Led by people who have lived a life of service.

Wayne Douglas Morgan serves as Founding Secretary of the Board of Directors at Pathways to Independence and Empowerment. A 100% service-connected disabled U.S. Navy veteran and retired federal investigator, he brings more than three decades of public service — and a second career as an actor and film producer — to Pathways' mission of helping foster and displaced youth transition into adulthood.

Morgan enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1990 after graduating from Churchill High School in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Trained as a Hospital Corpsman, he served at the National Naval Medical Center and was hand-selected as a VIP and Admiral Escort before earning a Secretary of the Navy nomination. He graduated from the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS), Class of 1993, before his Presidential Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1998. An injury ended his naval career with an honorable discharge, but not his service: over 23 years in federal law enforcement and investigations — including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Departments of the Navy and the Army — he retired in 2023 as a Federal Investigator in New Orleans. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement with a minor in Forensic Science from Western Oregon University. He has served the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association's Louisiana Chapter since 2012, as Chapter Secretary from May 2012 through April 2026, and as Chapter President since April 2026.

Since moving to Louisiana in 2002, Morgan has built a second career in film and television, with more than 70 screen credits as an actor and producer, including "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Déjà Vu," and "Blonde Ambition," and he served as a military technical advisor on the Netflix series "Boots." He is host of the Louisiana Produces Film Meetup, founded the H.U.R.D. (Helping yoU Reach Dreams) Casting Network, co-founded Upperline Entertainment, and served on the SAG-AFTRA New Orleans Local Board from September 2023 through September 2025. Since March 2025, he has served on the Executive Board of Film Louisiana, representing SAG-AFTRA.

A longtime youth football and baseball coach and Cub Scout leader, Morgan has spent years mentoring young people — the same commitment he brings to Pathways, where he helps guide youth aging out of foster care toward independence. He is a devoted father of four and grandfather of two, and considers family his greatest achievement.

Corneilius Barnett serves as Treasurer of the Board and Director of Trades & Credentials at Pathways to Independence and Empowerment. A lifelong skilled tradesman and a native of New Orleans' Ninth Ward — the community Pathways serves — he leads the program that prepares foster and displaced youth for careers in the construction trades.

A graduate of George Washington Carver Senior High School, Barnett continued his education at Sidney Collier Technical College and built his career in the skilled trades, following a long family line of brickmasons and trades professionals. He holds NCCER Core Certification and Heavy Equipment Operations Certification from Nunez Community College, along with CPR and forklift operator certifications, and he completed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Job Training Program, which prepares workers for careers in environmental remediation and construction.

As Director of Trades & Credentials, Barnett oversees curriculum, hands-on training, and credential attainment, translating decades of field experience into job-ready skills for young people entering the workforce. As Treasurer, he manages Pathways' finances with discipline and transparency, ensuring that every dollar the organization receives is tracked, documented, and spent as intended.

Barnett became a parent as a teenager and is today the proud father of successful children. He puts God first in all he does, and that faith guides the way he leads, works, and serves. He knows firsthand what a young person can achieve with guidance, opportunity, and someone in their corner — and he is committed to helping the youth of his community reach their highest potential.