Achievements

2024

More than $3 million rewarded to 21 organizations that serve St. Louis County and the region including A Red Circle. Click here to learn more.

2023

On June 3rd, A Red Circle dedicated the building for the North County Community Nexus to the community. Read the featured article in the St. Louis American here.

A Red Circle is featured in the article "Decades of Damage: the origins of food insecurity in St. Louis today" in Feast Magazine. Click here to read the article.

Erica Williams was recently recognized by Community Builders Network STL. Read more here.

Thanks to the generosity and trust of Chairwoman Shalonda Webb of St. Louis County, A Red Circle will receive $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support Black farmers in Council District 4! Read more here in an article by St. Louis Public Radio.

"A New Food Retailer, People’s Harvest Community Grocery Store, to Expand Healthy Food Access in North County"- Reinvestment Fund Impact Story . Read more here

Fall 2023
November 2023, MU Extension will be working with local St. Louis Metropolitan region. Which will help focus on teaching socially disadvantaged beginning farmers, military veterans and veteran farmers with disabilities served by the Missouri Agriculture Project.
"The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded the University of Missouri a $676,784 grant to break down barriers for beginning farmers and ranchers in the St. Louis metropolitan region." -MU Extension
Read more here

December 2023
Check out A Red Circle's article in Terrain Magazine!
Click on the link to see what A Red Circle has been up to.
Read Article Here

2022

STL Public Radio interviewed Erica about the plans for our community grocery store. Read and listen here.
KSDK did a segment on the upcoming grocery store.Watch and read here!
The North County Agricultural Education Center, A Red Circle’s urban farm, was featured in a beautiful article in St. Louis Magazine! Read it here.
St. Louis Community College celebrated 60 years and Erica was a featured alum in this story!
Erica was featured in the Wallace Center‘s Food Systems Leadership Network anthology titled: Willful wildflowers: journeys and dreams from food systems leaders.
Robert Townsend of KSDK featured A Red Circle at the North County Agricultural Education Center for Good Food Friday! Watch and read here!

2021

KSDK interviewed Erica about the Healthy Flavor Community Garden. Watch it here!
St. Louis County named A Red Circle a recipient of their Children’s Service Fund. Read the Grassroots Award Press Release here.
Be The Change magazine, Fall 2021. Find us on page 22.
Missouri EATs helps communities strengthen local food systems. Read more here .

2020

The Association of Fundraising Professionals profiled Erica Williams in its September blog. Read the interview here .
A Red Circle was recently featured in a blog from Green the Church about the North County Agriculture Education Center, titledA Red Circle Promotes Community in North St. Louis County
Erica Williams’ alma mater Maryville University featured her in its Spring, 2020 magazine! Enjoy reading about how she is Shaking Up North County !
How to do a food demo for 95 in a pandemic highlights the work of Missouri University Extension and Beyond Housing to introduce the North County Agricultural Education Center to residents in Pine Lawn, Missouri, with the challenge of quarantine.
Executive Director Erica Williams was interviewed for the podcast We Live Here on April 30, 2020. The topic is Food Security During Covid-19. Enjoy and join in the action to increase healthy food access in North St. Louis County.
Please enjoy this great article from writer Mia Turner of St. Louis Partnership, which highlights A Red Circle’s work in North St. Louis County.
We are pleased to be included in this list of recipients to address holistic living with new moms at Jamaa Birth Village in Ferguson, Missouri. Read more about our program and the other recipients here .

2019

See the article posted by Missourinet titled, “Missouri Department of Agriculture gives grants to projects in “food deserts” around state, which includes A Red Circle’s North County Agricultural Education Center!
St. Louis Public Radio interview about school district boundaries and racial equity in education.
Erica Williams participated on a panel discussion about voting suppression tactics and provided practical ways that community organizations can get involved. Read more about the event.
Read about Ignite Missouri, an event powered by A Red Circle, to increase opportunity for Blacks and other minorities in Missouri’s cannabis industry!
St. Louis Public Radio did a piece titled, “With Stores Gone, Farmers Market to Fill Void in North St. Louis Food Desert”, to highlight our Healthy Community Market! Check it out here.
A Red Circle received the What’s Right With the Region Award! Read about the award and the Emerging Initiatives category here.

2017

KMOV conducted our first on-camera interview about our Education Advocacy Coalition in July, 2017!

Our Team

Erica R. Williams

Erica Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of A Red Circle, a nonprofit
that works for community betterment in North County through a racial equity lens. A
Red Circle operates programing in education, community wellness, and the arts. Erica
is a native of north St. Louis County. She grew up in the Normandy and Ferguson-
Florissant School Districts and later went on to attend St. Louis Community College
Florissant Valley as an adult learner. Erica holds a BA in Paralegal Studies and an
MBA, both from Maryville University. She is working on her PhD in Public Policy and
Administration from Walden University, with a concentration on policy analysis. Erica is
a wife and mother of five thriving adult children, two grandchildren, and a dog named
Trixie. Erica hails from an amazing line of educators, faith leaders, and community
activists, including Damu Smith, who spent the majority of his life protesting against
environmental injustice in Washington D.C.

