Mel Moore (they/them) serves as the Associate Director of New Disabled South Rising. Mel is a strategist, organizer, and storyteller based in South Carolina with nearly two decades of experience leading justice-centered work across the South. They have dedicated most of their professional life to building community-held power while centering the values of gender, racial, transformative, and disability justice. Mel excels at translating big dreams into sustainable programs, and using data to design policy and narrative strategies that center the needs of the most impacted people. Mel’s work is shaped by a devotion to building community care with a strong emphasis on the values of interdependence and solidarity. Mel has brought creativity, clarity, and compassion to every project they have led from launching direct aid programs for Trans Southerners to co-creating community-based solutions to youth homelessness. They are a seasoned speaker, creative facilitator, and trusted thought partner who leads with a loving heart and joyful spirit. Mel is a proud alum of the College of Charleston, a contributor to Harlan Greene's LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, and a Featured TED Speaker.