Staff
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Administration
Pamela Reed Phipps
Executive Director
Pamela Reed Phipps became the Executive Director at Grace House in 2010. At Grace House she is responsible for managing the day to day operations as well as raising awareness and funds to support the ministry. Pamela served as the owner and etiquette consultant of NsideoutEtiquette; conducting business, church and youth etiquette seminars throughout Alabama. Prior to joining Grace House, Pamela worked in executive level administrative positions at several companies including the Birmingham law office of Constangy, Brooks and Smith, AmSouth Investment Services and Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama. Notable is her 10 year professional modeling career, which was the key that unlocked her passion for mentoring young girls. The Birmingham Business Journal featured Pamela in the class of 2014 "Top 40 Under 40" and she was a member of the 2016 Leadership Birmingham class. Pamela currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Board of Directors of Creative Montessori School. A Birmingham native, Pamela and her husband Bennie live in Hoover with their three sons: Douglas, Stuart and Reed. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University. Pamela will always be an advocate for girls and is committed to empowering and equipping young ladies to be confident and Godly women.
Katherine Connell
Development Director
Katherine Connell joined the Grace House staff in May of 2016. She graduated from UAB in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and graduated in December 2017 as a Master of Public Administration. Katherine is a member of the Psi Alpha Alpha, the Public Administration Honor Society. Prior to Grace House, Katherine worked in marketing and administration at The Red Barn. She enjoys spending time with her husband Jeremy and her two cats (Pepper and Kitty). Katherine is passionate about spreading the word about the amazing work the Lord is doing at Grace House.
Tim Agee
Facilities Manager
Tim has spent the last 40 years in or around the building business. First as a residential contractor and later when he became a Christian, he started using his talents for the Lord. He has been a part of building projects in the USA, Thailand, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. Tim joined Grace House Ministries in January of 2020 as their Facilities Manager. This entails caring for the house parents, girls, and the facilities by making sure everything is in proper working order and welcoming to all.
Residential Program
Andril Bishop
Andril Bishop, also referred to as Andy, came to Grace House spring of 2014 as the Clinical intern. With a Bachelor's in Family and Consumer Sciences from University of Montevallo, Andy possesses a heart that longs to see individuals and families thrive. Andy obtained her Masters of Science in Counseling at Faulkner University so that she can make an even deeper impact in the lives of others. In May 2020, Andy became Grace House's Residential Program Director, where she manages all of Grace House's girls and direct service staff. Andy thinks of the girls at Grace House as her little sisters and loves watching them blossom and come into their own. Andy's hobbies include arts/crafts design, theater and music.
Catherine Lewis,
Residential Program Coordinator
Catherine graduated from The University of Alabama with both an undergrad and master's degree in Social Work. Her areas of clinical concentration are Behavioral Modification, Mental Health and Substance Abuse. In her free time she loves to participate in animal rescue, volunteer work, family gatherings and church events. She is passionate about service and sharing God's love with others.
Erica Thompson,
Transitional Living Program Manager
Bio coming soon.
Destanee Harris,
Transitional Living Program Life Coach
Destanee Harris is driven by her passion to work with children and families and making a lasting impression in the lives of the people she serves. Destanee was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, living here has allotted her the experience of working and interacting with others in several areas of social work. Her professional background has aspects of working with children, adults, and the elderly and disabled population. She has a Bachelor of Science, in Social work and is currently pursuing her Masters in Social work. Destanee's employment with Grace House Ministries began November 2019 as a weekend House Parent. She now serves as the Life Coach for the Transitional Living Program. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Sorority, and during her free time, she loves to shop and travel with her sorority, family, and friends. Destanee is a member of Collective Community Church, where she enjoys fellowshipping, worshiping God, and spreading his gospel.
