Speakers
Christine Achre
Founder & CEO | Community Health Solutions Group
Christine Achre is presently the Founder and CEO of Community Health Solutions Group, a consulting firm dedicated to catalyzing community-based organizations interested in developing health care strategies to participate in Medicaid and Medicare programs. As a trained clinician with expertise in trauma-informed care, Ms. Achre has provided services to homeless families since 1995 and has focused on program development, research, and clinical practice, geared towards the implementation of best practices for homeless families. More here.
Brateil Aghasi
Chief Executive Officer | WISEPlace
Brateil Aghasi is a visionary leader with a passion for serving women and children. As the CEO of WISEPlace, she is leading the path towards a new $35 million development project to build 51+ units of affordable housing to end homelessness for women, survivors of domestic violence, seniors and vulnerable populations.
Dominique Alex
Chief Executive Officer | Mary’s Place
Dominique Alex became the Chief Executive Officer at Mary’s Place in 2023 after three years as the organization’s Chief Program Officer. Dominique has been instrumental in the development of Mary’s Place’s innovative three-prong approach to addressing and ending family homelessness through emergency shelter, outreach to unsheltered families, and homelessness prevention.
Nancy Armstrong
Chief Program Officer | Women’s Lunch Place
Nancy Armstrong began her career at Women’s Lunch Place in 2011. As Chief Program Officer, Nancy collaborates with other Senior Leaders on Strategic Planning, Leadership Development, Program Evaluation, Stakeholder Engagement, Financial Oversight and Policy Development. Additionally, Nancy oversees WLP’s plethora of programming – Healthy Meals, Advocacy, Direct Care, and Health & Wellness.
Muriel Ayala
Director of Children’s Services | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Muriel Ayala is the Director of Children’s Services and leads an amazing team of well-trained child counselors and assessment, data, and engagement professionals that work together to provide evidence-based assessment and treatment for the families who stay at the shelter.
Muriel Ayala has been actively serving the Miami-Dade community since 2008. She has experience working with vulnerable populations such as immigrants, incarcerated, child welfare, at-risk youth, and mental illness.
Linda Bazerjian
Managing Director of Communications | Homes for the Homeless
Linda Bazerjian is the Managing Director of Communications for the Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness (ICPH) and its affiliate Homes for the Homeless (HFH). For the past 14 years she has helped raise awareness and advance the public conversation about family homelessness, particularly as it impacts children. Prior to her current role, she served as Director of Communications & External Affairs at the NYC Department of Homeless Services, where she led communications and community and government relations.
Caroline Bettinger-Lopez
Professor of Law, Faculty Chair of the Human Rights Program and Director of the Human Rights Clinic | University of Miami School of Law
Caroline Bettinger-López is a Professor of Law, Faculty Chair of the Human Rights Program, and Director of the Human Rights Clinic at University of Miami School of Law, which she founded in 2011. From 2022-2024, she served as a Senior Advisor on Gender and Equality in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, where she helped to lead the development of the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
Ronide Blanc
Program Director | Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique and Donations Center
Ronide Blanc is the Program Director of Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique and an alumna of Lotus House Women’s Shelter. Her journey began in 2013 when she came out to her family as a member of the LGBTQ community. She found herself homeless shortly after. Seeking refuge, she found comfort and support at Lotus House as an unaccompanied youth at the age of 17, during the end of her sophomore year of high school.
Patricia Bosman
Executive Director | The Haven of Grace
Patricia R. Bosman is the Executive Director of The Haven of Grace in St. Louis, MO, a shelter for pregnant women and their children. She is a strategic, operational, and entrepreneurial executive with more than 30 years of experience across nonprofit and corporate sectors.
Prior to entering the world of nonprofit, she enjoyed a distinguished career as a leader in the telecommunications industry, and for more than 20 years, she has managed domestic and international information technology initiatives for AT&T, Inc., formerly SBC Corporation.
Kelly Bruno-Nelson
Executive Director | Medi-Cal/CalAIM
As Executive Director, Medi-Cal/CalAIM, Kelly Bruno-Nelson is responsible for oversight of the agency’s main health plan and its further development through the statewide California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative. In addition she oversees the plans housing and homeless incentive grant initiative as well as the development and operations of CalOptima Heath’s Street Medicine program.
Isabelle Cetoute
Senior Director of Advocacy Services, | Rosie’s Place
Isabelle Cetoute is the Senior Director of Advocacy Services at Rosie’s Place in Boston, the nation’s first emergency shelter for women. In her role, Isabelle provides overall strategic direction and leadership to the organization’s Advocacy, Legal and Stabilization programs which provide compassionate and comprehensive support to thousands of poor and homeless women every year.
Chasity Chamberlin
Managing Director | Employment and Community Services and Vision Rehabilitation Services, CARF International
Chasity Chamberlin has 20 years of experience in the health and human services field. Holding multiple executive level positions during her career has given her the opportunity to shape service provision for some of the most vulnerable populations. She shares her expertise with organizations and other professionals by regularly presenting at conferences and conducting trainings centered around continuous quality improvement, strategic planning and best business development practices.
