Keynote Speakers
Secretary Kody Kinsley
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Kody H. Kinsley was appointed to the role as Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services by Governor Roy Cooper and took the oath of office January of 2022. He joined DHHS in 2018 and most recently served as the Chief Deputy Secretary for Health at DHHS and Operations Lead for North Carolina’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
Secretary Kinsley and his team work tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. DHHS has nearly 18,000 employees and an annual budget of $26 billion with responsibility for the state’s public health, Medicaid program, mental health, disability supports, health service regulation, state operated healthcare facilities, adult and child services, early childhood education, economic and employment services, and more. Secretary Kinsley and his team are focused on responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, building on the Department’s investments in whole-person health — especially mental health, expanding our efforts to prevent and treat substance use disorder, and supporting a workforce that promotes wellbeing.
Kinsley returned home to North Carolina after serving as the presidentially appointed Assistant Secretary for Management for the United States Department of the Treasury under both the Obama and Trump Administrations. In that role, he functioned as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer with a broad scope of responsibility for the agency, its nine bureaus, and 100,000 employees.
His experience spans the public and private sectors, including positions at the White House, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and leading operations for a behavioral health care service provider in western North Carolina. Secretary Kinsley is a Fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship, a partnership of the Anti-Defamation League and the Aspen Institute, and is also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Brevard College in Brevard, NC and his Master of Public Policy from the University of California, at Berkeley.
Roosevelt Grant
Greensboro Field Office Director
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Mr. Roosevelt Grant has over twenty years of experience in emergency management, policy development, environmental compliance, and hazard mitigation. Recently, Mr. Grant served as the Catastrophic HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) Section Chief for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Department of Homeland Security) where he helped manage a $5B portfolio in HMGP funds for the major 2017 disasters including Hurricanes Maria, Harvey, and the California Wildfires. In 2018-2019, Mr. Grant supported the government of Puerto Rico’s Mitigation Operation for DR-4336 and DR-4339. During his time in Puerto Rico, he facilitated mitigation field policy and operations in coordination with the Puerto Rico State Hazard Mitigation Officer, as well as senior mitigation officials in FEMA Region II and FEMA Headquarters. Mr. Grant also completed an inter-agency rotational assignment where he supported HUD’s Disaster Recovery and Special Issues Division on CDBG-Mit Action Plan reviews and facilitated the Spring 2020 CDBG-MIT Webinar Series.
Mr. Grant holds an undergraduate degree in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed summer study at Cambridge University, conducted research on coastal zone mapping at Duke University and received a full Fellowship for his Master’s degree in Environmental Policy Studies from Brown University. In his spare time, Mr. Grant is devoted to his family and friends, gardens and cooks, and is a jazz piano enthusiast.
Workshop Speakers
Brian Alexander
Project Director
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Implementing Best Practices in Rapid Rehousing
In April 2016, Brian Alexander joined the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH), a statewide membership nonprofit that works to secure resources, encourage public dialogue, and advocate for public policy change to end homelessness. Brian leads the teams administering the NC Balance of State Continuum of Care and the NCCEH Data Center. Brian has worked in homeless services since 2003. Starting as a front-line worker at Homeward Bound of WNC’s day center, he transitioned to multiple roles within the agency including shelter director, supportive housing case manager, operations director, and finally Executive Director in his final six years. Under his leadership, Homeward Bound evolved from a traditional homeless service agency focused on basic needs to one leading its community in ending homelessness using a Housing First approach.
Michelle Armstrong-Lavine
SOAR Coordinator and Local SOAR Lead
Mecklenburg County – Criminal Justice Services
Working While Receiving Disability Benefits: The Pros and Cons
Michelle is a Qualified Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Professional with more than thirty years of human services experience, which has been centered around human development, system development, advocacy, crisis management, and resiliency support. Her professional highlights include roles in training and professional development, program coordination, nonprofit management, mental health and substance abuse case management, and disability representation. Michelle is currently the SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access, & Recovery (SOAR) Coordinator at Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services. She is responsible for ensuring that individuals with disabilities involved in the justice system are assigned to a SOAR case manager and receive assistance in securing disability benefits. Michelle also serves as a Mecklenburg County SOAR Lead, responsible for the support and training of the SOAR case managers throughout Mecklenburg County. Since becoming SOAR trained in 2012, Michelle has completed over one hundred disability applications for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Her extensive experience as a SOAR case manager has allowed her to become very knowledgeable of disability laws and the policies and practice of the Social Security Administration.
