Lynn Rhoades is co-founder of Authoring Action and Executive Director for the organization. An artist in her own right, Rhoades’ love of performance art and passion for the health and well-being of young people merged with her commitment to social justice to give birth to the idea of Authoring Action ~ where the voices and dreams of young people find a forum among the adults who most affect their lives. Together with Nathan Ross Freeman, they developed Authoring Action (formerly known as The Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute).For 32 years, Rhoades has served as a passionate, active and vocal community leader in fostering cross cultural understanding and social change - providing opportunities for the marginalized to share their stories and ideas to bring healing and insight to the world. Rhoades, a clinically trained chaplain, has co-facilitated Cultural Competency and Closing the Achievement Gap training for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools; served as pastor of Danbury Community Church and is the former Associate Pastor for Wake Forest Baptist Church where she actively and artistically served children, youth and families. At Salem College, Rhoades taught service and leadership classes for 3 years. Trained in domestic violence counseling (Interact-Raleigh, NC and by Marie Fortune, Seattle, WA), she co-led other clergy in domestic violence awareness and served as a member of the Faith in Action Committee of the Domestic Violence Community Council. Her additional training and service includes: Trauma Resilient Community Training, Crossnore, WS; Stokes County Community Advisory Council for Hospice and Palliative Care; former clergy member of Vigils for Healing - a community project which holds vigils for families of victims of homicide; advisory board member for Winston-Salem State University’s Center for Community Safety; and group home teaching parent for Haven House (Bringing It All Back Home model, Raleigh, NC).