Sarah Fox, LMSW

Director of Advocacy and Community Impact

sfox@cceh.org

Sarah Fox is the Director of Advocacy and Community Impact for CCEH. She is responsible for managing statewide advocacy initiatives and advancing community capacity building efforts. Prior to her current position, Sarah worked as a Project Coordinator in New Haven and Norwalk, helping to provide leadership, technical assistance, and project management to reach regional, state, and federal goals to end homelessness. Before joining the CCEH Team, Sarah worked as a family violence victim advocate at Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven and as a recovery and advocacy advisor working with individuals living with chronic mental illness at Fellowship Place, Inc. Sarah received her B.S. in Communications with a concentration in Program Planning and Development from Cornell University and her M.S.W. with a concentration in Policy Practice from UCONN School of Social Work. In her graduate career, Sarah interned in the Office of Congressman Christopher Murphy, the Office of State Representative Toni Walker, and the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work.

Carolyn Thomas-Davis

Director of Finance & Administration

cthomas@cceh.org

Carol Thomas comes to CCEH with more than 15 years of experience in both the non-profit and municipal accounting sectors. Carol was appointed and served two Rhode Island municipalities in the capacity of Deputy Finance Director, as well as the Town of Monterey, Massachusetts, as Town Accountant. Most recently, Carol served as Finance Manager for the Brattleboro Housing Authority in Brattleboro, Vermont. Carol attended both Howard University in Washington, DC and Johnson & Wales University in her hometown of Providence, RI earning a BS in Accounting. Carol also earned an MBA in Global Business Leadership & Forensic Accounting from Johnson & Wales University. Carol is passionate about community service and social justice and often renders her training and skill sets to organizations and causes that represent her values. Carol has served as Treasurer of the NAACP in Providence, RI, as well as the Springfield Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (a public service organization) and has worked with Crossroads Rhode Island and the Urban League of Rhode Island training staff and volunteers to provide free income tax preparation services through the Internal Revenue Services’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Carol is the mom of three amazing children, enjoys traveling, cooking, live music and her fur baby (cat) Cinnamon.

Amber Freeman

Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator

afreeman@cceh.org

Amber Freeman comes to CCEH with over fifteen years of experience in the human service and behavioral health field, with the last eight years being in management positions. At CCEH Amber is our Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator and because of her expertise she also leads our Rapid Re-Housing Learning Collaborative and assists with the coordination and compliance of other projects and initiatives. Over the years Amber has worked in various capacities with individuals and families in diverse settings. Amber has experience working with and managing programs for individuals with mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring diagnoses as well as individuals experiencing homelessness and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most recently, Amber was a Program Manager where she managed community support case management programs and permanent supportive housing programs. Amber is a two time graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, VA where she received her BA in Psychology Education and her MA in Community Agency Counseling.

“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” –George Bernard Shaw

Richard Cho

Chief Executive Officer

rcho@cceh.org

Dr. Cho joined CCEH in November 2018 and brought 20 years of experience in the housing and homelessness sector. From 2013 to 2016, Cho served as the Deputy Director at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the federal agency that coordinates the federal response to homelessness. At USICH, Dr. Cho was responsible for coordinating the efforts across 19 federal departments to implement Opening Doors, the federal strategic plan to end and prevent homelessness in America, and played a key role in the national push to end veteran and chronic homelessness.He also held several positions at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, where he spearheaded the development of supportive housing models and policies for people experiencing homelessness, veterans, justice-involved populations, and other vulnerable populations. For the last two and half years, Cho has been helping to lead national efforts to improve police interactions with people with mental health needs, and to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails, including helping to increase connections to stable housing. He currently serves on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Crisis Prevention and Response Task Force, as well as the Kings County/Brooklyn (NY) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s Justice 2020 Committee, Mental Health Subcommittee. He brings a breadth of national and regional experience to the role.

Roy Graham

Youth Special Projects Coordinator

rgraham@cceh.org

Roy joined CCEH in October of 2018. He works on the Youth Homelesss Demonstration Project (YHDP) by coordinating the Youth Shelter Diversion and Rapid Exit programs, supporting the Youth Navigators, supporting housing inspections, and providing general training and technical assistance to youth homeless providers.Roy has been working with youth and young adults for over 15 years. He was a Consultant for the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, partnering with mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and True Colors. He worked for the Center for Children’s Advocacy as their Outreach Coordinator where he conducted youth outreach and case management. Roy came to CCEH from the Women & Families Center where he was a Residential Coordinator for the Project REACH Transitional Living Program housing six youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness.

“While common people like you and me, we’ll be builders for eternity. Each is given a bag of tools, a shapeless mass and a Book of Rules.” – R.L. Sharpe

Carl Asikainen

Project Manager Field Mobilization

casikainen@cceh.org

Carl Asikainen comes to CCEH with 20 years of experience working to address food insecurity and homelessness. Most recently, Carl worked as a Food Systems Manager at TEEG, a human service organization that lends aid and support to communities of Northeastern Connecticut. Prior to that, Carl worked as an outreach worker for End Hunger CT! and for Project Home in Philadelphia. Currently he is the Youth Systems Coordinator at CCEH and is working throughout the state helping to advance community capacity building efforts to end youth homelessness.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

SB340 An Act Concerning Funding for Housing Services

Legislative Session 2021

SB340 aims to ensure adequate funding for homelessness and housing assistance services. This bill requires state agencies to ensure that nonprofit providers who provide services for the homeless and housing-related services can pay living wages, overtime, hazard pay and benefits for front-line staff, maintain client caseload sizes to meet industry standards, and adequately fund other costs such as supplies, staff training and development and technology. Click this link to view the bill in full and check the stage.

