The Civic Impact Academy Advisory Board
The Advisory board is made up of local leaders and changemakers who provide strategic input on the direction of our program curriculum and theory of change for our intended audiences. Our advisory board members have experience in building coalitions, political awareness, local government policy, understanding community engagement ecosystems, equity-based leadership and many wide-reaching community endeavours.
John Walton III, MPA
Through its Economic Development Office, Mecklenburg County houses a BDI program, committed to providing minorities, women, and small businesses equal opportunity to professional services contracts. Through his work as a Business Diversity and Inclusion Compliance Officer, John lends his talents to bridge the gap to access to women, minorities and small businesses.
Gina Esquivel
Gina Esquivel, Director of The Lee Institute, is an ALF Senior Fellow, an accomplished community leader, and a seasoned social change management consultant. She is a career professional with more than 30 years of experience in the Charlotte non-profit landscape. She co-designed the first leadership development initiative for Latino professionals, and led three cohorts with CMS. She is a public lecturer on topics of poverty, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ communities.
April Harley
April N. Harley is a proud Howard University alumn and development professional who raised upwards of $15M over five years for the Obama 2008 & 2012 campaigns, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), DNC Conventions, & Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009. After years in both nonprofit leadership and running her own fundraising consulting firm, April is now the Senior Director of Member and Foundation Relations at the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP). She also serves on the Board of Directors of NC Parents as Teachers.
Kelly R. Little
Kelly R. Little is a I am a Transformational Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Strategist who partners with executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders to elevate personal, professional, and organizational performance.
In local government, Little led numerous department initiatives, including Responsible Fatherhood, Mom as Gateway not Gatekeeper, and Veterans Military Network. Little also implemented the vision to achieve overall goals of “Strengthening Families!” and raised stakeholders’ awareness of the unique challenges Veterans face across the state of North Carolina.
While serving in the U.S. Army National Guard, he provided support to transform and enhance the North Carolina National Guard Brand by leading detailed exit interviews, using data to mitigate projected losses, and developing innovative approaches to maintaining quality talent pools. As a result, he increased and sustained unit retention at 95%+ over a seven-year period.
Kelly Little MBA and a Masters in Leadership in Change Management from Pfeiffer University, a Bachelor in Criminal Justice from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. My other credentials include Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Index-Master Practitioner through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.
Amy Farrell
As the Executive Director with Generation Nation, an agency working to develop the new generation of civic leaders, Amy lends her talents as an innovative leader, a social entrepreneur, who among other things is experienced in nonprofit leadership, program development, K-12 education, civic literacy, public affairs, and business management. She is a connector who effectively builds, leverages and supports relationships among organizations, people, and ideas.