2023 SPEAKERS – The NWSN Conference

Speakers

Marie Alcineus has been the Director of Quality Assurance since October 2019. In this role, Marie assures the quality and continuous improvement of the clinical, resource coordination, programming, and services offered by the Foundation. Marie assists with monitoring, overseeing, managing, implementing, and auditing all aspects of current and future accreditation, licensure, permitting, contractual and other regulatory licensing, reporting, and compliance matters for the Foundation. Prior to this position, Marie served the dual role of Director of Rainbow Lotus, the LGBTQ program, and Resource Coordinator. As the Rainbow Lotus Director, she managed the Rainbow Lotus program, including specialized programming, education, support services, and enrichment activities for those women, youth, and children whose gender identity is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pan-gender, gender non-conforming/fluid, queer and questioning, and their allies. Marie strongly believes that every individual deserves acceptance regardless of how they identify, and she dedicated time to training both staff and shelter residents on LGBTQ-sensitive issues to promote an environment of inclusivity and acceptance throughout the shelter. As a Resource Coordinator, Marie guided and assisted women, youth, and children to empower them to fulfill their action plans for improved quality of life, greater self-sufficiency, and the eventual transition to independent or supported permanent housing. In her personal time, Marie enjoys relaxing at home, traveling, photography, social media content creation and DIY weekend projects.

Marie Alcineus | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Director of Quality Assurance

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. These populations have varied in age group. She has provided direct service through case management, assessment, and individual and group therapy. She is passionate about making an impact in the lives of families by upholding her team’s mission: to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by addressing multigenerational trauma of the mothers and children and helping mothers to respond in the most helpful manner to their children’s emotions and behavior.

Muriel Ayala | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Director of Children's Services

Dorlie began her journey with Mindful Kids Miami in 2015 when she attended her first mindfulness training, the Mindfulness-Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. She immediately knew mindfulness would be an essential part of her life and work. At that time, she was working with children, teens, and adults as a mental health therapist and witnessed the therapeutic benefits of combining therapy practice with mindfulness. In the past 8 years, Dorlie has grown to become a principal member of the organization as its program director and lead mindfulness trainer. She created the MBSR modified program, The Compassionate-Choice (MBSR), emphasizing trauma-sensitive practice for staff members who work with vulnerable populations. She holds a degree in Music Theory and Performance and a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. Dorlie values being an agent of support and advocacy for research-based well-being and healing practices.

Dorlie Banbanaste | Mindful Kids Miami

Program Director & MBSR Facilitator

Stephanie Berman is the President of Carrfour Supportive Housing, a not-for-profit organization established by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce in 1993 to develop and operate innovative housing communities for vulnerable families through a unique approach combining quality affordable housing with comprehensive on-site supportive services. Under Ms. Berman’s leadership, Carrfour has developed 23 innovative communities housing more than 10,000 formerly homeless men, women and children since 2006. Prior to becoming President, Ms. Berman served as Carrfour’s Vice President of Resident and Property Services. Ms. Berman has devoted her life to working on behalf of the homeless and underserved populations of her community. She previously worked at the Children’s Home Society, where she served as Program Director of Emergency Shelter Services. In this position, she was responsible for all aspects of a comprehensive emergency shelter program serving over 1,000 abused and neglected children per year. Ms. Berman was recently recognized by the South Florida Business Journal as one of South Florida’s most influential business women and by Florida Trend as one of Florida’s most influential executives. Ms. Berman has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Brandeis University and a Master’s Degree in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Stephanie Berman-Eisenberg | Carrfour Support Housing Inc.

President & CEO

Caroline Bettinger-López is Senior Advisor on Gender and Equality at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she has helped to lead the development of the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. In Fall 2021, she served as a Special Advisor to the White House Gender Policy Council. She is currently on leave from her role as 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 2017-2021, Professor Bettinger-López served as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in addition to her teaching responsibilities. From 2015-2017, she served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Senior Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, and member of the White House Council on Women and Girls. Professor Bettinger-López engages in advocacy before domestic and international law and policy forums to address gender-based violence, racial justice, and immigrants’ rights. She has taught at University of Chicago School of Law and Columbia Law School; and was a Skadden Fellow at the ACLU Women’s Rights Project and federal law clerk. She is a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Maltreatment of Young People. She is the recipient of a Roddenberry Fellowship (COURAGE in Policing Project) and a TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund grant (Voces Unidas Project, to support low-wage immigrant women workers).

Caroline Bettinger-López | U.S. Dept. of Justice

Senior Advisor on Gender & Equality

Allison/Al Blakeney (they/them) is a care worker, dancer, performance artist, and activist. They currently work as the Assistant Shelter Manager for The Delores Project. Allison supports the Shelter Manager in overseeing the operations, management, and programs of the shelter to ensure the dignity, safety, and support of guests and staff. Over the past 10 years, Allison has worked in a variety of settings including Food Justice, Anti-Oppression education, DV/IPV education and sheltering, and Homelessness Services. Passionate about belonging, freedom, justice, and joy, they find reprieve in spaces and relationships that lead with those values.

Allison/Al Blakeney | The Delores Project

Assistant Shelter Manager

Ronide Blanc is the Director of the Lotus Thrift Chic Boutique, and an alumna of Lotus House since 2014. She initially started as an Operations Manager, making sure that new intakes and current guests feel at home and provide assistance wherever was needed. Now, she is the Director of the Thrift Boutique, and she and the team make sure that every guest receives their clothing vouchers as requested – providing the ladies who are in transition to their new housing with furniture, such as mattresses and bed frames, pots and pans, and other household items. She also manages our paid internship program ensuring that the interns build or enhance their retail and customer service skills and experience.

Ronide Blanc | Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique

Director

Ron Book is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ronald L. Book, P.A. Since founding the firm in 1987, Ron has developed a client list that is a “who’s who” of business and industry, local governments, health care and not-for-profit associations. His reputation as a hard worker, dedicated to his client’s causes, has earned him a place in the upper echelon of Tallahassee power. Associates, clients, and lawmakers describe Ron Book and his firm as committed, tenacious, knowledgeable, and credible. It is difficult to narrow Mr. Book’s areas of expertise to a simple few. From sports and economic development to affordable housing to environmental remediation to social services, transportation, growth management, health care, seaports, and aviation — if it is an issue that you have read about, Mr. Book has been at the center of the debate, influencing the decisions of policymakers for the past 4 decades. For more than 35 years, his firm has led the government affairs industry in Florida, specializing in the appropriations process, responsible for literally billions in grants, programs and earmarks to various projects and causes. An innovator in local government representations, the firm counts dozens of cities, counties, and government entities as clients. The result of his innovation in this practice area is that the firm’s relationships and influence extend well beyond the halls of the state Capitol and deep into City and County governments, north to south and coast to coast. It is why the firm is one of the few that offers first tier state legislative representation along with a robust and extensive local government practice.

