Staff

Krystal Odom serves as Director of Youth Programs at the National Black Arts Festival, bringing over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit dance sector.

Hailing from Washington DC, Krystal previously served as the Interim Executive Director at Joy of Motion Dance Center.

In her current role at NBAF, she oversees the Move/Dance Youth Dance Development Program, in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and Spelman College. Over her tenure in this position she has created a comprehensive dance curriculum focused on technical skills training, expanded the partner schools that NBAF works with, created evaluation systems for the program’s teaching artists, created a new Summer Dance Intensive program to continue building upon her student’s skills, and built in public performance opportunities for our budding young performers.

Krystal is a life-long dancer, astrologer, and a mother to three amazing children.

Kerri Garrett is a multidisciplinary artist and creative force with Midwest roots from Columbus, Ohio, and a Southern soul grounded in Atlanta, Georgia. A proud Clark Atlanta alum, her foundation in dance and acting inspires her filmmaking, where she centers the Black Diaspora experience with a joyful and impactful focus on Black queer lives.

She has worked with artists like Teyana Taylor, Ari Lennox, and Kanye West, and brands including Google, FENTY, and Telfar. Through her company, House of Productions, her work has been nationally syndicated on BET and REVOLT and featured at festivals such as the Vancouver Queer Film Fest.

Kerri’s latest film, A Westside Love Story—a Black queer romance set in Atlanta’s West End—was made possible by Gilead’s Emory Compass Center Transformative Grant and is currently in post-production.

Jayda K. Abernathy started JKA Associates LLC in 2006 to help small business owners and nonprofits manage their financial reporting, file their tax returns, and resolve their tax matters with the IRS.

Jayda graduated from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and from EMORY University Candler School of Theology in 2000.

Judy Hanenkrat began her career as a businesswoman as the founder and owner of JSH Building Services in Atlanta, cleaning major institutions and prominent buildings in the city. As the president of her company, Judy was invited to serve on numerous boards, including those serving Aids/HIV, Leadership Atlanta, the International Women’s Forum, women and girls with the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, and with the Atlanta Zoo and international work with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International; and more recently with Sweet Auburn Works and the Georgia Alliance. Judy also was invited to serve on the boards of The Alliance Theater and The Atlanta Opera.

In 1996, Judy was invited to create the first fundraising benefit for NBAF. She went on to join the board, serving six terms, and since that time has been engaged in creating the second major benefit – Fine Art + Fashion.

Today, Judy continues her work for NBAF as a consultant for special event planning and producing Fine Art + Fashion and in overall fundraising for the organization.