HVMV RESOURCES & SPEAKER INFO

Session Slides

Marybeth M. Adkins

Executive Director, Family Crisis Support, Inc.

Marybeth M. Adkins is the Executive Director of Family Crisis Support Services, inc. She has held this position since 2012. Family Crisis Support Services is a multi-faceted agency serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness, and those living in poverty covering a five-county radius in the far southwest corner of Virginia. She is a member of the regional fatality team for Virginia Department of Social Services, Chair of the Regional Task Force, Chair of Lenowisco continuum of care, a member of the Virginia Action Alliance governing body and most recently accepted an appointment by Governor Glen Youngkin and Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James to the Advisory Committee on Sexual and Domestic Violence. Marybeth is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a Masters in Human Services. She resides in Norton, Va with her two doodles, Oliver and Ellie.

Sarah Armour-Jones

Deputy Director, Housing Narrative Lab

Sarah Armour-Jones (she/her) is Deputy Director of the Housing Narrative Lab where she focuses on strategic partnerships, communications and organizational growth. In all her work, from Editorial Assistant at the British Film Institute to her most recent position at the Melville Charitable Trust, Sarah has focused on the power of stories to create a more just world.

Sheila Battle

Executive Director and Chief Practitioner, The BattleStation

TEDx Speaker, Author and Executive Coach Sheila E. Battle, is a transformational leader, change agent, and human services advocate. Her passion is to see people grow from the inside out, through practical teaching and application of basic principles Whether managing a team or leading a workshop, her enthusiastic style motivates and inspires from the boardroom to the pulpit. Sheila’s fusion of real-life stories and her conversational techniques connect with her audience at an intimate, intense, and individual level. Sheila and her husband, Frank, host a podcast called Soulful Conversations with Frank & Sheila, and are the visionaries of The Battle Station and 15 Minutes of Grace.

Danielle Bell

PSH Program Supervisor, New River Valley Community Services

Danielle Bell currently supervises the Permanent Supportive Housing Program with New River Valley Community Services. She has 20 years of experience working with mental health and crisis stabilization. Danielle graduated from Radford University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work. She is currently working on her license for clinical social work. Danielle enjoys spending time on her farm with her wild farm animals including dogs, cats, chickens, goats, pigs, and guineas.

Abby Boyd

Director of Housing Opportunities, Virginia Housing

Abby is a Virginia native, having grown up in Northern Virginia before moving to Richmond to attend VCU for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in from the School of Social Work. Abby has spent her career working along the housing spectrum starting in homeless services and supportive housing. During her time in homeless services, she worked with multiple programs including street outreach, coordinated entry, emergency homeless shelter, permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and prevention/diversion. In her current role, Abby oversees the Housing Opportunities department within the Community Outreach division at Virginia Housing. In this role, she focuses on increasing access to housing for the most vulnerable populations and elevates the human experience in the built environment. Outside of work, Abby spends most of her time with her three young kids and husband and can usually be found outside at a park or at the pool.

Rebecca Brown

Advocacy Manager, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia

Rebecca is an experienced and award-winning professional with more than a decade of working knowledge of the older adult population and their needs. Her expertise in program design and service implementation is a spectrum that spans two coasts, three states, many diverse cultures and communities, for-profit and non-profit organizations, healthcare, the aging network, older adults living independently, in assisted living, long term care, memory care, and those actively transitioning at end of life. She currently serves Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia as the agency’s central communication liaison for all advocacy activities. In this role she champions the key issues important to older adults in the Commonwealth to political leaders and community partners; supporting the transformation of aging issues into the innovations with substantial, sustainable impact that are the hallmark of Senior Services’ 50 years of service.

Rebecca holds a B.A. in Sociology, Philosophy, and Professional Certification in Gerontology from the University of Colorado. She is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and the state of Colorado 2017 Activity Professional of the Year. She currently chairs the Coalition for Homeless Elders, and the Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition Service Coordination Committee for Singles. She believes all older adults and elders are deeply inspiring survivors who deserve health and social equity as they age.