Ron Book | The Homeless Trust

Chairman

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. Lauded as a natural connector and peacemaker, she is skilled at collaborating cross-functionally, communicating persuasively, and problem-solving with ease. Patricia has an unwavering commitment to underserved communities, and a passion for building strong relationships with everyone from clients to teams to partners and everyone in between -- always with a healthy dose of integrity, adaptability, and respect. 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. A dedicated volunteer, she is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for St. Elizabeth’s Adult Day Care Center, she is a former National Technology Chairperson for CARATS, Incorporated, and Past Vice President of the Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. She has also served Better Family Life Incorporated of St. Louis and the Urban League Guild of Metropolitan St. Louis and Sentinel Charities. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. She is a graduate of the CORO Women in Leadership program, and she has corporate management certifications under the Harvard Mentorship Series and Leading with Distinction programs at AT&T, Inc. Patricia is married to jazz artist and composer, Dwayne Bosman, one half of the Legendary Bosman Twins. They have a blended family of 7 children and a growing number of grands.

Patricia R. Bosman | The Haven of Grace

Executive Director

With more than three decades of experience in nonprofit and philanthropy, Kevin joined the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation as CEO in March 2022. With the two private family foundations dedicated to inspiring, educating, and preparing pathways to opportunity for more people to achieve their dreams, Kevin leads the foundations' strategic grantmaking and innovative investments to work alongside dedicated organizations supporting children, students, and families from underserved backgrounds. His career has been dedicated to helping create opportunities for those with few, while focusing on creating transformative program models, developing innovative technology solutions, and finding new approaches to complex social challenges like innovative financing models. His previous experience includes the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and other community serving national nonprofits and higher education institutions. He has served on multiple nonprofit boards, advisory boards, and gives back to the community through volunteering. Kevin earned a bachelor's in finance and a master's in strategy.

Kevin Byrne | Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation

Chief Executive Officer

As a co-founder of FC Law and Purpose Strategies, Charlotte Cassel is dedicated to using her legal experience to support nonprofits working to change communities for the better. Charlotte began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Florida Legal Services. Her project focused on ensuring that low-income Floridians were able to receive access to health care under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. She also has extensive experience having worked for numerous non-profit organizations, in both a legal and non-legal capacity. Charlotte understands the value of high quality legal services in an organization’s operations. While in law school, she participated in the Human Rights Clinic. Charlotte holds a Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law; a Master of Public Health from Columbia University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Barnard College.

Nicole Carnero | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Clinical Director of Families Program

Charlotte Cassel | FC Law & Purpose Strategies

Partner & Co-Founder

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 positions. She is passionate about increasing access to care and has a proven track record for business growth and development with her previous organizations. 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. Currently, Ms. Chamberlin serves as a managing director for an independent, international accreditor that sets the standard of excellence in the field.

Chasity Chamberlin | CARF International

Managing Director | Employment & Community Services

Constance Collins is the Founder and President of the Sundari Foundation, Inc., a non-denominational 501c3 public charity, best known as the Lotus House Women’s Shelter, and its supporting foundations, Lotus Endowment Fund, Inc., Lotus Village Development, LLC, Lotus Village, II, LLC, and Lotus Supporting Foundation, Inc. A lawyer and businessperson prior to founding Lotus House, Constance has been a full-time volunteer for the Lotus family of charitable organizations since 2004, establishing and overseeing the development, operations, programming, services, research and growth of the Lotus Village. In the all new, state of the art, comprehensive homeless services facility in Lotus Village and its planned expansion in the Children’s Village at Lotus Village, Lotus House is setting new standards on a national level with trauma informed, evidence based, best practices, and proven strategies to end and prevent homelessness that put children first and respond sensitively to the gender specific needs of sheltered guests.

Constance Collins, JD | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Founder & President

Geneva Comeau is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Florida native stemming from New York. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida International University in 2010. She went on to continue her studies at Nova Southeastern University focusing on Mental Health counseling. She completed her internship at Broward Hospital psychiatric unit working with severely mental ill adults and youths. She graduated with her master’s degree in 2014. Geneva later found herself working for various nonprofits throughout Broward County and Miami-Dade County in underserved communities. She has extensive experience utilizing solution focused and cognitive behavioral intervention in order to assist families. Geneva is currently the Director of Programming within Lotus house. She utilizes holistic activities and parent child interaction techniques to assist guests with various traumas in addition to assisting with child behavior.

Geneva Comeau, M.S. | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Program Director

Anastasia Cousins is a long-time resident of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ms. Cousins is a graduate from Florida International University earning a Bachelor of Public Administration from the College of Health and Urban Affairs. She has worked for Miami Dade County Clerk of Courts for 25 years and is a Licensed Insurance Agent. Anastasia serves as a Board Member and Secretary of Lotus House. She is a member of Trinity Church Miami and serves as the Secretary for Norland United Women in Faith. United Women in Faith is a 154-year-old organization of faithful women organized for mission that is dedicated to tend to the needs of women, children, and youth. Anastasia values service and dedication and is very passionate about helping her community. For many years Anastasia has volunteered with various organizations faithfully. She has volunteered with Ronald McDonald Charities Home for the Holidays, Kiwanis Northeast Miami-Dade’s Beach Clean-Up, Feeding South Florida, and The Annual Back to School Drive giving away backpacks and a fun day of shopping for school uniforms and school supplies at Walmart. Ms. Cousins has also volunteered with the Women History Coalition dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of women in our community as well as volunteering with The Family Resource Center providing care for children in temporary foster care.

Anastasia Cousins | MDC Clerk of Courts

Assistant Supervisor for the Court Teams Civil Division

Dr. Shana Cox is the Deputy Director of Children’s Services and the Research Project Director and along with the Director of Children’s Services, heads 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. Dr. Cox has been actively serving the Miami community since 2002. She has experience working with varied age groups in community, university, and private practice settings in administrative, teaching, supervisory, and direct service activities such as assessment and individual and group therapy. She has experience in substance abuse, serious mental illness, and trauma. She is proud of her team’s mission: to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by addressing multigenerational trauma of the mothers and children and helping mothers to respond in the most helpful manner to their children’s emotions and behavior.

