JWSH brings together our family, board members, advisors, and volunteers to carry out five core objectives: Plant Hope, Empower Youth, Raise Awareness, Support Families, and Build Legacy. Meet the people helping us do this work, then read about the family and gardening history that shaped Jelani’s life.
Foundation leadership
Founding Board & Officers
Our leadership combines experience in healthcare, finance, communications, education, and organizational development with firsthand understanding of childhood cancer’s impact on a family. Each member contributes a different perspective to the work we are building together.
Tanisha L. Washington
Chairman
Tanisha L. Washington brings more than 25 years of business development, communications, and leadership experience to JWSH. She founded The Ashanti Group, Inc. in 2007 and has guided national and international teams on complex funding and contract pursuits. During her tenure at BCT Partners, she helped support growth from approximately $5 million to $33 million in annual revenue and from roughly 25 to 150 staff. During her time at ITT Industries Communications & Space Systems Division (now Harris Corporation in Fort Wayne), she helped procure well over a billion dollars in U.S. Army and NASA contracts. She holds a bachelor's degree in interpersonal and organizational communication and earned APMP Practitioner Certification in 2015. Her experience with strategic planning, partnerships, proposals, and initiatives involving health equity and children and families supports JWSH's ability to communicate its mission, pursue funding, and turn its vision into coordinated support.
Azaria L. Washington
President
Azaria Washington is an A-plus student at New Haven High School and Jelani's sister, making her, of course, an expert in knowing her brother. Her family's experience has inspired her interest in becoming a pediatric oncologist and her determination to transform pain into productivity for positive change in other people's lives. Azaria brings an essential sibling and youth perspective to JWSH, helping illuminate how childhood cancer affects the entire family. Her voice can help the foundation better understand young people's needs and connect its mission to hope, education, and opportunities for meaningful action.
Sandra and Michael Pratt
Co-Vice Presidents
Sandra Pratt, Jelani's beloved nana, is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who maintains her license in retirement. She brings 35 years of nursing experience to JWSH. Her career spanned telemetry, home health care, rehabilitation, and medical-surgical nursing, providing experience with patients across hospital, recovery, and home settings. This breadth of practice offers the foundation insight into changing care needs, transitions between settings, and the demands placed on family caregivers. Sandra's professional experience and personal connection to Jelani support JWSH's commitment to compassionate, family-centered assistance and help keep the practical realities of caring for a seriously ill child at the forefront of its work.
Michael Pratt is Jelani's grandfather and a lifelong karate instructor with a longstanding commitment to teaching young people. His experience includes serving as an instructor at Robert Bowles Academy, where his work centered on developing discipline, confidence, and respect through martial arts. He is also retired from Sears Corporation and Belle Tire. Michael's teaching background provides JWSH with a practical understanding of mentorship and positive youth development. His experience as Jelani's grandfather adds the perspective of extended family members who share the challenges of childhood cancer and contribute to the support children, siblings, and parents need.
LaVonna Webb
Chief Financial Officer
LaVonna Webb is one of Jelani’s godmothers and a lifelong friend of Tanisha Washington. The two attended high school together, and LaVonna was the best friend of Tanisha’s late sister, Tahirih Marcella Washington-Gorman, who passed away at 24 from a very rare pediatric cancer.
LaVonna Webb brings more than 20 years of accounting and financial analysis experience across manufacturing, construction, transportation, and insurance. Her career includes corporate accounting at Ashland beginning in 2005, five years as an international financial accountant at SIRVA, and subsequent leadership roles as an accounting supervisor and assistant controller. At MetLife, her experience includes regulatory reporting and financial analysis. She holds an MBA from Indiana Tech and a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from Tri-State University. Her expertise supports JWSH's budgeting, financial reporting, and responsible stewardship, helping the foundation maintain donor confidence and sustain resources for children and families.
CJ Carlisle-Davis
Secretary
CJ Carlisle-Davis is one of Tanisha Washington’s two best friends and one of Jelani’s godfathers. Like LaVonna, he attended high school with Tanisha. “Uncle CJ” was in the delivery room when Jelani and Azaria were born, seeing them even before their mom did. An ever-present and loving force throughout their lives, he was also in the hospital room when his “Sunshine” passed away.
