Rebecca is a human rights educator and non-profit leader with 18 years of  experience in community action. She has taught at East Tennessee State University and Liberty Bell Middle School, and managed Human Rights Capacity Building at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. As associate editor of Writing Appalachia: An Anthology, she amplifies diverse Appalachian voices.

Rebecca holds English degrees from ETSU and serves on the Advancing Education board. When not advocating for educational equity, she writes, gardens, and explores outdoors with her three daughters.

Maia Surdam is an educator, historian, and baker in Marshall, NC. A first-generation college graduate from rural Michigan, she earned her Ph.D. in U.S. History from UW-Madison and has taught at Kenyon College, Warren Wilson College, and Mars Hill University. She's also a trained baker and partner at OWL Bakery in West Asheville, specializing in sourdough and pastries.

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Since joining PAGE in 2018, Maia launched their Oral History Program, focusing on Appalachian foodways and traditions. As Program Director since 2020, she oversees summer programs and develops learning opportunities for Madison County middle and high school girls, collaborating with local educators and community members to enrich the curriculum.

Debbie Chandler, a PAGE team member since 2010, has deep roots in Madison County's Laurel community. She's the granddaughter of Dellie Chandler Norton, a North Carolina Heritage Award recipient for traditional mountain ballad singing. Initially serving multiple summer roles including instructional assistant and community liaison, Debbie became Assistant to the Program Director in 2021.

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In her current position, she manages participant enrollment, acts as community liaison, and provides PageLabs instructional support. She builds partnerships with Madison County Schools, rural communities, PAGE staff, interns, and other stakeholders. Drawing from her family's rich heritage and educational experience, Debbie remains committed to empowering mountain girls through education.

Ryn McCall blends their love of the land, visual storytelling, and community engagement into their multifaceted role as PAGE's Creative Communications Specialist. With a Bachelor of Science in Ecological Agriculture and Rural Sociology as well as an Associate's Degree in Creative Writing, Ryn brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to their work as a documentary artist, social media manager, and documentary arts project facilitator. 

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Whether tending to their hobby farm or immersed in Appalachian food and folkways, Ryn's deep appreciation for rural lifeways permeates their artistic practice. As a documentarian, Ryn uses photography, film, and written narrative to weave vibrant place-based stories. As both an artist and an advocate, Ryn's hands-on engagement with land-based lifeways informs the empathetic, spirit-driven quality of their visual storytelling. Their passion for uplifting grassroots change-makers led them to join the PAGE team in 2022, where they utilize their multi-talented skill set to amplify the organization's mission.

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