Welcome to the Team: Meet MDC’s Newest Staff Members

MDC is excited to welcome six new colleagues to our Rural Prosperity and Investment (RPI) team. Together, they bring a wealth of experience in community engagement, public policy, philanthropy, environmental justice, nonprofit leadership, research, and rural development—and a shared commitment to helping shape a South where all people thrive.

Cassie Childress, Dan Broun Program Associate

Cassie Childress is an aspiring public service and community engagement professional pursuing dual master’s degrees in Social Work and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her background includes internships with the White House Office of the Vice President, the Alabama Governor’s Policy Office, and UNC’s School of Government, where she focused on stakeholder engagement, public policy, and community-informed research. She is passionate about ensuring that the people most affected by policies have a meaningful voice in shaping them.

Dillon Frost, Dan Broun Program Associate

Originally from Southern California, Dillon Frost joins MDC after serving as a fellow with the Roosevelt Institute. His work centers on equitable economic development, regional planning, and expanding opportunity in historically underserved communities. This fall, he will begin pursuing a Master of City and Regional Planning at UNC Chapel Hill.

Mason McVeety, Dan Broun Program Associate

A North Carolina native, Mason McVeety is completing dual master’s degrees in Public Administration and Social Work at UNC Chapel Hill while also earning a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership. She previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA supporting community engagement and capacity-building initiatives and brings a deep commitment to public service and rural North Carolina communities.

Ryan Odom, Program Coordinator

Ryan Odom joins MDC after serving as a Fellow with the Laughing Gull Foundation, where he supported philanthropic learning, research, and relationship-building across justice-focused initiatives. A first-generation college graduate from North Carolina A&T State University, Ryan brings a thoughtful, community-centered approach to advancing rural prosperity and equitable investment.

Sarah Feldman, Partnership/Program Manager

Originally from rural Western North Carolina, Sarah Feldman returns to MDC after previously supporting the Rural Forward program as a graduate intern. With experience across nonprofit, healthcare, and local government sectors, she is passionate about building relationships, strengthening communities, and advancing wellbeing and equity throughout rural North Carolina.

Tira Beckham, Ph.D., Partnership/Program Manager

Tira Beckham joins MDC following her work with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, where she supported climate resilience and energy justice initiatives. She brings extensive expertise in environmental justice, coalition-building, rural equity, and community-centered policy development. At MDC, she will lead network development efforts and manage the Rural Action Network across North Carolina’s Sandhills region.

We are excited to welcome Cassie, Dillon, Mason, Ryan, Sarah, and Tira to MDC. As our work across the South continues to grow, these new team members will strengthen MDC’s capacity to support rural communities, build partnerships, advance equitable systems change, and expand opportunities for community-driven leadership.

Please join us in welcoming them to the MDC team!