BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Leadership
DAVEN LEWIS
Executive Director
DIONNE LEWIS
President
Hi! My name is Dionne Lewis, President and one of the founders of Azalia’s Heart, The Azalia Walker Edwards Foundation. In the last 20 years I have assisted more than 5000 citizens in the New Orleans Metropolitan area. With the assistance of some family and friends we have provided thousands of meals and toiletry items to the Metropolitan area’s homeless citizens. We have also provided gifts, clothes and household items to the Metropolitan area battered women’s shelter. We have also assisted with feeding citizens affected by a tornado in New Orleans East. Over the years I have partnered with Garden Hope Ministries and REJOICE, Inc. to help aide citizens in the cities of Kenner and New Orleans and Westbank of Jefferson Parish. I have volunteered with these organizations to distribute clothing, food, water, cleaning supplies, school supplies and household items.
My heart goes out for those less fortunate. No one ever chooses to be homeless; life happens. It is my moral obligation to help my brothers and sisters sustain a higher quality of life. They are in need and I am in the position to help. Hopefully, the help that I have provided to someone else can help them have a brighter future.
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MICHAEL DESJARDINS
VICE-PRESIDENT
Michael Desjardins is a retiree who had two careers. First in ministry as a Pastor, and a second career as a Claim Representative with a major insurer. Over the course of these two careers, Michael has participated in many service related endeavors to help the poor and struggling. As a pastor he established a program in his church to give emergency food and financial assistance to people in need. He served on the board of an organization dedicated to advancing rights for the LGBT community in New Orleans. He also served on the board and later became chair of the neighborhood organization where he resides, after Katrina, to help bring back the neighborhood from the damages many families faced. Michael is very happy now to serve with Azalia's Heart to help further the good work of Azalia's family.
GENEVA LEWIS
SECRETARY/FINANCIAL OFFICER
I am a retired educator. My greatest joy was working at New Orleans Job Corps Center with students who were attempting to get a G.E.D. and complete a trade. I have spent many years volunteering to provide assistance to families, students, and the homeless.
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HAKIM LEWIS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
BIO COMING SOON
KEVIN "KJ" JACKSON
FUND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
BIO COMING SOON
ALLISON REINHARDT
Outreach
Allison Reinhardt is the co-founder of Roots of Music (with Derrick Tabb). She is a New York/New Jersey native and Loyola graduate who stayed in New Orleans to work as a marketing agent with local musicians. In addition to ongoing work with Roots, most recently she served as marketing director for Putumayo Music. She has been instrumental in assisting nearly 30 musicians in completing their applications for KNOMA--many of whom had no Internet access, no cell phone, and no computers on which to apply. She recorded the required videos for many of their applications, and has been diligent about following up with KNOMA about other potential musician applicants who may fall by the wayside due to disabilities and other barriers. She is an authentic ambassador of local culture bearers who has overcome her own significant personal adversity in recent years, as the victim of the unfortunately very public accident on the Endymion route in 2017. She is still living with the effects of those injuries, which makes her dedication and generosity to others all the more incredible. Her empathy for anyone with hardships is unending, and musicians are at the top of her list.
