The National Youth Employment Coalition

NYEC Changemakers

Mimi Haley

Executive Director  

“I am delighted and deeply honored to be chosen to lead the National Youth Employment Coalition as Executive Director. I passionately believe the possibilities are endless for re-imagining our communities so all young people can thrive. I’m very excited to build on NYEC’s 42 years of work in helping to create life-changing opportunities for young people. Working closely with all of our partners, I hope to expand on NYEC’s deep commitment to authentic youth partnerships, race and gender equity, breaking down of siloes, sharing of best practices, and system change," stated Dr. Haley. 

Dr. Haley’s previous work includes serving as the Deputy Director and Interim CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, where she directed efforts to transform the homelessness response system. She spearheaded improving infrastructure to serve young people, which resulted in a 50% reduction in youth homelessness in two years. In addition to her 20 years of non-profit management, as an adjunct professor she has taught courses in race and politics, comparative politics, development and political theory. 

Dr. Mary Ann (Mimi) Haley

Executive Director

Dr. Nia Imani Fields

Deputy Director

Dr. Nia Imani Fields is an educator, author and advocate for social justice. She resides with her husband and two sons in Baltimore, Maryland. Nia Imani was born and raised in New York and moved to Baltimore after graduating from Morgan State University. There was something special about her HBCU experience. Something she would later learn to describe as cultural and social capital. Having been raised in a family where education, purpose, and community were foundational--it's no surprise she has spent her 20+ year career working with youth and communities.
She has a doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership and a M.S. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a focus in Community and Youth Development. Her research interests center around positive youth development’s relationship to social capital and social justice. Throughout her career, she has contributed to efforts leading to local and national impacts in equity strategies and systems change. 
 
Dr. Fields is currently a professor with the University of Maryland Extension (UME) and most recently served as the Assistant Director of UME and 4-H Youth Development Program Leader. In her role, she provided leadership and direction for the 4-H Youth Development programs, faculty and staff. 

Nia Imani's true purpose in life is to increase networks and expand access for youth and young adults— particularly those excluded from opportunities to thrive. 

Dr. Nia Imani Fields

Deputy Director

Dalbin Osorio

Senior Policy Advisor

Dalbin is a first generation college graduate, former educator, program and project manager, and advocate for youth and social justice. Dalbin holds a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Education Policy, and resides in Frederick, Maryland with his wife and daughter. Dalbin is originally from New York, where he cut his teeth working for non-profits in numerous capacities before becoming a social worker working with youth who were facing possible removal from their homes. It was this experience, coupled with Dalbin's subsequent experience working with justice and congregate-care involved youth, that led Dalbin to ensuring that youth were at the center of the receiving cutting-edge programming while he managed the Montgomery County Collaboration Council's public-private partnerships. In this position, he also managed Montgomery County's Racial and Ethnic Disparities contract, where he worked to ensure youth voice was included in policy spaces while offering best practices to County practioners. 

 
Dalbin has almost 20 years of non-profit experience, ranging from direct practice to senior management roles, and he has led diverse coalitions to pass transformative policies around rent stabilization, increasing transofrmative youth employment opportunities, the role of law enforcement in schools, and the expansion of community schools in Maryland. His professional goals include increasing access to services for children, youth, and families across the country, and leveraging public and private partnerships to create systemic changes that allow for organizations to address the root issues severely impacting communities. 

Dalbin Osorio

Senior Advisor for Policy & Community Impact

Nathan Hora

Senior Advisor for Federal Policy

Nathan Hora is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and education. As a Senior Policy Advisor, he brings years of experience in developing federal policy and advocacy strategies for national education and workforce organizations. 

Prior to joining NYEC, Nathan was an Associate Director at Penn Hill Group, a government affairs firm that specializes in federal education and workforce policy and advocacy. In this role, Nathan worked with clients whose interest areas included youth workforce development, out-of-school time, adult education, higher education, library, computer science, cybersecurity, and STEM education and AI issues, to develop and execute their federal policy and advocacy priorities.

Nathan also brings experience from the offices of Michigan State Representative Lori Stone, U.S. Senator Gary Peters and California State Senator Steve Glazer, as well as the congressional campaign of Gretchen Driskell. He graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Law, Justice and Public Policy. In his free time, Nathan enjoys running, swimming, hiking and playing card games.