Dr. Shana Cox | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Research Project Director

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, serves as the agency’s privacy officer, leads corporate compliance and risk assessment activities, and is responsible for ensuring agency adherence to funder and CARF accreditation standards. She is the Greater New Haven representative on Connecticut’s statewide HMIS and Data Leadership Committee and is the Greater New Haven representative on the statewide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Steering Committee. Meredith holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in General Experimental Psychology with a focus on quantitative methods, both from the University of Hartford. Meredith has more than 26 years of experience presenting on non-profit programming and program evaluation at statewide and national conferences including the CT Coalition to End Homelessness’ Annual Training Institute, the Connecticut National Association of Housing Redevelopment and Officials (CONN-NAHRO), Eastern Sociological Society, Association for Humanist Sociology, Society for the Study of Social Problems, and the American Psychological Society.

Meredith Damboise | New Reach

Chief Quality & Complicance Officer

Sharonee has been with Lotus since 2018, she's worked her way from assistant operations manager, to the Director of Operations! Sharonee's story is similar to our guests we serve, successfully completing the program, Sharonee is a proud alumni! She supervises the operations team, providing support to the guest services directors on the morning, afternoon, and overnight shifts.

Sharon Delevante, CBHT | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Operations Director

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. She was very involved in the development of Lotus Village, home to Lotus House, designed as a mixed-use “village” combining state of the art shelter facilities and holistic, trauma-informed, supportive services to heal, nurture and uplift children and families experiencing homelessness. When the facility opened she became the Deputy Director of Programming, overseeing all aspects of arts and activities, employment and education initiatives. Her leadership skills led to her promotion to Director and subsequently, Executive Director. Along with a team of 130, who are widely recognized as the best in the field, thousands of lives have been transformed to date and will continue to be transformed for generations to come.

Isabella Dell'Oca | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Executive Director

Carey Dougherty is currently the Chief Development Officer at Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa in Northern California. With a background in interior design, she has been committed to bringing the gifts of trauma-informed, dignified and inspiring environments to nonprofits and those they serve. Projects have included a transitional living program for mothers and babies where she served for 6 years as Executive Director, an emergency shelter, a methadone clinic, and a residential program for women in recovery from substance use disorder. She also started a nonprofit aimed at bringing the gifts of design to women and families in need and was honored to help create spaces of healing and hope for clients ranging from victims of gun violence, veterans, first-time homeowners through Habitat for Humanity, and cancer survivors.

Carey Dougherty | Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa

Chief Development Officer

to individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the United States, to world peace, and cultural endeavors. In 2017, Gloria was the first Cuban-American singer-songwriter to receive The Kennedy Center Honors. ON YOUR FEET!, the TONY Award-nominated Broadway musical based on the lives and music of Emilio & Gloria Estefan. As Executive Producers, it is the story of two people who—through an unwavering dedication to one another and their pursuit of the American Dream— showcased their talent, music and heritage to the world in a remarkable rise to global superstardom. On Your Feet! has received rave reviews and nominations for TONY Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama League Awards and is now on tour worldwide. She is the founder of the Gloria Estefan Foundation whose mission is to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and empower young people through education and opportunity. The Foundation also supports spinal cord research through the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. In 2020 her Grammy-winning album, Brazil305 topped the charts worldwide while she served as one of three hosts for her four-time Emmy nominated and Emmy winning & GLAAD Award nominated Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk: The Estefans. Its 20 episodes are streaming now. In 2021 she voiced the character Marta in the critically acclaimed animated film “Vivo,” with music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and released on Netflix.

Gloria Estefan | Grammy Award-Winning Artist

Keynote Speaker

Anna Frusciante provides consulting and legal services for tax exempt organizations as a Partner at Purpose Strategies and FC Law. She also serves as Associate Counsel at Citrus Health Network, Inc., a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center and community mental health center serving adults and children in South Florida. Previously the Director and Co-General Counsel of the Lotus House Women’s Shelter, Anna understands firsthand the opportunities and challenges nonprofits face in fulfilling their critical missions while meeting the legal, risk management and compliance demands on the charitable sector. Prior to this, Anna was an attorney at Legal Services of Greater Miami, representing clients in civil and administrative legal matters, and started her career in private practice. Anna obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami and her Juris Doctor, Order of the Coif, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Anna Frusciante | FC Law

Partner & Co-Founder

Meet Neha Gajwani, a multifaceted entrepreneur. In 2009, Neha started an e-commerce business that grew rapidly, quickly earning recognition from Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing businesses in America, and one of the 10 fastest-growing women-led businesses in the country. In addition to her entrepreneurial accomplishments, Neha has actively contributed to social causes. For the past four years, Neha has dedicated her time as a Research Associate at the National Women's Shelter Network. She has helped develop the comprehensive National Women's Shelter Directory — an empowering resource that consolidates critical information about women's shelters across the nation.

Neha Gajwani | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Research Associate

Joshua Goldfein is a Staff Attorney in The Legal Aid Society’s Homeless Rights Project, where he represents homeless single adults and families in individual and group actions. He also provides representation to Coalition for the Homeless and Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York in impact litigation and government and policy advocacy. Mr. Goldfein started at the Legal Aid Society in 1993 in its Harlem Neighborhood Office, where he represented clients in landlord-tenant, public benefits and family law matters. He joined the Homeless Rights Project in 1998. At the Homeless Rights Project, Mr. Goldfein has been counsel of record in the New York “right to shelter” cases, including Callahan v. Carey, (right to shelter for homeless adults); Ebony Boston v. NYC, (right to shelter for homeless families with children); McCain v. Bloomberg, (same); and Cosentino v. Perales, (child welfare rights of homeless parents). Mr. Goldfein has also represented clients in cases addressing other rights of homeless New Yorkers including Butler v. NYC, (disabled shelter applicants, SDNY); E.G. v. NYC, (WiFi for remote-schooling children in shelter, SDNY); Reynolds v. Giuliani, 35 F.Supp. 2d 331 (emergency public assistance grants, SDNY); Sapp v. NYC, 2013 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4365 (Superstorm Sandy evacuee hotel program); Emile v. NYC, (shelter for homeless former NYCHA residents, NY Supreme) and City of Newark v. NYC, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171585 (housing subsidies).

Joshua Goldfein | Legal Aid Society's Homeless Rights Project

Research Associate

Olga Golik, Esq. is the In-House Counsel and Privacy Officer at Citrus Health Network, Inc. She holds a Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law and a Master's Degree in Social Work. Ms. Golik is President of the Florida Supportive Housing Coalition. Ms. Golik has over twenty-five years of experience in the area of health, housing and community development. She has participated in statewide advocacy initiatives for persons with disabilities to have increased access to affordable housing, including the 30/30 campaign to target housing units for extremely low income persons and the special needs initiatives to set aside units and funding for persons with special needs. Ms. Golik works for Citrus Health Network, Inc., a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that provides behavioral and primary care health services, as well as supportive housing programs for dependent children, youth transitioning out of foster care, homeless adults and families, and persons who have disabilities due to a mental illness. Citrus also serves as the lead agency contracted by the State of Florida to oversee child welfare services in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Olga Golik, Esq. | Citrus Health Network, Inc.

