We are Living Cities

Lisa M. Lawson is the president and chief executive officer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private philanthropy dedicated to building a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities in the United States.

Prior to becoming president and CEO, Lawson was the Foundation’s executive vice president and chief program officer, overseeing investments to promote community change, economic opportunity for families and public system reform. She also guided efforts to strengthen the social sector and encourage the take-up of effective strategies. Lawson previously served as vice president of external affairs, leading Casey’s efforts to provide data, analysis, research and policy solutions to help all children realize their potential.

Before joining the Foundation, Lawson worked at UPS for 14 years in various roles, including president of the UPS Foundation and vice president of corporate public relations.

Lawson serves on the boards of the Baltimore Community Foundation, Baltimore’s Promise, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Greater Washington Partnership, Living Cities and StriveTogether. She also is on the advisory board of Twilio.org. An Atlanta native, she earned a law degree from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia.

Shané Harris leads Social Responsibility and Partnerships at Prudential and is President of The Prudential Foundation. Her responsibilities include leading the company’s philanthropic strategy, overseeing the distribution of over $62 million in grants and charitable contributions and community volunteer programs, as well as managing Prudential’s shared value initiatives. She is also a member of the senior leadership team for Inclusive Solutions, a Prudential business function that harnesses the power of capital markets to drive financial and social mobility, inclusive economic opportunity, and sustainable growth.

Harris serves as member of the Board of Trustees for Living Cities, a collaborative of 19 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in American cities. She also serves as a board member for The Newark Trust for Education and was a trustee for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, established to fight the medical, social and economic impact of Covid-19 on New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents. Harris joined Prudential in 2004 where she held a series of leadership positions with increasing responsibility focused on strategic grantmaking, business aligned initiatives and purpose-driven brand visibility. Prior to joining Prudential, she was the director of the New Jersey Nets and Devils Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the New Jersey Nets Professional Basketball Team and the New Jersey Devils Professional Hockey Team. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Columbia University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the New York University Wagner School of Public Service.

Don Chen (he/him) is the President of the Surdna Foundation, a national family foundation dedicated to fostering sustainable environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. He leads the century-old foundation’s efforts to strengthen and further leverage its commitment to racial equity and social justice.

Before joining Surdna in 2018, Don directed the Cities & States program at the Ford Foundation. There, he supported urban development initiatives to make housing more affordable, promote more equitable land use practices, and empower communities to have a powerful decision-making voice in U.S. and Global South cities. He also led a multi-program team to support strengthening social justice organizations and networks in targeted U.S. states.

Previously, Don founded and served as CEO of Smart Growth America, where he led efforts to create the National Vacant Properties Campaign (which later became the Center for Community Progress) and Transportation for America. He also managed a merger with the Growth Management Leadership Alliance.

A writer and speaker on environmental policy, racial justice, and social progress, Don serves as Co-Chair of the Presidents’ Council on Impact Investing and on the boards of Living Cities, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Philanthropy New York, and the Ms. Foundation for Women. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in environmental studies from Yale University.

Tia Hodges has dedicated nearly 20 years to creating and implementing strategies that drive systemic change at the intersection of philanthropy, non-profit, and social impact sectors to improve social and economic progress in communities across the U.S. This work has been fulfilled through her roles at the Citi Foundation where she led the strategy and investments of the Youth Economic Opportunity portfolio in the U.S. In this role, she was responsible to lead the strategic composition and investments of the portfolio with a focus on workforce, social innovation, mentoring, and financial education.

Tia also spent many years at high impact non-profit organizations including Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin supporting the organization’s mission to eradicate hunger and the national non-profit organization KaBOOM! where she worked directly with Mayors and civic leaders from more than 200 cities and towns in the U.S. to ensure children and families had equitable access to healthy and vibrant communities.

Tia was selected as a Fellow for the Council on Foundations Leadership Program, the 92y Belfer Center for Innovation & Impact Women inPower, and Johns Hopkins University Leadership Program for Minority Managers.

Lynette Bell is president of the Truist Foundation, an organization committed to collaborating with innovative companies and investing in communities to build better lives. In this role, she is responsible for strategic philanthropy, deepening strong partnerships with nonprofits, and strengthening local communities in the areas of leadership development, economic mobility, thriving communities, and educational equity.

Previously, she served as enterprise community reinvestment officer for SunTrust now Truist, leading the community development program to support underserved communities. In her more than 30-year career with SunTrust, she held positions in operations, regulatory affairs, bank examinations, and compliance.

Bell currently serves on the board of directors of Purpose Built Communities, Honorary Member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Living Cities Foundation. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Manny Ohonme, chair of International Board of Directors at Sanford Health, called Bell a “difference maker” whose “commitment to make lasting change in our communities is truly inspiring.”

She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and certification as a compliance manager from the University of Georgia and the Georgia Bankers Association.

Susan K. Thomas is President of the Melville Charitable Trust where she oversees the Trust’s grantmaking strategy, philanthropic partnerships and administration. Formerly the Trust’s Program Director, Susan led the foundation’s housing and racial equity efforts for five years, while managing a state and national portfolio of grants supporting solutions to homelessness. Susan has been instrumental in the creation of Funders for Housing and Opportunity, a national non-partisan, cross-sector funder collaborative focused on tackling the housing affordability crisis by supporting advocacy, narrative change work, and efforts to scale effective practices at the intersection of housing, health, economic mobility, and education. While at the Trust, she was also selected to participate in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Fellowship program targeting leaders working to improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Her experience as a Casey Fellow has been instrumental in helping the Trust develop a targeted grantmaking strategy that focuses on ending homelessness for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Prior to joining the Trust, Susan was Project Officer for Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta, where she was responsible for leading “Unsheltered No More!,” an initiative to dramatically reduce street homelessness that placed over 1,000 homeless men, women, and children into permanent housing. As the former president of Providence Consulting Group, she helped launch a statewide foundation to assist foster families and co-chaired an effort for the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Atlanta Housing Authority to rehouse 420 families as part of a major HOPE VI redevelopment project.

