Biz charts the course for the organization, builds strategic partnerships, and maintains a culture of innovation, equity, and core-values alignment. She leads the organization in building and adapting strategic plans, and coordinates staff to meet goals aligned to MELA’s mission. Biz earned a Master’s of Divinity degree from Emory University in order to explore how communities of faith work together to make change and brings passion for collaboration and community to her work. Harris has demonstrated continued success in bringing people together to work toward a common goal. Early in her career, she was the co-coordinator of the Mississippi Education Policy Fellowship Program, which focused on building the capacity of preschool-12 and higher education leaders, practitioners, and advocates to advance equitable policies for Mississippi students. Following that, she worked with the Tallahatchie River Foundation to launch their local collective impact initiative around pre-kindergarten. When Morgana Freeman, Executive Director of the Tallahatchie River Foundation, devised the concept for the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance in 2018, she asked Harris to join the team as one of the organization’s founding members, alongside former Executive Director Dr. Angela Bass. In addition to her work with MELA, Biz is the founder and volunteer director of Nurture Our Future, a non-profit that provides out-of-school learning & enrichment experiences, parent support and service referrals, and books to families in Laurel, Mississippi.
As a dedicated advocate and integral member of MELA, April plays a pivotal role as a backbone in coalition building. With a keen eye for strategy, she oversees incentive programs and masterfully devises recruitment strategies, amplifying the coalition’s impact and fostering a vibrant community of engaged members. Hailing from Jackson, Miss, April brings a wealth of experience with 18 years dedicated to education and early childhood professional capacity-building.
Her fingerprints are all over Mississippi’s early learning landscape with a deep understanding of the childcare system. April’s influence extends beyond her role at MELA; she sits on the board for the Mississippi Early Childhood Association, has been a crucial member of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC), and stands as a driving force behind the Mississippi Leadership for Children Network – a pioneering initiative launched in collaboration with forward-thinking colleagues and Leading for Children, Inc.
In addition to her impactful work at MELA, April is an adjunct professor, enriching the next generation of professionals with her knowledge. Her expertise extends to the stage, presenting at local and national conferences and leaving an indelible mark on the broader landscape of early childhood education.
Mindy Phillips’s role as the Director of Communications and Operations is to lead MELA’s work highlighting the successes of the Mississippi early childhood community. She will also oversee and execute the communications promoting Mississippi Early Learning Resources shared services site, a program for childcare and family care providers and raise awareness for the early childhood community about events and projects. Mindy is from Greenwood Springs, Miss., but she and her family have lived in the Jackson area since 2010. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Relations at the University of Southern Mississippi. All of her previous jobs had an element of public relations, but Phillips took her public relations career further at the Mississippi Pharmacists Association (MPhA) as the Director of Communications. Shortly after, Phillips became the sole employee of MPhA, where she worked closely with the Board of Directors to oversee all aspects of the association. “I am looking forward to working with MELA and our coalition partners. The future of Mississippi is in the hands of the children in our state. I believe a future national leader could be in the hands of a dedicated childcare provider today. All children deserve a chance to succeed, and it begins by giving a voice to the early childhood community,” Phillips said.
Our Board
Dr. Devon Brenner
Board Chair
Director of Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University
Dr. Jameshyia Ballard
Board Vice Chair
Director of the Mississippi WIC Program, MS State Department of Health
Ross Weems, Board Treasurer
First Vice President, BankPlus Private Client Group
Dr. Suzette Matthews
Secretary
Director of Development, University of Mississippi School of Law
Dr. Alexander Washington
Director of Federal Government Affairs, Entergy Services, LLC
Mandy Mahoney
Director of Building Technologies Office, US Department of Energy
Corey Hinshaw
Attorney at Watkins & Eager PLLC
Dr. Richard Long
Executive Director of Learning First Alliance
Alex Martin
Associate General Counsel, Mississippi Power
Dr. Andrew Wilhelm
Division Director of the Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
Kimberly LeRoy Washington
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at Mississippi Power
Casey Butts, CPA, Esq.
Attorney at Wells Butts Law, PLLC
Neil Tullos
Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Wiggins, Miss.
Jennifer Buster
Human Resource Professional Laurel, MS
Morgana Freeman
Executive Director of the Tallahatchie River Foundation