Nathan Hora

Senior Advisor for Federal Policy

Julia Frohlich

Communications and Membership Coordinator 

Julia  Frohlich, the Communications and Membership Coordinator, works to blend her public relations background with her graduate degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with a nonprofit concentration. Julia has a fervent passion for mental health and ensuring resources for communities to be healthy and thrive. She previously worked as a graduate research assistant focusing on mental health communications for rural communities and was published in the Electronic Data Information Source of UF. Her research background also includes coursework on theories of youth development, adolescent problematic behavior, adverse childhood experiences, and family theory. 

Julia Frohlich

Communications and Membership Coordinator

Emily Ingram

Special Projects Manager

Emily is the Special Projects Manager at NYEC.  "I am so excited to be joining the NYEC team! I have been living in Spain for the past six years and I am so ready to bring back everything that I’ve learned, both professionally and culturally, to help our youth in the US. Before moving to Spain, I worked one on one with at-risk and homeless youth of NYC identifying barriers in housing and employment opportunities. Within the first couple months in this role, I was able to identify programs that the organization was missing and took the initiative to create them myself, with one of the programs still existing to this day! At the time I was only able to provide my services to English speaking youth but recognized the increasing Hispanic community could largely benefit. This motivated me to move to Spain, become fluent in Spanish and fully immerse myself into the culture in order to come back and help a larger population in the US. I am eager to not only help with any language barriers, but also provide a global perspective in reducing youth unemployment rates. 

Emily Ingram

Special Projects Manager

Cailee Fitzgerald

Youth Leadership Coordinator

Cailee Fitzgerald, the Youth Leadership Coordinator, comes to NYEC with years of experience serving youth. Her past roles include coaching basketball, working with systems-involved youth, case management for homeless and low-income individuals, and health education and promotion. Seeking to combine her passion for under-resourced communities and wellness promotion, Cailee earned a Master of Public Health degree. She is passionate about encouraging others to grow in physical, emotional, and mental health so they can confidently pursue and achieve their goals, whether they be academic, professional, or other. For that same reason, she is also training to become a board-certified health coach. Outside of work, Cailee spends time enjoying the beautiful landscape of northern Idaho with her husband, daughter, and their two rescue pit bulls. 

Cailee Fitzgerald

Youth Leadership Coordinator

Bobby Brown

Program Coordinator

Bobby is a Program Coordinator at NYEC. In his role, he brings together local organizations and politicians to identify and tackle community challenges. Previously, Bobby has worked in dropout prevention and re-engagement. Prior to NYEC, he worked with the Boston Private Industry Council, where he helped lead an opportunity youth initiative, Launch, dedicated to helping young adults living in affordable housing obtain living wage jobs or enroll in school/training

Bobby Brown

Program Coordinator

Benjamin Washington

Justice Impacted Youth Qualitative Researcher

Ben is a researcher and data analyst with a history of serving the Little Rock community. He is a graduate of the Clinton School of Public Service and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he focused his academic work on the disparities experienced by vulnerable populations in Central Arkansas. His recent work has included the Arkansas Public Policy Panel where he tracks federal funding made available through the Biden administration for use in Arkansas. He's also worked with the NY-based Esperanza group where he served as a data associate tracking data for a juvenile diversion program in NYC. He currently serves on the Board of the Arkansas Harm Reduction Project and is seeking ways to remain engaged in the fight for juvenile justice in his community.

Benjamin Washington

Data Specialist

Jaime Jimenez

Youth Leadership Associate

Jaime Jimenez is a 21-year-old advocate, public speaker, and space fanatic who attends the University of California Los Angeles in pursuit of his bachelor's in business economics. Throughout his college career, he has always been an advocate for his community, starting as a Peer Mentor for incoming freshmen at his community college, and starting an Environmental Biology club to address the severe water pollution of Imperial Beach. He started his leadership journey at the Annie E. Cassie LEAP fellowship where he was later exposed to NYEC’s Youth Advisory Council where he was able to share his idea of Equality of Vision. Jaime was invited to the Apollo to Artemis: Celebrating our History and Charting our Future Forum which was hosted by the White House National Space Council. There, he was able to learn from top leaders in space as well as gain better insight into what the future of space holds for our youth. Jaime was also the host and speaker at NYEC’s Youth Days where he interviewed Dr. Reginald Hicks, Director of Facility Workforce in the CHIPS Program Office. Their conversation garnered knowledge on how the CHIPS Act can support Opportunity Youth, provide more opportunities for practitioners in workforce development, and support the growing apprenticeship culture. Jaime’s dream is to become a space lawyer, a head-turning title that he is convinced will become a staple profession in space, and it is this creative mixture of disciplines that he hopes to inspire in other youth. 