Susan is a former Vice President of Community Investment and Area Development at the United Way of Greater Atlanta. Prior to her nonprofit career, she worked for 15 years in the areas of accounting, management consulting, and strategic planning. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland.

Lauren Smith, MD, MPH, serves as the vice president of Strategic Portfolios at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). In this role, Smith serves as a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team and oversees strategy development, implementation, and management of RWJF’s key focus areas, or strategic portfolios, which include Healthy Children and Families, Healthy Communities, Leadership for Better Health, and Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems programs.

Smith comes from the CDC Foundation, where she served as the chief health equity and strategy officer, bringing more than 25 years of extensive experience at the intersection of healthcare delivery, management, public policy, and public health. In this role, Smith was pivotal in developing and driving strategic efforts to embed health equity across the organization’s activities. She focused on addressing structural inequities affecting marginalized populations’ health, wellbeing, and resiliency.

Smith’s career includes leadership positions at FSG, a leading social impact consulting firm, where she served as co-CEO and led the U.S. health practice. Her visionary leadership contributed to the firm’s growth and mission of achieving lasting and equitable social impact. Before FSG, Smith was senior strategic advisor for the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. She has also served as medical director and interim commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, as the national medical director of the Medical Legal Partnership for Children, and as the medical director of the pediatric inpatient service at Boston Medical Center.

Smith is a graduate of Harvard College where she earned a degree in biology, before earning her MD from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

Tonya Allen is a leader and a change agent with a passion for co-creating an equitable, sustainable world. In 2021, she became president of the McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation that advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Tonya heads a majority women, majority people-of-color senior leadership team and a diverse team of about 60.

The Foundation grants approximately $100 million annually in support of equitable communities, a clean energy economy, global food systems, artists and culture bearers, and innovative neuroscience research. In her first year at McKnight, Tonya championed using the Foundation’s investments to advance net zero goals, and elevated McKnight’s voice and leadership to rebuild Twin Cities neighborhoods and small businesses impacted by Covid-19 and the 2020 civil unrest. In 2022, Tonya helped launched the GroundBreak Coalition, an ambitious, multi-sector effort to close wealth gaps in Minneapolis-St. Paul. In 2023, GroundBreak announced nearly $1 billion in commitments towards its goals, which Inside Philanthropy called the “fundraising success story of the year.”

June Davis currently serves as Director, Strategy, Planning and Management and Chief of Staff supporting the overall strategic and operational work of our United States Program. From partnering with schools to drive new equity initiatives to serving on a race and equity task force to repair disparate outcomes in a city community, June has pursued a lifelong passion for driving educational equity both personally and professionally. Her background includes leadership roles in strategy, digital commerce, and merchandising at Nike and Target Corporation, as well as in the for-profit K-12 and higher education sectors.

She launched LearnNow’s first public charter school, an elementary school in St. Paul focused on the Hmong community.  June also served as the senior managing director for Strategy and Operations at Teach For America for their People Development team. In her role as global inclusion & diversity lead at Cargill, she identified the best practices, policies, processes and systems needed to embed inclusion and diversity into the organization spanning 150,000+ employees across 70+ countries in sustainable and scalable ways and partnered with business teams and leaders to support and accelerate their work in creating inclusive work environments. June graduated with an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Dominique joined the M&T Charitable Foundation as Executive Director in July 2022. She steers the bank’s corporate giving strategy and ensures the foundation’s community impact remains inclusive, equitable and diverse throughout its 12-state footprint. Goss spent the past four years as senior group manager for corporate citizenship at TD Bank’s charitable foundation, where she was responsible for aligning the bank’s corporate giving goals to its broader strategic priorities and deploying $26 million in charitable investments and sponsorships from Maine to Florida.

Goss graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2008 and earned an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2018. She serves on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Philanthropy Network, Mural Arts Advocates and the Queen’s Museum. Goss also is a 2019-2020 Connecting Leaders Fellow with the Association for Black Foundation Executives and founding partner of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle.

Betsy is the Senior Vice President, Poverty Program, at The JPB Foundation, leading grantmaking to promote opportunities and justice for people in poverty, with a focus on the areas of health equity, economic justice, and democracy. Betsy has decades of experience collaborating with diverse populations across the US to work for social justice. Before coming to JPB, Betsy co-founded and led a nonprofit that promoted policy change and self-advocacy education for youth in foster care and other government systems.

She has authored and published books, articles, and reports, and presented at national and local conferences, workshops, and trainings. Betsy started her legal career representing children and teens in court. She attended public schools from kindergarten through college and has a JD from Harvard Law School.

Tawa has responsibility for grantmaking in the Chicago Commitment program, a portfolio aimed at investing in people, places, and partnerships to advance racial equity and build a more inclusive Chicago.

Prior to joining MacArthur, Tawa served as the Director of Education Policy and Partnerships in the Office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In this role, Tawa focused on supporting educational opportunities across the K-16 spectrum. Tawa also served as the inaugural Interim Director for Thrive Chicago, a multi-sector collective that aims to increase equitable outcomes for Chicago’s youth. Previously, Tawa served as Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at the City Colleges of Chicago. Prior to that, Tawa also served as Assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley for Education and worked at the Chicago Public Schools as Senior Manager of the Community Schools Initiative.

Tawa holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College, and she is a Class of 2018 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, the region’s premier civic leadership development program.

A native Chicagoan, Tawa dedicates much of her extracurricular time to community service. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Illinois Humanities, Chicago Women in Philanthropy, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Illinois, and the Parks Foundation of Oak Park. Tawa is also a member of the Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Lake Shore Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, organizations dedicated to community service.

Chantel Rush Tebbe is managing director of The Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Program. Her work advances the foundation’s efforts to catalyze effective community and economic development practices that expand opportunities for people with low incomes in American cities.

Chantel joined Kresge in 2015 as a Fellow in the Executive Office before taking on progressive responsibility within the American Cities Program.

Since joining the foundation, she has executed and now leads Kresge’s efforts to partner deeply with communities and support comprehensive place-based work in Memphis, New Orleans, Fresno and a number of other cities throughout the country. Her work supports on-the-ground efforts, exchange of ideas across cities, initiatives seeking to advance community-driven place-based practice, national community development intermediaries, and research aimed at promoting effective urban practice and policy.

