Tangee Allen is the Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Raising Expectations (RE) and a dedicated advocate for youth and community development in Atlanta. A proud graduate of Georgia State University with a B.A. in Marketing, Ms. Allen began her career in public service with the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed. There, she led community engagement initiatives, designed capacity-building strategies for grassroots organizations, worked closely with community and neighborhood leaders, and developed outreach campaigns to support city programs and community development initiatives.

Since co-founding RE, Ms. Allen has been instrumental in building strong partnerships with school systems, community leaders, elected officials, and service providers. Her strategic vision and collaborative leadership have helped position RE as a trusted and impactful organization in Atlanta’s educational and nonprofit landscape.

Ms. Allen and her co-founder have been recognized as trusted voices in education and community development, earning invitations to serve on numerous education-focused think tanks and advisory groups. Their leadership has contributed to strategic initiatives with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ transition team, Atlanta Public Schools, school board representatives, city council members, and local philanthropic foundations. Their lived experience and deep community insight have been instrumental in shaping policies and programs that advance educational equity on Atlanta’s Westside.

Ms. Allen has played a critical role in driving RE’s growth, expanding its impact, strengthening its resource base, cultivating strategic corporate partnerships, and elevating its reputation as a leading force in education and youth development.

Maria@raisingexpectations.org

Maria Armstrong has spent over 30 years championing youth, education, and community development in Atlanta. As Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Raising Expectations (RE), an award-winning nonprofit, she has helped transform the lives of thousands of young people and families in the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.

Ms. Armstrong’s leadership has been instrumental in designing strategies that align with RE’s mission to provide marginalized youth with a pathway out of poverty. She brings a strategic vision, strong fiscal stewardship, and a collaborative leadership style that fosters innovation, builds high-performing teams, and strengthens community and corporate partnerships. Her career also includes foundational roles as a teacher, school administrator, and founding educator at Charles R. Drew Charter School and Decatur High School.

Beyond her work with RE, Maria has played pivotal roles in broader community initiatives. She, along with her co-founder, is frequently invited to participate in think tanks and coalitions where their insights help shape strategic approaches to education, community development, corporate engagement, and youth development.

Under Maria’s leadership, RE has experienced significant growth in its impact, expanding its reach and deepening its outcomes for youth, while also increasing its financial resources, attracting a diverse portfolio of corporate partners, and earning a strong reputation as a trusted leader in education and community development.

She is a founding member of the Washington Cluster Advocacy Group, a parent- and community-led coalition, and of Westside READY (Revitalizing Education And Development of Youth), a collaborative multi-agency strategy focused on improving outcomes for youth on Atlanta’s westside.

Maria is a proud alumna of Georgia State University, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2025.

Staff

Faith Porter

Director of Operations, fporter@raisingexpectations.org
Faith Porter is an educator, researcher, and activist currently serving as Program Director at Raising Expectations, Inc. An alumna of Spelman College where she served as a Bonner Community Service Scholar, Faith holds degrees in International Studies and Spanish. Through the Bonner Scholars Program, she gained hands-on experience through internships at several Atlanta-based non-profits, as well as those located throughout the United States and in the Dominican Republic and received a certificate in non-profit management.

Faith is a 2016 recipient of the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), through which she studied Portuguese language and Brazilian culture at Middlebury College. She possesses years of classroom experience through her positions as a lead English Language Development and Spanish teacher as well as a teacher’s assistant during her tenure at Summer Institute for the Gifted. The 2022-23 academic year signals Faith’s fourth year as a member of the Raising Expectations team, where she previously served as Project DREAM Elementary Coordinator and Program Director at RE’s main site.

Empathy and cultural competence are at the core of Faith’s personal and educational philosophies. She is passionate about child advocacy and is committed to using her skills to assist RE in the fulfillment of its mission.

Terese J. Lackley

Director of Programs, terese@raisingexpectations.org

Terese J. Lackley brings extensive experience in education, administration, strategic planning, budgeting, and accounting to the Raising Expectations team. As the former administrator and owner of two childcare centers and a tutorial company, she has been deeply involved in the educational sector since 1992, teaching countless students in all grade levels. She has served in various roles, including Classroom Teacher, Grade Level Chair, Learning and Development Trainer, and Success for All Reading Trainer. She has also been a Certified Director since 2009.

Terese has applied her skills in both the private and public sectors and had the pleasure of connecting with Raising Expectations’ co-founders while working at Charles R. Drew Charter School in 2000. In addition to serving in multiple positions at RE over the years, she has served as a Lead Floater for an after-school program and as a director and administrator of a collaborative after-school program model serving over 300 students. Terese’s children are products of Raising Expectations, and she is grateful to be back at RE as Director of Programs to assist the organization in its amazing community work.

Outside of work, Terese enjoys roller skating, bowling, fishing, and working out. She is the proud parent of two adult children and the grandmother of one beautiful granddaughter.

Dana Matthias

Project DREAM At-Promise Coordinator, dmatthias@raisingexpectations.org
Born and raised on the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dana left to attend the University of Maryland College Park for her Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences. Upon returning to her country post studies, she became an educator and possesses over 12 years of classroom experience as a Biology and Integrated Science high school teacher. She has also served as an Executive Member as well as the Vice President of the St. Vincent National Science Teachers Association, that worked alongside other entities to plan and execute the annual National Science Fairs. Her interests have always been introducing youth in St. Vincent to the various STEAM subjects as well as job opportunities.

As a recent transplant to Atlanta, Dana is excited to take up her role as the Raising Expectations Project DREAM At-Promise Coordinator overseeing program operations at the At-Promise South and West locations alongside her team. This allows her to continue her passion for cultivating interest in the youth that are in underserved communities.