Emily Stanfield has been the President and CEO of the Refill Jackson Initiative (RJI) since it opened in July 2019. RJI is a nonprofit based in West Jackson that teaches young adults, ages 18 to 24, the skills necessary to be successful at work and in life. Young adults participate in classroom instruction, one-on-one mentoring, and on-the-job training over 10 weeks, after which they graduate into a paid internship, full-time employment, or further education. Previously, at the U.S. Department of State, Emily managed a $50-million portfolio of global human rights and democracy grants that rapidly responded to emergency situations at both individual defender and broader sociopolitical levels. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Millsaps College and her master’s degree in nonprofit management from The New School.
Emily Stanfield is a member of the Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy Class of 2020-21, one of several Workforce Leadership Academies in localities across North America.
The Workforce Leadership Academies are part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.
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