Chantel holds a master’s degree in general management from Harvard Business School. She earned bachelor’s degrees in International Relations and Spanish Language from Stanford University, where her studies focused on the interplay between politics and the economy.

She brings to the social sector a background in business strategy and implementation. Prior to Kresge, Chantel served as senior analyst of global strategy and business development at Gap Inc. She started her career in management consulting at Kurt Salmon Associates (now part of Accenture Strategy) where her responsibilities included advising businesses on how to grow and better serve their customers.

Chantel serves on the boards of the National Housing Law Project, Living Cities and Equal Measure.

Florencia Spangaro is the Chief Operating Officer of the Citi Foundation, heading the organization’s grantmaking efforts across the world. In this capacity, she leads the Foundation’s Programs team in strategy design and implementation of key initiatives, including the Global Innovation Challenge and Community Progress Makers.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2010, she worked for Citi’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regional office in London, where she was responsible for coordinating philanthropic and volunteering programs across the region. Before joining Citi, Florencia worked for the Argentine Embassy in London.

Florencia holds a Master’s in Corporate Social Responsibility from Metropolitan University in London and a Master’s in International and Comparative Legal Studies from the University of London, SOAS.

Celine Suarez is a Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance for the Morgan Stanley Institutional Securities Group (ISG). She brings 20+ years’ experience in sustainability and sustainable finance to the ISG management team. In this role she partners with the investment banking, capital markets, equities and fixed income businesses to drive a cohesive, strategic effort to support clients on ESG themes and sustainable finance activities. She joined the Firm in 2015 and prior to her current role, Celine spent seven years in the Global Sustainable Finance Group, most recently as the Head of Corporate Sustainability and Reporting for the Firm.

Before Morgan Stanley, Celine was a senior consultant at leading boutique sustainability and CSR advisory firms, where she advised major global companies on sustainability strategies. In the first decade of her career, Celine was a buy-side ESG analyst. Formerly, Celine was an adjunct professor and taught a Master’s level Corporate Sustainability course at NYU. She currently is on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Living Cities, focused on closing racial income and wealth gaps in American cities. She holds an MS in Sustainable Environmental Systems from the Pratt Institute and a BS in Earth System Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Lisa Talma is the Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives at Deutsche Bank and manages the bank’s U.S. community development philanthropy. She represents the bank on multiple funder collaboratives focusing on youth and family homelessness, neighborhood planning and community development. Prior to joining the bank in 2019, Lisa served as the Assistant Commissioner of Property Disposition and Finance at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development where she was responsible for the disposition of city-owned property and the financing of preservation and repair programs. Lisa also worked in asset management and construction lending for LIHTC investments at Enterprise Community Partners. Lisa holds a BA in Urban Studies from Stanford University and a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Rhea Williams-Bishop is director of Mississippi and New Orleans Programming for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she supports the foundation’s efforts to promote thriving children, working families and equitable communities.

Williams-Bishop is responsible for leadership and vision in program conceptualization, design, planning, management, coordination, communication, evaluation, policy and learning of grantmaking in Mississippi and New Orleans. Williams-Bishop supports and facilitates the community change process within the region in alignment with the foundation’s mission and strategic framework, in collaboration and partnership with grantees and other external partners in the region, as well as other WKKF staff.

Prior to joining the foundation, Williams-Bishop served as the director of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation (MSCEI), a nonprofit education intermediary focused on impacting and transforming education through engagement and innovation. As a child and family advocate, she has devoted her career to improving the lives of vulnerable children by enhancing and improving their opportunities in the areas of racial equity, healthcare and education.

Prior to this, Williams-Bishop held several positions with the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), including State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) administrator, executive director of Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) and deputy director of the CDF Southern Regional Office. She has also served as the Kids Count State Coordinator. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she worked to ensure that children and families were not further traumatized by reuniting families and securing resources for restoration and recovery. Over the course of her career, she has spent nearly 15 years effectively managing people, programs and resources.

Williams-Bishop holds a Ph.D. in education leadership, a master’s degree in public policy and administration and a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs, each from Jackson State University. She has completed leadership programs with the Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Program, Leadership Mississippi, Leadership Madison County, and most recently the Southeastern Council of Foundations – Hull Fellowship Program.

Joe Scantlebury is the President and CEO of Living Cities, a collaborative of prominent foundations and financial institutions working together to close racial income and wealth gaps in U.S. cities. In this role, Joe leads the design and execution of innovative solutions in homeownership and entrepreneurship as wealth building strategies.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Joe served as vice president for program strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where he designed, led and implemented strategic programming efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families in the Foundation’s priority places. As senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Washington, D.C., he led state policy advocacy within a subset of priority Northeast and Mid-South states, as well as civil rights and equity work. He also served as a staff attorney at the Youth Law Center in Washington, where he advocated and litigated nationally to reduce disproportionate minority confinement and addressed conditions within the juvenile justice system.

Joe received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial & Labor Relations. He holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.

Read Full Bio here.

As Chief of Staff, Valerie works directly with the CEO, Executive team members and departmental leaders to determine and prioritize business strategies to ensure alignment and effective communication across the organization.

Valerie brings over two decades of advocacy and organizational experience from her work in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In her last role, she was a founding member and Director of Operations for a nonprofit working to eliminate racial disparities, reduce incarceration and improve conditions of confinement for kids of color. There she was a trusted thought partner to the Executive Director, managing operational, vendor, banking, and board relations.

Valerie also has a passion for the arts, having co-founded a dance company at her university, as writer/ director of a theater group, and as a writing consultant, helping many become first time published authors. Merging her social justice and arts background has allowed Valerie a unique perspective to collaboratively bring about solutions for sustainability, reform, and change.
Valerie holds a B.S. from Georgetown University and M.S. from Eastern University. Valerie loves to travel the world and spends her free time with family and friends. She currently lives in Maryland.