Debbie Chang
President and Chief Executive Officer | Blue Shield of California Foundation
Debbie I. Chang, MPH, is President and Chief Executive Officer at Blue Shield of California Foundation, overseeing some $30 million in annual grantmaking in support of its mission to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. The Foundation is a catalyst for large-scale impact through policy and systems change to positively address the root causes of health inequity and domestic violence in California.
Dietra Clayton
Executive Director | The Sophia Way
Dietra Clayton, Executive Director of The Sophia Way, has a 20-year career focused on helping people throughout the continuum of care – in-home caregiving, supporting people with disabilities, those who are HIV positive, and caring for individuals with psychiatric problems. Joining The Sophia Way in 2017 as a part-time, on-call shelter worker, Dietra “fell in love with the organization and its work.”
Jacqueline Collazo
Sector Director of Domestic Violence Services | Volunteers of America – Greater NY
Jacqueline “Jackie” Collazo, LMHC is a domestic violence services and policy expert with more than two decades of experience in the nonprofit domestic violence services sector. Since 2021, she has served as Director of Domestic Violence Services for Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY), where she manages domestic violence-related programs and community relations, as well as regularly meeting with elected officials to advocate for programs that prevent domestic violence and support survivors.
Constance Collins
President and Executive Director | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Moved by the sight of a homeless woman bathing in the fountain of what would be her last commercial development, Constance Collins concluded a 20-year, highly successful, for profit, commercial real estate, finance and business career in 2004 to found the Lotus House Women’s Shelter in Miami, Florida. Ms. Collins shepherded Lotus House from its humble beginnings serving 34 women nightly to today’s model, state-of-the-art, comprehensive homeless services facilities, known as Lotus Village.
Shana Cox
Deputy Director of Children’s Services and Research Project Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Dr. Shana Cox, the Deputy Director of Children’s Services at the Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter in Miami, Florida, is an accomplished leader within the shelter community. She has led the two largest early childhood research projects in a shelter setting, which have resulted in publications in peer reviewed journals, including Addressing Mental Health and Trauma-Related Needs of Sheltered Children and Families with Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and…
Renee Da Silva
Director of Behavioral Health and Clinical Services | St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children
Renee Da Silva, LMHC is the Director of Behavioral Health and Clinical Services for St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children in Boston, Massachusetts. Renee has worked within SMC for 6 years, working clinically within all programs. Renee earned her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, with a specialization in Expressive Art Therapy from Lesley University.
Meredith Damboise
Chief Quality and Compliance Officer | New Reach, Inc.
Meredith Damboise is the Chief Quality and Compliance Officer at New Reach, Inc. She joined New Reach in 2013 and has over 26 years of experience in the fields of quality assurance, compliance, contract management, program evaluation, research design, survey design, and statistical analyses. At New Reach, Meredith oversees the collection and analyses of all agency data, leads corporate compliance and risk assessment activities, and is responsible for ensuring agency adherence to funder and CARF accreditation standards.
Tara Davis
Senior Manager | PricewaterhouseCoopers
Tara Davis is a CPA and Senior Manager at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in the Bookkeeping Connect practice group. Bookkeeping Connect’s mission is to give small and medium sized businesses the big business advantage so they can make a positive impact on their business, people, community, and world. Tara is passionate about helping small businesses, especially nonprofits, streamline operations and increase the accuracy of their financial reporting.
Beatriz De La Rosa Perez
Program Director | The Anacortes Family Center
Beatriz de la Rosa Perez has been working with Anacortes Family Center since 2013, starting as the case manager for the Emergency Shelter. In 2017, as the organization began to grow, she took on the position of Program Director where she manages the staff that provides direct services to our clients seven days per week and does case management for the center’s Transition Building, where clients can stay for up to two years so they can address additional barriers that are preventing them from getting permanent housing.
Sharonee Delevante
Operations Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Sharonee Delevante is a dedicated and accomplished mother and professional. Like her favorite quote, “turn your wounds into wisdom” by Oprah Winfrey, she has used challenging moments as growth opportunities. After years experiencing homelessness since the age of 18, she moved into the Lotus House Women’s Shelter. She not only successfully exited the program into her own home, but grew into her current role as Operations Director for the Foundation, where she now helps sheltered guests professionally grow into who they can be too.
Isabella Dell'Oca
Executive Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Isabella Dell’Oca is the Executive Director of the Lotus House Women’s Shelter, the largest women’s shelter in the country. She began her career after graduation from Loyola University Chicago, where she got her degrees in Social Work and International Relations. Passionate about making a lasting impact on her community, she joined Lotus House’s Employment and Education team, later transitioning to Community Outreach.
Kim Despres
Executive Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Dr. Kim Despres is Chief Executive Officer of the dynamic nonprofit organization Circle the City. Circle the City provides innovative healthcare solutions to men, women, and children facing homelessness in Maricopa County, Arizona. Dr. Despres oversees the operation of Circle the City’s two respite centers, two outpatient healthcare centers, a fleet of mobile medical units that provide care throughout the county, and a new street medicine team.
