Lakeeta “Lala” Burnette is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Community Grapevines, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2023 and based in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to serve more than 1,000 individuals across the DC metropolitan area through programs focused on reentry support, youth mentorship, senior wellness, and family stability.

Ms. Burnette develops impactful programs that foster growth and opportunity for the individuals and families the organization serves. Through mentoring, reentry initiatives, alternative education, and other vital services, Community Grapevines equips individuals with the resources and support needed to thrive.

Her commitment to service began in 2013, when Ms. Burnette owned a Kid Salon and Spa and began providing food, clothing, and free hair grooming services to local shelters offering back-to-school haircuts for children and care packages for youth during the holidays. That early work laid the foundation for the community-centered model that drives Community Grapevines today.

Since 2013, Ms. Burnette has pursued specialized training in holistic, person-centered care, family systems, and community wellness. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and multiple professional certifications, including certifications in Child Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, a Diploma in Mental Health, and additional certifications in child development, attachment and separation, grief and loss, substance-use impacts on families, sexual trauma awareness, trauma-related behaviors, parenting paradigms, effective communication strategies, crisis management, and navigating sensitive situations.

In addition to her clinical-support training, Ms. Burnette holds certifications in CPR & First Aid, HIPAA Compliance, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention, Grant Writing for Nonprofits, and Nonprofit Leadership further strengthening her ability to build safe, compliant, and sustainable community programs.

Ms. Burnette previously partnered with Julia’s Heart, a Washington, DC based nonprofit renowned for its senior wellness programming, where she supported therapeutic music-based services and enrichment programming for more than two years. Community Grapevines continues this collaboration today, providing holistic services for older adults across the region.

In 2018, Ms. Burnette became a certified foster parent and mentor through Mentor Maryland and the National Youth Advocate Program under the State of Maryland deepening her commitment to supporting children and families navigating complex systems.

Her dedication to this work is rooted in personal experience. Having lost her mother to domestic violence at a young age and navigated her father’s incarceration during childhood, she was raised by her grandmother and aunt who instilled in her resilience, compassion, and purpose. These formative experiences continue to shape her leadership and fuel her advocacy for returning citizens, young people facing barriers, and seniors across the communities she serves.

Today, Ms. Burnette leads with empathy, strategy, and accountability bringing both professional expertise and personal understanding to every community she serves.