Octavia Thomas is a vibrant woman with a zest for life! She is a proud grandmother and mother of 4 wonderful adult children, one of whom is an Air Force veteran. Octavia was also a military spouse, which explains her heart for service members and their families. 

 

As Octavia serves as the Vice President and Senior Director of Education Innovation and Process Improvement for FLAIR Now, Inc, she brings with her years of experience as a tenured educator with a certification in special education, and advocacy work for diversity, equity and inclusion to help develop innovative professional learning, leadership strategies and curriculum that promotes collaboration and integration with the community. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. 

 

A believer in turning life’s bitter lemons into delicious lemonade, Octavia founded The Climb, a ministry designed to help educate, equip and empower women who have suffered various forms of loss and trauma, and acquire coping skills and resilience strategies in a safe and supportive group setting. Her messages of hope and humanity uplift and inspire those who are underrepresented and marginalized to keep climbing. In addition to these things, Octavia is an author, mentor, life coach and sought-after speaker who believes “Who says I can’t?… Nobody!” (a quote by Coach Robert Mendez), is an important mantra to live by. 

 

In her spare time, you might find Octavia walking the beach with her pup, Zöe. She also loves the arts, theater, music, and discovering more about the world through traveling.

Kimberly Mouzon has over eighteen years of public service experience. Her experience includes Family and Children’s Service, case management, direct service, substance abuse, mental health, homeless shelters, housing, advocacy and community collaboration. She was actively engaged in conducting women support groups at a transitional housing program for six and a half years.
 

Kimberly received her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Bowie State University and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland. During her graduate studies, Kimberly wrote the domestic violence program for the agency she interned with. She aspires to someday have a program that will serve the vulnerable population. Currently, she is focusing on investing, real estate and being an entrepreneur.

 

Kimberly resides in Gaithersburg with her two daughters. During her spare time, she enjoys family, friends, traveling, reading, concerts, HGTV and watching sports.

Grace is the Director of Community Outreach and Transitional Resources for FLAIR Now, Inc.  She is married to her devoted husband Ralph (Nick), of 27 years. She has four adult children and two grandchildren.

 

Grace’s background includes community work in her local church. She serves at her local community shelters and food pantries helping those in need.

 

Grace enjoys giving back and serving wherever there is a need. She is known as the “neighborhood watch person”. She identifies the needs of individuals in her neighborhood and mentors them on an as-needed basis.

 

Some of her favorite pastimes are crocheting, knitting and spending quality time with her family. 

Keoni Pannell was born in Hagerstown, Maryland.

 

As Senior Director of Digital Marketing and Communications for FLAIR Now, Inc. she brings experience with planning and directing marketing campaigns, as well as a skill set for managing and maintaining websites and using social media channels to conduct digital marketing.

 

She is a gifted graphic designer who loves optimizing content for website/social media platforms. She is a life learner with a desire to stay on the cutting edge of change in the field of social media marketing. 

 

Keoni is the founder of Carefree Campaign, a self-care ministry for young women ages 18-35. She also loves traveling and meeting new people.

Jessica Scott is most focused on making a positive difference in our world.  Jessica and her family moved to Hagerstown in 1994 for work and her dedication and commitment to the community are what have kept her here.

For over 25 years, she has worked in the nonprofit sector. Jessica has just begun a position as the Associate Director of Housing Services for Goodwill after serving as the Program Director of Habitat for Humanity for 10 years. 

 

She volunteers with several organizations and nonprofits in our community and in addition to Flair Now, Inc., she serves on the boards of the Washington County Arts Council, Maryland Theater, Tolson’s Chapel, and the Advisory Council of the Washington County Commission on Aging.  She is a Trustee and active member of Zion Baptist Church.

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Jessica is also a 2016 Class 29 graduate of Leadership Washington County. Jessica believes in the core values that a strong sense of community plays in the development of our future generations.   For this reason, she believes that her calling is to serve the community in whatever way God leads.  As a wife, mother of 7, grandmother of 10, daughter, sister, aunt, and girlfriend, Jessica strives to be a passionate leader with a genuine commitment to community empowerment and she is certain that our future world depends on it.

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I have always believed in the individual and collective power of women; those who build each other up, strengthen our families and communities and stand together to make change. Our words and actions will empower generations to come.

Faith Sleater, is the Director of Development for FLAIR Now, Inc. She is marriaged to her devoted husband, Scott, of 35 years. She has two adult children and three grandchildren. 

 

Faith has a teaching degree in Early Childhood Education and worked with special needs children, in Maryland and New York. Faith’s background includes community work and youth leadership in her local church. She was a Girl Scout Co-leader and on occasion served as a Cub Scout leader for multiple years. 

 

Faith enjoys meeting new people and often engages those she meets with questions to help break the ice and make them feel comfortable. Her personality is so warm and inviting, those who know her would describe her as one who easily makes friends with random strangers. 

 

She is currently retired from Wappingers School District in New York and recently moved to Utah in 2020. She loves caring for her sweet puppies, Muffin and Taffy. 

Hello, my name is Julie Zeger-Paul. I was born and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland. I am married to my loving husband, Bernard and we have a daughter, Ava Rose.

 

After graduating from North Hagerstown High School, I attended Shippensburg University for a year and then stumbled upon the modeling industry. Once I tipped my toe in, I was hooked. I then went on to have a 30 plus year career as a fashion model. I was lucky enough to travel the world working on continents as far as Australia and nearest locations such as New York City. I have had the great fortune to work with the best creative talents in the business. Then, about 5 years ago, I decided to take a photography class at our local Hagerstown Community college. I wanted to see what it felt like being on the other side of the camera. I fell in love with it.

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Since then, I have become a proud business owner of Julie Zeger Photography. I shoot primarily lifestyle, personal branding, and headshots. I bring my knowledge of being a fashion model and all those years being on sets and learning from all the creatives that make up a photoshoot to each job. My goal is to make my clients feel like a celebrity for the day! This starts with getting their hair and makeup done, listening to their favorite music, picking out what they are going to wear, and then getting pictures taken that makes them feel beautiful and will help take their business to the next level.

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I recently was awarded the Hot List Winner 2023 for best photographer in the Hagerstown Magazine. This was a true honor to be recognized by other business owners in the county.

 

Dreams should be chased and not ignored. Only we have the power to live them. No one can take them away from you. So, in the next 5 years, I see myself traveling around the world shooting beautiful portraits, working for Travel and Leisure Magazine and hey, why not, the cover of Vogue!!

Amecha De'Sha is more than just a creative professional, she is a resourceful solution to your branding needs. As a Brand Strategist, Stylist, and Spoken Word Artist from Atlanta, Ga, she understands that the answer to a successful brand is not solely in the bank, but in the resource. Amecha has been utilizing her expertise for over 10 years in branding, graphic/web design, event planning, guest speaking, and performing throughout the United States.

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Amecha is a certified professional in Digital Marketing and E-commerce, providing branding and event solutions for a diverse range of clients, including family and friends, community businesses, non-profit organizations, screenwriters, indie artists, and celebrities. Her events range from intimate settings to large audiences of 50-500 people.

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Beyond branding, Amecha has hosted her own Spoken Word events and performed at various cafes and venues in Atlanta, including the Great APACHE XL. With her unique blend of creativity and resourcefulness, Amecha De'Sha is the answer to all your branding needs.