Meet Our Team | Eggleston Services VA

Dr. Mark Carlson is a seasoned disabilities and nonprofit executive with over 25 years of experience. He specializes in developing impactful programs, fostering organizational growth, and ensuring operational excellence. Mark has a strong background in strategic management, financial planning, and community outreach. As President/CEO of The Children’s Center for Communication – Beverly School for the Deaf, he revitalized the institution, significantly increasing revenue and expanding services, including the creation of an outpatient clinic and a global disabilities institute. Mark is dedicated to advancing access, equity, and community belonging for people with disabilities.

In addition to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology, he holds a Master of Arts Degree in educational administration from Seton Hall University, a Master’s Degree in business administration from Brandeis University, and a Doctorate Degree in higher education leadership from Endicott College. Mark has authored numerous journal articles and publications on topics ranging from deafness and autism to nonprofit management. He has spent his career serving on national committees, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit boards—most recently as board chair of Bridgton Academy, a boarding school for young men. His additional research interests include how nonprofit boards fund capital growth and expansion.

Mark’s Favorite Quote:

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. – Benjamin Franklin

Zakiya Hoyett is the Chief Ethics Officer. In this role she ensures Eggleston’s compliance with ethical and regulatory standards. Her primary function is to reduce organizational risk for misconduct and noncompliance by implementing controls that protect the organization and its brand. Zakiya joined the Eggleston team as Senior Director of Compliance with a primary focus on tracking the organization’s compliance to federal and state laws and assessing the effectiveness of internal policies and procedures in managing Eggleston’s risk exposure. She subsequently served as the Vice President of the newly established Culture and Compliance division which added workplace culture to her purview. With the help of her team and support of leadership, she aspires to elevate Eggleston’s workplace culture to one that prioritizes the well-being of its employees, offers support at all levels within the organization, and has policies in place that encourage respect, trust, empathy, and inclusion, thereby embodying Eggleston’s vision of “a community that values and engages the abilities of all persons and endeavors to improve their quality of life.”

Zakiya’s unconventional career path has been guided by a simple, overarching vision for her life: To make the world a better place to live. With years of experience in academia, Zakiya is a perpetual student that aspires to better understand the intersectionality of structural racism, alleviate social disparities, and promote equity through culturally responsive research and advocacy. As an academic she was dedicated to bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general population by empowering historically minoritized groups, specifically Black women, with formal and informal education. She brings this same passion to her role at Eggleston with a radical focus on individuals with disabilities.

Zakiya’s educational background includes a master’s degree in public health and a doctoral degree in environmental science from Florida A&M University. Her baccalaureate degree is from Norfolk State University in chemistry. True to her calling of education and empowerment, Zakiya has adjunct faculty appointments at various institutions including Chamberlain University, Western Michigan University and Virginia Union University virtually facilitating courses in cultural competence, global and public health, environmental health science, and chemistry. Additionally, she is a devoted member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, and eagerly serves her community whenever possible.

Our Team

Executive Team

Dr. Mark Carlson

Helene Russell

Tasha Jones

Amy Alston

Zakiya Hoyett

Paul Atkinson, Jr.

Geraldine Eady

Jacqueline Peters

Kenny White

Joanne Aceto

Michelle Flynn

Toshiko Hemric

Our Team

Patricia Grandison

Alex Shields

Brad Kirkpatrick

Tonya Parson

Angelina DeBerry

Kristen Ricks

Janice Whitaker