Meet the GeeKz

Street GeeKz Liberated
Board of Directors

Officers

President/Executive Director – Santana T. Barnes
Vice President – Kimberly Kelly, LCSW
Secretary – Santrella Herd-Jenkins

Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer - Shantana Herd-Luckett, Ed.S

Chair of the Board – Dr. April Warren-Grice, Ph.D
Vice-Chair of the Board – Jamell Jacobs, LPC, NCC
Board Member – Christian A. Barnes

Board Member - Othello J. Chandler
Board Member – Dr. Paula Boddie, Ph.D

Santana T. Barnes

Santana T. Barnes

Santana T. Barnes was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. His step-father worked at a local post office while his mother provided additional support with the family business of a home daycare. Needless to say, Santana has been caring for and teaching children since the early age of 8. 

Santana T. Barnes

Although he spent quite a bit of time in North St. Louis City, where his biological father's family resided, Santana lived in Moline Acres and attended school grades K-12 in the Riverview Gardens School District. As a proud graduate of Riverview Gardens High School, Santana went on to attend the University of Missouri - Columbia as an Electrical Engineering Major.

He later transferred to Westminster College to play basketball and continue his education. Still uncertain of his true purpose, Santana moved back to St. Louis in 2001 post-college. He quickly found his way into the education system when approached and propositioned to join the Education Crusade by a principal in the Normandy School District.

It was here that Santana discovered his natural connection with students and the community. While working in the Normandy School District and developing his first youth program, he realized that his passion for youth education and development would soon be a life-long journey.

He has continued to work along-side St. Louis schools and youth organizations for the better of 19 years, providing programming support in math, literacy, sports, life skills, and mental health for children grades Pre-K through 12.

Creating Street GeeKz Educational Consulting and Street GeeKz Liberated (Non-Profit) in 2013 with the purpose of motivating educators and students congruently, Santana is committed to helping revitalize unhealthy school systems and communities. Santana and Street GeeKz plan to become a global beacon of inspiration for student engagement and creative educational evolution.

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Kimberly Kelly, LCSW

Healing. Health. Wholeness. These are the pillars that guide Kim’s work. With 20 years of experience in the social work field, Kim has worked with diverse populations across the life-span within government, community, hospital, and school settings.

Kimberly Kelly, LCSW

She has helped families through abuse and neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse, chronic/terminal illness, and homelessness. Kim understands the lasting impact that trauma, chronic stress, and adverse experiences can have on an individual. In turn, this is what drives her commitment to promote holistic health within the person, the family, and the community.

Kim earned her Master of Social Work and B.A. in Psychology from Saint Louis University with a certificate in Trauma Studies. She has been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Currently, Kim is an Educational Support Counselor in the Francis Howell School District of St. Louis, MO, where she provides therapy, support, and advocacy to children with significant emotional and behavioral concerns.

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Kimberly Kelly
Santrella

Santrella Herd-Jenkins

Santrella is a St. Louis native with a keen gift for providing a diverse array of client services ranging from customer service and order management to quality control and efficiency. Ella is currently a Business Analyst at Nestle Purina, where she interacts with business partners to understand their ordering needs and concerns.

Santrella Herd-Jenkins

She also deals regularly with payment processing disputes. Prior to Nestle Purina, Ella spent several years working in customer service as a Personal Banker and Call Center Representative for United Healthcare Insurance and Walmart.com. She graduated with honors from Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis, MO, spent two years at Southeast Missouri State University, then completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Lindenwood University. Ella loves to work closely with local youth programs in St. Louis, volunteering her administration talents to help propel organizations in a manner that will ultimately allow them to service youth more efficiently.

Ready to take her passion and talents to the next level, Ella is in the process of starting her own client services business. Santrella feels that she has a pre-ordained calling to provide such services to organizations and growing businesses worldwide.

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Santrella

Santrella Herd-Jenkins

Santrella is a St. Louis native with a keen gift for providing a diverse array of client services ranging from customer service and order management to quality control and efficiency. Ella is currently a Business Analyst at Nestle Purina, where she interacts with business partners to understand their ordering needs and concerns.

Santrella Herd-Jenkins

She also deals regularly with payment processing disputes. Prior to Nestle Purina, Ella spent several years working in customer service as a Personal Banker and Call Center Representative for United Healthcare Insurance and Walmart.com. She graduated with honors from Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis, MO, spent two years at Southeast Missouri State University, then completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Lindenwood University. Ella loves to work closely with local youth programs in St. Louis, volunteering her administration talents to help propel organizations in a manner that will ultimately allow them to service youth more efficiently.

Ready to take her passion and talents to the next level, Ella is in the process of starting her own client services business. Santrella feels that she has a pre-ordained calling to provide such services to organizations and growing businesses worldwide.

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Dr. April Warren-Grice, Ph.D.

Dr. April’s life’s work has three distinct areas of focus. She researches equity and access, using her findings to create culturally relevant programs and wellness offerings for communities of color. She also serves as a bridge of connection for advocates and practitioners wanting to move from theory to practice.

April Warren-Grice, Ph.D.

In addition, she creates experiential learning opportunities among academics, educators, wellness practitioners, and the people they serve. Dr. April has published several articles in peer-reviewed outlets, including Teachers College Record, Race, Ethnicity, and Education, and The Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Equity and Diversity.

