2015 Dallas Public Voices Greenhouse Participants

Jennifer K. Bartkowski serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. Ms. Bartkowski has been with GSNETX since 2009, when she joined as Chief Development Officer. During her tenure, GSNETX has seen significant growth in its annual and capital fundraising campaigns. When she moved into the Executive Vice President and Chief OperatingOfficer role, she added focus and innovation to programming initiatives, mission delivery, and the Girl Scout Cookie Program for the 32-county organization. Most recently, Bartkowski has been leading a $13M effort to transform a 100-acre property in South Dallas into a STEM Center of Excellence for girls in Northeast Texas. Before joining Girl Scouts in 2009, Jennifer served as the Senior Vice President of Workplace Campaigns for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, responsible for leading an annual campaign of more than $50M. Jennifer’s career began after receiving a Master of Public Administration, with a nonprofit management focus, at Texas A&M University. She has worked with a variety of organizations including the American Lung Association of Texas, United Way/Capital Area, and others.
Publication Girl Scouts are ready to lead

April Bowman is passionate about helping people and organizations reach their highest potential. She works to bring about the tangible change that is needed within the educational system as well as bridging the gaps that exist around student achievement, human capital development and leadership. April currently works as the Director of Alumni Programs at Uplift Education Charter School Network. She leads the efforts at the district level across five high schools in ensuring that Uplift alumni, who are primarily underrepresented, low-income, first generation college students, matriculate to college and successfully graduate in order to open the doors of opportunity in their lives. April holds a Master of Science degree in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Geography from the University of Washington. She serves on the Mayor’s Star Council, Dallas Women’s Foundation grants review committee and executive team of a ministry at the Potter’s House.

Kamilah Collins is the President of Collins Collaborations, specializing in communication consulting and coaching. She advises her clients on strategy, messaging, and communication delivery. Her expertise includes strategic partnerships, brand management, audience engagement, project implementation, business development, and digital communications. Kamilah facilitates communication workshops and implements strategies for non-profits leaders and corporate organizations. Kamilah serves as advisors and coach to young leaders, professionals, and executives seeking to close the communication divide and connect with communication excellence. Kamilah maintains her Midwestern work Kamilah believes that her faith, commitment to excellence and the invested support ethic but has been rooted in the Dallas, Texas community for the past 10 years of others have made the difference in allowing her to excel as a young entrepreneur. Collins Collaborations is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and Texas Historically Underutilized Business.
Publications  Strength in Cross-Collaborations From #BlackLivesMatter to Dallas Faces Race  Let Love Cover this Place

Janeil Engelstad produces collaborative, multiform projects throughout the world that address political, social, historical and environmental concerns. Her process involves embedding herself in communities, deep listening, extensive research, and building coalitions between community members, arts institutions, universities, government agencies, NGOs and others. Engelstad is the founding Director of Make Art with Purpose (MAP), an organization for creative projects that use that arts as a tool to engage social and environmental themes wit hteh purpose of starting dialogues and seeding positive change. Several of the projects that Engelstad has produced through MAP were featured in her 2014 TEDx talk, Public Art: From Individual Expression to Community Transformation. She has produced projects in partnership with Dallas Museum of Art, International Center for Photography, California Museum of Photography, MIT/ArtMargins, US Department of State, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and others. Engelstad has taught and lectured at universities throughout North America and Europe and in 2006 she was a Fulbright Scholar at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia. She is an affilate artist at the Social Practice Art Research Center at University of California, Santa Cruz and she writes critical reviews for the on-line publication, eutopia.
Publication  At Dade Middle School, art has made a difference

Jenna Hanson has spent over ten years acquiring experience and fostering her own passion for conservation, specifically through environmental education. She received her B.A. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and her Masters in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN focusing on racial disparity within the U.S. environmental movement. Prior to joining Audubon as the Director of Education, she has worked for a variety of organizations including zoos, aquariums, and nature centers to help nurture environmental stewardship and action throughout diverse communities. Her work includes a TogetherGreen Fellowship grant which she used to establish a Junior Audubon for local youth. She currently serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Cohort through the National Audubon. She enjoys sharing nature with others and believes that shared experiences build stronger connections to one another and the natural world.
Publications  The Modern Environmental Movement’s Big Failure      Texas flooding reveals our accidental pollution