Privacy Office & In-House Counsel

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. Responsible for the oversight of the financial health of the Foundation, she collaborates closely with the financial, development and outreach teams as well as program Directors. Prior to joining Lotus House, Beatrice spent close to 10 years as a Director for a mentoring organization benefiting at-risk high school girls in South Florida. She graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s in Mass Communications and a minor in Marketing.

Beatrice Gonzalez | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Director

Dr. Graziano is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the S.E.L.F.-Regulation Laboratory at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University. 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 disruptive behavior disorders (e.g., ADHD). Within a biopsychosocial framework, his research explores both intrinsic (e.g., child temperament, physiology) and extrinsic (e.g., parenting, peers) factors in the development of self-regulation. Utilizing a translational approach, Dr. Graziano aims to develop and examine how early intervention (i.e., parenting and summer programs) can target such self-regulation processes and subsequently improve children's adaptive functioning. His work has been supported by IES, NIMH, and NIDDK grants and has resulted in over 100 peer reviewed scientific articles.

Paulo A. Graziano, Ph.D | S.E.L.F. Regulation Lab

Professor of Psychology, Director

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 degree in Child and 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. Mrs. Green Long’s acquaintance with social services and its impact on individuals is relatively due to her own lived experiences. Ms. Green was born into a home with drug-addicted parents and, as a result, was raised by her maternal grandmother. As an experienced Social Worker, she has combined her traumatic lived experiences with her management acuity expertise to facilitate awareness of program goals, objectives, and desired outcomes for her staff. Her fervor for human development and community awareness have sustained her professional proficiency and ensured longevity and success within her line of work. Mrs. Green Long is presently the Executive Director of Thomas House Family Shelter located in Garden Grove, Ca. Thomas House empowers unhoused families with children to become independent and self-sufficient.

Shakoya Green Long | Thomas House Family Shelter

Executive Director

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. After the devastating hurricanes in Haiti, Grimes chaired the City of Miami’s Operation Hope for Haiti in partnership with World Vision to provide emergency and sustained support. Recognizing the great difficulties facing at-risk youth, Grimes implemented the Big Brothers & Big Sisters workplace mentoring program in her hotels and serves as an ambassador for the program. Grimes is current Past Chair Miami-Dade College Foundation Board, serves on the Boards of Lotus House, Camillus House, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, and is a member of the International Women’s Forum. She has been honored with the James W. McLamore Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award by the Miami Dade Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; the Red Cross Spectrum Award; and the Catholic Legal Services New American Award. A native of Canada, Grimes moved to Miami in 1995 to launch the Doubletree Grand Hotel.

Julie Grimes | Hilton bentley Hotel

Managing Partner

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. Carly returned to Florida to practice law at a large Miami law firm in the area of land development and government relations, focusing on residential, commercial, and transit-oriented developments in the region. Carly remains an active member of the Florida Bar.

Carly Grimm | Lotus House Endowment Fund, Inc.

Director

Lori Hanson has led The Children’s Trust research and evaluation efforts since 2003. She ensures key data and information are available to tell the story of The Trust’s investments and impact, as well as to inform policy decisions regarding children and families in the community. She is responsible for organizational strategic planning, community research regarding the needs and well-being of children, program evaluation of The Trust’s major service initiatives, and contract-level performance metrics that support continuous learning and program quality improvement. Dr. Hanson earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Saint Louis University, completing her internship at the University of Miami’s Mailman Center for Child Development. Prior to joining The Trust, Dr. Hanson served as a faculty member of the University of Miami School of Medicine, department of pediatrics, where she was a principal investigator and coordinator for multiple early intervention and maternal-child health studies and service programs.

Jennifer Hanlon Wigon | Women's Lunch Place

Executive Director

Lori Hanson | The Children's Trust

Chief of Research, Evaluation, & Strategic Planning

Heather Hilligoss is the Program Director at Rose Haven, a day shelter and community center dedicated to assisting women, children and marginalized genders in the Portland, Oregon metro area. With a strong background in public health and a passion for community empowerment, Heather has made a significant impact on the organization. Heather’s journey with Rose Haven began while she pursued her degree in Public Health, where she had the opportunity to contribute as a Development intern. Recognizing the importance of Rose Haven’s mission, she decided to deepen her involvement and joined the staff as the BLOOM Wellness Program Coordinator. In this role, Heather cultivated valuable partnerships with various community organizations to offer a diverse range of activities focused on promoting health and wellness among Rose Haven’s guests. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Heather quickly adapted her role within the agency to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Heather Hilligoss | Rose Haven

Program Director

Liddy (Elizabeth) Hintz, MSW is the Client Success Manager – Solution Focus: Community Services for WellSky. She has been part of the WellSky team since May 1, 2015. Prior to joining, she worked for the Salvation Army Syracuse Area Services for 16 years and Supervised Family and Women’s Shelter Rescue Mission, Syracuse for 15 years. She was born and raised in Syracuse, NY, and still resides there. For her graduate studies she attended Syracuse University and has worked in Non-Profit Agencies for 31 years. Her hobbies include body combat, cycling and golf.

Liddy Hintz, MSW | WellSky

Client Success Manager

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. For the past 27 years, Belinda has been facilitating youth leadership programs, parent education workshops as well as professional development training on local and national platforms in the areas of strength-based practices, team building, group dynamics, motivational interviewing, the art of de-escalation, mental health and trauma recovery. She has also taught in the field of social work as an adjunct instructor at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work. She provides mental health therapy to resilient, pregnant and parenting women residing at Our Lady’s Inn who have histories of housing instability and may have extensive trauma backgrounds with mental health and substance use addictions.

Belinda James, MSW, LCSW, MOFDC | Our Lady's Inn

Director of Counseling

Grettel Jiménez-Singer has been the director of the National Women’s Shelter Network since the initiative first emerged in 2021. Before the NWSN, she worked as the Editor-in-Chief of the first online platform for MTV Latin America, Viacom, as Chief Creative Officer of Tropix Media and Entertainment, as Editor-in-Chief of Cubaness Journal, and as a volunteer, treasurer, and board member at Lotus House Women’s Shelter. A writer at heart, she has also appeared in numerous publications (Paper Magazine, Vogue, and Huffington Post) and anthologies (“Cines de Cuba,” “Mi juguete preferido,” “Miami Unplugged”), where she deconstructs the topics of womanhood, Cubanism, and migration. Grettel dives deeper into these concepts in her books (“Mujerongas,” “Tempestades solares,” “La Traviata” and “La bella durmiente en Central Park”).

