Leadership – Mental Fitness

OUR TEAM

LORI BURNEY, MPA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Lori Burney joined Mental Fitness in July 2019 as a Development Consultant to assist with fundraising and strategic planning. In Spring 2020, Ms. Burney was selected to serve in the role of Executive Director. She brings more than 20 years of marketing, management and nonprofit experience to Mental Fitness. Lori’s professional career began in 1998 as an Advertising Manager for The Greenville News Media Group. Her desire to serve the community eventually led Ms. Burney to earn a Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management (MPA) degree from Clemson University. Since 2014, she has served as a Nonprofit Leadership Consultant for various charitable organizations including LiveWell Greenville, Harvest Hope Food Bank, the SC Land Trust Network & The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

LEE SHIRLEY, M.Ed.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Lee Shirley is a Spartanburg native and has served as Program Director for Mental Fitness since March 2018. After graduating from Spartanburg High School in 2005, Ms. Shirley attended Clemson University where she studied Education. Her passion and interest in child development eventually led Lee to earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in School Counseling from The Citadel Graduate College. She began her professional career by serving as a school counselor for the Beaufort County School District and eventually returned home to Spartanburg and joined the staff at Pine Street Elementary School. In her current role with Mental Fitness, Ms. Shirley leads training sessions for educators and administrators to teach youth healthy ways to cope with stress and to manage their emotions.

DEIDRA BREWER, RN

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

Deidra’s professional career began in 1990 after graduating from Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas with a degree in nursing. During her 30-year tenure as a Registered Nurse, Deidra served as a flight nurse with Emory Flight and managed medical teams as Emergency Room Director and Administrative Supervisor for Odessa Regional Medical Center. After recognizing the mental health needs of her patients, Deidra volunteered for Cancel Alcohol Related Emergencies (CARE), a drunk driving awareness program in partnership with local schools and participated in various suicide prevention initiatives. In 2022, Deidra joined Mental Fitness as Community Leadership Coordinator to oversee the organization’s geographic expansion and leads the Steering Committee for the North Georgia region.