Economic Justice

Connecticut is economically unequal. It has the highest level of income inequality in the U.S by measure of the GINI index.

The Economic Policy Institute found that people who make up the top one percent of Connecticut bring in 37% more than the average income.

Economic justice is tied to Housing and Racial Justice. CCEH advocates for economic justice through our Right to Housing campaign. You can learn more about what a Right to Housing means here.

Racial Justice

Housing Justice is Economic Justice is Racial Justice is Justice for All. Fighting for racial justice means dismantelling systems and structures that disproportionately harm people of color.

Connecticut's mass incarceration systems are deeply unequal. Our partner, ACLU CT, writes CT's incarcerated population has skyrocketed, increasing by 334% since 1968. Today, Connecticut has a higher incarceration rate than the United Kingdom and Portugal combined. Additionally, Black and Latino individuals are over-represented in CT's prisons and jails.

Fighting for racial justice means working to end mass incarceration, work with our partners to re-invest funds into communities most harmed by mass incarceration, and investing in re-entry services for those leaving incarceration to stop the revolving door between prisons and shelters.

Kathy Flaherty

Executive Director

Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc

Since 2015, Kathy has served as Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. (CLRP) (www.clrp.org) a statewide non-profit agency that provides legal services to low income individuals with mental health conditions, who reside in hospitals or the community, on matters related to their treatment, recovery, and civil rights. Kathy spent 13 years as a Staff Attorney at Statewide Legal Services of CT, Inc., the centralized intake hotline for all the Connecticut legal services programs.
Kathy combines her personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and her legal background to speak to issues affecting those living with mental health conditions.
Kathy is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-CT (the state’s lawyer assistance program) www.lclct.org ; she is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) (www.cableweb.org.) Kathy is the former co-chair of the Keep the Promise Coalition (http://www.ctkeepthepromise.org/), a coalition of advocates (people living with mental health conditions, family members, mental health professionals and interested community members) with a vision of a state in which people with mental health conditions are able to live successfully in the community because they have access to housing and other community-based supports and services that are recovery oriented, person-driven and holistic in their approach to wellness. She is currently a member of the steering committee of the Connecticut Cross Disability Lifespan Alliance (http://bit.ly/CCDLA), an alliance of people of all ages with all disabilities who pursue a unified agenda in support of building a great life in the community.
A graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard Law School, Kathy has dedicated her professional life to advocating for the rights of the underserved.
Kathy lives in her hometown of Newington with her husband, Jim Valentino.

Sandra Roberts

Information and Referral Advocate

Center for Disability Rights

Sandra Roberts was raised locally in Clinton, CT and currently lives in New Haven, CT. She was born with a physical disability and was one of the first students to be mainstreamed in the public schools. She earned her Bachelors in Social Work in 1990 from Southern Connecticut State University and her Masters in Social Work in 2002 from Southern Connecticut State University.

In 1990 she was hired by Center for Disability Rights currently located in West Haven and has worked there performing various roles like Peer Counseling, Individual Advocacy, Independent Living Skills Training and Youth Transition Coordinator. Her current role is Information and Referral Advocate.

Sandra realizes the challenges personally of locating affordable and accessible housing. She also sees the challenges in the disability community of assisting consumers with all disabilities in finding housing given the enormous waiting lists for affordable housing and waiting lists even for homeless shelters and their inability in accommodating disabilities.

Rachel Givens

Advocacy Intern

rgivens@cceh.org

Rachel Givens lives in Wolcott, CT and is a recent graduate from the University of Connecticut. Rachel graduated in May 2020 from UConn with a BA in Human Development and Family Sciences and minors in Gerontology and Psychological Sciences. The highlight of undergrad for her was participating in an intergenerational learning program through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn where she took classes with students over the age of 50 and formed friendships with her classmates of all ages. Rachel was also a member of several service organizations during undergrad. Rachel is now enrolled at UConn School of Social Work as a Master of Social Work student with a concentration in Community Organizing. She is also working a job on campus in the Field Education department. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks and gardening.

Patricia Hidalgo

Project Coordinator for the Re-entry Housing Assistance Program

phidalgo@cceh.org

Patricia came on board with CCEH on September 9, 2020. Patricia is passionate about connecting individuals and families to resources in their communities. Patricia is aware of the vast cultures and languages that make up our society and how difficult it is for individuals and families to translate or communicate what their needs are to thrive. Armed with her determination and knowledge of resources, Patricia spent several years as an employee of UNICEF an international non-profit organization based in New York City. After moving to Connecticut to pursue new initiatives, Patricia was also employed with LifeBridge, The Salvation Army and The Workplace Inc. all non-profits located in Bridgeport, CT. Patricia considers herself a life-long learner. Patricia believes people should be passionate about the life they have been given and it is her goal to make people feel better after they have interacted with her.

Madison Alexander

Advocacy Intern

malexander@cceh.org

Madison Alexander is an MSW candidate concentrating in Community Organizing at the University of Connecticut. She received her BA in Social Psychology from Bennington College in 2017. During that time, she completed an internship with the Poor People’s Campaign that solidified her interest in grassroots organizing around economic and racial justice. Since then, she has worked in direct care and in-home mental health counseling with children and youth as well as case management for the homeless population. Madison continues to engage in organizing efforts surrounding racial justice as well as tenants’ rights and housing justice concerns heightened by COVID-19. As a ’20-‘21 intern, she is looking forward to working with the CCEH team to put her skills to use and grow as a future social worker and organizer.

