Ms. Gaither is the Founder of Ascend Legacy Academy and will serve as the interim Head of School.

Chanel is the founder of Gaither and Associates Consulting, Director of the Melanated Boys L.I.T Club, and the President and Founder of Minorities Achieving Collegiate Success (M.A.C.S). Chanel currently leads several international education exchange initiatives in Dubai, oversees a virtual college counseling program for students in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and has partnerships with several businesses and universities in the UAE.

Chanel developed and implemented the strategic plan for KIPP NJ/Newark Collegiate Academy and Marion P. Thomas Charter where she developed the college counseling programs from the ground up. Most recently, she has served as Assistant Dean of Admission for the University of Virginia. Chanel served as the Education Chair for the University of Virginia Alumni Association, Club of Delaware, and as the Club President for the University of Virginia Alumni Association, Club of New Jersey. Chanel has been recognized as a 2020 ASCD Emerging Leaders Scholar and is the President of the Delaware ASCD Affiliate. Chanel is also a member of the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color and the Diversity Collaborative.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Master's degree from the University of Delaware, Chanel holds a College Admissions Certificate from Harvard University and a New and Aspiring School Leaders Certificate from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Chanel is currently working on her Doctorate at the University of Delaware.

Azure Cloud and AI Consultant at Microsoft

Trial Attorney at U.S. Department of Labor

Latisha Gaither, MBA, has 15 years of strategic experience working with some of the world’s most innovative, global companies. She is passionate about helping companies achieve business outcomes and generate revenue. She brings a wealth of knowledge having worked in both corporate and retail environments, with clients in Corporate, Enterprise and the Public Sector.

In Latisha’s current role as an Account Manager for Google, she partners with CEOs, Leadership teams and IT managers of Media & Entertainment companies to implement technologies that drive innovation, increase efficiency and enhance collaboration for their organizations. The goal is to ensure the partnership provides data insights that generate revenue and produce business growth.

In her previous role as Account Manager for Cisco Systems, she worked closely with education clients, independent school districts and State and Local Government agencies. She provided tailored technology solutions for each university, district and agency, ensuring increased productivity and an enhanced learning experience for students. Latisha served as a liaison between engineers, project manager, partners and product specialists to ensure all projects were completed on-time and within budget.

As a business coach, she brings experience in sales, leadership, customer service, team building, management and value creation. Ms. Gaither holds a Master of Business Administration degree with specializations in Entrepreneurship, Sales and Leadership where the sole focus was on creating business value, building an amazing brand and delivering outstanding service. Latisha is known for her enthusiasm for technology, leadership abilities and passion for excellence which she brings with her every day. and leadership abilities. She thoroughly enjoys teaching, coaching and mentoring business leaders to enhance their leadership abilities and help them reach their full potential and achieve their goals. She believes technology is vital for the future and can be used to enhance the lives of those around her.

Christina is the Director of Contract Policy and Compliance at Virginia State University. She is responsible for all post-award functions of the University's procurement activities, as well as the review of all agreements that bind the University. Prior to this role, Christina served as the Policy and Compliance Specialist with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. She has also served as a Legal Operations Analyst with the Virginia Department of Transportation, and as an Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia where she served as Agency Counsel to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV).

Christina has been an active participant in the bar. She has served on the Board of Governors for the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar and has also served as a member of the Executive Committee for the Virginia State Bar’s Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations. Christina has also served as the Secretary of the Old Dominion Bar Association and is a Past President of the Hill-Tucker Bar Association.

Eugene Young Jr. has stepped into his new role as director of the Delaware State Housing Authority. Young previously served as president and CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. He founded the grassroots organizing nonprofit Network Delaware and was an aide in the Delaware General Assembly and to former Newark mayor and current U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).