Eboney Jones,
Case Manager
Eboney Jones graduated from the University of Montevallo with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, she also holds a Masters degree in Social Work with a Concentration in Children and Families (CAF). Eboney has been a part of the Grace House Family since 2009 when she came to live at Grace House as a foster youth, Eboney has literally grown up at Grace House. From the age of 15 years old until Grace House saw her off to college at 18 years old. Eboney has always stayed in touch and kept a healthy flowing relationship with Grace House. While in college Eboney participated in Grace House’s Extended Transitional Living Program in which she was a role model and peer mentor to the girls. She has a heart and passion for working with youth in foster care, prior to her position as a Case Manager at Grace House Eboney worked with the National Social Work Enrichment Program in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for three years. Eboney joined the Grace House team Professionally at the end of 2019 as a Case Manager, Eboney works closely with the girls daily teaching and implementing Grace Goals, making sure the girls are taken care of mentally and emotionally and ultimately serves as a positive role model for the girls.
Natasha Tripp,
Case Manager
Natasha Tripp joined the Grace House staff in October of 2019. Prior to joining the Grace House, she worked as a Mental Health Associate with a mental health treatment clinic in conjunction with Jefferson County Child Protective Services. Natasha Tripp received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2017 from Talladega College where she became a member of the sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Natasha is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work at Alabama A&M University. In her free time, Ms. Tripp enjoys spending time with her family and doing volunteer work. Natasha says the best part of being a case manager with the Grace House is teaching the girls about self- love, self- confidence, and becoming Godly women.
Barbara Hunt,
Case Manager
Barbara Hunt graduated from Miles College with her Bachelors of social work in 2019 and then went on to obtain her Master's of Social Work from Alabama A&M in 2020.
During her academic career, she has managed to accrue nearly 3.5 years of work experience while in school. Barbara has had the privilege of working for Aids Alabama as a Resident Advocate/ case management intern and Shelby County DHR, where she learned valuable professional skills such as communicating correctly and professional boundaries. Barbara is also a Breast Cancer survivor and just celebrated her first anniversary being a survivor. She enjoys working for Grace House because it gives her the opportunity to help young girls progress in life and she enjoys being a positive role model for the girls to look up to when needed, have a positive role model to reflect upon when needed.
Lynnese "Dot" Ferguson,
Live-In House Parent
Lynnese Ferguson, also referred to as Ms. Dot, graduated from Samford University with a Bachelor's in Social Science with a concentration in Sociology and Police Administration. Ms. Dot, a Chicago native, began her social service career in 1999 at Jefferson County Department of Human Resources (DHR) where she worked many years in the field as a CA/N Social Service Worker prior to being promoted to a CA/N Social Service Supervisor. While in Alabama, Ms. Dot's social service career led her to become a program coordinator for children with special needs, a volunteer coordinator for a hospice organization, and a program coordinator for a substance abuse prevention program. Ms. Dot moved to Colorado and became a supervisor at the Denver Department of Human Services then on to Minnesota as an independent living Program Supervisor for adults with special needs. Finally moving back to warm Alabama, Ms. Dot accepted a House Parent position with Grace House Ministries where she states "I'm continuing my calling of assisting families/children navigating through some of life's ups/downs with the hope of seeing them attain their dreams."
El'Vira Parks,
Live-In House Parent
El’Vira joined the Grace House staff in October of 2016. El’Vira graduated from Birmingham Southern College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Prior to becoming a member of the Grace House family, El'Vira was the Center Director at Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama. There she spent over 15 years inspiring all girls to be STRONG, SMART, and BOLD. El’Vira is passionate about writing and she is a three-time published author. El’Vira continues to mentor and inspire girls, reminding them that Jesus loves them and that they can do all things through Christ.
Donna Lidge,
Live-In House Parent
Bio coming soon.
Education Program
Devin Lewis
Education and Outreach Director
Devin Lewis joined the Grace House Staff in October of 2012. She received her B.A. in African American Studies and Secondary Education in 2007 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She comes to Grace House from the Education Department at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute where she worked with one of the city's largest 21 Century Community Learning Centers, Birmingham Cultural Alliance Partnership (BCAP) and the Legacy Youth Leadership Program in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Her prior experience also includes program coordination for Sisterbration’s special programming and health education initiatives. She currently serves as a Birmingham Ambassador for Sisterbration. As a wife, mother, and educator, she strives to inspire, cultivate, and positively influence those whose lives she encounters. She is passionate about educating girls and believes that education is the key to breaking generational curses and changing lives. Devin lives in McCalla with her husband Demetrius and daughter, Sadia.