About us

Mission

At Global Youth Camp AEP Inc., we are creating a virtual space for youth to realize their untapped potential. Prioritizing youth in high school. Our mission is to expose youth early to a career path in architecture, engineering, and planning around the world through a virtual learning course. Additionally, there is a mentorship program to cultivate youth skills and steer them toward the high school, college/university of their choice. Also, we offer leadership sessions as an option during the mentorship program for the mentee.

Our Presence

History

Global Youth Camp AEP Inc. began with a cluster of virtual networking and vision meetings in 2021, led by the Founder and CEO. On March 29, 2022, the nonprofit was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in the state of California. The organization team consists of Darnell Parker II (Founder and CEO), Dave Walker (Chairman of the Board), Rome Meeks (Global Liaison of Ambassadors), Eletrice Harris (Vice President), and Domonique Bunai (Secretary). We work together to support the mission along with each global ambassador: Bemnet Demissie (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Madhubala Ayyamperumal (India, Bengaluru), Micheal Noha (Douala, Cameroon), Tony Yeboah (Accra, Ghana), and Ion Plamadeala (Chisinau, Moldova).

Meet the Board Members

Darnell Parker II, MBA, Assoc. AIA

  • Darnell Parker II is an experienced Design Professional II, Senior Designer, and Job Captain with more than five years of professional work experience in architecture and two years of planning. He is most passionate about helping others, particularly black and brown youth around the globe. As the former, United States Returned Peace Corps Volunteer of the Republic of Moldova, AmeriCorps Vista Volunteer at Community Housing Partners (Christiansburg, Virginia), Lieutenant Governor at Badger Boys State (Ripon, Wisconsin), President of the NOMA Student Chapter at Virginia Tech, Chairman and Director of Membership of APA Los Angeles Section, and Co-Chair of Membership of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Los Angeles, he decided to start the Global Youth Camp AEP. Darnell holds a Master’s and Bachelor's in Architecture as well as a Master's in Urban Regional Planning obtained from an accredited college at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Dave Walker, Assoc. AIA, AICP

  • Dave Walker has over ten years of experience working to enhance the urban environment through planning, architecture, and urban design. His 7-year experience while working with Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLP on international and national architecture buildings, master plans, strategic planning, development feasibility studies, design guidelines, campus planning, and neighborhood redevelopment plans has helped to prepare him for the establishment of his practice; W A L K studio.

Queen Harrison Claye, Olympian

  • Queen Harrison Claye is an Olympic 400-meter hurdler who competed as the youngest member of Team USA’s track and field team at the 2008 Beijing Games while enrolled as a sophomore in college. Throughout her athletic career spanning over 14 years, Queen has earned global gold medals, shattered championship records and earned a reputation within the track world of coming to the starting line both “fast and fabulous”. Her legacy continues off the track as a Virginia Tech Hall of Fame inductee, dual licensed esthetician and most currently serving within the Marketing & Brand Engagement department for the LA28 Olympic Games organizing committee. As 1 of 7 girls in her family Queen finds purpose in sisterhood and is a fierce advocate for youth empowerment specifically girls elevation and equity in sports and in life.

Joe Luckey III

  • Joe Luckey is a passionate urban planner who has dedicated over a decade to making Southern California a more equitable place to live. With a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona, he has built a career around helping neighborhoods grow responsibly, currently serving with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to put important state housing laws into action. Driven by a deep love for community service, Joe founded Black Planners of Los Angeles (BPLA) a recognized employee organization and nonprofit to uplift African Americans, local youth, and marginalized communities. Through BPLA, he teaches people how city planning, land use, real estate development, and local policies actually work, empowering them to become true change agents in their own backyards.

