Meet Our New Staff!

With the new school year comes new energy! All of us at Morningside are delighted to welcome two new staff members after wishing retirees Ann Matthews and Laura McClure the very best on their new adventures. 

Asja Culpepper is a dedicated and passionate professional with a strong commitment to empowering individuals through her work at Morningside Center—in Human Resources. Her expertise as a people strategist is the result of her diverse background, which includes a comprehensive liberal arts education, extensive travel experiences around the globe, and a successful career in both nonprofit and private sectors. When she's not fully engaged in her HR responsibilities, you can find Asja savoring a tranquil moment with a cup of chia, seeking out new and unique local cafés, or eagerly setting out on her next adventure to explore a captivating new destination.

Mariah Schwarz comes to Morningside with two decades of experience in institutional fundraising for the arts, education and equity initiatives—most recently as head of Institutional Development for Ballet Hispánico. A lifelong student of African American, Indigenous/First Nations and Latine/Hispanic literatures, she completed an (academic) Masters in Secondary English Education (City College); and has spent significant time in regions ranging from Tennessee to the Blackfoot Reservation, and San Francisco to Haïti. Mariah brings her experience and a lifelong commitment to Mitakuye Oyasin (Lakota, “all my relations”) to her work along with the hope that—through our work—more people will learn and live “all my relations.”

Please take a look at our new Staff Page found at https://www.morningsidecenter.org/staff

…And join us in thanking Ann and Laura for their decades of service, dedication and friendship to Morningside! Without Ann’s leadership in Human Resources—guiding Morningside through the pandemic and beyond, and Laura’s storytelling through grants, articles, and insights across communications and fundraising, Morningside could not have had the incredible impact we are all committed to making—transforming our schools and our world. We welcome Asja and Mariah, and send Ann and Laura off with the warmest of wishes.