Stacey Hodge began her involvement in education in 2003 when she co-founded REAL Schools Initiative, a non-profit in Fort Worth, TX that created learning gardens in low-income schools and trained teachers to use them to improve student engagement and academic achievement. She also spent two years at East Fort Worth Montessori Academy as the Facilitator of Outdoor Education and taught 7th and 8th grade science in Fort Worth and Dallas. In December of 2012, Stacey’s principal recommended her for the inaugural cohort of Ed Policy Fellows with Teaching Trust. The focus of the program is to educate and empower teachers on current education policy so that they can advocate for solutions that will help close the achievement gap. In March 2013, Stacey traveled to Austin with a group of 15 educators to Austin during spring break. Stacey had the opportunity, on three separate occasions, to testify before the Senate and House Education Committees. During that time Stacey realized the voice of the teacher was missing from the conversation and made up her mind to change that by leaving the classroom and starting the Educator Network as the Dallas Director of Stand for Children.
Publication Dumping Mike Miles Now Would be a Tragic Mistake

Chantel L. Jones is the Dallas Faces Race Program Officer and has a passion for social change and human development. Professionally, she has worked as a community advocate and educator for underserved populations. Most recently her work as a Domestic Violence Advocate has helped others overcome societal barriers such as access to quality education, services and employment. Chantel is a member of the United Nations Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was recently selected to participate on the Mayor’s Star Council in Dallas, TX. Chantel is a Dallas transplant from Detroit, MI. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelors in Business Management and received her Masters in Adult Education & Training from Argosy University in Dallas, TX.
Publications  Why Does it Take A Disaster for us to Talk About Injustice Why This Texan Won’t Be Celebrating Juneteenth This Year

Nan Kirkpatrick is the Executive Director of the Texas Equal Access Fund, which is the abortion fund serving the northern half of Texas. She comes to the reproductive justice movement through years of volunteering with Planned Parenthood. In the past she’s been a grant writer for organizations serving homeless youth and low-income senior citizens, and she has a fierce commitment to serving groups who are often forgotten. She has also managed digital content and social media for a variety of clients. She sees writing as a way to build bridges between different perspectives and to find new possibilities in a world full of old problems. As executive director of the TEA Fund, she is interested in showing the links between race, poverty, and a lack of access to a broad range of reproductive health options, including abortion, and why these impacts matter.
Publication Abortion: a right in name only?

Demetria McCain is a native Dallasite and serves as the VP & Deputy Director for the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP), an affordable fair housing organization. At ICP, one of her duties includes oversight of ICP’s Mobility Assistance Program, one of the countries few housing mobility programs. She is also responsible for overseeing ICP’s day-to-day operations, monitoring local, regional, and state housing and related decisions and policies that may serve as opportunities for or impediments to fair housing in the Dallas Area. Demetria previously worked as a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (D.C.) and as an Equal Justice Works fellow and staff attorney at the National Housing Law Project (Oakland, CA). She serves as a board member of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, the Dallas Bethlehem Center and the North Texas Fair Housing Center. Demetria is a graduate of DISD public schools, NYU, Brooklyn College and Howard University School of Law.
Publications  Let “other” children into the inn   Dallas’ proposed Clarendon project is another example of segregated housing practices

Tanya Morshed has worked in a variety of contexts in social services for 20 years, and as a licensed social worker for 14 years and currently at Jewish Family Services. Her focus has primarily been working with survivors of trauma through individual, play, couples, family, and group therapy. She has worked with other issues such as mental illness, addictions, self-harm, eating disorder, and loss. Ms. Morshed has committed herself to providing holistic and compassionate care to all clients through respect and empowerment; promoting safety, healing, and internal freedom. She is passionate about supporting diverse and marginalized populations because she believes all people deserve to be treated with dignity and given the opportunity to fulfill their purpose and potential. Ms. Morshed has also creatively engaged in program development and management, in addition to other leadership roles such as coverage for the Clinical Director. She received her Bachelors in Psychology and Biology at Southern Methodist University and Masters in Clinical Social Work at Smith College.
Publications For Survivors of Sexual Assault, Self Comes First   Domestic Violence is Everyone’s Issue
Trauma: The Heart of the Matter One Way to Heal From Sexual Assault