Brea Burke

Lead Community Health Worker, Healing Hands Health

As the daughter of a pastor, Brea Burke’s whole life has been about serving others. Brea is the founding Community Health Worker (CHW) at Healing Hands Health Center, a charitable health clinic for the uninsured in Bristol, Tennessee, having served since 2019. Brea works on Social Determinants of Health, getting medical and dental patients connected to resources so they can live their happiest and healthiest lives possible. Before coming to Healing Hands, she was part of a pilot program to bring CHW’s to Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Brea’s passion is to advocate for CHW’s across the United States. She is a much sought-after speaker for webinars, conferences and was invited to speak at the White House. Brea is the founder of the CHW United Group of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, serves on the CHW Councils of both Tennessee and Virginia and is active with the policy council CHAMPP, Community Health Worker Advocating for Movement in Policies and Procedures.
Brea’s greatest joys in life are her husband and their 5 children. She is very passionate about foster care and dreams of founding a program for whole family solutions to protect the children while educating their parents on how to create a successful family environment.

Jovan Burton

Executive Director, Partnership for Housing Affordability

Jovan Burton is the Executive Director for the Partnership for Housing Affordability, a nonprofit focused on creating greater access to housing opportunity through policy, research, and collaboration. In this role, Mr. Burton works with local governments, developers, community groups, and key stakeholders to advance housing policy and educate decision makers on the region’s needs.

Mr. Burton serves on the board of directors for Housing Families First, Area Congregations Together in Service, and Vice Chair of the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care. Additionally, he is a participant in the Valentine Museum’s Immersion Trustee program. He is also a member of Greater Richmond’s African American Nonprofit Leaders Collective, the Amandla Fund for Racial & Economic Justice, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Real Estate Circle of Excellence.

Mr. Burton is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College with a bachelor’s degree in government and foreign affairs and has a master’s degree in public administration from the Douglas L. Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Lydia Campbell, CSAC, QMHP-A

Community Based Services Manager, Valley CSB

Lydia Campbell, a native of Richmond, graduated from Mary Baldwin College and made the Staunton/ Augusta/ Waynesboro area her home. Throughout her career, she has served as a local probation officer, housing authority staff, and found her passion in homeless services and special needs housing, particularly with individuals experiencing serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders. Permanent Supportive Housing is her favorite model and she thinks Coordinated Entry is the best thing since Reese’s cups. Lydia is embracing this new chapter of parenting her two kids in middle and high school called “chauffeuring” in a vehicle littered with coffee cups.

Nichele Carver

Senior Regional Advisor, US Interagency Council on Homelessness

Nichele has over 25 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 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.

KeKe Cody

Program Supervisor, Commonwealth Catholic Charities

KeKe Cody (She/Her) obtained her Masters in Social Work (MSW) along with a certificate in Gender Violence Intervention from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She currently works as a Program Supervisor at Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) in their Supportive Housing and Homeless Services department. At CCC, she oversees the Street Outreach program for the general population as well as for youth aged 18-24 experiencing homelessness. In addition to this, KeKe is the Interim Chair for the local planning group’s Board of Directors, and she facilitates the Crater Area Youth Action Board.

KeKe has experience volunteering with and then working for a non-profit whose focus is supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence as their Hotline and Volunteer Coordinator. KeKe also has experience working as a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) and has worked on an inpatient behavioral health unit in addition to having provided Intensive In-Home and Mental Health Skill Building Services. KeKe has been able to use these past experiences to inform her current work as there is crossover between the different populations she has served.

Jeff Doyle

HUD/VASH Coordinator, Salem VAHCS

Jeff has been working on housing issues for two decades. He has worked in non-profits and with the VA homeless programs at both the direct service and regional coordination level

Casey Edmonds

Director of Homeless and Housing Programs, New River Community Action

Casey Edmonds is the Director of the Homeless and Housing Programs at New River Community Action in Radford, VA. Managing the Rapid Rehousing, Homeless Prevention, Shelter operations, Housing Counseling and the Housing Choice voucher Programs. A certified housing counselor with a bachelor’s degree in business, Casey has worked in housing for over six years; beginning as a housing specialist for permanent supportive housing. Casey serves on the local agency on aging leadership team, the Habitat for Humanity family services committee and most recently is leading the supportive housing focus group for the NRV Recovery Ecosystem, the team guiding the NRV OAA grant. When she is not focusing on housing Casey enjoys spending time with her family and can be found caring for her garden, painting or practicing photography.