Chris Battle
ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator
NC DHHS Division of Aging and Adult Services
ESG 101, Financial Procurement, Fair Market Rent and Rent Reasonableness, Transitioning from CV Funding
Chris Battle is the ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator for the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). As Homeless Programs Coordinator Chris provides program coordination, monitoring, and technical assistance for North Carolina’s federal HUD Emergency Solutions Grant. Prior to joining the NC DHHS, Chris served 15 years as Executive Director of a private nonprofit, serving the homeless and nearly homeless population of Nash and Edgecombe Counties. During his tenure as Executive Director Chris secured over 4 million dollars in Federal and State grant funding, providing grant management and oversight ensuring program compliance. Serving as the community CoC lead for eight years, Chris played an integral role in the development and implementation of multiple innovative Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing programs. Chris worked tirelessly, leading efforts within the community to facilitate a gradual shift towards progressive engagement and a housing-focused approach in addressing homelessness, becoming a “champion” for change while pursuing his never-ending quest to end homelessness in eastern North Carolina.
Beth Bordeaux
Co-owner/Senior Advisor
Partners for Impact
Young Children Experiencing Homelessness Need Support!, Building Capacity for Your Organization
Beth Bordeaux, MSW is the Founder and Co-owner of Partners for Impact (partnersforimpact.com). Beth has over thirty years of experience in human services, initially serving as a Social Worker before moving into leadership roles including seven years as an Executive Director supporting populations experiencing financial, food, and housing insecurity and providing shelter for families experiencing homelessness. Beth has over fourteen years experience as a consultant with nonprofit organizations, local governments, and community initiatives. Assessment/evaluation, organizational and systems change, and utilization of data in decision making have been touchstones for Beth throughout her career.
Joe Breen
Section Chief, Division of Aging and Adult Services, Planning, ESG and Service Support Section
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Opening Remarks
Karen Britton
Landlord Engagement Specialist
United Way of Forsyth County
NOT the Usual Suspects: Engaging Property Owners in Affordable Housing Solutions
Karen Britton is the Landlord Engagement Specialist for the United Way of Forsyth County where she focuses on creating, fostering, and retaining relationships with landlords, property managers, and investors. In the three years Ms. Britton has been with the United Way, her work has expanded to include renovations, assisting tenants with access to services and assistance to ensure they stay housed, and that landlord relationships stay successful. Ms. Britton has been a realtor for 9 years, the past 6 here in Winston Salem, which gives her a unique perspective on investor needs and tenant relations, and is currently enrolled in Salem College studying Nonprofit Management. She currently lives in Winston Salem with her two daughters who attend college at App State and Mary Baldwin University.
Allie Card
Project Specialist
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Lowering Barriers to Shelter
Allie’s greatest passion is to advocate for people experiencing homelessness by creating equitable approaches that lead to permanent housing. During her senior year at Hope College (Holland, MI), Allie had her first opportunity to walk alongside households experiencing homelessness at a shelter in Chicago. She was immediately drawn to the resiliency and inspiring stories of the women she met. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 2012, she attended Western Theological Seminary (Holland, MI) to pursue a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work at the University of Denver (Denver, CO). During both programs, Allie again had the great privilege to build relationships with those experiencing homelessness. After graduate school, in 2016 Allie was promoted to the Executive Director at Family Promise of Greater Denver. There, she led a passionate staff in providing shelter and a spectrum of supportive services to families experiencing homelessness throughout the Denver area. Allie moved to North Carolina with her newborn daughter and husband in the Summer of 2020. She joined NCCEH as a Project Specialist in May of 2021. She enjoys working with community partners as we aim to end homelessness across North Carolina.
Ron Clark
Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC Lived Experience Committee
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Winona Coveney
Counselor and Housing Case Manager
Friend to Friend
Using Trauma-Informed Relationships to Empower Homeless Students and Survivors: Strategies, Tools, and Resources to Create Positive Outcomes
Winona Coveney is a social worker who moved to Moore County in 2017 after spending seven years in Seattle, Washington. Winona received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Social Work in 2017, both from The University of Washington. Her professional experience has been working with chronically homeless adults and young adults who struggle with complex mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and traumatic experiences. She has worked in mental health crisis settings, as an outreach worker, and as a therapist. She is most passionate about bringing an anti-oppression lens to all of the work that she does.
