DR. LATONYA AGARD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Latonya L. Agard, “Dr. A,” comes to NCCEH with a wealth of leadership experience within the faith community, higher education, nonprofits, and mental health. She holds several degrees, including a BS in Chemistry and an MA in English from the University of Alabama, an MDiv from Duke University Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Her work in higher education focused on mentoring first-generation African American students, helping to build their capacity for resilience, and teaching at the University of Alabama, Miles College, Barton College, and Duke Divinity School. As a local pastor and church planter, she has led communities of faith to consider the dynamic relationships between Christian praxis and professions of faith. This transformative work fuels her interest in connecting the tenets of her faith with the practical needs of marginalized communities, which is partly reflected in her work to help establish ONE Wake, an IAF affiliate in Wake County, NC, her job as a case manager for the Support Circle Program for Homeless Families, and her service on nonprofit Boards of Directors.

Integrating her skills, knowledge, and experience, Dr. A broadened her justice work by opening her business, BeSpeak Solutions, Inc. As a North Carolina Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselor Associate and Transformational DEI Specialist, she provides narrative and trauma-informed mental healthcare, workshops, presentations, and consultant services. In 2021, she joined NCCEH as a DEI Consultant to begin guiding the agency through the difficult process of identifying and dismantling racism and racist practices. This collaborative relationship challenged the staff and Board of Directors to redefine its values, reframe its Mission and Vision, and craft an explicit DEI Statement. Now, as our Executive Director, Dr. A continues to lead NCCEH as we transform our workplace culture and serve homeless families in North Carolina.

BRIAN ALEXANDER

NC BALANCE OF STATE COC DIRECTOR

Brian Alexander joined the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH) in April 2016. Brian leads the the NC Balance of State Continuum of Care team. Brian has worked in homeless services since 2003. Starting as a front-line worker at Homeward Bound of WNC’s day center, he transitioned to multiple roles within the agency including shelter director, supportive housing case manager, operations director, and finally Executive Director in his final six years. Under his leadership, Homeward Bound evolved from a traditional homeless service agency focused on basic needs to one leading its community in ending homelessness using a Housing First approach.

ANDREA CAREY

DATA CENTER DIRECTOR

Andrea Carey is a Project Director for the Data Center at NCCEH, working to make client and program data in HMIS more accurate, not so scary, and easier to use in decision making. Her work at the Data Center focuses on System Administration of HMIS@NCCEH, leading the HMIS PIT/HIC annual project for our 3 CoCs, as well as the Balance of State’s Unsheltered and non-HMIS Counts too. As an enthusiastic promoter of HMIS, Andrea also leads the regular training opportunities for HMIS at our CoC’s Users Meetings. Recently, she has been the liaison for several research projects including data matching for aggregate COVID vaccination rates, mortality rates, and healthcare utilization of people experiencing homelessness.

Getting to the field of housing and homelessness was a blessing in disguise. Originally from Seattle, WA, Andrea grew up witnessing an increasingly desperate regional environment with difficult housing affordability and unsheltered homeless touch everyone. After graduating from the University of Washington with an Honors degree in Political Science and a minor in Human Rights, Andrea went into issue-based ballot initiative elections as an organizer and data manager. That belief in the power of collective action for social justice drew her to NCCEH in 2016 when she moved ‘home’ to be closer to her wife’s family. We CAN end homelessness and extend dignity and justice to all our neighbors!

In her spare time, Andrea enjoys exploring the parks from Eno River to Cliffs of the Neuse with her wife and their dog, Theodora. Along with her in-laws in Wayne County, Andrea cheers on the Tar Heels, NC State, and (sometimes) Duke for March Madness!

ALICIA HARVEY

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Alicia Harvey is a connector and transformational leader with over two decades of equity work. She currently serves as a Development Director with the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness. Her work as a Development Director focuses on connection, fundraising optimization, and economic mobility. As the owner of a real estate investment firm, she focuses on providing affordable housing in low-income communities. Before joining NCCEH, Alicia worked as a Senior Managing Director with a nonprofit, Teach For America, and was responsible for the growth and development of change agents across rural communities in Eastern North Carolina. She holds an Ed.S in Leadership and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University and a Masters in Elementary Education from Alabama State University. As an advocate with over two decades of experience, Alicia has a fierce unwavering belief in people and their ability to be able to learn and create change, so she leads from a place of transformation. Alicia enjoys a good Netflix mystery but can also be found having fun in the Caribbean Sun.