David Gonzalez Rice

Senior Program Manager

dgrice@cceh.org

David Gonzalez Rice joined the field of housing and homeless services in 2013, when he became a supportive housing case manager in the Social Innovation Fund program. Since then, he has supervised coordinated entry, street outreach, and transitional and supportive housing program staff. David joined CCEH in 2017, as Coordinator of the Eastern CT Coordinated Access Network. In his current role, David supports the statewide homelessness response system with expertise and technical assistance in all aspects of coordinated entry, from street outreach and shelter diversion to housing prioritization and cross-system collaboration. A former educator and researcher, David Gonzalez Rice holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University.

Marianna Wells

Development & Communications Intern

mwells@cceh.org

Marianna Wells is a senior at Connecticut College. She studies International Relations and first learned about policies to end homelessness in Connecticut in conjunction with her research on anti-trafficking, immigration, and mass incarceration. She has previous experience in Development and Communications at organizations in the New London area.

Michelle Jones

Data Analysis Intern

mjones@cceh.org

Michelle joined CCEH in September 2019 as a Data Analysis intern. She graduated that same year with a degree in mathematics from Yale. At CCEH, Michelle has been helping put together the results from the 2020 Point-in-Time count, and have also worked with criminal justice data from the CT Department of Corrections. Aside from housing, Michelle has done research into voting rights and the math of gerrymandering, and has been involved with immigrants’ rights organizations in New Haven.

Vicky Luo

Senior Data Analyst, HMIS and Strategic Analysis

vluo@cceh.org

Shujie (Vicky) Luo is a visionary with a strong passion for the field of Data. Vicky developed solid data analytics skills and hands-on project management experience while working at P&G and Xiaohongshu (Top social-based E-Commerce Company in China). Before CCEH, Vicky gained NGO experience at NoSchoolViolence (NSV) as a data engineer to help the organization set up data architecture to reduce school violence in the data aspect. Vicky holds an MS in Business Analytics and Project Management from the University of Connecticut.
As a member of the data team at CCEH, Vicky will work to impact the community by taking advantage of data.

Linda Casey, MS, MPH

Director of HMIS and Strategic Analysis

lcasey@cceh.org

Linda brings more than twenty years of management and information systems experience in the private sector, leading strategic product planning and delivering innovative solutions. With experience in diverse environments ranging from healthcare technology start-ups to mid-growth and established organizations, Linda has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies, military and government agencies, international telecom companies, and hospital systems to solve business challenges through the use of technology and organizational efficiencies. Linda holds a BA in French from Cornell University and an MS in Management Information Systems from the George Washington University School of Business. She recently completed the Master of Public Health at UCONN that leverages her data and analytical skills with her passion for improving the lives of others.

Madeline Ravich

Development Advisor and Director of the be homeful Project

mravich@cceh.org

Madeline Ravich is a Connecticut-based development consultant who is currently overseeing CCEH’s fundraising efforts. She has more than a decade of experience managing development initiatives for a wide range of nonprofits and has also provided corporate responsibility consulting services to companies and industry associations. Madeline holds a BA in Art History and Linguistics from University of Chicago and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She lives in Hamden with her husband Scott and her daughter Lilo.

“There’s no place like home.” – The Wizard of Oz

Rachel Spears

Advocacy Intern

rspears@cceh.org

Rachel joined CCEH in November 2020 as a Youth Outreach intern. With a degree in psychology from Agnes Scott College, she's passionate about helping people on an individual level while also advocating for system-level changes. During her time in college, Rachel interned at different non-profits and learned how various factors such as policies, income inequality, and lack of opportunity greatly affected people's ability to meet their basic needs and thrive in their communities. At CCEH, she hopes to contribute to long-lasting work that will create sustainable interventions for youth populations experiencing homelessness and further learn about best practices.

Allan Vega

Communications Coordinator

avega@cceh.org

Allan is a native of Caracas, Venezuela but has lived a great part of his life in Hartford. From a young age Allan discovered a passion for helping others. He was a Community Organizer at the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice where he organized community members around the closing of the Hartford landfill. Around this time Allan discovered a passion for communications. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a BA in Communications. For the last few years Allan has been working in direct services for agencies such as AIDS CT and The Village for Families and Children. Most of the people Allan has helped are experiencing housing issues and for this reason he decided to work for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness in order to help alleviate his community.

Rose Kelly

Data Analyst

rkelly@cceh.org

Rose joined CCEH in October of 2019 as a data analyst. Prior to working with CCEH she worked with Atrius Health in Massachusetts for nine years as a data analyst for high-risk patient care and interventions. She also taught sociology as an adjunct instructor in California and Massachusetts over the past 15 years. She discovered a passion for using data to help at-risk groups in need of services and care as well as educating the public about social issues. Rose holds an AA in Psychology, as well as a BA and a Masters in Sociology from California State University San Marcos.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” - Rev. John Watson, Free Church of Scotland

Rosie Armstrong

Executive Assistant to the CEO

rarmstrong@cceh.org

Rosie brings with her more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit world. Rosie has an array of administrative skills and is an avid advocate to affect positive change in lives of countless residents in the greater Hartford area. As the Advocacy Team Leader at Community Health Services, Inc. in Hartford, Rosie was recognized two years in a row on a National level (National Association of Community Health Centers/NACHC) for her efforts to support critical Health Center Reauthorization policy (S.901 and HR 1343) and keeping her community engaged, aware and excited about the value and importance of advocacy! She is looking forward to being an added force to our team here at CCEH in our charge to prevent and end homelessness in Connecticut.