Grettel Jiménez-Singer | National Women's Shelter Network

Director

As the Substance Abuse Director, Rai provides direct support to our guests-meeting with each of them individually to implement appropriate interventions in all areas of Substance Abuse Treatment. Rai spearheads the foundation’s addiction treatment services for adults, youth, parenting youth and for families, with a commitment to provide intensive outpatient and relapse prevention services in-house, utilizing evidence based treatment modalities in addition to the development of new and innovative treatment perspectives. Rai provides our guests with daily NA/AA groups, individualized addiction counseling, assessment and treatment planning, sponsorship, smoking cessation therapy intervention and recovery groups by using evidence based practices. Her focus is to treat the whole person, not just the disease of addiction, addressing the integration of the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects to inspire and motivate change.

Rai Johnson, MCAP, MSW | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Substance Abuse Director

City of Miami Chairwoman and District 5 Commissioner Christine King is passionate about serving the public and has been since an early age. Born in Guyana, she moved to Miami at age five. She would go on to serve her community as Chief of Constituent Services for a Miami-Dade County Commissioner and later as an executive with the Community Action Agency (CAA). Subsequently, she studied at Nova Southeastern University earning her Juris Doctor Degree, becoming a practicing attorney. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation, where she managed meaningful community programs like ‘Wheels to Work’ which addresses transportation hardships for families in need of vehicles to function within their daily lives. In November 2021, when Commissioner King entered office, she was the first Guyanese American to be elected in the City of Miami and the first woman to be named Chairwoman of the Commission. Her mission for District 5 is for the community to be known for its culture, vibrancy, and diversity – not for poverty or crime. With this mission in mind, she is working to make a lasting impression for future District 5 Commissioners to continue her legacy.

Chairwoman Christine King | City of Miami District 5

Commissioner

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. Additionally, she has over 20 years of experience representing and counseling investors, syndicators, developers, and lenders in affordable housing transactions utilizing low-income housing tax credits and other federal, state, and local loan and grant programs. Debbie received a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University with High Honors and received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Illinois bar. Since 1998, Debbie has been involved in various roles with Deborah’s Place, the largest provider of housing and supportive services for women in Chicago who are homeless or formerly homeless. She’s contributed time as a Board President, volunteer, fundraiser, committee member and is currently a member of the Board Emeritus and vice president of 2 subsidiary ownership entity boards. Debbie lives in Chicago with her husband, Paul. She enjoys running, hiking, biking, skiing, baking, and exploring the world.

Debbie Kleban | Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen

Attorney

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. Laura also has niche experience in completing disability benefit claims and has secured benefits for many guests at the shelter over the years. Laura also serves as the CPI trainer for all Lotus House staff and specializes in conflict resolution. She is trained in restorative practices as well and facilitates restorative circles with guests and staff members. Laura studied Clinical Psychology and Mental Health Counseling and has been practicing for over 10 years.

Laura Klinefelter, LMHC, CAP | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Director of Intake & Victim Services

I am an alumna of Lotus Village. I first began working at Lotus Village through a program managed by the City of Miami, where I then was hired on directly by Lotus. I was about 19 years old at the time, and I started out as a Program Coordinator. As of today, I work alongside the data team at Lotus Village and am also the Lotus Village Voices Podcast host. I have worked with brands like L’Oreal, Armani Beauty, Urban Decay, Kiehl’s and many more high-end makeup corporations to host a beauty event for the women at the shelter. I also had the opportunity of hosting, alongside my amazing team, the Lotus Village annual Prom for women who did not have the opportunity of attending theirs. I am currently in the process of attaining my Nursing Degree. In my spare time, I enjoy reading books, listening to and making music, meditating and decorating for the holidays at Lotus House.

Jatericka Lamons | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Lotus Village Voices Podcast

Ms. Lee has a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Arkansas State University. She has spent most of her career with Our Lady’s Inn, but before coming to Our Lady’s Inn she worked for the State of Missouri as a Group Leader for the Division of Youth Services and a Disability Determinations Counselor. Ms. Lee has held many positions at Our Lady’s Inn since its’ opening in 1982 beginning with being the first volunteer live-in house parent, Executive Director from 1998-2011, bookkeeper, grant writer and administrator, program director, case manager, operations director, and currently serves as the chief program officer. Our Lady’s Inn became Accredited by CARF in 2012 under the initiation by Ms. Lee. Ms. Lee is a past and founding member of the National Maternity Housing Coalition, has served on the Heartbeat International President’s Council, and the St. Louis Salvation Army’s Advisory Council. She currently is a member of three Continuums of Care (CoC’s) in the St Louis Metropolitan area, and serves on advisory committees for a local Food Bank and the Jesuit Ignation Volunteer Corps.

Gloria Lee | Our Lady's Inn Maternity Homes

Chief Program Officer

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. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor by trade and also provides clinical supervision to emerging counselors. 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. Her experiences have led her to work in the fields of juvenile justice, foster agencies, group homes, local school systems and city municipalities. Currently her work allows her to help develop and implement trauma informed services to one of the most overlooked populations of society, those facing homelessness. Her mission throughout all of her work is to facilitate hope, model excellence, and serve with compassion those who are discouraged, hopeless and marginalized. No matter what the setting, Kimberly strives to serve as an adaptable individual who can provide initiative, creativity, and a high degree of flexibility and who can relate life experiences to the situations of others in a helpful manner.

Kimberly Livsey | Atlanta Mission

Chief Program Officer

Georgette Madison is a 2013 alumni of Lotus House and started her 8 year career in 2015. She started as an Assistant Operations Manager and has excelled in engaging hundreds of women and children during her time. She is a mentor and role model to those that call Lotus House home. Her present roles include: Guest Services Director, Transportation Manager, Purchasing Manager and Outreach Coordinator! She takes pride in her work and is an amazing asset to our team.