CJ brings more than 15 years of recruiting and human resources experience, including roles across scientific, pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare organizations. His career includes recruiting at Biomet from 2009 to 2012 and service at Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2018, where he now specializes in talent acquisition for electron microscopy. He also helps lead belonging and professional development initiatives within the company's African Heritage Business Resource Group. With a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership and supervision from Indiana Institute of Technology, CJ offers JWSH expertise in finding capable people, strengthening organizational practices, and building an inclusive team equipped to support children and families.
Guidance & experience
Advisors
Our advisors bring insight into gardening, youth development, community care, philanthropy, marketing, and communications. Advisory roles provide guidance without board decision-making authority.
Ephraim Smiley Jr.
Youth Engagement & Community Gardening Advisor
Ephraim Smiley Jr., Jelani’s great-uncle, brings more than 40 years of organic gardening experience and a longstanding commitment to hunger relief in Fort Wayne. A 1973 graduate of Butler University, he built a career serving young people through roles at Ben Geyer Middle School, Big Brothers, Park Center, and the Fort Wayne Urban League’s Pontiac Youth Center. At Fort Wayne Community Schools, he served as a conflict mediator and concluded his career as a case manager at Maplewood Elementary School, retiring in 2014.
His background also includes playing football with the Indianapolis Caps and participating in two Canadian Football League tryouts.
Through Smiley’s Garden Angels, he has helped operate a 17-acre hunger-relief farm providing fresh vegetables to families, food banks, churches, and other community organizations. His work also includes gardening education for children and adults and involvement with Purdue Extension and the botanical conservatory, particularly its annual Mother’s Day plant sale. He received Indiana’s Sagamore of the Wabash award in 2018 for distinguished service. His experience offers JWSH practical insight into supporting young people through difficult times, as well as food access, volunteer engagement, and community partnerships that can help address the everyday needs of families facing cancer.
Ephraim “Scott” Smiley III
Youth Engagement & Empowerment Advisor
Ephraim “Scott” Smiley III is Tanisha’s first cousin on both sides of her family and was like an uncle to Jelani. He brings more than a decade of classroom and coaching experience to JWSH. His father, Ephraim Smiley Jr., is Sandra Pratt’s oldest brother, and his mother is the twin sister of Tanisha’s father, Marc. Scott earned a Bachelor of Science from Taylor University in 1999, with studies in physical education and coaching. His teaching background includes special education, life skills instruction, and physical education in Fort Wayne-area schools.
He founded Character & Skills Basketball in 2017 to help young people strive for excellence on the court, in the classroom, at home, and in the community. An author of three books, Scott has also led writing workshops that encouraged young people to explore poetry, express themselves, and develop their goals. His experience includes directing a youth center, developing summer activities and tutoring programs, and encouraging parental involvement. Scott combines education, athletics, writing, and mentorship to help young people develop confidence and purpose. His expertise supports JWSH’s understanding of youth and sibling needs and can inform activities that encourage connection, expression, and resilience during a family’s cancer experience.
Ashley Washington
Youth Engagement & Juvenile Justice Advisor
Ashley Washington, Jelani’s cousin, brings nearly a decade of human services experience spanning youth programs, education, disability services, and elder care. Since 2023, she has served as Juvenile Justice Coordinator for Youth For Christ USA, Inc., and since 2022 she has also worked as a Memory Care Support Specialist and Social Worker at Canterbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Her earlier roles include Director of PAC Services at Partners in Autism, Campus Leader and Enrollment Specialist at The Crossing Education Center, and Community Educator with YWCA USA. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Phoenix, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Trine University, and an associate degree in human services from Ivy Tech Community College, and she is a Board Certified Human Services Professional. Her professional work with young people, families, and caregivers, combined with her personal connection to Jelani, supports JWSH’s ability to connect families with practical resources and deliver programs grounded in compassion and accountability.
