LANCASTER PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD - Key Persons


Albert Blackmon - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Board

Ayana Crawford

Job Titles:
  • Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator
Ayana Crawford graduated with her Master's of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Change from Columbia College and her Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Women & Gender Studies from Winthrop University. She is also certified in DEI in the Workplace and has been very involved in community organizing around civics and peace initiatives. She is passionate about educating and advocating for others who feel as though their voices are not being heard and encourages them to be more politically involved. Her ultimate goal is to bring people together from all walks of life in order to make a more harmonious and inclusive society. For fun, she likes to volunteer in her community, try new restaurants, paint, skate, and watch movies on Netflix and videos on Tiktok!

Dr. Paul N. McKenzie

Job Titles:
  • Transformation Partner

Jonathan Phipps

Job Titles:
  • Transformation Partner

Karen Ormand

Job Titles:
  • Operations Manager
Karen Ormand, a native of Lancaster, SC, was raised by a single mom and grew up in the zone (just off Central Avenue) and attended Clinton Elementary, Barr Street Junior High School and Lancaster High. From 2004-2023, Karen served as the Executive Assistant, Grants Administrator, and Lead Event Planner for the Arras Foundation. She successfully implemented numerous community events and served as the events planner for Give Local, as well as managing the Foundation's grants database system. In her spare time, Karen lends her time to various community causes, is an avid animal lover (she was on the founding board of Lancaster SPCA). She is a mom of two and the proud "Kay Kay" of three grandchildren. She is excited and honored to be able to focus her time and talents to furthering the work of the community that raised her.

Kristal Strouds

Job Titles:
  • Data Analyst
Kristal Rollings Stroud joins Promise Neighborhood after a 28 ½ year career with Lancaster County Government. The last 9 years, Kristal has served as the Grants Manager at the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office where she wrote, on-boarded, and managed over $17 million dollars of grant funding for the Sheriff's Office. Prior to her grants management position, she worked in various capacities within the Sheriff's Office including 911 Dispatcher, Victims Advocate, Records Supervisor and NCIC Supervisor. She began her career with Lancaster County Family Court after earning an associate degree in Criminal Justice at USC-L and later transferred to Records Management at the County Administration Building. After a 28-year career with Lancaster County, Kristal decided to retire and join Promise Neighborhood as the Data Analyst. Away from work, Kristal enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband enjoy fishing, camping, and riding motorcycles. She is the Senior Adult Leader at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church in Kershaw and serves on their van ministry and as a Sunday School teacher to 1st and 2nd grade. Kristal is very excited to continue to work with partners that she has formed relationships with over the years and eager to expand her working relationships within the community.

Meagan Roberts

Job Titles:
  • Family Services Coordinator
Born and raised in Great Falls, Meagan Roberts has worked in the Lancaster community for the last 13 years and is known around Lancaster for her work in the family services area and has shared her skills and knowledge with a variety of area agencies. Meagan Roberts is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (although a huge Clemson fan) with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree. After college Meagan worked in Child Protective Services at the Department of Social Services as well as a Family Services Worker for Southside Early Childhood Development Center and as a Parent Educator for Lancaster County First Steps. Meagan has been married for 10 years to Ben Roberts and has two beautiful boys, Tanner and Taytum. She also has the best dog ever, a beagle named Otis. If you can't find Meagan at work or in the community, you can find her at the baseball or football fields watching her children. Meagan hopes that by becoming a part of Lancaster Promise Neighborhood it will allow her to reach more families in Lancaster and provide them with the resources, tools, and knowledge they need to be successful.

Sharon Frain Novinger

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Lancaster County Partners for Youth
  • Executive Director of PFY
Sharon Frain Novinger has been the Executive Director of PFY since March 2007. During her leadership she has successfully implemented and administered $6 million in federal grants that have impacted all 4K classes in Lancaster County and Clinton Elementary School. She has also overseen the distribution of $1.3 million in scholarships for the Gear Up programs and PFY's annual scholarships. She has successfully led PFY's involvement with a multitude of community collaborations positively impacting our county's parents and youth; and, awarded teacher classroom grants, professional development grants, and community grants to dozens of recipients. Her dedication to education has been a constant throughout her life starting with her father as a career military training specialist and her mother an early elementary teacher. Before PFY, she was a communications director at Savannah College of Art and Design as well as led the United Way of Lancaster County. She grew up in Martinez, Georgia, is an American Leadership Fellow, Lancaster Breakfast Rotary member, and is an alumnus of St. Andrews Presbyterian University.

Walt Collins

Job Titles:
  • Transformation Partner