By LAVERNE RAYFORD, MHA VOLUNTEER
Mental Health America of Central Carolinas (MHA) has long been a steady presence in our community — as a beacon of hope where Access, Advocacy, and Education come together to support individuals and families when they need it most.
For decades, the organization has worked quietly and persistently to ensure mental wellness is not a privilege, but a shared community commitment.
This year, MHA steps into a new season of leadership with a familiar, trusted, and deeply rooted voice at the helm. On February 2, 2026, Ericka Ellis-Stewart began serving as Acting Executive Director, guiding the organization into its next chapter, with both reverence for its legacy and a clear-eyed vision for its future. Her appointment represents continuity of mission, renewal of purpose, and a reaffirmation of MHA’s core values.
Ericka’s connection to MHA is both professional and profoundly personal. Over the years, she has been a strategist, a steward, and a steadfast advocate for mental health equity across the Carolinas. Even more than that, she has been part of the community MHA serves — bringing lived experience, empathy, and authenticity into every space she enters.
“This organization has been home to me for many years — as a leader, a learner, a person with lived experience, and someone who believes wholeheartedly in the power of mental health advocacy, education, and access,” Ericka reflects. “MHA’s mission is deeply personal to me, and I am honored to lead this next chapter with steadiness, transparency, and care for both our people and our community.”
The MHA Board of Directors expressed strong confidence in Ericka’s leadership — highlighting her ability to provide stability while strengthening programs, partnerships, and community impact. Board President Joe Machicote noted that her experience and character make her uniquely suited for this moment in the organization’s history.
“Ericka brings deep institutional knowledge, trusted leadership, and a strong commitment to our mission. We are confident in her ability to lead us forward,” Machicote said.
Her leadership arrives at a time when conversations about mental health are more open than ever — yet the need for accessible care, community connection, and systemic change remains urgent. Ericka’s approach centers MHA’s three pillars:
Access: Expanding pathways to support so that no one has to navigate mental health challenges alone. Under Ericka’s guidance, MHA remains committed to reducing barriers, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring that resources reach those who need them most.
Advocacy: Elevating lived experience and pushing systems toward greater compassion, equity, and accountability. Ericka has spent her career amplifying voices that too often go unheard and building coalitions that create real, lasting change.
Education: Empowering individuals, families, and institutions with knowledge, skills, and understanding that reduce stigma and promote wellness. From training to community conversations, MHA continues to meet people where they are—inviting them into learning with dignity and respect.
Ericka’s own journey reflects these values. For nearly three decades, she has been a servant leader within the region’s nonprofit ecosystem, tirelessly serving at-risk youth, combatting food insecurity, and empowering individuals and families through educational attainment and improved economic mobility. Her work has always bridged care and action, compassion and strategy.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Ericka served as an elected official in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region for nearly a decade, bringing her commitment to equity and community wellbeing into public service. This blend of lived experience, nonprofit leadership, and civic engagement shapes her vision for MHA — one that is collaborative, courageous, and community-centered.
“At its heart, mental health work is about humanity,” Ericka says. “It’s about seeing people fully, honoring their stories, and creating spaces where healing and possibility can take root.”
That spirit is especially alive as MHA prepares for its signature annual fundraising event — the “In the Limelight Gala” — returning on May 1, 2026. More than a celebration, the Gala is a gathering of community, where hope, resilience, and shared purpose take center stage.
This year’s event will spotlight not only MHA’s programs and impact, but also the people who make its work possible. In a meaningful new chapter, MHA will debut its inaugural Mental Health Community Champions Honors cohort by recognizing individuals whose leadership, courage, and service have advanced mental health awareness and well-being across the Carolinas.
Guests at the May 1st Gala can expect an elegant evening filled with moving stories, meaningful recognition, and opportunities to invest directly in MHA’s mission. Through live and silent auctions, event sponsorships, and community engagement, attendees will play a tangible role in expanding access to mental health education, support, and advocacy throughout the region.
Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to MHA’s work, the Gala promises to be an evening of connection, reflection, and collective impact — an embodiment of MHA’s belief that healing happens in community.
For now, the message is clear: This is a season of reconnection, restoration, and renewed mission. With Ericka Ellis-Stewart’s return, Mental Health America of Central Carolinas moves forward rooted in experience, strengthened by compassion, and guided by a leader who understands true progress begins by meeting people where they are — and walking with them toward hope.
TEASER: In our April issue, LKN Magazine will continue Ericka’s story, exploring the evolution of the “In The Limelight Gala”, introducing members of the inaugural Mental Health Community Champions Honors Cohort, and highlighting the partnerships shaping this year’s celebration. Readers will gain deeper insight into how Ericka’s own journey has inspired a renewed vision for mental health awareness, access, and community engagement across the Lake Norman region and beyond.