YAKISHA COLE

FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

YaKisha Cole, a Durham native, serves as the Director of Finance for the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, where her passion for accounting and commitment to social impact converge. With over a decade of accounting experience across various organizations, YaKisha has honed her financial management, budgeting, and planning skills. Beyond her professional role, YaKisha is deeply involved in the Durham community, where she actively participates in initiatives to improve its residents’ lives. Whether volunteering her time or leveraging her financial services to support local causes, YaKisha’s dedication to her hometown shines through in her unwavering commitment to making a positive difference. Her roots in Durham fuel her determination to create a more equitable and thriving community for all.

LAUREL BENFIELD

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Laurel Benfield is a collaborator and changemaker with over a decade of experience in advocacy, nonprofit homeless services, and community organizing. She works as a Project Specialist with the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, supporting the North Carolina Balance of State Continuum of Care. Laurel provides technical assistance and support to providers across the 79 county NC BoS CoC and supports equity, governance, and funding efforts at the CoC level. She has worked on initiatives throughout her career to expand access and support for LGBTQ+ clients, volunteers, and staff within the homeless services system, as well as initiatives at state and local levels, to expand SNAP benefits and affordable housing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah, and a Master of Social Work degree and Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Durham with her family and loves the outdoors, time spent on her bicycle, and good sci-fi.

ALLIE CARD

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Allie’s greatest passion is to advocate for people experiencing homelessness by creating equitable approaches that lead to permanent housing. During her senior year at Hope College (Holland, MI), Allie had her first opportunity to walk along-side households experiencing homelessness at a shelter in Chicago. She was immediately drawn to the resiliency and inspiring stories of the women she met. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 2012, she attended Western Theological Seminary (Holland, MI) to pursue a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work at the University of Denver (Denver, CO). During both programs, Allie again had the great privilege to build relationships with those experiencing homelessness. After graduate school, in 2016, Allie was promoted to the Executive Director at Family Promise of Greater Denver. There, she led a passionate staff in providing shelter and a spectrum of supportive services to families experiencing homelessness throughout the Denver area. Allie moved to North Carolina with her newborn daughter and husband in the Summer of 2020. She joined NCCEH as a Project Specialist in May of 2021. She enjoys working with community partners as we aim to end homelessness across North Carolina.

ADRIANA DIAZ

NORTH CAROLINA SOAR CAPTAIN & PROJECT SPECIALIST

Adriana is a 2021 graduate from UNC Chapel Hill, where she received her B.A. in Journalism. She has previously interned at the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault and World Relief Durham, a non-profit serving refugees. Adriana was born and raised outside of Charlotte, NC in the small town of Waxhaw. She is a first-generation American whose family emigrated from El Salvador in 1997. In 2019, Adriana traveled to Israel as a student photojournalist to cover the Huqoq Excavation Project (an ancient 5th-century Jewish village) and has always had an interest in writing and public policy. Adriana is passionate about serving her community and seeks to help create a safer, more equitable world. She has volunteered as a mentor to elementary students in underserved communities in Chapel Hill and worked as a camp counselor. Adriana loves reading, her kittens Berry & Junie, and is a forever Tar Heel and Caniac.

ELLIOT RHODES

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Bio coming soon.

DASHIA SHANKS

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Dashia graduated from Virginia State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems. She grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and moved to Durham in the Spring of 2015. Over the years, she has volunteered with organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Helen Wright Center for Women, and Habitat for Humanity. She enjoys traveling, beach days, helping animals, and spending time with her family and friends in her free time.