Jessica Johnson
Director of Community Arts

Jessica D. Johnson was one of A Red Circle's first volunteers and was named Arts Coordinator in 2019. Using her skills and abilities in art, music and creativity, she directs programs, projects and events for the communities served by A Red Circle.

Tamar Brown
Education Advocacy Director

Tamar Brown is an experienced nonprofit practitioner, community leader and organizer. Tamar runs a consultant business specializing in nonprofit organizing, capacity building and resource management. In her spare time, she and her husband own a youth sports organization.

Ashlee Peck
Director of Operations

Ashlee Peck has a background in special education and has served as a teacher as well as a Parent Educator for a local school district. She has also spent some time in the corporate world as a Customer Success Manager. Her B.S. is in Special Education and also has 15 graduate credit hours in School Counseling and is currently completing a M.A. in Industrial Organizational Psychology. Investing in people is Ashlee's passion.
Ashlee has three kids (Nora-11, Navy-8, and Henry-5) and her bernedoodle puppy, Pearl. She loves to snuggle with her babies, hike, read fiction, and is learning to throw pottery on a wheel.

Jessica Carter
Site Director of North County Community Nexus

Jessica Carter is a Researcher, Entrepreneur and Farmer from Saint Louis, Missouri. Currently completing her PhD in general psychology and studies ethnic-racial identity among African American women college students. She is also a self-published children’s book author. Driven by passion and a deep-rooted love for her community, Jessica strives to help educate others about the benefits of self-sustainability and living life unapologetically. She is also a mentor for local Saint Louis County students and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She loves exploring the world with her amazing daughter, running, traveling, astrology, and religious studies.

Trina Ragain
Director of Development & Strategy

Passionate public health professional with a demonstrated history of working in the academic and non-profit sectors. Skilled in program and system design and innovation, strategic planning, social policy and advocacy.

Bailey Williams IV
IT/Accounting/Facilities Director

Bailey Williams, a full-time volunteer, holds a Bachelor of Technology degree and has worked in the financial sector for 18 years. His guiding principles, which he calls his Circle of Themes, reflect his approach to his work at A Red Circle: connectedness, analytical thinking, inclusion and futuristic vision.

Suzanne Whitman
Grants Development Manager

Suzanne Whitman started working with A Red Circle in August 2019 as a volunteer grant writer and assumed her current role in September 2021. Suzanne worked for 13 years at MasterCard as a technical writer and manager. In her free time, she does Buddhist meditation, reads and runs.

Erin Tyus
Director of Community Wellness

Erin Tyus, a St. Louis native, serves as the Food and Farm Project Coordinator. Passionate about health and community service from a young age, she witnessed the detrimental impact of limited access to fresh, healthy food firsthand. She is excited to join an organization dedicated to eliminating food deserts. She aims to provide deserving communities with better access to nutritious food.

Eric Williams
Food & Farm Associate

Eric Williams has a bachelor's degree in music and is also a business owner. As the oldest son of Director and Founder Erica Williams, he has seen her do all of this good work by herself and has helped out in small ways before while witnessing its growth. Now, he has the chance to be an integral part of this organization and looks forward to seeing the good that they will do together.

Nicholas Williams
Program Assistant

Nicholas Williams is a 2020 graduate of McCluer Senior High School. He is an avid gamer and enjoys playing his clarinet.

Queenie Vesey
Food & Farm Teaching Specialist

Queenie Vesey is a canning and farm educator. She plays a crucial role in educating individuals or groups about the art and science of canning, as well as sustainable farming practices. She is a self-taught canner, chef and gardener. Who enjoys spoken word poetry cooking and feeding the community. This position combines practical knowledge of food preservation with hands-on experience in farming, aiming to empower communities with skills that promote self-sufficiency, nutrition, and environmental awareness.

Erisha Tyus
Executive Assistant

Erisha Tyus is the executive assistant, I am entrusted with numerous key responsibilities, including but not limited to the management of calendars, organization of pertinent documents. Through diligent attention to detail, I strive to provide exceptional support to my executive team. It is my duty to ensure that all aspects of my work are carried out in a professional and efficient manner, as I understand the significance of my role in contributing to the success of the team.

Joyce "Lady J" Huston
Community Arts Program Coordinator

St. Louis native, Joyce A. Huston, has a varied range of skills and talents. She graduated Central High School as Valedictorian and voted “Most Talented Female”. She attended the University of Kansas and Howard University as a Music Theory/Composition major, earning a B.S.B.A. degree from the University of Redlands, CA. She relocated to Las Vegas, NV and worked twenty years with Department of Energy subcontractors on building a nuclear waste repository. Here she held multiple positions including Database and Website Administrator, Project Controls Engineer, and team leader on Safety and Diversity music programs. Also known as “Lady J Huston”; she is a multi-award-winning trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter who reigned many years as the “Las Vegas Queen of Blues”.

