Meet the Team
Board of Directors
Candice Crenshaw, Chair
Born in Connecticut, Candice Crenshaw graduated from Greenville High School in 2007. She attended Troy University where she marched in the Troy University “Sound of the South” Marching Band, was initiated into Tau Beta Sigma (2008) and Sigma Alpha Iota (2010), and ultimately received a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Crenshaw went on to receive a Master’s in Clinical Mental health Counseling. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision.
In addition to her academic achievements, Crenshaw has garnered 10 years of experience working with children/adolescents and their families. Her educational and employment background have given her a wide range of experience in the mental health sector. Through her training at Troy University and her experience working in multiple settings, she has become uniquely equipped to holistically assist clients mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Her practice is supported by the belief that the goal of most families is to rebuild and restore or simply to connect to their loved ones, and she sees music and the conversations that derive from it, as a means to sometimes facilitate that conversation.
Crenshaw (and her dog Hazel) looks forward to joining the Higher Ground Society family and is excited to serve as a Higher Ground Society board member.
Myrtle Engram
Myrtle Engram is a true daughter of Bay Minette, Alabama. Attending nursery school at Mrs. Sister Moorer’s Daycare, attending kindergarten with Mrs. Josephine Valree (the maternal grandmother of Higher Ground Society founder, Jerald Crook), attending 1st and 2nd grade at Douglasville Elementary School, she eventually participated in the forced integration of Baldwin County, Alabama schools in 1969 as a third grader. Engram then graduated from Baldwin County High School in 1980. As a young person in Bay Minette, she was the first Black cashier at the local, recently closed Piggly Wiggly. In the fall of 1980 Engram attended Alabama State University where she graduated cum laude with a degree in Computer Information Systems in 1984. During her college career Engram was recognized via Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges (1984), Outstanding Young Women of America (1984-1998), and the Alabama State University President’s Award (1984).
Engram went on to lead a 42-year career in information technology, living in Maryland and working for Teradata. She retired in 2015, but immediately re-entered the workforce, working for Armedia before officially retiring in 2024. In her retirement Engram is renovating what is becoming her Retirement Property in Chickasaw, Alabama, close to Africatown, to establish it as the headquarters for the Vivian Diana Engram “DianEncourages” Literacy Foundation and Gardens which honors the legacy of her sister and BEST Friend who transitioned and became her guardian angel on July 1, 2017. The property will also be the home of DuckDeeda Studio which will produce a podcast beginning in Q4 of 2024.
Engram’s other endeavors include being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Advanced ToastMaster Silver (Toastmaster International), and being a 2024 moderator for Senior Health Class—Contemporary Issues in the News Discussion Group through Holy Cross Health. Engram is also the Best Friend of the superhero Murdock whose superpowers are reading, listening, and creating good. Murdock teaches Moral Literacy to children through character short stories and attributes.
An avid supporter of Higher Ground Society since its inception, Engram looks forward to spending be at least 6 months a year in Alabama, getting involved in a capacity where she can add value and Make a Difference in her 'new' community.
Nicholas Johnson
Nicholas Johnson is an Alabama native currently residing in Atlanta following his passion for creativity and self-expression. He loves art, live music and collaborating with other creatives. He attended Auburn University where he received his undergraduate degree in Business Management with a minor in Dance. In his spare time, Nic enjoys capturing pictures, creating cover art, hiking and styling clothes. His hope is to work with Higher Ground Society Board members in presenting all its creative, thought-provoking and life-enhancing programs to Alabama and the rest of the world.
Rebecca Lakin
With 15+ years of marketing communications experience, Rebecca Lakin is a logical creative - bringing creative and analytical thinking together for impactful and engaging marketing and communications. She currently leads global Marketing Communications for Ecolab’s Food and Beverage division. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the trumpet and guitar to the annoyance of her cats, Scout and Jonas. They prefer her spoon carving hobby that she learned during the 2020 lockdown.
Shannon Smith
Shannon Smith is a native of Fort Payne, Alabama. Both sides of her family trace back their roots in DeKalb County for generations. She is a graduate of Auburn University where she studied Graphic Design and History. Outside of a career in graphic design, Shannon enjoys music, film, visual art, and nature.
Her passion for her small town and a love of history has led her to participate in her community from an early age, from church to historic preservation to helping organize a county-wide network with other young professionals. She is past-President of Rising Leaders of DeKalb, Inc. She also currently serves as Secretary of Landmarks of DeKalb County, Inc., which manages a variety of historic sites including the Fort Payne Opera House, Alabama's oldest theatre venue of its type.
Through her work with Higher Ground Society, Shannon hopes to utilize the connections and skills she has made in her life as a foundation for a broader, more welcoming culture for the future of Alabama and beyond. Follow Shannon on Instagram at @chunkdunkingmermaid.
Jerald Crook | Founder, Executive Director
Jerald hails from Bay Minette, the county seat of Baldwin County, Alabama. He attended Auburn University where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Sustainability. He began his professional career working in public and academic libraries before joining the Alabama Bicentennial Commission staff as community relations specialist. There he served as liaison between the commission, local and state organizations, and bicentennial committees. As of May 2019 he holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and in 2022 he was named one of South Arts Emerging Leaders of Color.
Jerald founded Higher Ground Society in 2013 (then Young Man Visions, Old Man Dreams) with a desire to get the people around him excited about the things he was passionate about: the arts, the humanities, and social and environmental justice. Through his work with Higher Ground Society he hopes to be a part of meaningful, positive change in Alabama’s social and cultural landscape by building inclusive, sustainable communities steeped in love and appreciation for the arts and humanities and all community members.