Shellena Eskridge
Executive Director | Homeless Prenatal Program
Shellena has spent all of her career fighting to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen families, and end youth homelessness. She brings immense experience working with nonprofits that provide direct, social and supportive services to low-and no income youth and families experiencing chronic poverty, homelessness, and significant mental health and substance use challenges.
Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle
State Attorney | Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida (Miami-Dade)
Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade County’s top law enforcement officer, is the County’s and Florida’s first Cuban American State Attorney (SA). She is a nationally recognized leader and pioneer of Smart Justice programs who has always treated offenders as individuals, helping those she could and punishing those she must.
Yolanda Fields
Executive Director | Breakthrough
Yolanda Fields is the Executive Director of Breakthrough and a committed and passionate non-profit and community leader. She started her 20-year career with the Garfield Park-based organization as a volunteer in 2001, after seeking to make a positive impact following the events of September 11, 2001. Prior to joining Breakthrough, Yolanda spent 10 years leading teams at a major telecommunications company.
Martha L. Figueroa
Operations Manager | Thomas House Family Shelter
From overcoming adversity to becoming an Operations Manager, Martha L. Figueroa’s journey is a testament to resilience and determination. When Martha graduated from Thomas House Family Shelter, she faced challenges head-on and emerged stronger. She now proudly serves as the Operations Manager where she applies the lessons and learnings from her past to drive success, inspiring and embracing challenges.
Marcus Foxx
Program Administrator for Transitional Housing | Samaritan Daytop Village
Marcus Foxx is the Program Administrator for Transitional Housing at Samaritan Daytop Village. In this role, he provides programmatic support and guidance for the agency’s 34 shelters. He also offers administrative support in the planning and development of new shelters. Recently, he oversaw the implementation of a grant program providing ESL and workforce development services to asylum seekers.
Hanna Getachew-Kreusser
Executive Director | Face to Face
Hanna Getachew Kreusser has been serving as the Executive Director of Face to Face Health & Counseling Inc. since 2018. Hanna joined Face to Face Health & Counseling Inc. in 2015 as the Director of Programs and assumed the Director of Operations role soon after. Hanna is a leader with deep experience in nonprofit administration and community work.
Beatrice Gonzalez
Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Beatrice A. Gonzalez (Bea) is the Director of the Lotus House Women’s Shelter, working closely with every department to ensure that programs are running as they should and that women and children are benefitting from the resources available while consistently engaging in new collaborative relationships with community organizations and providers, bringing more resources to Lotus House and its guests.
Ariana Gordillo De Vivero
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives | National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
Ariana Gordillo De Vivero, the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC), has played a pivotal role in the organization since her induction in 2011. Her multifaceted responsibilities encompass partner relationship management, oversight of grant programs, mobilization of volunteers, engagement in community outreach, adeptness in public speaking, and leadership in the NAFC’s endeavors in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Paulo Graziano
Professor of Psychology – Department of Child Psychology | Florida International University
Dr. Graziano is a Professor of Psychology at the Center for Children and Families (CCF) at Florida International University (FIU; at FIU since 2010) and Director of the S.E.L.F.-Regulation Laboratory at FIU. Dr. Graziano’s program of research strives to integrate theory and methods from developmental psychology and neuroscience to examine the development of children’s self-regulation skills and how such processes can be applied to the understanding and treatment of ADHD and disruptive behaviors.
Shakoya Green Long
Chief Executive Officer | Thomas House Family Shelter
Shakoya Green Long, is an established professional in the behavioral health and social services field. A native of Southern California, she earned a bachelor’s in Child & Family Development from San Diego State University and a Master of Human Behavior from National University. She also obtained a second master’s degree in Social Work from California State University Dominguez Hills. Her fervor for human development and community awareness have sustained her professional proficiency and ensured longevity and success within her work.
John Greenwood
Executive Director | Homes for the Homeless
John Greenwood is the Executive Director of Homes for the Homeless (HFH) and the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH). John most recently served as Chief Operating Officer, after holding roles as Deputy COO, Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and Operations Assistant in his eight years with HFH.
Julie Grimes
Managing Partner | Hilton Bentley Hotel
Julie Grimes is Managing Partner of the Hilton Bentley Hotel, and VP Philanthropy Heafey Group. An innovative, active and well-respected community leader in the City of Miami, Grimes has extended her reach well beyond her business operations. She co-founded the Miami-Dade College Hospitality Institute connecting thousands of Miami underserved residents with training and job opportunities in the local hospitality industry.
Carly Grimm
Director | Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc.
Carly Grimm is the Director of Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., the 501(c)(3) supporting foundation for the Sundari Foundation, Inc. and its initiatives, including the Lotus House Women’s Shelter and the future Children’s Village. Carly has focused much of her career on urban development and quality of life issues, beginning as Program Officer for the Washington D.C. nonprofit Partners for Livable Communities.
Karrie Harmon
Executive Director | Women’s Lunch Place
Karrie Harmon is the Director of Programming at House of Hope. Karrie is an empathetic and compassionate leader who excels at communication. She is skilled in assessment, evaluation, intervention and development of treatment plans. For ten years, she has been providing substance abuse counseling, assessment, and crisis intervention services in group and individual situations at both in-patient and voluntary service organizations.
