John C. Reid, Chairperson

  Vice President, Corporate Social        

         Responsibility

  The Coca-Cola Company

  Allison Erhler-Meyer, Secretary

  President and Principle Strategist

  Beacon Advantage Solutions

  Henna Inam, Director

  Global Head, e-Innovation

  Novartis

  Wendy Ho, Director

  Team Lead, Sales & Marketing

  SouthStar Energy Services

  Bernadette Ludwig, Honorary Member

  Ph.D Candidate, The City University of New York

  Co-Founder, Culture Connect, Inc.

  Alexis Dalmat

  Executive Director
  alexis.dalmat@cultureconnectinc.org

Alexis Dalmat is a native of Atlanta with a global perspective. She has developed and nurtured an interest in immigrant issues for twenty years. Alexis received her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Cultural Anthropology at Boston University. Her extensive travel, mainly throughout Latin America, has developed her Spanish language and anthropological skills. She studied with International Honors Program to better understand indigenous perspectives and ways of life in Mexico, India, New Zealand, and Canada.

Alexis has worked in the fields of public health and safety, labor advocacy and campaigning, and communications/marketing. Ms. Dalmat has experience managing non-profit programs, overseeing personnel, and writing successful grant proposals. In addition, she has a proven track-record of establishing successful relationships between immigrant communities and their American neighbors.

  Nicholas Cheadle
  Go-Betweener™ Mentoring Program Manager

  nick.cheadle@cultureconnectinc.org

Nick Cheadle was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised right here in Atlanta, Georgia.   He headed back to the Midwest to earn a Bachelor's Degree in History and Spanish focusing on Western Hemisphere Studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.  During his college years, Nick was actively involved as a volunteer in mentoring, service learning, ESL teaching, and refugee resettlement.  He also spent time studying abroad in both Santiago, Chile and Québec, Canada.  After graduation, he headed to Cali, Colombia for ten months as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, gaining new perspectives and international experience.  Nick was drawn to the work at Culture Connect by his desire to work with Atlanta's international community and the organization's mission to connect and empower the city's immigrant and refugee populations.  In the future, Nick hopes to continue pursuing work focused on increasing cross-cultural communication and understanding in both local and global contexts.

  Caroline Lefaivre
  Development Manager
  caroline.lefaivre@cultureconnectinc.org

Caroline Lefaivre was born in North Carolina, raised in Kentucky, and moved to Atlanta in 2009. As the child of a career military family, she was born with public service in her blood. Caroline attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. After spending a summer teaching English in Tanzania, Caroline learned the true value of cultural exchange and was eager to share this experience with her community through service and work in the non-profit field. Caroline strongly believes in a diverse and tolerant American population. She was drawn to Culture Connect because of its commitment to those principles of equality, cultural understanding, and opportunity for all.

  Christine Nguyen
  Language Services Manager
  language.services@cultureconnectinc.org

Christine Nguyen came to Atlanta in July 2005.  She is a native of Vietnam and came to the United States with her mother and two sisters as refugees in 1979.  As a first-generation Vietnamese-American and the first born child, Christine understands the struggles immigrants endure while acclimating to a new life.  Often times the biggest barrier is language.

Prior to living in Atlanta, Christine lived in Northern California and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Psychology.  Through a summer job program with a local non-profit while in college, Christine developed a passion for the work of non-profits and eventually changed her undergraduate studies from microbiology to psychology.  Her studies and personal life experience have allowed Christine to work with several non-profits at varying capacities, all with the mission of helping immigrants and disenfranchised communities connect to resources and education that are available to the broader public. 

AmeriCorps VISTAs

Culture Connect, Inc. is fortunate to have AmeriCorps VISTAs who offer their time and expertise.

  Caitlin O'Donnell
  Development Coordinator
  development.coordinator@cultureconnectinc.org

Caitlin O’Donnell was born in Carrollton, Texas, and moved to the Atlanta area in 1999.  She attended the University of Georgia in Athens where she served as President of the International Affairs Honor Society.   She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and a minor in African Studies focused in Swahili.  Caitlin has lived in England and volunteered time working with AIDS-affected youth in Kenya.   Her desire to serve her community and work with a non-profit whose mission was local and global culminated into a desire to join AmeriCorps Vista and Culture Connect.  Caitlin hopes to pursue a career in the protection of human rights and development of equal access to vital services.

  Sarah Otto
  Education & Advocacy Coordinator
  program.coordinator@cultureconnectinc.org

Sarah Otto was born in Athens, Georgia and raised in Hampton, Virginia. She returned to Georgia to attend Agnes Scott College, where she earned a B.A. in Religious Studies and Social Justice. Her desire to work for positive social development at a systemic level stems from her personal experiences growing up in ethnically diverse and low-income communities. She joined Culture Connect for the opportunity to work towards promoting cross-cultural awareness and developing intercultural relationships within the Atlanta community. Sarah has gained international experience living in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where she studied conflict and human security, and is looking forward to using her AmeriCorps VISTA experience in her future work. She plans on joining the Peace Corps before continuing graduate studies in Violence, Conflict, and Development and pursuing a career in community development work.