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

“When I give talks, I say my fight has been for police and community relationships,” she said. “But I do think there’s a bigger message here. If we can find the strength to be open and find empathy; when we are willing to walk in someone’s shoes and seek understanding of the world through their eyes, that’s when we can find real solutions.”

Kassy married Mitch Ray in 2018. Their son, Sal, is a thriving four-year-old.

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 and 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 and Connect. Community experience has taught him to power-map those collective skills and apply them to all of the roles we play in 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.

“In the beginning of my justice work I only showed up as the creative person offering solutions and strategy within the framework of my expression. At some prodigious moment the people insisted that I apply the poetic strategy into concrete action steps. As an educator it was easy to see the ability in others and create a classroom environment to foster that development. Now the landscape is the neighborhood and it’s about lifting up people and places that feel unseen and unheard then going to their table to get them connected instead of always inviting them to ours.”

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

Giving back to her community is what drives Macey.

As our Community Outreach Coordinator, she provides front-line support to neighborhoods and organizations we work and partner with.

She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work.

Macey is happily married to a law enforcement officer and is the mother of three active children. Her downtime is typically spent watching them participate in a variety of extracurricular activities.

“I’m passionate about my work and love being part of something bigger than myself.”

Jenny has more than fifteen 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.