Capacity Building Network

In April 2016, Brian Alexander joined the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH), a statewide membership nonprofit that works to secure resources, encourage public dialogue, and advocate for public policy change to end homelessness. Brian leads the team administering the NC Balance of State Continuum of Care. Brian has worked in homeless services since 2003. Starting as a front-line worker at Homeward Bound of WNC’s day center, he transitioned to multiple roles within the agency including shelter director, supportive housing case manager, operations director, and finally Executive Director in his final six years. Under his leadership, Homeward Bound evolved from a traditional homeless service agency focused on basic needs to one leading its community in ending homelessness using a Housing First approach.

Nichele has over 27 years of experience in the homeless services field. Starting out as an outreach worker in Richmond, Virginia and eventually leading the Commonwealth of Virginia’s homeless services system through the COVID-19 pandemic. Nichele is currently the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, National Initiatives Team Senior Regional Advisor serving New York, New Jersey, and the New England states. Nichele previously served as the co-chair of the Council of State Community Development Agencies’ national homeless committee and was a founding member of the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ Racial Equity Network. In 2012 she was named one of the Virginia housing field’s top 40 under 40. She has a BS in psychology from Virginia State University and a MS in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Renee is a dedicated nonprofit professional with extensive experience in program management, fundraising, program development, and data evaluation, committed to improving outcomes for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. For over eight years, she has worked at the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, the lead agency for the local Continuum of Care (CoC). Currently serving as Vice President of the Homeless Response System, she oversees the coordination and performance of key initiatives, including the Collaborative Application (NOFO) process, authentic engagement with individuals of lived expertise, the annual Point in Time Count, and system-wide data and qualitative evaluations. Additionally, she provides strategic oversight of Coordinated Entry, HMIS, Governance, and Capacity Building efforts to strengthen partnerships and enhance system-wide performance. Her work focuses on fostering collaboration, implementing innovative solutions, and driving measurable progress to address homelessness in the greater Houston region. With a passion for results-driven strategies and a commitment to ending homelessness, she strives to create lasting, meaningful change in the communities she serves.

David Dirks is a dedicated advocate for racial and economic justice, with extensive expertise in federal homelessness programs, including compliance, system design, and program implementation. Grounding his work in equity, David focuses on addressing disparities and promoting inclusive practices. His commitment to community engagement, culturally competent outreach, and data-informed decision-making is central to advancing housing equity for marginalized populations.

David’s experience spans a wide range of housing programs and funding sources. A skilled facilitator, he brings together communities and cross-sector stakeholders to build consensus on strategic approaches to equitably address homelessness. He also serves as a volunteer attorney with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, providing legal counsel to clients through the Tenant Volunteer Lawyer of the Day program and the Consumer Protection Project.

David has worked at the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) and Homebase as a HUD technical assistance provider. He served as the equity lead for the Detroit Strategic Plan in 2024 with Barbara Poppe and Associates.

A native of Los Angeles, CA, David holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Grambling State University and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law.

Maseta Dorley, M.A., has 17 years of experience supporting nonprofit organizations in various capacities including case manager, certified housing counselor, and program director for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing (HPRP) under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Ms. Dorley began providing consulting and technical assistance when she served as a housing specialist for a managed care organization (MCO) monitoring HUD programs and completing performance reports for nonprofit organizations in a two-county catchment area. In this role, she facilitated the establishment of a county-wide homeless response system which connected to the statewide Balance of State CoC to serve homeless populations through permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, supportive services, and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects. Ms. Dorley has chaired strategic planning for CoCs, served as a coach for communities to develop an equitable process for their coordinated entry systems, and provided training and technical assistance for communities to establish authentic partnerships with persons with lived experience in system planning and service delivery. Additional subject matter of expertise includes CoC governance and capacity-building, qualitative data analysis, rural and Balance of State CoCs, and fostering partnerships between CoC, public housing agencies, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs. Ms. Dorley currently works as Senior Associate with Technical Assistance Collaborative where she sits on the HUD Rural Workgroup where she serves as the Co-Lead for the Special NOFO Rural team.

