Ellie is an interracial, multicultural Coast Guard spouse of nearly 14 years, with a career rooted in advocacy, inclusion, and public service. With a B.S. from UNC-Greensboro and a Master’s in Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice from the University of Oklahoma, her academic and professional work has centered on racial inequality, intergenerational trauma, and disparities in mental health care for veterans. She currently attends Vermont Law School as a 1L in the Hybrid J.D. program, where she is specializing in restorative justice as a tool for shaping policy and dismantling systemic barriers.
Her leadership spans grassroots advocacy, community organizing, and national policy initiatives. She serves as a Regional Organizer and Foreign Policy Fellow with the Secure Families Initiative, focusing on military voting rights and national security reform. She is also a 2024 NAACP/Groundwork Project Organizing Accelerator Fellow, Vice-Chair of the Culture and Inclusion Committee for the Military Spouse JD Network, Chair of the Political Action Committee and a member of the Legal Redress Committee for the Gwinnett NAACP, and Gwinnett County Lead for the ACLU of Georgia’s Voter Access Project. She was recently selected to join the Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee as a law student committed to public interest law.
As a military spouse, Ellie has navigated multiple deployments and PCS moves across Guam, Puerto Rico, Florida, and Georgia while raising a family and advancing her career. Her early work with the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy laid the foundation for a decade of volunteer service and leadership in organizations like the Sector San Juan Spouses Club, Wounded Warrior Project, Blue Star Families, and Hire Our Heroes. Her personal experiences inform her unwavering commitment to advocating for military families—particularly families of color—by elevating underrepresented voices and fighting for equitable access to opportunity, healthcare, and support.
Ellie is a proud mom of three energetic children and a devoted pet parent to T’Challa the Rottweiler and Xena the cat. Her favorite ways to recharge include spending time with family, cheering on her kids’ sports teams, discovering new restaurants, and unwinding with Golden Girls reruns and good music. While law school currently limits her travel time, she looks forward to more adventures with her family once she reaches the finish line.
