Mah-tosha Nance 

Founder and President

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Mah-Tosha L. Nance is a community servant at heart.  Her passion for upbuilding the community is reflected in her chosen profession as a Certified Public Housing and Community Development Specialist for Miami Dade County’s Shelter Plus Care program ensuring that the underprivileged have equal access to safe and affordable housing.  Previously she has held other roles within the public sector serving as a Miami Service Corps Advocate, Housing and Urban Development Specialist, and freelance entrepreneur.  Understanding that her passion to help others is also her life’s purpose, Mah-Tosha equipped with the lessons learned from the death of her mother at age 12, becoming a teen mother, and as a former volunteer youth director to provide young women with the tools needed to strive for and achieve their life’s purpose.  This led her to author the book Pregnant with Purpose which in turn resulted in the birth of A Better Me Organization.  Through A Better Me Organization, Mah-Tosha empowers young women as they navigate through school, social emotional challenges, relationships, and societal ills that could prevent them from becoming the best version of themselves.  In turn, her life’s mission is helping others become a better me.    

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Michelle Blackshear

Chair Women

 

Michelle J. Blackshear has served as the chairwoman of A Better Me Organization since its inception in 2017. As chair of the board, she provides leadership to the organization’s five board members. In that time, she has overseen the launch of its mentorship program, authored the mentorship handbook that established the policies and procedures to be followed by its mentors and mentees, and navigated the organization’s pivot to virtual mentoring during the pandemic of 2020. Born and raised by her grandparents in Miami-Dade county’s Liberty City neighborhood, she understands many of the challenges faced by the organization’s target group. As a single parent,
she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Barry University, a Masters of Reading Education from Nova Southeastern University, and a Specialist of Educational Leadership from Barry University. Her experience with the demands of family, education, career, and community; gives her a perspective not understood by many. That perspective helped shape the ideologies used to provide direction to the board of A Better Me Organization.

Maria Brown

Vice Chair Women

 

Maria L. Brown is a professor and financial professional who’s worked in a corporate setting for over 10 years. She’s an alumni of Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University. She’s earned her Bachelors of Business Administration in Management/International Business and a Master’s of Business Administration in Finance. She’s is a mother and a wife. She enjoys helping others; her motto is we’re blessed to be a blessing. She is a founding board member of A Better Me Organization and mentor. She loves pouring in to young people. Sharing her experiences with young ladies with the hope to encourage and inspire.