The Southern Institute for Community Resilience was founded on a conviction rooted in generations of activism: that rural communities deserve the same quality of life, services, and opportunity available anywhere else. Working across Alabama's rural regions, we saw firsthand that lasting change requires more than strategy, it requires presence. It requires showing up, listening, and delivering the programs and services that residents have named as their own priorities. SICR was created to do exactly that. We work directly in rural communities, delivering programs in health, education, workforce development, and infrastructure. We do not prescribe solutions from the outside. We embed ourselves in the communities we serve, build lasting relationships, and let residents guide our work. We believe resilience is not just about recovery. It is about investment, presence, and the long-term commitment to stay.
Our Story
To improve the quality of life in rural communities across Alabama and beyond by delivering transformative programs and services in health, education, workforce development, and infrastructure, meeting communities where they are and building toward a future they define.
Mission
Vision
A rural South where every community, regardless of geography or resources, has access to the programs, services, and support needed to thrive.
How We Support Communities
At SICR, our work is direct: we bring programs and services to rural residents in the areas that matter most, health literacy, workforce training, infrastructure planning, and community education. We do not wait for communities to find resources on their own. We meet people where they are and build from there.
Our role is not to replace local leadership. It is to stand alongside it, providing the expertise, funding access, and sustained presence that help communities shape their own futures and sustain their own growth for generations to come.
Bria Rushing, Executive Director
Bria Rushing is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Southern Institute for Community Resilience (SICR), a nonprofit organization delivering direct programs and services to rural communities across Alabama in health, education, workforce development, and infrastructure.
Bria's connection to rural Alabama runs deep. Her family has called Abbeville, Alabama home since the 1800s, a legacy that shapes not only her understanding of rural community life, but her commitment to it. She founded SICR from a conviction that rural communities deserve the same quality of investment and opportunity available anywhere else, and that the people best positioned to build that future are the ones who have always lived there.
Before founding SICR, Bria built a career at the intersection of community organizing, strategic planning, and resource development. She started as an organizer in Los Angeles, California, registering voters, educating coalitions on ballot propositions and candidates throughout the state. She served as Deputy Strategist at the African American Voter Registration, Education, & Participation Project in Los Angeles, and as Regional Deputy Finance Director for the Midwest, South, and Tribal Engagement and Active Members (TEAM) Program at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Most recently, she served as Director of Individual Giving at the New Georgia Project and Action Fund, where she expanded donor bases and strengthened community engagement strategies.
In 2018, Bria founded Rushing Consulting, LLC, where she has provided grant writing, project management, and organizational development support to campaigns and community initiatives across the country. She is a graduate of Troy University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a concentration in American Government, and a proud alumna of the Los Angeles African American Women's Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPPI).
Bria leads SICR with the belief that lasting change is built on presence, relationships, and an unflinching commitment to the communities that have always deserved more.
Our Board
Dr. Sharlene Newman is a prominent figure in the field of cognitive neuroscience, serving as the Executive Director of the Alabama Life Research Institute and holding a professorship in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama. Her academic career is marked by her dedication to understanding the human brain and its functions.
Dr. Newman earned her master’s and doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham after finishing her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Vanderbilt University. After graduating from UAB in 1999, she worked as a postdoctoral associate and adjunct assistant professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University until 2004. She joined IU that year as an assistant professor, becoming associate professor in 2011 and a full professor in 2017. She was tapped as an associate vice provost in 2016.
At The University of Alabama, Dr. Newman leads multidisciplinary research initiatives that aim to address critical health disparities and improve educational outcomes across diverse populations. Her work not only contributes to the scientific community but also has significant implications for developing interventions that support cognitive development and mental health.
Dr. Newman brings her extensive research experience and a profound commitment to applying neuroscience to solve real-world problems. Her insights are crucial in shaping policies and programs that aim to enhance community well-being and resilience, particularly in underserved areas.