JENNY SIMMONS

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Jenny Simmons is a lifelong North Carolinian. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology from Lenoir-Rhyne College (now University) and a Master of Science degree in Sociology from N.C. State University. Jenny’s career has focused on the importance of home. First, she worked for 10 years in foster care at a non-profit agency, starting as a case manager and eventually serving as the Program Director. In 2010, Jenny served as a Housing Specialist at Western Highlands Network (now Vaya Health). In this role, Jenny was introduced to the housing and homelessness field and realized she had found her own career home in this work. She served on the local Continuum of Care governance committee and helped to initiate several contracts for funding housing case management services for a local Permanent Supportive Housing program. Most recently, she served for 9 years as the Grants Management Director at Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina helping the agency acquire the funding it needed to achieve its mission of preventing and ending homelessness with permanent housing and support.

Jenny enjoys photography, sitting around a campfire, traveling to National Parks, and spending time with friends and family.

DEBRA SUSIE

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Debra A. Susie serves as a Project Specialist at NCCEH. She coordinates the monthly, NC Local Leadership Response Sharing calls and oversees the Housing Connections Initiative to pilot innovations for securing landlord/owner engagement in the provision of housing for those experiencing homelessness. Prior to her December 2019 arrival at NCCEH, Debra worked as the Disaster Housing Recovery Coordinator under a one-year contract with the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington. For 30 years prior, she served as the President/CEO of Florida Impact, a public policy nonprofit that mobilized communities around policies to increase access to federal food, nutrition, and other economic-support programs. Debra is the author of In the Way of Our Grandmothers and produced a documentary by the same title. This oral history features midwives, their descendants, and the women they served as the medical profession systematically destroyed the practice. It was awarded the 1988 outstanding Florida history book by the Florida Historical Society. Debra has a doctorate of humanities and a master’s degree in religious thought from Florida State University. Debra grew up in Miami, where her father played a pivotal role in bringing the Teamsters to south Florida’s largest book and magazine wholesaler. Her mother was an untrained yet highly effective community organizer who coordinated a milk boycott that led to price-fixing indictments for several Florida dairies in the 1960s.

ASHLEY VON HATTEN

PROJECT SPECIALIST

Ashley graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Science, with an emphasis on Family Studies. After graduation, she started her career in the nonprofit sector by providing support to families through the Child Care Assistance Program. This program offers financial aid to families to ensure children have safe and consistent childcare while their guardians are working and/or furthering their education. In 2016, Ashley started her career with ​​​​​​​​HUD-housing programs and accepted a position with Kentucky Housing Corporation. Over the next four years, she would work to meet the unique needs of many Kentuckians who are unable to acquire housing easily, including households experiencing homelessness, and work to ensure these programs serve Kentuckians in the most effective ways possible. Her main responsibility was project manager for HUD’s Coordinated Entry policies, procedures, implementation, and compliance. Ashley was also responsible for supporting the creation of HUD-funded applications, scoring and ranking, and grant award determination within Kentucky’s Balance of State. In 2020, she moved to Durham, North Carolina, and started with North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness. Her focus is Balance of State Coordinated Entry and supporting the regional coordinated entry leadership team. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying new recipes, and reading suspense novels.

NICOLE DEWITT

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Chief Programming Office, Housing Collaborative, Charlotte, NC

Nicole was born in Loris, South Carolina. She is the Chief Program Officer for Socialserve and has over 17 years of experience in homeless services, management of housing staff and programs, community outreach, reporting, and program compliance centered on facilitating housing placement and housing stability. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. In her downtime, Nicole enjoys gardening, action movies, and playing with her toddler!

TAKIYAH ROBINSON

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Sr Account Implementation Analyst, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Durham, NC

Bio coming soon.

SHELLEY HUDSON

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Executive Director, Cumberland HealthNET, Fayetteville

Shelley Hudson has over 25 years of leadership/management experience, and a vast array of expertise in management, grant writing, supervision, research education, and compliance monitoring while providing leadership and guidance to staff and management peers. She is currently the Director of Social Services at The Salvation Army, where she oversees a Salvation Army program that provides emergency shelter to families with children and adults. Shelley also provides compliance and management oversight of the Emergency Solutions Grant, develops grant applications, secures funding, coordinates and maintains reporting requirements for grant-funded programs, and has successfully applied for over $900,000 in grant funding. She previously served on the local continuum of care board as the vice-chair.

