Team & Staff Bios

James Harris began his adventure with Camp New Look in 2007. As a member of Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas and graduate of J.C. Harmon High School, Harris was often selected to speak as a mentor to area youth and was involved in several student-teacher panel discussions designed to share perspectives on ways to improve the high school curriculum.

Jarvis-LaRue Brown is the Program Coordinator for New Look’s Detroit chapter. He is described by many as a multi-talented, creative, dependable and a dedicated leader.  At the tender age of thirteen Brown joined The Detroit Youth Foundation as a volunteer which gave him the opportunity to help his local neighborhood and express his talents. Grabbing a prestigious youth development award for his involvement with the KYDS VI, Jarvis realized early on that his passions were helping youth and creating music.

Sarah Rooney is a recent MBA graduate, with merit, from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and Georgia Tech, U.S.  Sarah is an award winning singer who has been featured in the New Zealand Opera, Wellington's Vector Orchestra, and in Sydney, Australia.  Sarah has a passion for arts education and has been a private vocal coach for many recording artists across the globe.  Sarah's love of the arts and her enthusiasm for non-profits sparked her interest to seek her MBA. 

Rebecca Turk is currently serving as the Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships for New Look.  She began her work with UNL in the areas of media relations, event management and logistical coordination in 2006 while running her own creative media agency in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Melissa Ely joined Usher’s New Look in March 2009. In her role as Development Assistant, she supports the organization’s array of programs and initiatives by generating funding through such strategies as corporate, individual and foundation relations, grant proposal and report writing, individual and major gifts, annual campaign, and Usher’s New Look Signature Event-World Leadership Conference and Awards.  Ms.

Gavin McGuire joined Usher's New Look Foundation in 2005 and currently serves as the National Academy Director. At UNL, he manages the daily operations in our core cities, provides training and professional development opportunities for New Look program coordinators, and establishes community and corporate partnerships with groups and individuals aligned with our mission. He brings over 15 years of experience in program and community development, with an emphasis on staff development and implementation strategies.