Jaime Jimenez

Youth Leadership Associate

Elijah Mercer

Data Consultant

Elijah Mercer is originally from Newark, New Jersey, but now resides in San Francisco, California. He has a passion for social and juvenile justice. He is most passionate about using data analytics & research to drive results across multiple industries and for many stakeholders. Elijah got his start in research as a research assistant intern for the Investigative Reporting Workshop and working on issues related to the Digital Divide. After undergrad, he spent two years teaching in Baltimore as part of Teach for America. In both positions, he used research and data to drive tangible research and data results for marginalized populations. Then he transitioned to working for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud as their research associate where he once again brought his passion for juvenile justice to his work. Elijah also worked for both the New York Police Department and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office as a crime analyst. He assisted in using data to help decrease crime and violence while advocating for marginalized groups. He also worked at Facebook on their legal team in the India market. Elijah is currently the Founder and CEO of Data For JustUS, a nonprofit and government consulting business that uses data to drive results for marginalized communities. He holds a degree in Criminology with a minor in communication studies from American University in Washington, D.C. He is currently pursuing a Master’s of Information and Data Science at the University of California in Berkeley.

Elijah Mercer

Data Consultant

Stephanie Losada 

Communications Intern

Stephanie Losada is a passionate individual whose professional journey has taken her through diverse roles, all fueled by an unwavering commitment to make a positive impact in communities. Her journey started by nurturing young minds in childcare, creating environments that not only facilitated growth but also contributed to the well-being of children.
 
Her experience at Maleiwa Concept Store also involved a transformative role working directly with indigenous artisans in Colombia. It went beyond crafting content marketing materials; she was deeply involved in developing sustainable business strategies. Collaborating with the artisans, she ensured cultural sensitivity and fostered economic growth within their communities. This unique intersection of commerce and cultural preservation showcased her commitment to making a positive impact, not only in the business realm but also in the broader context of community development.
 
As part of the YLAI internship, her reach went global, touching the lives of young entrepreneurs in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. In this role, she not only provided administrative support but played a pivotal role in fostering relationships and contributing to the success of emerging talents. Throughout these experiences, her commitment to cultural sensitivity and effective communication shone through, recognizing the significance of understanding diverse perspectives.
 
Her passion lies not only in impacting individual lives but also in making a profound social impact. She believes that through effective communication, we can create awareness and foster cultural sensitivity, ultimately strengthening the bonds that connect us.

Stephanie Losada

Communications Intern

Allie Cerling

Communications Intern

 Allie Cerling is a first-year Master’s student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and minors in Neuroscience and History. She has worked with the Bush School’s Economic Statecraft Program as a research assistant in economics and international policy. She has done previous research on intraracial bias with Houston Christian and participated in a presentation on the subject in February 2022. Allie has previously interned with Houston Christian University, Houston City Council, and Brookwood Community – a nonprofit aiding adults with special needs. Allie’s interests are in social welfare policy and she hopes to work with the government and nonprofits in creating more equitable communities.

Allie Cerling

Communications Intern

Shannon Zhang

Policy Intern

Shannon Zhang is a senior at Emory University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2024. She has worked in various policy and legal settings, including the Legal Services of Northern California, which provides legal assistance to tenants facing evictions. She has done policy research on Certificate of Need laws in Georgia and presented her recommendations to the Georgia State Legislature in 2023. Shannon is passionate about using policy research techniques to impact on the ground policy making decisions. Her interest in research was sparked in her experience working in Emory’s Neuroscience department. She aims to become a policy analyst for think tanks or non-profits to create affordable housing and healthcare solutions.

