Armond Dowdell, Executive Director
Since 2009 Armond Dowdell has served youth on behalf of UFY helping establish the agency as one of Atlanta’s premier up and coming youth-focused organizations. As program director, Armond leads the organization in its mission to provide services that promote the strengths and abilities of youth while preparing them to face the future with confidence, competence, and dignity. Armond has extensive experience with direct service and administration of outreach, counseling, juvenile justice, and child welfare programs. Armond holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Khalifa Lee, Program Director
Khalifa Lee has been a pillar of leadership and volunteerism in the realm of education and community development since his days as a project leader with Hands on Atlanta before graduating from Benjamin E. Mays High School. Khalifa graduated with honors from the Math and Science Academy and received one of first Gates Millennium Leadership Scholarships from Mays High School. Today Khalifa has continued his legacy by being an advocating educator developing many community initiatives centered around teaching youth health and wellness such as Hood180ºs Intro to Sustainable Agriculture with WeCycle Atlanta in the West End community. He has also given students access to resources through their Alumni such as scholarships and mentorship programs via the B.E. Mays High School Alumni Association (from which he is a co-founder.) If not dedicating his time to his community here in Atlanta, Khalifa serves on several boards for the University of Virginia. He is an active member of the President’s Commission on Slavery and the University. As the Program Director with Unite for Youth, Khalifa has made it his primary goal to discover troubled youth and lead them in a direction that will better serve them, their families, and their community – all by giving them access to resources and knowledge that he has accumulated over the years.
The TEAM
Louis F. Douglas, ESQ, Board Member
Louis F. Douglas, ESQ is a strong defender of family law, adoptions, abuse, neglect, termination of parental rights, and the adjudication of felonies and misdemeanors. A graduate of Morehouse College and Loyola University School of Law, Louis has been a masterful servant of the law for nearly three decades. His earliest works started him as a volunteer of Louisiana Bar Association Ethics Panel #38. He would later become a Private Attorney-at-Law, to reach his highest mark of becoming a Judge of the Juvenile Court in the State of Louisiana. Louis’ long and passionate dedication to protecting underserved low-income families, youth, and communities that are riddled with many of the issues that come with poor and working class communities, has certainly reassured that our programming at Unite for Youth will continue to be effective and protective of our youth and their communities.
Pierre Gaither, Board Member
Pierre Gaither is a Community Affairs Manager for the Atlanta Board of Education. His expertise and skills has allotted him to be able to serve and lead the historical community of Pittsburgh in Atlanta as the Executive Director at Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association, Inc. He graduated with a Bachelors in Political Science from the Morehouse College and graduated with an MPA in Public Administration with a concentration in Community and Economic Development. His experience with youth in need stands strong with his near decade long experience and dedication as a mentor with the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation. Pierre is a staunch and brilliant advocate for those in need in the communities of Atlanta. We are proud to have him serving on the board of Unite for Youth.
Robert Reese, Board Member
Robert Reese has been a long time and adamant advocate for community development and economic uplift of low income youth. Graduating from Morehouse College in Business Administration and from the University of South Carolina with a MBA in Management, his college trajectory set the tone for his long career in student development in higher education and student affairs. After graduating he served as Assistant Director of Upward Bound at Atlanta Metropolitan College then joined Georgia State University as the Director of Student Support Services. He currently serves as the Coordinator of Health CORE at the University of Minnesota Rochester. With Robert Reese on our board at Unite for Youth we are certain that our goals shall be reached with immaculate precision.