Leigh Shields-Church

Coordinated Access Network Manager

Connecticut Department of Housing

Leigh has over 18 years of experience in homeless and housing services, beginning her career in an emergency shelter in Seattle, WA. Prior to working at the Dept. of Housing, Leigh directed the New Haven Shelter Plus Care program and provided clinical care at the CT Mental Health Center with the affective disorders team. She completed a BA in Public Administration and Political Science from Stonehill College, and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Connecticut.

Lisa Noriega

Environmental Intern

Sustainable CT

Lisa is a graduate student pursuing an MS with Bard College's Center for Environmental Policy. She is interning with Sustainable CT for the Summer and Fall of 2020 to assist with the development of actions to further advance municipal sustainability. Lisa is a southern California native, graduating with her Bachelor's degree in environmental science and resource management in 2018 from California State University, Channel Islands. She then began her career managing energy and sustainability for the same university, doing work that ranged from on-campus activism to creating and implementing sustainability certification programs.

Leilani Farha

Global Director

The Shift 

Leilani is the Global Director of The Shift, an international movement to secure the right to housing and the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing (2014-2020). The Shift was launched in 2017 with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Cities and Local Government and works with multi-level stakeholders around the world including with several city governments in North America and Europe.

Leilani’s work is animated by the principle that housing is a social good, not a commodity. She has helped develop global human rights standards on the right to housing, including through her topical reports on homelessness, the financialization of housing, informal settlements, rights-based housing strategies, and the first UN Guidelines for the implementation of the right to housing. She is the central character in the award-winning documentary PUSH regarding the financialization of housing, directed by the Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten. PUSH is screening around the world and to continue its momentum Leilani and Fredrik now co-host a podcast – PUSHBACK Talks - about finance, housing and human rights.

Pastor AJ Johnson

Community Organizer

Christian Activities Council

Pastor AJ Johnson is a faith-influenced voice for urban resurgence and revival and a pace-setting champion for justice and community-wide uplift. As a trailblazer, Johnson leads The Urban Hope Refuge Church, an influential church where passionate worship and community activism meet in Hartford, Connecticut. Johnson works at the Christian Activities Council as a Community Organizer. He spearheads Small Business Night Out, a network of minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs; Calling all Brothers, a widely hailed male mentor-ship and leadership organization and Brothers Johnson 1929 Hat Company, a clothing brand reflecting strength, loyalty, and distinction.

Reverend Doctor John L. Selders

Minister

Amistad United Church of Christ

The Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the Organizing Pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ.
Bishop Selders has done his academic and theological reflection attending Life Christian Bible College, Webster University, Eden Theological Seminary and Anglican Divinity School. In addition to being a talented award winning songwriter, musician and performer with local, national, and international credits, he is also the Bishop Presider of The Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations and Ministries (ICLCM) and is the Co-Convening Bishop of The Sacred College of Progressive Episcopates (SCPE). Bishop Selders is a founding member of Moral Monday CT, a grassroots statewide organization committed to a wide range of social justice issues.

Garrett Parsons

Pet Program Coordinator

Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati

Garrett Parsons, LSW - Garrett serves pet owners experiencing homelessness as Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati’s Pet Support Coordinator. For the past 4 years, Garrett and a team of dedicated volunteers have kept hundreds of pets with their families and out of animal shelters. In his work, Garrett ensures pet owners struggling in the Greater Cincinnati area have access to the resources they need. He also tries to bridge the gap between animal welfare and social services so the community can work together to keep families together. Garrett is active in the animal welfare community working with domestic and wild animals.

Monica Bell

Associate Professor of Law & Sociology

Yale Law School

Monica C. Bell is an Associate Professor of Law & Sociology at Yale Law School. Her areas of expertise include law and inequality, policing and the criminal legal system, welfare and public benefits law, housing law and residential segregation, and race and the law. Her scholarship has appeared or is forthcoming in the Yale Law Journal, American Journal of Sociology, NYU Law Review, Law & Society Review, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, and other journals. She has also published writing in popular outlets such as the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Washington Post, and The Appeal.

Marc Pelka

Undersecretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning

Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

Marc Pelka is Undersecretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning at the Office of Policy and Management, an agency providing information and analysis to formulate public policy for the state on Governor Lamont’s behalf. His responsibilities rest at the intersection of criminal justice data analysis, policy development and implementation, administration of state and federal grants, and convenings of state and local officials as well as stakeholders. Prior to this position, he worked for ten years at The Council of State Governments Justice Center, where he helped state policymakers from across the country use a Justice Reinvestment approach to avoid corrections costs and reinvest in public safety strategies. Reinvestments states made as part of this approach included community behavioral health treatment as well as victim services. Prior to this experience, he held public affairs and policy positions in the Connecticut House of Representatives. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from New York University a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School

Adam Sendroff

Community Development Manager

Town of Hamden, CT

Adam Sendroff is the Community Development Manager for the Town of Hamden, CT. He is a former chairperson of the Hamden Board of Education, of which he was a member for 10 years. Adam previously worked in academic publishing for over two decades, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health.