Jennifer Hanlon Wigon
Executive Director | Women’s Lunch Place
Jennifer Hanlon Wigon, MBA, is the Executive Director at Women’s Lunch Place (WLP), a daytime shelter and advocacy center in Boston that provides nutritious food, housing support, recovery programs, and other services to women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Prior to being named to that role, she served as the Director of Finance & HR.
Sybil Hebb
Director of Legislative Advocacy | Oregon Law Center
Sybil Hebb is the Director of Legislative and Policy Advocacy at the Oregon Law Center (OLC), a statewide non-profit law firm providing free civil legal assistance and access to justice to low-income Oregonians. Prior to her policy work, she practiced law for Legal Aid Services of Oregon, representing low-income individuals in landlord-tenant, domestic violence, and family law cases.
Beth Hudak
Director of Community Engagement | House of Hope Green Bay, Inc.
Beth Hudak is a community-focused leader with a history of developing equitable, collaborative, and innovative approaches to driving positive community impact. She is the Director of Community Engagement at House of Hope, providing emergency shelter, housing stability programming, and additional supportive services to youth and families with children experiencing homelessness in the greater Green Bay community.
Leora Ibraheem
Chief Program Officer | N Street Village
Leora Braden Ibraheem, LICSW, LCSW-C, is a lifelong advocate for vulnerable populations, driven by a deep-rooted passion for serving others. Her career has been marked by a commitment to understanding and mitigating the core concerns impacting the most vulnerable among us. Leora has been on the frontlines, providing critical support to children, families, and adults in crisis through case management, counseling, and crisis intervention.
Sandra Jackson
President & CEO, House of Ruth
Ms. Jackson is the President and CEO of House of Ruth in Washington, DC. She provides management leadership for the city’s largest provider of housing and services for women, children and families rebuilding their lives and healing from trauma, abuse, and homelessness. She provides key leadership in the areas of administration, programming, and strategic planning to support the agency’s mission, initiatives and oversee its 16 programs and ten million-dollar budget.
Belinda James
Director of Counseling | Our Lady’s Inn
Belinda James is a passionate advocate for children, youth and families. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, a Missouri Family Development Credential from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, a Master degree from The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and certification in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Joanne James
Director | Yawkey House
Joanne James serves as director of Pine Street Inn’s Yawkey House, a shelter that primarily serves female identifying people in Boston. In this role, Joanne oversees 115+ guests each day, all of whom are facing homelessness and trauma. She has worked with people experiencing homelessness since 1993 when she started with Boston Public Health Commission’s city shelter.
Grettel Jimenez-Singer
Director | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Grettel Jiménez-Singer is the Director of the National Women’s Shelter Network overseeing the Network’s day-to-day operation; acting as a liaison between members, partners and allies; and advancing the NWSN’s mission through her commitment to uplifting women and children everywhere. Her creative eye and flair for communications are instrumental to the development of the NWSN media and community outreach campaigns…
Gwendolyn Johnson
CBS Residential and Locations Manager | Deborah’s Place
Gwen Johnson is the Manager for Alumnae Services/Landlord locator and advocate at Deborah’s Place. She has been with Deborah’s Place for 11 years and serving in social services for women, women and children and men for 20 years. She is currently obtaining her doctorate at the University of Phoenix in Business Administration and Management. Gwen enjoys imparting knowledge to people through teaching and training.
Runisha Johnson
Farming Coordinator | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Shortly after graduating high school, Runisha Johnson found herself at Lotus House. Following her stay of little less than a year, she successfully completed the program and has excelled as a Lotus House team member for over a decade. Starting as a Resident Manager, Runisha has made her way through the ranks as an Operations Manager, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Barista Manager, Thrift Store Manager, Programming and Operations Coordinator, and most recently the Farming Coordinator.
Ciara Jones
Supportive Services Director | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Ciara is a dynamic women’s advocate with a powerful personal story of resilience and transformation. Having experienced homelessness firsthand at a very early age, Ciara is dedicated to empowering women facing similar challenges. With a solid background in business management, she combines her lived experiences with professional expertise to drive impactful change.
Mengee Khasu
Young Parenting Program and Transitional Housing Program Director | St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children
Mengee Khasu joined St. Mary’s Center in 2015 as the Assistant Program Director of the Young Parenting Living Program and in 2021 was appointed the Director of Young Parenting and Housing Programs. In her role Ms. Khasu oversees two of St. Mary’s Center’s core residential programs, the Young Parenting Living Program (YPLP) and Transitional Housing Program.
Debbie Kleban
Attorney | Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen
A founding member of Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, Debbie concentrates her practice on community economic development and affordable housing finance. Debbie started and leads the firm’s New Markets Tax Credit group and focuses on structuring and closing of new markets tax credit and historic rehabilitation tax credit transactions, often involving both state and federal tax credits.
Laura Klinefelter
Director of Intake and Victim Services | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Laura Klinefelter is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a specialization in Trauma-Informed Care, Domestic Violence, Family Systems and relationships. She is also a Certified Addictions Professional (CAP). In her current role as the Director of Intake and Victim Services at Lotus House, Laura oversees the shelter’s Intake and admissions process.
