Chris Cameron, Executive Director
ccameron@handsonneworleans.org
Chris Cameron joined HandsOn New Orleans in 2012 as Executive Director. Combining core strengths in senior leadership, significant revenue generation, strategic planning and team and program development, Chris has transformed the organization. HandsOn completes over 100 community service projects each year by recruiting 5,000+ volunteers to serve low income residents. In this position, he has the privilege to work with community organizers, civic and corporate leaders as well as elected officials to address root causes of poverty and pathways to family stability.
He currently serves as an Affiliate Assembly member and chair of the Disaster Management committee for the Points of Light Global Network and Treasurer of the state-wide Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (LAVOAD).
Prior to joining the organization, Chris spent 19 years in higher education student affairs administration at Loyola University New Orleans and Dillard University in roles ranging from Greek Life advisor, director of student activities and co-curricular programs and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Throughout his career, Chris oversaw comprehensive student leadership development programs, business services and facility operations. Chris received his B.A. in international relations and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, and his Master of Education from University of South Carolina.
Irie McCray, Assistant Director of Social Impact
immcray@handsonneworleans.org
Iriane “Irie” McCray is a native New Orleanian who is committed to contributing to and sustaining the culture of New Orleans. Graduating from Southern University at New Orleans with a Bachelor’s in English, she loves reading, writing, and typically all things that involve liberal arts. She published her first book, My Song, Our Song, in 2018 to aid in the support of young people who may be enduring the challenges of life which may cause them to succumb to the harsh reality of depression. Her purpose has always been to motivate and inspire others through storytelling and providing a safe space.
As a former high school English teacher and College/Career Counselor, she believes that she is still an educator at heart and understands that the youth hold the keys to our future. With her commitment to her community, she holds true to the quote by Maya Angelou, “Nothing will work unless you do” which symbolizes her invaluable traits of self-determination and resilience.
Her work in the nonprofit world began with cultivating The Writer’s Wing, a Louisiana nonprofit that exposes high school students to culturally relevant literature while simultaneously improving the literacy rate through various forms of enrichment and remediation. She then excelled in her role as City Manager for another nonprofit, National CARES Mentoring Movement, which deploys mentors into underserved communities by exposing them to culturally competence and self awareness through wellness mentoring circles.
Joining HandsOn New Orleans in 2024 as the Assistant Director of Social Impact, Irie is most excited about raising awareness about the organization and building partnerships in this beloved city. She’s also committed to building a legacy in New Orleans that not only she can be proud of, but her entire lineage.
jacky smale, assistant director of programs
jsmale@handsonneworleans.org
Graduating from Portland State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, Jacky began her service journey by WWOOFing at two farms in Chile and Canada in 2019. After gaining experience in conservation, beekeeping, livestock care, and minor construction and property upkeep, Jacky converted, moved into her van fulltime, and joined AmeriCorps NCCC in 2020. She served directly with a conservation agency in Iowa running prescribed burns, worked as a contact tracer during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in through the Colorado Department of Health, and helped revitalize and winterize a year-round camp for at-risk youth in Vermont.
Following her NCCC term she joined SBP as an AmeriCorps State National member serving as a Disaster Corps/Project Lead through March 2021 in New Orleans, where she continued to live out of her van. During her time with SBP she served directly on Hurricane Ida and led volunteers through mucking, gutting, mold remediation, and rebuilds in Houma, LA.
After her term with SBP she took a hiatus from New Orleans and backpacked 500 miles through the Southern California desert. She returned to New Orleans in the fall of 2022, signed a lease, and joined the HandsOn team. She is excited to continue to serve her favorite city on Earth.