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Memphis-Shelby County Schools
c/o The Board Office
160 S. Hollywood Street
Memphis, TN 38112
The Board Office
Phone: (901) 416-5447
Fax: (901) 416-9787
[email protected]
Natalie McKinney
District 2
Natalie McKinney is the co-founder and executive director of Whole Child Strategies, Inc. (WCS), a neighborhood/place-based community-led efforts interim nonprofit in Memphis, TN. Founded in 2017, WCS was conceived as a demonstration of the impact of government investment in neighborhoods and resident leadership. WCS is arguably the only nonprofit in Memphis that focuses on out-of-school barriers to educational attainment by organizing, mobilizing, engaging, equipping, and supporting community stakeholders to identify and directly address the root causes of these barriers in the streets, neighborhoods, and networks where they arise with long-term sustainable solutions through policy, systems transformation, and public resource reallocation. An example includes facilitating the collaboration between the local public transportation system and the community to support the community-led initiative that customizes weekly bus routes to transport community residents residing in a food desert to community-identified food and basic needs.
McKinney’s extensive career includes law, education policy, and juvenile justice advocacy. As Policy Director for Shelby County Schools and legacy Memphis City Schools, she led the policy development for the largest school district merger in American Public Education history. McKinney also founded and served as the Inaugural Director of the Juvenile Law Clinic, as an adjunct professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law, and practiced law at two large law firms.
McKinney was a part of the inaugural fellows’ class of the Mosaic Fellowship with the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, a transformational strategy to develop and connect education leaders of color to enact change and elevate their voices to ensure equity and excellence in education in Tennessee. Additionally, McKinney participated in the fourth cohort of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute Class of 2020, served on the Civil Service Commission for the City of Memphis for approximately three years, and serves as a member of the Shelby County Juvenile Justice Consortium.
McKinney receives the SisterReach Reproductive Justice at the Intersection Award, the Dr. Toni Bond Award, 2023-2024, and the 2021 Thomas Briggs Foundation Community Service Award.
McKinney holds a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Spelman College.
McKinney lives with and loves her husband of 28 years, Dr. Charles W. McKinney, Jr., a Rhodes College professor, and has two phenomenal sons, Ayodele, a 2023 magna cum laude graduate of Xavier University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Chioke, a current honors Howard University student, Class of 2026, both graduates of MSCS.
Stephanie P. Love has lived and been active in North Memphis, Millington and unincorporated areas of Shelby County all her life. Love attended Millington Central High, studied Psychology at The University of Memphis and later became a licensed cosmetologist.
Love's advocacy began as a parent volunteer in August 2011 at Delano Head Start, where she noticed the unacceptable parking accommodations. This motivated her to begin directing traffic to ensure the safety of the children and parents. She was able to effectively advocate for an improved parking lot. Because of her passion and willingness to help, Love was elected to serve on the Shelby County Head Start Policy Council, where she later became vice chair.
Love also served as vice president of the Frayser Neighborhood Council—a community group born out of President Obama’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative in 2013. Love was elected to the Frayser Neighborhood Council as a resident May 4, 2013, and the group later selected her as vice president.
The Frayser Neighborhood Council has had success in helping to improve the quality of life in Frayser. Some of those successes include:
- Effectively advocating Memphis City Council for improvements to Denver Park—a once gang-ridden park taken back by neighbors,
- Getting approval from Memphis City Council for new sidewalks in front of Corning Elementary,
- Stopping a new trailer park development,
- Developing Frayser 2020—a plan to improve quality of life in Frayser,
- Planning of the Frayser Town Center, and
- Just recently, advocating with fellow Memphians to prevent a landfill from expanding next to an elementary school and other urban neighborhoods in Shelby County.
Love was elected to the Shelby County Board of Education in 2014 and later re-elected in August 2016. She currently serves as co-chair of the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee.
As a board member and parent of three school-aged children, Love knows and understands the challenges parents and children face as they relate to the constant changes in education. Love believes more can be accomplished when parents, school employees, district officials and all elected governing bodies work together.
Sable Otey
District 5
Sable Otey is a Memphis Native, wife, and mother of 3 beautiful boys. Sable is an East High Alumni and currently holds a Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Master's in Education. She is also a former Team USA Bobsledder and former Educator. Her educational background has equipped her with a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face in our school system.
In addition to teaching, Sable Otey participated in curriculum development and revision for the Physical Education Secondary program. By collaborating with other educators, she assisted with ensuring that the curriculum aligned with the needs of the students, making it more relevant, engaging, and effective. She also had the privilege of assisting with teacher professional development, helping dedicated educators grow and thrive in their roles.
As a former USA Bobsledder, Sable hosts sports clinics (injury prevention, post injury training, elite sports development training) to give back to the youth in Shelby County. She believes that, sport serves as a major mode of transportation to the road to success and higher education for many of our children.
Her journey also extends into the business world, where she has excelled as the Senior Vice President at Integrity Marketing Group/PHP Agency and as the co-founder of the Triple M Agency. This experience has provided her with valuable insights into budgeting, resource allocation, and strategic planning. Sable spends an immense amount of time educating the community on the importance of financial literacy, retirement solutions, debt solutions, and business/personal budgeting plans. Sable firmly believes that a strong business mindset is essential for ensuring the efficient use of our resources to support our schools effectively.
