Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors provides governance, oversight, strategic guidance, and accountability for RELAY Next. Each director brings a distinct professional background, lived experience, and commitment to helping students, families, and communities access inclusive education, STEAM enrichment, leadership development, and practical life-readiness opportunities.

The board helps ensure that our work remains mission-centered, ethically managed, financially responsible, and responsive to the communities we serve.

Our board officers provide the leadership structure that keeps the board organized, accountable, and focused on the mission. These officers guide governance, support strategic decision-making, maintain official records, oversee financial stewardship, and help ensure that the board’s work remains aligned with our values of integrity, collaboration, innovation, and transformation. Together, they help translate vision into responsible action and provide the steady oversight needed for sustainable growth.

Officers

Eric Gordon

Board Chair

The Board Chair Role at RELAY Next » Leads the board, directs its governance, and runs meetings. Partners with the Executive Director as a strategic advisor and serves as the main link between the board and staff. Sets agendas, oversees the executive committee, and ensures meetings are effective. Often leads board member recruitment and onboarding and appoints committee chairs.

Gordon brings disciplined, systems-driven leadership and strategic execution as Board Chair. With expertise in program/project management, technology governance, process improvement, and organizational planning, he provides steady leadership for RELAY Next’s growth and long-term impact.

He has led enterprise projects in governance, project practices, policies, workflows, reporting, quality assurance, team coordination, and strategic planning—skills that reinforce RELAY Next’s integrity, accountability, innovation, and sustainable development.

As Chair, Eric keeps the board focused, organized, and mission-aligned, linking vision to execution and grounding decisions in sound governance. His technology and training background supports RELAY Next’s STEAM mission through digital platforms, knowledge management, technical documentation, and team development. His planning, clarity, collaboration, and follow-through advance the organization’s practical learning and workforce-readiness goals.

Niyah Pack

Board Secretary

The Board Secretary Role at RELAY Next » Responsible for keeping (or overseeing the keeping of) board meeting minutes and official records. The Secretary ensures that board actions are documented and that important documents (bylaws, policies, meeting agendas, and minutes) are organized and archived. They handle official correspondence and notifications (e.g. meeting notices) and often ensure compliance with any governance requirements (such as filing corporate reports or maintaining a schedule of board elections).

Pack serves as Board Secretary, bringing expertise in technology, cybersecurity, data analysis, process support, and quality assurance. With academic training in computer science and cybersecurity engineering technology, she applies a systems-minded approach to documentation and information management. Her experience in program analysis, data reporting, database processes, software testing, customer support, and process improvement ensures accurate recordkeeping, clear board communication, and reliable follow-through.

Niyah preserves the board’s institutional memory and upholds transparency, accountability, and integrity by documenting meetings, policies, and decisions precisely. Her skills align with RELAY Next’s values—innovation, collaboration, and integrity—and support operational standards that prepare and serve students, families, partners, and communities effectively.

Key Board Members

RELAY’s key board members bring mission-aligned expertise from fields such as education, STEAM, youth development, mental health, community engagement, technology, entrepreneurship, fundraising, and equity-centered service. Each member contributes a distinct perspective that strengthens the organization’s ability to serve youth with practical learning, emotional support, leadership development, and real-world opportunity. Their collective experience helps ensure that RELAY’s programs remain responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the needs of the communities we serve.

  • Jeris Johnson, MHA

    The Role of Education & STEAM Programs Advocate at RELAY Next» Serves as the board’s expert on education programs, ensuring RELAY Next’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) curricula and tutoring/mentoring initiatives are pedagogically sound and effective. This member advises on curriculum development, academic partnerships (e.g. with schools or educational institutions), and measures of educational outcomes (like improvements in literacy or STEAM skills). They might lead a Programs Committee to evaluate and enhance afterschool, summer, or homeschool offerings.

    Johnson combines scientific knowledge, healthcare administration, project leadership, and community engagement as Education & STEAM Programs Advocate. Her bioanalytical, lab, project management, and healthcare experience helps RELAY Next link STEAM learning to career pathways and shows the discipline, curiosity, problem-solving, and technical exposure students need for careers in science, healthcare, research, and innovation.

    In her role, Jeris ensures RELAY Next’s programs are high-quality, relevant, and tied to real-world careers and community needs. Her university service, leadership development, and community giving reflect the organization’s values of collaboration, empowerment, integrity, and transformation, reinforcing purposeful, accessible learning connected to students’ futures.

  • Min. Carlos Townsend

    The Role of Community Leader at RELAY Next» Acts as a liaison to the broader community and region (Mid-Atlantic) that RELAY Next serves. This board member leverages their community leadership to raise awareness of RELAY Next’s programs among local stakeholders and to build partnerships. They might connect the organization with community centers, faith-based organizations, local government agencies, or civic groups to reach more youth and families. They also ensure the board stays informed about community needs, demographics, and public initiatives that affect youth (such as school district changes or local youth policies).

