Saran Fossett,
Executive Director/Chief Changemaker,
(Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Saran Fossett is a committed, passionate, strategic, creative, awarded, multidisciplinary leader and youth advocate with an eye for innovation and possibilities.
Prior to founding AZIZA PE&CE, Fossett completed her high school education at Western High School in Baltimore, Md., and received her B.A. in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from Bauder Fashion College in Atlanta, Ga., and Tobe Coburn School of Fashion Careers in New York, N.Y.
Fossett has worked the gamut of careers in fashion as a professional model, boutique owner, model agent, stylist, merchandiser, consultant, fashion event producer and creative director to name a few. Although her skill set is vast, her greatest expertise and passion revolve in the worlds of youth advocacy, fashion/charity event planning, program development and management, and marketing.
Ravae Wills,
President of the Board of Directors,
(Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Ravae Wills is from Baltimore County Maryland. Ravae has been a member of the AZIZA PE&CE Youth Program since 2013. Ravae moved from being a volunteer for the program to the vendor coordinator for the annual STRUT fashion show, to now being the president of the Board of Directors.
Ravae has a passion for the youth, often being the AP cheerleader and providing guidance for the participants. Ravae embodies all that AP is, love. Ravae holds a Bachelor's degree from Coppin State University and a Master of Business Administration from Strayer University. Ravae's goal is to help achieve one of AP's mottos which is making AP the Chick-fil-A of youth programs.
Linda Keely,
Board Treasurer,
(Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Linda Keely works to reveal the truth, stop the harm, and repair the damage of structural racism. As a Founder and Trustee of RAW (Redistribute Agency & Wealth) Trust, a private operating foundation, she advocates for the decolonization of wealth and secures resources for the Black community to self-organize.
With more than 20 years of experience in federal, state, and local agencies, Linda actualizes the reform of institutional policies, practices, and perspectives so all people have the equal opportunity to thrive. In her role as the Executive Director of the Baltimore City Office of Child Support Services, she built a culture of trust and accountability. Her work resulted in transformative client experiences, demonstrated by changing feedback from “This place is the absolute worst place in the world” to “Best service I had in 16 years.”
Linda has changed institutional culture and created more effective services in multiple roles and geographies: as the Human Services Deputy Director for Wake County, North Carolina; as the Deputy Program & Operations Manager for the Federal Administration for Children & Families in Washington, DC; and as the Technical Director for Family Self-Sufficiency for ICF International based in Virginia.
Her work is enhanced by her formal education, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Information & Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Baltimore.
In Linda’s personal time, she can be found enjoying motorcycle rides on open country roads, seeking adventure in distant countries, white water, or caves, photographing and painting landscapes that stir her soul, and discovering new ways to stay mindful while continuing the work of advancing racial justice.
Nile Fossett,
Operations,
(Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)
Nile Fossett, whom AZIZA PE&CE is named after, is Saran Fossett’s daughter. She supports AP’s Operations team. The team assists with data collection, communications and program development. She has a background in communication research, and holds a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in Communication with minors in Technology Entrepreneurship and Chinese Language. She currently works in marketing and data analytics in the tech field. She also holds an MPA degree from Columbia University with a focus in ICT and Data for Development.