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Meet Our Team
The team at Lancaster Promise Neighborhood is a blend of diverse individuals united in their commitment to our community's welfare, empowering our students, and bolstering families. With varied backgrounds and skills, we collectively strive to foster a positive influence and nurture community prosperity.
LaNisha Stover Blair
Project Director
lblair@lpnsc.org
LaNisha Stover Blair is the Project Director for Lancaster Promise Neighborhood, she previously served as a Data Analyst. She is a Senior Certified Prevention Specialist. She is a graduate of Winthrop University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She served as the secretary for the South Carolina Association for Prevention Professionals and Advocates. For the past several years, she has also served as the co-chair of the Coalition for Healthy Youth. She has been in the field of substance misuse prevention for 16 years. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid through the National Department of Mental Health. Through the Prevention Research Institute, she is also a certified Prime for Life Instructor for South Carolina. She previously worked as the Prevention Director with Counseling Services of Lancaster and as the Project Coordinator of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Sharon Novinger
Partners for Youth Executive Director
sharon@lcpartnersforyouth.org
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; overseen the distribution of $1.3 million in scholarships for the Gear Up programs and PFY’s annual scholarships; 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.
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.
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 and 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 vidos on Tiktok!
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 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.
Desmond Stowers, Jr., graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Counseling Education from the University of South Carolina. Desmond, a native of Lancaster, attended A.R. Rucker Middle School and Lancaster High School. Before Promise Neighborhood he worked as a Corporate Agent for Allstate in which he collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement successful marketing campaigns, resulting in a $1.5 billion turnaround within the last quarter. A member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Desmond held the role of Vice Basileus (President) after his position of Treasurer. Also, he is a board member of Zeta Zeta College Endowment Foundation. During this time he implemented a successful fundraising strategy that resulted in $100,000+ raised and scholarships for 10 scholars starting in 2022. Desmond agreed to do his absolute best to uplift Promise Neighborhood and is grateful to be here to showcase his work ethic and skills that he has acquired throughout his life and career.
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.