ROBERT (BOB) THOMPSON

(he/him/his)

BOARD MEMBER

Retired, East Carolina University

Bob Thompson is a retired professor of Political Science who taught political science, public administration, and health policy at East Carolina University for over 35 years. He also served in various administrative roles over the years such as department chair, director of the MPA Program, university director of planning and institutional research, chief of staff to the chancellor, and interim vice chancellor for academic affairs. As director of planning, he was responsible for the university’s strategic planning process. His involvement with homelessness includes previous service as a member of NCCEH’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018, with two terms as chair. He was also co-chair of Greenville-Pitt County’s ten-year plan to end homelessness from 2009 to 2011. He has also been a long-time member of the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness.

AUTRICE LONG

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Retired, Truist Bank

Autrice Campbell Long is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and retired from Truist Bank as the Community Development Manager. She is fiercely dedicated to supporting the community and brings tireless energy and passion to her advocacy of literacy and education, health, and human services. She is an accomplished instructor of financial education, both for children and adults. Above all, Autrice meets every challenge with creativity and resourcefulness. Her passion for serving the homeless community started many years ago when she volunteered to feed the homeless at her church and saw a former peer from college. Her understanding of homelessness today was molded by that experience and we have to find ways to meet and assist people where they are. Homelessness is a continuum with many complex issues that must be approached from multiple perspectives.

MELISSA MCKEOWN

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Retired, Truist Bank

Melissa began her career in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in 2002. In 2010, she joined the Community Shelter as Chief Executive Officer. Melissa played a pivotal role in establishing several key programs, including the Community Shelter’s Rapid Rehousing Program, Home Again Furniture Donation Program, and Post Housing Case Management Program. She also founded the Union County Homeless Partners group in 2012, which has since evolved into the nonprofit organization Thrive!, where she served as a former board member and managed monthly meetings with providers impacting homeless services in Union County.

Melissa is the primary contact with Union County Public Schools and McKinney Vento Services for homeless children. As a certified SOAR case worker, she advocates for street outreach and leads efforts in rehousing the chronically homeless in Union County. She is a local subject matter expert in best practices and is currently spearheading the Community Shelter’s campaign around affordable housing advocacy. Additionally, Melissa is a former Chair of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, showcasing her leadership and innovation in the field.

DR. LATONYA MCIVER PENNY

(she/her/hers)

CHAIR

CEO, The Laughing Gull Foundation, Durham, NC

Dr. Penny is a longtime advocate for those who have been pushed to the margins. She brings over 20 years of experience leading organizations, serving as an executive director, consultant, and organizer. She founded Mary’s Grace Incorporated in 2013 to assist faith communities and schools with creating safe spaces of inclusion with persons who are differently abled. Most recently she served as the Executive Director of Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, Inc. and the Associate Director of Church Services for All Belong Center for Inclusive Education. Dr. Penny is committed to giving time and talents to the community and does so by participating on the boards of North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH). Her commitment to inclusion led her and her partner to launch Belonging Fellowship, a ministry committed to creating a safe space for all to live out their faith and make an impact in their community through community service and giving. She is a published writer and sought-after speaker. Dr. Penny earned a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a Master of Arts from East Carolina University, a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University and she completed her Doctor of Ministry from Campbell University. She is the mother of twins and enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

BROOKS ANN MCKINNEY

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

President/CEO, BAM Consulting, LLC, Greensboro, NC

Her career began over 20 years ago as a case manager in emergency shelters which evolved into administration and development of projects including medical respite care, permanent supportive housing, and a federal grant approval for a new FQHC/HCH clinic with outreach sites in public housing. She is on the board of directors also for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council(NHCHC), Chair of the Respite Care Providers Network(RCPN), and other grassroots efforts to advocate for housing and healthcare solutions. Her current role under the ACO umbrella is to successfully implement coordination of care models and increase collaboration between the hospital, community providers, faith-based organizations, and public housing entities, with goals of ending homelessness and eliminating barriers for those in poverty.