Winona is currently the Director of Counseling and Housing Case Management at Friend to Friend, a domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking shelter. There, she focuses on expanding safe housing options for Friend to Friend clients. Winona is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate and provides clinical services to clients before, during, and after they have entered safe housing.
Sheila Crump
Social Service Program Coordinator and Local SOAR Lead
Mecklenburg County | CSS | Housing and Homeless Service
Working While Receiving Disability Benefits: The Pros and Cons
Sheila D. Crump, QP, MBA is the Social Service Program Coordinator with Mecklenburg County Community Support Services/Housing and Homeless Service. Sheila has over thirty years of experience in the field of Human Service assisting at risk teens, parents of youths placed in Group Homes, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Sheila also has over ten years of experience completing disability applications for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and have serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder through a national program SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery).
Maseta Dorley
CEO
MDM Global Consulting
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
Maseta Dorley, CEO of MDM Global Consulting, is an advocate and solution strategist working to prevent and end homelessness because she believes housing is a human right in a just society. As a person of lived experience, she knows firsthand the many challenges of navigating through a system which at times does not work for a specific population. It is through overcoming the odds from those experiences as well as her professional work that has led her on this journey of establishing authentic partnerships within communities and nonprofit organizations. She believes it is imperative that every homeless service response system establishes a process that will be led by the organization’s staff, board, and people with lived experience that can create a roadmap for the next stage of an organization’s journey that is centered in combating white supremacy and moving towards becoming a more inclusive organization. Her work includes discussing changes to organizational structures to formally shift power and embed racial equity work in all facets of the organization’s structure and culture.
With eighteen years of nonprofit experience, Maseta has developed a deep passion and intuition for guiding people from seemingly disparate organizations, community coalitions, and/or mindsets to become thriving, focused teams. Maseta specializes in strategic planning, organizational development, program design, nonprofit management, transformation leadership, project management, grant administration, systems innovation, movement building, community impact, and supporting leaders and teams to reach sustainable goals. Maseta obtained her Master’s in human services from Liberty University and will resume her studies for her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a focus in International Business at Walden University.
Rachelle Dugan
Housing Case Manager
Thrive
Insights from the NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
Rachelle Dugan is a Housing Case Manager at Thrive in Hendersonville, NC. She is a member of the NC BoS Steering Committee, and she is on the Lived Expertise Advisory Council. Before working at Thrive, she worked for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety as a Judicial Services Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Akron in Political Science and Criminal Justice. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at The Hendersonville Rescue Mission. Rachelle is eager to use her lived expertise to help others experiencing homelessness find housing so that their homelessness is brief, rare, and non-recurring and is driven to use her platform to vocalize the need for change within homeless services.
Jane Earnest
Executive Director
Family Care Center of Catawba Valley, Inc.
Lowering Barriers to Shelter
Jane Earnest is the Executive Director of Family Care Center of Catawba Valley, Inc., where she demonstrates her excellent team building, management, and negotiating skills. Ms. Earnest has previous non-profit management and marketing experience. She has a BA in Psychology from Appalachian State University.
Eric Edwards
Corporate Compliance Officer
Transylvania Association for Disabled Citizens
Insights from the NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
I’m involved with the Special Olympics. I emcee all their events: Night to Shine prom, Polar Plunge (which raised $18,000), and Spring Games every year for the last five years. I am a coach for bocce and bowling. I help provide transportation to state-level events for our Special Olympic teams semi-annually. I regularly provide transportation to another athlete on the Special Olympics North Carolina Athlete Council from Cherokee County.
I am a member of the Transylvania County Civitan Club. We put together activities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Our club has a summer picnic, bingo, Halloween Dance, and Christmas party for them. I play Santa Clause! Every year we have a fundraiser on the 4th of July with a dunking booth. Of course, I delightfully provide the entertainment while getting dunked. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Brevard Housing Authority for the past three years and Steering Committee for the past four.
At my job at TADC (Transylvania Association for Disabled Citizens), I am CCO (Corporate Compliance Officer). I am responsible for ensuring records for Medicaid and Medicare are in order. The records must be in order in the event of an audit from Vaya Health and the state. TADC provides services for adults with IDD (Intellectual Disabilities). In a group home setting, we provide support for independent living, working in the community, and emotional support to encourage self-sufficiency.
Although I am no longer an employee of The Haven, our county’s homeless shelter, I’m still volunteering there doing overnight shifts a couple to five nights a month. Before becoming the shelter manager, I was also a resident until going into public housing.