Shannon Zhang

Policy Intern

Lia Waller

Team Organizer

Meet Lia, the latest addition to the dynamic team at NYEC, proudly stepping into the role of Executive Assistant. With a compassionate heart, and an astute awareness of the world around her, Lia has woven a rich tapestry of community-driven initiatives with threads of kindness and engagement. Her commitment to social good is evident through the founding of a day camp with a sliding scale, personally crafting and delivering Sunday dinners to the elderly, and offering job support training at her once-owned Harlem restaurant. These efforts, paired with countless hours of volunteering, showcase her unwavering resolve to empower those around her.
Lia has spent over two decades making significant strides as an Executive Assistant and Operations Manager in the private corporate sector. Now, she is overwhelmingly excited and honored to channel her considerable experience and vibrant spirit into the nonprofit workspace through such a great organization as NYEC.  Lias's fearless transition illustrates her desire and commitment to equality, serving others, and catalyzing opportunities for all Americans. Her optimism and can-do attitude are not just assets to her colleagues but also an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to cross her path.
 
With a steadfast commitment to community service and a belief that every day presents an opportunity for positive impact, NYEC stands as a beacon for Lias's aspirations.

Lia Waller

Team Organizer

Tiffany Thibodeau

Grant Writer 

Tiffany Thibodeau is a grant specialist and content writer specializing in education and youth development. She is passionate about helping organizations tell their stories, build connections, and inspire positive action. Tiffany has over 17 years of experience as an educator, spanning early childhood through secondary. She’s drawn to supporting missions in environmental education, STEM/STEAM education, college access and career readiness, literacy, and after-school programming. In addition to her work in education, Tiffany has several years of experience working in the nonprofit sector in nonprofit development and organization. As a consultant, she blends these two passions to help schools and nonprofits eliminate barriers to education by securing funding to sustain their mission. Tiffany is a member of the Grant Professionals Association and holds an M.S. in Childhood Education and a B.A. in Communication from The Sage Colleges. Tiffany lives in Massachusetts, where she spends her free time as an active community volunteer and trudging through the woods with her partner and their two dogs.

Tiffany Thibodeau

Grant Writer Specialist

NYEC Board of Directors

Robert Sainz

President of NYEC Board of Directors

Robert Sainz is the President and Executive Director of New Ways to Work, a nonprofit focusing on advocacy and technical assistance for the improvement of workforce and education programs and systems serving young adults, especially those from foster, probation and homeless systems.

Robert just recently concluded a 30 year public sector career in the City and County of Los Angeles. In his last position as Assistant General Manager for the City of Los Angeles Economic Development Department, Robert managed over $70 million annually in public agency grant funds. Throughout his career, he has addressed many difficult social problems facing the region’s low-income residents, including the challenges of juvenile delinquency, youth and adult unemployment, and youth disconnection from education and work. Under his leadership, he established the City of Los Angeles YouthSource System, Los Angeles Performance Partnership Pilot (LAP3), and a founding member of LA:RISE - an innovative model serving homeless and re-entry populations. He also established HIRE LA, one of the nation’s largest public-private youth employment initiatives.

Robert was previously the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Youth Opportunity Movement and worked as the Assistant and Interim Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families. He began his career in the Los Angeles County Management Trainee Program in 1990, and later as a Probation Director overseeing the department’s Office of Community Relations and Office of Prevention Services. As a national voice on workforce, Robert served as past President and Trustee in the US
Conference of Mayor’s Workforce Development Council, and as an advisory member for the National Dropout Prevention Council. He is also a board member of School & Main; Alliance for a Better Community; and cofounder of the Reconnecting LA’s Youth (RELAY) Institute at California State University, Northridge.

Robert is married; father of three children, and grandfather of two.

Robert Sainz

New Ways to Work

NYEC Board Chair

Caroline Brown-Williamson

NYEC Board of Directors

Caroline Brown-Williamson has over 20 years experience in working with underserved, marginalized youth living in the rural communities of Appalachia through dropout prevention efforts in local school systems and community college entities in North Carolina. Currently, Caroline serves as Workforce Development and Education Director with HIGHTS Youth Organization located in Cullowhee, NC. HIGHTS(Helping Inspire Gifts, Hope, Trust, Service) is a contracted WIOA youth provider serving youth. HIGHTS' mission is to transform youth by inspiring trust in their own abilities. Caroline also serves as a Project Manager for myFUTURENC which advocates for 2milion to achieve a high quality credential by 2030.