Hannah Evans

Homeless Outreach Specialist, SOAR Caseworker, MS, QMHP-T, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare

Hannah Evans has served as the PATH Homeless Outreach Specialist for Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare for the past year and a half. She provides PATH outreach services and is certified as a SOAR caseworker to better assist her clients. Hannah currently holds her Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Walden University and is working on a second Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling at Walden University.

Lindsay Feggans

Case Management Programs Manager, Encompass Community Supports

Lindsay Feggans currently works at the Encompass Community Supports (formerly RRCS) in Culpeper, VA as the Programs Manager for the Case Management Division which includes Permanent Supportive Housing. Lindsay has worked at ECS for 10 years. Just before her role as a manager, Lindsay was a Mental Health Case Management Supervisor for 7 years and a case manager prior to that. During her time at ECS, Lindsay has helped to develop the PSH program from the initial grant award in 2017.

Prior to her employment at ECS, Lindsay spent three years as a substance abuse counselor in Charlottesville, VA. Lindsay graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Sciences and holds her QMHP-A certification. She is a happily married mom of three with two adult sons and a daughter in high school, all of whom she is very proud of. Lindsay enjoys spending time with her family and her maltipoo dog and also enjoys going to the beach whenever she can.

Georgi Fisher

Housing and Benefits Coordinator, Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services

Georgi Fisher is the Housing and Benefits Coordinator for the Office of Community Housing at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, where she oversees permanent supportive housing for individuals with serious mental illness. She currently works with community system building, program administration, and program development for permanent supportive housing in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Georgi is an expert in system coordination and system change, with a specific focus on building systems to address barriers in benefit acquisition and housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Georgi serves as the Virginia Lead for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Program, where she created and oversees prerelease programs to address barriers in benefit acquisition for individuals leaving state hospitalization and incarceration. Georgi has worked as a social worker for 20 years, spending the past ten in the field of homeless services. She has served as a Technical Expert on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service’s Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) SOAR Expert Panel since 2019. Georgi is certified in SOAR, mass-casualty crisis response, and homicide risk assessment. She is further credentialed in forensic traumatology through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and through the National Organization for Victim Assistance as an expert in homicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, and crime-victim program management.

Jillian Fox

Director, CSH

Jillian Fox (she/her) is an experienced professional with over fifteen years of diverse experience in the housing and homelessness fields. As Director, Jillian leads efforts to advance supportive housing opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region (VA, MD, DC, and DE). In this role, she works with organizations and communities to increase investment, improve policies and practices, and advance multi-sector approaches to meeting the housing and services needs for individuals and families with children. Prior to joining CSH in 2015, she served as Deputy Director for the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, where she led the organization’s technical assistance and support to local communities and participated in statewide advocacy and policy efforts. She also worked for a Virginia based nonprofit housing developer operating throughout the southeast as well as a regional nonprofit addressing the needs of survivors of intimate partner violence.

Jessica Guglielmo

President and CEO, Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation

Jessica Guglielmo joined Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation in 1994 and has held numerous leadership positions within the organization. She became President and CEO in March of 2020. Guglielmo has over 25 years of experience in the non-profit community and housing development sector including experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating housing and human services programs. Her passion for serving the community and helping its most vulnerable citizens is what drives her. Guglielmo is a 1994 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Housing Advisory Board in the City of Virginia Beach and is a past member of BEACH Governing Board of Directors. She is the recipient of the 2010 Hampton Roads Housing Consortium Housing Partner Award. Guglielmo also serves as President of the Ocean Trace Condominium Board of Directors. She has performed voluntary work for Catch the King Tide, Tidewater Council of Boy Scouts of America, and the Girl Scout Council of the Colonial Coast.

Alison Hardy

Housing Case Manager, Miriam’s House

Alison, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, serves as a Housing Case Manager at Miriam’s House. Working in both Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing, she possesses a distinct perspective on constructing support systems and aligning clients with advantageous housing partnerships. Supporting a team of 5 case managers and leading the Youth & Family Case Conferencing for the CoC, she is dedicated to crafting impactful solutions through a compassionate lens.

Alison contributes her expertise in tailored housing strategies, empathetic guidance, and seamless teamwork. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and is a Virginia State SOAR representative.