Pamela Kostecki
Executive Director | Crisis Center for South Suburbia
Ms. Kostecki brings more than thirty years’ non-profit experience to her role including direct services to homeless individuals, veterans, children, students, and others. Ms. Kostecki’s experience as an executive director, adjunct professor, social worker, counselor, and program manager uniquely positioned her to assume this post.
Wendy Lichtenthal
Executive Director | Brown County Housing Authority
Patrick Leifker is currently the Executive Director of the Brown County Housing Authority and also serves as the Vice-President for the Wisconsin Association of Housing Authorities (WAHA).
Patrick attended the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and graduated with degrees in History and Social Change and Development. Patrick believes that housing is a right that should be ensured for all individuals and strives to increase housing opportunities for individuals throughout his community.
Wendy Lichtenthal
Founding Director | Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care
Wendy G. Lichtenthal, PhD, FT, FAPOS is Founding Director of the Center for the Advancement of Bereavement Care at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Associate Professor, Pending Rank, in the Department of Public Health Sciences’ Division of Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked as a grief specialist for over 20 years.
Kimberly Livsey
Chief Program Officer | Atlanta Mission
Kimberly Livsey is currently the Chief Program Officer at Atlanta Mission. She received her Masters of Science in Community Counseling from Mercer University and earned her bachelors in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kimberly’s professional experience includes managing various mental health clinics throughout metro Atlanta as well as providing individual and family counseling to children, adolescents, and adults.
Christina Love
Appointed Member | U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking
Christina Love (she/her) is a proud Alaska Native (Alutiiq/Sugpiaq) mother of two who brings her authentic voice and transformative spirit to the forefront as an internationally acclaimed speaker, thought leader, award winning advocate and broadcaster. Christina has been at the forefront of strategic initiatives for over 15 years, focusing on equity, organizational transformation, and community healing nationwide. She serves as a Senior Consultant on trauma and intersectionality with an emphasis on centering community and lived expertise.
Stephanie Love-Patterson
President and CEO | National Network to End Domestic Violence
Before joining the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), Stephanie Love-Patterson was with Connections for Abused Women and their Children for nearly 25 years.She served the last ten years as their Executive Director, providing innovative leadership focusing on strategic planning, adjusting to community needs, and increasing organizational support and capacity.
Suzanne Marcus
Gender-based Violence and Housing Subject Matter Expert | The CloudBurst Group
Suzanne Marcus has more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of gender-based violence (GBV), homelessness, and housing. She co-founded the first low-barrier housing program for GBV survivors in Washington, D.C., directed a transitional housing program for survivors in New York City, and served in key leadership roles providing training and technical assistance at the local, state, and national levels.
Cheron Massonburg
Chief Program Officer of Housing, Health and Wellness | Breakthrough
Cheron Massonburg is Chief Program Officer at Breakthrough, where she brings over 23 years of experience in community-based program management. In her role, Cheron oversees a broad spectrum of essential services, including Transitional and Permanent Housing programs, food services through the Fresh Market food pantry, Behavioral Health services, and Community Economic Development programs.
Jennifer Maze
Clinical Psychologist and Co-Director | UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS)
Dr. Jenifer Maze is a clinical psychologist and the Co-Director for the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS). Dr. Maze has over 30 years of experience in the child trauma field, including in mental health, justice, and policy, as a therapist, trainer, evaluator, advocate, and program developer. In her role as NCCTS Co-Director, she shares responsibility for leadership and oversight of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a collaborative of several hundred child trauma centers across the US…
Lisa Michaelson
Vice President Women’s and Children’s Programs | Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities
Lisa Michaelson is an inclusive servant leader with a proven ability to inspire and activate diverse people, partnerships, and resources to maximize social impact for individuals, organizations, and communities. Lisa currently provides strategic and visionary leadership as vice president of women’s and children’s programs at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities.
Kristen Miller
Executive Director | Homeless Services United
Kristin Miller is a proven leader in the social services and housing fields. Using her thirty years of management and systems knowledge, she has built effective relationships that bring large, complex initiatives to fruition. She has worked in government, non-profit, and as an individual consultant. Ms. Miller is currently the Executive Director of Homeless Services United (HSU), a membership organization supporting nonprofits that provide shelter and homeless services in New York City.
Margaret Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer | YWCA USA, Inc.
Margaret Mitchell anticipates trends and has a proven track record of creating competitive breakthrough strategies. She communicates vision, purpose, and core values. As a strong decision maker who builds consensus, she is a consistent top performer who pursues growth with energy and drive. Margaret strives for personal and organizational excellence. Recognized for savvy in building relationships at all levels inside and outside the organization, she guides an organization with a steady hand and maintains focus, even in challenging situations.
Gladys Montes
Former Group Vice President | United Way
Born in Puerto Rico. Mother of two and grandmother of six. Gladys’ educational explorations started in Puerto Rico where she completed her bachelors in Home Economics and Child Development. Immediately, she understood that her passion was the much needed work with very young children. Her husband joined the Air Force and her family began a new quest. Their first assignment was Eglin AFB located in the Florida panhandle, where her early childhood experiences provided me the opportunity work as a two year old classroom teacher.