Brian Miller
Community & Healthcare Fundraising Advisor
Brian Miller is a community servant who has very kindly offered encouragement and guidance to the Washington family. He brings more than two decades of leadership experience in fundraising, strategic partnerships, and community engagement. A Fort Wayne native and Indiana University graduate, he serves as Regional Lead Development Officer for IU Health Foundation. His experience includes founding MVP Sports Marketing in 2019, serving as President and CEO of the Bluegrass Sports Commission from 2014 to 2019, and more than eight years with University of Kentucky sports marketing. These roles provide JWSH with expertise in developing partnerships, generating revenue, and connecting community investment to a clear purpose—skills that support sustainable funding and broader support for children and families affected by cancer.
Pastor Roger Reece
Community Engagement & Familial Support Advisor
Pastor Roger Reece is a community servant who has very kindly offered encouragement and guidance to the Washington family. He brings nonprofit executive leadership experience through his role as Executive Director of Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County. He studied at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. His leadership of a local organization connecting churches and community service provides JWSH with a perspective grounded in collaboration and compassion. His experience can help the foundation build relationships with faith communities and nonprofit partners, engage local supporters, and strengthen networks of practical assistance. This community leadership directly supports JWSH's mission of ensuring children and families affected by cancer have people and organizations willing to stand alongside them.
Melissa Cates
Fundraising and Nonprofit Advisor
Melissa Cates, Jelani’s cousin, brings more than a decade of directly relevant nonprofit fundraising and development leadership to JWSH. Since 2015, she has served as Director of Development at Southern Crescent Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center, leading grants, donor relations, corporate and foundation partnerships, major gifts, and fundraising events. During her tenure, the organization's annual operating budget grew from $661,000 to $3.09 million over five years, and its facilities expanded from two to four, serving 3,861 clients across 15 counties. She previously served as Vice President of Development and Public Relations at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. Her experience supports sustainable fundraising and partnerships that turn community generosity into meaningful assistance for children and families affected by cancer.
Patricia Neuray and Kate Jordan
Multimedia Marketing & Social Engagement Advisors
Patricia Neuray is a partner and co-founder of Tangelo Media, with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales strategy. She has led teams at Monster Worldwide, Business.com, and Yahoo, and previously served as global vice president of sales for TrustArc. Through her consulting practice, Advolution, she also helped startups develop digital strategies. Her experience offers JWSH guidance on reaching new audiences, building awareness, and connecting with people who want to support children and families affected by cancer.
Kate Jordan is a partner and co-founder of Tangelo Media and an award-winning creative director. She brings 20 years of branding and marketing experience with small and midsized businesses, Fortune 100 companies, advertising agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Her work spans brand identities, style guides, and communications across digital and print channels. Her experience offers JWSH guidance on sharing Jelani’s story and presenting the foundation’s mission with clarity, consistency, and care.
Our Roots
Our family’s roots
Both sides of Jelani’s family hail from the South. On his mother’s maternal side, farming was a way of life. His great-grandparents, Ephraim Smiley Sr. and Audrey Smiley, owned a 20-acre farm in Coy, Alabama, where they raised crops, chickens, pigs, and cows. Audrey always had a warm meal and a kind word for family, friends, and even strangers who needed help.
That history continues here in Fort Wayne through Jelani’s great-uncle, Ephraim Smiley Jr., founder of Smiley’s Garden Angels. Uncle Ephraim taught himself to grow vegetables organically to feed his own family. Later, after Renetta Williams of Health Visions–Fort Wayne suggested growing fresh vegetables for seniors and underserved neighbors, he began a hunger-relief garden. Two acres at Anthony and Sandy Payton’s property eventually became a 17-acre garden on land provided by Fellowship Missionary Church. In October 2018, Governor Eric Holcomb recognized his service with the Sagamore of the Wabash award.
Uncle Ephraim was Jelani’s idol. We first took Jelani to his hunger-relief garden when he was two, and he fell in love with gardening instantly. He never looked back. Even in winter, he grew plants indoors. He wanted to understand everything: the plants, the insects, how to grow food, and how people could take better care of the world.
Uncle Ephraim is the oldest brother of Jelani’s nana, Sandra Pratt. His wife, Marsha Smiley, is Aunt Mickie to our family and the twin sister of Jelani’s grandfather, Marc Duane Washington Sr. Aunt Mickie often tutored Jelani when he struggled in school. She was one of his favorite people. Her work has included Project Reads, reading programs for young people, and the Marsha Smiley African-American Collection at the Allen County Public Library. She received the Literacy Alliance’s Literacy Star Award in 2002.