    Beyond his professional work, Joe’s life is beautifully anchored by his faith and his family. He is a devoted husband and a proud father to his daughter, who inspires him every day to help build a brighter, more inclusive world for the next generation. A man of strong faith, Joe serves his community as a Deacon at Zion Hill church. His heart for helping others is also reflected in his career milestones, such as his work to create housing policies for homeless and housing-insecure students across Los Angeles County. Whether he is working alongside city leaders to improve local housing or serving his church family, Joe’s ultimate goal is always to uplift the people around him and leave his community better than he found it.

Kevin Ingram

  • Kevin has 34 years of experience in helping Low-Income and First-Generation College-Bound students enroll and graduate from college. Additionally, he has 7-plus years of experience providing leadership and support efforts to Educators and Administrators state-wide (Wisconsin) with the provision of leadership in the review and discretionary decision-making in issuing educator licenses and complex decision-making related to the educator licensing process.

    His Public Education background spans over a decade. He is passionate about helping youth and now his passion is to help youth globally to enroll and graduate from college by providing leadership and support efforts to the mission and vision of GYC AEP Inc.

    Kevin holds a master’s degree in Human Resources and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Marquette University.

Timothy Cole

  • Tim Cole is a software executive with a background in fintech, nonprofit, and international business, bringing over two decades of expertise to his current role as VP of Sales at Rivet. A retention platform, dedicated to fostering 1-1 connections in the workplace, reducing turnover, and increasing employee engagement.

    Hailing from Milwaukee, Tim is a proud MPS and University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate who has excelled in various leadership roles within the tech sector. His passion for business growth in the local tech ecosystem led him to establish Tim Cole & Co. A boutique professional services firm designing innovative solutions tailored to meet the diverse operational and service needs of organizations.

    Tim is deeply committed to giving back to the Milwaukee community that has given so much to him. Currently, he serves as President of the National Society of Black Engineers - Milwaukee Area Professionals chapter and Tech Lead of Ebony Ice (a black ski club). Tim is a devoted father to a brilliant 4-year-old daughter, an avid world traveler, wine scholar, live music enthusiast, and amateur chef.

Executive Leadership

Eletrice Harris

  • Eletrice Harris is an experienced Project Manager, Administrator, and Architect with more than 20 years of work experience. Her passion is the development of young minority students interested in architecture. She is committed to ensuring that every student from middle school through grad school not only knows about architecture but also believes they can become an architect. As the former SoCal NOMA Summer Camp Director and the SoCal Student Chapter Liaison, as well as SoCal NOMA Vice President, she decided to be the Vice President and Co-Founder of the Global Youth Camp AEP. Eletrice holds a Master's in Architecture from the Pratt Institute in New York and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Rome Meeks, PH.D.

  • Rome Meeks is the Co-Founder and executive director of Anidaso 360, an organization that educates, empowers, and equips young men and women of color spiritually, culturally, and professionally. He has demonstrated a history of working in the non-profit organization industry and has experience in program development, restorative practices, program evaluation, conflict resolution, and volunteer management. Rome is passionate about making sure that organizations' programs are goal-oriented, assessed, measured, and accomplished. Rome has earned a Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D. in psychology from Michigan State University (MSU) where his practice is focused on organizational and community development. Rome is currently an Assistant Professor, also at MSU. His research interests include the neurological effects of stress in poor urban environments and Systems Science.

Global Ambassadors

Tony Yeboah

  • Tony Yeboah is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Yale University. His research, with support from a Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship, examines the entangled themes of colonial power, the built environment, and community-making in one of the greatest West African capitals, Kumasi. Tony is a contributor for the OER, (Open Educational Resources), a project of Gates Ventures. His works have appeared in History in Africa, the Journal of West African History, the Conversation, and Nursing Clio.

Ion Plamadeala

  • Ion Plamadeala has been the Mayor of Izbiste in the Republic of Moldova for over ten years. As a university graduate from the State Agrarian University of Moldova with a degree in Economics, Mayor Plamadeala represents the local community in relations with other public authorities, individuals, or legal entities in the country or abroad. His focus is on making the village of Izbiste a leader in K-12 education, community economic and sustainable development, and public health. As a mayor, he has participated in several training programs geared towards elevating his constituents of Izbiste.

