Below, please find the candidates running for the 2022-2024 Fellows Officer positions. Please consider the biography, experiences, and vision of each. Use the Qualtrics voting survey link emailed April 13, 2020 to record your vote. Voting ends May 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
FIN Chairperson Candidates
Candidate 1 of 1: Amber Scales
Biography:
Amber Scales (she/her) is an impactful storyteller working to build community, inspire resistance, and foster restorative justice. A daughter of the deep south, Amber’s work as a storyteller is anchored in intersectional advocacy that uplifts the voices of marginalized people through the creation, curation, and celebration of everything that makes them unique. As a social impact strategist, Amber examines systems of inequity and then offers innovative solutions through strategic programs, initiatives, campaigns, and art. In these efforts has worked as a professional actor and teaching artist, Social Impact Assistant at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Partnerships and Engagement Coordinator at WP Theatre. Amber believes wholeheartedly in the power of thoughtful storytelling and performance to create a better, more just society and spends most of her time working creatively to do just that. She is currently the Creative Project Manager at Fair Fight Action where she continues to use both her professional and personal work as avenues to support the acts of creation needed to foster positive change in vulnerable populations. Amber holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the University of Alabama and has returned to the Capstone to pursue a Master’s in Communication Studies. Her research investigates the performing arts as a form of autoethnographic narrative inquiry that can serve as a vehicle for reconciliation in landscapes of contested public memory, as well as the role of marginalized people in the production of cultural and political rhetoric. Amber is involved in her community in numerous ways including as a grants panelist at the Lewis Prize for Music and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.
Blackburn and FIN Involvement:
I was born to Atlanta transplants and grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia but decided to come to Alabama for college. At the Capstone, I studied public relations alongside theater and political science and was deeply involved on campus in numerous ways including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in SGA, Capstone Men and Women, and the Blackburn Institute where I was selected as a member of the Blackburn class of 2016 as a freshman. I remained engaged with the Institute throughout my undergraduate years going on to serve as student Vice Chairperson, one of the most rewarding leadership roles I held on campus. Another highlight of my time as a Blackburn student was being awarded the Bobbie and Don Siegal Scholarship in 2018. As a fellow, I have remained engaged with the Insitute attending symposiums, networking events, and Fellows forums. I also assisted with the 2020 Fellows Daniel Community Scholars Project, “Shaping our State” an educational video series designed to educate, encourage and empower young Black women in Alabama to engage in all levels of government, from voting to running for office. New students are the lifeblood of the Insitute so I make a point to help with new student selections typically by observing and scoring group interviews. I take my commitment to the Institute seriously and always aim to be of service to the state.
Vision for the Fellows Involvement Network:
The Blackburn Institute holds a special place in my heart and I truly believe that the Blackburn community can be a critical piece in building a more just and fair Alabama. Changing the state is no small feat. I know it will require many members of our community to reengage with Blackburn programs amid the extensive challenges the past years have posed for us all but I know we can do it. We need to dive deeper as a community into issues of systemic racism, homophobia, and inequity that are on the rise throughout the state, using the skills, knowledge, and networks of Blackburn Fellows to inform our decisions and create positive change. One way I envision this happening is through more direct service opportunities. Our lifetime commitment includes action just as much as it includes education and we all should continue to see the issues of the state in person far beyond the student travel experiences. Fellows are one of the Institute’s most valuable assets and I hope to rely on them as such. Building on the success of the outgoing FIN Officers and Blackburn Connect, I hope to increase opportunities for fellows to connect on their own terms wherever they are in the country. The Medical Properties Trust, Inc. Programming will be a large part of these efforts allowing for regional gatherings of Fellows to reconnect, discuss topics of interest, and plan action. We cannot fulfill our lifetime commitment to service alone so I will also strengthen the Soft Landing Program and the critical leadership development and community building that it helps to facilitate. Finally, I will work to address your grievances, hear your ideas, and foster connections throughout our network of fellows. Good ideas come from everywhere and I hope to hear yours.