Georgette Madison | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Guest Services Director & Purchasing Manager

Francis Suarez believes in an America that lasts forever and works for everyone. Serving as the 43rd Mayor of Miami, he has worked to build a Miami that serves as a beacon of freedom, opportunity, and responsibility across America. Now, he wants to do the same for all Americans! The son of Cuban American immigrants, Mayor Suarez believes America must remain the greatest country in the world by ensuring every American can enjoy the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by preserving a strong America for our generation and for future generations. First elected with a mandate of 86 percent and then re-elected with a mandate of nearly 79 percent, Mayor Suarez has championed a high-tech economy, the integration of climate adaptive practices, access to Web 3.0 technology jobs, parent-driven educational choice, and a free-market approach toward solving problems. He has cut crime, cut taxes, and cut homelessness to one of their lowest points in over fifty years, spurring a broad-based economic expansion across Miami that continues today. And what he has done for the people of Miami, he can do for every hard working American. Mayor Suarez believes that expanding people’s freedom means expanding people’s prosperity. He has championed new, American-made tech companies with initiatives that connect education and job training for all hard working Americans in the new and growing American digital economy.

Mayor Francis Suarez | City of Miami

Mayor

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. Previously, as Executive Director of YMCA of the North's Youth and Family Services, she collaborated with local and global communities to develop innovative responses to reduce disparities and advance equity and social justice. Lisa holds a BS in Social Work from St. Cloud State University and brings 20 years of experience helping those in need and developing effective teams in government and nonprofit sectors. As an advocate and connector, Lisa is thrilled to be a member of the National Women's Shelter Network Steering Committee! On weekends, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors with her husband and 6-year-old son.

Lisa Michaelson | Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities

Vice President Women & Children's Programs

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. Prior to becoming CEO of YWCA USA, Margaret served as the President & CEO of YWCA Greater Cleveland, a 150-year-old social justice organization that provides direct service, collaboration, and advocacy in the community, focused on racism, empowering women, and homelessness. She has more than doubled the budget, the staff, and the services of YWCA Greater Cleveland through her leadership, financial acumen, and fundraising. Among her achievements, in 2019, she led the call to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis in Cleveland and across the state through her leadership in the Ohio YWCA Council. Additionally, Margaret led the acquisition of the Norma Herr Women’s Center, Cleveland’s largest homeless emergency women’s shelter. She also launched the transformation of the YWCA Greater Cleveland Early Learning Center into a unique, unduplicated preschool that currently operates the only trauma-informed preschool serving children and families experiencing homelessness.

Margaret Mitchell | YWCA USA

Chief Executive Officer

Alejandra Molina is an Emmy® Award winning journalist who currently anchors the station’s newscast, “Noticiero Telemundo 51”, weekdays at 6:00PM and 11:00PM, from the station’s Miramar based studios. Molina joined Telemundo 51 / WSCV, the local Miami television station that serves the Spanish speaking community, in July of 2015. As part of the Telemundo 51 award winning news team, she not only delivers the day’s local news, but also breaking news and major stories impacting the South Florida community. Molina also anchored the Noon, 5:00PM and 5:30PM newscasts for many years. Prior to working at Telemundo 51, Molina spent more than a decade working at WJAN America TV in Miami. She began her career there in 2005, as an evening news anchor for “Noticias 41” at 10:00 PM. In 2012, she also became a co-anchor of “AN6”, the 6:00PM newscast. In addition to local news, Molina has also covered national and international news stories; including her news series “En Directo desde Haiti” (Direct from Haiti), for which she received an Emmy® Award, and recognition from the Associated Press.

Alejandra Molina | Telemundo 51

Journalist, News Anchor

Born in Puerto Rico. Mother of two and grandmother of six. My educational explorations started in Puerto Rico where I completed my bachelors in Home Economics and Child Development. Immediately I understood that my passion was the much needed work with very young children. My husband joined the Air Force and our family began a new quest. Our first assignment was Eglin AFB located in the Florida panhandle, where my early childhood experiences provided me the opportunity work as a two year old classroom teacher. Our next move was to Germany where I had the opportunity to work for the Department of Defense in their Early Childhood Program as an assistant teacher, a teacher and later on, as the Assistant Director of the Vogelweh Child Care Center.

Gladys Montes | United Way

Former Group Vice President

Dr. Saliha Nelson is a highly respected non-profit executive and youth development practitioner with a wealth of experience in empowering urban youth. As CEO of URGENT, Inc., she has led the development of innovative programs such as the Miami 4 Social Change Youth Film Festival and the first registered media arts and creative technologies youth apprenticeship in Florida. Under her leadership, URGENT, Inc. has become a leading organization in the field of creative youth development, providing high-quality programming and support to young people in Miami-Dade County. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, and she is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the field of youth development.

Dr. Saliha Nelson | Urgent, Inc.

Chief Executive Officer

Sandra Newson LCSW is the Vice President of Resident Services for Carrfour Supportive Housing, a not-for-profit organization that develops and operates innovative housing communities for families in need through a unique approach combining quality affordable housing with comprehensive on-site supportive services. In addition to her role at Carrfour, Ms. Newson serves as a member of the Miami Dade County Homeless Trust Board of Directors (CoC), the CoC Provider Forum and the CoC Sub Committee. She also serves on the Florida Supportive Housing Coalition, a statewide advocacy group promoting supportive and affordable housing for persons with special needs. Ms. Newson joined Carrfour in 2002 as the Program Director prior to becoming the Vice President of Resident Services in 2013. Ms. Newson has a Bachelor's Degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from University of Massachusetts Amherst and received her Masters of Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, MA.

Sandra Newson, LCSW | Carrfour Supportive Housing

Vice President of Resident Services

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 2nd highest rate of unsheltered homeless in the country. Operating for 26 years, Rose Haven remains the city’s only day shelter and resources center for women, children, and gender diverse communities experiencing homelessness and poverty. Katie and her team provided consistent and compassionate services throughout the pandemic; a source of practical and emotional support to those most vulnerable in the community. Simultaneously, Rose Haven designed and built a new, trauma-informed facility that tripled capacity and is now daytime home to 3,000+ people annually.

Katie O'Brien | Rose Haven

Executive Director

Stephanie Padro has been serving South Florida for over 13 years. She is currently the Deputy Director of Clinical Programs at Lotus House Women's Shelter, a homeless shelter in Miami for women and children. She has extensive experience in assisting the community through different evidenced based practices and currently provides oversight for adult clinical programs that serve over 500 women and children daily. Stephanie is a Florida Licensed in Marriage and Family Therapist, a Florida Certified Behavioral Case Manager Supervisor, and Marriage and Family and Mental Health Counseling Qualified Supervisor.

Stephanie Padro | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Deputy Director of Clinical Programs

Katie S. Phang is the host of "The Katie Phang Show," which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC. She is a legal contributor for NBC News and MSNBC based in Miami. She leverages her significant trial attorney experience to provide analysis and commentary on the latest legal issues.