Madhubala Ayyamperumal

  • Madhubala Ayyamperumal is a sustainable design advocate, emerging designer, and mentor who is dedicated to improving the lives of people through socially and environmentally responsible design. She has over six years of professional experience in Asia, the Middle East & United States, with expertise in Healthcare, Life Science, Tenant Improvement, Hospitality, Mixed-use, and Workplace Design. Before her current position as a designer at Gensler, SF Bay Area, she worked with firms like SOM, and CAC. Madhubala holds a Master of Architecture and Master of Engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University, where she was awarded the Henry Adams Medal and Certificate of Merit from the American Institute of Architects upon graduation. She is also involved with ACE Mentorship and SFNOMA, leading mentorship programs and advocating for inclusive design. Madhubala's work brings together the fluency of sustainability and wellness-centric design, and she believes in promoting these attributes as the basis of her design concepts.

Bemnet Demissie

  • Bemnet Demissie is a creative designer and aspiring architect with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from EiABC, Addis Ababa University. He is currently working as a Space Manager and Event Curator at The Urban Center, a creative space located in the heart of Addis Ababa. In addition, Bemnet is a co-founder of Echoing Cities, an initiative that focuses on raising awareness of the interconnected disciplines of architecture and urbanism through interactive activities. Bemnet has extensive experience in designing and curating interactive artistic activities, exhibitions, events, and shows. His passion for photography, and visual and interactive art has led him to focus on curating art and artistic experiences.

Micheal Noha

  • Micheal Noha has been working in the cocoa and coffee sector in Cameroon since 2012. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business and Management from London Metropolitan University. In addition to his professional career, Micheal has been an active member of a non-profit organization based in France and Cameroon since 2020. This NPO aims to mobilize human, material, and financial resources to meet the multifaceted needs of orphans, abandoned children, single mothers, and helpless widows in Cameroon.

Tumusiime Jackline

  • My name is Tumusiime Jackline, I am a second-year student at Makerere University. I am a Ugandan. I

    am the assistant team leader of SDG youth ambassadors - Muk chapter. I am a climate and Environmental

    activist and also an advocate for Human rights. I am a student leader at my school and my leadership

    majorly focuses on the youth and aims at impacting the loves of your and creating positive change

    in communities.

    I refer to myself as determined in any path I pursue, hardworking, quick to learn, independent-minded

    and results-oriented. I am so excited to be part of GYC and build it together as a team.

Wisdom Otutubuike

  • Wisdom Otutubuike is a highly skilled innovator in the construction technology industry, hailing from Nigeria. After graduating from the prestigious Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) in the Southeast region of Nigeria, he began his career as a builder. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Building Construction Technology, and has pursued further studies in metaverse and industry, adaptive leadership, purpose playbook (SVAI), and is currently pursuing a data analyst certification.

    Mr. Otutubuike has established himself as a distinguished figure in the AEC industry through his brand, "Amebo Builder". This brand is devoted to creating opportunities for young professionals in the industry by sharing knowledge about innovations in construction technology. Additionally, he is the founder of LEARNTEC Africa, a start-up construction technology brand that aims to provide construction technology education across Africa.

    With his passion for innovative solutions and expertise in construction technology, Wisdom Otutubuike has made significant contributions to the industry and continues to inspire the next generation of builders and innovators in Africa.

S M Ashik Rahman

  • S M Ashik Rahman is a senior majoring in Architectural Engineering with a lighting emphasis at

    the University of Colorado, Boulder. Messy and dark rooms are his favorite spaces in this

    universe because he loves to make them organized and illuminated. He loves to sketch and is

    passionate about creating design stories with the integration of engineering knowledge.

