Staff
Robyn Hyden
Executive Director
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Robyn Hyden is executive director of Alabama Arise and Arise's 501(c)(4) affiliate, Alabama Arise Action. A lifelong Alabamian and graduate of Vanderbilt University, Robyn has worked in community development, communications and fundraising with nonprofits including Alabama Possible, Urban Ministry and the United Way of Central Alabama. Before becoming Arise's executive director in 2018, she worked on Arise’s organizing team as the northeast Alabama organizer.
Robyn is passionate about engaging community members and directly impacted people in the policymaking process. She led Arise to launch and co-convene the Cover Alabama coalition, the Hunger Free Alabama coalition and the Worker Power Project. She was a founding board member of Alabama Forward, a state director for the League of Women Voters of Alabama and a graduate of the Alabama Leadership Initiative. Robyn lives with her husband, Zac, and her son in Montgomery.
Presdelane (Pres) Harris
Organizing Director
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Presdelane (Pres) Harris is Alabama Arise’s organizing director. She has worked for Arise since 1994 and has a B.S. in justice and public safety from Auburn University at Montgomery and an M.S. in management from Troy University. She has lived in Montgomery her entire life and enjoys spending time with family and friends, working in her church, watching movies, and singing along with gospel/inspirational music.
Chris Sanders
Communications Director
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Chris Sanders is Alabama Arise's communications director. He is a lifelong Alabama resident, a member of the Alabama State Bar and a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, where he earned a J.D. and a B.A. in journalism and political science. Chris joined Arise’s staff in 2007 as a policy analyst on tax and budget issues and became communications director in 2013. He served on the Communications Advisory Committee for the State Priorities Partnership from 2019-24 and chaired the committee from 2021-24. He also served as an adviser for the national Think Big narrative learning community.
Chris is a founding member of the University of Alabama Community Affairs Board of Advisors and was the founding chair of the board's Public Health Committee. He is a former editor-in-chief of The Crimson White and was an articles editor for the Alabama Law Review. Chris is a Fellow with the Blackburn Institute and has presented at multiple institute events. He has been quoted in numerous media outlets across Alabama and nationwide, including AL.com, Alabama Public Radio, Alabama Reflector, the Associated Press, Marketplace, WBRC, WHNT and WSFA.
Jacob Smith
Advancement and Operations Director
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Jacob Smith is Alabama Arise’s advancement and operations director. In his role, he develops growth and operations strategies for the organization while ensuring its work runs smoothly through financial management, fundraising strategy and human resources administration. Jacob has more than a decade of nonprofit experience in fundraising and program management. Before joining Arise in 2022, Jacob served as the senior director, philanthropy and research at Women's Foundation of Alabama and as assistant director of development at YWCA Central Alabama. Jacob is an Alabama native and holds an M.P.A. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a B.A. in public relations from Auburn University. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys hiking, cooking and scoping out new restaurants in Birmingham.
David Stout
Legislative Director
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David Stout is Alabama Arise’s legislative director. He joined the Arise team in 2013 after spending 15 years editing the Alabama School Journal. Before then, he served as a member of the Alabama Legislature and as mayor of Fort Payne for 13 years. He has a B.A. from Jacksonville State University and an M.A. in American history from the University of Alabama.
Bernadette Allen
Organizer for Southwest Alabama
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Bernadette Allen joined Alabama Arise in 2025 as the southwest Alabama organizer. She is a Mobile native who graduated from Murphy High School and continued her studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, La. She completed her B.A. degree in behavioral science at Columbia College in Columbia, S.C., and her M.S. degree in human services at Walden University in Minneapolis, Minn.
Bernadette is very active in the Mobile community. She is a member of the Mobile Branch of the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and the Connection and Social Action Committee in the Delta Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., where she served as the coordinator in 2024. She also is the volunteer chairman on the executive board for Stand Up Mobile, a nonpartisan voter education and advocacy organization.