Throughout her endeavors, she has received recognition for her contributions. Sable was honored to be a recipient of the 40 under 40 award from the Memphis Business Journal, which highlighted her dedication and impact in our community. These recognitions have motivated her to continue striving for excellence and serving our community with passion and dedication.
Lastly, Sable is the president of the West TN Women’s Political Caucus and she was also named as our Hometown Superhero fueling her passion for fostering a sustainable future through environmental justice educational initiatives.
Sable believes that, together, we can bring about positive change and ensure that our students receive the education they deserve.
Sable Otey
District 5
Sable Otey is a Memphis Native, wife, and mother of 3 beautiful boys. Sable is an East High Alumni and currently holds a Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Master's in Education. She is also a former Team USA Bobsledder and former Educator. Her educational background has equipped her with a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face in our school system.
In addition to teaching, Sable Otey participated in curriculum development and revision for the Physical Education Secondary program. By collaborating with other educators, she assisted with ensuring that the curriculum aligned with the needs of the students, making it more relevant, engaging, and effective. She also had the privilege of assisting with teacher professional development, helping dedicated educators grow and thrive in their roles.
As a former USA Bobsledder, Sable hosts sports clinics (injury prevention, post injury training, elite sports development training) to give back to the youth in Shelby County. She believes that, sport serves as a major mode of transportation to the road to success and higher education for many of our children.
Her journey also extends into the business world, where she has excelled as the Senior Vice President at Integrity Marketing Group/PHP Agency and as the co-founder of the Triple M Agency. This experience has provided her with valuable insights into budgeting, resource allocation, and strategic planning. Sable spends an immense amount of time educating the community on the importance of financial literacy, retirement solutions, debt solutions, and business/personal budgeting plans. Sable firmly believes that a strong business mindset is essential for ensuring the efficient use of our resources to support our schools effectively.
Throughout her endeavors, she has received recognition for her contributions. Sable was honored to be a recipient of the 40 under 40 award from the Memphis Business Journal, which highlighted her dedication and impact in our community. These recognitions have motivated her to continue striving for excellence and serving our community with passion and dedication.
Lastly, Sable is the president of the West TN Women’s Political Caucus and she was also named as our Hometown Superhero fueling her passion for fostering a sustainable future through environmental justice educational initiatives.
Sable believes that, together, we can bring about positive change and ensure that our students receive the education they deserve.
Amber Huett-Garcia
District 8
Amber Huett-Garcia serves as the School Board representative for District 8.
Huett-Garcia began her career as a teacher at Ross Elementary. After teaching, she spent more than seven years at Teach For America, where she had responsibilities ranging from large-scale operations for a teacher training program to corporate and foundation fundraising.
From there, Huett-Garcia served as a policy advisor in Shelby County’s Office of Education before working as a senior director of non-academic support strategy for one million K-12 students at the Tennessee Department of Education. She also concentrated on state health, policy, and budget roles, managing over $13 billion in K-12 funds for former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.
Huett-Garcia is the founder and owner of Amber Huett-Garcia Consulting, focusing on nonprofit operations and capacity building, grant and performance management, and more.
She is a global leader in obesity care as a member of the World Obesity Federation’s Board of Trustees, representing the patient's lived experience. In the United States, Huett-Garcia is an active volunteer and emeritus member of the National Board for the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). She served nine years, including two years as chair, for its 85,000 members. She is a founding director of the Global Obesity Patient Alliance (GOPA), where she represents the United States to help build capacity in patient advocacy organizations worldwide.
She is a 2018 recipient of Medtronic’s Bakken Invitation, an award given to individuals who have used their “extra life” to advocate.
When she's not working or volunteering, Huett-Garcia enjoys traveling, cooking, listening to live music, and exercising. Her daughter Parker is a proud and thriving student in Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Tamarques Porter
District 4
Tamarques Porter is a proud native of Memphis, TN, and a graduate of Melrose High School. His journey from a local high school graduate to a seasoned professional in Information Technology highlights his dedication to educational excellence and community empowerment. After attending Texas Southern University and earning a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and a Master of Science in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix, Porter embarked on a career focused on leveraging technology for positive social impact.
Currently serving as an Information Technology Specialist with the U.S. Department of Treasury, Mr. Porter combines technical expertise with a passion for community engagement. His professional background demonstrates his commitment to using technology to enhance learning outcomes and foster innovation in education. Porter's dedication to community service is evident through his involvement with organizations like the Tennessee Higher Education Prison Initiative (THEI), advocating for educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals, and his role as a mentor and facilitator in programs such as Dr. Clifford Black's Super Learning Literacy Class, where he empowers students with essential language and computer literacy skills.
He is committed to ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success. Porter advocates for safe, diverse, and inclusive policies prioritizing the needs of students, teachers, and families, with a proven track record of leadership, deep roots in the community, and unwavering dedication to educational excellence.
Keith Williams
District 6
Keith O. Williams is executive director of the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association. He is a proven leader and champion for parents, educators, students, and public education in Memphis and Shelby County.
Williams graduated from Melrose High School, Knoxville College, Trevecca University, and the University of Mississippi.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Gloria Sherfield Williams. He is the proud father of Dr. Mialika Watkins and Keith Chad Williams, and the proudest grandfather of Micah and Moriah Watkins.
After 41 years of dedicated service, Williams retired from legacy Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools. He is committed to the success and empowerment of students, educators and parents. His motto is “Together, we all win.”