Dr. Keith Parker, Chair

Dr. Parker is the founder and CEO of the National Education and Empowerment Coalition, Inc.  He is also a professor of sociology and criminal justice at Florida A&M University. He is author and co-author of numerous articles including Pathways to Reducing Recidivism: Providing Formerly Incarcerated Individuals with Resources to Achieve Attainable Goals in Society (2022), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Implications for Higher Education (2022), Voter Participation in the Absence of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (2021) and Using Microaggression to Examine U.S. Voter Suppression Tactics (2018).

Keith is listed in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, Who’s Who Among African Americans, Outstanding Young Men of America, and 2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 20th Century.  He serves on numerous committees of professional associations and as a reviewer for professional journals.

Dr. Keith Dwight Parker, known for his dynamic and gentle-giant leadership skills, is highly sought after as a lecturer and diversity facilitator. He is the recipient of many awards.  For example, in November 2013, he was inducted into the Delta State University Alumni Association Alumni Hall of Fame inductees; in 2008 he was listed among Cambridge Who’s Who among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs; in 2006 he was presented the Ladies of Elegance Organization, Citizenship Award for Outstanding Contributions and Volunteer Services, Cleveland, MS; in 2003 he was presented the NAACP-Lincoln Chapter, Lenora Letcher Community Service Award, Lincoln, NE; in 2002 he was listed among Who’s Who in America; in 1998 he was presented the First Annual Chancellor’s University of Nebraska-Lincoln “Fulfilling the Dream” Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE; just to mention a few!

Rachel earned her Masters in Social Work at Florida State University in 2019, and is the Senior Social Worker at Joseph House.

Rachel has experience working with at-risk youth and adults in residential settings and re-entry case management. She has been serving on the board for the Big Bend After Reentry Coalition since January 2020.

Edrene Johnson is a native of Tallahassee and has dedicated her career to ensuring that those individuals that unfortunately find themselves involved in the criminal justice system are adequately represented and treated fairly, no matter their race or socioeconomic status.

Edrene has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education and a Master of Education in Secondary Education, both from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She currently practices Criminal Law and has represented indigent adults and juveniles charged with felonies and misdemeanors for almost twenty years.

Edrene lives the Muhammad Ali quote “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” She serves on the board of Big Bend Reentry Coalition and Legal Services of North Florida. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Leadership Tallahassee (Class 39), and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Tallahassee Chapter).

It took over twenty years for Freda to realize her potential and ability to overcome all odds, which included a 20-year addiction, living a criminal lifestyle, severe trauma, and a lack of education. Freda worked eleven and ½ years in the Governor’s Office under Governor Bush and Governor Crist. Freda had been employed by DISC Village, Inc. for over a decade, she was the Project Director for the Jail Re-Reentry Network for the DISC Village, Inc. and she served in other leadership positions, The new DOJ project will provide new programing for the Wakulla, Jefferson and Madison County jails. This will include substance education and re-reentry classes, pre/post case management and transition services for male and female offenders.

Additionally, Freda is an Adjunct Professor at Tallahassee Community
College; she is a Certified Addiction Professional and has a master’s degree from the Florida State University-Criminal Justice Studies program. Currently, Freda is the CEO OF FredaSpeaks, LLC since 2019. Freda is a 2017 JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction fellow. Freda is a motivational speaker who shares her journey by speaking to men and women in prisons. Additionally, she trains other professionals in the criminal justice system and facilitates substance abuse, trauma training conferences for adults and youth throughout the State of Florida. Additionally, Freda encourages others to make positive changes in their lives and she is giving hope to people who want to pursue their dreams of stability, education and life of hope, despite a history of mistakes or bad choices.

Ms. Yvonne Powell graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Library Science and a Master of Science Degree in Counseling. Powell spent 28 years as a civil service employee and 17 years in education. Currently Ms. Powell is a case manager at Keeton Corrections Federal Halfway House Tallahassee. Since earning her degree in counseling, she began her social service and reentry work in the North Florida area in the following positions:

• Victim Advocate
• Batterer’s Intervention Program Facilitator
• Counselor Bannum Place Federal Halfway House
• High School Guidance Counselor 
• Case Manager Gadsden Reentry Prison
• Substance Abuse Counselor Gadsden Reentry Prison
• Social Services Counselor GRC
• WHYTRY Facilitator GRC

Ms. Powell has earned many certificates in Reentry training as well as Employment and Development which assist her in her mission to provide viable community resources to her clients. 