Fletcher Johnson

Director of Donor and Community Development, Liberation Veteran Services

Chris joined the DARS Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit as Director in December 2019. In that role she oversees state and federally funded initiatives that support individuals living with brain injury, their families and caregivers, and the brain injury provider network. A graduate from Mary Washington College, and Averett University (MBA), Chris has a 40-year career that has focused on supporting people with disabilities and older adults in their communities. Her first job was as live in Manager of a transitional house for people leaving the Ohio state mental health hospital to finally return to the community. She also has worked with Community Services Boards building community-based housing and supportive services for children and adults with disabilities. In this work Chris developed HUD funded housing for seniors and people with disabilities, administered a Section 8 voucher program, and oversaw the transition to Medicaid funding for supportive services for people with intellectual disabilities and serious mental illness. For almost a decade, Chris led a regional nonprofit focused on developing community support to create livable communities for older adults and their families in Culpeper and the surrounding counties. Just prior to joining DARS, Chris served as Executive Director of the Free Clinic of Culpeper which provides free medical care to uninsured adults. She lives in Madison County with her partner and their pets.

Brian Koziol

Executive Director, Virginia Housing Alliance

Brian Koziol has worked for 9 years in the housing world, having spent most of that time as the Director of Research for Housing Opportunities Made Equal of VA, Inc. Brian has worked on a variety of housing-related topics including access to opportunity, affordability, mortgage lending, foreclosures, employment, health, and transportation. He has served as a consultant to local governments across the country helping them to advance equitable housing policy.

Brian holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University and resides in the Northside of Richmond.

Senta Leslie

Associate Director of Eviction Prevention, DHCD

Senta Leslie has worked in the field of affordable housing and homelessness for nearly 20 years. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Eviction Prevention for the Commonwealth of Virginia at the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).

Prior to joining DHCD, her roles in our sector included serving as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, where she led statewide policy, community organizing and strategic communication efforts. She has also served as Program Developer for the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s supportive housing division which serves approximately 30% of the homeless families in St. Paul, MN. Immediately before joining DHCD, Senta worked at Minnesota’s largest Civil Legal Aid office as their Director of Philanthropy.

As a girl, Senta’s family accessed many of the programs she has spent her career strengthening and protecting. In her free time, Senta loves spending time on the beautiful James River with her husband and their three children.

Christ Marra

Director of Housing Advocacy, Virginia Poverty Law Center

Christie Marra is the Director of Housing Advocacy at the Virginia Poverty Law Center in Richmond VA. Since graduating from the University of Richmond Law School in 1991, Christie has represented low-income Virginians in court and in the General Assembly through her roles as a staff attorney at Client Centered Legal Services of Southwest Virginia, Central Virginia Legal Aid Society and the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

Mary E. Mayrose

Executive Director, Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority

Mary has over 25 years of extensive experience in development, real estate management, operations, planning and community investment in the affordable housing industry. She has held significant senior level positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and at community development and public housing agencies. Since 2020, she has served as Executive Director at the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Under her leadership the LRHA is implementing an ambitious strategic plan, including redevelopment of public housing properties. Prior to her arrival in Lynchburg, she served as Executive Director of the Phenix City Housing Authority. During her tenure there, the agency and its development partner successfully applied for and were awarded three low income tax credit allocations totaling over $37M. The Agency was also awarded an additional $3.4M in a ROSS Grant, Emergency Security & Safety and Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Planning Grants. Prior to her time in Phenix City, Mary worked for HUD’s Louisville, KY Field Office overseeing facilities management for the Office of Public Housing. Prior to that position, she worked for the Center for Neighborhoods in Louisville, training neighborhood leaders and provided technical assistance to community housing development organizations. Mary possesses a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Drake University (Des Moines, IA). She currently serves as Senior Vice President of PHADA, the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association. Mary has extensive experience volunteering with downtown development organizations, and community theater.

