Kassy Alia Ray is the founder and CEO of Serve & Connect. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from a simple hashtag campaign to a valiant movement dedicated to creating positive change.

A clinical-community psychologist by training and graduate of the University of South Carolina, Kassy has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition’s Hero of the Year; Columbia Business Monthly’s Top 35 under 35; The State Newspaper’s Top 20 Under 40; the Post and Courier’s Golden Pen Award; the Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Individual Philanthropist of the Year; Columbia’s Best Local Hero Award; and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Citizen of the Year.

She speaks regularly to service providers, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and corporations across the U.S. on topics related to collaboration, grief, empathy, and reimagining police and community relationships.

Kassy married Mitch Ray in 2018. They welcomed a son, and Sal welcomed a little brother, Silas in Dec. 2020.

David’s commitment to Serve & Connect is strategically focused on the organization’s long-term growth and sustainability.

His responsibilities include program management, grant management, budgeting, governance and strategic planning.

He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in social work with concentrations in program and agency administration.

David’s professional background includes leadership roles at the Central Carolina Community Foundation and the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, as well as Voices for America’s Children and the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D.C.

He currently serves as board chair for Able SC, South Carolina’s leading Center for Independent Living for Individuals with Disabilities.

Community artist and organizer Omari Fox comes to the Serve & Connect family with a long résumé of civic engagement, classroom expertise, and cultural arts campaign experience from a 20 year-long organizing career that is still growing. As a trained sociologist and graduate of South Carolina State University, Omari brings a unique creative consciousness to the lens of community relationship building. Also a graduate of Benedict College, Omari was thrust into the organizing spotlight as an art education major during his days as the president of the Benedict College Art Intelligentsia (BCARTI). That was the proving ground where he learned to transform creative language, imagery, and emotion in order to meld those lanes into consciousness, vision, and strategy for people empowerment.

As an advocate for the dignity and humanity of marginalized communities, Omari believes that community engagement through our collective gifts and talents is a key ingredient to Serve & Connect. Community experience has taught him to power-map those collective skills and apply them to all of the roles we play in the community – from the guardian peace officers to the everyday residents striving to prosper and provide for their families. Omari is a firm believer in co-creating that vision together with the community’s consent and voice front and center beginning with deep listening and it is an organizer’s job to see, hear, and support the people in that partnership.

Omari is the proud son of Allan and Barbara Fox who both transitioned in September 2018.

Jenny has more than 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, public agencies and private companies. She is thrilled to work with Serve & Connect to manage community outreach opportunities and excited to be a part of an organization that does so much good work in the community. Jenny has a great love for all people and a passion for helping and connecting with others.

Jenny has extensive experience in program development, project management, leadership, grant writing, governance and communications. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

In her career, Jenny has worked directly with several state and federal agencies including the State Treasurer’s Office, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office and USDA Rural Development.

Zea is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina. She graduated from Benedict College with a bachelor’s degree in social work. While at Benedict, she was a member of the Benedict College Social Work Club and interned at the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Victims’ Services Unit. After graduation, Zea chose to further her education by getting her master’s degree in advanced clinical social work.

Zea is excited about the opportunity to work with Serve & Connect as the Orangeburg Community Partnership Liaison to positively impact the community by building a bridge between the community and law enforcement in the Orangeburg community. As an Orangeburg native, she finds beauty in the Orangeburg County area. She also believes, “To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind” – Pearl S. Buck.