Natalie Bishnoi
Development Associate
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Natalie Bishnoi joined Alabama Arise in 2023 as a development associate. For almost a decade, she has been in coalition-building and fundraising spaces for nonprofits and grassroots organizers in Alabama. She is an accomplished relationship builder with expertise in strategic planning, sales and grant management. Prior to joining Arise, Natalie’s work was focused on statewide and regional food systems, local agriculture and food access. Natalie resides in north Alabama, and in her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children and volunteering in her community. She participates in many grassroots campaigns to demand public accountability and serves on several committees that are focused on community organizing, advocating for criminal justice reform and promoting housing equity.
McKenzie Burton
Senior Development Associate
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McKenzie Burton joined Alabama Arise as a development associate in 2021. She has a background in electoral campaigns at many levels, where she worked to develop and implement grassroots field strategies. Before then, she worked in youth ministry and outreach in the Episcopal Church. McKenzie graduated high school in Birmingham and has a dual B.A. from the University of Georgia in history and women’s studies.
Malee Galloway
Finance and Operations Associate
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Malee Galloway joined Alabama Arise in 2023 as the finance and operations associate. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Samford University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is passionate about using her skills in finance and human resources administration to serve Arise’s mission. In her spare time, Malee enjoys spending time with her family, fiance and fur baby, Lincoln.
Tamela Glover
Organizer for Northeast Alabama
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Tamela Glover joined Alabama Arise in May 2025 as the northeast Alabama organizer. She is a Selma native and proud Alabama A&M University graduate. Her story is rooted in the legacy of those who marched, fought and sacrificed for freedom. Growing up, she heard stories of Bloody Sunday from those who lived it. Those stories planted the seeds of service and were watered by her parents, who have spent more than 30 years in ministry. In 2020, the unjust murder of George Floyd stirred what had always been inside of her, the belief to “do good, seek justice.”
Tam brings passion, strategy and faith to the fight for a more just Alabama. She is pursuing an MPA degree in law and policy and is committed to helping shape systems that truly serve everyone, especially those who were historically disengaged. A proud wife and mama of three, Tam is doing this work with her babies in mind, determined to help build a world in which the next generation can thrive.
Carol Gundlach
Senior Policy Analyst
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Carol Gundlach has been an Alabama Arise policy analyst since 2013. She focuses on issues related to taxes and budgets. Carol previously worked as executive director of the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence and as state coordinator of the Alabama Coalition Against Hunger. She has an M.S.W. degree and has taught social work policy and community organization at Auburn University and the University of Alabama.
Jennifer Harris
Senior Health Policy Advocate
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Jennifer Harris joined Alabama Arise in 2022 as the health policy advocate. Born and raised in Alabama, she is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, where she earned her J.D. and B.S.W. Jennifer has worked her entire career in advocacy and nonprofit administration. Most recently, she was the executive director of the Sickle Cell Association – West Alabama Chapter Inc. Jennifer previously worked as a social worker trainer/recruiter for prospective foster and adoptive parents and was the executive director of Shoals CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in Florence.
Stan Johnson
Organizer for Northwest Alabama
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Stan Johnson has been a contract organizer with Alabama Arise since 1995. He has a B.A. from California State University, Fresno, and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Alabama A&M University. Based in Birmingham, he works to expand Arise’s outreach and growth in north Alabama.
Adam Keller
Worker Power Campaign Director
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Adam Keller is Alabama Arise's worker power campaign director. He joined Arise as the northeast Alabama organizer in 2023 and moved to his current position in 2025. A lifelong Southerner, he has spent more than a decade as an activist and organizer in north Alabama and has been involved in a variety of campaigns and organizations fighting for the better Alabama that is not only possible, but necessary. Adam is a former high school history teacher and spent more than five years representing educators in Huntsville. He is a union stagehand with IATSE 900 and is proud to volunteer for his local and the North Alabama Labor Council. He holds a B.S. in social science from Athens State University.
Matt Okarmus
Senior Communications Associate
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Matt Okarmus joined Alabama Arise in 2018 as a communications associate and serves as the communications team’s liaison with the organizing team and the policy and advocacy team. He also serves on the Communications Advisory Committee for the State Priorities Partnership. After growing up in the Wiregrass area, he attended Auburn University and earned a B.A. in journalism. Matt went on to work for the Montgomery Advertiser for six years and the Opelika-Auburn News for two years.