Caroline Brown Williamson

NYEC Board of Directors

HIGHTS

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Liz Jackson-Simpson

Success Centers

NYEC Board of Directors

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Ed DeJesus

Social Capital Builders

NYEC Board of Directors

Lori Godorov

NYEC Board of Directors

Lori Godorov is the Executive Director of The Work Group, a progressive community-based organization serving youth in Camden County, NJ.

Lori began TWG in 1996, in 2003, she took the helm as Executive Director.

Drawing on her inherent ability to understand social systems and her drive for excellence in program delivery, Lori continues to make TWG a think tank atmosphere, constantly creating new strategies to meet the ever-changing needs of underserved youth populations.

Lori serves on numerous national, local, community, civic, and business committees and boards. She holds a Master’s Degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

Lori Godorov

The Work Group

NYEC Board of Directors

Rodney T. Francis

NYEC Board of Directors

As the Executive Vice President, Workforce Solutions, Rev. Rodney T. Francis reports directly to the President & CEO and serves as a member of the key leadership team as well as provides strategic leadership support to four vice presidents, and a team of roughly twenty K-12 education and workforce development professionals. Rodney is responsible for policies, procedures and services governing academic, workforce readiness, industry credentialing, employment programs and services to youth and adults across the Greater Indianapolis region to meet the talent needs of high demand industries.

He joined the organization in 2016 as the Senior Director of Opportunity Youth responsible for developing comprehensive strategies to offer workforce services to the youth of Indianapolis. He was awarded the Innovator of the Year award by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) for creative programing in support of Young Adult Services. Rodney serves as a committee member to the Governor’s Cabinet on Youth Workforce Readiness for the State of Indiana and Advisory Committee to the Nina Mason Pulliam Scholars Program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Rodney came to Indianapolis from St. Louis, MO, in 2016 where he served 8 years as executive director of The Youth and Family Center, a 125 year old neighborhood settlement house. During the 2014 Ferguson protests, Rodney’s youth development work with the 16 – 24 year old population proved instrumental in helping the community chart a path forward toward one of healing, wholeness and equity. An ordained clergy in the Baptist tradition, Rodney has served as senior pastor to churches in Boonton, New Jersey and St. Louis, MO.

Rodney holds a Master’s degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the College of New Rochelle, New York City. He is also a 2009 graduate of The Ohio State University Executive Leadership and Management Program, Columbus, OH, a 2012 graduate of Focus Leadership St. Louis and 2014 graduate of the Olin School of Business, Nonprofit Executive Management Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Rodeny T. Francis

EmployIndy

NYEC Board of Directors

Sharlet Barnett has been the CEO of Arizona Center for Youth Resources since 2014. She has worked directly with young people, youth professionals, and community groups since 1996. Since graduating University of Alaska Fairbanks her primary focus has been education and youth development. Sharlet team provide opportunities and support to over 1,500 youth annually in the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County.
She is currently a board member of the Opportunities for Youth Leadership Council, and the National Youth Employment Coalition.

Sharlet Barnett

Arizona Center for Youth Resources (ACYR)

NYEC Board of Directors

Kevin serves as the Chief Program Officer at New Door Ventures. Kevin’s career is built on helping youth and families achieve self-sufficiency and build healthy communities. Before joining New Door Ventures, Kevin served as Director of High School and Bridge Programs at Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) where he led efforts to secure job placements and postsecondary education for young people throughout San Francisco. He also holds faculty appointments at the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. Kevin loves growing spicy peppers! He is a proud veteran of the United States Navy.

Kevin Hickey

New Door Ventures

NYEC Board of Directors

lorenzo 3

Lorenzo Harrison

Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement

NYEC Board of Directors

Davie, Michael

Mike Davie

Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council

NYEC Board of Directors

Mukta Ghorpadey

NYEC Board of Directors

Mukta is the Director of National College and Career Services for Urban Alliance and has been working with young people for years, helping them succeed after high school by connecting them to employment, training, academic, and social service opportunities. She started working with youth as a program coordinator for UA, then as its DC Alumni Director. She went on to be the Associate Director of Post-Secondary Success at DC Prep, where she specialized in youth employment programs and strategic development, working to transform the way DC charter schools view post-secondary success and youth employment.