Ryan Fehrman
Executive Director
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Opening Remarks, Federal and State Housing Policy Updates
Ryan has a BA in Political Science and Psychology and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from UNC – Chapel Hill. Ryan has spent his entire career in the nonprofit sector with agencies working on issues related to the environment, higher education, and human services. He worked at Families Moving Forward (formerly Genesis Home) for over nineteen years and served as the Executive Director from March of 2005 to July of 2021. In that time, the agency adopted a two-generation approach to target services to children experiencing homelessness, adopted a “housing first” orientation to get families into permanent housing more quickly, and launched an aftercare program to prevent returns to homelessness within one year of exiting shelter. He is the former chair of the Council to End Homelessness in Durham and is an active supporter of the United Way of the Greater Triangle. He is the chair of the Durham local Emergency Food & Shelter board, a member of the NC Interagency Coordinating Council for Homeless Programs (ICCHP), and sits on the State Set-Aside Committee for the Emergency Food & Shelter Program. Ryan is married to Robyn Fehrman who is the CEO of Enactus, a global nonprofit that promotes social entrepreneurship with students in universities across the globe. They have two children and are residents of Trinity Park in Durham. Ryan enjoys spending his free time with his family, cooking, fishing, hiking at the Eno River, and cheering for the Tar Heels’ many sports teams.
Katherine Fowler
Outreach Manager
Socialserve
Fair Market Rent and Rent Reasonableness
Katherine Fowler, Outreach Manager at Socialserve, has dedicated over ten years to working with our partners in the housing finance industry as well as state and local housing authorities to support specific housing initiatives, landlord recruitment efforts, and program needs. Kat has helped drive enhancements to the Housing Locator’s Rent Reasonableness Tool and has helped streamline processes and procedures needed to maximize efforts of Rent Reasonableness data population. She conducts online trainings and/or demos of the Housing Locator’s tools and helps to ensure overall client satisfaction.
Augustine Frazer
Interim Director
Pitt County Department of Social Services
Understanding Youth Homelessness: Addressing Needs and Supporting Homeless Youths in North Carolina
Dr. Augustine Frazer is the Interim Director of Pitt County Department of Social Services. Dr. Frazer is a Board Member of the Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children, the United Way of Greenville NC, the Human Relations Commission of Greenville, NC, and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. He is also a member of the National Honors Society and the Knights of Columbus, Second Degree. Dr. Frazer has a PhD in Human Services: Crisis and Disaster Management and Intervention and a MPhil in Human Service General from Walden University, as well as a MSW in Child and Family: Direct Practice from Howard University. His publications include Homelessness in Sierra Leone: A Brief Overview; Equity in the New Workplace: The Role of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion; and Do Not Bite the Finger that Feeds you: African Youths in Politics. Dr. Frazer has given public lectures at East Carolina University and the University of Sierra Leone.
Anne Friesen
Executive Director
Friend to Friend
Using Trauma-Informed Relationships to Empower Homeless Students and Survivors: Strategies, Tools, and Resources to Create Positive Outcomes
Anne Friesen has more than twenty-five years of professional experience in the human services field. Anne currently serves as the Executive Director of Friend to Friend, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking rebuild their lives. Anne is passionate about improving the lives of these survivors of interpersonal violence. She is committed to an anti-oppression approach to improving prevention and survivor-focused coordinated community response systems for victims of interpersonal violence.
Anne brings expertise in working with underserved and rural communities, creating nonprofit, long-term sustainability, strategic planning, board training, and evidence-based shelter client programming that results in self-sufficiency for survivors in crisis. Anne developed HELP, a program that enhances the well-being of interpersonal violence survivors, empowering them to develop skills necessary to live self-sufficient lives free from abuse.
Prior to her work in human services, Anne created educational curriculum, including videos, interactive programs, and materials for building stronger families. Anne also directed a rural-based advocacy program to support foreign-born migrant workers.
Activities & Affiliations
Anne recently served for six years as a member of the Board of Directors and as Co-Chair on the Board of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Anne is a leader, author, and educator in the anti-human trafficking movement in North Carolina. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking. In 2016, Anne was recognized as one of three Moore County Citizens of the Year by the Rotary Club of Carthage, which honors community members that exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” through their dedication of time and lifetime support of our community. A few years later, Anne was recognized as the 2019 Moore County Woman of the Year by the NC Community Foundation.