Prior to providing national training and technical assistance, Ms. Dorley provided nonprofit management and consulting services, specializing in board development, program design, fundraising, project management, grant writing, and administration.

Kris Freed’s extensive experience and expertise in homelessness and housing policy development, program design, and system operation make her a valuable asset in the field. Her leadership roles and contributions to various initiatives demonstrate a commitment to improving services and outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness.

As Chief Programs Officer for a major service provider in Los Angeles, Kris played a pivotal role in implementing the Family Coordinated Entry System (CES), a significant step in enhancing coordination and effectiveness within the homelessness response system. Her involvement in the Continuum of Care Board and the CES Policy Council highlights her dedication to shaping policies and procedures at both the local and federal levels.

Kris’s advocacy for initiatives such as the “Upstream Policy” underscores her innovative approach to addressing homelessness by ensuring individuals receive appropriate interventions without returning to homelessness. Her emphasis on specificity within staffing roles and strategic resource utilization reflects a keen understanding of the complex needs of homeless populations and the importance of tailored support. Additionally, her work on incorporating the shared housing intervention into our mainstream service delivery systems has been integral across the sector for the past 12 years. Kris’s most recent concept of government backed master leasing has become the primary housing acquisition strategy being scaled across Los Angeles County over the past 18 months—and being explored by communities like Seattle and San Diego.

Furthermore, Kris’s managerial skills enabled her to effectively oversee large budgets ($70 million), 400+ staff, and contractual requirements, while prioritizing mentorship and capacity-building within her team and partner organizations. Her establishment of the SPA Steering Committee and collaboration with neighboring SPAs exemplify her commitment to fostering collaboration and collective goal-setting across sectors.

Beyond her professional achievements, Kris’s personal experience and empathetic approach underscore her dedication to improving the lives of those in crisis. Her emphasis on trust, transparency, equity, and inclusion in coalition-building efforts highlights her commitment to creating a more supportive and inclusive system. Kris has her BA in Sociology from Cal State University, Los Angeles and an MPA from Cal State University, Northridge.

Amber Freeman is a dedicated advocate with over 20 years of experience in the human services and behavioral health fields, with a special focus on leadership and community impact. A two-time graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, VA, Amber holds a BA in Psychology Education and an MA in Community Agency Counseling.

Currently, she serves as the Director of Training, Technical Assistance, and Community Impact at the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), where she oversees a variety of programs aimed at ending homelessness across the state. Amber leads efforts to provide training and technical assistance to the homeless response system and collaborates across systems to ensure impactful, sustainable change. As the lead for the statewide “CT CAN End Homelessness” campaign, she is committed to advancing solutions that are both equitable and effective.

Amber’s extensive experience includes managing community support case management programs, permanent supportive housing programs, and working with diverse populations—including individuals with mental health, substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, and intellectual or developmental disabilities. Throughout her career, she has prioritized inclusive practices and advocated for DEI and social justice, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background, have access to the resources and support they need.

Amber’s leadership is rooted in a strong belief that justice and equity are central to transforming communities. She strives to create systems that not only support individuals but empower them to thrive. When not at work, Amber enjoys spending time with her 17-year-old twin sons and their two dogs in Manchester, Connecticut. She loves traveling, cruising, wellness, doing DIY projects, and adding to her ever-growing collection of indoor plants.

Lori is a public policy adviser and decolonial systems thinker, centered on housing justice, racial equity, and Indigenous ways if knowing. Lori has had the privilege to work with the public sector at every level of government, with elected officials, federal entities, Tribal Nations, governments outside of the United States, and NGOs who seek to increase high-level engagement on complex issues and invest in the communities they serve.

Through the lens of being Indigenous Pacific Islander (Kānaka Maoli) and a Filipina (Mandayan Muslim Clan), with lived experience of homelessness, deep poverty and displacement, these successful initiatives were made possible by encouraging collaborative governance, which brings together government change agents and Black, Brown and Indigenous community members and groups, to develop new policies and norms that prioritize racial and social justice. This strategy acknowledges the need for creating relationships and trust to address and correct historical and contemporary harm, while working together to create a new and revolutionary system.