    Townsend, an original RELAY Next student, offers grounded community leadership, civic engagement, and people-centered service. His long record shows commitment to public service, representation, fiscal responsibility, and direct family support. His civic roles — NAACP Greensboro member, Greensboro Solid Waste Commission appointee, and Sandhills Center Board/Finance Committee member — strengthen RELAY Next’s community ties and civic insight. His background in banking, social services, customer advocacy, office management, and finance boosts the organization’s trust, communication, confidentiality, resource navigation, and relationship-building.

    As Community Leader, he develops community-centered programs that reinforce RELAY Next’s collaboration, equity, integrity, and transformation, expanding partnerships and creating opportunities that help youth feel seen, supported, and prepared to thrive.

  • Naia King

    The Role of Technology & Innovation Advisor at RELAY Next» Brings knowledge of the technology sector and innovation to the board. This member advises on incorporating technology and digital tools in RELAY Next’s STEAM programs, staying abreast of tech trends and can counsel on subjects like digital literacy, IT infrastructure for the nonprofit, or data security. This board member guides RELAY Next projects on developing information technology components.

    King brings emerging-technology expertise, cybersecurity knowledge, and a strong commitment to STEM access as Technology & Innovation Advisor. Her hands-on experience—cybersecurity engineering, technical program management, web development, cloud platforms, security operations, threat analysis, and user-centered solutions—keeps RELAY Next aligned with the skills and tools shaping future careers. Roles at Palo Alto Networks and Microsoft inform her technical execution and cross-team innovation.

    She strengthens RELAY Next’s STEAM programming by applying cybersecurity, digital systems, programming, and problem-solving expertise to prepare students for a tech-driven world. As a College of Science and Technology Ambassador, Naia has supported STEM outreach, recruitment, faculty–industry collaboration, and academic initiatives, helping students pursue engineering and computer science. Her board presence advances RELAY Next’s values—empowerment, innovation, collaboration, and transformation—by helping students become creators, problem-solvers, and future leaders.

  • James Grissom

    The Role of Business & Entrepreneurship Mentor at RELAY Next» Guides the board on matters of business education and entrepreneurship mentorship, which are part of RELAY Next’s mission to inspire future business owners. This member helps shape programs that teach financial literacy, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills to youth (e.g., startup incubator workshops for teens or business plan competitions). They can mentor the Executive Director on strategic planning and organizational growth from a business perspective. Additionally, they may connect RELAY Next with local businesses for partnerships, sponsorships, or internship opportunities for students.

    Grissom’s leadership focuses on strategic business development, operational execution, and community economic growth. His background includes technology implementation, grant strategy, real estate development, public service, and systems building.

    As founder of 3P3 Inc., he helped community and faith-based groups secure funding, form nonprofits, run capital campaigns, maintain compliance, and plan sustainable development, focusing on asset preservation, project structuring, and legacy land development—aligning with RELAYNext’s goals of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, ownership, and long-term opportunity. At Yardi Systems, he grew government and B2B partnerships, supported multimillion-dollar relief funding, created client resources, mentored staff, and advised on market strategy, branding, and client engagement.

    In his RELAY Next role, James teaches how vision becomes strategy, strategy becomes structure, and structure creates ownership, solves problems, supports community development, and builds generational opportunity.

Founders

  • Ted Mangum

    Original Founder of RELA, Inc. (now known as RELAY Next) & Advisory Board Member

    Ted L. Mangum is the original founder and visionary behind RELAY. His life’s work has centered on creating “opportunities and options” for young people through education, literacy, media, mentorship, and community-based youth development. From RELAY’s early beginnings in Greensboro to its broader work across North Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, and beyond, Ted’s leadership helped shape a model that gave young people practical skills, confidence, visibility, and a platform for their voices.

    As an Advisory Board Committee Member, Ted provides RELAY Next with historical perspective, mission continuity, and the wisdom of decades spent serving youth and communities. His contributions remain foundational to RELAY’s values of empowerment, equity, resilience, collaboration, innovation, integrity, and transformation. His legacy continues to guide the organization’s next chapter as RELAY Next expands the work he began: helping young people learn, lead, create, and recognize the possibilities within themselves.

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  • Nilaja Mangum

    Co-Founder & Executive Director of RELAY Next

    Nilaja Mangum helped carry her father’s original RELAY vision into its next generation, co-founding the current iteration now known as RELAY Next Generation. As Executive Director, she leads the organization’s strategic planning, program development, fundraising, partnerships, digital infrastructure, and mission-centered growth, with a focus on STEAM education, literacy, mental wellness, and expanded opportunity for underserved youth.

    Her professional background in IT service management, business analysis, process engineering, technical writing, automation, and stakeholder communication strengthens RELAY Next’s ability to turn vision into structure. Through her leadership, the organization continues to honor its original foundation while building modern systems, inclusive programming, and technology-supported pathways that reflect RELAY’s values of empowerment, innovation, integrity, collaboration, and transformation.