Ara Krisela N. Mendoza

Associate Director of the Homeless and Special Needs Housing Unit, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Ara Mendoza is the Associate Director of the Homeless and Special Needs Housing Team of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Ara is a Licensed Social Worker who has been with DHCD since October 2019. She previously served as the Virginia Balance of State Continuum of Care Program Manager at DHCD and supported the 12 local planning groups who provide housing services to 73 counties and cities that extend 500 miles across the Commonwealth. Prior to her work at DHCD, Ara previously worked in New York City for the non-profit Breaking Ground in their Street-To-Home homeless outreach program. She started in 2013 as a housing case manager in the Manhattan site working directly with individuals who were experiencing homelessness and became a housing specialist for the program. Ara was promoted several times at Breaking Ground and ended her tenure there as the Program Coordinator for the Street Medicine Team which operated throughout the Brooklyn and Queens boroughs. Her responsibilities included providing individuals who were experiencing homelessness with medical care throughout the two boroughs, conducting outreach, and creating best practice procedures in collaboration with clinical and medical staff.

Chris Miller

Director, Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit, Dept. for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

Jessica Milloy

Director of Shelter & Housing Services, ForKids

Jessica Milloy joined ForKids in 2015 and oversees all services programs including case management, clinical services, and housing within her role as Director of Shelter & Housing Services. During her time with the agency she has served as a Family Case Manager and Program Manager for our in-home programs. Jessica graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services and then attended Capella University where she completed a Master of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Development. Prior to joining ForKids, Jessica was a supervisor at Fairfax County Department of Family Services within the government benefits department.

Amanda Moriarty

PSH Support Coordinator Supervisor, Encompass Community Supports

Amanda Moriarty currently works at the Encompass Community Supports (formerly RRCS) in Culpeper, VA as the Permanent Supportive Housing Supervisor for the Case Management Division. Amanda has worked at ECS for over 3 years. Amanda was the first Case Management Specialist for the Permanent Supportive Housing Program. While being in the program, Amanda has assessed the clients’ needs and has promoted change in the PSH program. Amanda graduated from Radford University with a Bachelors in Psychology and holds her QMHP-A certification.

She is currently enrolled into a Masters program for School Counseling. When Amanda is not working or in school, she likes to be outdoors and tend to her farm animals.

Sidney Neighbours

Senior Services Program Manager, LGBT Life Center

A native of Windsor, Virginia, Sidney Neighbours comes to us from the LGBT Life Center in Norfolk, having worked for the past year with the Agency’s “50 & Thriving” LGBTQ+ community and clients, providing ancillary services along with social programming for this growing population. Prior to coming to the LGBT Life Center, Sid was an educator in the City of Suffolk Public Schools, retiring in 2019. He has been a church musician since age 14 and is the Director of Music and Organist/Pianist for the Windsor Christian Church, a position he has held for the past 28 years. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Old Dominion University and has done additional post-graduate work at the University of Virginia. An advocate for rescue animals, Sid is the proud “doggie daddy” to his Gunther, a mixed breed pup that he rescued in 2013.

Nancy Price

Mental Health Residential Coordinator, Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

Nancy Price is the Mental Health Residential Coordinator for Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB). Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Nancy returned to the area and began working with RACSB after attending Longwood University. Nancy has 19 years experience working with adults with serious mental illness in a residential setting. In her current role, she oversees four mental health supervised apartment programs, as well as the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program. Nancy launched the RACSB PSH program in 2020, which started with 2 staff and housing for 20 individuals, and has grown to 9 staff and housing for 65 individuals. As demonstrated through her work and leadership, Nancy is passionate about providing individuals with opportunities for housing stability, mental health recovery and promoting independence through person centered practices.

Yugonda Sample-Jones

CEO, Empower All, LLC

Yugonda Sample-Jones is the first generation of her family to be raised in Newport News, VA, she has deep Family roots throughout the Eastern Shore Virginia and Maryland. Sample-Jones is the wife of Mr. Brandon Jones and mother of four adult children. She and her family have lived in the Eastend of Newport News for over 20 years. In 2019, Sample-Jones was inspired to create EmPower All, an organization whose mission is to Encourage, Expose, and Engage People living in marginalized communities to cultivate socioeconomic change. Presently her company works in collaboration with business owners, non-profit organizations, and quasi-government institutions to provide wraparound services to municipalities. Empower All connects the dots between government and private programs, grassroots organizations, and the people they serve and need reliable resources. Recently, Yugonda has opened her first of many transitional homes, where her company houses Women returning to society from incarceration and wraps them with encouragement, love, and support to heal and more forward with new skills and enthusiasm for life.

