Meet our Team:
Appalshop
Located in the central Appalachian coalfields in Whitesburg, KY, Appalshop’s mission is to document, disseminate, and revitalize the lasting traditions and contemporary creativity of Appalachia; to tell stories the commercial cultural industries don't tell, challenging stereotypes with Appalachian voices and visions; to support communities' efforts to achieve justice and equity and solve their own problems in their own ways; to celebrate cultural diversity as a positive social value; and to participate in regional, national, and global dialogue toward these ends.
Our Appalshop Team Members
Mimi Pickering, Project Director
Mimi Pickering is an award-winning filmmaker and director of Appalshop's Community Media Initiative. As CMI Director, Mimi serves as Appalshop's Team Leader for All Access EKY. She is especially excited about the opportunities the project provides for her to work with young women to tell stories about the issues they face when trying to access reproductive health services and fact based sexual health information. Mimi has long been an advocate for reproductive justice, especially for Appalachian women!
Kyla Horn, Program Manager
Kyla Horn is an Inez, KY native and the All Access EKY Program Manager. Kyla attended Morehead State University where she obtained her degree in Health Promotion. She dedicated her time to developing a program that worked to identify and reduce health disparities in regard to sexual activity in young girls across Appalachia. Kyla completed her practicum at a local health department where she discovered her passion for public health and gained an in-depth understanding of the healthcare system. In her free time, Kyla enjoys reading and spending time with her dogs!
Power to Decide
Power to Decide works to ensure that all young people—no matter who they are, where they live, or what their economic status might be—have the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant. We do this by increasing information, access, and opportunity.
Our Power to Decide Team Members
Kelsie Williams, Program Manager
Kelsie Williams is an eastern Kentucky native passionate about reducing sexual and reproductive health inequities in vulnerable and underserved areas. Previously serving as the All Access EKY Project Director at Kentucky Health Justice Network, she worked in partnership with Power to Decide and Appalshop to build support for policies, programs, and services to ensure access to the full range of birth control methods. Kelsie earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from The George Washington University, where her research evaluated sexual and reproductive health disparities among pregnant incarcerated individuals.
Claudia Nunez-Eddy, Program Manger
Claudia is the Program Manager at Power to Decide where she supports programs and initiatives, including All Access Eastern Kentucky. Prior to joining Power to Decide, Claudia worked at the National Center for Health Research managing the organization's women's health programs, research, and advocacy efforts. She has a Master of Science degree from Arizona State University, where her graduate work focused on the use and management of federal funding for family planning services in Arizona. Outside of work, Claudia enjoys hiking, baking, and exploring new restaurants in Washington, DC
Sarah Axelson, Senior Director
Having worked in the field of sexual and reproductive health for more than a decade, Ms. Axelson is passionate about the intersection of adolescent sexual health and the science of learning, and has built her career around educating professionals in order to better serve youth and their families. Her career has included time in the federal government, as a Project Officer for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in the US Department of Health and Human Services/Family and Youth Services Bureau, as well as work in the non-profit world, as the Director of Training at ETR and as a Program Manager at Advocates for Youth, among other roles. To make sure that she stays directly connected to young people, Axelson also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at two local universities, teaching Human Sexuality to undergraduate students and more recently, accompanying students on service learning trips as part of the Alternative Spring Break program.