Mae’s career has been defined by a belief in the power of communities to create change. For over three decades she has worked across human rights, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and social entrepreneurship. Her work has included serving as a human rights investigator for the City of Lexington and the State of North Carolina, executive director of the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, and alumni director of Berea College. She is also the founder of Noodle Nirvana, a socially conscious restaurant in Berea, Kentucky, that raised nearly $200,000 for four nonprofits during its seven years of operation. Today, Mae serves as Operations Director of the New Americans Initiative, a statewide organization working to build civic power and strengthen immigrant and refugee communities across Kentucky. Mae holds a B.A. in psychology from Berea College and an M.A. in counseling from Eastern Kentucky University.