Gardening, teaching, and helping other people were already part of our family long before there was a foundation. Jelani grew up with Uncle Ephraim and Aunt Mickie doing that work. Through JWSH, we hope to give other children the opportunity to learn, grow, and help someone else, as he did.
How JWSH took root
How the foundation began
During chemotherapy, Jelani looked forward to visits from Kate’s Kart, a local nonprofit that gives books to children in treatment. He was not a big fan of formal education and reading, but he happily chose books and activities for Everlee and Eden. Some weeks, the volunteers let him take two when he could not decide which book the girls would like best. One visit at a time, he built his baby sisters a small library. When he felt well enough, he read to them.
Kate’s Kart was founded by Krista and Andy Layman in memory of their daughter, Katherine Ann “Kate” Layman. Kate was born with a serious congenital heart defect and died on January 15, 2008, at eighteen months old. Her parents treasured reading to her during her hospital stays. Through the books they give to hospitalized children, they continue honoring her life and bringing comfort to other families. Read Kate’s story.
We are grateful to the Layman family and the Kate’s Kart volunteers for the books Jelani brought home to Everlee and Eden. Their work inspired us to think about offering plants, seeds, and gardening kits to children in treatment. Jelani loved having something to grow. Even during the final weeks of his life, he planted dozens, if not hundreds, of seeds and looked forward to moving his “plant babies” outdoors.
He told me he planned to grow the biggest garden he had ever planted. He never got to plant those seedlings outside. At his celebration of life, we gave away forget-me-not and sunflower seeds so people could plant them in his memory.
JWSH was incorporated in Indiana effective November 19, 2025. It is our greatest hope that this foundation will grow and mature in the ways Jelani never had the chance to. We hope it will help other children and families in some of the ways we could not find help, become something that would make him proud, and bring comfort to those of us who will miss him for the rest of our lives.
Jelani loved his family, and we loved him deeply. He and his twin, Azaria, grew up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, and friends who became family. They shared their childhood with each other. When Everlee and Eden were born on January 15, 2022, Jelani was twelve, and he loved being their big brother.
He had already had practice caring for little ones. When he and Azaria were five, their twin nieces, Kaliyah and Kalifah Williams, were born. Jelani helped babysit them, and they called him “Uncle Jelani.” He loved babies and would have made a great dad.
His nana, Sandra Pratt, and his grandfather, Michael Pratt, were an important part of his life. Nana spent 35 years caring for patients as a nurse. Michael spent years teaching young people karate. Aunt Mickie helped Jelani with schoolwork, and Uncle Ephraim showed him what could be grown in a garden and shared with people who needed it. These are the people behind the family stories and photographs on this page.
Jelani also adored his maternal grandfather, Marc D. Washington Sr., a former Fort Wayne firefighter, Marine, and City of Fort Wayne Street Department employee. Marc died of cancer on May 20, 2015. Jelani died on May 20, 2025, exactly ten years later. That date is one our family will never forget.
Other than gardening and gaming, Jelani’s favorite activity was our annual family lake trip to Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana. Dozens of relatives gather there each year to unplug and spend time together. It was his favorite place to visit. He could walk and run freely through the woods, enjoy the quiet, and be with his family.
During his illness, Jelani recorded videos talking about how much he loved us and worried about us. He was not afraid of dying; he was afraid his family would not be okay or protected without him. His biggest fear was that Everlee and Eden would forget him. During treatment, he continued choosing books and activities for them from Kate’s Kart, thinking about what they would enjoy even when he was in pain.
We want his sisters to know the brother who loved them so much. We want them to hear his stories and see him laughing, gardening, playing, and spending time with the people he loved. Please share your memories of Jelani with us. There is so much of his life that they were too little to remember, and your stories can help them know him.
Jelani smiling on the tractorBig siblings, little sistersA big brother’s loveHeld close in loveLaughter shared with familyUncle Ephraim gardening outdoorsUncle Ephraim gardening indoorsCelebrating service
