Our Team
Our staff and board members are truly family. We are passionate about the needs of vulnerable children in our communities and throughout Georgia and committed to fighting for them.
Our Staff
Mamie Harper, Founder and Executive Director
Mamie is a self-proclaimed 'Children’s Champion' with 13 years in the child welfare and social services sectors. She has experience ranging from DFCS case management to therapeutic services to the education sector. She currently works as a children's therapist.
Mamie has a passion for children and families and sees the need to ensure that no child ever looks like the trauma they have endured. In 2015, she put her personal beliefs into action by founding Carrie’s Closet.
In her free time, Mamie loves visiting her hometown of Columbus, GA and watching her Dawgs play. She thoroughly enjoys leading her Cadet Girl Scout Troop and mentoring. However, her greatest joy stems from being an active Auntie to Addison and Desmond and Godmommy to Bryson and Miles. The happiness she sees on their faces inspires her work daily.
Our Board of directors
Noletha High, Chair
Michelle Coates, J.D., Secretary
Michelle Coates, J.D., Secretary
Every child deserves a champion, a responsible adult, who will never give up advocating for them, who understands the power of a positive connection and insist they have the best foundational experience that prepares them for a successful future. Adapted from Rita Pierson, Educator.
Michelle Coates, J.D., Secretary
Michelle Coates, J.D., Secretary
Michelle Coates, J.D., Secretary
I am a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and John Marshall Law School. I currently serve as the School Business Manager for South Atlanta High School. As a K-12 educator, I have served as a 6th grade teacher and an Instructional Coach. I enjoy spending time with my husband, son, and stepsons.
Dr. Sharen Kelly, Treasurer
Tonika Dew Evans, Fundraising Chair
Tonika Dew Evans, Fundraising Chair
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived; it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead."
Nelson Mandela
Tonika Dew Evans, Fundraising Chair
Tonika Dew Evans, Fundraising Chair
Tonika Dew Evans, Fundraising Chair
I have proudly supported Carrie's Closet since its inception. Carrie's Closet is not just a mobile clothing source. It is also committed to advocating for the rights of foster children. The innovative initiative to both provide clothing & advocate for foster children inspired me to serve on the Board.
Our Inspiration
Carrie Edmonds Harper
When asked “Who is Carrie?”, Mamie shares that Carrie’s Closet was named after her mother, Carrie Edmonds Harper. To Mamie, Ms. Carrie is the first social worker, teacher, and child advocate she ever knew. This organization was named to celebrate the continued service to children Ms. Carrie displays to this day.