Some of Lori’s most recent efforts include; support of the drafting of the 2025-28 Cal ICH Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness’s racial equity frameworks, supporting the planning and the implementation by Oregon Governor Kotek in her Executive Order declaring a state of emergency on unsheltered homelessness, supporting the State of California’s breadth of state departments, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Tribal Nations and local communities, to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness, while addressing racial disparities and harmful policies in the systems that serve those populations. Lori also currently serves an advisor and technical writer for the Department of Justice, co-authoring guides to local governments and universities on how to respond to events that polarize communities.

Lori has also served as Senior Adviser on Homelessness to Mayor Buddy Dyer of the City of Orlando and launched the Homeless Strategy Office for the City of Austin. In both roles, Lori led the development of a community-wide implementation infrastructure that supports collective alignment, action-oriented decision-making, and mutually reinforcing activities aimed at achieving common goals.

Prior to her appointment with the City of Orlando, Lori spent fourteen years with Habitat for Humanity International in various leadership capacities with expertise in disaster recovery and response, community engagement, emergency shelter solutions, resource development and advocacy. This included four years in Haiti, after the devastating 2010 earthquake where she worked hand in hand with President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in support of the Haitian government and community leaders in rebuilding.

Dr. Hill is long-term advocate to the government and social service system and has served our American communities for more than 30 years with expertise in housing, homelessness, criminal justice, domestic violence, and child welfare. Completing more than 15 years of education, she holds an AS in healthcare, BS in business management, MA in public relations, and a doctorate in public administration from California Baptist University.

Dr. Hill has managed and/or facilitated government programs funded by The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; Department of Labor; Department of Justice; Department of Health & Human Services; Department of Agriculture; Department of Education; California Department(s) of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Department of Social Services, Department of Medical Services, and County Department(s) of Mental Health, Homeless Services and Public Health.

Dr. Hill is an experienced supervisor and manager, overseeing governmental programs, special projects, finance, accounting, budgets, contracts and sub-contractors in multiple cities and states. She is a former State appointed Juvenile Justice Commissioner and served on the San Diego Reentry Roundtable for many years in various capacities including Chair, Vice Chair and Undersecretary. 

Dr. Hill has developed and maintained partnerships with over 300 agencies throughout California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Michigan. Her programs have received local awards, national awards, and international recognition; she is duly known as a dedicated, charismatic, and reputable community leader.

Jamie Hummer started her career in the homeless service system in 2009 as a Licensed Social Worker in an emergency shelter for families. Her passion for housing justice and macro practice led her to her current position at Strategies to End Homelessness in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she directed the implementation of a unique Coordinated Entry network across the homeless services system. Through her career she has been a part of many community-wide project implementation and innovations, leading collaboratively and always with equity. Jamie received her undergraduate Social Work degree from Xavier University and her master’s degree in Communication from The University of Cincinnati.

Suzanne Wagner is a principal and founder at Housing Innovations (HI), a consulting group that assists communities and organizations to develop and implement effective solutions to ending homelessness.  Suzanne has provided training and consultation to hundreds of nonprofit and public agencies throughout the country to expand their capacity to provide effective services and implement evidence-based practices (EBP’s) that are proven to promote stability in the community.  Specifically, she has worked with organizations to implement and evaluate Critical Time Intervention (CTI), Housing First, Moving On from Supportive Housing (MOSH) and other EBP’s. Suzanne is a member of the Steering Committee for the Center for the Advancement of CTI at the Silberman School of Social Work at CUNY Hunter College. She has also worked with numerous jurisdictions to redesign their systems to promote equity, deliver efficient and effective services, and achieve measurable results.  Suzanne has over 30 years of experience in the design and delivery of home and community-based services for vulnerable populations ranging from adolescents and families to single adults with complex needs.  She is a licensed Social Worker and holds a Master Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor Degree from Barnard College.

