Our team

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Earline “Mekazin” Whitfield Alexander has dedicated herself to the betterment of Chicago residents for over 20 years. Her focus lies in providing equitable services to enhance their quality of life, whether it be in the realms of housing, healthcare, economic stability, or any form of inclusion that promotes their overall well-being. Throughout her career, Mekazin has served in various capacities as a director, manager, and supervisor, working with infants and children in Head Start programs, youth and young adults in afterschool programs, as well as adults and seniors. She has been called a visionary and her efforts have resulted in the creation of programs that bridge the digital divide, offer job training, facilitate personal development, and cater to the needs of the developmentally disabled.

As the co-founder and Executive Director of BA NIA Inc., Mekazin brings a wealth of experience as a traditional spiritual midwife, perinatal educator, doula, and motivational speaker. For the past three decades, she has assisted in numerous births and obtained certifications in infant massage, childbirth education, prenatal and postpartum yoga, breastfeeding, and nutritional counseling. Mekazin firmly believes in the importance of providing a continuum of services to individuals while addressing their critical needs, ensuring their progression to the next level. Her academic achievements include a Master of Arts degree in Human Services Administration.

Co-Founder and Director of Education and Curriculum

Marcella Graves has employed the tenets of best practices in the education of our children in school and community to lead her decision-making. Working in marginalized communities as a mentor and teacher, she has been in the field of education for more than 35 years. As a community advocate for change, she has worked relentlessly for the betterment of the youth, most particularly, marginalized youth on the South Side of Chicago. Not only as an educator, but also as a performing vocalist and instrumentalist from a musical family, she has used her talents and music as primary tool and force to garner change in the community as well as classroom. As a committed educator and lifelong learner, Mrs. Graves-Davis has lead learning communities as an assistant principal, lead teacher, team teacher and case manager. She has earned an Education Specialist, Ed.S in 2011; a C.A.S./Type 75 in Administration and Supervision in 2007; a BA in Special Education; and a BA in History Education. She currently has established an online tutoring and mentoring service to help close the learning gap of children impacted by distance learning.

Fiscal Director

Aurora has 20+ years of experience working with the Department of Family and Support Services for the City of Chicago as a Fiscal Coordinator. She is a strong budget planner with extensive project and program management experience. Remaining focused and productive in challenging situations. She helped maintain a 43-million-dollar youth portfolio that included; Youth Development Afterschool Programs, One Summer Chicago, and Youth Violence Prevention Programs. She was also tasked with creating program operational budgeting and reports to help build annual program quality improvements. In addition, she was a part of the Department’s Strategic Framework team tasked with collecting and analyzing data for the Youth Division. Prior to this role Aurora was a Rapid Response Coordinator for the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development. She earned her B.A in 1999 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and shortly after traveled to become an ESL Teacher in Puerto Rico. In addition, Aurora also holds a Master of Business Administration from National Louis University in Chicago. When not working on program management and budget expenditures she spends time trying out new restaurants, playing board games, and watching movies with her family.

Grants Administrator 

SAungkt Akhu Nnebu is a lifelong learner, professional educator, and coach/counselor. A native Chicagoan, she has worked as a teacher, curriculum specialist, network coordinator and principal with the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Teachers Union, Success For All Foundation and the Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers (KIMA) Public Charter School in Washington, DC where she now resides. She has worked with not for profit organizations, community cooperatives, and has established independent educational institutions including homeschool collectives and public charter schools. She has devoted 40+ years to the study and practice of the cultural anthropology of ancient Kamit (Egypt) and the foundation of its spiritual sciences which evolved globally, with a special interest in how they are applied to supporting community success in family life, health and well-being and socioeconomic and political arenas. With a Bachelor’s from Columbia College of Chicago, and Master’s from Roosevelt University of Chicago, she also completed post-graduate certifications in leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago and in special education from the Catholic University of America in DC. Her passion for addressing birth inequities fuels her work with BA NIA and her reverence for the co-founders, board members, and staff as women who are walking the talk fuels her inspiration to make a contribution to BA NIA’s organization successes.

Marketing and Community Engagement Manager

Sabre Alexander has had three years of dynamic experience as the Marketing and Community Engagement Manager. During this time, she has developed a reputation for innovation, creativity and the remarkable ability to think outside the box. Sabre believes in the power of collaboration. She has a sincere interest in the community that she serves and makes connections with a meaningful lasting approach. Sabre is not just a Community Engagement Manager, she is a visionary who combines creativity with strategy to drive meaningful engagement. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, collaboration, and community impact, she inspires those around her, making a lasting difference in the world through BA NIA. 

Marketing and Community Engagement Intern

Nuria Rodgers is a UIC 4th-year undergraduate student majoring in Human Development and Learning with a minor in Sociology. She is currently an Urban Public Policy fellow, a Student Ambassador for the College of Education, President of the Human Development and Learning Club, and an intern for the UIC Muslim chaplain. She is also on the board of the Black Muslim Student Collective and the UIC chapter of Dissenters. Her previous work at UIC includes work as a Peer Success Coach at the Office of the Academic Center of Excellence and an intern at the Wellness Center. Outside of UIC, Nuria is on the Community Engagement and Marketing team as an intern at BA NIA. She also volunteers for the Adult Special Needs Drumline at Cornerstone Services, which she helped co-found in 2019. During her free time, Nuria can be found running or reading with her cat.

Business Operations Manager & IT Consultant

Madison Calloo brings over seven years of expertise in business operations and strategic management, specializing in optimizing workflows, enhancing operational effectiveness, and driving organizational success. With a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Administration from DePaul University, she combines a strong educational foundation with hands-on experience in diverse industries, including tech and HR.

Madison’s consulting work focuses on facilitating seamless IT transitions, providing comprehensive IT and Security support, and leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce costs. She is a proven collaborator, adept at aligning cross-functional teams to achieve key objectives and ensuring long-term improvements in operational efficiency.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Madison is a passionate advocate for employee engagement and organizational culture. She has led initiatives to revamp onboarding programs, develop training sessions, and foster inclusive environments that promote mutual learning and team growth.

Program Manager 

Erminia brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her work, with a career spanning over 20 years in diverse fields. Her professional journey includes three years in senior management, more than two decades in client relations across banking and healthcare, fifteen plus years in entrepreneurship and operations management, and three years in higher education instruction. Passionate about empowering others in her community, and seeking active change. Ms. Williams served as board chair of Holistic Birth Collective. And currently serves as board chair of Healing With Education. To expand her impact, she also collaborates with many social and reproductive justice organizations throughout the state of Illinois. As an avid life learner, she holds an Associate’s Degree from Olive-Harvey College, a Bachelor’s Degree from Chicago State University; and is currently pursuing a dual Master’s and Doctoral degree in Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine at Pacific College of Health Sciences. Additionally, Erminia is an Illinois Board Certified Massage Therapist.