Andrew Young School Alumni Council Chooses Leadership

ATLANTA — Members of the newly reconstituted Alumni Council for the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies have voted on the organization’s 2024-25 Executive Cabinet and committee leaders.

AYS Alumni Council Board Chair Heloise Ahoure

Heloise Ahoure (B.S. ’13) is council chair, Kisha Wesley (M.P.A. ’01) is vice chair, Elyse Zhao (M.P.A. ’23) is secretary and Dr. Leslyn Beckles (M.A. ’18) is the governance chair. Lauren A. Taylor (B.A. ’18, B.A. ’18) chairs the Social and Civic Engagement Committee and RaKya Burkes (A.A. ’18, B.S. ’20) chairs the Marketing and Communications Committee.

“We are thrilled to see these community and industry leaders step up to lead our Alumni Council,” Dean Thomas J. Vicino said. “We are confident they will help move our organization and its mission forward and help advance our alumni engagement with passion and dedication. We are grateful to all of our Alumni Council members for their commitment to the mission of our college.”

The Executive Cabinet coordinates council meetings, manages the program calendar and governs the Alumni Council, among other duties. Its members also serve as liaisons to staff and faculty in the college.

Cabinet Chair Ahoure is the development director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta, Tallahassee, Fla., and Miami. She brings more than a decade of distinguished service and experience in business development and resource acquisition to her role at the Alumni Council.

Vice Chair Wesley, the director of operations for Welcoming America, has more than 20 years of experience in strategic operations and finance in the public and nonprofit sectors in a variety of fields including education, transportation and public health.

Secretary Zhao, a recent graduate of AYSPS, is a higher education advancement professional at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she is pursuing an MBA.

Governance Chair Beckles founded Kingdom Sisters International, a nonprofit organization focused on the economic and academic empowerment of women and girls, and is deeply committed to community and civic service on a global scale.

“I am both humbled and honored to step into this role,” Ahoure said. “Reflecting on my own journey as an international student, I am deeply grateful to be able to dedicate myself professionally to an institution that has meant so much to me personally. I also understand the challenges faced by international and national students in choosing a career path and landing their first internship or job. In collaboration with the entire council body and the Office of Career Services & Alumni Relations, this year will be about building a vibrant, united community that fosters a deep sense of belonging, pride and connection. As chair, I am committed to leveraging our collective strength and the council’s support to make a lasting, positive impact on our alma mater and its future leaders.”

The Social and Civic Engagement Committee manages relationships with stakeholders external to the college to help expand alumni programming, and it creates community-building engagement opportunities for alumni. Its members will help develop an annual cornerstone program on social and civic engagement for students and alumni. Chair Taylor, a strategic communications analyst for Concurrent Technologies Corp., believes the Alumni Council offers a meaningful way to give back to the institution that shaped her development. Members of the committee include Eileen McGowan (M.P.A. ’21), Nicholas Mulkey (B.S.’13), Brian James (B.A. ’99, M.S. ’01), John Gunnells (M.P.A. ’18), Elijah Owuor (B.A. ’08, M.P.A. ’10) and Breeanna Bellinger (B.S.W. ’15).

“I look forward to connecting with fellow alumni and contributing to the Andrew Young School's success,” Taylor said.

The Marketing and Communications Committee helps develop and manage marketing and communications strategies for the college’s alumni community and will craft related social media and marketing activities on behalf of the council. It will also create and support the execution of at least one annual cornerstone program relevant to the council’s initiatives and priorities. Chair Burkes, who is pursuing a master’s in Instructional Design and Technology at Georgia State, has a passion for fostering academic success and guiding scholars to achieve their highest potential to become well-rounded individuals. Committee members include Christabel Ghansah (B.S. ’14, M.P.A. ’17), Jim Flowers (Ph.D. ’16) and Jack Bernard (B.A. ’69, M.P.A. ’76).

Council members Jasmine Dearman (B.S.W. ’19), Michael Owens (B.S. ’16) and Karin Smoot (B.A. ’01, B.A. ’18, M.P.A. ’22) will serve at-large on either committee, as needed.

“We were all pleased to see the groundswell of interest from our alumni population around this engagement opportunity,” said Troy Crittendon (M.P.A. ’19), assistant director of alumni relations for the college.  “It has been immensely rewarding to see this dynamic body and its leadership come together to further build and support AYSPS and our robust alumni community. Our office is steadfastly grateful for their investment in this community, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish together — as one family — with our fellow AYS alumni.”