Ofc. Matthew Gotowala

Police Officer

City of Bristol, CT

Officer Gotowala has served the city of Bristol for nine past years as a Police Officer and for and the last three years as a School Resource Officer and Community Officer. He currently patrols Bracket Park and works directly in Bristol Central High School. For the past three years he has also worked as part of the City of Bristol Youth Commission.

Aubrey Minkler

Program Coordinator of Community Service

City of Bristol, CT

Aubrey Minkler currently works as the Program Coordinator of Community Service for the City of Bristol. The Bristol Office of Community Service aims to empower city residents through short term case management and outreach. Prior to this roll Aubrey worked as the Assistant Program Coordinator of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Supported Employment Program at Community Mental Health Affiliates in New Britain. She also recently worked as the lead facilitator on the Peer Fit Pilot Project through Dartmouth University. The project aimed to study the cardiometabolic risk reduction in patients with severe mental illness.

Theresa Geary

Director of Operations

Connecticut Humane Society

As the Director of Operations, Theresa is responsible for directing and overseeing the daily operations in all three of the adoption centers and the Fox Memorial Clinic. This includes animal care, pet intake, adoptions, medical care, behavioral care and facilities maintenance.
Prior to CHS, Geary was VP of Operations at Dumb Friends League in Denver, known nationally for its innovative work and leadership among leading animal welfare organizations. Prior to working in Denver, she was the Director of Operations at the New York City Animal Care and Control and held positions at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of Boulder, and the Larimer Humane Society. Geary holds a B.S. from the University of Connecticut in Animal Science.

Jahana Hayes

U.S. Representative for the Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut

U.S. Congress

Representative Hayes was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2018, making her the first African-American woman and the first African-American Democrat to ever represent the state of Connecticut in Congress. Hayes first garnered widespread notoriety while serving as a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, when she was selected as the Connecticut Teacher of the Year, before going on to earn the distinction of 2016 National Teacher of the Year (NTOY), leading to an invitation to the White House by then President Barack Obama. In her capacity as NTOY, Hayes traveled the country and the world as an ambassador for public education engaging all stakeholders in policy discussions meant to improve outcomes for students.
She is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Saint Joseph and the University of Bridgeport. Having earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in history and secondary education, a Master’s of Arts in curriculum and instruction, and a degree in administrative leadership.

Stacy Havlik

Associate Professor

Villanova University

Stacey Havlik is an associate professor in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University, where she is the graduate counseling program director. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate level counseling courses. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Maryland. As a former school counselor, she specializes in training pre-service school counselors and other school personnel to be leaders and advocates in meeting the diverse needs of all students. Her research interests include investigating the academic, social/emotional, and career/college development needs of students experiencing homelessness and first-generation college students. She has published and presented her research nationally and internationally and has been featured on national media outlets sharing her findings. She is currently a consultant for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) Single Point of Contact Pilot Program where she provides trainings for states across the country developing SPOC programs.

Marina Marmolejo

Master of Public Health

DreamKit

Marina Marmolejo, MPH is an anti-poverty advocate that is changing how we engage with communities experiencing homelessness. Marina is courageously innovating in a space that has seen very little innovation over the last decade. She believes homeless agencies are overworked and understaffed, and the current antiquated systems cannot adapt to the rapidly changing needs of folks experiencing homelessness. Marina sees the power of technology, real-time data, and human-centered design to create sustainable solutions for this vulnerable and incredibly resilient population. After graduating from the Yale School of Public Health, Marina founded DreamKit, a web-based app that financially supports youth experiencing homelessness to build skills and reconnect with their community.

Kelly Balthazor

Regional Relationship Manager

PetSmart

With more than twenty years’ experience in corporate philanthropy, social responsibility, and grantmaking, Kelly Balthazor started her nonprofit career in fundraising and corporate partnerships. In 2016, Kelly joined PetSmart Charities as a Regional Relationship Manager where she directs the owned pets grant portfolio for the East Region. As the largest animal welfare funder in North America, PetSmart Charities annually distributes over $35 million in grants and adoption rewards to fulfill their mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.

Carolyn Hanesworth, PhD, LCSW

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Mercy College

Carolyn Hanesworth is a Critical Time Intervention Trainer, Researcher, and Consultant. In addition to her work with the Center for the Advancement of Critical Time Intervention, Dr. Hanesworth is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She has worked as a service provider, leader, and consultant for organizations serving homeless children and families in Texas and New York City for the past 25 years. Recently, she served as the Project Director for the CTI for Rapid Rehousing Pilot Study in Connecticut, where she assisted in adapting and implementing CTI for Rapid Rehousing recipients.

Jessica Labrencis

Attorney

The Connecticut Fair Housing Center

Ms. Labrencis joined the Center as a fair housing enforcement staff attorney in 2014. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Labrencis was an associate attorney at a law firm in San Diego where she represented employees in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour cases. She received her B.A. in English from Stonehill College, and her J.D. magna cum laude from California Western School of Law, where she was a member of the Public Service Honors Society.

Ann Oliva

Visiting Senior Fellow

Center for Budget and Policy

Ms. Oliva is a Visiting Senior Fellow with the Housing team. Prior to joining the Center, she was the Senior Policy Advisor at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. From 2007 to 2017 Oliva was a career federal official at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), most recently overseeing the Department’s multi-billion dollar homelessness and HIV/AIDS housing portfolio as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. She also worked as Director of Programs at the Community Partnership in Washington, D.C. and as a human services consultant in multiple communities nationwide. In 2015, Oliva was named one of the 50 Most Influential Leaders in HUD’s 50-year history and was honored with the True Colors Fund’s True Leader Award. Moreover, she was a finalist for a "Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal" (Sammie) for the distinction of management excellence in 2011, and was part of an interagency team that won a Sammie for reducing veteran homelessness in 2012.
Oliva has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kay Moshier McDivitt

Senior Technical Assistance Specialist

National Alliance to End Homelessness

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.