Gina Murdock
Deputy Program Officer | Downtown Women’s Center
Gina Murdock, LCSW, is the Deputy Programs Officer at Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) in Los Angeles. Gina received her Master’s in Social Work from University of Southern California and has worked in community mental health since 2008. Gina is deeply committed to addressing homelessness while building and supporting teams on the front lines of service provision.
Mona Muro
Public Policy Manager | Center for Survivor Agency & Justice
Mona Muro (she/her) is a public health and economic justice thought partner. During her career, she has championed anti-gender-based violence work with grassroots organizations, and community members, and fought to keep survivor voices at the heart of the movement. She is a recognized presenter, facilitator, and trainer in her field, having spoken for state and national audiences including the Center for Victims of Crime and The National Network to End Domestic Violence.
Ella Nacht
Staff and Client Support | The Anacortes Family Center
Ella has been working with Anacortes Family Center staff and clients since 2018. She is a retired counselor and provides support to the center in a variety of ways. Ella does in-service training for staff in areas such Trauma Informed Care, Conflict Resolution, Bridges Out of Poverty, Grief and Loss, etc. She also teaches Life Skills classes for the Emergency Shelter and Transition Building clients including parenting, relationship skills, decision making, stress management, wants vs needs, ACES, resources, etc.
Katie O'Brien
Board Member | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc
Executive Director | Rose Haven
Katie O’Brien has served as Rose Haven’s Executive Director since 2020, after working with the agency in a variety of capacities since 2009. With 30 years of non-profit experience, her proven track record of success in strategic visioning and cultivating relationships has played a pivotal role in building the infrastructure for Rose Haven to support increased demand for services in Portland, Oregon, where they are experiencing the second highest rate of unsheltered homeless in the country.
Stephanie Padro
Deputy Director Clinical Programs | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Ella has been working with Anacortes Family Center staff and clients since 2018. She is a retired counselor and provides support to the center in a variety of ways. Ella does in-service training for staff in areas such Trauma Informed Care, Conflict Resolution, Bridges Out of Poverty, Grief and Loss, etc. She also teaches Life Skills classes for the Emergency Shelter and Transition Building clients including parenting, relationship skills, decision making, stress management, wants vs needs, ACES, resources, etc.
Anddy Perdomo
Assistant Vice President of Veterans and Economic Empowerment Initiatives | Volunteers of America – Greater NY
Anddy Perdomo is a health and human services leader with 20+ years of experience overseeing programs for underserved populations, with a particular focus on addressing the racial and economic achievement gaps. She currently serves as Assistant Vice President of Veteran Services and Economic Empowerment Initiatives at Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY), a 128-year-old nonprofit organization with an annual operating budget of $150 million.
Cynthia Perez
Employment and Education Director and Rainbow Lotus Coordinator | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Cynthia Perez has been with Lotus House since 2019. She enjoys getting to know the residents to help them achieve their employment or education goals. Also, very importantly she monitors the education needs of the school-aged students to ensure that they are focused on their academics. Cynthia is also one of the Rainbow Lotus Coordinators that facilitate LGBTQIA+ residents a safe, supportive and nurturing environment.
JoNell Potter
Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences | University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Dr. JoNell Efantis Potter is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Department of Pediatrics and the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Research has been an integral part of her academic career. She has contributed to several influential studies over the past four decades that have transformed therapeutic and health practices for women.
David Prentice
President & Chief Executive Officer | The Midnight Mission
David Prentice is a dedicated and compassionate leader with a strong commitment to serving the community. He has been working with The Midnight Mission in Skid Row since 2012, where he began as a Drug and Alcohol Advocate. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and held the position of Development Officer before being named CEO. David’s journey at The Midnight Mission started when he was hired as a Drug and Alcohol Advocate, he was then promoted to Assistant Program Manager of a 300-bed men’s residential treatment program.
Sammie Rayner
Chief Impact Officer | Community Forward SF
Sammie Rayner is an entrepreneur and leader focused on bringing innovation, human-centered design, and compassion to care for the most vulnerable individuals. Before joining Community Forward SF, Sammie co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer at HandUp, a fundraising platform for human service nonprofits that scaled across the United States.
Julissa Reynoso
Director of Programming | Children’s Bereavement Center
Julissa Reynoso serves as the Director of Programming for the Children’s Bereavement Center (CBC). She is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor having received her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. In work with The Children’s Bereavement Center, she oversees the grief support group program and program development. Her trainings and collaboration with local community agencies has expanded grief support in communities of need.
Cynthia Rivera
Infectious Diseases Specialist and Medical Director | Midway Specialty Care Center Miami Beach
Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency | Mount Sinai Medical Center
Cynthia I. Rivera, M.D., F.A.C.P. (she/her/ella) is an Infectious Diseases specialist and Medical Director of Midway Specialty Care Center Miami Beach and the Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. She is also the Program Director for the Infectious Diseases fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Cassie Roach
Safe Parking Program Director | New Beginnings Counseling Center
Cassie Roach is the Safe Parking Program Director at New Beginnings Counseling Center. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2015, double majoring in Biopsychology and Religious Studies. Cassie has previous experience in the medical field as an office manager and as a medical assistant for several local providers. While working as a medical assistant, she began volunteering for New Beginnings in the summer of 2015 to gain more insight into the psychology side of her degree.
