Our Sewing Machine Operators
lead sewing machine operator
Anthony Holmes
“I enjoy the day-to-day engagement here—I enjoy the people and the energy. With every stitch, a new creation is born. I can take an idea and transform it into something new. This work helps us dream. And see those dreams become a reality.”
sewing machine operator
Angel Gilyard
“I love my job. Lifting Labels is where I got my second chance. When I was looking for work, everyone was turning me down because I had a prison background, but when I came across Mr. France, he said that’s what he was looking for, people with my background who deserve another chance to change their lives and put money in their pocket. Mr. France was loyal to me, and I’m staying loyal to Lifting Labels.”
Our Leadership
founder
Chester A. France Jr.
Chester A. France, Jr. is a Certified Life Coach (CLC), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Social Work (MSW), and Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS).
Mr. France has more than 35 years of professional experience in sales, sales training, and management in the for-profit sector. For more than 15 years, Mr. France has provided management and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, particularly in the faith-based community, including establishing several nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporations.
Mr. France is a graduate of Morgan State University with a degree in Business and Marketing. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Howard University School of Divinity and is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a Management and Community Organization concentration.
He is also a 1999 graduate of the Summer Leadership Institute for Church-based Community and Economic Development, sponsored by the Harvard University Divinity School, Center for the Study of Values in Public Life.
Mr. France is currently retired after spending seventeen (17) years as a Protestant Chaplain with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
community care & studio manager
Aliana Grace Bailey
Aliana Grace Bailey is an interdisciplinary fiber artist, designer, educator, care worker, and passionate advocate for radical self-love and wellness. She is a proud alumna of NC A&T State University, where she double-majored, earning a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Art in Visual Arts Media Design. She earned her MFA in Community Arts and a Certificate in the College Teaching of Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
In December 2022, Aliana was certified as an Industrial Sewing Machine Operator. Aliana is the founder of vibrant grace studio. At vibrant grace studio, she creates patterns, products, design, and facilitates art + healing workshops. vibrant grace studio caters to health, social justice, and wellness-centered initiatives dedicated to the wellness, joy, and liberation of Black communities.
Sewing Production Advisor
Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy's nearly fifty years of experience in textile science, apparel design, and construction have been very rewarding. Early in his career, he understood that the demand for high-quality garments is of great importance, especially to clients who approach him with wit and intelligence and walk out flawlessly with impeccable style. He was educated at Carver Vocational School, Baltimore City Community College, as well as advanced his skillsets through self-teaching. He spent years of employment with Glue Tailoring, Oak Loom Manufacturing, Adaptive Equipment Systems, Macy's, Nordstrom, and the State of Maryland. Hardy taught after-school sewing workshop programs at elementary and middle school levels for eight years and spent _ years as the sewing plant supervisor with the Maryland Department of Corrections. He currently studies and works from his design studio, Sew What's Up Design! His work has been featured in WOLB, NPR, WEAA radio, WJZ channel 13 Baltimore, and Baltimore Sun Newspapers.