Currently, she is the Director of St. Louis University's program ‘Shut it Down: Closing the School to Prison Pipeline,’ a pilot initiative designed to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by helping educators interrogate the relationship of race and trauma as related to school discipline and the juvenile courts in the city of St. Louis, MO. With ‘Shut It Down,’ she oversees the educator race and trauma coaching program, a city-wide cross-system partnership, and internal and external research projects. She is also the founder and CEO of Liberated Genius, LLC, an educational consulting company celebrating and supporting the genius of Black and Brown youth.

Dr. April’s career in education spans more than 18 years and includes service as a high school English teacher and administrator, assistant professor, professional development coordinator, and educational consultant. All infused together, these roles have deepened her commitment to designing mindfulness practices and experiential learning programs that transform conditions for marginalized communities.

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Dr. April Warren-Grice
Jamell Jacobs

Jamell Jacobs, LPC, NCC

Jamell Jacobs, LPC, NCC is the co-founder of the Youth Achievers Foundation and has been the owner/operator of Dance Plus dance studio in Florissant, MO, since 2005. Jamell attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Minor in Dance.

Jamell Jacobs

She began her professional career in the field of education in the traditional setting as a third-grade teacher. Soon after, life transitioned her to Los Angeles, where through her work, she helped to develop health and fitness programming for children and adults as the Healthy Lifestyles Director for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. She also launched the Gardena-Carson branch youth dance program.

Jamell has always valued the importance of overall health and wellness, and this position offered her the opportunity to work more closely with the community to aid in their efforts towards better health. Years later, she was presented with the opportunity to purchase a dance studio in her home town of St. Louis, MO. A new venture upon which she decided to pursue, she began providing youth arts education on a more comprehensive level than what she was currently doing.

In 2015, Jamell received her Master of Education degree in Community Counseling. She is currently a Nationally Certified and Licensed Professional Counselor. Since graduation, Jamell’s mission has been to offer counseling services to the community at a reduced cost to ensure that all in need of mental and emotional support are able to have their needs met, which is done through Youth Achievers Foundation along with a collective of other youth programmings.

Her passions compel her to always be working with our youth in some capacity, in an effort to help them better understand how to find their own physical and mental balance. Jamell truly believes this is essential for youth in order to lead a more productive and successful life.

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Shantana Herd-Luckett, Ed.S

Shantana Herd-Luckett, Ed.S is a St. Louis native and has worked in the field of education for over ten years. She has primarily worked with students in grades Preschool-2nd. Immediately following high school, Shantana followed her passion for teaching youth by obtaining a Bachelor of Education degree from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Shantana Herd-Luckett

Excited to begin her career as a teacher, Mrs. Herd-Luckett went on to do remarkable work in the classroom, where she was eventually nominated for Building Teacher of the Year and the Emmerson Excellence in Teaching Award. She also continued her education and acquired a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, as well as an Ed.S. in School Administration from Lindenwood University. Shantana quickly sharpened her skill-sets and later moved into the role of Principal/Director of the Normandy Early Childhood Center. Currently, Shantana still works in the education system of St. Louis, serving as the Director of Early Education in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

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Shantana
Shantana

Shantana Herd-Luckett, Ed.S

Shantana Herd-Luckett, Ed.S is a St. Louis native and has worked in the field of education for over ten years. She has primarily worked with students in grades Preschool-2nd. Immediately following high school, Shantana followed her passion for teaching youth by obtaining a Bachelor of Education degree from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Shantana Herd-Luckett

Excited to begin her career as a teacher, Mrs. Herd-Luckett went on to do remarkable work in the classroom, where she was eventually nominated for Building Teacher of the Year and the Emmerson Excellence in Teaching Award. She also continued her education and acquired a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, as well as an Ed.S. in School Administration from Lindenwood University. Shantana quickly sharpened her skill-sets and later moved into the role of Principal/Director of the Normandy Early Childhood Center. Currently, Shantana still works in the education system of St. Louis, serving as the Director of Early Education in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

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Christian A. Barnes

Christian A. Barnes

Christian Alexander Barnes was born and raised primarily in Saint Louis, MO. His surrounding family and support cast took the necessary measures to ensure that he was crafted and bred for greatness. From the beginning of his journey in life, he showed nothing but promise and potential. Christian quickly developed enormous goals, as well as the ambition and the drive to accomplish them. 

Christian A. Barnes

He initially fell in love with STEM and worked extremely hard to prepare himself for a career in Computer Science. Post graduating Ritenour High School with a GPA of 4.36, Christian was accepted into Washington University with a full ride. It seemed like Christian had all that he needed to fuel his dreams. However, after stumbling across the world of e-commerce, he began redirecting his attention to global business, consulting, and online merchandising.

E-commerce became a passion and an addictive outlet that he harbored and soon developed into something bigger than he could ever imagine. Over time, Christian could see his boundless drive being rewarded and was eventually able to fully dive into e-commerce. Creating ‘Ecom Lifestyle LLC’ in 2018, Christian decided to take a break from school with aspirations of becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Despite the fear of failure, he took a confident leap of faith, believing that his abilities in business, marketing, and strategic networking would ultimately govern his success. Christian is currently a mogul on the rise and affiliated with a global network consisting of over 9 million followers. He also remains humble and does his best to pay it forward by consulting future entrepreneurs on ways to grow soundly in today’s fast pace business economy.

Christian currently resides in Tampa Bay, Florida, where he continues to expand his network and sharpen his blade. Closing major business deals and giving birth to new and innovative business ideas has become the norm for him, and he plans to continue utilizing his unique skillsets and talents worldwide.

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