Tony McDowell

Executive Director, Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority

Tony McDowell was appointed on August 1, 2022, as the first executive director of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA). Prior to this role Mr. McDowell served a 30+ year career in public safety, including as Fire Chief and later Deputy County Manager in Henrico County.

Jason McIntosh

Mental Health Case Manager/PATH Outreach, Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

Jason McIntosh, is the PATH Outreach Worker and Mental Health Case Manager with Rappahannock Area Community Services Board. He provides service connections to mental health and substance abuse services through Projects of Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness. Jason, a graduate of James Madison University, is a Licensed Mental Health Provider and is skilled in communication, program development as well as crisis and disaster management. Jason managed communications and public relations for a top 10 defense and technology company, managed a disaster recovery center post Katrina and served in the U.S. Peace Corps and Crisis Corps. Jason resides in Spotsylvania and enjoys time with his partner and children.

Tynesha O’Quinn

Chief HR Concierge, FINE HR Consulting, LLC

Tynesha O’Quinn is the Chief HR Concierge of FINE HR Consulting, LLC. FINE HR provides first-class customized human resource services to small and medium-sized organizations, helping to reduce cost and mitigate risk by aligning an organization’s people strategy with its business strategy. Tynesha has spent 14 years in the HR industry and has a proven ability to translate a business’s vision into HR initiatives, developing actionable, value-added goals, resulting in improved performance growth, and employee engagement. She approaches her work with an enthusiastic, professional attitude, and always looks forward to opportunities in which she can partner in the success of a business.

While she truly believes that she is walking in her purpose as an entrepreneur, her most important work happens at home as she is a proud wife and mother. She has been married to Travis O’Quinn for 17 years and they have two intelligent and beautiful children, a 14-year-old daughter, and 11-year-old son. Faith, family, and community are her some of her most important values. If she is not spending time with loved ones, or volunteering, she can be found reading or writing.

Jay Patrick

President & Founder, Liberation Veteran Services

Jay Patrick is the President, and founder of Liberation, Inc. a multi-faceted non-profit organization that has the only homeless veteran program of its kind in the state of Virginia and the largest in the nation. Liberation Veteran Services began as an alternative to entities such as Wounded Warriors which served Veterans who had visible scars and obvious barriers resulting from their military service. There was no agency in our community serving Veterans with invisible scars and unknown barriers, and those Veterans were left to navigate an impossibly complicated system. The community impact of LVS is that more Veterans have the support they need to access affordable housing, employment, and mental health services, all with the common denominator of dignity, respect, and purpose Liberation also has a counseling agency licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health, a retail Thrift and Workforce Development operation, residential and outpatient addiction programs, and we are in the beginning stages of designing Veteran’s Village. a three phase 70 unit supportive and affordable housing community just for veterans.

Susan P. Price

Manager, Supportive Housing, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare

Susan Price has been working in the mental health field for 34 years. She has a B.S. from Radford University in Psychology. She has worked for Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare (BRBH) since 1987. Susan came to the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program in 2019. She is currently the manager of the PSH program. The BRBH PSH program has been successfully operating in the Roanoke area since 2017.

Sarah Quarantotto, MSW

Executive Director, Miriam’s House

Sarah Quarantotto has served as the Executive Director of Miriam’s House in Lynchburg, Virginia since 2010. Miriam’s House provides homeless response programs such as rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing and is the lead agency for the Central Virginia Continuum of Care. Under her leadership, Miriam’s House has increased its service capacity to house significantly more persons experiencing homelessness per year, driving reductions in homelessness in the Lynchburg area. As the lead agency, Miriam’s House is responsible for oversight of the Lynchburg region’s homeless response system. Sarah has worked in the Lynchburg community for almost 20 years with marginalized populations. Sarah has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Masters of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kashish Pillai

Housing Research Policy Analyst, New Virginia Majority

Kashish earned her Master’s in Social Work Administration & Policy and is a proud macro-level social worker. Her previous experience includes direct housing services with refugees during the Afghan crisis and providing behavioral health services for children with autism. She is currently active as the Housing Policy Analyst with New Virginia Majority.