Veronica Lewis, Master of Public of Administration is a recognized leader in Los Angeles County in the Homeless Services, Substance Use Support and Reentry sectors and is the Director of the Homeless Outreach Program/Integrated Care System Division of Special Service for Groups (SSG/HOPICS) where she oversees more than 110 million dollars in annual funding for multi-service programs including: mental health, substance use disorder treatment, reentry support, homeless services, permanent housing programs and sites, and trauma-focused services.  HOPICS has permanently housed thousands of households under her leadership.

Under her leadership as Director since January 2011, HOPICS’ annual budget has increased by 2100 percent and the workforce tenfold  in 13 years. Veronica has worked tirelessly as an advocate to improve and coordinate homeless services in LA County- in particular the Service Planning Area Sixth Region (SPA 6) which is made up of South LA and the Cities of Compton, Lynwood and Paramount.  Veronica is the founder of the thriving SPA 6 Homeless Coalition. She has played an integral role in the development of the ever-expanding LA Continuum homeless systems of care as the lead for SPA 6’s Coordinated Entry System for homeless individuals and families. In 2014 Veronica led and developed the one-of-a kind SPA 6 Family Crisis Housing Network that formed in response to the changing system of care for homeless families in LA County. The Network consists of a blend of homeless and housing providers that provide short to medium term crisis and bridge housing for families working toward permanent housing through the local Family Solutions Center- and still keeps 300 families with children off of the street every night in interim housing present day.  Due to her leadership and advocacy HOPICS opened the first publicly funded interim housing location for transgender women and non-binary individuals in Los Angeles.   Under her leadership, HOPICS has permanently housed more than 6000 homeless families within the last decades.  Veronica has represented the interest of SPA 6 and the LA Continuum of Care (CoC) as member and Chair of the CoC Board and Coordinating Council.  Veronica is also a Los Angeles County Public Social Services Commissioner appointed by LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

She has worked diligently to secure housing resources and build the capacity of small homeless and reentry agencies in South LA and the Cities of Compton and Lynwood.  In her daily work Veronica has and continues to advocate for racial equity and honest dialogue about ways to improve the overwhelming number of health, economic, carceral and housing disparities for black people and other people of color in LA County.  She deeply understands the intersection of race, homelessness, behavioral health and the criminal justice systems. She was a member of the Los Angeles Ad Hoc Committee on Black People experiencing Homelessness (BPEH) and delegation of members responsible for finalizing the report and recommendations and currently serves on the Implementation Steering Committee for BPEH which is responsible for implementation oversight of the recommendations.  Veronica is also a member of the Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI) Racial Equity Steering Committee.

Veronica served as the Chair for two years of the Los Angeles Care First and Community Investment or CFCI (formerly Measure J) Advisory Committee and led the process of developing a recommended transformative spending plan that resulted in LA County funding $287 Million for the first two inaugural years (FY 22-23) of investment into alternatives to incarceration and addressing racial inequities. CFCI funds diversion and reentry services, de-carceration of LA County jails, primary health, behavioral health, housing, economic development, and youth support. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP).

In addition to her contribution to local Los Angeles City and County homeless/housing, reentry and SUD systems, programs and policies, Veronica also lends her expertise to help shape policies, best practices and projects at the state and national level through her participation as a Councilmember on the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) appointed by Speaker Anthony Rendon; member of the Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee for California Courts Judicial Council (CJCAC) and Chair of CJCAC’s Racial Equity and Inclusion Workgroup;  National Alliance to End Homelessness- Capacity Building Network; National Research Council- Transportation Research Board for the Airport Cooperative Research Program Project 03-59 Panel to help develop best practices nationwide to address homelessness at airports; and was a member of the California Department of Health Care Services Proposition 64 Advisory Group where she helped shape program design and utilization of more than 60 million for the Youth Education Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA).  

