Babita Jagnanan
Founder & Executive Director, Phoenix Family Resources
Babita Jagnanan is the Founder and Executive Director of Phoenix Family Resources and the Founder of Phoenix Used Clothing Corp. What began during the pandemic as a small effort to help neighbors in need has grown into a thriving community resource center serving thousands of individuals and families across Delaware each year.
Babita leads with compassion, innovation, and a strong commitment to dignity. Under her leadership, Phoenix Family Resources provides free access to clothing, hygiene essentials, harm reduction supplies, workforce development programming, and connections to supportive services.
Through Phoenix Used Clothing Corp, she also promotes environmental responsibility by diverting textiles from landfills and creating a sustainable reuse model that supports community partners and climate action. Her vision is simple yet powerful: restore hope, empower lives, and show what
communities can achieve when they come together.
Penny Rogers
Co-Founder, Face the Facts DE | Director of Culture & Community Impact, Freedom Dental Health
PennyAnne Badders-Rogers brings more than 40 years of experience in dentistry and healthcare leadership. As Director of Culture and Community Impact for Freedom Dental Health, she helps shape organizational culture across 24 locations, ensuring patient care and community engagement remain central to the organization’s mission.
After losing her son Vincent to substance use disorder, PennyAnne transformed personal tragedy into advocacy. She co-founded Face the Facts DE to combat stigma, provide overdose awareness education, distribute Narcan, and support families navigating addiction, recovery, and loss.
Her work connects healthcare providers, law enforcement, schools, and community organizations to create collaborative solutions that strengthen communities throughout Delaware.
Colleen Kearns
Corporal, New Castle County Division of Police – Behavioral Health Unit
Cpl. Colleen Kearns has served in law enforcement for over 20 years, including 14 years with the New Castle County Division of Police. During her career she has worked in the Patrol Division, Community Services Unit, and Bicycle Patrol Unit.
In 2017, she became the first officer assigned to the department’s Behavioral Health Unit and has helped expand the program to better serve the community. In this role, she partners with a mental health professional to respond to 911 calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
Cpl. Kearns holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and completed the NAMI Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program. She also teaches mental health awareness, autism awareness, diversity training, and crisis response at the New Castle County Police Academy.
Melissa Tracy
Food Studies CTE Teacher, Odyssey Charter School
Melissa Tracy is a Food Studies Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Odyssey Charter School with more than 20 years of
experience in education.
She holds a B.A. in History from Tulane University, a B.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an M.A. in History from Villanova University, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, the Delaware Charter School Network Teacher of the Year (2020), and a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize (2023).
Melissa leads hands-on culinary, food systems, and urban agriculture programs that connect classroom learning to real-world skills. Her students participate in food labs, greenhouse growing, and community-based projects that build confidence, practical skills, and food literacy. She also helps oversee school pantry and food distribution programs that support families with dignity and care.
Carolanne Deal
Museum Professional & Community Outreach Advocate
Carolanne Deal (she/they) is a museum professional and queer history researcher based in Delaware. Their work focuses on uplifting the
stories of underrepresented communities, including the LGBTQ+ community.
Carolanne has worked with Phoenix Family Resources for more than three years, supporting outreach efforts, educational initiatives, and
donation collection. They are passionate about advancing community support systems for individuals experiencing substance use disorder, housing insecurity, and other barriers.
Carolanne is proud to serve on the board and contribute to an organization dedicated to supporting underserved communities.
Tyler O’Bryant
Community Health Liaison, ChristianaCare Behavioral Health Unit
Tyler O’Bryant works as a Community Health Liaison for ChristianaCare in partnership with the New Castle County Division of Police. He serves in the Behavioral Health Unit, where he connects community members to mental health and substance use disorder resources.
Tyler earned degrees from Delaware Technical Community College and Wilmington University to prepare for his career in behavioral
health. He regularly volunteers with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) during Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, helping individuals
develop skills to de-escalate high-tension situations involving mental health crises.
Prior to joining ChristianaCare, Tyler worked in a group home setting supporting individuals with severe and persistent mental illness,
overseeing daily activities and medication management. He is passionate about serving his community and uplifting the voices of underserved populations.
Tameka Mays
Educator, Union Leader, Community Advocate
Tameka Mays is a dedicated educator, union leader, and community advocate with more than 20 years of experience serving students and communities across Delaware. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles focused on strengthening community voice, building collective power, and advancing grassroots organizing.
Driven by a deep commitment to service, Tameka, alongside her sister, began hosting community events that provided hot meals, clothing, groceries, and essential household items to families in need. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they quickly recognized the growing crisis and mobilized their existing networks into action. What began as local outreach expanded into a large-scale effort, organizing weekly food distributions and coordinating volunteers to deliver millions of pounds of food to families throughout New Castle County.
This work gained both local and national recognition, highlighting the power of community-driven solutions during one of the most challenging periods in recent history. Building on that momentum, Tameka helped launch a nonprofit organization to sustain and expand this critical work.
As a union leader and community organizer, Tameka is known for her commitment to listening, fostering collaboration, and leading with purpose. She believes deeply that strong schools and strong communities are inseparable—and that lasting change happens when people come together to build it.