Kristin Riddick

Community Housing Program Manager, Housing Families First

Kristin has worked in nonprofits serving vulnerable Virginians since 2014. She joined the team at Housing Families First as a case manager in 2018, and discovered a passion for working with households experiencing homelessness. In her current role as Community Housing Programs Manager, she supports the Rapid Rehousing and Bringing Families Home school partnership programs by providing guidance to the case management team, managing private and public grants, establishing and leveraging inter-agency partnerships, and maintaining agency standards for data, files, and best practices. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from James Madison University and earned her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has also received her Certificate in Disability Leadership from the VA-LEND program at VCU. Kristin is certified as a Homeless Specialty Housing Counselor by the Virginia Association of Housing Counselors. While she loves her job, her most important work is raising 3 tiny future JMU Dukes. When she has time, she enjoys reading, making music, and cultivating her green thumb.

Amy Smith

OTD, Brain Injury Association of Virginia

Amy is a Richmond-area native who joined the Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) to collaborate with the Virginia Department of Health in investigating the link between domestic violence and brain injury, with a focus on screening and building relationships between community providers. She originally got involved with BIAV through Camp Bruce McCoy, a summer camp for adults with brain injuries, and continues to help coordinate camp today! Amy is also responsible for outreach to newly injured Virginians and their families to provide support and resources, and she facilitates BIAV’s Advisory Groups. She holds a doctorate degree in occupational therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Chelsie Smith

CRPRS, Mount Roger Community Services Board

Chelsie Smith has been a Peer Recovery Specialist for over a year now in the Permanent Supportive Housing program at Mount Rogers Community Services Board. She is a mother of two beautiful children ages nine and three. Next June, she will have the privilege to marry her best friend. As a Peer Recovery Specialist, she loves the opportunity to help change lives as she had some one do for her. She enjoys connecting and supporting her individuals on their journey to recovery.

Kelli Smith

VP of Planning & Evaluation, People Incorporated of Virginia

Kelli Smith is the Vice President of Planning & Evaluation at People Incorporated of Virginia. In this role, Smith oversees grant writing and development of the agency’s programs, including early childhood education, economic development, housing, workforce development and other human services programs. She directs all evaluation activities, supports community engagement, oversees the maintenance of the agency-wide client data system, the agency’s community needs assessments, and serves as the point person for strategic initiatives including strategic planning and organizational learning. Smith has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector and is also a Certified Community Action Professional. Smith holds a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a bachelor’s degree from Emory & Henry College. She is most proud of expanding the agency’s data capabilities, ensuring all programs are providing the highest quality services possible. She enjoys living in rural Appalachia with her husband, daughter, and dogs.

Marco S. Thomas

Regional Coalition Convener, Richmond Henrico Health District

Marco S. Thomas is a Northside RVA native, and proud John Marshall Justice (Go JM). Holding a BA degree in Sociology from Virginia State University(VSU) and a Masters in Nonprofit Studies from the University of Richmond. In addition to being a Certified Community Health Worker, Marco is also a CHW Ambassador with VA. Community Health Worker Association, a CHW instructor for CHW Strength, and Chair of CHW Strength Foundation’s Board of Directors. Marco also serves on the SPCS Alumni Association at University of Richmond, and is a current board member for Side By Side. Marco’s passions include, studying scripture, teaching the Bible, and preaching The Good News, and in his spare time, he enjoys sitting in his garden listening to the birds talk to each other. Marco brings with him, a passion for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, as well as lived experience with Gun Violence and Social Injustice.

Fatima Tomlin

Homeless Older Adults Program Manager, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia

Fatima Tomlin joined Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia as the Homeless Older Adults (HOA) Program Manager in August 2022. Fatima holds a Master of Community/Clinical Psychology from Norfolk State University and has more than 15 years of experience working and advocating for vulnerable populations. As HOA Program Manager, she is responsible for identifying and providing essential needs and resources within the community to assist older adults experiencing homelessness. Her contributions ensure that these individuals successfully maintain the highest degree of independence. Fatima experienced homelessness as a teen, and with the help of school officials, friends, and community- resources, she regained housing stability. Her personal experiences and determination in her youth continue to drive her passion and dedication to serving individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. In her many leadership roles, Fatima has collaborated with team members and community partners to create, communicate, and execute a clear vision to help older adults realize housing stability in the Hampton Roads region. When not working diligently for her clients, Fatima loves to spend time with friends and family and travel to new places. She also hopes that one day, she will learn how to keep a house plant alive

Andriea Ukrop

Homeless Data Manager, Virginia Dept. of Housing and Community Development

Andriea Ukrop (she/her) has over 17 years of experience working in the Homeless Services System. She has provided direct client services, financial development and grant writing, system coordination, and data analysis over the course of her career. Andriea has a BSW from Radford University and a MPA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently, she works as the Homeless Data Manager for the Homeless and Special Needs Unit at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Her work as the homeless data manager involves using qualitative and quantitative data effectively to make homelessness rare, brief, and one time.