Lynette Payne is starting her 11^th year as the Executive Director of Galaxy Counseling Center after serving on its Board for 3 years prior. With extensive corporate, entrepreneurial, and community philanthropy experience, she is currently the Executive Director of Galaxy Counseling Center, a nonprofit community mental health agency. In addition, Lynette has held various executive positions in Marketing, Strategic Planning and Information Technology with GTE (now Verizon); as well as the position of Vice President at Lieberman Research West, a market research company. Lynette was a partner of her own market research firm, Patterson, Payne & Associates for seven years. As an undergraduate student,she was a “big sister”, tutoring children in English, Math, and speech therapy. While residing in Texas, Lynette has served on community boards including, Girls Scouts Tejas Council, Council of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Asian American Citizens Council, as well as volunteered with Greenhill and Lakehill schools. She has alsoserved on the executive committees of the Nonprofit CEO Council, Garland Chamber of Commerce, United Way Metropolitan Dallas, Dallas Summit, and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Publications  Make the Kalief Browder Tragedy Mean Something   Increased Funding Benefits the Vulnerable Time to Talk Therapy

Joli Angel Robinson is a Communications and Community Outreach Specialist, who is whole-heartedly committed to serving the community. With an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Communications and a graduate degree in Communications, both obtained from Dallas Baptist University, Joli holds both the education and experience necessary to positively impact the community in which she serves. Joli Angel Robinson is currently a member of the Mayor’s Star Council, a young professional development organization whose mission is to empower leaders to impact the city of Dallas. Standing upon the principles of servant leadership, Joli focuses on establishing relationships and effectively executing initiatives that allow for productive and meaningful civic and social engagement. In her professional role as a Community Outreach Representative with the City of Dallas – Dallas Police Department her commitment to the community supports the overall mission of the Dallas Police Department.
Publications   No Longer Keeping Silent   The Big ‘C’ Church and Millenials

Amber Sims currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement for LIFT (Literacy Instruction for Texas). In this role Amber works to bring publicity to LIFT and the issue of adult literacy through various outreach efforts, develops partnerships with many organizations in the community and recruits, manages and hosts trainings for our amazing volunteers. Amber received her B.A. in English with a minor in political science from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. Prior to coming to LIFT, she worked for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club communications department where she coordinated media coverage for the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and off the field baseball storylines. Amber also previously worked for the NCAA national office and Levenson & Brinker Public Relations in Dallas.Amber serves as a DISD elementary school reading and writing volunteer, Board Member for Reimagine Fair Park and a founding member of Weapons of Mass Empowerment established to engage young professionals in Dallas on civic issues.
Publications It’s Time to Make Fair Park Work for its Community The big problems with Pearson’s new GED high school equivalency test

Suzanne Smith has a deep belief that everyone is a changemaker. As a serial social entrepreneur, she strives to harness the powerful force of organizations, including nonprofits, foundations and socially responsible businesses, and individuals, especially students and young entrepreneurs, to maximize the potential of the social sector to create real, scalable impact. In 2009, Suzanne founded Social Impact Architects to reshape the business of social change. She combines her MBA know-how with two decades of experience as a nonprofit innovator to serve as a consultant, advisor and thought partner. She is also a highly sought-after public speaker at conferences nationwide and teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas. Suzanne also authors Social TrendSpotter (@socialtrendspot), one of the sector’s top blogs according to the Huffington Post. Suzanne holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she was selected as the CASE (Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship) Scholar and now serves as a Research Fellow and on their Alumni Council.
Publications Daring to Recognize the ATHENAs Among Us   Three Things I Tell Women in my Social Entrepreneur Class
TEDx Turtlecreek Women Talk Everyone is a Change Maker

Joanna St. Angelo has served the Sammons Center from opening day, March 1, 1988 and oversaw the completion of conversion/renovations of a Landmark building. Under her stewardship the Center has expanded its service to the community from the original five groups to fourteen resident, and more than 80 nonresident user groups. Services have also been expanded to include a technology center with a copy center, postage center, reference library, computer, fax and wifi. A major achievement in 2012 was the successful completion of a $5 million capital campaign for much-needed repairs and renovations and to establish an endowment to help fund building operations. She is now overseeing a comprehensive strategic planning initiative to consider expanding services to the arts community and consideration of development of a second facility to meet growing demand for facilities and services.Ms. St. Angelo received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota
Publication Dallas Should Make Art A Priority

