meet the team

Mrs. Alexia Hargrove is a Richmond, Virginia native and proud resident of Hampton Roads — affectionately known as the 757. A passionate leader, visionary, and advocate, Alexia has dedicated her life to empowering young people through education, healing, and housing justice.

With over 14 years of experience in public education across Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Norfolk, Alexia is a former educator turned full-time nonprofit leader and mental health professional. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Old Dominion University and a Master of Education from Cambridge College. Her background as a Qualified Mental Health Professional informs her holistic, trauma-informed approach to serving youth and young adults who face systemic barriers.

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Alexia previously served as Director of First Star Old Dominion University Academy, a national college-prep and enrichment program for high school students in foster care. In that role, she led with vision and heart — overseeing program operations, collaborating with university and community stakeholders, and expanding her knowledge of higher education systems and youth-centered legislation. Her time at First Star sharpened her administrative leadership and deepened her commitment to creating systemic, sustainable support for vulnerable youth.

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As the Founder and Executive Director of Grove, Alexia leads a growing movement to provide safe, stable housing and wraparound support for vulnerable young adults in Hampton Roads. Under her leadership, Grove operates with a Housing First philosophy, combining transitional housing with workforce development, life skills training, mental health services, and education access.

Alexia is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and actively involved in several civic organizations throughout the Tidewater region. Her work is driven by the belief that when young people are housed, seen, and supported, they don’t just survive — they rise.

Every day, I work with people that are sometimes, at their lowest of the low. It gives me joy to be able to work with them and provide them with the ability to see a light at the end of their tunnel. My name is Bria Johnson. I am a native of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I graduated from THE Virginia State University with a Bachelors in Social Work and the University of Southern California with my Master's in Social Work. Currently, I am seeking my doctoral degree at Walden University in Forensic Psychology and receiving supervision for my licensure in clinical social work. I am also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. 

 

I have worked in the mental health field for six years providing therapy services, therapeutic school supports, parenting and anger management groups, and some community-based mental health support programs such as Mental Health Skill Building and Intensive In-Home Services. Currently, I am a Clinical Supervisor with a mental health agency within the area creating curriculums for Mental Health-IOP and Partial Hospitalization programs. I am proud to serve as the Assistant Director here at Grove Collaborative Services.

Mrs. Latonia Williams is an Executive Board Member of Grove Collaborative Services and enjoys working with young adults aging out of foster care.  She provides vital community resources that assist our participants in reaching their full potential and attaining their life-long goals.  Latonia Williams is currently a Special Education Teacher with Chesapeake Public Schools and a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP).  She enjoys teaching and providing guidance to individuals who need a listening ear. Mrs. Williams discovered her true purpose in life of engaging with the community in every way possible by using Galatians 5:13 as her guiding light.   It warms her heart to see the expressions on people's faces when they receive assistance and brings her joy to hear laughter and witness a feeling of love when she's able to serve the community.

 

Mrs. Williams is also the founder of the non-profit organization, Faithfully Working Hands, Inc. which helps homeless individuals in need.

Grove Collaborative Services is proud to have Allen Church as our Coordinator of Programs to provide innovative solutions to our young adults aging out of foster care, providing them with mentorship, entrepreneurship opportunities, and guidance to assist our participants in reaching their full potential and attaining their life-long goals. 

Having experienced incarceration earlier in life, Allen initiated the idea to develop a training program for citizens reentering society after incarceration. Trust, Honesty, Respect, Loyalty, and Communication (THRLC, Inc.) was formed in 2014 with the goal of giving back to the community by providing resources to justice-involved citizens and mentoring young adults. THRLC, Inc. is providing a paradigm shift, by introducing a transformative real-world approach to training and mentoring. Allen has 20+ years of experience in life coaching and mentoring and has a heart for helping the community. 

THRLC's innovative youth development and skill-building reentry programs both provide individuals the opportunity to learn a marketable trade, entrepreneurship and develop job acquisition and retention skills.