.

She spent the first six years of practice at a local firm providing a wide-range of services to clients. In 2021, she joined Akerman LLP as an attorney within the litigation practice group, focusing on commercial litigation in state and federal courts. Within the firm, she is a member of the Community Impact Team for the firm’s Winston-Salem office, which organizes service activities for local organizations. She is currently the Vice President of The Forsyth County Bar Association / 31st Judicial Bar and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. She is also a current member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the Resource Development Committee for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Piedmont Triad. And she serves on the Rose Council at Wake Forest School of Law, serving on the primary young alumni group.

Jasmine enjoys actively engaging and participating in leadership development programs, mentoring potential and current law students, and serving her community. She is excited to join Lead Girls.

Masonne Sawyer

Director

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Masonne Sawyer is an accomplished holistic student support services professional with extensive Community College experience and currently serves in the role of Vice President of College & Career Readiness & Holistic Success Services at Forsyth Technical Community College. Highlights include developing and implementing programs that directly relate to improving student success, persistence, and retention. Effective communicator with excellent planning and organizational skills and the ability to collaborate across departments/divisions and establish realistic goals and attain results. She is an alum of Forsyth Tech where she completed her college transfer degree and went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Gardner-Webb University followed by a Master of Science in Psychology from Capella University.

She serves on the Board of Directors for Experiment in Self-Reliance and The Trinity Center in Winston-Salem, NC, Chair of Education Day Committee for Leadership Winston-Salem as well as the Board of Directors for the NC American Council on Education Women’s Network. She is the recipient of several awards including Staff Person of the Year, the Forsyth Tech President’s Award and was recently inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Hall of Honor.

In addition to her role at the college, Masonne is a devoted wife and mother to her husband of twenty-five years, Kevan and son, Kieran, and daughter Sydne. Along with her dedication to her family, Masonne is committed to her work at her church and in mentoring and coaching young women to be strong, bold, and courageous leaders.