Our Team

Grace Brown is the Food Access AmeriCorps VISTA at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). She holds a B.S. in Economics with a minor in Environmental Science from Brigham Young University and is passionate about building equitable, sustainable communities. Prior to joining CCSJ, she interned at the U.S. Trade Representative, worked as a laboratory assistant in an environmental analytical lab, and assisted taught at BYU’s Master of Public Administration program. She is particularly interested in food access as a critical intersection of social justice, economics, and the environment. In her free time, Grace enjoys trying new restaurants, live music, and coding.

Mary Sue Callan-Farley is the Director of the Center for Community, Service, and Justice. She is relatively new to Baltimore and appreciates its vibrancy and commitment to social change. She has lived in Chicago, New York City, Jersey City, and Milwaukee as well as more pastoral settings of Massachusetts and Vermont. Mary Sue studied Economics and French at University of Notre Dame and Theology, with an emphasis on Liberation Theology, at Maryknoll School of Theology. She has worked at private and Catholic universities including 23 years in Jesuit Higher Education, as director of campus ministry with responsibilities including interfaith dialogue, social justice, and service programming. Mary Sue is committed to supporting students as they live out the mission of CCSJ with members of the diverse university community and Baltimore partners. She understands service for common good as a generative justice building and peace making. Outside of work Mary Sue enjoys cooking, gardening, watching movies, refinishing furniture, taking walks and spending time with family and friends.

Carissa Cordero is a Program Coordinator at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). A 2024 Loyola graduate, she earned a B.A. in Global Studies with minors in Environmental Studies and Communication. As an undergraduate, she interned with CCSJ as the Sustainability Program Coordinator. Since graduating, she has worked as a substitute teacher and volunteered with an environmental conservation organization. Passionate about community-engaged learning and justice work in Baltimore, Carissa is excited to support CCSJ’s mission. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, being in nature, and going to concerts.

Shelby Donaldson is the Strong York Road Schools Americorps VISTA at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). She oversees the tutoring program at Govans Elementary and works to strengthen relationships among teachers and parents at both Govans and Walter P. Carter. A Baltimore native, she holds a B.S. in Psychology from Bowie State University. Previously, she held a role as a clinical assistant at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Neurobehavioral unit and completed her senior practicum at BSU Office of Counseling Services as a freshman intake counselor.  Passionate about child development and psychology, she plans to pursue a career as a pediatric neuropsychologist. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, reading and trying new coffee shops.

Isabella Favazza is the Assistant Director for Student Leadership & Development at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, she earned her B.A. in Peace Studies and Discourse of Faith & Power from Goucher College and later obtained a Master’s in Conflict Resolution & Coexistence from Brandeis University. She has served with AmeriCorps City Year in Providence, worked at Baltimore City Hall through Baltimore Corps, and mentored youth at The Choice Program. Passionate about community building, equity, and justice, Isabella is excited to support Loyola students and local residents. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading, knitting, and playing cards.

Stephanie Flores-Koulish, Ph.D. is the Faculty Director for Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship. She is Professor and Program Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice. Her primary area of expertise and research has been within the field of Critical Media Literacy Education. She also has conducted research on identity and adoptees, education policy and practices, and critical multicultural education. Her research provides her with many opportunities to practice engaged scholarship in and around Baltimore City. She serves on the board for the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and is on the executive committee for the Alliance of Adoption and Culture (ASAC). Flores-Koulish is also an alumna and mentor of the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT).

Education:

Ph.D. Boston College-Curriculum & Instruction
M.S. Syracuse University-Special Education
B.A. San Jose State University-Creative Arts

Gia Grier McGinnis, DrPH. is the Executive Director of Neighborhood Resilience and Community Engagement. She brings over 18 years of experience in civic engagement, program management, and community partnerships. She previously served as the Executive Director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s CURE Scholars Program.  Prior to that experience, she served in progressive leadership roles at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Social Concern. Dr. Grier McGinnis holds a DrPH from Morgan State University, a M.S. in Natural Resources & Environment from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Certificate in Risk Sciences and Public Policy from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Washington College. She is active in civic life in the region, serving on the boards and board committees of the National Alliance to End Mental Illness, Maryland, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and the HASI Foundation. A Baltimore native, she is committed to strengthening Loyola’s role as an anchor institution through collaboration with students, faculty, and community partners. In her free time, she enjoys hiking trails in the DMV area and volunteering with environmental and health-related organizations.

