Class of 2024


Alisha Howell		Alisha Howell enjoys connecting with people to solve problems. She grew up in Bloomington, Illinois and attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she majored in journalism and minored in political science. Before college she had a wish to get away from Illinois and it came true when she graduated and moved to Washington, DC where she worked as a communications specialist for a non-profit.

Moving away from Illinois lasted about 3 years before she headed back to attend law school at Loyola University Chicago. A few months after graduation, she landed a job at Country Financial on the Corporate Compliance team and now works as the Life/Health Operations Support Manager.

Last year, she once again got the “get away from Illinois” itch and moved to Georgia, where she currently resides. As a result of the move, Alisha has thoroughly enjoyed meeting new colleagues, exploring a new environment, and loves the food scene. She sees the MCLP as a wonderful opportunity to grow as a leader and is excited to connect to solve some problems with the Class of 2024. If not problem solving, she also enjoys connecting just for fun, too.

Anita Velaga
Anita Velaga was born and brought up in Sothern part of India and moved to United States in 2005. Anita is a driver, problem solver, and deterministic person. She is the first generation women in her family to obtain a college degree. She values, and respects other people beliefs and cultures. She is passionate about leadership and helping others. Anita loves to read, travel and spend time with family and friends.

Anitha Jones
Anitha Jones, originally from Charleston, Missouri. Graduate of Illinois State University. Her background is in Therapeutic recreation. Working with seniors and early childhood. Anitha has been working on pursuing her degree in Nursing at Methodist College in Peoria Il. Anitha loves servicing in the children ministry at her local church and spending time with her family.

Brett Werner-Powell		Brett Werner-Powell, M.B.A. is a dynamic leader with a wide-array of experience and skills ranging from sales to strategy. Brett is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is proud to be a former student-athlete of Illinois State University; where he completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies.  Brett currently serves as a Senior Project Manager at COUNTRY Financial where he manages large-scale enterprise initiatives through each phase of the project lifecycle.

Outside of work, Brett enjoys being an active community member, engaging in community service both locally and in the Milwaukee-area. In addition, Brett is a well-known member of the Normal West High School varsity football staff. Back home in Milwaukee, Brett serves as a director and mentor at Concordia University-Wisconsin’s African American Youth Initiative – a four-year college readiness program that focuses on education surrounding identity, self-empowerment, team building, and community leadership. Brett and his wife, Laina, recently welcomed their first child, a baby boy, Brett Wayne Owen Werner-Powell, III (aka Tripp).

Carrisa Jones		Carrisa Jones is a Talent Acquisition expert leading the way to building technology teams based in North America with over six years of experience in Human Resources.   Prior to her career in Human Resources, she has 15 years in mobile and network communications. She has a Master of Telecommunications Management degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University, and a certification as a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

She is an active business leader in Atlanta’s Society for Human Resource Management Chapter and is utilized as a Talent Acquisition expert to recruit, coach and partner with other Human Resource Professionals. In her role she seeks out other talented HR professionals that are utilized as presenters, trainers and speakers for the organization conferences, seminars and workshops.

In 2018 she founded Every Girl Shines, a nonprofit organization that focuses on developing middle and high school girls by pairing them with professional women who lead them to creating a better world through core values of Loving, Leading and Living. Every Girl Shines has branches in Atlanta, Georgia, Daytona Beach Florida and Seattle, Washington. For the past ten years, she has enjoyed volunteering with Women in Technology’s (WIT) Girls where she mentors and encourages middle and high school girls to pursue a career in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) National and Atlanta Chapter serving on the Atlanta Volunteer Leadership Team. Carrisa is an avid Atlanta Sports fan, enjoys attending games with her husband and recently started learning to read, listen, write, and speak Spanish.

Courtney Luttrell		Courtney Luttrell is a very dedicated and passionate individual that enjoys learning something new every day. Courtney was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia and as a first-generation graduate, he completed his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University followed shortly thereafter with his Master of Science in Management from Troy University. Courtney spent the early parts of his career working in various positions within the insurance industry and decided to step into the role of Financial Representative in 2015 before joining Country Financial in that same role in 2017.

