Local Leaders
Ayofemi Kirby
Charlotte Community Director
Ayofemi@GenerationEngage.org
phone: 704-900-7158


Ayofemi "Femi" Kirby was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to Charlotte, N.C. with her parents at the age of 10. Since then she has participated in numerous local and national leadership development programs through the National Conference for Community and Justice (now the Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice), Legislators' School, the Hugh O' Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., and the summer academy at Carnegie Mellon University.

In 2006, Ayofemi graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism
and Mass Communication and a minor in History. During her undergrad years,
Ayofemi served as a reporter for the student newspaper, editor of a campus
magazine and member of a modern dance company. During the summer, Ayofemi
spent the majority of her time as an INROADS intern in marketing and
financial development for Charlotte's Dowd YMCA. She also spent time as a
public relations intern with Promax/BDA in NYC and the North Carolina
Writers' Network in Chapel Hill.

Before joining GenerationEngage, Ayofemi graduated from the Wachovia
Associate Program where she served as an Online Content Manager and a
Communications Specialist in its marketing and corporate communications
departments. While at the bank, Ayofemi also served in numerous volunteer
roles and contributed articles to Pride Magazine and The Charlotte Post.

Ayofemi is a Certified Public Activist through the League of Women Voters
and has been a GenerationEngage Ambassador since 2006. She serves on the
board of the Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists, and helped
bring local, state and judicial candidates together with the media and the
public as co-chair of Charlotte's "Your Voice. Your Vote. 2008"

In her spare time Ayofemi takes dance classes at the North Carolina Dance
Theater, catches shows around her neighborhood, and reads her favorite
magazines which include "Elle" and "O:The Oprah Magazine."

Rod Garvin
Charlotte Outreach Coordinator
Rod.Garvin@GenerationEngage.org
phone: 704-941-1528

Rod Garvin joined GenerationEngage after working as the Education Outreach Manager for Levine Museum of the New South. Prior to his time at the Museum, he worked as a Youth Program Coordinator with the National Conference for Community and Justice (now Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice). He also has professional experience in public education and account management.

Rod received his Bachelor’s in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and has taken post-graduate film courses at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at Hood Theological Seminary. Rod is a graduate of the Leadership Development Initiative, a Community Building Initiative program created to increase the awareness and ability of board members and staff of non-profit and public organizations to influence for racial and ethnic inclusion and equity. Rod serves on the Coffee Conversations Committee for Meck Ministries, an interfaith organization and as a Community Catalyst for the Knight Creative Communities Initiative.

He also blogs on a variety of topics and contributes to a podcast that explores the intersection of faith, culture and politics. Rod is the proud father of Ayanna Kai, his beautiful daughter.