Katie Phang | MSNBC & NBC News

Host, Legal Contributor

Ashley Rogers, MSW is the Director of Family and Domestic Violence Shelter Services at Crossroads Rhode Island. She earned her bachelor's degree at Goshen College, and her master's degree at Indiana University. Ashley previously served as the Domestic Violence Specialist on the Elkhart County Collaborative Task Force in Elkhart, Indiana. Ashley currently serves on the Rhode Island Governor’s Domestic Violence Executive Working Group, which is tasked with improving the state’s response to Domestic Violence. In addition to her work serving survivors of domestic violence and homeless families, Ashley has worked with individuals, children, and families as a mental health therapist. Ashley’s passions include direct service, social justice, and public health initiatives.

Ashley Rogers | Crossroads Rhode Island

Director of Family & Domestic Violence Shelter Services

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. Laura brings to Shopworks her experiences as a non-profit leader and community organizer and community engagement specialist. She is using her expertise and knowledge in best practices in homelessness and supportive housing to inform building design at Shopworks and find solutions to barriers to affordable housing, with special attention to trauma, resiliency, and equity.

Laura Rossbert | Shopworks Architecture

Research Team

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. Katy studied architectural engineering and worked as a mechanical engineer with an emphasis on sustainable building consulting. She provided pro bono consulting on Lotus Village, the largest shelter for women and children in the country, which led her to working full time at Lotus House in 2018.

Katherine Roth, LEED AP:BD+C | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Deputy Director of Operations & Compliance

Gabriela Saenz is the Research, Policy, and Public Education Director at the Lotus House Women’s Shelter. Prior to joining Lotus, Gabriela received her master’s degree in International Studies with a concentration in International Law and Human Rights from Johns Hopkins University. During this time, her practical experience ranged from conducting research at the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees and the Council on Foreign Relations. Gabriela is passionate about community based work and making a difference in her community.

Gabriela Saenz | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Research, Policy, and Public Education Director

Teresa Sanders has served as the Chief Program Officer at YWCA Greater Cleveland for 10 years. Sanders also served as YWCA’s interim CEO from December 2021 to July 2022. She leads a diverse team that facilitates transformative programs in early childhood education and youth services for children, adolescents, young adults, and families. Teresa holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and is an Independently Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. She has served as a consultant for the Center for Drug Abuse Treatment and the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board. In addition, she is a co-founder of the Trauma Addictions Collaborative, spearheading the integration of trauma services into Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) treatment in Cuyahoga County. Because of her deep subject matter expertise and extensive experience, Teresa is recognized as a thought leader on the issues of developing trauma-informed systems of care, racial equity, and the advancement of women. She believes in demonstrating evidence of effectiveness and drives the implementation of a performance- based culture at YWCA Greater Cleveland. She and her husband Darby are the proud parents of Julian and Claudia, and grandparents to two beautiful granddaughters.

Teresa Sanders | YWCA Greater Cleveland

Chief Program Officer

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, TDP operates a 24-7, housing-focused shelter with wrap-around services for women, transgender, and nonbinary adults and a supportive housing community for formerly homeless individuals with a disability. Emily has a Master’s degree in Social Justice and Ethics from Iliff School of Theology, is a 2018 StartingBloc Leadership and Social Innovation Fellow, and has worked at TDP since 2015 in a variety of roles. At her core, she is an artist whose work and way of being in the world are informed by the belief that we belong to each other.

Emily Sepulveda Wheeland | The Delores Project

Chief Executive Officer

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. He has expertise in a range of financing tools including New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Opportunity Zones, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and others. He has assisted with underwriting and structuring of over $2.5 billion in financing, resulting in over $5 billion of project investment. He is registered with the SEC as a Series 50 and Series 54-qualified Municipal Advisor Principal. Tony holds both a Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as the national TIF Course Advisor for the Council of Development Finance Agencies and editor for CDFA’s Advanced Tax Increment Finance guide. He also serves on the LISC Chicago Board of Advisors, and was recognized in 2022 by Crains Chicago Business as a Notable Leader in Community Development.

Tony Smith | SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC

Partner & Executive Vice President

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. Ms. Steel is a member of the National Women's Shelter Network's Steering Committee, which is focused on raising awareness of the unique needs of women and children experiencing homelessness. Throughout her career, Ms. Steel has worked within communities to better the lives of women and children via global health initiatives and programs. Prior to joining St. Mary’s Center, Ms. Steel served as Senior Global Operations Manager at Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech), where she managed internal and external operations for domestic and international programs, provided financial oversight, and led evaluation and strategic planning. Ms. Steel brings extensive experience in program and financial management, working with leading academic hospitals internationally and large multinational corporate companies in the tech, healthcare, and pharmaceutical spaces. In addition, she previously served in a grant oversight capacity for federal and private foundations for both Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Ms. Steel earned her bachelor’s degree from Trent University, graduating with a double major in Global Studies and Culture Studies.

Alexis Steel | St. Mary's Center for Women & Children

President

Taylor Tannehill is the Associate General Counsel for Lotus House Women’s Shelter. Taylor was born and raised in Miami and attended Florida International University for both undergraduate studies and law school. While in law school, Taylor participated in the study abroad program in Seville, Spain. She also worked in the FIU Law Community Lawyering Clinic assisting pro bono clients with a variety of legal issues, including drafting wills and advanced directives, and helping parents of adult children with disabilities to begin the guardianship process. Her rewarding experience in the clinic encouraged her to pursue a career in public interest law. Outside of her work at Lotus House, Taylor also enjoys baking and paddle boarding.

Taylor Tannehill | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Associate General Counsel

Catherine has been working in the nonprofit sector for nearly 20 years. She started her nonprofit career providing direct services in a domestic violence shelter and has since played leadership roles developing and directing programs, public policy and system change work all designed to enhance the safety net and promote housing stability. As Executive Director of Homeless Services United she leads a coalition of nearly 50 nonprofit homeless service providers in New York City advocating for a stronger safety net with fair contracts and, provider informed, client centered practice to end the crisis of homelessness. Catherine successfully advocated for $146 million to improve shelter conditions and services, the largest investment since the 1990s and successfully advocated for additional funding for frontline staff pay increases and other initiatives. She has also won several legislative victories including raising the value of rental assistance vouchers at the City and State level. Catherine regularly provides expert testimony before the City Council and regulatory and oversight bodies as well as presents to community organizations. She has been a leader in various coalitions advocating on behalf of homeless New Yorkers and has played a key role in monitoring policy developments and their effects on constituents while advocating for improved policies for and greater access to housing assistance for survivors of domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness.