Ch'aska Farber
Development Associate

Ch'aska Farber was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA. She currently works for A Red Circle through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. After graduating from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, she has found herself in the beauty that is St. Louis. She uses her studies of sociology and anthropology to inform her work in supporting communities within St Louis County. Outside of working for A Red Circle, you can find Ch'aska rock climbing in and around the city!

Rochelle Gray
Manager of Government Relations

Rochelle Gray brings extensive expertise in diverse government facets. She served as a Legal Administrator at a local law firm for almost 30 years. A dedicated community advocate since before 2008. She has a wealth of knowledge in policy stems from her extensive experience at both the State and Local levels.

Daria Keys
Grocery & Food Access Manager

Daria Keys has a rich background in research and community development. The skills she learned while working for AmeriCorps have made her an asset to A Red Circle as she continues to make a positive impact on North County.

Barron Rutledge
Program Manager CHN

Barron Rutledge moved to St Louis in 2017, prior to that lived in Charlotte NC, Memphis TN, Richmond VA, and spent most of his life in Columbus Ohio. I attend the University of Toledo for undergrad and the University of Tennessee for graduate school.

Caitlin Ung
Outreach & Media Specialist

Caitlin Ung serves as the Outreach and Media specialist. She enjoys transforming complex policy into art through the mediums of photography, videography, and writing.

Cynthia Veal
Education Advocacy Coordinator

Cynthia Veal is a lifelong educator who retired after 33 years of teaching. Cynthia has a passion for shaping future leaders and impacting every student she comes in contact with. When Cynthia is not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, traveling and reading.

Jacquelyn Randle
Program Manager,
Parent Café

Jacquelyn Randle has 17 years of experience in Early Education, holding a BA in Early Education and MO Directors Certification. She serves on three boards as an advocate providing parent and educator viewpoints on early education. Jacquelyn fights for equitable education opportunities.

Jessica Moore
Nutrition Culinarian

Raised in Ferguson, MO, Jessica Moore grew up in a God-fearing, community-oriented family. Engaged in church, sports, and student council, she found inspiration in local clergy. Moving to St. Louis City, she thrived in its public schools, discovering passions in dance, radio, and fashion. Transitioning to the culinary world, she honed skills in various restaurants, eventually launching her own lash business. Now, pursuing certification as a Plant Based Culinary Chef, she aspires to promote wellness and healthier living within her community.

The Board of Directors

Roderick Gilliam

Role: President
Interest: Community Outreach
Employment: Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Dr. Keisha Windham, D.P.A., M.P.P.A.

Role: Vice President
Interest: Holistic Living
Employment: Washington University School of Medicine

Jerome Carroll

Role: Treasurer
Interest: Community Building and Holistic Living
Employment: Veteran’s Administration

Charles Johnson

Role: Secretary
Interest: Community Development
Employment: AT&T

Dr. Destiny Reddick, Ed.D

Role: Member
Interest: To Serve Where Needed
Employment: Redefine the Pipeline

Dale Eldridge

Role: Member
Interest: Fundraising & Racial Equity
Employment: Insperity

Ketosha Harris-Anderson

Role: Member
Interest: Social, economic, and educational equity
Employment: St. Louis City Government

Christina Evans

Role: Member
Interest:
Employment: Washington University

Angela Statum

Role: Member
Interest: Holistic Living and Community Development
Employment: Willis Towers Watson

Joseph Mintzer

Role: Member
Interest: Fundraising and Community Development
Employment: Insperity

Dr. Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris

Role: Member
Interest: Arts and Education
Employment: UMSL (Retired)

Ariana Fulton

Role: Member
Interest:
Employment: Cushman Wakefield

The Significance of Our Name

A defines the singular geographical focus of our mission. Red represents the blood that flows through all of us. Circle illustrates that we are all connected by humanity, in motion, transforming and evolving as individuals and as part of a greater community

Planting the Seeds

for a Stronger Community

Achievements

Our Team

Erica R. Williams

Jessica Johnson Director of Community Arts

Tamar Brown Education Advocacy Director

Ashlee PeckDirector of Operations

Jessica CarterSite Director of North County Community Nexus

Trina RagainDirector of Development & Strategy

Bailey Williams IVIT/Accounting/Facilities Director

Suzanne Whitman Grants Development Manager

Erin Tyus Director of Community Wellness

Eric Williams Food & Farm Associate

Nicholas WilliamsProgram Assistant

Queenie VeseyFood & Farm Teaching Specialist

Erisha TyusExecutive Assistant

Joyce "Lady ​J" HustonCommunity Arts Program Coordinator

Ch'aska FarberDevelopment Associate

Rochelle GrayManager of Government Relations

Daria KeysGrocery & Food Access Manager

Barron RutledgeProgram Manager CHN

Caitlin UngOutreach & Media Specialist

Cynthia VealEducation Advocacy Coordinator

Jacquelyn RandleProgram Manager, Parent Café

Jessica MooreNutrition Culinarian