AHA's Young Professionals Board is made up of young Alabama leaders who help us create more AHA Moments for inquisitive minds statewide.
Our YP Board grows awareness for the humanities and helps us implement new humanities programs.
See below for members' roles, bios, and photos.
| Jessica Chriesman is the director of education and outreach at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, in Birmingham. At Sidewalk, Jessica plans learning opportunities for kids and adults, filmmakers and film fans alike, through the lens of film and media. Previously, she served as manager of communications and engagement at Opportunity Alabama where she shared the stories of communities across the state. She also spent four years at at Impact America as the creative lead for communications and media production across the organization’s programs.
Jessica earned a B.A. in Filmmaking and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and in 2020 received an executive certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice and National Arts Strategies. In 2021, Jessica was named a MAP Fellow, working with the Jane Goodall Institute on their storytelling strategy. She uses filmmaking to tell Southern stories through the lenses of food and culture, social justice and history, and more. Since 2015, she’s had the privilege of screening her films in festivals across the United States. |
| Alexis Sankey is a native of Highland Home, Alabama, and currently lives in Birmingham. She works as a development operations coordinator for the Alabama Children’s Hospital Foundation. Alexis is a graduate of Auburn University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Community and Civic Engagement. She also received an M.S. in Business Leadership and Organizational Development from Amridge University.
Alexis possesses a love for helping people, especially those in dynamic organizations that work to advance the community. She focuses on nonprofit administration and capacity building for community organizations, and has more than eight years of experience in outreach, events, program management, organizational development, financial operations, and database administration. |
Alex Cate is the director for entrepreneurship programs at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in Huntsville. There, he leads the implementation of innovation programming for resident companies, including technology commercialization and the development of the Institute’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Prior to joining HudsonAlpha, Alex worked in Nashville, Tennessee, in public and government affairs where he represented clients in the nonprofit, utilities, education, and technology sectors. While in Nashville, he led event planning for The Southern Festival of Books, Humanities Tennessee’s annual celebration of the written word.
A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Alex graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in journalism and electronic media. He lives in Athens, Alabama, with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Krishula Edwards is a native of Montgomery and a graduate of Booker T. Washington Magnet High School. She attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, where she received her bachelor’s degree in political science and her first master’s in public administration. She then attended Troy University where she received a second master’s degree, in counseling psychology in clinical mental health.
Professionally, Krishula is the director of the Carastar Crisis Diversion Center, a medically monitored short-term crisis stabilization unit offering services for those experiencing mental health crises. She is a certified clinical trauma professional counselor who helps individuals with their mental health. Krishula also owns her own company, Edwards Essentials, LLC, through which she provides motivational speaking and consulting services.
In addition to her role with the Alabama Humanities Alliance, Krishula is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and a member of the local Beta Nu Omega chapter. She is also a member of the Alabama Mental Health Counseling Association Division under the Alabama Counseling Association. Krishula is deeply engaged in her Montgomery community, particularly with the Junior League of Montgomery, Mayor Steven Reed’s Young Professional Council, National Council of Negro Women, and The Kiwanis Club.
LoRen Modisa is a native of Mobile, Alabama. After graduating from Murphy High School in 2009, she began her undergraduate education at Florida A&M University and completed her studies at the University of South Alabama (USA). She went on to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in public development and social services from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. LoRen is now a doctoral student in USA’s College of Education, where she pursues research on the socialization of historically marginalized students on higher education campuses.
The majority of her professional career has been dedicated to community development and social impact work. She has worked and/or served with the U.S. Peace Corps (Botswana); the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation; and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama. Currently, she serves as diversity coordinator within the USA College for Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and as an instructor within the USA Honors College. LoRen recruits and supports students who are typically underrepresented or marginalized from careers in medicine. She has been recognized for her work through USA’s Leadership South, as well as Mobile Bay’s “40 Under 40.”