Brenda Rosario
Provider Enrollment Processor | Blue Cross Blue Shield
Brenda Rosario immigrated to Boston from Puerto Rico, over 20 years ago, in search of a better life for herself and her two young sons. Initially staying with family, she found herself without stable housing. With limited resources, she turned to St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children for support. Upon arriving at St. Mary’s Center’s Dorchester Adult Family Shelter, Brenda and her young family immediately received the wrap-around supportive services they needed to establish themselves.
Laura Rossbert
COO & Supporting Housing Specialist | Shopworks Architecture
Laura joined Shopworks Architecture in 2019 after co-leading the development of Arroyo Village in Denver, which created a new homeless shelter for women and transgender individuals, 35 units of supportive housing, and 95 units of workforce housing using a trauma-informed lens.
Katy Roth
Deputy Director of Operations and Compliance | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Katy Roth is a nonprofit professional and engineer by training with a passion for social and environmental justice. In her current role as the Deputy Director of Operations and Compliance at Lotus House, Katy oversees the shelter’s operations, maintenance and culinary departments and is actively involved in the upcoming development of a neighborhood children’s resource center, the Children’s Village.
Andrew Rubin
Partner | Nixon Peabody
Andrew P. Rubin is a community development and infrastructure finance tax attorney. His practice is focused on helping nonprofits and state, local, and tribal governments finance development and redevelopment projects that support local communities.
Gabriela Saenz
Director of Research, Education & Policy | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Gabriela Saenz is the Director of Research, Education and Policy for the National Women’s Shelter Network supporting its members with a wide range of educational offerings to advance best practices, researching funding opportunities for our members across the country, identifying and helping to secure additional resources to serve women and children in need, and advancing the NWSN’s public policy initiatives.
Alyssa Sanchez
Asst. Vice President Transitional Housing | Samaritan Daytop Village
As Assistant Vice President of Transitional Housing, Alyssa Sanchez-Cook, LMHC, oversees the clinical management and administrative operations of 34 family and single adult shelters throughout New York City. She has 20 years of experience in the fields of behavioral health, workforce development and homeless services. Ms. Sanchez-Cook joined Samaritan Daytop Village in 2017 as Program Director for a female adult shelter and was promoted to Senior Director of Transitional Housing with oversight for six shelters.
Kristine Schwarz
Executive Director | New Beginnings Counseling Center
Kristine Schwarz is a seasoned executive and psychotherapist who brings extensive experience building organizations and managing multi-faceted projects in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, and considerable experience as an educator and clinician.
Soma Snakeoil
Executive Director/CoFounder | The Sidewalk Project
Soma Snakeoil is Executive Director and Cofounder of The Sidewalk Project, a lived experience harm reduction organization with chapters in several cities, including a mobile SSP and a day center for cis and trans women in Skid Row.She is an artist, activist, Dominatrix, and playwright. Soma’s passion for the houseless community comes from lived experience as a long-term former PWUD, being unhoused, and almost 20 years of the spectrum of sex work, including survival sex.
Emily Sepulveda Wheeland
Chief Executive Officer | The Delores Project
Emily Sepulveda Wheeland (she/her) is the CEO of The Delores Project (TDP), located on the ancestral and unceded land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute Nations in Denver, Colorado. TDP is named after Delores Big Boy, a Lakota Sioux woman who experienced chronic homelessness in Denver and died on its streets in 1999. In her memory, The Delores Project operates a 24-7, housing-focused shelter with wrap-around services for women, transgender, and nonbinary adults…
Radhika Sharma Gordon
Training and Technical Assistance Specialist | Apna Ghar
Radhika Sharma Gordon is the Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at Apna Ghar (a Hindi/Urdu phrase meaning “Our Home.”) Apna Ghar was founded in 1989 in Chicago to provide direct services, advocacy, and education to meet the complex needs of immigrant and other marginalized survivors of gender-based violence.
Tony Smith
Chief Executive Officer | The Delores Project
Tony is a Partner and Executive Vice President as SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC, a leading development finance consulting firm based in Chicago. Tony leads SB Friedman’s community and economic development finance practice, providing technical support and strategic guidance to clients seeking to implement challenging mission-driven development projects that serve disadvantaged communities.
Liz Starke
Development Director | Rose Haven
Liz Starke is community activist and development diva centered in intersectional feminism, and the General Manager of the Sheltersuit Foundation USA. Liz has been the Master of Ceremonies and Producer of Portland Fashion Week since 2022. Since 2014 she has been the Development Director at Rose Haven, the ONLY day shelter and community center serving women, children and marginalized genders experiencing homelessness and interesting traumas in Portland.