Anna is an accomplished executive management and board support professional. Skilled at managing and implementing projects for high-level principals in organizations such as US House of Representatives and US Senate, National MS Society, Pew Charitable Trusts, and American Society of Clinical Oncology, she enjoys finding solutions that help organizations thrive. A LUMA Certified Project Manager, Ms. Jinkerson approaches her work with a human-centered, equity lens. She is a member of EPIP and LGBT Funders and has completed EPIP’s White Affinity Cohort program.

An operations leader passionate about social justice, bold ideas, and progress, she proudly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis and a Master of Science in Management (MSM)-with a special nonprofit and association focus from The University of Maryland.

She happily calls the Washington, DC region home with her Jack Russell Terrier Mix, Dolly. In her spare time, she serves on the Capital Pride Board of Directors and volunteers with First Tee of Greater Washington.

Joe Scantlebury is the President and CEO of Living Cities, a collaborative of prominent foundations and financial institutions working together to close racial income and wealth gaps in U.S. cities. In this role, Joe leads the design and execution of innovative solutions in homeownership and entrepreneurship as wealth building strategies.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Joe served as vice president for program strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where he designed, led and implemented strategic programming efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families in the Foundation’s priority places. As senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Washington, D.C., he led state policy advocacy within a subset of priority Northeast and Mid-South states, as well as civil rights and equity work. He also served as a staff attorney at the Youth Law Center in Washington, where he advocated and litigated nationally to reduce disproportionate minority confinement and addressed conditions within the juvenile justice system.

Joe received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial & Labor Relations. He holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.

Read Full Bio here.

As Chief of Staff, Valerie works directly with the CEO, Executive team members and departmental leaders to determine and prioritize business strategies to ensure alignment and effective communication across the organization.

Valerie brings over two decades of advocacy and organizational experience from her work in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In her last role, she was a founding member and Director of Operations for a nonprofit working to eliminate racial disparities, reduce incarceration and improve conditions of confinement for kids of color. There she was a trusted thought partner to the Executive Director, managing operational, vendor, banking, and board relations.

Valerie also has a passion for the arts, having co-founded a dance company at her university, as writer/ director of a theater group, and as a writing consultant, helping many become first time published authors. Merging her social justice and arts background has allowed Valerie a unique perspective to collaboratively bring about solutions for sustainability, reform, and change.
Valerie holds a B.S. from Georgetown University and M.S. from Eastern University. Valerie loves to travel the world and spends her free time with family and friends. She currently lives in Maryland.

As Chief Impact Officer, Julie Bosland works with Living Cities’ members and internal leaders to clarify, measure, and ensure we are achieving our organizational goals. Since joining Living Cities in January 2017, Julie has advanced public sector innovation, corporate narrative change, and the active engagement of members and national partners to close racial gaps in income and wealth.

Julie has a passion for helping city leaders improve outcomes for all residents, with more than a decade of experience working directly with municipal officials through the National League of Cities (NLC). Committed to public service, Julie also served in the Mayor’s Office in Philadelphia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House Domestic Policy Council. She also worked to catalyze widespread economic security and upward mobility at ThinkShift, an initiative of the DeBruce Foundation.

Julie earned her bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and her master’s in public affairs from Princeton University. She also spent a year in India studying methods of empowerment within the caste system as a Watson Fellow. Julie currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and three children.

With over 25 years of experience, Jamilah Davis has consistently delivered strong results. Her tenure spans across industries and includes over twenty years of progressive management experience.

Jamilah Davis has worked in many facets of accounting and organizational administration including strategic planning, heading general ledger financial groups, leading accounting firm tax departments, payroll management, and benefits administration.

Jamilah’s talents are best presented in her strong technical skills, deep professional knowledge base and ability to create an environment of focused thinking. She is a natural born leader who strives to genuinely connect to those she works with.

With exceptional communication and emotional intelligence skills, Jamilah works very well with others and prides herself on using these abilities to further her commitment to staff development.
She is a proud graduate of Morgan State University and has returned as a guest speaker for both the student body at large and Morgan State’s Accounting Department Honors Society.
She is also a current member of the International Society of Female Professionals (ISFP) and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).

Aside from work, Jamilah is a published poet whose hobbies include reading, writing and all things artsy. Jamilah is a true “foodie” who enjoys music, dancing and dining out with her friends and family.

As an immigrant, Myung is committed to the ideal that led her father to move her family to the US – a land of opportunity led by a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” – and has dedicated her career to strengthening democracy and ensuring that all people have access to opportunity.
Myung’s belief in possibilities and authentic leadership style have enabled her to lead successfully in the public, private and social good sectors.

Myung’s experience in the social good sector includes her role as the inaugural Executive Director of Cities of Service that operated on the theory that when mayors, city government staff, and community leaders work together with their residents – including those in historically marginalized and overlooked communities – to identify challenges, create solutions, and bring that solution to life, they improve outcomes, create systemic change, and strengthen our democracy. She also helped launch AmeriCorps at the Corporation for National Service and served over 100,000 NYC children living in poverty as the Deputy Commissioner of NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Myung is a graduate of the Bronx HS of Science, SUNY-Binghamton, and Georgetown University Law Center and lives with her family in Harlem.

Samanta Mahon (Sam) joins Living Cities as the Associate Director of Talent and Organization Development. Sam brings with her over 20 years’ Human Resources and leadership experience.

Sam has a BS in Organizational Management and MS in Human Resources Management from St. Joseph’s College/University of Brooklyn, NY. Throughout her career she has lent her talents to mission-based organizations. She expresses herself as a passionate, thoughtful leader who is dedicated to serving those who work hard at bettering BIPOC communities.

When not working at LC Sam flexes her culinary skills in the kitchen. As a self-proclaimed “foodie” she often experiments on new recipes and cakes.

Miguel is the Senior Associate for the business ownership initiative at Living Cities where he is helping expand entrepreneurship among BIPOC communities.

Before joining Living Cities, Miguel was an Analyst at HR&A Advisors where he worked on Digital Equity and Inclusion issues by helping expand broadband access to underserved communities in California, Colorado, Nevada, New York, and Texas.

Prior to that, Miguel was the Regional Research Director for Latin America at the Global Private Capital Association (GPCA) where he provided research, support, and guidance to the private capital community interested in investing in Latin America. Prior to this position he developed cross-sector experience working in healthcare, banking, and IT.

