About

The Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP)

SEAP is your partner and resource. We amplify the efforts of existing organizations and networks that work towards broadening economic power and building a more equitable future.

Broadening economic power brings attention to how race, class and gender intersect social and economic policy in the South. We explore policy ideas designed to directly address these connections. SEAP focuses on 12 Southern states and marginalized/vulnerable populations within the region and is a fiscally sponsored project of the Roosevelt Institute.

Links policy experts and local organizers

Connects national thinkers and southern leaders

Converts bold concepts into proven ideas with research and analysis

Our Team

Stacey Abrams

Executive Director
(Atlanta, GA)

Stacey Abrams

Executive Director (Atlanta, GA)

SEAP was founded and is led by Stacey Abrams as Executive Director. She is a nonprofit CEO, serial entrepreneur, political leader and New York Times bestselling author. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, in 2018, Abrams became the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. She founded and chairs Fair Fight Action, a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to ensuring voter engagement and participation as well and elections reform to promote fairness in our elections. She also founded Fair Count, a 501(c)(3) with a focus on the 2020 Census and long‐term civic engagement. Over the course of her career, Abrams has founded multiple organizations devoted to voting rights, training and hiring young people of color, and tackling social issues at both the state and national levels. She also co‐founded NOWaccount Network Corporation, a financial services firm. Formerly, she was Deputy City Attorney for the City of Atlanta. Prior to her tenure at the City, she was Special Tax Counsel at Sutherland, with a focus on tax‐exempt organizations.

About Stacey

Sarah Beth Gehl

Research Director
(Atlanta, GA)

Sarah Beth Gehl

Research Director (Atlanta, GA)

Sarah Beth Gehl is the Research Director for SEAP. She served as policy director for the Stacey Abrams for Governor campaign and previously served as deputy director for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, where she specialized in tax policy. She founded Gehl Consulting to provide consulting services to maximize the policy and advocacy impacts of national and Georgia-based nonprofits. Sarah Beth has taught at the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Agnes Scott College. She received a Ph.D. in public policy through a joint program at Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University, a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a BA from Birmingham Southern College.

About Sarah Beth

Genny Castillo

Regional Engagement Director
(Atlanta, GA)

Genny Castillo

Regional Engagement Director (Atlanta, GA)

Genny Castillo is Regional  Engagement Director for SEAP. Genny is focused on bridging the gaps for community members and policy impact. Genny is responsible for coordinating local programming to bring SEAP to the people. Her professional experience includes being COO of BLUE Institute, the premier training program to prepare more young people of color for the leadership of electoral campaign in the South and Southwest. During the 2018 campaign cycle, Genny served as the Latinx Constituency Director through the Democratic Party of Georgia’s Coordinated Campaign. Genny served as the Director of Caucus Services and developed one of the nation’s most successful state legislative caucus internship programs from 2011-2017 for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus. Genny received her B.S. in Sociology from Berry College and her A.M. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Genny is a graduate of the GALEO Institute for Leadership, LEAD Atlanta Class of 2016 and the GPEE Education Policy Fellowship Program. Genny is a mentor with the Latin American Association and a facilitator for the GALEO Institute for Leadership.

About Genny

Dede Dunham

Communications Manager
(New Orleans, LA)

Dede Dunham

Communications Manager (New Orleans, LA)

Dede Dunham is the Communications Manager for SEAP. Dede is focused on propelling SEAP's mission through consistent messaging and strategy.

Dede is responsible for managing and organizing all communications activities, including developing strategic communications plans for campaigns and initiatives. She is also responsible for drafting press releases and talking points, coordinating media inquiries, organizing briefings and events and ensuring SEAP websites and social channels remain up to date.

Prior to joining SEAP, Dunham served as Press Secretary and Digital Media Manager for the Louisiana Workforce Commission, where she fostered and maintained a positive image of the agency through effective and sui generis communications tactics. Degreed in Journalism and English, Dunham is a 2016 Liberal Arts graduate of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

About Dede

Email

For media inquiries, email SEAP@rooseveltinstitute.org

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