Erika Sands joined NBWC in the Executive Assistant role in 2021. She has recently been promoted to Operations and Office Associate and is responsible for financial administration, event logistics, technical support, and maintaining processes and procedures. Prior to joining NBWC, Erika served as Executive Assistant to the Sr. Vice President of the NC Healthcare Foundation where she supported the board and projects to address the need for racial diversity in healthcare employment and disparities in healthcare outcomes.

Erika is passionate about celebrating and uplifting Black excellence in all its forms. She is an avid reader whose favorite books include Before the Mayflower by Lerone Bennett, Jr., Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, and No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts.

Erika has also served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader for five years and continues to volunteer and support the NC Coastal Pines Girl Scout organization. She hopes to develop a troop in the Southeast Raleigh area to encourage Black girls to explore the outdoors and learn more about the world around them. In Erika’s spare time, she enjoys camping, exploring museums, and going to cultural events around the Triangle.