Amy Tran is a proud native Californian, received her BA in Sociology and Mass Communications from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. Following her passion to advocate for the rights of underrepresented communities, Amy pursued a career in both the labor and student organizing movements in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Amy’s experience in organizing strengthened her commitment for social, racial, and educational justice. In 2012, she returned to UC Berkeley to earn her Masters in Social Welfare degree with a concentration in management and program planning. During her studies, Amy served as a counselor at a school-based health center where she practiced narrative therapy and restorative justice with high school youth. Her experience in the high school environment grounded Amy’s commitment to educational equity in school settings. Today, Amy is an Impact Manager at Education Opens Doors. She provides leadership for the Roadmap to Success, a program that teaches, trains, and empowers over 4,500 middle school and high school students to purposefully navigate through high school to college.
Publications Teen Suicide Rates – School Clinics Help Mental Health   Preparing Every Student for College

Juana Veliz is the Multicultural Growth & Innovation Program Manager at Texas Health Resources. In this capacity she designs and executes strategic initiatives that drive market share growth, while ensuring organization readiness to serve the needs of multicultural consumers. Prior to joining Texas Health, she developed award-winning integrated marketing communications campaigns for major corporations and non-profit organizations. Juana has developed and implemented successful outreach campaigns designed to inform, educate and empower consumers on topics ranging from health, finance and education, among others. She holds a master’s degree in Latin American Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Mexican American Studies.
Publication Open Letter to US Attorney Loretta Lynch

Jennifer M. Ware was chosen to lead YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas (YW) in March 2009. Ware has drawn on her fund raising and brand expertise to develop a strategic direction that continues to increase YW’s impact on women, families, and the community. Today she is leading a $7.3M Comprehensive Campaign to open a Women’s Center and to launch a Women’s Enterprise program. Under her leadership, asset-building programs have grown to include federal funding of matched savings accounts, individual financial coaching, and the addition of a benefit screening tool that is now utilized in social service agencies throughout Texas. Additional accomplishments include being in the top four largest United Way-funded agencies for the past two grant cycles. Ware brings more than 20 years of nonprofit management experience. She serves on the Community Economic Stability Advisory Board, Nonprofit CEO Council as President, and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning Board . Ware is a member of Dallas Assembly and a graduate of Leadership Texas, Leadership Plano Class 22 and holds a B.A. in Psychology from Austin College along with designation as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from The American College.
Publication Smartphones are not a Luxury for the Poor

Frances Cudjoe Waters is a nationally-sought after speaker; insightful writer; Methodist minister and dynamic, transformational game-changer. She is an Honors graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School and uses her voice and vision to uniquely address today’s issues from perspectives of faith, culture, media and strategic living. Whether keynoting a conference, sharing a sermon or leading critical workshops, Frances challenges listeners to become active participants by inviting everyone in the room into the conversation. Frances has spoken in venues from Wellesely College to Kentucky Law School to Ebenezer Baptist Church from the pulpit of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta, GA. Similarly, her writing provokes thoughtful reflection and challenges readers to critically analyze pre-conceived notions and societal assumptions. Her periodic articles on the Huffington Post, the Root.com and Elev8.com have gone viral, including a pivotal piece on Trayvon Martin which led to an NPR commentary in 2013. Ultimately, Frances hopes to write and speak more regularly becoming a true thought leader who consistently opens up dialogue and contributes perspectives that are seldom allowed into the national conversation.

Kimberly Williams has nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience with the majority of her work focused on empowering underprivileged adults and children to break the cycle of poverty and reach their potential. She has held leadership positions ranging from the Executive Director of a small HUD Welfare to Work Initiative to her current position as CEO of Interfaith Housing Coalition, a 30 year old Dallas-based nonprofit organization that serves homeless families. Under her leadership, Interfaith has become the outcomes leader in her field. Its graduates earn more, save more, reduce more debt and remain self-sufficient longer than those of any other transitional housing provider serving families in Dallas. Each year, Interfaith graduates save Dallas tax-payers an estimated $8 million dollars due to their lack of dependency on federal rent subsidizes and support. Kimberly believes that the work poor have the greatest potential to overcome poverty and build America’s middle class if they are properly supported. She has dedicated her career to being their advocate and proving that point through the success of her clients. Kimberly is a graduate of the University of North Texas and is a wife of Rawleigh Williams, and mother of 3.  Publications  Why Female CEOs Thrive In Nonprofits   Learning From Marilyn Mosby: 5 Considerations for Courageous Leadership
TEDx Turtle Creek Women Talk  Conquering the Transition Tunnel