Brittani Manzo is an independent consultant, currently based in Washington, DC, born and raised in New Jersey. After college in New York City, she spent a decade in DC before moving to Seattle for five years. Britt (she/her) is well versed in policy and communications strategy as well as systems change and data-driven decision-making. She has supported public and private partners at the national, state, and local levels to successfully evolve their work to prevent and end homelessness and step up to play transformative roles in their communities.

Under Brittani Manzo Consulting she has most recently supported the design and implementation of Oregon’s Statewide Task Force on Homelessness and Racial Disparities and Governor Kotek’s 2023-2026 State of Emergency to Address Unsheltered Homelessness. Prior clients include Funders Together to End Homelessness, the National Racial Equity Working Group, Deschutes County and the City of Bend. Her current services include policy research, communications strategy, policy advising, and program design. Brittani’s approach to the work is guided by the wisdom of people who have and are experiencing homelessness. Prior to consulting, Brittani served as a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and as a Program Specialist/Officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace, advising and leading on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict portfolio.

Darlene Mathews is a distinguished human services consultant with over two decades of experience in transforming and revitalizing human services portfolios. Her expertise spans homelessness, diversity and equity, affordable housing, disaster recovery, and refugee resettlement. Her meticulous approach extends to critical content areas such as grants management, financial management, and organizational infrastructure. A Pakistani American raised in the deep South; Darlene is profoundly committed to the belief that access to the American Dream begins with secure housing. This commitment is deeply rooted in her unwavering dedication to the respect and dignity of all vulnerable populations. Darlene’s work is characterized by her innovative strategies and compassionate commitment to creating sustainable, inclusive solutions for the most marginalized communities. Darlene holds a Master’s in Public Administration and Urban Planning from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University and a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Darlene is a leading human services consultant helping municipalities, states, and nonprofits in Housing, Homelessness, Disaster recovery & resilience, and Racial equity. Darlene has worked with communities to strengthen local governance, redesign large-scale federal programs, respond to public health crises and natural disasters, reorganize housing portfolios, and strengthen grants management processes. Darlene’s work focuses on delivering critical foundational elements needed to strengthen the systems and processes necessary to support programs and activities that provide housing stability. Darlene has served as the Deputy Director for Policy & Programs for the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness in Washington, D.C.

Kay Moshier McDivitt previously worked as a Senior Technical Assistance Specialist with the Center for Capacity Building at the Alliance. Ms. Moshier McDivitt has more than 20 years experience developing and administering rapid re-housing and homelessness programs, as well as leading a local homeless coalition and Continuum of Care. As a Technical Assistance Specialist, she develops and delivers training and technical assistance on best practices, including rapid re-housing, retooling transitional housing and building a crisis response system. Additionally, Ms. Moshier McDivitt developed the Alliance’s Rapid Re-Housing Learning Collaborative, which helps rapid re-housing providers build their capacity and adopt best practices. Before joining the Alliance, Ms. Moshier McDivitt served as the Community Homeless Advisor for the Lancaster County (Pa.) Coalition to End Homelessness, providing leadership for the county’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and Continuum of Care. She also served as Vice President for Programs for Tabor Community Services Inc., during which time she oversaw a number of model program initiatives focused on ending homelessness, including prevention and rapid re-housing approaches. Ms. Moshier McDivitt received her degrees in Social Work and Sociology from Eastern Mennonite University.

Erica Mulryan is the Continuum of Care Director for the Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care, an 80-county homeless response system serving rural and suburban communities in Ohio. In this role, she is responsible for leading the overall system effort to end homelessness in the CoC. During Erica’s tenure, the Ohio BoSCoC has been selected to receive funding through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) three times, expanding YHDP programming to more than half of the CoC; and the CoC has increased its annual CoC Program funding from $13 million to nearly $30 million, adding hundreds of new PSH units the CoC. Erica has served in this capacity for more than 15 years.

Prior to joining the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) in 2006, Erica worked as a policy associate at Heartland Alliance in Chicago, and before that worked in direct services with people fleeing domestic violence and experiencing homelessness. She earned her undergraduate degree in social work from Kansas State University and her master’s degree in social work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago.