Anne has recently authored two publications; HELP: Holistic Empowerment Leadership Program for Sheltered Victims of Interpersonal Violence, and The Empowerment Source: 10 Best Practices Principles That Empower Exceptional Advocates.
Certifications & Education
Anne earned an undergraduate degree and a Masters degree from the University of Kansas. She earned a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University. Anne also earned certification from Harvard University’s Kennedy School Executive Education in Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations. In addition, she earned certifications from Duke University’s Executive Education Program in both Nonprofit Management and in Nonprofit Leadership.
Cheryl Fuller
McKinney-Vento Homeless Services Coordinator, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Foster Care Coordinator, Homebound Services Coordinator
Franklin County Schools
Using Trauma-Informed Relationships to Empower Homeless Students and Survivors: Strategies, Tools, and Resources to Create Positive Outcomes
With over thirty-eight years in the field of education, Cheryl Fuller has been actively engaged in many aspects of researching and implementing learning for children and adults. With a Bachelor’s in Child Development, a Master’s in Counseling and a second Master’s in Educational Leadership, she has been able to enjoy her work as a classroom teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and fourteen years as a principal. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at Duke University in the Program in Education. As a consultant for the past twelve years, she has worked extensively with training educators in best instructional practices. She has presented material to over 90,000 people in North Carolina and across the United States. She offers workshops and keynote addresses at major conferences. In the past few years she has gained additional certifications on two primary topics: Trauma Informed Practices/Social Emotional Learning and Compassion Fatigue and Professional Resilience. As an author she has released her personal trauma narrative Peace by Piece and in most recently her professional book Forward Facing for Educators: A Journey to Professional Resilience and Compassion Restoration. Her goal in all of her work is to help others live their best personal and professional lives.
Samuel Gunter
Executive Director
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Opening Remarks, Federal and State Housing Policy Updates
Samuel has worked at the NC Housing Coalition since 2015. He currently chairs the Housing Recovery Support Function of the NC State Disaster Recovery Taskforce, is appointed to the NC Interagency Council On Coordinating Homeless Programs, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Council of Independent State Housing Associations. Samuel has a background in community development and public policy from his time at Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, AmeriCorps VISTA, and the Peace Corps. He is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin (BA) and Duke Divinity School (MDiv), and is also a Baptist minister who has served churches in North Carolina and Texas.
Stan Holt
Co-owner/Senior Advisor
Partners for Impact
Building Capacity for Your Organization
Stan has over thirty years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, management, and governance. He has a PhD in Public Administration with an emphasis on nonprofit management and governance. As a consultant Stan works with a variety of organizations and community change initiatives, including those who are trying to end homelessness. Among his current clients, he is working with the Durham Collaboration to End Family Homelessness, S3:Housing Connect, and HERE in Jackson County.
Liz Kline
Strategic Account Manager
Capitol Broadcasting Company
Street Outreach. How to Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Liz is a Strategic Account Manager for Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. She works with local businesses on their marketing strategies, but she specializes in creating impactful social issue campaigns. She has been working as a strategic account manager with Capitol Broadcasting since 2009 but launched her first statewide domestic violence outreach campaign, “eNOugh,” in 2014. From there Liz went on to create a second statewide outreach campaign meant to reduce human trafficking. This anti-human trafficking campaign called “Project NO REST” began in 2016. She has gone on to create and partner on several other complex outreach campaigns meant to move the needle on social issues affecting our local communities. Liz won the National Association of Broadcaster “Service to Community” award in 2015 for “eNOugh” and a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for her role in “Project NO REST” in 2018. She is a Leadership Triangle Alumni, a member of Wake Forest Baptist Church, and a proud mom to Henry (5) and Molly (3). Liz, her husband Dennis, their two children, and dog Gracie live in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Alyce Knaflich
Founding Director
Aura Home Women Vets
Insights from the NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
After ten years of housing instability and experiencing homelessness, Alyce received full VA disability compensation which gave her the means to exit homelessness and become self-sufficient. Four years later while volunteering at the Charles George VAMC, veteran homelessness became a focus of the government; she became involved with local homeless shelters and VA housing programs. In 2014 Alyce founded and directs Aura Home Women Vets, a nonprofit to close the disparities between male and female veterans’ access to earned benefits and HUD-DOL-VA homeless programs. For the past five years Alyce has sat on the NCCEH Project Review Committee representing Region 2 and is a Co-Chair of the newly formed Lived Expertise Advisory Council (LEAC).