Miguel completed an internship in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Consejo Argentina para las Relaciones Internacionales (CARI), a leading Argentine think-tank in 2017. He also lived abroad in Bologna, Italy where he completed his first year of graduate school.

Miguel holds a BA in History from the University of Virginia and an MA in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University – School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Ophelia (she, her, hers) is Living Cities’ Assistant Director for City and Community Engagement. She has spent much of her twenty-year career in the nonprofit and public sectors, most recently as the Senior Program Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the National Association of Counties, working to advance equitable governance. Prior to that, she was a Senior Program Officer with Hawai‘i Community Foundation supporting nonprofit organizations with strengthening their ability to serve the community. Her work includes project development and management, capacity building, workshop facilitation, and public speaking.

Witnessing injustice, Ophelia established an independent consultancy to grow in her own understanding of social justice and to help guide others in their awareness of and response to profound systemic and structural inequities. She has presented at industry conferences on developing an evaluative culture and on the power imbalances that can exist in non-profit and philanthropic relationships. She worked with U.S. military families and children with special needs and coached track and field and basketball for Special Olympics Hawai‘i.

Ophelia approaches her work with curiosity and by imagining and making real the possibilities. She has a Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology and her MBA and enjoys being outdoors, eating, and writing short stories.

Santiago co-leads Living Cities’ business ownership portfolio and spearheads equitable ecosystem building efforts in Albuquerque, Austin, Minneapolis, Memphis, Saint Paul and Rochester. Prior to this role, Santiago managed the Builders & Benefactors network, a community of principally Black fund managers and investors, led learning and impact for Living Cities investment team and managed Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up, a Surdna and Rockefeller-funded strategy focused on strengthening ecosystems of support for high-growth entrepreneurs of color in San Francisco, Albuquerque and New Orleans.

Before moving to New York City, Santiago led the implementation of a national income generation strategy for displaced and vulnerable groups in rural Colombia. As part of the project, Santiago helped capitalize and facilitated access to technical assistance for more than 2,000 businesses owned by formerly displaced populations located throughout the Colombian territory. Prior to his work on income generation, Santiago supported a USAID-funded initiative to form the Afro Colombian Congressional Caucus and help prioritize their legislative agenda.

Santiago holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government and International Affairs from Universidad Externado de Colombia and a Masters in Urban Planning from New York University.

Natalie Gill is an Associate, Development at Living Cities. She is very proactive and a detail-oriented professional with a proven track record of delivering complex projects on time. Natalie possesses a strong understanding of project management in addition to grants, contracts, and proposal management, allowing her to effectively plan, execute, and monitor projects from initiation to closure.

With excellent communication and leadership abilities, she thrives in cross-functional teams, coordinating resources and ensuring seamless collaboration. Known for her problem-solving skills and ability to mitigate risks, Natalie consistently drives successful project outcomes. Outside of work, Natalie enjoys attending cultural events, traveling with her family, and volunteering with nonprofit organizations to feed the homeless.

Kelsey Birmingham’s professional background is in mental health and macro social work, with a particular interest in researching and analyzing communities and families using a cultural and trauma-informed care lens.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Kelsey was part of the Research and Data Evaluation team at the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families. There, she contributed to promoting an equitable child welfare system by evaluating and recommending more suitable family and community engagement practices. Her experience also includes serving as a Case Manager for adults and children with disabilities from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and working as a Psychiatric Counselor and Mental Health Worker in inpatient facilities.

Kelsey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and earned my Master’s Degree in Macro Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Kelsey enjoys traveling, exploring holistic health practices, and spending quality time with family, friends, and my dog, Skooter.

As a member of the City & Community Engagement team, Angela will lead the Living Cities’ homeownership strategy in cohort cities which assists local government’s transformations in systems that pose disproportionate system barriers to prospective and current homeowners of color, and support homeownership as a pathway to close racial wealth gaps.

Most recently, Angela was the Director of Real Estate Enterprise Strategies for NeighborWorks America. In this role, Angela was responsible for a peer learning cohort and technical assistance programs that supported sustainable business practices and enterprise level growth for community-based nonprofit developers.

Prior to joining NeighborWorks America, Angela worked at Enterprise Community Partners. During that time, she helped improve strategic and programmatic operations for community-based nonprofit developers, administered large grant programs, and managed external relationships with funding, technical assistance, and evaluation partners.

Angela holds a Masters in Public Administration from the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a Masters in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology, and holds a Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) certification from the National Development Council.

At Living Cities, Julienne gathers lessons and develops content for the Closing the Gaps Network. She leads the learning processes of the Cities and Community Engagement team, which invites reflection to guide their work going forward and informs content. Julienne partners with city government representatives, data partners, creatives, and local community members to tell stories about how they are organizing to implement wealth-building strategies for BIPOC and visions for their communities in a racially just world.

Julienne is an artist who uses comics and illustration as tools for storytelling. She strives to make art and tell stories that expand our capacity for imagining new possibilities for the future, grow practices of care and solidarity, and invite us to hold onto softness.

Julienne is an alum of University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she organized for resources to support survivors and a curriculum that recognized the history of the Wilmington Massacre in 1898.

A proud graduate of Florida A&M University during the Dr. Frederick S Humphries era of expansion, in recent years Daniel Marshall conducted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for a number of entities, convening thought leaders and government partners to engage in dialogue on issues of historic harms, economic development, and DEI strategies. Daniel developed training sessions, designed content, and led facilitated sessions. For several years prior, relying upon his Labor & Employment Law experience from cooperative internships with the National Labor Relations Board (Region 12) and his clerkship with Internationally-renown Labor & Employment Law treatises author/Arbitrator/Stetson Law Dean Dr. Gary Vause, Daniel accepted a position as the Specialist 4 mediating workers’ compensation disputes, supervising an office of Specialists, and representing the Tennessee Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development for the five-county area surrounding and including Maury.

Daniel channels his passion for the law into advocating for the elderly, children, and the underserved. His community past and current involvement include Health Fair Chairman for Live Empowered of the American Diabetes Assn; Pro bono work for indigent clients in debt-collection and child custody matters; Board Member of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation; and Co-sponsoring events for organizations making a positive impact in their communities.

