Our Team

ADRIAN MCCONNELL

Founding Executive Director

Adrian McConnell, Pastor, networker, entrepreneur, and community leader. Adrian’s heart beats for urban youth and leadership. He founded Youth Revive in 2013 with the mission to close the civic empowerment gap through character and civic education. Youth Revive programs help improve civic knowledge, motivation, skills and disposition by partnering with local schools, civic leaders, and churches. Adrian’s desire to ignite youth and indigenous leaders is contagious.

JAIME SISSON

Board Chair

Jaime Sisson is the Governing Board Chair of the nonprofit organization, Youth Revive, Inc. and a Spanish Teacher at the Texas Virtual Academy at Hallsville with Stride K12, Inc. Jaime is dedicated to serving the community and empowering others through language and civic education. In 2015, she graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Education. During her time at SMU, she participated in diverse volunteer opportunities teaching ESL (English as a Second Language), citizenship preparation and voter registration. She began teaching Spanish in 2015 at the secondary level. In the summer of 2020, she graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a Master of Arts degree in Spanish and Second Language Instruction. Since 2018, Jaime continues to follow her passion of making a difference in the community through volunteering with Youth Revive to help close the civic empowerment gap through character and civic education.

Judith Ortega

Program Director

Judith Ortega is an experienced program director. As a program director, her goals include mentoring the generation that will change the world and educating members of her community. In addition to her primary job functions, Judith is the owner of The Digital Monarch, a graphic design and social media marketing startup agency. Judith is a political consultant, the proud translator of the award-winning novel Redefining Normal by Justin & Alexis Black, a professional marketer, a creative, a pet mom, and an immigrant. Driven by passion, she takes pride in being a positive influence on this world. Some of Judith’s favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing video games, hiking, zip-lining, and writing poetry.

JUSTIN SENTELL

Program Facilitator

Justin Sentell is one of the facilitators of Youth Revive, Inc, and has been connected with this organization for at least a year now. Justin grew up in Dallas and at an early age, had a passion to serve and help people grow in life. Justin took that passion and began to serve in the youth ministry when he was 19. He went to many conferences, summer programs, and workshops to learn, build, connect with others to impact the youth of his community. Justin’s hobbies are playing drums, spending time with family, and playing video games.

Tiphanie Shoemaker

Program Committee Chair

Tiphanie Shoemaker spent her formative professional years at Luria Academy of Brooklyn; in her most recent role there, she was the Director of the Upper School and the High School Admissions Coordinator. She currently serves as Director of Education at Civic Spirit. Tiphanie has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education with a Concentration in Literature and an M.S. in English Literature for grades 5-9. Tiphanie completed the Montessori Lower Elementary training through the North American Montessori Center. She is a graduate of Bar Ilan’s Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative and is a trained mentor through the Jewish New Teacher Project. Tiphanie enjoys combining her two passions –best educational practices and giving students a sense of belonging and purpose. She is a progressive pedagogist, teacher mentor and instructional leader. Tiphanie’s personal interests include visiting baseball stadiums and reading/watching science-fiction. She lives with her husband, son, and puppy in Brooklyn.

April Bradley

Donor Engagement Committee Chair

April Bradley was born and raised in Dallas, TX and a proud graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2004 she graduated from Prairie View A & M University with a degree in Management Information Systems. April taught Computer Applications to middle school students in Dallas ISD for 5 years. April’s personal interests are in growing vegetables in containers, playing tennis and reading Non Fiction books on Social Justice and Politics.

Zac Ruggles

Events Committee Chair

Zac Ruggles has a strong background in tech. He is set to complete a Bachelors in Industrial Engineering with an entrepreneurship certification and a financial advisor certification in 2023. Zac spent several years as a tutor and has worked as a supplemental instructor of business calculus in college. He has consistently been in leadership roles as a young athlete, continued to grow by serving in athletics after high school, in the U.S. Marine Corps and now – in his career and serving the community. He has experience as an entrepreneur, a consultant, has served in various positions for multiple service-, and academic-,based organizations and aspires to start a big brother program for young men lacking male leadership post-graduation. Zac’s hobbies are basketball, reading, mentorship, traveling, community service and the outdoors. He has been in the DFW area for over six years after having lived all throughout the Midwest and across the east coast.