Dr. Sharlene Newman, President
Emory Newman, Vice President
Emory J. Newman Jr. has been a steadfast advocate for civil rights and education in Henry County, Alabama. Serving two terms as the President of the Henry County NAACP from 1988 to 1992, Emory was instrumental in championing equality and justice. He made history as the first African American to serve on the Henry County Board of Education, where he also held the position of Chairman of the Board.
A proud USAF veteran, Emory dedicated over 30 years of his career to West Point Stevens before retiring. His commitment to education extended beyond his tenure on the school board, as he also served as the Chair of the Henry County Education Committee for the Alabama Democratic Conference.
Emory continued the legacy of his grandfather's civil rights work by taking a stand in the landmark case Hawthorne v. Baker. As a plaintiff, Emory challenged changes in the selection process of members to the State and County Democratic Executive Committees, arguing that these changes required preclearance under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The court agreed, recognizing the potential for discrimination and mandating preclearance by the Attorney General.
Dedric Dennist, Secretary & Treasurer
Dedric is indigenous of Milwaukee, WI and earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineer from Valparaiso University (VU), a master’s degrees in Engineering Management from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT), and a MPA (Public Affairs – Public Management) from Indiana University (IU). He holds certificates in Psychology of Leadership from Cornell University and the Navy Capitol Hill Workshop from the Government Affairs Institute (GAI). Dennist is the acting Project Manager for the Department of Navy of a more than $30M portfolio, operating out of Panama City Beach, FL. Outside of the office, he serves with Special Olympics of Bay County as a Unified Bowler, which allows those individuals with disabilities to enjoy the sport in a meaningful environment.
As the Project Manager he leads a diverse team in the execution of all project tasking and works closely with senior leadership, contractors and other industry stakeholders to provide programmatic, technical, financial and contract management. In 2020 Dedric served in several valuable roles; as the Action Officer for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Navy Ships, where he researched information to answer Request For Inquiries from the U.S. Congress; Special Assistant to Deputy Director in the EEO/D&I Office at Defense Finance & Accounting Services (DFAS), analyzing data for submission of annual reports for Management Directives 110 and 715; as well as Special Assistant to the Deputy Officer in Charge at the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center in Rota, Spain.
Dennist holds membership in: Leadership Monroe County, qualified Community Association Management (CAM) and participant on the board of the Hathaway HOA, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc and currently serves as a Deputy Chief of Staff to the Midwestern Region Vice-President and served the previous Vice-President as an Executive Advisor. He served PHA F&AM as the Worshipful Master of Stone City #54 and a member of the Constantine Consistory. Dedric dedication, passion for the community at large and willingness to serve make him a invaluable resource and excellence addition to the Southern Institute for Community Resilience Board.
A Film and Television Producer with a decade worth of experience as a brand strategist with proven results, making him one of the most highly sought-after young creatives in the business. Most recently Executive Producing ‘UPPITY: THE WILLY T. RIBBS STORY,’ and the Oscar Winning Short Action Film, “Two Distant Strangers,” Maye is currently in development on several exciting and groundbreaking projects in the scripted, unscripted and podcast spaces. Nicholas also served as Director of Programs for the African American Film Critics Association.
Nicholas Maye
Howard Burton
Howard C. Burton, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in finance from Auburn University Montgomery. Howard is vice-president of McKenzie’s Funeral Home, in Tuskegee, a family owned business with his brother Kelvin Burton. In this capacity, Howard “...considers it a privilege to assist individuals going through the process of losing a loved one…”
As an active member of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association (NFDMA), Howard served as 5th District Governor; past Chairman of the Board of Directors, and the youngest National President. Howard is currently the Chairman of The Funeral Service Institute for Pubic Policies. He served as President and Board Chairman of the Alabama Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
Howard holds membership in: Leadership Montgomery; The Greater Montgomery Chapter of 100 Black Men of America; Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce; Lewis Adams Lodge #67 F&AM, St John Consistory #233 Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, PHA and Macon County Kiwanis Club, past President. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Howard is a member of the Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, in Tuskegee, where he serves as Treasurer. He proudly continues his affiliation with Florida A&M University, as Parliamentarian of the FAMU National Alumni Association.