Heather Muller is Managing Partner at Clutch Consulting Group and brings twenty-three years of service delivery, program management, and system transformation experience to her work. With expertise in change management and implementation logistics, Heather works alongside communities to implement transformative strategies and program innovations. Informed by her 14 years of direct service experience, she grounds her consulting work in practical, hands-on coaching and support. Before co-founding Clutch, Heather was a Senior Program Manager and Interim Director at CSH, honing project management and execution coaching skills in Houston and across the country. As embedded consulting staff, Heather led the implementation of Houston’s Coordinated Entry and Income Now Systems and later developed multiple process refinement and project management tools as a consultant for communities across the country. In addition, she led the design and supported the implementation of some of the country’s largest, post-disaster rehousing efforts following hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Florence.

Denise Neunaber has worked to find solutions to homelessness for over twenty years. After starting as a Crisis Intervention Counselor at a day shelter and safe haven, Denise quickly saw the need for systemic change. Denise was the first staff of the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness in 2004 and served as the Executive Director for 17 years. During her tenure, the Coalition partnered with the State of North Carolina on several projects, most notably Back@Home North Carolina, the State’s disaster rehousing program created after Hurricane Florence. Since creating Back@Home, Denise has assisted other communities struck by disaster and continues to support the State’s efforts to strengthen their rehousing system including the response to Tropical Storm Helene. Now working as a freelance consultant, Denise’s current work is focused on creating sustainable rehousing programs. 

Erin Riley is the Coordinator for the Saginaw County Consortium of Homeless Assistance Providers.  In this role, she works with local homeless service providers and HUD to ensure federal guidelines and priorities are being implemented.  She is responsible for the submission of an annual grant to HUD that brings approximately $2.2 million dollars to Saginaw County. 

Erin has worked in the housing and homeless service field for nearly 25 years.  She started her career in Detroit after receiving her BSW from Wayne State University. She was a housing case manager in the HOPWA program, providing housing services to those with HIV/AIDS.   From that position she became a case manager and moved into a program manager position at a homeless shelter in Flint. This shelter housed approximately 30 people in the emergency shelter and there was also an onsite and offsite transitional housing program.

Throughout her career she has held a variety of positions including working at the American Red Cross providing homeless prevention services.  In this role, she also submitted and was granted a HUD grant for a transitional housing program in rural Arenac County.  From there she spent nearly 10 years as President/CEO of Bay Area Housing where the focus was on housing counseling and nonprofit development focusing on single family homes.

Erin believes that housing is a human right and that everyone should be able to afford safe, decent housing. 

Ms. Ross serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer of All Chicago Making Homelessness History. During her tenure she has brought together public and private sector leaders, nonprofit leaders, service partners and leaders with lived-experience to prioritize collaboration and system-level impact in Chicago. She has worked with key stakeholders on numerous innovative strategies to address homelessness and secured additional resources to support the tremendous work of community partners during the pandemic to secure housing for our most vulnerable residents.

She has years of experience working in the field of human services, focusing specifically on the causes that often lead to homelessness and developing strategies to help build community capacity. Ms. Ross currently serves on the Illinois Community Advisory Council on Homelessness, Racial Equity Roundtable on Black Homelessness, the Illinois Commission to End Hunger, the 211 Metro Chicago Advisory Board, and the Chicago Continuum of Care. She completed Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and is a graduate of DePaul University.

Jonathan serves as the Director of the Alameda County Health’s Housing and Homelessness Services, the lead government agency overseeing one of the ten largest Continuums of Care in the country, serving more than 24,000 people per year and working to coordinate services delivery across 14 local jurisdictions. A seasoned systems strategist and former non-profit executive, before his appointment in March 2024, Jonathan was the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at Bay Area Community Services (BACS), a leading non-profit organization specializing in behavioral health, homelessness services, and housing development across five counties in the greater Bay Area. In this capacity, he was responsible for steering strategic direction, program design, and new business and fund development. His role also encompassed managing government and external relations, real estate development, data analytics, evaluations, community engagement, advocacy, and policy.

