Rebecca Stephens
Executive Director
Rebecca is a human rights educator with a strong belief that everyone has the right to a quality education that affirms who they are and helps them to grow into leaders who envision and create change. She is a non-profit and education leader with 18 years of experience using storytelling to invite healing, growth, understanding, community, connection, and action. Rebecca's extensive experience includes teaching at East Tennessee State University and Liberty Bell Middle School, and through her work as the Human Rights Capacity Building Program Manager at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
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Additionally, Rebecca was the associate editor of Writing Appalachia: An Anthology, a collection of Appalachian Literature that serves to showcase diverse voices in Appalachia. She also serves on the board of Advancing Education and is a member of the Appalachian Studies Association.
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Rebecca enjoys writing short stories, gardening, and spending time with her three daughters hiking and kayaking. Rebecca has a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in English from East Tennessee State University.
Maia Surdam
Programs Director
Maia Surdam is an educator, historian, baker, and nature enthusiast who lives in Madison County, NC. A first-generation college graduate raised in rural Michigan, she earned her Ph.D. in U.S. History in 2013 and has been engaged in studying and teaching about the past ever since. Maia also spent years working as a professional baker and entrepreneur when she helped to launch OWL Bakery in West Asheville. She loves being in places where food and history meet, and feels most engaged when her head, heart, and hands work together.
Maia joined PAGE in 2018 as a project facilitator, launching an Oral History Program focused on Appalachian foodways and traditions. Today, as the Programs Director, she oversees the planning and implementation of PAGE’s Summer, After-School and Mobile PAGE programs. She invites participants to connect with each other, to listen deeply, to preserve and tell stories that matter to them, and to explore the natural and tactile world with curiosity and joy. Her work with adolescent girls, young adults, and community members enriches her life and offers her hope for the future. When not working with her PAGE crew, you may find her reading, writing, gardening, creating in the kitchen or walking through the woods.
Ryn McCall
Creative Communications Specialist
Ryn McCall blends their love of the land, visual storytelling, and community engagement into their multifaceted role as PAGE's 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 both their professional and artistic practices. 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.
Debbie Chandler
Program Coordinator
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.
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Jaq Reed
STEAM Program Coordinator
Jaq Reed
STEAM Coordinator
Jaq Reed is a lifelong Western North Carolina resident, insect enthusiast, and science educator. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Jaq was a member and manager of the Natural Enemies Management and Applications (NEMA) Lab where they pursued both outreach science education and ecological research. Here, they gained experience working with diverse groups of learners in summer programs, community educational events, and the classroom. Their research on soil organism interactions informed the creation of their book titled: The World Beneath Us: A Journey into the Lives of Soil-Dwelling Invertebrates, which received the Adelaide Daniels Key Community-Engaged Learning Award from the university upon Jaq’s graduation.After earning their B.S. in biology from UNCA, Jaq joined the PAGE team as a college intern during the summer 2024 program. During their time as an intern, they led a group of middle school students as they explored writing as a tool to observe, research, and present information and assisted high school girls through the process of collecting and documenting dragonfly nymphs from local waterways. Jaq’s experience as an intern led them to continue working with the PAGE team as an after-school activity facilitator and to eventually fill the position of STEAM Coordinator. With this role, Jaq strives to engage PAGE participants with scientific concepts through connection with knowledgeable experts in the community and creative hands-on experiential learning techniques."
Maribel Onchi
Mobile PAGE Program Facilitator
I’m Maribel Onchi. I am a Realtor with Howard Hanna Beverly-Hanks, born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Appalachia. I love helping people find and sell their homes and guiding them through one of the most meaningful decisions of their lives. I became involved with PAGE because I want to show girls like me that they can dream big and accomplish anything they set their hearts on.
When I’m not helping clients, you can usually find me skiing, hiking, or spending time by the river or lake. I love giving back and helping my community in my free time. I enjoy exploring the outdoors and making memories with my husband Mario and our puppy Coco. I try to bring a little joy and encouragement to everyone I meet and make the most of every moment.
