Rebecca Bankhead is an innovative, mission-driven leader with more than two decades of distinguished service at the University of the District of Columbia. She currently serves as Director and State Program Leader for the Center for 4-H & Youth Development, where she leads strategic planning, program implementation, and evaluation efforts that expand access to high-quality youth development experiences across the District. Working across the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Station, she builds cross-sector partnerships and advances initiatives that integrate education, agriculture, family engagement, and community sustainability.
A visionary administrator and respected change agent, Rebecca transformed UDC’s 4-H program into an award-recognized model for urban youth engagement. She is also the author of I’m Soraya, an Urban Farmer, a children’s book and accompanying cartoon series that promotes agricultural literacy, entrepreneurship, and positive identity development among young people.
Rebecca holds a Master of Science in Counseling and is currently a PhD candidate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University, where her scholarship centers on strengthening families and promoting relational well-being.
She brings extensive expertise to the Infinite Minds Board in youth development, systems leadership, mentorship, and community-centered programming, enhancing the organization’s capacity to design transformative initiatives that cultivate hope, resilience, and long-term impact.
