The Roster

With more than two decades of experience in organizational management, strategic and community planning, and economic development, Mike is uniquely positioned to help your nonprofit, small business, or municipal government create and execute plans to achieve your goals and maximize your impact.

Mike’s background, which includes experience working in local government, state government, and nonprofit administration, gives him a unique perspective from which to approach the challenges facing businesses, nonprofit organizations, cities, and counties today. He has successfully built a local government economic development office from the ground up and run a thriving Main Street program. He has also run high-achieving nonprofits and led them through strategic planning, technology upgrades, HR policy development, and financial management success.

In addition to holding undergraduate and graduate degrees from Florida State University, Mike has earned the prestigious Master Economic Development Practitioner certification from the Advanced Economic Development Leadership program at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has completed both the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OUEDI) and the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association EDI and holds the Certified Public Manager (CPM) designation.

Rachel Bass is a Senior Accountant with a private sector campaign advisory firm and has five years of experience in the accounting industry. In her role, she manages a variety of financial and operational responsibilities, including generating client invoices, overseeing client accounts receivable, processing payroll, and completing company credit card reconciliations. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Charleston Southern University.

Karl L. Brady, Jr. has served as the Charleston City Councilmember for District 5, representing Outer West Ashley, since 2019. Outside of City Council, Karl is currently the Director of Government Affairs for the Charleston Animal Society, directing the advocacy and public policy outreach efforts.   Prior to working at Charleston Animal Society, Karl was the Director, Development for Teach For America South Carolina, where he managed all of Teach For America South Carolina’s individual, corporate, and foundation giving.  Prior to that, Karl served in various development positions for Carolina Youth Development Center, The Salvation Army, and Trident United Way.

Karl is a 2006 Teach For America – Atlanta alumni and was a 2009-2010 School Board Fellow with the Center for Reform of School Systems. Karl was also a 2017 Public Leaders Fellow with Leadership for Educational Equity.  

Karl was named to the 2019 Forty Under 40 list by Charleston Regional Business Journal, was a 2021 Leadership Charleston Graduate with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, a 2022 Port Ambassador with the State Ports Authority, and served as Mayor Pro Tempore of the City of Charleston in 2022.

In the community, Karl serves on the boards of the Gibbes Museum of Art, Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired – South Carolina, SHIELD Ministries, and the Wake Forest University Alumni Council.  Karl has also previously served on the boards of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Lowcountry, the Association of Fundraising Professionals – SC Lowcountry Chapter, and the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston.

Karl and his wife attend Bethel United Methodist Church in downtown Charleston, where he has served as chair of the Planning and Study Committee as well as chair of the Stewardship Committee.

Karl holds a BA in History and Political Science from Wake Forest University and holds an MS in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Leadership from Northeastern University.   He is a Certified Fundraising Executive and a Certified Nonprofit Professional.  

Karl is a Paul Harris Fellow with The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, a member of the President’s Club of Wake Forest University, a James E. West Fellow with the Boy Scouts of America, a Life Member of the National Eagle Scout Association, and is an Eagle Scout.

Kimberly Caughell is a longtime resident of Summerville, South Carolina, where she has lived for over 14 years. With a career spanning more than 17 years at the Summerville Family YMCA, Kimberly held various leadership roles in Programs, Membership, Marketing, and Development. In her development role, she secured and managed multiple grants, developed a comprehensive donor stewardship plan, and led successful annual giving campaigns, raising over $100K to advance the YMCA’s mission.

Her marketing expertise includes managing eight social media channels, designing brand-specific materials such as billboards, and analyzing website traffic. Kimberly’s 10 years of experience coordinating the Flowertown Festival allowed her to cultivate valuable relationships with local businesses and organizations.

In 2022, she joined the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Business and Community Engagement, working with local businesses and nonprofit Chamber members through events and programs. Currently, she serves as the Marketing and Development Director for the Dorchester Two Educational Foundation, bringing her back to her nonprofit roots by connecting the local business community with educators and engaging donors through impactful events and campaigns.

Proficient in event planning, sponsorship development, and marketing strategies, Kimberly is passionate about collaboration and using her expertise to help others. In her personal life, she enjoys hiking and biking the scenic trails of Dorchester County with her family. Kimberly and her husband, Matthew, have a blended family of seven children.