Tee Hardy is a Community Fellow at the Center for Community, Service and Justice and York Road Initiative. She is a mental health advocate, and youth development leader based in Wilson Park, Baltimore, where she lives since 2014 with her husband and six children. She is the founder of Village Mentality LLC, a community outreach consulting firm focused on connecting people with resources. Tee is passionate about mental health awareness, youth development, and supporting those experiencing homelessness. Drawing from her personal struggles, she advocates for expanding care for individuals who fall through the cracks. With training in trauma-informed care and racial equity, she works to destigmatize mental health in the Black community. Tee has held roles such as Youth Works Supervisor, Opportunity Youth Coordinator with Loyola, and Assistant Market Manager at the Govanstowne Farmers Market. Tee is a strong advocate for better school funding and resources for underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys playing with Legos and spending time with her family.

Adam J. Jackson is the Associate Director of Neighborhood Resilience at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). A native of West Baltimore, he is a dedicated community advocate focused on improving the quality of life for Black residents. In 2010, he co-founded Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS) and previously served as CEO, leading efforts in youth leadership development, political advocacy, and public policy reform. He holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Social Justice from Towson University. Under his leadership, LBS played a key role in statewide criminal justice reform, the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, and the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District. A former national policy debater and student activist, Adam remains committed to Black liberation and empowering future leaders.

Traci N. James is the Assistant Director of Neighborhood Resilience at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). She began her career in journalism, working at a major wire service in Washington, D.C., and in top newspapers including The (Akron) Beacon Journal, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, and The (Philadelphia) Inquirer. Following her call to ministry, she earned master's degrees in divinity and education from Virginia Union University, where she also worked in public health education. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at George Washington University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and teaching Restorative Yoga.

Jeniece Rance serves as the Maryland Out-of-School (MOST) Network AmeriCorps VISTA at Loyola University’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice, where she supports the Greyhound Tutoring Program. In this role, she oversees tutoring efforts across three partner elementary schools, helping to connect students with essential educational resources. Jeniece majored in psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with a minor in sociology.

She is a certified phlebotomist, certified nursing assistant, and peer support professional with over five years of hands-on experience in the healthcare field, particularly supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Her professional background includes working as a direct support professional at Keystone Human Services. Working as a peer support specialist at Recovery Insight, Inc. And helping to support individuals with drug and alcohol addiction.

Driven by a strong commitment to mental health advocacy and treatment awareness, Jeniece is passionate about breaking stigmas and educating the public on mental illness and overall well-being. Jeniece is pursuing to continue her education and plans to obtain a career in psychology and naturopathic medicine.

Narayana Salvatierra is the Assistant Director of Operations at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ) and the York Road Initiative. With over 9 years of experience in education, Narayana is deeply passionate about youth development, human rights, and project management. She has taught Social Studies in High School, Human Development, Open Innovation and Public Policy at the undergraduate level. Narayana has worked on leadership roles at the Jesuit Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua, including UCA’s Executive Coordinator for Research, Innovation, and Social Projection, and Coordinator of UCA’s Open Innovation Center, focusing on social innovation. She studied Sociology at UCA, Public Management at Universidad de Chile, and Development Policy with a double concentration on Sustainable Development and International Development at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in South Korea. She also participated in a semester-long exchange program at Fairfield University. In her free time, Narayana enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

Ruth Tyson is a plant-lover and naturalist at heart, she has invested in understanding her curiosity and passion for sustainable food as a bridge between the natural and social worlds.  After studying sociology and environmental studies, she committed to building sovereign, sustainable, transparent, and just local food economies for Black and Brown communities like the food apartheid impacted neighborhood she grew up in. she believes in the power of storytelling, art, personal transformation, and organizing as necessary healing modalities of individuals, communities, and ecosystems. ruth has brought her passion to the gardening/farming, education, advocacy, nutrition, food service, research, food retail, landscaping, and foraging worlds of the DMV - and recently - Baltimore City. currently, ruth is studying Horticulture, landscaping, and managing farmers markets.