Our Staff

Jill Sieder

Founder/Executive Director

Jill Sieder has been directing the after-school programs of the Kids Club for 13 years. A graduate of Yale University who majored in English Literature, and a professional journalist for more than 20 years, she has helped to design the language arts and communications curriculum of Kids Club, along with professional educators. Sieder is also a lifelong athlete who plays competitive soccer and is an avid cyclist; she has helped to incorporate fitness and recreational activities as key components of the Kids Club after-school program. In 2002, President George W. Bush and the USA Freedom Corps honored her for outstanding community service. In 2004, she was named by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the state’s “40 Under 40″ outstanding citizens. Both Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and the Atlanta City Council have commended Sieder for her work with Atlanta youth.

Makeisha Robey

Program Director

Makeisha first became involved with EAKC several years ago as a parent of three youth Kids Club members. As an Americorps VISTA in 2009, she got the opportunity to do what she loves — assisting people to serve their community. Makeisha was responsible for volunteer recruitment, training and management, and helping EAKC to develop new strategies to make the volunteer experience at Kids Club high-impact and rewarding. Makeisha’s new role as Program Director is part of her long-term commitment to working with children, adults and families to alleviate hunger, homelessness, socioeconomic disparities and educational deficiencies. Prior to joining Kids Club, Makeisha coordinated an after-school program for an elementary school, tutored students in reading and math, and co-founded an organization to feed homeless people in downtown Atlanta. Makeisha is a Columbus, Ohio native and attended the University of Mississippi. She is the proud mother of four adorable children, Montarius, Kiari, Alicia, and Autumne. When her active children aren’t keeping her busy, you can find Makeisha reading, playing sports and participating in many of the cultural events in Atlanta.

Erica B. Gwyn

Fund Development Director

Erica B. Gwyn is helping EAKC to forge long-term relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, foundations and partners. As our south Atlanta service area is the same community where she attended public schools from the ages of 8 to12, she empathizes with the needs of under-resourced youth. She became a VISTA with EAKC in Summer 2011 to leverage her talents in fundraising and grant management.

Erica received her BS from the University of Georgia and her MSA from Central Michigan University. She has worked for various nonprofits, with an emphasis on youth service agencies for 15 years. Erica served as the Center Director for Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta; Program Officer with the Association of Minority Health Professions School and a Program Manager at Spelman College. She is also currently serving as a 2011 Diversity Fellow with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Erica has already used her talents to form a partnership between EAKC and Kaleidoscope Kids Camp, a math- and science- focused summer camp that she created. Erica is passionate about being the best wife, mother and friend that she can possibly be. In her free time she enjoys volunteering with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., attending concerts, and cooking. This charming “Casserole Queen” can often be found cooking delectable dishes and treats for our grateful staff.

Edward Cotton

Volunteer Manager

Edward Cotton is responsible for recruiting, training and coordinating our many volunteers. He believes that his position has a great balance: he finds it exciting and enjoyable to both guide volunteers and to play with children!

Edward, born and raised in Chicago, attended the University of Miami and received a BA in Psychology in May 2011. During one summer he traveled with the ISV Community Development Project in Ecuador, where he learned about diverse cultures and traditional customs. He was honored to receive the Morehouse School of Medicine Public Health Summer Fellowship after his junior year. He hopes to use his experiences and his current VISTA year with EAKC to help our volunteers to understand and respect children of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and vice versa. Edward takes to heart the VISTA mission to help alleviate poverty and to build up community through hard work and service. He desires to spark change and encouragement in the lives of Atlanta youth.

Alesia Williams

Marketing & Operations Director

Alesia is committed to stimulating the development of EAKC by building tactical marketing and public relations strategies. She believes that EAKC’s mission to “build a promising future for the children of Southeast Atlanta” is important and plans to use her skills and creativity to ensure that the message becomes reality. It has always been her desire to give back to youth, and she is gratified that the VISTA program allows her to apply her skills and education towards helping youth and building up the community.

Alesia, a native of Columbia, SC, attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a sequence in Public Relations. Throughout college she acquired experience in p.r.-related internships with business, governmental and nonprofit firms, including the Stone Center for Black Culture and History, where her passion for community-based nonprofit work was born and cultivated.

Alesia believes that faith is essential to living a fulfilling life. She relies on the maxim “carpe diem,” ( seize the moment), to propel her through each day. She plans to use her naturally feisty spirit and high energy to get big things done at EAKC!

Lisa Marie Welch

Brownwood Facility Manager

Lisa Marie Welch works on connecting Brownwood Recreation Center and Kids Club with the community and creating programs that will enhance and enrich the neighborhood. An East Atlanta resident for about a decade, she has often helped out with community projects, including a Hands On Atlanta Day project at Brownwood that created a colorful tile mosaic in the park pavilion. As an artist, teacher and community activist, Kids Club is definitely a natural fit for her. Lisa Marie is an Upper Arlington, Ohio native with a BS in Environmental Communications. Fresh out of college she worked for Big Brother Big Sister at their camp near Athens, Ohio as the Nature Center Director. After her move to Atlanta, she worked for Zoo Atlanta in the Night Crawler Program. Next, she worked for a risk management company surveying environmental and workplace compliance. Most recently, she was a 3rd and 4th grade teacher for seven years at The Children’s School. Lisa Marie is an artist by nature, and shares her work, including, paintings, pottery, jewelry, handbags and other arts and crafts in seasonal shows throughout the year. She is a “granola girl” at heart and loves nature and the outdoors. Lisa Marie is a firm believer that most people have more in common than is initially revealed, and that all it takes is time and a desire to discover our commonalities. She will carry that mantra along with her while at Kids Club!

Dennis Dejarme

IT Director

Dennis Dejarme got involved with Kids Club in early 2009 as an IT volunteer, and quickly established himself as “The Fixer.” By last summer he had become an integral part of our organization, helping to set up and run the expanded Brownwood Community Technology Center, equipped with 22 computers, a wireless network, and a net-based digital phone system. Dennis has been tinkering with computers since childhood and is committed to providing technology access to children. He says at Kids Club he gets the chance to do “computer favors” for a truly worthwhile cause and also to take on new IT challenges. (We’ll keep ‘em coming, Dennis!) Dennis hails from Milledgeville, GA, where his parents still reside. Most of his extended family lives in the Phillipines. Dennis earned a B.S. in Business and Computer Science from Oglethorpe University. After college he worked at an engineering company doing CAD (computer aided design) work, then moved on to corporate recruiting and headhunting. Dennis is dedicated to good health and fitness and believes it is the key to a happy, healthy life. He particularly enjoys martial arts and weightlifting. A longtime music lover, he was the lead singer/rhythm guitarist for King’s Indian, his college band, which had many Atlanta gigs. He still enjoys singing, songwriting, guitar playing and recording.