Executive Leadership Institute for Organizational Impact: Advancing A ‘Think-and-Do Tank’

Robena Spangler is an innovative senior executive with over 30 years of experience in behavioral health, human services, and advancing equity and inclusion work. The majority of her career has been dedicated to systems improvement within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Spangler held several leadership roles in the public and private sectors. She has provided professional coaching and leadership development for teams and individuals on a national level.

In addition to her public and private sector work, she is an adjunct instructor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS), responsible for facilitating accelerated programs in human services for adult learners. Her current role, as an EDI and leadership strategist, is to design and manage all aspects of Social Current’s leadership and organizational excellence portfolio. Spangler holds a bachelor’s in sociology and human services along with a master’s in leadership and professional advancement.

Amber Jones (she/her) is a community organizer, political strategist, and licensed minister, originally hailing from the South Side of Chicago and having resided in the Twin Cities for over a decade. She is primarily organizing to advance independent political power through the Black Church through the statewide power organization, ISAIAH & Faith in Minnesota. With a background in both government and nonprofit leadership, Amber leads initiatives that equip Black leaders, build coalitions, and reimagine public policy from the ground up. Her ministerial and theological training in justice and reconciliation informs her approach to advocacy, centering the sacred worth of Black life and the power of community transformation. Amber earned her master’s in justice and reconciliation from Luther Seminary, and her bachelor’s in African American and African studies from the University of Minnesota.