10 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
MEET THE STAFF We would like to introduce our new and returning state officers and volunteers.
State Officers
Joy Amerson
Elizabeth Claire Keil
Account Manager
State Youth Engagement Coordinator
Joy Brashears Amerson joined NAMI Mississippi as Account Manager in 2019. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Millsaps College with a Master of Business Administration. She has 20 years’ experience as an office manager working in her family’s businesses. As Account Manager, Joy is responsible for the following duties: accounts payable, bimonthly payroll, distributing affiliate reports, membership processing, remitting payroll taxes, processing grant reimbursement request, assisting team members in NAMI Mississippi event planning and production, and attending weekly team meetings. Joy is a professional actor who has appeared in numerous plays at New Stage Theatre and has been featured in movies and on TV. She also enjoys traveling and photography.
Claire Keil, a native of Brandon, Mississippi, is an active member and advocate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness where she currently stands as Mississippi’s State Youth Engagement Coordinator. She actively visits the System of Care sites along with maintaining video and conference calls. She stands as our liaison between the Department of Mental Health and System of Care sites in Hattiesburg and Meridian. She is certified to administer Mental Health First Aid for both Youth and Adults. Since 2006, Claire has been serving as an active volunteer and counselor for the Mississippi Burn Camp Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology, and is preparing to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree. Claire is passionate about improving youth mental health and increasing their success rate of overcoming traumatic life experiences.
