We are thrilled to welcome four new members to the team at TMA!
Linda Thiele,Transform Mid-Atlantic's Communications and Strategic Partnership Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA member, is a graduate of The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!). There, she had the privilege of serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member working with a local AIDS Outreach Program designed to bring resources and assistance to underserved areas within West Alabama. She received a B.A. Degree from The University of Alabama, majoring in English Literature. She is currently working towards a Master of Science Degree through The University of Alabama Manderson Graduate School of Business, with a focus on Digital Marketing.
La’Teya Burrows, VISTA Leader, is a Baltimore City native who has worked in the nonprofit community and healthcare sector for over 20 years. She previously served as a VISTA member at the University of Baltimore's Food for Thought Initiative. Her passion is coaching, educating, and empowering others to leverage struggles as lessons and opportunities for growth and success. As a human service professional, she has taught people and institutions the importance of community and capacity building and coached those affected by grief and substance abuse. La’Teya’s knowledge of person-centered and solution-focused theories enable her to help nonprofits and health care agencies address issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her core principles are impartiality, unity, neutrality, independence, and volunteer services. A lifelong learner with intellectual curiosity, La’Teya is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Psychology with aspirations to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She already holds a Master's Degree in Human Service Administration with a concentration in Addiction Counseling.
Kitty Clark, Assistant Director for Programs and Communications, joins Transform Mid-Atlantic with a diverse background in non-profit arts administration, the performing arts, municipal government service, and teaching dance and yoga to people of all ages. In a career that has taken her from NYC to DC, and from Ontario to the WV/MD region, Kitty has gained extensive experience in event planning and implementation, fundraising, marketing and promotion, performing arts curation and production, and educational initiatives. Kitty lives in beautiful Washington County, MD, and looks forward to working with the TMA team and serving with an organization whose goals for positive change so closely align with her own.
Meredith Gersten, VISTA Program Manager, comes to the nonprofit sector after a decade as a music educator. She moved to Maryland in 2021 after completing a certificate in Nonprofit Arts Management and is very excited to begin her tenure with Transform Mid-Atlantic. At TMA, Meredith oversees all aspects of the organization's AmeriCorps VISTA grant, collaboratively developing new campus-community partnerships and supporting 35+ project sites throughout the region. Currently, she volunteers as an assistant coach with Girls on the Run and chairs the International Clarinet Association’s Youth Involvement Committee. You may see her running around Frederick with the Steeplechasers or playing her clarinet in the FCC Wind Ensemble.