“I believe I play an integral role at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. The leadership, staff and community/corporate partners help move the needle on social justice, civic engagement, and community empowerment. I get to support socioeconomic empowerment. I understand that individuals and families need various types of help to thrive just like I did at stages of my life. I needed KNOWLEDGE ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’ and I needed HOPE! A quote by Robert H Schuller states, ‘Let your hopes not your hurts shape your future..’. Finally, I needed HELP, if it were not for free or low-cost resources and programs, I can only imagine how different my family’s future would have been. We must all ‘Be the Change and the Light.’” we want to see in the world.

Experience

• Vesta works directly with the CEO to ensure organizational efficiency and effectiveness. She serves as an intermediary, liaison, and primary point of contact to the Board of Trustees, stakeholders, administrative team, and community partners.
• Prior to joining the Advocacy Center in March 2023, Vesta began her career in higher education at Johnson C. Smith University in 2005. She spent 10 years supporting University Deans and Directors and four years orienting and advising first through senior year student success programs in a coordinator and strategic planning support role within the University College. She played an essential role in several of the University’s presidential community development and strategic partnership initiatives, grant-sponsored events and programs, such as the Indaba and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. Vesta also spent the past four years providing support to students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and most recently at Year Up Charlotte, where she used her skillset to close the opportunity divide by helping job seekers ages 18-29 get placed in careers making livable wages.

Education

• Belmont Abbey College, Bachelor of Arts in Business Management
• Youngstown State University, Associate in Applied Science
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification