Executive Director Jesalyn Keziah

Jesalyn Keziah is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with her Masters in Social Work focused on Native mental health and community-based approaches for holistic wellness. Jesalyn was raised in Indian Trail, NC, and originally moved to the Triangle as a first-generation college student at UNC-CH studying Global Health & Environment. Before joining TNAS as Executive Director, Jesalyn spent 12+ years working statewide in community engagement and organizational capacity building at UNC American Indian Center, Resourceful Communities Program/The Conservation Fund, and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. She previously served as Vice President of Triangle Native American Society, and has also served on the board of NC Folklife Institute (NC Folk), the James Beard Foundation Food Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans, NC Solidarity Economies advisory group, and advisory boards for various funders including Z. Smith Reynolds, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of NC, and Triangle Community Foundation. Her work in community has centered around local food systems and food sovereignty, environmental stewardship, arts and culture-based initiatives, philanthropy, and asset-based community development. Jesalyn lives in Durham and spends her personal time gardening, learning about native plants and ecosystems, and making pottery.