Staff

Kristina Scott, Executive Director kscott@alabamapoverty.org

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Kristina Scott is the Alabama Poverty Project’s executive director. A seasoned coalition builder and attorney, Kristina brings a unique mix of communications and analytical skills to APP.

Before joining APP in August 2008, Kristina served as the Managing Attorney for External Affairs at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Her accomplishments there included partnering with children’s health professionals and housing advocates to fight childhood lead poisoning. Kristina’s efforts resulted in the nation’s first criminal charges brought against property owners for exposing children to dangerous levels of lead. In addition, she launched the Freedom of Information Unit to improve public access to government records and spearheaded a multi-agency effort to expand elder abuse prosecutions that resulted in a 100 percent increase in cases filed.

Kristina has also designed communications and voter contact strategies for candidates and ballot initiative campaigns across the country. She was a senior strategist for The Strategy Group and served as a top staffer on Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo’s campaign. In 2001, Delgadillo became the first Latino elected to citywide office in Los Angeles in 125 years in an upset, come-from-behind victory made possible by a unique coalition of Latino, African American and conservative voters.

During the 2000 election cycle, Kristina ran statewide communications operations as the Communications Director for the California Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign. Kristina also worked in press and field for the Gore campaign in California, Illinois and Iowa during the primary and caucus season.

Kristina earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida, where she was a member of Florida Blue Key, and her juris doctor with distinction from Emory University. She is a member of the California, Georgia and New York Bars.

Kristina serves on the board of directors of Catalyst for Birmingham and the Alabama Moving Picture Association. She lives in Homewood.

Jilleyn Foley jfoley@alabamapoverty.org

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Jilleyn is our Faith and Community Partnerships Coordinator.  She promotes poverty issues within the faith community, networks with faith-based organizations and staff working on poverty issues, and develops outreach and education tools for the faith community on poverty.

Jilleyn comes to APP from the Nonprofit Resource Center of Alabama, where she was responsible for membership sales and service.  She has also worked with Impact Family Counseling and in the legal and insurance industries. She was selected as a Bread for the World Hunger Justice Leader in 2010.

Jilleyn is a native of Leeds, Alabama. She graduated from Mississippi College with a degree in Political Science.  She and her husband Brian live in Fultondale.

Robyn Hyden  rhyden@alabamapoverty.org

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Robyn is an Americorps VISTA with the Alabama Poverty Project. She coordinates social media (Twitter, Facebook) and the blog, maintains web resources and handles promotions, outreach, and the Alabama Possible newsletter. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. Robyn grew up in Pelham, Alabama, where she still lives.

T.C. McLemore tmclemore@alabamapoverty.org

T.C. is an Americorps VISTA with the Alabama Poverty Project. He coordinates work on hunger and food security with our Higher Education Alliance and other community partners. He was the first graduate of the UAB’s Global and Community Leadership Honors program in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. T.C. hails from Fort Payne, Alabama and lives in Birmingham.

Hannah Selles hselles@alabamapoverty.org

Hannah is an Americorps VISTA with the Alabama Poverty Project. She coordinates the Blueprints College Access initiative and partners with our Higher Education Alliance on continuing education and our Lifetime of Learning conference. She graduated from Calvin College in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in art history. Hannah grew up in Beijing, China and currently lives in Shelby County.

Will Thomas wthomas@alabamapoverty.org

Will is an Americorps VISTA with the Alabama Poverty Project. He coordinates our work with faith communities and mediates deliberative community dialogues. Will comes to us from the David Mathews Center for Civic Life at the University of Alabama, where he graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Will is a proud Huntsvillian who currently resides in Hoover.

Staff photos by David Smith of DSmithImages