    Ashik’s childhood experiences with climate change impacts in his home country of Bangladesh

    have motivated him to get into architecture school to fulfill his desire to create sustainable and

    cost-effective design solutions. Ashik is leading a couple of student organizations like IES CU

    Boulder Chapter, ASHRAE CU Boulder Chapter, Chi Epsilon, and Tau Beta Pi.

Neo Lehoko

  • Neo Lehoko is a South African Architect in the making, with a B.Arch and M.Arch from Andrews University in Michigan. Neo has a passion for restorative justice in architecture and an expansion of what architecture can become in the global community.

Chibuike Amarachi Favour

  • I am Chibuike Amarachi Favour, a passionate and dedicated professional in the field of Building Technology. I hold a degree with upper credit in Building Technology from Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. I am determined to make a positive impact in the construction industry and beyond.

    Throughout my academic journey, I had the privilege to serve in various leadership roles within the National Association of Building Students (NAOBS). As the Research and Development Secretary of the NAOBS National body, I actively contributed to the advancement and growth of the building industry in Nigeria through research initiatives and innovative ideas.

    Furthermore, I served as the Auditor General of the NAOBS National body, where I worked diligently to ensure transparency and accountability within the association. My commitment to these responsibilities has reinforced my belief in the importance of ethical practices in the construction industry.

    My passion for the construction industry, coupled with my leadership abilities and commitment to service, drive me to contribute to the growth and development of the building sector in Nigeria. I am dedicated to utilizing my knowledge and skills to create a positive impact and make a lasting difference in the field.

Yannick Mbraga

  • Yannick Mbarga is a pharmacist with an 8 year experience in health care services. He is the head of a pharmacy department in an urban hospital in Douala, Cameroon. He’s passionate at striving towards equity in global health. He has developed numerous technological solutions and led several research projects targeting equity and accessibility to health care. He is currently pursuing training in epidemiology and supply chain management. Yannick is also an educator. He runs a nursing training school in the city of Douala.

Nour Atef

  • Nour Atef is a youth empowerment advocate, emerging digital strategist, and aspiring data and marketing professional with a passion for leveraging technology to foster inclusive community development. With practical experience in digital marketing, content creation, and market research, Nour has contributed to impactful campaigns at creative agencies such as Markopedia and Word of Mouth, where he demonstrated strong analytical capabilities and strategic communication skills.

    Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science with a specialization in Information Systems at Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Nour combines academic knowledge in business with a growing interest in data-driven innovation and social impact. Beyond the classroom, his leadership is evident in his development of self-discovery initiatives that help peers define their career paths, as well as his participation in the Soliya Global Circles Program, which promotes intercultural dialogue and collaboration.

    Nour holds multiple certifications in digital marketing, social media strategy, and content creation. His vision is to integrate digital innovation with purpose-driven leadership to design scalable, community-centered solutions that empower youth and drive meaningful change—both locally and globally.


Areesha Mahboob

  • Areesha Mahboob is an architect, researcher, and emerging cultural heritage advocate passionate about sustainable architecture, adaptive reuse, and climate resilience.

    She holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture, graduating with honors and ranking 3rd in both her faculty and department. Her work focuses on preserving cultural heritage through innovative, community-centered design while promoting environmentally responsible and socially inclusive solutions. She has contributed to architectural design, heritage research, and international collaborations, with a strong interest in connecting culture, sustainability, and urban development. She is the recipient of the Varna National Award for her Invisible Cities project, recognizing her innovative approach to architecture and design.

    Committed to empowering young people through education, research, and global engagement, Areesha believes that meaningful climate action begins with collaboration and that protecting cultural heritage is essential to creating resilient, sustainable communities for future generations.

Past Board Members

Linda Tatum, FAICP

Linda Tatum, FAICP

Ramona Johnson

Ramona Johnson

Dr. Willie Garrison II

Dr. Willie Garrison II

Christina Hartsfields, AICP

Christina Hartsfields, AICP