Alexis Steel
Treasurer | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc. Board
President | St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children
Alexis Steel joined St. Mary’s Center in February 2018 as Senior Vice President of Operations and Compliance; she was appointed as the Chief Operations Office in January 2020 and was named President of St. Mary’s Center in September 2020. In her role, Ms. Steel oversees all operations of the agency, including six residential, education, employment, and prevention programs. She also oversees government contracts, human resources, facilities management, finance, and fundraising.
Hannah Stohler
Executive Director | Marguerite’s Place
Hannah Stohler is the Executive Director of Marguerite’s Place, a non-profit providing housing, child care, and community programming to families experiencing homelessness in Nashua, NH. Before joining the team at Marguerite’s Place, Ms. Stohler was the founder and director of Believe in Success, a workforce development program for domestic violence survivors in Boston, MA.
Erika Sussman
Advisory Council | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Founder and Executive Director | Center for Survivor Agency & Justice
Erika Sussman is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice, a US-based national organization that advances economic equity for survivors of gender based violence. CSAJ promotes advocacy approaches that remove systemic barriers, enhance organizational responses, and improve professional practices to meet survivors’ self-defined needs.
Samantha Tucker
Director of Interim Housing | LA Family Housing
With six years of specialized experience in homeless services, Samantha Tucker is the current Director of Interim Housing at LA Family Housing. In this role, she oversees multiple interim housing sites dedicated to providing transitional support for both individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Samantha is committed to advancing best practices in harm reduction and trauma-informed care, ensuring that all programs are designed to meet complex needs with compassion and efficacy.
Rosario Trejo
Deputy Housing Program Officer | Downtown Women’s Center
Rosario Trejo (she/her) is the Deputy Housing Program Officer at the Downtown Women’s Center and oversees a multi-disciplinary team that provides client-centered services at every stage of the housing stabilization process. Rosario holds over 12 years of experience working with women and gender diverse individuals in Los Angeles.
Amy Turk
Board Member | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer | Downtown Women’s Center
Amy Turk, LCSW, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC). Amy has held leadership positions in the field of social work and homeless services since 2001. Amy began her tenure at DWC in 2013 as the Chief Program Officer, where she administered all of DWC’s programs and social enterprise. In 2018, Amy served as DWC’s Chief Innovation Officer, providing leadership in the development and implementation of new organizational projects and fostering vital relationships with community partners.
Angela Verseane
Human Resources Director | Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House Women’s Shelter
Angela Verseane is currently the Human Resources Director at the Lotus House Women’s Shelter for the past three years. She works with over 8 departments within the Foundation providing Leadership and Guidance. Angela is an advocate for creating a motivated and positive work environment in which employees feel safe. She has over 13 years of experience working within the non-profit and corporate sector.
Jennifer Watkins
Vice President of Emergency Shelters and Housing Problem Solving | Crossroads Rhode Island
Jennifer Watkins has been working in the human service field since 1989. She studied early childhood education at the University of Rhode Island and also received a degree in Social Work at Rhode Island College. She currently oversees 6 emergency shelters, one Domestic Violence Shelter, and the Housing Problem Solving team at Crossroads Rhode Island.
Erin Wederbrook Yuskaitis
Principal | Yellow Room Consulting LLC
Erin is an experienced educator and Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) facilitator specializing in adult learning, innovative program development, and cross-discipline meaning-making. She spent 15 years in the art and museum worlds, working for four different cultural institutions in both Alabama and Massachusetts.
Jennifer Westerbeck
Advisory Council | National Women’s Shelter Network, Inc.
Vice President and Sr. Business Development Associate | US Bancorp Community Development Corporation
Jennifer Westerbeck has worked in Historic & New Markets Tax Credit (“NMTC”) Investments at US Bancorp Community Development Corporation (CDC) for 16 years. The CDC’s Historic & NMTC Investment team structures and originates equity investments in tax credit related projects and real estate developments throughout the country. Since the inception of the NMTC program, USBCDC has been involved in over $27.5 billion of Qualified Equity Investments (“QEIs”) with 255 Allocatees in more than 1,804 transactions.
Shannon Wienandt
Executive Director | House of Hope Green Bay, Inc.
Shannon has had the pleasure of serving House of Hope Green Bay for the past 12 years. During this time, she has worked closely with a dedicated team and engaged in advocating for community needs and achieving their mission-focused strategic initiatives as a team. Shannon has a passion for lifelong learning and a deep belief that effective and dynamic leadership is found in all levels of an impactful organization.
Antonia Wright
Artist
Antonia Wright is a Cuban-American artist born in Miami, Florida. Wright received her MFA in Art Practice from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, MFA in Poetry from The New School in New York City, as well as at the International Center of Photography for photo and video. Through a multimedia practice of video, performance, photography, sound, light, and sculpture, Wright responds to extremes of emotion, control, and violence in relation to systems of power. The body is a principal element in her work.
Edie Zusman
Trauma Neurosurgeon | NeuroScience Partners
Dr. Zusman is a nationally respected trauma neurosurgeon known for her clinical research on brain injury resulting from domestic/intimate partner violence, child abuse, sexual assault and trafficking. Dr. Zusman started Northwestern University Medical School at the age of 19, did general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at the UCDavis level 1 trauma center in Sacramento, CA.