In 2020, Mukta was elected as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Single Member District 1A07 in Washington, DC. In her role, Mukta is a community advocate, amplifying the voices of her constituents and connecting them to the resources they need. Her focus is on affordable housing, employment, education, and violence prevention through youth empowerment. She serves as her commission’s secretary and chairs the Employment and Training Committee. Mukta is also a current board member for the National Youth Employment Coalition, a membership organization of practitioners across the country focused on improving employment outcomes for opportunity youth. Outside of her work with her community, Mukta spends time with her grumpy cat, boxes, and swims, and dabbles in stand-up comedy and storytelling.

Mukta Ghorpadey

Urban Alliance Foundation

NYEC Board of Directors

Lori Godorov

NYEC Board of Directors

Lori Godorov is the Executive Director of The Work Group, a progressive community-based organization serving youth in Camden County, NJ.

Lori began TWG in 1996, in 2003, she took the helm as Executive Director.

Drawing on her inherent ability to understand social systems and her drive for excellence in program delivery, Lori continues to make TWG a think tank atmosphere, constantly creating new strategies to meet the ever-changing needs of underserved youth populations.

Lori serves on numerous national, local, community, civic, and business committees and boards. She holds a Master’s Degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

Antonia Rangel-Caril

NYEC Board of Directors

In part due to her own life experiences, Antonia Rangel-Caril is passionate about positive youth development. Her passion has led her around the world from Oregon, leading statewide youth advocacy efforts – to Guyana through her service as a Peace Corps volunteer. She is currently the Reengagement Sr. Program Specialist in the Institute of Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities where she supports cities to expand their Opportunity Youth work. Antonia graduated with a degree in Community Health Education from Portland State University and is currently earning her Master's in Youth Development at Clemson University.

Antonia Rangel-Caril

National League of Cities

NYEC Board of Directors

Lisa Johnson

NYEC Board of Directors

Lisa Johnson is the Director of FHI 360's National Institute for Work and Learning (NIWL) in Washington, DC. She has over two decades of experience in designing and implementing workforce development, college and career readiness, youth developmnet, and justice programs. She is skilled at effectively managing government, foundation, and private sector grants. Before becoming Director at NIWL, Ms. Johnson led U.S. Department of Labor re-entry programs providing access to an support for education and employment opportunities for youth and young adults previously involved with the justice system. Prior to joining FHI 360, she led several juvenile justice initiatives in the state of Massachusetts which provided thousands of youth and young adults a second chance in their college and career journeys. She holds a Master of Publc Administration from Bridgewater State University and a business degree from Northeastern University.

Lisa Johnson

National Institute for Work & Learning

NYEC Board of Directors

Marie Davis

NYEC Board of Directors

Marie Davis is an associate vice president in the Education practice at JFF. She provides insight and guidance on the development and execution of innovative programs and platforms that will enhance and elevate JFF’s role in offering educational initiatives for young adults. Her skills and areas of expertise include workforce development, talent recruitment and retention, equitable educational access, and career pathways. Before joining JFF, she was the executive director of the Hire Opportunity Coalition where she directed the largest employer-led coalition of more than 50 national companies dedicated to providing employment opportunities to young adults ages 16-24 who were not in school or in work.  Marie holds dual bachelor’s degrees in journalism and communications from the University of Rhode Island.

Marie Davis

Jobs for the Future

NYEC Board of Directors

Catherine N. Awwad

NYEC Board of Directors

Catherine N. Awwad is President and CEO of the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) which serves 41 cities and towns in Connecticut. Taking on the role in January of 2001, Cathy has led the Board’s administration of local, state and federal job training programs. Through strategic planning, the agency develops, and implements programming to meet the needs of employers and jobseekers in the Northwest Region of the state. Youth employment and the development of ‘tomorrow’s workforce’ are of the highest priority for the agency.

Cathy oversees procurement and coordination of service-providers to ensure seamless delivery of workforce programs. Cathy leverages her work at NRWIB by serving in leadership roles on several other boards. As Chair of the Waterbury Development Corporation, she participates in the on-the-ground economic development projects in and around Waterbury. She also serves on the Naugatuck Valley Regional Development Corp. Cathy is President of 698 South Main, a nonprofit board established to oversee the redevelopment of a 17-acre industrial site. Between 1993 and 2000, she served on the Board of Aldermen in Waterbury, and later became Chief of Staff of the Mayor’s Office. Cathy served two “appointed” terms on the Waterbury Board of Education. She graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston and studied at UConn, Waterbury. Her professional and community activities include: member of the Holy Land Waterbury Board of Directors, the Naugatuck Valley Community College Regional Advisory Committee, and the Connecticut Pharmacist’s Association.