Jonathan’s extensive experience includes leading direct service teams and large-scale program operations on Skid Row, Los Angeles, and overseeing a diverse portfolio of program operations, from homelessness prevention to affordable housing development, throughout the Bay Area. This background has endowed him with a deep and diverse practitioner’s knowledge and a solid grounding in systems and policy, particularly in the areas of homelessness and behavioral health, rooted in a racial and housing justice lens. Residing on Ohlone Chochenyo land in the East Bay, he continues to advocate for and contribute to impactful change at the intersections of these critical social issues.

Amanda Saurber is a person with lived experience, who has been impacted by many socioeconomic challenges and through her own recovery journey, has become an advocate for change. 

In January of 2021, Amanda got her Peer Support Cert. and started working as an Intake Coordinator for one of the largest recovery housing providers in Hamilton County and was eventually promoted to Operations Manager. Faced with the need to connect individuals to resources, Amanda realized how little herself and others knew about the resources available in her community and took it upon herself to learn what the organizations in her community had to offer. And in April of 2021, Amanda created a Facebook page called Our Community Resources, where she aimed to provide resources available in her community to her community.

In June of 2022, Amanda was hired at the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio where she currently works as a Peer Support Specialist for a Jobs and Family Services program called Benefits Bridge. Benefits Bridge is a program that assists individuals with children, who have received a reduction in benefits due to employment, find stability and sustainability through financial literacy, barrier removal, education assistance and connection to higher paying jobs.

In February 2024, Amanda was selected as a member of the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ Community Strategic Team. The Community Strategic Team and the Alliance are working to support lived experience community work around the nation by developing, designing, and deploying a plan to partner with lived experience individuals.

These last four years Amanda has built a reputation for being a Resource Specialist. She has accumulated a list of over 3000 organizations that provide resources to the community by collaborating with other individuals with lived experience, participating in outreach event, word of mouth, or community engagements.

In turn, Amanda launched www.OurCommunityResources.org in January 2024, and established Our Community Resources, LLC as it own organization in April of 2024. Our Community Resources, LLC provides individualized case management to justice-impacted and/or chronically homeless individuals in need of removing barriers that prevent that individual from living a stable and sustainable life.

Amanda has a passion for connecting individuals to wrap-around services and firmly believes a holistic approach to removing the barriers that prevent individuals from living a stable and sustainable life would further eliminate the poverty within our community.

Mary Simons, M.S. works as a Directing Analyst-Contract Lead at Homebase. She is working with a team to grow the Rural and Emerging Communities Division of Homebase. Additionally, she and a team at Homebase are exploring the challenges and solutions to implementing a livable wage in the homelessness services sector. She has dedicated nearly 25 years to designing and implementing housing and services programs that serve vulnerable populations through federal, state, and local resources. She has led CoC work in the southeast and worked in nonprofit management for over ten years. She earned her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a concentration in systems theory from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Suzanne Wagner is a principal and founder at Housing Innovations (HI), a consulting group that assists communities and organizations to develop and implement effective solutions to ending homelessness. Suzanne has provided training and consultation to hundreds of nonprofit and public agencies throughout the country to expand their capacity to provide effective services and implement evidence-based practices (EBP’s) that are proven to promote stability in the community. Specifically, she has worked with organizations to implement and evaluate Critical Time Intervention (CTI), Housing First, Moving On from Supportive Housing (MOSH) and other EBP’s. Suzanne is a member of the Steering Committee for the Center for the Advancement of CTI at the Silberman School of Social Work at CUNY Hunter College. She has also worked with numerous jurisdictions to redesign their systems to promote equity, deliver efficient and effective services, and achieve measurable results. Suzanne has over 30 years of experience in the design and delivery of home and community-based services for vulnerable populations ranging from adolescents and families to single adults with complex needs. She is a licensed Social Worker and holds a Master Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor Degree from Barnard College.

