Staff – St. Gabriel Mercy Center

Our Staff

Nakeshia Fipps- Executive Director

Nakeshia Fipps, Executive Director, is a native of Mound Bayou, MS where she graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. She is also a three time graduate of Delta State University. She began employment in July 2023. Her early career experiences are in education and counseling. Her latter experiences include leadership, program development, special events, and community service/outreach. She also brings experience in creative and innovative programming. Nakeshia believes in excellence and has worked with many teams in the past to achieve common goals. Through her leadership, she aims to positively impact the growth and development of all staff and build capacity at St. Gabriel Mercy Center to help the Center excel in providing first class services to the residents of Bolivar County.

Trena Robinson, MBA- Director Of Advancement & Communications/Public Relations

Trena Robinson, a native of Mound Bayou, began her employment in July, 2007 as the Administrative Assistant and was promoted to the position of Director of Advancement & Communications/Public Relations in September, 2015. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Mississippi Valley State University and her Masters of Business Administration from Delta State University. Her duties include researching and writing grants and plans and executes fundraisers for the daily operations of the programs offered at St. Gabriel Mercy Center; market the programs via social media and advertisement; and maintains a data base in Results Plus for donor contributions on a continuous basis. Trena has worked as a Paralegal and an Accounts Receivable Coordinator.

Tanya Hall- Parents As Teachers Program Assistant

Tanya Hall is a native of Shelby, MS and began as the Parent Educator Assistant in February 2024. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Mississippi Valley State University in Early Childhood Education. Tanya’s duties include assisting the Parent Educator with the following: enrolling families into the program, conducting home visits, administering developmental screenings, providing in-service opportunities, hosting group meetings and activities, and network with other organizations to help provide resources to the families enrolled in the program.

Jennifer Nash – Food Pantry/Thrift Store Coordinator

Jennifer Nash began as a volunteer and was hired in January 2020. Ms. Nash attended John F. Kennedy High School and Coahoma Community College. Her responsibilities include managing the Food Pantry, where she orders and distributes food monthly to the citizens of Bolivar County, and the Thrift Store, where she organizes and sells clothing, shoes, and household items to the customers.

Martha Black- Certified Parent Educator

Martha Black has been a Certified Parent Educator since 2003. She is responsible for teaching parenting skills to parents every month as well as generating monthly and annual reports. Martha was a Certified Teacher Assistant for eight years and in Home Daycare for seven years before coming to St. Gabriel.

Linda Cain-Franklin- GED Coordinator

Linda Cain-Franklin began working at St. Gabriel Mercy Center in November 2015 as a GED Instructor and was promoted in August 2016 to GED Coordinator. She teaches English and History. Linda has an Associates of Arts degree from Coahoma Community College and has a B.S. Degree in Social Work form Delta State University

Diana Sanders - GED Instructor

Diana Sanders was hired in March 2020 as the Mathematics and Science GED Instructor, where she assess the skills of the students in the GED Program and prepare them to obtain their GED. She also assists the GED Coordinator with tutorial needs and the functioning and growth of the program. Mrs. Sanders obtained an AA Degree in Pre-Nursing from Coahoma Junior College, BS Degree in Biology and Chemistry from Delta State University, BSE in Biology and Chemistry from Delta State University and Graduate Studies in Mathematics from Delta State University. She also has certifications in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, General Science, AP Biology and ICT-Career Discovery.

Phyllis Brown- Environmental Services

Phyllis has been on staff with St. Gabriel’s for several years and is such a help when it comes to the overall cleanliness of the facility. We are grateful to have her here!

Deborah Brown – Senior Outreach Coordinator

Deborah Brown began as the Senior Outreach Coordinator in 2022. She is a native of Mound Bayou, MS and attended Coahoma Community College. The Senior Outreach Program is designed to prevent in-home isolation by encouraging daily socialization with peers. Deborah plans daily activities, including devotional, exercise, and games, where Bingo is a must for the participants. She prepares daily lunches and guest speakers to keep the Seniors updated on various topics.