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Katie Zawacki
Director/Founder
Facilitator/Trainer– 2014
Board member– 2014–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
President–2019, 2020
Katie is retired as a prevention professional. As founder and current President of Points of Diversity, Katie’s Peace Corp Service and years of work with schools, parents, governments and community organizations provides on-going connections that are building a more Inclusive Roanoke Valley.
Lynn McDowell
Facilitator– 2020
Board member– 2014–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Vice President– 2019, 2020
Lynn is retired from Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, our Roanoke Valley Community Services Board, where she last served as the Division Director for Prevention and Wellness. Lynn has worked for 38 years at Blue Ridge in youth services from crisis to residential to community services. She has worked closely with substance abuse prevention coalitions and local planning teams all of which proactively address cross-cultural competence. She spends her free time in retirement with family and supporting positive community change.
Ray Bemis
Facilitator– 2015
Board member– 2017–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Secretary– 2019, 2020
Ray has worked with youth and young adults for over 35 years in both prevention and treatment. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Maine and Master’s in Social Work from Radford University. Ray retired in 2019, after 30 years, from Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare as a prevention and wellness specialist.
Grace Church
Facilitator– 2018
Board member– 2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Treasurer– 2019, 2020
Graces passion is in community building activities that bring about unity and reconciliation. Grace has worked within the security and non-profit industry as a human resource professional.
Freeda Cathcart
Facilitator– 2015
Board member– 2014–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Freeda is a graduate of Roanoke College and the Climate Reality Project. She worked as a Reinsurance Specialist for Shenandoah Life Insurance Company where she became a Fellow in the Life Management Institutes.
Freeda re-activated the Grandin Court Neighborhood Association in 2015 to help protect the woodlands on the old Shenandoah Life property. She was re-elected to serve as the President of the Grandin Court Neighborhood Association. Several years ago, she served as the President of the Grandin Court Neighborhood Association for six years until she was termed out of office. She also re-activated Roanoke City’s Neighborhood President’s Council to protect the woodlands on Brandon Ave.
Freeda was the President of the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op in the early 1990’s. She was one of the Founders of the Left Bank Land Co. in Floyd, Virginia. She worked with the shareholders to create a Land Trust, Artesia, on their property in 1995. Artesia protects the watershed and the old growth forest from being developed for future generations. The property associated with the Left Bank Land Co. supports several successful farm market growers and independent cottage industries.
Freeda was elected to be a District Director on the Board for the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District. She is the Secretary for the GFWC Star Woman's Club. She also serves on the League of Women Voters of the Roanoke Valley and Points of Diversity Boards. Freeda and her husband have been married for 32 years and they have four children together.
Juliet Jordan Lowery
Board member– 2014–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Juliet has been a Higher Education administrator for 20+ years involved in recruitment and retention programs, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Juliet is a champion for underrepresented student populations. She currently is working on her doctoral degree through Fielding Graduate University. She is a founding member of Points of Diversity.
Anita James Price
Facilitator– 2015
Board member– 2015–2018
Current Board of Directors term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Anita is retired as an educator and counselor for Roanoke City Schools where she excelled in her work with all children and creating strong bonds with students, parents, and peers. In her retirement she continues to serve the Roanoke City community as a member of City Council and with a commitment and passion to address the needs of our youth.
Josh Dowdy
Facilitator: 2020
Board member– 2017–2018
Current Board of Directors term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Josh is a life-long “Roanoker” and third-generation educator. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in psychology and earned both a Teaching License and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Radford University. He serves Roanoke City Public School students and teachers as the Assistant Principal at James Breckinridge Middle School. Also, he is working toward an Ed.D. with a concentration in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Northeastern University.
Jordan Bell
Board member– 2019, 2020
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Jordan is involved with many organizations such as the Dumas Hotel Legacy, Inc., and Points of Diversity, NAACP, SCLC, and many others. Jordan’s biggest accomplishment is being a father to his only daughter, Zariaya Bell. His passion is working with young people but also history. His project, Gainsboro Revisited, is a documentary, book, and research on the history of the Gainsboro community and Urban Renewal of the Roanoke Valley. He is in the process of interviewing Black Pioneers of the Roanoke Valley to tell their story and how Urban Renewal impacted the Black Community. On a daily basis, Jordan works with hundreds of children doing what he loves to do and that’s impact their lives by teaching them who they are and the power they have within themselves.
Brandie Fraction
Board member– 2019
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2022
Brandie hails from St. Louis, MO and has grown to love the mountains of the Roanoke Valley. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from University of Missouri-Columbia. Brandie obtained her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Radford University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and an Applied Suicide Prevention Skills Trainer. Her professional background is working with substance abuse, children and family services, trauma informed care, women’s issues, managerial and has experience providing EAP Consulting. Brandie has served as the President and Vice President of Blue Ridge Employee Assistance Professionals, Volunteer for Girls Rock Roanoke, Dancer/Choreographer for Kwanzaa Programs, and numerous community programs.
Brandie is married and has two children. She enjoys the arts, is an avid reader, laughing is her number one medicine. Brandie is a licensed Mixxedfit Instructor and Body Flow Instructor. Brandie has a grateful approach to life and being a Board member of Points of Diversity has been added to her gratitude list.
Decca Knight
Facilitator– 2020
Board member– 2020
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2021 to Dec. 2023
Decca Knight is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Professional School Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Practitioner. Currently Decca works as the Coordinator of Trauma-Informed Care and Elementary Counseling for Roanoke City Schools while managing her two consulting firms, Blue Ridge Parenting and Connected Child Consulting. Decca volunteers on numerous Boards, is the founder of Standing for Equity in the Roanoke Valley (SERV) and works as a medical and legislative cancer advocate. Decca has been married for 20 years, has a teenage son, and loves her life living in the mountains outside of Roanoke.
Blair Celli
Facilitator/Trainer– 2015
Board member– 2015–2018
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Blair works as an instructional designer at Allstate and serves on the NATIONAL Board of LGBTQ employees. She provides professional development and intervention in Diversity issues where HR and LGBT employees are involved. An experienced facilitator and public speaker and writer of curriculum to fill gaps identified by Inclusive Diversity. Blair is a founding member of Points of Diversity.
Amanda Andrews
Facilitator– 2019
Board member– 2019, 2020
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2022
Amanda Andrews is working towards a Master’s of Social Work at Radford University. She will graduate in May 2021 and she looks forward to using the skills she has developed from her degrees. Amanda enjoys working with young people and making a difference in their lives. She also enjoys working with different communities in Roanoke and seeing the love that the different residents have for their community.
Zoya Raza
Youth Representative– 2019, 2020
Board member–2019, 2020
Current Board of Directors first term– Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2021
Karen Karney
Current Board of Directors first term- Jan. 2021 to Dec. 2023
Karen has been Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, Roanoke, since it started in 1989.
She serves as Vice-President of the Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living, Vice-Chair of the Statewide Independent Living Council and Co-Chair of the Community Integrated Housing Advisory Commission. Locally, she serves on the Board of the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board and Greater Roanoke Transit Company.
Over the years, Karen has been instrumental in establishing Centers for Independent Living in the Lynchburg, Piedmont and New River Valley areas. She recently served as Interim Director of the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia in Arlington, and in the past has served as the Interim Director of the Disability Rights and Resource Center, Rocky Mount, and New River Valley Disability Resource Center, Christiansburg.
Karen holds a Masters in Public Administration from James Madison University. Karen and her husband will celebrate their 40th Anniversary in 2021. They have a 30 year-old son and numerous pets including miniature horses, goats, a miniature donkey, cats, dogs, and a parrot.
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