Deborah Freel is an organizational development and capacity-building professional with more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, advocacy initiatives, and faith-based communities. Her expertise includes strategic planning, organizational assessment, stakeholder engagement, change management, leadership development, and board and organizational capacity building. A skilled facilitator and trainer, Deborah has extensive experience leading strategic planning processes, facilitating retreats, and designing trainings that strengthen organizations and support growth.

Her professional experience includes leadership roles at Trident Technical College, the College of Charleston, and Georgetown University, as well as leadership, governance, and community engagement experience with Tri-County SPEAKS, the South Carolina Progressive Network, and The Unitarian Church in Charleston. Throughout her career, she has worked with executive leaders, boards, faculty, staff, volunteers, and community partners to strengthen organizational effectiveness and advance mission-driven goals.

Deborah brings a collaborative, strengths-based approach to consulting and is passionate about helping organizations build alignment, navigate change, and achieve sustainable impact. Drawing on experience across education, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement, she helps clients transform ideas into action and build the capacity needed to achieve lasting impact.

Proficient in event planning, sponsorship development, and marketing strategies, Kimberly is passionate about collaboration and using her expertise to help others. In her personal life, she enjoys hiking and biking the scenic trails of Dorchester County with her family. Kimberly and her husband, Matthew, have a blended family of seven children.

Frank Kellert is a business veteran who spent nearly 30 years with Delta Air Lines performing data analysis in a variety of operational areas—finance, forecasting, marketing and sales, and flight operations. He created dashboards to support data communication with a variety of stakeholder groups and worked with internal teams on the development of sales and marketing materials.

Following his career at Delta, Frank transitioned into the world of financial services, spending 15 years with Allstate. He utilized his excellent customer service skills to recruit and retain clients, working with them thoughtfully throughout the stages of their lives. Through this experience he was able to deepen his skills in customer development and relationship building.

Frank holds an MBA from the University of Miami and a bachelor’s degree from Mercer University. He has lived in Summerville for the past three years and is active in a number of civic and community organizations, including the Summerville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.

Mike Mercer is a distinguished leadership expert with a rich blend of practical experience and academic credentials in organizational leadership and development. His journey in leadership began with over two decades in the United States Navy’s nuclear submarine program, where he progressed through roles of increasing responsibility and complexity.

As a Certified Master Training Specialist, Mike has cultivated deep expertise in adult learning theories and innovative training methodologies. This knowledge and his hands-on experience enabled him to design and implement highly effective leadership development programs within the Navy’s rigorous operational environment.

Mike’s commitment to leadership education is evident in his impressive academic achievements. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, providing a solid foundation in leadership principles. Building on this, he earned a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership, deepening his understanding of high-level organizational strategy and leadership. Culminating his formal education, Mike completed a Doctorate in Executive Leadership, solidifying his position as a thought leader.

After his military career, Dr. Mike has continued to innovate in leadership development. He led the creation of a first-in-industry comprehensive learning program featuring a pioneering eLearning platform for the wood processing industry. This initiative showcases his ability to translate leadership development principles across diverse sectors.

A unique synthesis of strategic insight and practical application characterizes Dr. Mike’s approach to leadership development. He specializes in nurturing talent at all organizational levels, from front-line supervisors to senior executives. His methods are tailored to equip leaders with the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in today’s dynamic business environments.

Drawing from his extensive team-building experience and deep academic knowledge, Dr. Mike offers a comprehensive perspective on leadership development. His programs focus on bridging the gap between theoretical leadership concepts and their real-world application, ensuring leaders are well-prepared to navigate complex organizational challenges.

Darryl Sanders was born in Manhattan, NY and moved to Mount Pleasant, SC where he has lived since the age of 3. He graduated from Academic Magnet High School in 2001 and Charleston Southern University in August 2005 with a degree in Mathematics. He completed Kaplan College’s Computer Support Technician program, where he received one of his many IT certifications as well as training in other Microsoft products and IT infrastructures.

He is a passionate learner with an eye toward the learning’s practical application. He has experience creating and updating technical policies and procedures, managing competing priorities while ensuring all deadlines are met, communicating with internal and external stakeholders, researching and implementing new technical services to improve productivity, and providing excellent customer services.

He enjoys working with all people, customers, vendors, and other employees.  I am skilled in building and maintaining relationships with others which allows him to humbly provide to and receive feedback from others.

Jennifer Sanders is a visionary nonprofit executive with more than 15 years of leadership experience driving mission-focused growth through strategic planning, program innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. She has held senior roles including Vice President of Operations at Landmarks for Families and Chief Learning and Engagement Officer at the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, where she secured significant funding, expanded community impact, and cultivated strong partnerships with stakeholders and donors.