His brief stint as a Financial Representative with Country led both he and his family to Bloomington, IL in 2018. A place he now calls home. During his time as a Financial Representative, Courtney enjoyed working within his community with different organizations such as the YMCA to coach T-Ball and a local battered women’s shelter to ensure they had necessary resources. Courtney also donated his time and resources to other charitable events and organizations as well. During his spare time, Courtney enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching a good movie, traveling, amusement parks, Braves Baseball, and college football (War Eagle and GATA).

He is excited to join MCLP 2024 as it will be a great opportunity to continue to develop and build his leadership skills, learn from others, and meet new people. He is also looking forward to building professional connections and plugging into the Bloomington/Normal area.

Dimitrios Nikolaou		Dimitrios Nikolaou was born and raised in Greece and moved to Columbus to complete his Ph.D. studies at The Ohio State University. He joined Illinois State University in 2013 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Professor in 2023. He is currently the Chairperson of the Department of Economics at Illinois State University.

Dimitrios’ research examines public policy issues, including policies that legalize same-sex marriage and provide more protections to LGBT individuals and policies that address bullying victimization and mental health. His work has been published in the Journal of Health Economics, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Contemporary Economy Policy, Health Economics, Southern Economic Journal, Applied Economics, and other academic outlets. He regularly teaches courses in labor economics, health economics, and graduate research methods and supervises research projects for senior undergraduate and graduate students. He was the recipient of the 2021–2022 John A. Dossey Award for Outstanding Teaching by the College of Arts and Sciences, which recognizes the faculty member with the most extraordinary record of teaching, as well as of the 2018–2019 University Service Initiative Award and the 2022–2023 Outstanding College Service Award both of which recognize faculty who have demonstrated excellence in service contributions to Illinois State University.

One of the most exciting aspects of the MCLP 2024 is the opportunity to network with individuals from diverse backgrounds, personalities, and perspectives and build stronger connections with the local community. He believes that investing further in gaining a better understanding of how cultural differences can impact communication, decision-making, and relationships would allow him not only to be a more effective administrator but also to support others, including colleagues from underrepresented populations. Lifelong learning of such skills is necessary for leading multicultural teams, building inclusive working environments, and promoting cultural diversity and respect, in addition to allowing him to contribute to creating/revising policies and practices that promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and belongingness.

Emily Kratz		Dedicated, dependable, loyal, and introspective, Emily Kratz is a Normal native who now works as an administrative assistant for the Heartland Community College STEM and Business Department. Hailing from a family of teachers, Emily has spent her life nourishing an eagerness to learn with and from others.
Before starting at Heartland, Emily fulfilled a variety of roles, including student office assistant, French club leader, waitress, and house cleaner. But her favorite jobs have always centered on helping other people learn.

In college, she was an orientation leader for first-year students, and tutored fellow French students. Later, during a semester in France that was cut short by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she took an opportunity to volunteer as an English teacher with a refugee settlement organization. Now, the best part of Emily’s job is working with others who believe in the value of lifelong learning as fervently as she does.

Emily is delighted to embark on this next step in her personal and professional development as part of MCLP’s Class of 2024. Beyond work, you can find Emily singing along to her favorite music, playing with the family pets (puppy Wilson and cat Checkers), and cheering for the Cubs.

Gardenia Harris		Gardenia Harris was born and raised in Iowa. She relocated to Illinois to pursue educational and career opportunities. She holds degrees in social work and business, and has worked as a family therapist, group home manager, and college academic skills counselor. She currently teaches policy and advocacy courses at Illinois State University, and examines disparities in social service access, delivery, and outcomes for African Americans. 

In her downtime, Gardenia enjoys crocheting, watching reality tv, walking while listening to books on tape, and honing her hula hoop skills. Gardenia is participating in the MCLP to assess whether the leadership role is a fit for her and to learn whether she has what it takes to be an effective leader.