Mr. Freddie Rouse Sr.earned his Masters of Social Work at Florida State University.

He currently works at DISC Village Inc. as an Adult Drug Court Counselor for Leon County.

He also currently serves as a Lead Facilitator at Carters Corner, providing the following services: Parenting, Self-Esteem, Anger Management, Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Family.

In addition, Freddie has been a Volunteer Chaplain with Gospel Express Ministries for 9 years.

Originally from the Florida Panhandle, Isaiah recently received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Political Science and minored in Pre-Law from Florida A&M University in 2019. Post-graduation, Isaiah interned with the 2nd Circuit Public Defender’s Office in Leon County and had the opportunity to work alongside attorneys and investigators in the Investigative Division. In 2019, he worked as a Dependency Case Manager for the Northwest Florida Health Network Agency (NWF Health). There, he provided services such as child protection, substance abuse, and mental health services within the Northwest Florida area. During his tenure, he was able to reunify families and achieve permanency for children in the child welfare system by assessing and connecting vital resources to ensure the safety and well-being of the child. He received valuable experience in communicating in difficult situations, advocating, and legal reporting.

Isaiah currently works for the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) and serves as the Adult-Re-entry Employment Strategic Program (ARES) Project Lead. The ARES project is aimed to assist justice-involved citizens transitioning back into society and connect them to employment. The overall goal of this federally-funded project is to reduce the number of justice-involved citizens who pose a threat to public safety and are a concern to their community.

Tamara Lockley has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary School. She is an ordained minister. She works for Community Action Agency where serving and helping others is her passion.

Tamara is a member of Toastmasters Public Speaking club where she has gained experience in public speaking and leadership skills. She’s currently Big Bend After Reentry’s Women’s support group facilitator. She is here to give hope and encouragement to those who are coming home from being incarcerated. Tamara’s goal is to provide a safe place for a peer support group to discuss various topics, such as: Employment, Housing, Basic needs, Goals, Education, Desires, Healing, Family. Many have gone through trauma while in prison. This peer support group’s aim is for women to revise their dreams and desires. To become their whole person before prison. Focusing also on how to navigate and have a clean start at a New Beginning.

Oliver Sapp is a part of the higher educational profession with over twenty years of experience in management, leadership, and outreach. Mr. Sapp’s knowledge of building community partnerships has enhanced his ability to strategically meet the goals and objectives of alliances. He has a strong passion for working within communities to strengthen them.

Mr. Sapp is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and is pursuing a graduate degree in Public Administration. Professionally, he serves as the Senior Regional Advisor of the North Florida TRIO Educational Opportunity Center at Florida A&M University. He, therefore, carries out the mission of that office, which is to empower returning adult learners become productive citizens in the Big Bend.

Mr. Sapp is enthusiastic about people’s abilities to restore and rebuild their lives. He is energized about the human spirit through his work with organizations such as the Urban League, Florida Department of Corrections, Local College Access Networks, Florida Rights and Restoration, and voting initiatives.

Mr. Sapp’s commitment is to assist people and our returning citizens with the necessary tools to renew themselves and the belief in their ability with hard work and dedication to develop a new outlook on life and what opportunities await them.

Mr. Sapp is a native of Tallahassee with deep ties to the Big Bend. He looks forward to serving as a servant leader with Big Bend A.F.T.E.R Reentry Coalition and fulfilling their mission. 

Anne Meisenzahl has an MS in Exceptional Education from Bank Street College in New York City and an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida State University. She is a retired adult education / GED teacher, curriculum writer, reentry advocate, and poet. She is the author of Taking Care of Yourself: Making the Transition from Corrections to Work, Education & Daily Life, a free, reproducible on-line life skills curriculum for people releasing from incarceration, and The Open Book: Teaching Poetry in Prison.  Her novel Long Time Gone was published in 2019 by TouchPoint Press.  She and Beth Nichols co-founded the Big Bend AFTER Reentry Coalition in 2012, and she has been an active Board member ever since.