FIN Internal Vice-Chairperson Candidates
Candidate 1 of 2: Kyle Van Frank
Biography:
A 2017 Blackburn Fellow, Kyle graduated from The Capstone in 2019 with a BA in Theatre, concentration in Musical Theatre and a double minor in Political Science and Spanish. In that same year, Kyle received UA’s highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for “excellence of character and service to humanity.” With core values of honesty, service, and compassion, Kyle has cultivated a personal philosophy of listening and offering sustainable solutions to any task set before him. Both during and after college, Kyle pursued a career in the arts and culture industry, working across the country as a professional actor, director, teaching artist, and writer. Kyle’s work has taken him to theatre companies in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New York, and Tennessee. While at UA, Kyle was actively involved with UA Theatre and Dance, SGA, Alpha Psi Omega, and Blackburn Institute. In addition to performing in department productions, Kyle worked as the Student Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention where he staffed and planned the department’s audition days, developed a student-led ambassador program, and wrote marketing copy for the management office. Kyle received the Marian Galloway Performance, Dr. Edmond Williams Academic, and Dr. Judy Bonner Leadership awards from UA Theatre and Dance, as well as the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Merit Award. From 2019-2021, Kyle worked at the Florida Studio Theatre where he performed and taught with their award-winning Write a Play program, which teaches playwriting to K-12 students across the globe. Additionally, Kyle directed the On-Deck Sketch Team, performed in MainStage Improv, and directed readings of new plays. After working and living in Florida for two years, Kyle has returned to higher education to pursue his Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership, concentration in Mission-Driven Operations and Management from the University of Denver’s University College. While in school, Kyle is also working full-time as the Director of his alma mater, St. Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduation, Kyle hopes to continue to work in fundraising for arts and education organizations and eventually own and operate his own consulting firm to help nonprofits to realize their missions to greater degrees. Outside the arts and social justice, Kyle is passionate about sustainability and the environment. His work with philanthropy and community programming has given him the privilege of working with such organizations as Five Horizons Health Services, Memphis Food Bank, Wings Cancer Foundation, Diocese of Memphis Jubilee Schools, West Alabama Food Banks, Tuscaloosa County Schools, Community Foundation of Sarasota, school systems across Southern Florida, and more.
Blackburn and FIN Involvement:
Over the past five years, Blackburn has provided a challenging environment to listen, learn, and grow. As a student, I had the privilege of participating in Blackburn for a year as a new student and an additional year as a returning student. Participating in Blackburn’s current student curriculum through travel experiences, symposiums, spring networking dinners, values discussions, and Daniels Community Scholars opened my eyes to the rich history and culture of the state of Alabama, the issues facing the present, and the roadmap to a brighter future. The foundation of my work in community organizing, leadership, and project implementation, I owe to Blackburn. As a fellow, I’ve benefited greatly from the mentorship, networking, discussion, and learning provided by FIN. Attending zoom sessions and forums has connected me to fellows across the country and taught me a great deal on a variety of issues. Staying actively involved in FIN provides a community of support and accountability to continue to learn and make meaningful connections that truly will continue to make Alabama and the nation a better place.
Vision for the Fellows Involvement Network:
The future of FIN rests in its ability to continue to connect its fellows to each other in ways that not only promote learning but also directly contribute to the advancement of progress. If elected as Internal Vice-Chairperson, I hope to build upon the success of the past FIN officers and expand the Institute’s fellow-specific programming. Working with Blackburn and staff, I hope to be able to create programming specific to different Fellows’ age groups. Fellows who graduated over two decades ago might be interested in different programming than fellows who graduated two years ago. Engaging age affinity groups will allow programming to listen more intently to the interests of Fellows and prioritize quality over quantity in any added programs. Additionally, fellows who graduated more than 10 years ago might be interested in reviewing Blackburn programming and refreshing the values they learned as students through a Blackburn-refresher program. Another area of program development I would like to explore is issue-specific and affinity-specific programming. Creating more tailored and personalized programming for groups within FIN will engage fellows to their interests and careers. In my work as an Alumni Director, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of keeping alumni connected through regular newsletters, updates, and clear communication. As Internal Vice-Chair, I would continue to help support the Blackburn Staff in providing regular and robust communications to connect members of the FIN. Utilizing life updates and achievement sharings as an opportunity for other Fellows to connect and engage with that Fellow will allow networking to become a springboard for change. Building upon the mentorship work currently curated by the Institute, newsletters can further build on this work and become a platform to alert Fellows of causes and projects they can lend their hand and support. The Fellows Involvement Network has the potential to foster a continued commitment to the Blackburn Institute’s mission, vision, and values for its Fellows for a lifetime. I hope to continue to have a hand in listening to Fellows and responding with meaningful and substantive ways to engage them amidst their busy lives. My vision for the future of FIN is quality over quantity and discovering innovative ways to connect fellows.
Candidate 2 of 2: Matthew Kiszla
Biography:
Matthew Kiszla is a 2020 graduate of The University of Alabama currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. In addition to his involvement in Blackburn while at The Capstone, Matthew was a member of the Anderson Society, Mortar Board, ODK, and Blue Key senior honoraries before he went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a degree in biochemistry. Mr. Kiszla is a published author in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals, with articles spanning the breadth of the field of infectious diseases, and a published book illustrator. Additionally, he has worked with the Alabama Department of Health as a lead COVID-19 contact tracer and in their Office of HIV Prevention and Care. As an active Blackburn Fellow and an Eagle Scout, Matthew Kiszla has a strong belief in civic responsibility and engagement. Matthew is passionate about improving Alabamians’ access to medical care and plans to support the mission of a developing academic medical center after the completion of his residency training.