Nan Roman

President and Chief Executive Officer

National Alliance to End Homelessness

Ms. Roman is a leading national voice on the issue of homelessness. Under her guidance, the Alliance has successfully identified and promoted innovative strategies for ending homelessness that have been adopted by communities across the country. In her role, Ms. Roman works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with officials and advocates at the state and local levels. She collaborates with Alliance partners to educate the public about the real nature of homelessness and effective solutions. She has researched and written on the issue of homelessness, regularly speaks at events around the country and frequently serves as an expert on the issue for the media. Her perspective on homelessness and its solutions comes from more than 20 years of local and national experience in the areas of poverty and community-based organizations.

Tiheba Bain

Executive Director

Women Against Mass Incarceration

Ms. Bain is Founder and Executive Director of Women Against Mass Incarceration, a grassroots organization empowering justice involved women and girls. Currently she is on staff at The National Council for Incarcerated and formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Tiheba is a public speaker who played an integral role in passing legislation SB13 for incarcerated women and girls in the State of Connecticut. She sits on the African American
sub commission of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity. Tiheba also participated on the State Collateral Consequences Task Force. In the past she sat on the mass incarceration sub-committee for Governor Ned Lamont’s Transitional Policy committee.
Ms. Bain hosted the second annual Free Her conference. She also spoke at Columbia University, Yale University, UCONN, John Jay College, the CT Public Defender National Conference and at IMRP Annual Building Bridges Conference. Recently Ms. Bain was inducted into the CT Hall of Change for her exemplary work in the community. While obtaining her dual undergraduate degree in Psychology and Women and Criminal Justice, she co-wrote a chapter of the book Race Education and Reintegration. Ms. Bain also is an alumni of Heyman Center for Humanities Justice-in-Education Scholar program, at Columbia University.

Jessica Kubicki

Director of Programs

Supportive Housing WORKS

Jessica Kubicki, LCSW, joined Supportive Housing WORKS in January 2016 as the Rapid Exits Manager and transitioned her role to the Director of Programs in May 2017. She also serves as the Leader of the Norwalk Housing First Team which focuses on the collaborative efforts of providers within Greater Norwalk to provide services and resources to the most vulnerable, chronically homeless individuals and families. Jessica provides leadership in maintaining a strong housing placement system, collaborates with providers through the Housing First Collaboratives within the four sub-communities of Fairfield County, and assists in the implementation of statewide housing policies and procedures within the Coordinated Access Network. Jessica also provides clinical and programmatic support to the Rapid Re-Housing Program.

Ben Blake

Mayor

Milford, CT

Ben was born in Milford and his parents, grandparents, and even a generation before that made Milford their home. He grew up riding Bus “K” to Calf Pen Meadow Elementary and playing sports at Foran High. He attended the University of Richmond in Virginia where he studied History and Government. While in Virginia, Ben taught Civics to high school juniors and seniors. He then returned to Connecticut, attended law school at Quinnipiac University, and from 2004 through 2011 practiced law on the beautiful Downtown Green.
Now in his fifth term as Mayor, Ben has enacted a series of cost cutting initiatives and streamlined City operations to make Milford government more effective and efficient; Milford taxpayers have experienced five consecutive tax cuts while the City’s bond rating was upgraded to an enviable AAA credit score. Ben’s focus on economic development has stimulated a tidal wave of business expansion that has grown the City’s tax base; Milford’s Grand List is now the largest in New Haven County and one of the top in the State. Most notably, Ben has led Milford through Storm Sandy and Blizzard Nemo, and has received widespread praise for his management during two of the worst natural disasters in the City’s history.
When not conducting Milford business, Ben and his wife, Sandy, delight in raising their three children, Carter, Caroline and Tucker, in a home behind the Library – in walking distance to Milford’s beaches, harbor, downtown, and the City’s other fantastic amenities.

Shelley Stoehr-McCarthy

English Professor

Southern Connecticut State University

Shelley Stoehr-McCarthy has taught in the English Department and First-Year Studies at Southern Connecticut State University since 2017. She was awarded SCSU's Outstanding Teacher Award for Part-Time Faculty in 2018 and the Connecticut Board of Regents Systemwide award for Best Adjunct Teacher in 2020. In 2019, Shelley had an idea for a program in which SCSU graduate students would help youth experiencing homelessness to apply for college. Since then, she and several colleagues in the SCSU English Department have begun partnering with local service providers Y2Y New Haven and Youth Continuum New Haven to develop and begin implementation of Shelley's vision.

Michele Conderino

Executive Director

Open Door

Since June 2019, Michele Conderino, MSW, has served as Executive Director of Open Doors. During her time here, Michele has helped lead Open Doors to the greater adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices to end homelessness.
Prior to her role at Open Doors, Michele has worked for nearly two decades in homeless, human services, and mental health services, including as the Regional director for Northern Fairfield County and Director of Homeless Services at Catholic Charities overseeing outreach services.