Catherine Awwad

Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board

NYEC Board of Directors

Mary Jo Ramirez

NYEC Board of Directors

Mary Jo Ramirez is the Executive Director of California Family Life Center (CFLC) and has served at CFLC for 30 years. She is a graduate of La Sierra University and advocates concerning issues affecting vulnerable children, youth, and families. Her experience includes being actively involved in creating opportunities for economic, social, and community development.

As the Executive Director, she oversees the CFLC’s Foster Family, Short Term Residential Treatment and Mental Health program, Kin Care, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act Youth Programs, Riverside County YouthBuild program, and CFLC’s parenting education for Safe Care and Strengthening Families. She is a board member for the Riverside County Workforce Development Board and serves on the WDB Executive Committee. She serves on the Riverside County Transportation Commission – Citizens Advisory Council for Specialized Transportation, and the Riverside County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.

Mary Jo Ramirez

California Family Life Center

NYEC Board of Directors

Mary Ellen Sprenkel

NYEC Board of Directors

Mary Ellen Sprenkel has been a long-time champion for youth. Mary Ellen came to The Corps Network in March of 2008 as Director of Government Relations. She was promoted to Vice President of External Affairs in 2011 and then appointed Interim CEO in May of 2012, prior to being selected as the CEO in October of 2012. During her tenure, Service and Conservation Corps have become better known programs to lawmakers and policymakers throughout the federal government. Legislation that would expand and bolster youth programs including Service and Conservation Corps has been routinely introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Under Mary Ellen’s leadership, in 2010 more than $63 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects were granted to Service and Conservation Corps throughout the country by 15 federal agencies. These projects provided youth with jobs and service opportunities while connecting them to public lands including national parks and forests. More recently, Mary Ellen has served as a member of the Federal Advisory Committee tasked with providing recommendations to federal land management agencies on how to implement a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps.

In addition to her productive time at The Corps Network, she has ten years of Capitol Hill experience, including two years on the House Committee on Education and Labor handling postsecondary education, training, and life-long learning programs. She also worked for Representatives Matthew G. Martinez (D-CA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). Before joining The Corps Network, Mary Ellen was Vice President of Government Relations at the Education Finance Council, the national trade association for nonprofit and state-based student loan providers. Prior to that, she spent two years as the Assistant to the President of the University of Montana.

Mary Ellen Sprenkel

The Corps Network

NYEC Board of Directors

Liz Hoagland

NYEC Board of Directors

Liz Hoagland serves as Director of Education and Workforce Development at Fairfield County's Community Foundation where she focuses on the foundation's work dedicated to youth and young adults in education and workforce result areas. Prior to joining the foundation, Liz has over 15 years of experience in the direct-service nonprofit sector serving youth and young adults. 

She received her Master of Public Administration from New York University's Rober F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Bates College, and is a graduate of Columbia University's Developing Leaders Program.

Liz Hoagland

Fairfield County's Community

NYEC Board of Directors

Tiffany Osborne

NYEC Board of Directors

Tiffany Osborne, Director, National & Strategic Partnerships for Equus Workforce Solutions is an innovative, driven, and accomplished workforce development leader, with over a decade of experience leading local and national workforce initiatives. One of the Top 50 Women Leaders of DC for 2023 & 2024, Women We Admire. Tiffany published her debut book, a memoir, Unstoppable: A Story of Resilience this year. Tiffany is passionate about empowering others to find their power.

Tiffany Osborne

Equus Workforce Solutions

NYEC Board of Directors

Franco Vega

NYEC Board of Directors

Franco Vega founded The RightWay Foundation in 2011 in recognition of the unresolved trauma and barriers negatively impacting job retention for foster youth. 