VERONIKA ETHEREAL

(they/them/their)

SECRETARY

Western Regional Coordinator, NC Harm Reduction Coalition, Waynesville, NC

The interest with the War on Drugs and its relationship to mass incarceration I developed in my early teens turned out to be the catalyst to over a decade of fascination and research in the social sciences, pharmacology and medicine, drug policy, prison abolition, and other adjacent topics. Now with several years of history with IV drug use, sex work, and incarceration, I put my passions and experience into action as a dedicated street medic, health and legal advocate, educator, and harm reductionist.

CECELIA PEERS

(she/her/hers)

BOARD MEMBER

Regional Vice President – Southern Region, Trillium Health Resources

Cecelia Peers has experience in the areas of housing, homelessness, community organizing, and addressing social determinants of health needs in her communities. Cecelia holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Hunter College, CUNY, and a Masters of Arts in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. Cecelia is the Regional Vice President – Southern Region, with Trillium Health Resources. She began working with Trillium in October 2018 as a Neighborhood Connections Manager, focused on coordinating social determinants of health initiatives and local resource connections. Prior to her work in Medicaid Managed Care, Cecelia worked in homeless services for over 15 years. She has served as the Continuum of Care Director for Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover Counties in Southeastern NC; Supportive Housing manager for The ARC of NC; Transitional Housing Manager for Good Shepherd Center; and Social Services Director for Mainchance Drop-In Center in Manhattan. Cecelia is passionate about developing community relationships, partnerships and resources that support the most vulnerable people in being fully integrated in their communities and living their healthiest lives. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for 2SHARE Inc. and the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, and as a volunteer grant writer for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wilmington.

DANIELLE N. JACKSON

(she/her/hers)

TREASURER

VP of Operations, CandleScience, Durham, NC

Danielle has over 13 years of strong operational leadership and management experience, primarily focused on the Mental Health services with an emphasis specifically on adults with disabilities. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fayetteville State University, Danielle has immense knowledge in the finance field, including forecasting/projections and budgeting for non-profit organizations. Currently, Danielle heads the operations division of CandleScience, which is a nation-leading supplier of candle making supplies. Also, she currently serves on the Finance Committee for Durham Habitat for Humanity. Danielle has a passion for serving underprivileged and underserved populations.

JEFFREY RAWLINGS

(he/him/his)

BOARD MEMBER

Community Development Senior Analyst, City of Durham, NC

Jefferey works as a Community Development Senior Analyst for the City of Durham. He is the Coordinated Entry Administrator as well as a contract manager. Jefferey has worked in homeless services for over twenty years and worked providing services even while he was experiencing homelessness. Jefferey has worked in homeless services since 2000 as an intake specialist, case manager, case manager supervisor, program director and as Coordinated Entry/HMIS administrator for Region 7 of the NC Balance of State before leaving for his current role in Durham in 2023. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of NCCEH, Jefferey currently serves on the boards of Cumberland HealthNet and NC Victims Advocate Support Services (NC VASS). He has been a panelist at several state, regional and national conferences discussing topics such as Landlord Engagement and Retention, Building a Local Consortium and Homeless Providers with Lived Expertise.

DR. TONY BARR

(he/him/his)

BOARD MEMBER

Director of Regional Development, Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, Durham, NC

Reverend Dr. Tony W. Barr Sr. has dedicated 27 years to serving others through ministry, preaching, and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. His work extends beyond the church, focusing on mentoring, counseling, and guiding individuals in their spiritual growth. With a Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Union University and a Master of Divinity from the Apex School of Theology, Dr. Barr combines his theological expertise with his extensive corporate experience. Before ministry, he spent two decades in business, managing over 490 university accounts across the Carolinas, contributing to significant revenue growth. His leadership journey includes pastoring several churches and serving as Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the General Baptist State Convention of NC.

Dr. Barr is the Director of Regional Development with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC and the President/CEO of Building Upp, Inc. His passion for service is rooted in faith, humility, and a commitment to building the Body of Christ, one person at a time.