About Us
The UAB AmeriCorps program is a year-long service and leadership program that provides the opportunity to create and sustain effective and mutually beneficial collaborations with the Birmingham area and rural communities in the Black Belt region of Alabama. Our VISTA program aligns primarily with education, food security, public health, and healthy futures focus areas. The VISTA program also develops programs designed to address educational inequity and economic initiatives in collaboration with community-based organizations.
Our Team
Amy Hutson Chatham, PhD
Executive Director
Dr. Amy Hutson Chatham, Executive Director for the UAB AmeriCorps Program, also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Health Sciences Department in the School of Public Health and the Executive Director of the UAB Center for Teaching and Learning. Amy’s commitment to national service began in 1990 when she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. Her work with the UAB AmeriCorps Program for the last eight years has felt like a natural continuation, as it has supported UAB’s community partnerships and has fostered her 30+ year relationship with communities in the Black Belt region, focused primarily on access to clean water and adequate wastewater systems and associated improvement of the public’s health.
Kierra Jackson
Southern Alabama Program Coordinator
Kierra Jackson serves as the Southern Alabama Program Coordinator for the UAB AmeriCorps program. Before entering this role, she served as a VISTA Member with BAMA Kids, Inc. in 2019. At first, she wasn’t sure what AmeriCorps VISTA was all about, but she was excited for the opportunities ahead, and then COVID hit. Even though much of her service was behind a screen and masked up, the journey was still amazing. She expressed that she “gained lifelong connections, developed valuable skills, and, most importantly, made an impact on my community from a virtual perspective.” After her VISTA year, she transitioned to UAB AmeriCorps Staff, where she continues building relationships with community partners supporting VISTA members and site supervisors, and identifying new areas for growth across all of Southern Alabama. With the mission in mind, she’s proud to keep working toward these goals and making a difference in her community.
Shanell Dock
Southern AL VISTA Leader
Shanell is the Southern Alabama VISTA Leader with UAB AmeriCorps, where she supports VISTA members across the region and helps build stronger connections between AmeriCorps and the communities it serves. After earning her degree in Environmental Science, Shanell served with Gulf Corps from 2023–2024, working hands-on in environmental management along the Gulf Coast. Her service focused on habitat restoration, land clearing, and environmental stewardship in partnership with local conservation teams. Shanell’s transition into VISTA leadership reflects a strong commitment to empowerment through service. In her current role, she is able to support VISTA members in their service roles and help to advance AmeriCorps visibility through community engagement and partnership development.
Keyana Boglin, MPA, BSW
Program Director
Keyana Boglin is the UAB AmeriCorps Program Director and a two-time AmeriCorps Alum. She has served as a FEMA Corps Assistant Team Leader and a UAB VISTA Leader, during which she honed her grant and program management skills. Her service experiences have allowed her to forge meaningful connections and grow significantly. With a background in public administration and social work, she plays a key role in developing and supporting community engagement and service initiatives. She hopes to continue highlighting the importance of the VISTA program as members and site supervisors build the capacity of the communities they serve.
Giorgia Ellard
Northern/Central Program Coordinator
Giorgia Ellard serves as the Program Coordinator for our AmeriCorps sites in North and Central Alabama. She’s a two-time AmeriCorps Alum and a proud UAB graduate. After completing her degree in Music Performance in 2018, she began my AmeriCorps journey with Literacy First in Austin, Texas, focusing on early literacy intervention for kindergarten through 2nd-grade students. Following that, she returned to Birmingham to serve as the VISTA Leader for the UAB AmeriCorps Program. After finishing her term as VISTA Leader, she transitioned into the Program Coordinator role, first working with our Food Security Sites and now overseeing all of our sites in North and Central Alabama. As a firm believer that AmeriCorps members are truly #GettingThingsDone, she’s here to support members throughout their journey and ensure their service year is both impactful and fulfilling.
Kayli Meek
North/Central AL VISTA Leader
Kayli Meek serves as the VISTA Leader for North and Central Alabama. Prior to becoming a VISTA Leader, she served as an Outreach and Engagement VISTA for UAB’s Service Learning and Undergraduate Research office during which she built capacity by organizing and creating opportunities that supported service-learning education and student involvement in research. Through projects such as the Service-Learning 101 Canvas course, the BlazerPulse Resource Guide, and participation in the GivePulse Ambassador Program, Kayli honed her pedagogical and resource mapping skills that now serve her during her time as VISTA Leader. Kayli is also the owner of Kayli Meek Photography and an upcoming UAB graduate studying Business Entrepreneurship and Studio Art. She hopes to continue serving her community through photos and videos that create a lasting impact beyond her time here.
