<\/a><\/p>\nHelping others is a way of life for public policy consultant Stacey Chavis. She learned the virtues of giving back as a girl, accompanying her mother to deliver food for Meals on Wheels and raise funds for March of Dimes, and assisting her brother, who has special needs, from being born prematurely.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdvocacy work is in my DNA,\u201d says Chavis, a resident of Brookhaven. \u201cBoth of my parents were civil servants with the government, and I grew up watching my family volunteer in our community to help those in need. My mom used to drag me with her when I was a teenager because I didn\u2019t fully understand then what I know now: One, you have to go and give back; and two, how very fortunate we were to be able to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
She categorizes her community outreach into three buckets: women, children and families; advocacy, public policy and legislation; and service to her two alma maters, Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, where she studied psychology and politics; and UGA School of Law, where she received her master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am passionate about the fight against human trafficking; literacy and education; women running for elected office; and passing good laws for Georgia\u2019s families,\u201d says Chavis, who serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater Atlanta, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Junior Leagues of Georgia State Public Affairs Committee and Voices for Georgia\u2019s Children, to name just a few.<\/p>\n
Her professional and personal pursuits are a package deal. As managing director of Campaigns Academy, a company she founded 10 years ago, Chavis provides a variety of services, from political leadership training to legislative representation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love what I do. I juggle lots of balls in the air,\u201d says Chavis, who has successfully run hundreds of campaigns and raised millions of dollars in the process.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, she\u2019s accomplished other amazing things. On the front lines in the fight against human trafficking in Atlanta (documented as one of the top hubs in the country), she worked to pass three bills in the Georgia General Assembly, including the hotline bill that places the human trafficking 1-800 number in bathrooms and buildings so victims can seek assistance.<\/p>\n
Rallying with more than 20 organizations to stop the sexual exploitation of Georgia minors, she played an instrumental role in the passage of Rachel\u2019s Law and the Safe Harbor Constitutional Amendment, which provides stronger protection for victims and punishment for criminals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have made positive progress and continue to fight to save children and young adults,\u201d says Chavis, who initially got involved through her church, The Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, then amped up efforts through the Junior League of Atlanta and UWGA.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have committed my life to causes that are bigger than me. My Christian faith calls me to use my voice for those who cannot speak for themselves,\u201d she says, adding that caring for her brother has been a catalyst. \u201cMy advocate\u2019s heart comes from being a big sister and wanting to protect him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A native of Mauldin, South Carolina, Chavis moved to Atlanta to attend Oglethorpe and fell in love with the city\u2019s rich history and diversity. Getting political was a given for someone long schooled in civic duty. Her great-grandmother, despite being a property owner, wasn\u2019t allowed to vote until she was in her 60s.<\/p>\n
Her grandmother attended the March on Washington in 1963, as Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech. The year before, both her grandmother and mother were at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston when King urged congregants to register to vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am constantly seeking out opportunities to do good,\u201d she says. \u201cI work so I can be a professional volunteer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the pandemic has curtailed her travel schedule (and, unfortunately, a planned trip to Africa), she\u2019s relished the extra downtime to recharge, from catching up on Netflix and reading biographies and business books to exercising with kettlebells and baking cookies for family and friends. \u201cThey keep encouraging me to open a bakery,\u201d says Chavis, who is already busy making to-do lists for 2021.<\/p>\n
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Stacey Chavis – Simply Buckhead<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n