Catherine Trapani | Homeless Services United

Executive Director

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 in efforts to end women’s homelessness. Appointed as CEO in early 2020, Amy has grown revenue by 60%, created a new three-year strategic plan, and is deepening DWC’s focus on social justice. In the 12 years prior to joining DWC, Amy progressively took on more responsibilities to assist women experiencing homelessness from case management to serving for seven years as Director of Daybreak, a project of The People Concern. Amy has held numerous local, statewide, and national leadership positions in efforts to end homelessness, including as a Coro Women in Leadership graduate, USC Barbara Boxer Fellow with the USC Center for the Political Future, John A. Hartford Foundation Practice Change Leader award recipient for her efforts to improve healthcare for older adults experiencing homelessness, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 100 Million Healthier Lives Campaign Systems Leader, National Trauma Recovery Center Association Advisory Board Member, Los Angeles County Coordinated Entry System Councilmember, and the previous Board Chair for Los Angeles Central Providers Collaborative. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Pepperdine University and a master’s in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles.

Amy Turk, LCSW | Downtown Women's Center

Chief Executive Officer

Victoria Varela is the Community Outreach Director for Lotus House, working with our community to help uplift the lives of the women, youth and children sheltered nightly at Lotus Village. In partnership with her team, Victoria manages the organization’s fundraising events, community outreach initiatives, marketing materials, community events, social media and other projects bringing awareness, funding and in-kind support to the very vital programs at Lotus House. Victoria also contributes to programming's efforts in bringing laughter and love to those served through supporting the foundation’s yearly holiday events, volunteer efforts and corporate sponsored activities at the Village. Victoria and her team lead and manage the foundation’s Lotus in the Neighborhood initiative, bringing vital resources and support to the residents of Overtown – one of the poorest neighborhoods in Miami, and home to Lotus Village via quarterly distribution events. Prior to joining Lotus House, Victoria worked as an educator at a Title I school in Hialeah, FL and has experience working in the nonprofit sector and corporate sales and marketing. She graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor's in Government and Florida State University with a Master's in International Relations.

Victoria Varela | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Community Outreach Director

Ms. Vega is a passionate leader, with more than twenty-five years of professional experience in the social service sector, mostly in nonprofit settings. She has a solid educational foundation and a passion for women’s services. As the Director of Grants Management at Lotus House, for the last four years, Ms. Vega is responsible for assuring the Foundation’s timely, accurate, and full execution, performance, compliance, and reporting for all grants, contracts, and funding sources of the Foundation. She leads and mentors a strong team that works together to provide a wide range of duties pertaining to grants and data management, monitoring and quality assurance for programs and services for the Foundation on behalf of homeless and disadvantaged women, youth and children. Under Ms. Vega's supervision, the data team strives to support Lotus House’s vision of empowering women to improve the quality of their lives on every level.

Marta Vega | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Director of Grants Management, Compliance and Quality Assurance

Angela Verseane is currently the Human Resources Director at the Lotus House Women’s Shelter for the past two years. Angela is an advocate for creating a motivated and happy work environment in which employees feel safe. She has over 12 years of experience working within the non-profit and corporate sector. She graduated from DeVry University with her Bachelors in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources.

Angela Verseane | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Human Resources Director

Monica Vigues-Pitan is Executive Director of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc, which provides legal assistance to Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties’ low-income residents. Monica is passionate about ensuring the promise of equal justice for everyone in our community. She is responsible for a staff of more than 60, including 30 attorneys. Prior to assuming this position, Monica was with the agency for 15 years and served as Director of Program Development where she led the agency’s efforts in developing collaborative partnerships to ensure access to legal assistance. Additionally, she was also Advocacy Director of the Health and Income Maintenance Unit, which handles public benefits, access to healthcare, special education, tax, limited family law matters and other civil law areas affecting the low-income community. Monica practiced mostly in the area of public benefits law, concentrating on Medicaid issues. She has represented clients at the appellate level in both state and federal courts. Monica is a graduate from the University of Miami School of Law.

Monica Vigues-Pitan | Legal Services of Greater Miami

Vice President of Emergency Shelters and Housing Problem Solving

I am a wife to an amazing husband (who waited 6 years to marry me) and mom of 2 biological adult daughters now 24 and almost 23 (she was born on my 30th birthday) and 1 bonus daughter (who passed away last July (she would have been 37 this year). I have worked in the human service field since 1989 with my first job working with 25- 5 year olds at the YMCA in a camp. I stayed at the YMCA until 1992 working in different jobs at the Y, one being a program manager of an after-school program while still a full-time student. I studied at the University of Rhode Island from 1988-1991 studying early childhood education. My plan was to be a kindergarten teacher. I ended up taking a year off from school as working full time with school full time was very stressful. I continued working at the Y and decided I would volunteer my time at a nursery located in Providence on the southside. It was a nursery for children who were in state custody that were born HIV+ and/or drug exposed. That volunteer opportunity quickly turned into a full-time childcare worker which quickly turned into the Program Manager. Some of my job tasks were to supervise parents while they visited with their babies in the nursery. I loved to see when babies were reunited with their parents.

Jennifer Watkins | Crossroads Rhode Island

Vice President of Emergency Shelters and Housing Problem Solving

I am a results-oriented, hard-working individual with strong analytical skills, with the ability to organize, analyze and disseminate information with attention to detail and accuracy. I have a disciplined mindset and approach towards all tasks and a talent for thinking outside the box, additionally I have acquired a proficient skill-set in MS Office suite including Excel, PowerPoint and Word. I earned a bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science with an integrated minor in Business and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida State University. Because of my love for the homeless community, I am currently employed by the Sundari Foundation as their Management Information Systems and Reporting Coordinator. As a part of my position, I accurately and completely enter, update and report on data in our Electronic Health Records system. I assist in documenting, reporting and complying with all grants, funding agreements and other contracts.

Sarah Wedderburn | Lotus House Women's Shelter

Management Information Systems & Reporting Coordinator

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. Jennifer was hired in August 2006 to open the Washington, DC, office and help expand activities in the east coast and Gulf Opportunity Zone. She has since relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before coming to the CDC, Jennifer was the Director of New Markets Strategies at the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, a CDE and subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Jennifer came to the Trust after eight years with the CDFI Fund of the Department of the Treasury. In her last three years at the Fund, she worked almost exclusively with the NMTC Program to develop the policies and procedures, review NMTC allocation and CDE certification applications and provide training and technical assistance to a variety of audiences. She has a MBA from George Washington University and a B.A. in International Relations and Business Administration from William Jewell College.

Jennifer Westerbeck | US Bancorp Community Development

Vice President