James Lee
Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC Lived Experience Committee
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Branden Lewis
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Melissa McKeown
Chief Executive Officer
Community Shelter of Union County
Street Outreach. How to Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Melissa began her career in Substance Abuse and Mental Health services in 2002. In 2010 Melissa joined the staff of the Community Shelter and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Melissa was instrumental in the creation of the Community Shelter’s successful Rapid Rehousing Program, Home Again Furniture Donation Program, and Post Housing Case Management Program.
Melissa developed the local Union County Homeless partners group that began in 2012, which has grown into a nonprofit called Thrive! Union. Melissa serves as Vice Chair and manages monthly meetings with providers who impact homeless services in Union County. Melissa also is a SOAR case worker and an advocate for street outreach. Through this work she is a leader and innovator in rehousing the chronically homeless in Union County. Melissa also serves as Chair on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness.
Laurel McNamee
Project Specialist
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Lowering Barriers to Shelter
Laurel McNamee is a collaborator and changemaker with over a decade of experience in advocacy, nonprofit homeless services, and community organizing. She works as a Project Specialist with the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, supporting the North Carolina Balance of State Continuum of Care. Laurel provides technical assistance and support to providers across the 79 county NC BoS CoC and supports equity, governance, and funding efforts at the CoC level. She has worked in street outreach, housing support, a drop-in center, and an emergency shelter before joining NCCEH. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah, and a Master of Social Work degree and Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tasha Melvin
Director of Partnerships and Programs
Families Moving Forward
Young Children Experiencing Homelessness Need Support!
Tasha Melvin is the Director of Partnerships & Programs with Families Moving Forward (FMF). She is responsible for developing sustainable partnerships with community agencies, volunteers, and funders to create specialized programming for families and children served by FMF. She oversees the programming provided to all families, ensuring that it is culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and provides a multi-generational approach, helping to end the cycle of homelessness. Tasha works tirelessly to address family homelessness, advocating for a seat at every table where children are served, hoping to develop a collaborative approach to reimagine systems that can ensure every child has a safe place to call home.
Erin Nixon
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Tara Peele
President and CEO
Socialserve
NOT the Usual Suspects: Engaging Property Owners in Affordable Housing Solutions
Tara Peele is the President and CEO of Socialserve, a nonprofit that helps connect people to housing in thirty states and provides supportive, second chance employment in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Peele has been engaged in expanding access to affordable housing for over twenty years in North Carolina and Illinois, and now throughout the United States via her work with Socialserve. She has experience in affordable housing policy, finance, and development with a focus on accessible and integrated supportive housing. Ms. Peele holds Master’s degrees in Regional Planning and Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She resides in Charlotte with her husband and son.
Alissa Pritchett
ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator
NC DHHS Division of Aging and Adult Services
ESG 101, Financial Procurement, Fair Market Rent and Rent Reasonableness, Transitioning from CV Funding
Alissa Pritchett joined the NC ESG office as a Homeless Programs Coordinator in November of 2020. Her role as Homeless Programs Coordinator is to provide technical assistance and review of requisitions. Prior to joining the ESG office, Alissa worked at Family Promise of Wake County. During her time at Family Promise, she served in various roles, eventually serving as the Program Manager for their shelter, rapid rehousing, and transitional housing programs. Alissa has her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Campbell University. During her time at Campbell, Alissa completed her internship at another local shelter and in the Harnett County School System.
Jefferey Rawlings
SSO-Coordinated Entry Director
Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action
Insights from the NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
Jefferey Rawlings is a man of deep faith and with lived homelessness experience. He works as the Coordinated Entry/Supportive Services Only Project Director within the North Carolina Balance of State Continuum of Care (Region 7). For the last seven years he has been employed by Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action, Inc. He was employed by The Ship Church of Raleigh for eight years and returned to employment in 2021. Jefferey has worked with persons experiencing difficulties in their lives for over twenty years. He has worked with persons attempting to rebuild their lives after incarceration through the Jobs for Life program and with persons seeking a life change through the Transitional Employment Initiative (TEI) and The Ship of Zion Outreach Program. He has worked providing utility assistance through the Crisis Intervention Program. He now works to help persons experiencing homelessness through the Rapid Rehousing program. Jefferey has experienced the horror and despair of homelessness twice in his life. It was the personal shame and the disdain from the providers he encountered that fuel his passion for changing the status quo of the current “safety net” for persons experiencing homelessness. He attended the NC Governors’ School and NC State University initially majoring in Nuclear Engineering. He later returned to college receiving a degree in Computer Science. He adopted a value statement which is: “Homelessness doesn’t always equal Hopelessness.”