Franco began his career in employment services 28 years ago teaching ‘Rites of Passage’ to transition age foster youth (TAY) with the Department of Children & Family Services. He also created an employment center on Skid Row at the Midnight Mission, working with recovering addicts and the homeless population. From providing case management and supervision for 5-12 year olds to creating a Job Development Component for the Youth Opportunity Movement in Watts and Boyle Heights with the Community Development Department for the City of Los Angeles (funded by the Department of Labor), Franco had years of experience working with struggling foster youth, helping him recognize that it was time to develop a program that combines mental health services and job readiness training for transition-age foster youth in Los Angeles County.  

Like many of the youth he now serves, Franco had a traumatic upbringing, suffering a great deal of mental/physical abuse and neglect from the one person who should have protected him the most, his mother. Franco’s father unfortunately passed away from a terrible disease, alcoholism, early on. Five years later, Franco’s mother passed away from cancer. At the age of 15, he was now well-acquainted with juvenile hall and remained on probation until the age of 18 years old. He bounced around to more than ten different schools and graduated from a continuation high school before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He received an honorable discharge in 1995. In 2000, he crossed the stage from California State University of Dominguez Hills with a degree in Human Services and has been hard at work with projects related to job development for underserved communities. 

Along with the youth RightWay serves, Franco is busy raising a family of his own with 4 beautiful children, still managing to find time to coach little league baseball. Franco serves on several boards and was appointed County Commissioner for LA County Commission For Children & Families, District 2. Currently, he is in the process of going back to school to earn his MSW to become a licensed clinical social worker. Franco and The RightWay Foundation continue to provide support in a family atmosphere, and are building new foundations the right way, one foster youth at a time.

Franco Vega

The RightWay Foundation

NYEC Board of Directors

Elizabeth Senn-Alvey

NYEC Board of Directors

Elizabeth Senn-Alvey has worked at the intersection of youth development and workforce development for nearly 30 years, assisting young people with disabilities, court-involved youth, and other youth have experienced educational disruptions to prepare for success in school, employment and adulthood. In 2009, Ms. Senn-Alvey founded The Book Works (formerly Emerging Workforce Initiative), a nonprofit organization committed to promoting equitable access to education and employment for youth who experience educational disruptions, childhood trauma, racial or social discrimination, or economic hardship through network building, programs, and research. Ms. Senn-Alvey holds a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management from the University of Louisville.

Elizabeth Senn-Alvey

The BookWorks

NYEC Board of Directors

Donnice E. Brown

NYEC Board of Directors

Donnice E. Brown is a seasoned youth workforce development professional who serves as the Assistant Director, Chief of Youth Services for the Mayor’s Office Employment Development in Baltimore, MD. In this position, she oversees multiple workforce development initiatives responsive to the needs of Baltimore City youth and young adults 14-24 years old. She is passionate about helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential through collaborative work. Donnice holds a master’s degree in human resource development and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Towson State University. She has served on the following boards: Towson University Alumni Association, Towson University Black Alumni Alliance, Elizabeth City State University Foundation Board, Baltimore Workforce Development Board and The CHOICE Program.

Donnice E. Brown

Baltimore Mayor's Office of Employment Development

NYEC Board of Directors

Bernadette Tavares

NYEC Board of Directors

Bernadette Tavares is an experienced non-profit professional with a program development and child welfare background. Bernadette began working for Foster Forward in 2012 as a Youth Support Specialist, working to connect youth in out of home placement to nonpaid, natural supports that would assist them in achieving social, emotional, and physical permanency. Bernadette was promoted in 2016 to become the Coordinator for Foster Forward’s evidence supported Works Wonders® Program and again in 2021 to become the Director of Career Pathways. She oversees the day-to-day operations and is responsible for employer and partner cultivation, as well as national program replication. She works with senior management to continue to enhance the agency’s programming and processes and aims to achieve vocational and educational success for youth affected by foster care. Bernadette has 10+ years of experience in the child welfare system ranging from mentoring and direct support to program management. Additionally, she has provided adjunct educational support to students entering the University of Rhode Island through the Talent Development Program and has been an active member of the Mount Hope Community Center Board of Directors, the Ocean State Employment Support Network, and the Providence Juvenile Hearing Board. She has a great passion for working with youth and aiding them in the successful transition into adulthood. Bernadette earned bachelor’s degrees in English and Journalism at the University of Rhode Island.

Bernadette Tavares

Foster Forward

NYEC Board of Directors

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