PDN Ambassadors
Desha Elliott, PhD - Public Relations Ambassador
Dr. Desha Elliott serves as Public Relations Ambassador, bringing a powerful blend of scholarly credibility, practitioner insight, and ecosystem leadership to PDN. A PhD-trained researcher and entrepreneur, Dr. Elliott is nationally recognized for her work at the intersection of access to capital, entrepreneurship, and economic equity. Through strategic storytelling, media engagement, and relationship building, she amplifies PDN’s mission, elevates its thought leadership, and connects the organization to academic, nonprofit, corporate, and policy audiences with clarity and purpose.
Keith Green - Professional Development Ambassador
Keith is a Program Manager for the United Negro College Fund Institute for Capacity Building. Outside of work, he is involved in with the 100 Black Men of Douglasville, serves as a board member for Zest Preparatory Academy, and is a member of the Douglas County Ga Young Professionals. Research interests include student success, transformative leadership, and faculty development.
Jennifer McCrary - Community Service & Alumni Ambassador
Jennifer is a Higher Education Leadership Program expert and doctoral student actively involved in the School of Education, Graduate Admission, Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society. Jennifer's research focuses on student persistence and retention with charter school graduates.
Simone Smith - Researcher Ambassador
She is a Research Assistant at The Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work’s Center for Social Reform, Equity, and Innovation. Simone is also a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who received her Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Non-Profit Management and Social Entrepreneurship and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.