Jacob Phillips		Jacob is a current resident of Normal, Illinois but was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He currently works as the Housing Navigator at Home Sweet Home Ministries and has been at the organization for over a year and a half. Previously, he worked at a pastor here in town and at a church in Mesa, Arizona.
Through his time at Home Sweet Home Ministries, Jacob has gained a desire to support those in the community and to become a valuable member of it. He joined MCLP in the hopes that he will learn how to be a better neighbor in Bloomington-Normal and to learn how organizations in the area can work better together to support this community. Jacob believes that MCLP with help him to broaden his perspective and understanding of how to helpfully come alongside individuals and support them as them head towards stability in their lives.

Levi Sturgeon		Levi Sturgeon is a native of Clinton, Illinois and resides in Bloomington-Normal with his husband Carl Olson (MCLP Class of 2022). Growing up, the importance of family, community, and enjoying life were instilled in Levi by his parents and grandmas. Unique to today, most of his family still lives in DeWitt County or within a 60-mile radius of home.

Levi works at State Farm in Human Resources & Development and will celebrate 20 years shortly after MCLP graduation in 2024. Levi shared it has been a blessing and privilege to return to HR&D Talent Operations as a second line leader because it is where he got his start at State Farm as a customer service rep! As a continuous learner and non-traditional student, Levi earned in BBA from Lincoln College in 2014, CPCU from The Institutes in 2016, and MBA from Olivet College in 2020. Levi also prides himself of stepping out, experiencing new things, and giving back to his community. He was a volunteer firefighter and served on the DeWitt County Board as the youngest and first openly gay elected official and Vice Chairman in the County’s history.

As a major proponent of change management and personal/professional development, Levi finds joy in helping people in the best ways he can from multiple perspectives – leadership, development, mentoring, networking, politics, community, allyship, LGBT, and more. His personal brand centers on four pillars of relationship building, establishing trust, leadership courage, and challenging others and helping them grow. Outside of work, Levi loves to spend time with his husband and family, travel, and is a lifelong bowler.
Levi prides himself on being a transparent and authentic leader and looks forward to how MCLP will help strength his capabilities, explore the biases in the world, and so much more. He also looks forward to giving back to his community and contributing to its success and legacy.

Rhealynn McMichael
Rhealynn McMichael was born and raised in Alton, IL where her love for the beauty industry began. Her love and passion for God, family, and beauty shifted her into a career in Cosmetology. She relocated to Normal IL in 2005, where she attended Midwest College of Cosmetology, met her best friend, and started her life as a wife and mother of two. After graduating and receiving her Cosmetology License, she has worked as a hairstylist for JC Penny Salon, Regis Salon(hairstylist/Salon Manager), and Beauty Brands.

In 2017, she knew God was calling her to “Greater” and she made the step into booth rental and started “Styles by DivaRe”. In that time she also helped as salon manager at Master’s Touch Salon and her clientele and reputation grew even more. As of December 2022, Rhealynn took another step of faith and signed her first lease to her OWN salon, Styles by DivaRe LLC! In January 2023, she opened the doors to her New Beginning and first of many future locations.

She is excited about attending MCLP and is looking forward to soaking up all the knowledge, wisdom, and guidance this program has to offer!
Takesha R. StokesTakesha R. Stokes, a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, prides herself on being a Southern girl. She has an infectious personality, giving heart and represents the epitome of servanthood. As a Servant-Leader, she is actively engaged in the Bloomington-Normal community, where she selflessly gives of her time and talents.

Takesha is a lifelong learner who is committed to ongoing development to ensure she remains sharp and on the cutting edge. She prides herself on remaining knowledgeable and continues to exude humility as she serves in various roles and positions within her profession, community, church, and various organizations. The vast knowledge and wisdom she has is rare and is often sought after. Participating in MCLP will provide her with additional development opportunities and expand her network of individuals who are like-minded, community-focused, and driven.

Takesha considers herself blessed and attributes all her accomplishments to God. She acknowledges that it is only by His grace and the support of her parents that has afforded so many wonderful opportunities.

Takesha holds many titles and serves in various roles, but there is no title and role more honorable to her than “Mom”. Being a mother to her beautiful daughter brings pride and joy to her heart. It’s a part of the reason she is actively involved serving wherever needed. She hopes her efforts will help make the future brighter for her daughter and other girls around the world. This Servant-Leader is always thinking of others, lending a helping hand, and seeking out opportunities to help, advocate for and serve those who will never be able to repay her.

Tessa Ferraro		Tessa Ferraro has been in the Bloomington-Normal area for about two years, moving here to pursue her career as an urban planner. She first became interested in the field after living in Chicago for almost a decade, where she saw how the built environment influences one’s opportunity for upward mobility in society.

While receiving her Master’s in urban planning at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, she was able to travel back to her hometown of Erie, PA for a summer internship. There, she saw the power of community engagement while assisting the City’s Planning Director on a neighborhood plan for an area that had been historically disinvested in. Tessa’s work on the neighborhood plan earned her the award for “Most Outstanding Master’s Capstone Project,” when she graduated in 2019. Soon she made her way to Bloomington-Normal, gaining experience as a Community Planner for the McLean County Regional Planning Commission.

Tessa is now the Associate Planner for the Town of Normal where she works on a variety of projects including historic preservation, zoning, sustainability, bike and pedestrian planning, and whatever else comes her way. Beyond urban planning she is an aspiring drummer and gardener. Her big passions are cooking, traveling, catching up with old friends, and finding new places to explore with her boyfriend and black lab, Odo. She is excited to be part of the Multicultural Leadership Program to continue learning how to engage with the community and develop strong leadership skills.

Todd Northcutt		Todd Northcutt is a native of Bloomington, IL.  After graduating from Ridgeview Highschool, Todd departed mainland USA for Hawaii for an internship in Permaculture. Upon his return with his new skills Todd took a series of wellness, and nutrition coordinator roles with increasing responsibilities in local hospital, nursing and child care facilities. 

In 2020, Todd’s career underwent a significant change when he took over the running and part owner of his family business – Hadaway Transport.  As Operations Director, Todd has taken responsibility for all aspects Hadaway Transport – leading a small family business into one of Bloomington’s larger private Non-emergency medical transport companies. 

Todd is eager to be part of the MCLP community to continue to help enhance his leadership skills to better help service the local area and diverse client base we serve.

Sumesh J. Philip		Sumesh J. Philip was born in Thiruvananthapuram, India. He received the B.Tech. degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, India, in 1997. After having worked at iGate Technologies for two years as a Systems Analyst, he decided to pursue higher education in the United States, and obtained the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Amherst, in 2003 and 2005 respectively. 

He is currently a tenured Associate Professor teaching in the Cybersecurity major at the School of Information Technology at Illinois State University (ISU). Prior to joining ISU, he was a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Computer Sciences at Western Illinois University. Sumesh is a passionate educator, and has worked with K-12 population in avenues such as First Lego League (FLL) and First Robotics (FRC).

Sumesh is also an avid musician, and performs at open stages in and around the Peoria area in his spare time with his band. He is excited to join the Multicultural Leadership Program and hopes to gain valuable skills collaborating with a diverse set of people while engaging with the Bloomington-Normal community.

Venkat Bhojanam
Venkat Bhojanam was born and raised in India, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering. After working for some time in India, he moved to United States in 2000 to pursue his dreams. After a few short stints at other places in the US, he came to Bloomington/Normal in 2001. Since then he calls Bloomington/Normal his home. Currently he is a Senior Software Engineer at State Farm. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family.

Venkat is a lifelong learner and enjoys learning new things. He is looking forward to participating in MCLP and is excited to become a more authentic leader through personal growth and development
Verlisha Taylor
Verlisha Taylor was born in Berkeley, California on February 10, 1971.   She loved reading and singing.  More than anything else, she loved to learn. Her love of learning was her strength. Her love of learning, led her to Illinois State Illinois to earn two degrees. She became a Teacher Therapist in 1996 and still works in this field. She desired to become involved in multicultural leadership because it was time to continue to learn. 

Willie Holton Halbert		Willie Holton Halbert believes that everyone has a story to tell.  God grants each of us a life to live to share and to give back to others.  Willie believes that God blessed her to bless others and instead of just existing in life, she encourages all to exceed their expectations.  Never stop dreaming but write the vision and make it plain that all that read or hear about it, has hope.  Willie graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.  She married that man beyond her dreams, Charles Gregory Halbert, and they have been married for over 49 years with three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth (passed away 2005), Collyssa, and her great granddaughter, Ryleigh Rose. Willie retired after 25 years with the Illinois Department of Corrections, working as a counselor, casework supervisor and assistant-superintendent.

Willie is a civil rights activist and has spent a lifetime advocating for others and helping to ensure equity for all persons.  She served as a Human Relations Commissioner for over 10 years, volunteered in 1996 with NIOT grassroot organization for over years, original lifetime member of the NAACP, a member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated. She received the 2023 McLean County Museum of History Maker Award, 2020 Woman of Distinction Award, Recipient of the 2005 Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Award, and inducted into the Thornton Township High School Hall of Fame, just to name a few.

She is the author of three books, “Precious Treasures, “Seasons of Our Lives,” and “Cooking with Love.”  She enjoys sharing her life experiences and motivating others to do their best.  In doing so, she realizes that she too, has never stopped learning and being a student of the MCLP Class of 2024, will only enhance her life experience.  Willie is excited about this journey and is so thankful to God for the opportunity to continue to learn and to share with others.

Yesenia Lawyer		Yesenia Lawyer was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when she was teenager. Her desire to take advantage of the American dream led her to challenge herself in new ways, primarily by learning the English language and adapting to a whole new culture. Recognizing the power of education as the key to success, Yesenia pursued higher learning and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University. With this foundation, she dove into the insurance and financial industry, amassing over 10 years of invaluable experience.

Yesenia is mark by determination, courage, and a passion for making a positive impact on the world. She is deeply committed to helping others, particularly the younger generations. Drawing from her own experiences, she aspires to empower young Latinos, encouraging them to pursue education and reach their full potential, believing that with determination and hard work, they too can achieve their dreams.
In her personal life, Yesenia shares a beautiful love story as she married her best friend nearly two years ago. Together, they are raising two wonderful children, Collin, and Cady, who bring immeasurable joy and purpose to her life. In addition to her human family, Yesenia adores animals and shares her home with her beloved cat, Ari, and her loyal dog, Layla. Yesenia enjoys traveling and has a deep passion for exploring diverse array of cuisines.

Yesenia is looking forward to connecting with the MCLP class of 2024, learn from them and explore how she can utilize her talents to serve and uplift her community.
Yolanda FavorsYolanda Favors, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, was born into a prestigious civil rights family, known for their invaluable contributions to the movement, with her grandfather being the renowned Hosea Williams.

Growing up, Yolanda’s holidays were dedicated to serving the community alongside her family at Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, a remarkable nonprofit organization that provided nourishment to thousands of homeless individuals during those special times of the year. Yolanda was immersed in a philanthropic environment, as both of her parents were successful entrepreneurs, owning their own businesses. After completing her education at the University of Georgia, Yolanda returned to her family’s nonprofit organization, where she began her professional journey as an executive assistant. However, her inherent creativity and passion for the arts led her to venture into the world of design. Drawing from her diverse talents, Yolanda established her own design business, specializing in various domains such as interior design, set design, and holiday design.

Throughout her life, Yolanda has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to artistic endeavors. Her distinctive vision and attention to detail have garnered her a reputation for excellence in the design industry. Today, she continues to manage her successful design business, while also lending her expertise to Hosea Feed the Hungry, now known as Hosea Helps, as their special events coordinator.

Yolanda is a remarkable individual who seamlessly blends her passion for creativity with her deep-rooted commitment to community service. Through her work, she inspires others to embrace their artistic talents while making a positive impact on the lives of those in need.