Em Ross-Hansen
Shelter Case Manager
Helpmate
Young Children Experiencing Homelessness Need Support!
Greetings, I am so honored to be part of this mission-minded project to empower the youth in all our communities. My name is Em Ross-Hansen, and I have been a part of Helpmate for about a year and a half. I am currently a shelter case manager and specialize in working with youth here and individuals with special needs. I was an autism specialist for many years through Easter Seals and RHA. I also worked with the YMCA doing direct service as well as training three counties of staff in their approach to youth. My book, A Year’s Guide to Equipping Youth with Character Development Traits has been published through the National YMCA Chicago organization and is being utilized in Hawaii, Kenya, and across the country.
Here at Helpmate, our project with Partners for Impact has further been able to fuel my passion for empowering youth, giving them a voice, and providing safe and conscientious care. I have also received Triple P Accreditation in order to further my ability to support families. I also do “grounding art sessions” each week with residents and their children. I look forward to continuing to expand my own knowledge here and to support the facilitation of the growth of this organization as a whole through community partnerships and understanding needs of youth in shelter.
James Searcy
Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC Lived Experience Committee
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Jaime Stepp
Member
NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
Insights from the NC BoS CoC Lived Expertise Advisory Council
Two and half years on the street. Been in my home now for one year. I’m gay, HIV positive, and a victim of a hate crime. Dedicated to helping all homeless navigate the system more efficiently.
Debra Susie
Project Specialist
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
NOT the Usual Suspects: Engaging Property Owners in Affordable Housing Solutions
Debra A. Susie serves as a Project Specialist at the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness. She coordinates the Housing Connections Initiative to pilot innovations for securing landlord/owner engagement in the provision of housing for those experiencing homelessness. This work is funded with a grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in collaboration with four subgrantees: Homeward Bound (Asheville), Socialserve (Charlotte), Housing for New Hope (Durham), and Trillium Health Resources (several eastern NC rural counties). Prior to her December 2019 arrival at NCCEH, Debra worked as the Disaster Housing Recovery Coordinator under contract with the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington. For thirty years prior, she served as the President/CEO of Florida Impact, a nonprofit that mobilized communities around policies to increase access to federal food, nutrition, and other economic-support programs. Debra has a Doctorate of Humanities from Florida State University.
Valerie Townsend
Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC Lived Experience Committee
Roadmap for Authentic Partnerships with Persons of Lived Experience
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee was formed in 2019 and began meeting in 2020. The committee is responsible for providing the consumers’ perspective to CoC committees, workgroups, and the CoC Governing Board. The committee members are James Lee, James Searcy, Valerie Townsend, and Ron Clark. Staff support for the committee is provided by Erin Nixon and Branden Lewis.
Cass Wolfe
Chief Strategy Officer
Child Care Services Association
Young Children Experiencing Homelessness Need Support!
Cass Wolfe joined CCSA in 2019 as the Chief Strategy Officer. Cass works on multiple projects including early childhood homelessness, CCSA’s meal program, spoonFULL, and CCSA’s strategic plan. With over forty years of experience in the early childhood field, Cass has held a number of positions with a variety of responsibilities. Cass has provided project leadership on workforce development initiatives; managed training and technical assistance work; directed a large, urban CCR&R program; and led early childhood organizations. In addition, Cass has actively participated in numerous early childhood systems building collaboratives, served on a variety of boards and councils, and has been actively involved in equity and diversity initiatives.
Lisa Worth
ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator
NC DHHS Division of Aging and Adult Services
ESG 101, Financial Procurement, Fair Market Rent and Rent Reasonableness, Transitioning from CV Funding
Lisa Worth began as the ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator in February of 2019. Her previous roles include serving as Program Director for a psychiatric rehabilitation facility, Program Director for a mental health center, Psychology Monitor for a State Mental Health Hospital, and Case Manager for a veteran’s rapid rehousing program. Lisa has a Master’s degree in General Psychology from Northern Arizona University and over twenty years of experience in the mental health, homeless, and social services fields. She has worked for state government and nonprofit agencies with a primary focus on mental health, housing, employment, and general case management. She also has experience in Continuum of Care leadership, grant writing, chart auditing, and program management.