Jennifer Watkins is a dedicated and experienced Vice President at Crossroads Rhode Island, the largest homeless services agency in Rhode Island. With 30 years of experience in the Human Service Field, Jennifer is known for her open, fair, friendly, and energetic approach to her work. Jennifer is a motivated and compassionate professional who interacts with guests in shelters and housing with sincerity and respect. As a team leader, she effectively manages a team of 40-plus staff members, empowering and inspiring them to provide exceptional services. Under her leadership, the team has successfully housed an increasing number of families each year.

In addition to her managerial responsibilities, Jennifer excels at managing multiple programs simultaneously, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements for local, state, and federal grants. She is a sought-after guest speaker, sharing her expertise at schools, colleges, hospitals, and other local agencies and organizations.

Jennifer possesses excellent interpersonal and social skills, complemented by her expertise in time management and Housing First approaches. Known for her dependability and ability to manage a diverse staff, Jennifer also collaborates effectively with community partners.

Having dedicated 25 years to working with the homeless population, Jennifer is well-versed in trauma-informed care. In her current role as Vice President of Emergency Shelters, Housing Problem Solving and Assessment at Crossroads, she has introduced new evaluation processes, incorporating trauma-informed language into departmental documents to promote safe living spaces in all shelters.

As the overseer of 5 Emergency Shelters  and Housing Problem Solving Programs, Jennifer showcases her organizational skills and thrives in fast-paced environments. She conducts thorough research and updates materials required for grants, while closely collaborating with other departments within Crossroads.

Jennifer’s commitment to her role extends beyond regular hours, as she makes herself available for emergencies at program sites. She actively participates in resolving client complaints and conflicts and takes responsibility for developing and managing budgets for each property and program. With her wealth of experience, exceptional skills, and dedication to improving the lives of homeless families, Jennifer Watkins continues to make a significant impact at Crossroads.

Derek Wentorf is a passionate ally and advocate committed to ending houselessness for all. Derek has 15+ years of experience overseeing programming as well as managing system-level funding to support people moving into and staying in housing. Currently working as a private contractor with communities across the country, Derek has specific expertise in addressing youth and young adult houselessness, as well as unsheltered houselessness, with a passion for working to center and elevate the voices of young people in creating solutions for their community. Derek Wentorf has a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Washington, lives in Salt Lake City, UT, and is a partner to an inspirational woman and pet-papa to a needy goldendoodle

Michele is a dynamic and experienced professional with over twenty-five years of expertise in program development and implementation, focusing on vulnerable populations. A Black woman from the Midwest, Michele is passionate about using her voice for positive change. She has dedicated her career to serving persons with disabilities, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, low-income communities, those affected by natural and public health disasters, and refugee resettlement.

As the founder of Michele S. Williams, LLC, she has leveraged her extensive leadership experience in both the nonprofit and government sectors to meet organizational needs effectively. Michele is renowned for her expertise in Continuum of Care Management, crisis management, capacity building, and the intersection of housing and homelessness. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident in her work and her creation of the 5 Key Success System, a comprehensive training program for front-line human services staff.

Michele’s qualifications include being a HUD Technical Assistance provider, a member of the Disaster Technical Assistance Team, and the Racial Equity Advisory Council. She is also a Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant. Michele holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Administration from Western Michigan University, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University. Additionally, she is an alumnus of the Masters Series for Distinguished Leaders in Washington, D.C. Michele’s work focuses on enhancing organizational capacity, supporting DEI efforts, and building the skills and confidence of staff serving vulnerable populations. Her dedication and comprehensive approach make her a leader in the field of human services.

Dana F. Woolfolk began his career after 3 plus years living on the streets of Washington DC and Northern Virginia. He worked at an emergency shelter and a detox program and spent 12 years as a clinical case manager at a Mental Health Clinic. He also was the PATH Outreach Coordinator for a local government agency. He has over 4 years providing HUD technical assistance and over twenty years of homeless advocacy at the local, state and federal level.