Charnitta D. Waters

Senior Director of Operations, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia

A dedicated human service professional and leader, holding a Master’s in Public Administration and BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with dual concentrations in Sociology and English, Charnitta Waters has over 13 years’ experience in public service and community action efforts sparking positive social change. She is currently the Senior Director of Operations at Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, the largest Area Agency Aging in the state of Va. Throughout her career, she has developed a plethora of programs and managed operations in housing and other supportive services to address the unique needs of vulnerable populations to include the homeless, veterans, and seniors, actively involved in cross sector partnerships dedicated to improving the systems that govern service delivery and policy implementation for the most vulnerable populations and marginalized communities. Through harnessing the power of strategic collaboration and coordination, she believes being goal-oriented and solution focused helps to cultivate change that positively address the needs of communities and systems one at a time!

Martin Wegbreit

Director of Litigation, Central Virginia Legal Aid Society

Martin Wegbreit is the Director of Litigation at Central Virginia Legal Aid Society in Richmond, Virginia, where he has been employed the past 18 years, and has been a legal aid attorney for 44 years. Currently he is a member of the City of Richmond’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund Supervisory Board and the Legal Advisory Board of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME). He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. In June 1992, he was honored by the Virginia State Bar as the first recipient of the annual “Virginia Legal Aid Attorney” award. In October 2019, he was honored by the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation as the recipient of the “Hettrick Leadership Award” for his efforts in the creation of the Richmond Eviction Diversion Program. Mr. Wegbreit also is the author of “Progress Interrupted: Virginia’s Hesitant Movement to Landlord-Tenant Reform” published in the Richmond Public Interest Law Review in January 2023.

Angela Whitehead

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles, Inc.

Angela Whitehead is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles, Inc. (SULI). Angela founded Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles, Inc. in 2004. She has over 25 years of experience in serving seniors. She is also a member of the Hampton Roads Housing Consortuim, The Virginia Beach Task Force On Aging and Bring an End to All City Homelessness Planning Committee (BEACH). Angela has completed the HUD Subsidizing Multifamily Housing, Alzheimer”s Association, Southside Geropsychiatric Services – Mental Health and Aging. Angela is also the proud recipient of the Hampton Roads Housing Consortium (HRHC), Housing Warrior Excellence Award. The award that recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to improving housing conditions for the region.

Susan B. Wilkes, Ph.D.

Faculty, The Innerwork Center

Susan Brock Wilkes, PhD, is a faculty member with the Innerwork Center and an award-winning instructor. She has trained extensively in teaching the evidence-based mindfulness programs and is a certified teacher for both Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self Compassion through the University of California, San Diego. Susan is the owner of an organizational psychology consulting firm that specializes in work with nonprofit organizations. Previously, Susan worked as a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University for 20 years including 5 years at the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. She currently teaches in the Human Resources Master’s program at University of Richmond and is the 2022 recipient of the Innovations in Teaching award. Active in the community, she is a past Board Chair for Health Brigade and a co-founder of Impact100 Richmond.

Shay Wilson

Programs Manager and Mindfulness Facilitator, The Innerwork Center

Shay Wilson is a Mindfulness Facilitator and the Programs Manager at the Innerwork Center. Her training in Koru Mindfulness and The Center for Mind Body Medicine provides a skillset in working with a variety of people including individuals with trauma. Recognizing the pivotal role of self-awareness and the practice of mindfulness in nurturing mental well-being, Shay endeavors to share her abilities to empower others on their wellness explorations. Her decade-long immersion in mindfulness influences her teachings as well as her affinity for integrating mindfulness with the natural world. In her free time, you can find her walking the trails along the river with her pups.