In his spare time, he enjoys traditional jazz performances and well-constructed charcuterie boards.
Daniel will be based in Nashville, TN.

Joshua Robinson is the Senior Associate of City and Community Engagement for Living Cities. In his role, he supports cities to center racial equity in their policies, practices, and procedures through convening and technical assistance.

Prior to Living Cities, Joshua served as the Equity & Inclusion Coordinator for the City of Austin, where he provided guidance and expertise to City departments and community-based organizations on centering racial equity in their daily operations. During his time with the City of Austin, he was also the Project Manager for the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Study, and supported the Assistant City Manager with special projects focused on homelessness, reimagining public safety, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joshua has also worked for the City of Cedar Park, TX, Wyandotte County, Kansas, and the City of Overland Park, Kansas. Joshua is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, graduating from the University of Kansas with both a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism and a Master of Public Administration. Joshua has extensive knowledge in centering Racial Equity in municipal government services, and experience in addressing issues that affect communities most harmed by systemic racism.

Rachel Walton is an Associate at Living Cities, where she supports the City and Community Engagement (CCE) and Communications teams. Formerly, Rachel was a Coordinator for the Capital for the New Majority team, and assisted in the development of a third fund vehicle. Her previous experience includes roles in financial services, the entertainment industry, government, and several non-profits. She has a degree in English from Syracuse University.

Norris provides strategic planning, project management, and network management for Living Cities community and economic development projects that experiment with how public-sector agencies, private-sector financial institutions, and philanthropic-sector foundations can partner to generate capital flows within marginalized communities.

His service at Living Cities, since April 2015, spans projects including Bloomberg Innovation Teams (i-teams), City Accelerator with Citi Foundation, Equipt to Innovate with Governing Magazine, Project on Municipal Innovation with Harvard Kennedy School, The Catalyst Fund, The Blended Catalyst Fund, Shared Prosperity Partnership (SP2), Regional Inclusive Economic Growth, The Closing the Gaps Network, and currently Breaking Barriers to Business with Truist Foundation.

Amongst Norris’ multi-sector experience prior to Living Cities his time as a Legislative Assistant with the Indiana House of Representatives, service as a Board Member of Community Action of Greater Indianapolis, and birth into a marginalized community inspired the nexus of his work today.

Norris received his BA in Political Science from the University of the District of Columbia and his Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from the National Development Council.

Sheila Nelms is a seasoned project and program management professional with over 9 years of experience in nonprofit work. Her expertise lies in grant writing, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, budget creation, risk assessment, and project planning.

Before joining Living Cities, Sheila served as the Major Gifts Senior Manager at Habitat for Humanity, where she developed and implemented strategies for major gift prospects and donor cultivation.

Prior to that, Sheila served as the Outreach Director at Elevation Church UC, overseeing community outreach initiatives and managing strategic partnerships with nonprofits and government agencies.

With a Master’s in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance from New York University and a Bachelor’s in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from Rutgers University, Sheila brings a unique blend of skills and experience to the Living Cities team. She is known for her creative problem-solving, attention to detail, and a deep commitment to the mission of Living Cities. Sheila is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish, enhancing her ability to connect with diverse stakeholders and communities.

Sheila’s enthusiasm for advancing racial equity and inclusion aligns perfectly with Living Cities’ mission, making her a valuable addition to the team.

As Chief Impact Officer, Julie Bosland works with Living Cities’ members and internal leaders to clarify, measure, and ensure we are achieving our organizational goals. Since joining Living Cities in January 2017, Julie has advanced public sector innovation, corporate narrative change, and the active engagement of members and national partners to close racial gaps in income and wealth.

Julie has a passion for helping city leaders improve outcomes for all residents, with more than a decade of experience working directly with municipal officials through the National League of Cities (NLC). Committed to public service, Julie also served in the Mayor’s Office in Philadelphia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House Domestic Policy Council. She also worked to catalyze widespread economic security and upward mobility at ThinkShift, an initiative of the DeBruce Foundation.

Julie earned her bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and her master’s in public affairs from Princeton University. She also spent a year in India studying methods of empowerment within the caste system as a Watson Fellow. Julie currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and three children.

Dr. Ahmed Whitt brings a wealth of experience as a social scientist, senior nonprofit leader, and entrepreneur to his role as the Director of the Center for Wealth Equity at Living Cities. With a distinguished career that spans academia, social enterprise, and strategic consulting, Dr. Whitt is committed to pioneering innovative strategies that address racial wealth disparities and promote economic justice.

Ahmed has held leadership positions in both academic institutions and national organizations, where he has spearheaded efforts to integrate scientific rigor with practical solutions to social challenges. His expertise in causal inference, spatial analysis, and intervention design underpins his strategic vision for the Center, ensuring that it becomes a leading hub for actionable knowledge and impactful change.

In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Whitt is the chief strategist of Recover Fund, where he has developed an impact science approach to reducing wealth inequality and enhancing economic opportunities in underserved communities. His entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to systemic change continue to drive his work at Living Cities.

Ahmed holds a BA and MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Social Work with a specialization in Geographic Information Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Based in Washington, DC, he is originally from Philadelphia and remains a passionate advocate for his hometown.

Jonique supports impact and learning for Living Cities. Her efforts include internal data collection, impact reports, organizational tools and evaluation, and developing Living Cities organizational Anti-Racist Results-Based Accountability strategy.
Before Joining Living Cities Jonique worked as a policy research fellow for the NGO Working Group for Women, Peace and Security, a Public Affairs Intern for the YMCA, served as an AmeriCorps Member for the Alliance to End Hunger and the College Advising Corps supporting racial equity in College Access and Food Security. She is a servant leader at heart. Her background brings in-depth knowledge and experience in domestic non-profits, local government, public service and international non-governmental organizations.
Jonique brings skill sets in community engagement, media, communications, design-thinking, policy and research. She holds a B.S. in Political Science from North Carolina State University and a M.A. in International Affairs from The New School.

