Kelcie Shack Program Director, Red Door – Jackson, MS
Kelcie Slack didn’t plan to work in nonprofit leadership.
10 years ago, she was pregnant with her second daughter when she interviewed for a site coordinator role at Red Door. While she had no formal nonprofit background, she did have vision.
“I fell in love with everything. The kids, the families, the caregivers. And my mind just started imagining what this program could be.”
With the support of her supervisor and LF staff, Emily Hardin, Kelcie began building programs that centered the voices of children and their families. When a child said they wanted to learn to cook, she brought in a chef. When other dreams of ballet, she found a ballet instructor. She partnered with local museums for STEM education, worked with park rangers to explore local history, and created safe spaces for single moms to gather with a licensed therapist.
As she began making these connections with youth and their families in her community, she realized how valuable it was for children to be able to interact in and engage with the world. It became central to her leadership philosophy.
“The more children exposed to different experiences, the more confident they become. It gives them the spaces to have conversations and elevate themselves.”
Now, serving as as Program Director, Kelcie sees leadership as deeply relational. She accredits one mentor, who has since become her friend, for shaping her, a woman who modeled integrity, intentionality, and humility.
“Women bring empathy into leadership. We hold detail, emotion, and vision at the same time. We lead with thought and caution. We are more powerful than we give ourselves credit for.”
For Kelcie, leadership is both/and. It’s both strength and nurture; it’s vision and execution; it’s business-minded and deeply relational.
“Women bring empathy into leadership. We hold detail, emotion, and vision at the same time. We lead with thought and caution. We are more powerful than we give ourselves credit for.”
— Kelcie Slack.
Yuki Igarashi Board Member, Leadership Foundations
Yuki’s journey into leadership didn’t follow the path she expected.
She entered graduate school thinking she would pivot into nonprofit work. But after networking and exploring the field, she realized her participation in and calling to the space looked different
“The interest didn’t go away, but I knew this wasn’t meant to be my full-time career. I was called to serve in a different capacity.”
After completing board leadership training, she joined Leadership Foundations as part of a pilot group and was later invited to serve on the national board. Now in her second term, she continues to engage at the board level while working in corporate marketing at Edward Jones.
For Yuki, board leadership is about stewardship, bringing an outsider’s perspective while remaining deeply committed.
“I see myself as a supporter and facilitator. It’s meaningful and impactful to serve in this way.”
As a woman of faith, Yuki has wrestled with the historical sidelining of women, both culturally and biblically.
“Historically, women were often on the sidelines. But that doesn’t mean God designed us for the sidelines.”
She believes women, like men, are purposefully designed with different strengths, equal in value and complementary in calling.
Motherhood has deepened her understanding of leadership even further.
“Nothing has changed my perspective more than becoming a parent. You’re always leading — at home, at work, in community. My identity in Christ doesn’t change regardless of the setting.
For Yuki, leadership is about faithfulness, in the everyday task and the long-term vision.
“Historically, women were often on the sidelines. But that doesn’t mean God designed us for the sidelines.” – Yuki Igarashi.
Melody Rodriguez Director, Proyecto MoLE
For Melody, leadership begins with mentorship.
As Director of Proyecto MoLE, which means The Latino Student Movement, Melody works with LatinX students at Central High Alternative School, young people who are navigating systems that underestimate their potential.
Over the years, she has seen firsthand how expectations can shape a student’s future. That’s why mentorship sits at the center of Proyecto MoLE’s work.
“The most impactful resource we can offer is mentoring.” She explains that without mentoring, it’s hard to do the rest of the work like mental health support, career readiness, or education planning.
Mentorship, she believes, creates the kind of community where students and families feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to imagine new possibilities for their lives.
One student’s story continues to embody that impact.
Years ago, a middle school principal referred a student named Janet to Melody’s program as an alternative to suspension. At first, Melody hesitated. Janet had a reputation that preceded her. But she welcomed her into the program anyway.
It didn’t take long for Janet to reveal who she really was.
She began spending time reading in the school library, staying after hours to help clean classrooms, and leaning into the other opportunities in front of her. With the support of mentors and educators, Janet eventually became an Act Six scholar at Pacific Lutheran University.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Janet returned every Friday to volunteer alongside Melody, mentoring younger students in the same program that once supported her. Today, all three of Janet’s younger sisters have gone on to also pursue higher education, a ripple effect that began with someone believing in her.
For Melody, this is what leadership looks like.
“It’s not about becoming a leader,” She says. “It’s about realizing the leader you already are.”
She believe representation also matters. When young people see mentors and leaders who share their background or experiences, it expands what feels possible for their futures.
Melody’s own leadership has been shaped by the example of her great-grandmother, a woman who refused to conform to expectations that women should remain quiet or soft-spoken.
“She was fiery,” Melody recalls. “And I feel that same fire in myself.”
Her message to young women today is simple yet profound: Protect that fire. It may be exactly what the world needs.
“It’s not about becoming a leader. It’s about realizing the leader you already are.” – Melody Rodriguez.
The stories of Kelcie, Melody, and Yuki remind us that leadership is not defined by titles, but by faithfulness: the daily work of investing in people, nurturing potential, and serving communities with wisdom and care.
Across the Leadership Foundations network, women are showing up in powerful ways. This International Women’s Day, we give thanks for the women who lead with courage, compassion, and a deep commitment to transforming their cities.
Join us in supporting the
next generation of women leaders.