Throughout her career, Jennifer has excelled in aligning organizational strategy with emerging community needs, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, and leading high-performing teams. Her expertise spans grant writing and management, program development, policy analysis, and workforce training, with a consistent focus on improving outcomes for children, families, and underserved communities.

Jennifer holds a B.S. in Psychology from Charleston Southern University, an M.A. in Counseling from Webster University, and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership at Liberty University.

Barbara Stapleton is a workforce and economic development strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations align workforce, education, employer, and community priorities to drive economic growth and expand opportunity.

Her expertise includes workforce strategy, talent pipeline development, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, facilitation, labor market analysis, and cross-sector partnership development. She works with employers, workforce organizations, educational institutions, economic development entities, and public-sector leaders to assess challenges, build consensus, and develop actionable solutions.

Currently, she serves as Director of Workforce and Strategy with The JPI Group, advising clients on workforce assessments, talent development strategies, stakeholder engagement, and implementation planning. Previously, she held executive leadership roles with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Topeka Partnership, where she secured and led implementation of an $8.4 million U.S. Economic Development Administration Good Jobs Challenge grant, developed the nationally recognized Choose Topeka talent attraction initiative, and led development of a $6.4 million public-private workforce training center.

Barbara is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Business Leads Fellow, Talent Pipeline Management® Practitioner, and past ACCE Fellow for Education and Talent Development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Management from Baker University.

Barbara is a fellow through the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship, having met the rigorous criteria for selection; partnering with the US Chamber for five or more years as an established education and workforce leader and having implemented multiple successful education and workforce development solutions in her respective communities. She completed cohort IX of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s TPM Academy, part of the Talent Pipeline Management^TM (TPM) initiative and is a past fellow with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executive’s (ACCE) Fellowship for Education and Talent Development.  She previously served on the Development Advisory Board for the Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel, and as the vice-chair of Kansas’ Local Area II Workforce Development Board, as well as prior service on Washburn University’s Leadership Institute Advisory Board, Emporia State University’s Corporate Advisory Board, and the International Economic Development Council’s Higher Education Advisory Committee.

Chad Vail’s passion for economic and workforce development comes from his experience operating small businesses in the Charleston region. Vail’s 15+ years of direct experience in developing, operating and ultimately liquidating multiple franchise and independent brands has earned him valuable insights into all phases of small business operations, including start up, team building, valuation, and succession planning. 

Vail currently serves as Work-based Learning Partnerships Coordinator for Charleston County School District. In his 11+ years in this role, he has worked to facilitate career exploration opportunities empowering thousands of students to become “Future Ready” graduates. 

Vail has served as President of the Rotary Club of Daniel Island and as an Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 7770. He has also served as President of the SC Career Development Professionals (SCCDP) organization. He has served on the boards of many other organizations including Down Syndrome Association of the Lowcountry, Charleston Mayor’s Office for Children, Youth & Families, and Be A Mentor, and has volunteered as a youth soccer coach. Vail was president of Junior Achievement of Coastal SC for 3 years.

A proud College of Charleston Cougar, Vail earned his Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication, minoring in International Business and German. He has completed a Penn State University Executive Program in Developing Managerial Effectiveness. He is also a certified Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) and a South Carolina Certified Economic Developer.

In 2023, Vail was recognized as the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Work-based Learning Division’s “National WBL Professional of the Year”. 

Ryan Vrba, born and raised in Chicago, is the son of two teachers. Wanting to follow in his parents footsteps by having a career that focuses on giving back he has spent almost 2 decades in the nonprofit sector. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Psychology he spent the early part of his career in mental health working as a mental health counselor, in a youth residential facility, and then as a crisis interventionist in the emergency room of a hospital.

After earning his MBA he transitioned to management and leadership. Most recently he served as Program Director for a local Charleston nonprofit overseeing delivery of free programs to those in need. Programs managed focused on the areas of health, employment, education, and emergency needs. In this role he managed staff and volunteers, managed over 20 individual programs, oversaw data and program evaluation, served as a part of the grants team, assisted in creating and implementing multiple strategic plans, and served as a senior leader within the organization. He is excited to bring this experience to support and grow small to medium sized nonprofit and community organizations.

He currently lives in Hollywood, SC with his wife and two dogs, Ella and Wally, and he fills his free time with photography and by playing tennis.