Kionna Casey serves as the Senior Administrative Assistant to the Chief Impact Officer, Membership Engagement, and the Communications and Narrative Change team.

From a young age, Kionna has been fueled by a passion for racial equity and community advancement. As a teen, she served on the Governor’s board for young community leaders, and was active in Habitat for Humanity and the Walk Against Hunger. In her 15-year career, Kionna has consistently dedicated her skills to administrative roles, leveraging her expertise to contribute meaningfully to the non-profit and non-profit sectors.

Before transitioning to the field of administration, Kionna served as a paralegal for law firms. A proud graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Kionna brings both academic knowledge and practical experience to her role at Living Cities.

Kionna is originally from Connecticut. Beyond the office, Kionna was a vibrant community leader, having organized and hosted community block parties. She currently serves as the director for her church’s theater group and leads the praise dance ministry as well. Her passion for the arts shines through, contributing to the enrichment of both the workplace and the communities she serves.

As an immigrant, Myung is committed to the ideal that led her father to move her family to the US – a land of opportunity led by a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” – and has dedicated her career to strengthening democracy and ensuring that all people have access to opportunity.
Myung’s belief in possibilities and authentic leadership style have enabled her to lead successfully in the public, private and social good sectors.

Myung’s experience in the social good sector includes her role as the inaugural Executive Director of Cities of Service that operated on the theory that when mayors, city government staff, and community leaders work together with their residents – including those in historically marginalized and overlooked communities – to identify challenges, create solutions, and bring that solution to life, they improve outcomes, create systemic change, and strengthen our democracy. She also helped launch AmeriCorps at the Corporation for National Service and served over 100,000 NYC children living in poverty as the Deputy Commissioner of NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Myung is a graduate of the Bronx HS of Science, SUNY-Binghamton, and Georgetown University Law Center and lives with her family in Harlem.

Sarah is the Director of Member Engagement, helping to lead the Living Cities’ member collaborative in their work of closing the racial wealth gap.

Sarah has spent two decades working in the non-profit sector, with high-level experience integrating the vision and work of staff and organizations on the ground with the resources of the philanthropic community. She most recently served as the Regional Executive Director of New City Kids, leading a dynamic team on the forefront of college and career readiness for youth in New Jersey.

Sarah loves working with a passionate and engaged Board, and is excited to help support the Living Cities’ member collaborative to collectively use their power and influence to find solutions big enough to end the racial wealth gap in the United States.

Sarah is Californian living in New Jersey with her family. She got her bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s in Business Administration from Bakke University in Seattle, with a focus on the intersection of faith communities and good business for neighborhood transformation. She believes that demolishing systemic racism and pursuing a just economy is critical work for us all to flourish.

Matthew Zayas joins Living Cities as the Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships, bringing extensive experience in strategic collaboration and compliance. In his new role, Matthew will focus on developing and nurturing partnerships that support Living Cities’ mission to enhance economic opportunities for underserved communities.

Most recently, Matthew served as Partnership Manager at Next Street, where he curated a network of responsible capital providers, business support organizations, and subject matter experts. His efforts were instrumental in delivering high-quality learning and capital access programs to over 350,000 small businesses across various markets.

Before Next Street, Matthew was an Inclusionary Compliance Officer at the City of Buffalo Mayor’s Office. In this role, he worked with municipalities and agencies throughout Western New York to improve the small business ecosystem. His initiatives led to a 26% increase in participation from MWBE-certified firms, guided by the directives of an executive order to enhance compliance strategies and strengthen local contracting laws.

Matthew holds a B.A. from the University at Buffalo and an M.S. from Buffalo State University. He is fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in two additional languages. Matthew values meeting people where they are and treating them with kindness. He enjoys traveling, particularly to the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Spain, to visit family and friends.

At Living Cities, Matthew looks forward to contributing to the organization’s mission by building partnerships that drive systemic change and support sustainable economic growth.

Justice serves as an Associate for the Member Engagement and Results (MER) team, where he helps to develop and implement the collective action strategies that integrate the member collaborative and the Living Cities staff and programs.

Previously, he was a LEAD Democracy Fellow at NYU, where he worked with the non-profit organization Protect The Vote GA to increase voting rights across the state of Georgia by tracking important bills centered around voting rights, creating a legislative agenda for the org, and assisting in various administrative work including policy research and curating social media content. He also served as a consultant to United Way Central Maryland, helping them create a legislative roadmap for the 2024 Maryland Legislative Session that looked to advance their policy goals and improve the lives of their ALICE population.

In his free time, Justice loves to work out, enjoy time with his friends, and read about alternative economic systems for the working class. He is more than certain that–with enough advocacy, perseverance, and hope–a brighter, more equitable future for all lies ahead.

Justice holds a degree in Psychology from Georgia State University and has a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University.

With over 25 years of experience, Jamilah Davis has consistently delivered strong results. Her tenure spans across industries and includes over twenty years of progressive management experience.

Jamilah Davis has worked in many facets of accounting and organizational administration including strategic planning, heading general ledger financial groups, leading accounting firm tax departments, payroll management, and benefits administration.

Jamilah’s talents are best presented in her strong technical skills, deep professional knowledge base and ability to create an environment of focused thinking. She is a natural born leader who strives to genuinely connect to those she works with.

With exceptional communication and emotional intelligence skills, Jamilah works very well with others and prides herself on using these abilities to further her commitment to staff development.
She is a proud graduate of Morgan State University and has returned as a guest speaker for both the student body at large and Morgan State’s Accounting Department Honors Society.
She is also a current member of the International Society of Female Professionals (ISFP) and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).

Aside from work, Jamilah is a published poet whose hobbies include reading, writing and all things artsy. Jamilah is a true “foodie” who enjoys music, dancing and dining out with her friends and family.

As Assistant Director of Development, Joan has the opportunity to shape the way the organization looks at development. While lending her expertise in both Grants & Contracts Management, she provides Living Cities’ funders with reports on the impact the organization is making through their programs in annual and semi-annual reports and check-ins. Joan also supports Living Cities’ Project Teams in assisting the cohorts in achieving their outcomes by providing oversight and guidance on contractual obligations.