Samm Williams

Outreach Case Manager

Open Door

Samm has been a part of Open Doors since 2018 and recently took on the role of outreach case manager for the greater Norwalk area. Before launching the new outreach program, she worked as a support supervisor at Open Doors, overseeing the evening and night functions of shelter. Samm's philosophy is that outreach is more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle: "It’s a reminder of a past of my own. I was homeless on the streets of NYC at 19 years old, and I had an aunt who was also street homeless in NYC and died at a bus stop days before she planned to get her life together. Ending street homelessness is important to me because it saved my life."

Omar McDew

Youth Advocate

City of New Britain Community Service Department

Omar McDew is currently the Youth Advocate for the City of New Britain’s Community Services Department. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University and lifelong resident of New Britain, he has worked with at-risk youth for over 31 years.

Omar got his start with the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department in 1989 where he provided summer and afterschool programming for youth. From 1996 – 2006 he was a caseworker for the New Britain Juvenile Justice Center where he dealt with medium to high level juvenile offenders. He moved into his current role as Youth Advocate in 2006 where he runs the Juvenile Review Board and provides mentoring for kids 9-18. In addition, he has been an assistant football coach at New Britain High School for 20 years.

Nancy Sienkowski

Manager of the Intensive Care Management Department

Community Health Network of CT

Nancy Sienkowski, RN, BSN, CCM is an Intensive Care Management (ICM) department manager at Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT), the medical Administrative Services Organization (ASO) for the State of Connecticut’s HUSKY Health program. Nancy has been an ICM manager for six years, working with her team to provide care coordination to HUSKY Health members with complex health conditions, using a person-centered approach. After graduating from Skidmore College, Nancy worked at Yale New Haven Hospital before moving into home healthcare. Nancy held a variety of positions with home healthcare, ranging from Director of Clinical services up to administrator.

Linda Casey

Director of HMIS and Strategic Analysis

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

Linda brings more than twenty years of management and information systems experience in the private sector, leading strategic product planning and delivering innovative solutions. With experience in diverse environments ranging from healthcare technology start-ups to mid-growth and established organizations, Linda has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies, military and government agencies, international telecom companies, and hospital systems to solve business challenges through the use of technology and organizational efficiencies. Linda holds a BA in French from Cornell University and an MS in Management Information Systems from the George Washington University School of Business. She recently completed the Master of Public Health at UCONN that leverages her data and analytical skills with her passion for improving the lives of others.

Angel Cotto

Researcher

Youth Action

Angel Cotto is a youth with lived experience of homelessness who works for the Youth Action Hub as an action Researcher in Connecticut. He has worked with neighborhoods, organizations, and statewide workgroups advocating for different youth, educational, and LGBTQ+ rights and community issues. Angel facilitates the Reaching Homes CAN/Homeless response workgroup and co-chairs the youth partnership task group. Much of Angel’s work is around implementing youth partnerships across the state including the technical advising he provided during Connecticut’s 100 Day Challenge. He hopes to grow the work of the Hub and replicate it in other areas of the nation.

Traci Burdick

Community Health Worker

Community Health Network of CT

Traci Sedacca Burdick is a Certified Community Health Worker at Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc. (CHNCT), the medical Administrative Services Organization (ASO) for the state's HUSKY Health program. Traci is a native of Florida and moved to New England in 2008. She has worked in the healthcare field for over 15 years and has developed a strong passion for the underserved, and a heart for homeless individuals and their families. Traci earned her undergraduate degree from University of Phoenix in Business Management and her graduate degree from University of Phoenix in Business Administration. In her spare time, Traci enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with close friends and family.

Jim Pettinelli

Executive Director

Liberty Community Services

Jim is the Executive Director of New Haven’s Liberty Community Services, a greater New Haven-based nonprofit that provides a range of housing and support services. He previously served as Assistant Director of CIRA's Community Research and Implementation Core, where he was instrumental in helping to form CIRA's model New England HIV Implementation Science Network. Jim is dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, mental health issues, and those living with HIV/AIDS.

Sarah Gallagher

Managing Director of CSH’s Eastern Region

The Corporation of Supporting Housing

Sarah is currently Managing Director of CSH’s Eastern Region. She has expertise in health/housing collaborations, data matching, interagency collaboration, homeless programs and reentry. Previously she served as CSH’s Director of Strategic Initiatives leading CSH’s efforts to scale and replicate proven supportive housing models as part of the Government Affairs & Innovation team at CSH as well as the Director of CSH’s Connecticut Program, overseeing all of CSH’s training, lending, technical assistance, and systems change work throughout the state. Sarah worked with State agencies to increase the use of supportive housing as a public policy solution, including project management of the Frequent User Services Engagement Program (FUSE), a supportive housing pilot program aimed to break the cycle of homelessness and incarceration for frequent users of jail and shelter, and assisting the State, and health care and supportive housing providers to integrate health care and housing for vulnerable populations. Previously, Ms. Gallagher served at the first Executive Director of Journey Home, the local homeless funding and planning body for the Capitol Region, where she oversaw the development and implementation of the community’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Sarah was also the Executive Director for Discharge Planning at the New York City Department of Corrections, where she oversaw the discharge planning programs on Rikers Island and worked with City agencies in order to overcome barriers that people face when leaving jail. Ms. Gallagher holds a Master degree in Urban Policy and Management from the Milano Graduate School at the New School and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Connecticut.

Marianne Farr

Supportive Housing Administrator

The Friendship Service Center

Marianne is a part-time outreach worker in Bristol through SVDP and Brian’s Angels. She is also a supportive housing administrator at The Friendship Service Center in New Britain, CT.

