Azmen Johnson

Azmen Johnson grew up in Durham, NC. In 2007, she graduated from UNCC with a BA in Sociology and has been involved with Urban Hope ever since. She has served as a camp counselor, adult facilitator for Bible Jump Off, mentor, and year round volunteer. Azmen now serves as Community Director for Alexander House Scholars and continues to invest in the next generation to equip and empower young people to overcome whatever obstacles they may face. Beyond her contributions to Urban Hope, Azmen has worked in elementary education for 16 years, serves as case facilitator and leadership team member for Restorative Justice Durham, and is the Coordinator for Prescriptions for Repair.

Urban Hope

Urban Hope is a community-based initiative of The Navigators, focused on bridging spiritual, economic, and educational resources to young people and their families in the Walltown neighborhood of Durham, North Carolina. Our mission is to raise up generations of young heroes – who are beating the odds by the grace of God – through creating safe places in our neighborhood to grow together into wholeness. We offer a summer camp, academic coaching and tutoring, life-on-life mentoring, sports teams, spiritual formation, vocational enrichment, and leadership development. The Urban Hope Leadership Team consists of young adults from Walltown and Navigator staff, including Brandon Hudson, Ed and Page Cvelich, and Dan Keegan.

Brandon Hudson

Brandon (second from left on second row) has a heart for community and a passion for working with young people. He is the second director of Urban Hope beginning his tenure in 2013 after graduating from Duke Divinity School (MDiv). He desires to come alongside youth as they cultivate the critical Christian consciousness needed to bring about freedom, justice and reconciliation as experienced in Jesus Christ.

Ed and Page Cvelich

Ed and Page (bottom left and top right corners) have worked with The Navigators for thirty years and have led ministries on college campuses and among young professionals in the Southeast United States and the Philippines. They serve through strategic planning, fund-raising, staff development, sports coaching, and tutoring. Their hearts' desire and prayer is for God to raise up a new generation of African American leaders to be missionaries to Durham and the cities of this nation.

Ed and Page serve on the Urban Hope Leadership Team. Ed coaches basketball and golf with youth as well as mentoring potential leaders. Page offers her strengths in strategic planning and curriculum development.

Dan Keegan

Dan Keegan is a native of Iowa who relocated to Durham after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Elementary Education. Dan has been involved with Urban Hope since 2005. He has served in the capacity of summer camp counselor, assistant director and director of the summer camp, basketball coach, mentor, neighbor and now Alexander House Scholars Program Director. During the school year, Dan directs the WAY (Walltown Aspiring Youth), an after school program Urban Hope sponsors with the School For Conversion. Outside of his work with Urban Hope, Dan works as a teacher at Eastway Elementary School.