Whit Sides
Storyteller
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Whit Sides is Alabama Arise’s storyteller. A writer and journalist based in Birmingham, Whit spent more than a decade working in media and advertising before returning to college as a new mom. She earned a B.A. in mass communication from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Before joining Arise in 2020, she investigated stories involving the opioid epidemic, social justice and white supremacy as a reporter in both radio and print. She also worked with a local startup to produce N95 masks for first responders and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whit’s family has strong roots in rural northwest Alabama, providing her with valuable perspective and strong motivation to seek out stories of inequity and injustice from every corner of our state. In partnership with the Cover Alabama coalition and Arise’s Worker Power Project, Whit spends her time as a storyteller highlighting the experiences of working people and uninsured Alabamians and empowering people to advocate for better health coverage and working conditions. If you’re willing to share your story, she would love to hear from you.
Debbie Smith
Cover Alabama Campaign Director
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Debbie Smith is Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director. She is from Meridian, Miss., and has B.A. and M.S. degrees in speech communication from the University of Southern Mississippi. Based in Fort Payne, Debbie joined Arise as a north Alabama organizer in 2018 and moved to her current position in 2022. Before then, she worked at the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program for six years to improve health coverage for low-income and underserved Mississippians. She enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the Lookout Mountain and Tennessee Valley areas.
Juliette Thornton
Office Manager
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Juliette Thornton is Alabama Arise’s office manager. She volunteered with Arise beginning in 2007 and joined the staff in 2012. Since then, she has provided administrative support and reception duties in the Montgomery office. She works closely with the development team and assists numerous other staff members as well. Juliette has the kind voice and big smile that more than likely will greet you when you call or come to the Arise office.
Formeeca Tripp
Senior Organizer for Southeast Alabama
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Formeeca Tripp joined Alabama Arise as an organizer in 2022. She previously served as a community health worker addressing health disparities and providing free COVID-19 testing and vaccine sign-ups at mobile sites and clinics throughout southeast and east-central Alabama. She also served as an intervention/behavior specialist for the Alabama Council on Human Relations, advocating for children, families and education staff.
Formeeca is originally from Syracuse, N.Y., and has lived in Auburn for more than 12 years. She is a single mother of two children, one of whom has autism. Formeeca is pursuing her degree in social work from Auburn University with the goal of becoming the first in her family ever to receive an undergraduate degree.
Dev Wakeley
Worker Policy Advocate
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Dev Wakeley is Alabama Arise’s worker policy advocate. He originally joined Arise in 2018 as a policy analyst on a range of issues including criminal justice reform and voting rights before moving to his current role in 2022. Dev is a Gardendale native who has a B.A. in philosophy from Franklin & Marshall College and a J.D. from the University of Alabama. He was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 2017. During law school, he served on the Public Interest Student Board executive committee and the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review. He also worked on the Elder Law Clinic through the UA School of Law and the Clemency Project for the Federal Defenders Program for the Middle District of Alabama.
Whitney Washington
Communications Associate
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Whitney Washington joined Alabama Arise in 2020 as a communications associate and serves as the communications team’s liaison with the advancement and operations team and the Cover Alabama campaign. She returned to Alabama after living in Nashville for the previous eight years. She has a B.A. in history from the University of Montevallo. Whitney worked as a religious researcher for several years before becoming involved in social justice and politics. Prior to joining Arise, Whitney worked for the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Stand Up Nashville and a political campaign.
LaTrell Clifford Wood
Hunger Policy Advocate
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LaTrell Clifford Wood joined Alabama Arise in 2023 as the hunger policy advocate. In this role, she works at the helm of the Hunger Free Alabama coalition. LaTrell is the youngest daughter and granddaughter of a teacher and three generations of civil rights activists with roots in both west and east Alabama. LaTrell earned her bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in fine arts from Stillman College. As a student, LaTrell co-founded Stillman College’s Sustainable Healthy Food Initiative Task Force. She went on to serve as chairwoman of the task force and project lead for the Community Garden Project. In 2021, LaTrell made her way to Washington, D.C., with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, where she served Alabama’s 7th Congressional District as a congressional intern.