Meet Tiera Suggs, Director of Storytelling
- We Amplify Voices
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 23
Staff Spotlight Series
Meet the people behind the mission in WAV's Staff Spotlight Series, our way of pulling back the curtain and letting you hear directly from the hearts driving We Amplify Voices every single day.
Today, we're excited to feature one of our incredible staff members, Tiera Suggs, and her passion for her work as WAV's Director of Storytelling.
Meet the Person Behind the Position
Tiera is the voice behind our social media, the person behind the camera, and the storyteller who helps amplify the voices and experiences of our participants. As the longest-serving full-time member of the WAV team, she brings years of experience, creativity, and institutional knowledge to our work, helping keep our mission strong while supporting her colleagues.
What's her Superpower?
Connection.
Tiera has the unique opportunity to work across every WAV program. On any given day, she might be photographing elementary students for their self-portrait project, working with local musicians to perform at our community events, or interviewing adults whose lives have been transformed through a songwriting workshop. No matter the setting, connection is at the heart of her work. She has a remarkable ability to build relationships with many different types of people and create space for their stories to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
Her teammates have experienced that gift firsthand. Here are a few words about why Tiera's superpower is connection:
"I have always been in awe of Tiera's ability to bring out the best, most authentic version of whomever she is interacting with. Her ability to see into a person with clarity, humor and compassion is unmatched. I have witnessed her change the tone of a person's day with one interaction. Storytelling is an innate part of her personality and the impact extends far beyond her job."
-Stephanie Shoup, Executive Director
"The thing I admire most about Tiera is her ability to make meaningful connections with everyone she meets. No matter what, Tiera knows exactly how to bring the joy out in others and make them feel welcome and included. To watch this happen consistently in her interactions, both in the workplace and outside of it, is so inspirational and contagious! "
-Sarah Jenkins, Content and Marketing Intern
"Tiera goes out of her way to make everyone feel valued. When I started at WAV as an intern, I was immediately grateful that she took the time to get to know me and share parts of herself. Now that I get to work closely with her, I see how she extends that same kindness and connection to everyone she meets. She truly cares for everyone on such a human level. She is an amazing person to trust with telling stories because of the authentic care she puts into them."
-Gigi Cox, Director of Marketing and Development
"What I appreciate most about Tiera is her incredible ability to make everyone feel truly seen and heard. She has a way of walking into a room and instantly making people feel comfortable, valued, and at ease. No matter what's on your mind, she's always there with a listening ear, genuine compassion, and thoughtful perspective. Her kindness and the way she shows up for others leave a lasting impact, and I'm so grateful for the warmth and care she brings into the lives of everyone around her."
-Helen Tewolde, Director of Programs
"Something I appreciate Tiera for is that Tiera has a way of making people feel comfortable almost instantly. It doesn't matter if she's known someone for years or just met them five minutes ago, she has this natural ability to connect with people and genuinely empathize with them. Because of that, people open up to her in a way they normally wouldn't, and she's able to bring out stories that might have otherwise stayed untold. It's one of the things that makes her so good at what she does."
-Sefora Seyoum, Administrative Assistant
Behind-the-Scenes with Tiera
Here's what you don't always see behind the camera.
Work Setup: Three (yes, three) screens for editing, emailing, and putting the puzzle pieces of our youth, adult, and community programs together.
What could she give a 30-minute presentation on? She reluctantly admits it would have to be something video game-related.
Staying Grounded
For Tiera, healing through creative expression means something to her personally. Writing songs gives her the chance to belt out whatever she's feeling, let her emotions flow, and move forward.
Why This Work Matters
For Tiera, WAV's work really speaks to her heart.
"It's hard for me to articulate what WAV means to me. WAV has changed me as a person."
And she shares the importance of the spaces WAV creates.
"I just think it's beautiful, the work we do. Giving people the space to think, feel, create—not only individually, but as a collaborative group—and not be afraid to express those things, whether they're great, bad, or ugly, whether they're temporary or people are still experiencing them. I think just providing more spaces for people to show up and be themselves is super important."
About Tiera
Tiera is a visual storyteller with an intuitive eye, specializing in reels, music videos, and portraiture. With a camera in hand since age 12, she uses photography and film to capture authentic moments and build deep connections with her community. Tiera crafts the narratives and images that highlight the impact of WAV's mission.
Tiera brings her liveliness, relatability, and storytelling lens to all aspects of her role at WAV, and we couldn't be more thankful to have her on our team.
This is just one story in our Staff Spotlight series as we continue celebrating the people behind WAV’s work.
Follow us on social media @weamplifyvoices to stay connected to WAV's work and see Tiera's storytelling efforts in action.