Blackburn and FIN Involvement:
As a member of the Blackburn Class of 2018 and a 2020 Fellow of The Institute, I have worked to make good on my commitment to our four guiding values as I prepare to launch my professional career. In 2020, I presented at our Annual Symposium with fellows Koushik Kasanagottu, M.D. and Catherine Skinner, M.D. My segment of our presentation, “Lessons Learned about Public Health Communication during a Pandemic from Front Line Healthcare Workers”, leveraged my experience with the Alabama Department of Public Health to provide socioeconomic and cultural context to the national media attention that the Alabama Gulf Coast attracted during the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned for the 2021 Annual Blackburn Symposium, having organized “What’s on the Books: Sexual and Gender Minority Health in Alabama post-2020” with two UAB School of Medicine faculty members. Our presentation provided glimpses into the ongoing legislative battles over access to health care for our state’s sexual and gender minorities. These experiences have offered valuable opportunities for me to renew my lifelong commitment, answer a call to action, present alternative viewpoints, and network within our Fellow community. While structured activities have certainly enriched my time with Blackburn, I have also enjoyed simply connecting with the community members and friends of The Institute. Attending in-person networking events across the state and participating in virtual Fellows Involvement Network calls have afforded me the opportunity to meet so many of the people working to change the state, and the nation. Furthermore, connecting more changemakers to our community has provided our current Blackburn Students with new resources, especially in the health sciences. In whatever capacity, I am looking forward to continuing to develop relationships within the context of our truly unique and effectual network.
Vision for the Fellows Involvement Network:
As the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to settle, opportunities will emerge for Fellows to continue answering their call for the betterment of the state. Our outgoing administration admirably responded to the ever-shifting circumstances of the past two years and provided tools that may continue to serve us, Fellows, well. Zoom connected Fellows from around the country in a format accessible to those unable to attend in-person networking events. However, the constraints of this digital medium, even when addressed with breakout rooms and themed discussions, highlighted the need for specialized, industry-specific engagement between Fellows. While Kathryn Drago, our coordinator of alumni programs, has connected me to many members of our community involved in the healthcare industry, I also understand that such networking on my behalf can be a burden upon The Institute’s resources. It is for this reason that I see the future of Fellows programming in the further refinement of connection and communication in a sector-by-sector framework. Blackburn Connect has begun to fill this need as employment and internship opportunity postings drive an increase in engagement on a platform equipped with filters by industry and interest. However, I see social media and email as venues to highlight individuals seeking to connect with, and offer opportunities to, other Fellows within the same area of expertise. Lessons learned from this more specialized messaging will then be applied to Fellows programming itself, informing the development of industry and interest-specific virtual calls and then in-person events as well. While my vision for the future of Fellows programming and opportunities centers upon connecting members of the Blackburn community with each other based on their specializations, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting dynamic individuals engaged in bettering our state in every sense. I believe that this interdisciplinary networking is indeed a strength of The Institute, propagated with the diversity of each selected Blackburn class, and should be preserved at events such as the Spring Networking Dinner, large networking events, and of course, the Annual Symposium.
FIN External Vice-Chairperson Candidates
Candidate 1 of 1: Whitney Miller-Nichols
Biography:
Whitney Miller-Nichols serves as Associate Governmental Affairs Director for the School Superintendents of Alabama. In addition to advocacy responsibilities on behalf of Alabama school superintendents, her professional duties include policy development, external communications and social media. A native of Chelsea, AL, Whitney received her BA in Advertising in 2006 and MA in Secondary Education in 2011, both from the University of Alabama. She has wide-ranging professional experience, including commercial real estate management, secondary classroom instruction, and development of continuing education for school board members.
Blackburn and FIN Involvement:
Whitney joined the Blackburn Institute in 2005 as an undergraduate student and was promoted to Fellow in 2006. As a Fellow, she has assisted with student selections, participated in director searches, moderated panels, and served as co-presenter with other Fellows. Whitney is active with the Montgomery Fellows Network and prioritizes attendance at the Annual Symposium.
Vision for the Fellows Involvement Network:
As a Fellow of 16 years, I have been pleased to see outreach and activities for Fellows grow and become richer in the last few years. I hope to continue engaging programming in a variety of formats that meets Fellows where they are in their personal and professional lives.