Joan joined Living Cities in August 2014 as a part of the Integration Initiative, where she is fully committed to making changes in the current systems and thereby improving the lives of traditionally marginalized Black, Indigenous and people of color, particularly those living in urban neighborhoods, who are still systematically left behind.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Joan provided support to executive level managers in both corporate and non-profit environments before realizing that working in the human services industry was closer to her heart.

Joan, who resides in the tri-state NY area, has a master’s degree in business administration, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Paralegal Certification.

Alysa Conway is a Senior Administrative Assistant, Finance and Operations and Talent and Organizational Development. With her strong attentiveness to detail and experience working under executive leadership in academia, Alysa is proactive in performing senior-level administrative tasks, logistics management, file and database organization, and event planning. She is hard-working and passionate about social justice, specifically in using critical race frameworks and approaches to challenge systemic and structural racism in schools and public buildings.

Alysa thrives in both independent and cross-functional team settings and enjoys working in a supportive environment that encourages equity, inclusion, collaboration and innovation. Known for her quick-thinking and problem-solving skills, Alysa is an asset in her ability to work and adapt in a fast-paced environment while also contributing ideas and practices that complement operations and internal management. She is looking forward to expanding her experience in financial reporting, human resources, and office maintenance.

Outside of work, Alysa shares a passion for fashion and makeup. She also enjoys cooking, sunbathing, attending concerts and festivals, watching documentaries, and exploring D.C. with friends and family. Alysa graduated with her B.A. in Government and Politics and Public Policy with a concentration in Education Policy. Alysa is due her M.A. in Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership in Education Policy and Leadership.

Shafayat joined Living Cities in July 2020 with several years of experience in both non-profit and private sector organizations.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Shafayat worked as a staff accountant for The Small Enterprise Education and Promotion Network, a membership organization whose purpose was to help nonprofits in the international relief and development realm collaborate and achieve their individual and collective goals. As a member of a small finance department, Shafayat worked on all things finance related, including general ledger accounting, financial reporting, and audits.

Shafayat graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from George Mason University and holds a certified public accounting license in the state of Virginia.

Siyada has spent over 15 years at international non-profits in different countries, most recently leaving his post as Finance Manager at Population Service International. There, he covered 20 countries in Africa, supporting US and non-US government donors. Prior to this, he also held positions at Save the Children International and World Vision International.

He holds an MS in Corporate Accounting from Strayer University in Maryland as well as an MBA from St. Mary University in Addis Ababa. He is currently pursuing a PhD specializing in Organizational Leadership and Public Policy.

In his spare time, he loves to read, write, and listen to music. He also likes to spend time outdoors hiking and playing soccer. He is a fan of kickboxing as well. Siyada is also a published author! He published his first book in the Amharic and Affaan Oromo languages of east Africa, and it is translated in English version which details the life of a pastor who survived the Red Terror in Ethiopia.

Kieron Davis joined Living Cities in June 2024 with a diverse accounting background ranging from tax to consulting to internal accounting.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Kieron worked for Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit whose mission was to reduce nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats to humanity. In that role Kieron was involved in in all aspects of finance, including accounts payable, general ledger accounting, financial reporting, and audits.

Kieron graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is working towards sitting for the CPA exam in the future. Some of Kieron’s hobbies are chess, fishing and cooking.

Samanta Mahon (Sam) joins Living Cities as the Associate Director of Talent and Organization Development. Sam brings with her over 20 years’ Human Resources and leadership experience.

Sam has a BS in Organizational Management and MS in Human Resources Management from St. Joseph’s College/University of Brooklyn, NY. Throughout her career she has lent her talents to mission-based organizations. She expresses herself as a passionate, thoughtful leader who is dedicated to serving those who work hard at bettering BIPOC communities.

When not working at LC Sam flexes her culinary skills in the kitchen. As a self-proclaimed “foodie” she often experiments on new recipes and cakes.

Alexis joined the team in 2020 to focus on benefits administration and processes as well as employee wellness and development. She works closely with the Operations and Finance & Accounting teams.
Prior to joining Living Cities, Alexis worked in start-ups for 10 years, often as the first or only HR partner. Along with being an HR Generalist, she has experience in B-Corp certification, office management, event planning, and trade shows.

Alexis is a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) with the Society of Human Resource Management and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Centenary College. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she also spent her formative high school years in the Philippines where she graduated from the International School of Manila.

Alexis is passionate about sustainability and ethical business practices, from where we shop to what we eat. She is a voracious knitter, loves to cook, and enjoys live concerts.

Justin Charles joins Living Cities as the Senior Associate, Communications and Narrative Change, bringing over a decade of expertise in strategic and integrated communications, video production, broadcasting, and social/digital media strategy.

Born and raised in the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Justin originally came to the US to attend Howard University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Formerly the Digital Media Associate at Families USA, Justin excelled in directing social media strategies, connecting with and advocating for everyday people at the mercy of our complex and low-value health care system, leading digital ad campaigns, and executing inbound marketing plans.

Outside of work, Justin enjoys playing with his two young children, exploring new destinations with his family, and gaining enriching experiences through travel. In his downtime, he loves diving into his ever-growing queue of novels and podcasts, always eager to discover new stories and perspectives.

Kionna Casey serves as the Senior Administrative Assistant to the Chief Impact Officer, Membership Engagement, and the Communications and Narrative Change team.

From a young age, Kionna has been fueled by a passion for racial equity and community advancement. As a teen, she served on the Governor’s board for young community leaders, and was active in Habitat for Humanity and the Walk Against Hunger. In her 15-year career, Kionna has consistently dedicated her skills to administrative roles, leveraging her expertise to contribute meaningfully to the non-profit and non-profit sectors.

Before transitioning to the field of administration, Kionna served as a paralegal for law firms. A proud graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Kionna brings both academic knowledge and practical experience to her role at Living Cities.

Kionna is originally from Connecticut. Beyond the office, Kionna was a vibrant community leader, having organized and hosted community block parties. She currently serves as the director for her church’s theater group and leads the praise dance ministry as well. Her passion for the arts shines through, contributing to the enrichment of both the workplace and the communities she serves.