Matt McDermott

Lead Organizer

CONECT

Matt McDermott has served the Lead Organizer of CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) for the last 8 year. CONECT is a broad-based organization – multi-racial, multi-faith, urban and suburban – made up of 29 congregations from East Haven to Stamford that organize together to take action on issues of common concern to their families and communities and for the greater good. McDermott has led CONECT though successful campaigns on issues as varied as immigrant rights, health insurance rates, school discipline policies, police accountability, and numerous local issues.

McDermott joined CONECT with more than 12 years of prior experience organizing in the greater Chicago area. McDermott served as lead organizer of Lake County United, senior organizer of United Power for Action and Justice, lead organizer of the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP).

McDermott is a graduate of the University of Michigan Residential College with a BA in history. A native of the South Side of Chicago, McDermott lives in the New Haven area with his wife and two daughters.

Kelan Lyons

Criminal Justice Reporter

CT Mirror

Kelan Lyons is CT Mirror’s Report For America Corps Member, covering the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. Before joining CT Mirror, Kelan was a staff writer for City Weekly, an alt weekly in Salt Lake City, where he covered an array of topics including economic development, immigration and state and local politics. Prior to reporting in Utah, Kelan was a courts reporter for The Bryan-College Station Eagle, covering criminal and civil trials and hearings in the Brazos County Courthouse and won a first place feature writing award from the 2018 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors for his story on how a 35-year-old cold case still affects the community. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. He is originally from Philadelphia.

Fiona Vernal

Associate Professor of History and African Studies

University of Connecticut

Fiona Vernal, (PhD, Yale University), is Associate Professor of History and African Studies and director of the new initiative, EPCOH: Engaged, Public, Oral, and Community Histories at the University of Connecticut. Building on oral histories, archival research, and iterative exhibitions, her research chronicles African American, Puerto Rican, and West Indian settlement in the Greater Hartford region.

Michelle Dumas Keuler

Human Rights Attorney

Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities

Michelle Dumas Keuler is a Human Rights Attorney with the State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (“CHRO”). Founded in 1943, the CHRO is the nation’s oldest state based civil rights organization. The Commission is charged with investigating and prosecuting cases of employment, housing, public accommodation and credit discrimination. As a Human Rights Attorney, Ms. Dumas Keuler represents the agency in its prosecution of employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination cases before agency Human Rights Referees and in state court. Ms. Dumas Keuler has extensive experience training in the areas of housing and employment discrimination, employer best practices and sexual harassment discrimination. She has trained countless landlords, tenants, housing authorities, state and municipal employees and employers regarding discrimination statues and their enforcement by the CHRO. She also implemented and supervised a Fair Housing Testing program at the CHRO funded by HUD. She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and Western New England University School of Law.

Angel Quiros

Commissioner

Connecticut Department of Corrections

Commissioner Quiros started his career with the Connecticut Department of Correction in 1989 as a Correction Officer. He has gone on to work in the following capacities for the agency: Lieutenant, Captain, Unit Manager, Major, Deputy Warden and Warden. He served in the position of District Administrator from 2011-2019.
Commissioner Quiros has extensive experience in the development of correctional institutional policy and possess in-depth, hands-on institutional skills developed by serving in a variety of correctional settings.
He is a Management Trustee of the Connecticut State Retirement Commission, as well as a Criminal Justice Consultant for The Moss Group.
In March of 2019, then Commissioner Rollin Cook appointed Angel Quiros to the Office of Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Rehabilitative Services Division (OARS). This division is comprised of 14-correctional facilities. As Deputy Commissioner he also oversaw the Parole and Community Services Division.
Mr. Quiros served as Interim Commissioner of the department from July through August 2020.
Governor Ned Lamont announced on September 2, 2020, that Angel Quiros was his nominee to be the 11th Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction. Commissioner Quiros is the first Latino to serve as Commissioner of the State’s prison system.
Commissioner Quiros holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Springfield College. He is married, and the couple are parents to one adult-aged son.

Steve DiLella

Director of Individual and Family Support Program

Connecticut Department of Housing

Steve is the Director of the Individual and Family Support Program Unit at the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH). Steve has been with the State working on ending homelessness for the past twelve years. During this timeframe, Steve has managed all state funded homeless service programs including homeless outreach, homeless diversion, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing, as well as assisting in the creation of Connecticut’s Coordinated Entry System. Connecticut has over 5000 units of permanent supportive housing and over $3 million dollars of funding for rapid rehousing for homeless individuals and families. Within the 5000 units of permanent supportive housing are various special initiatives that target homeless individuals and families that are high cost users of institutional settings. Steve has also pushed the Connecticut homeless service system toward a housing first and low barrier model and has instituted harm reduction policies in all homeless programs. In addition to Steve's roles with DOH, he serves as the Co-Chair for the Connecticut Balance of State Continuum of Care, which has leveraged significant resources over the past ten years to create more permanent supportive housing units for the disabled homeless population.

Rachel Givens

Graduate Student

University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Rachel lives in Wolcott, CT and is a recent graduate from the University of Connecticut. Rachel graduated in May 2020 from UConn with a BA in Human Development and Family Sciences and minors in Gerontology and Psychological Sciences. The highlight of undergrad for her was participating in an intergenerational learning program through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn where she took classes with students over the age of 50 and formed friendships with her classmates of all ages. Rachel was also a member of several service organizations during undergrad. Rachel is now enrolled at UConn School of Social Work as a Master of Social Work student with a concentration in Community Organizing. She is also working a job on campus in the Field Education department. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks and gardening.