FOUNDATION FOR LOUISIANA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Senior Executive
- Chairman Emeritus ( in Memoriam )
James A. Joseph served in senior executive or advisory positions for four U.S. presidents, including as ambassador to South Africa - the only American ambassador to present his credentials to President Nelson Mandela.
He served as professor emeritus of public policy at Duke University and founder of the United States-Southern Africa Center for Leadership and Public Values. An ordained minister, Joseph taught at Yale Divinity School and the Claremont Colleges and authored three books.
Job Titles:
- Communications Officer
- Public Relations and Brand Strategist
Angelique Phipps is an experienced public relations and brand strategist with almost two decades of communications experience, serving clients in the legal, financial, entertainment, education, and hospitality industries.
As a subject matter expert in the area of social justice communications, Phipps has worked extensively on a myriad of focus areas relative to historical and systemic issues associated with the criminal justice system, education, violence against women, and equity in the workplace.
Skilled in crisis communications and management, along with media and influencer integration, her media relations work ensures that her clients' stories regularly appear across major media platforms and outlets. Some of her highlight placements include National Public Radio, CBS, ABC-TV, Hulu, The Daily Show, Rolling Stone, ESPN, HuffPost.com, Paper Mag, USA Today, The Undefeated, the Red Bulletin, and many more.
Additionally, Phipps' body of work includes planning, execution, and management of major fundraisers for nonprofits and public education initiatives. Phipps earned a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Indigenous Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Contact Angelique at aphipps@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Job Titles:
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program Associate
Antonio Dorado is a thoughtful, organized, and adaptive team builder, who has expertise in program management, administrative support, and grant writing. His experience as a Marine Corps veteran provides him with an in-depth understanding into the challenges facing the veteran community, including healthcare, VA services, and challenges with houselessness. He also has history working with communities through the nonprofit, international development, and private sectors. He is moved by the relationship between humanity and nature, decentralized leadership models, and community-led social movements. He also is a lover of hiking, music, and his sobrinas and sobrinos (both human and dog). He studied Political Science and International Studies at California State University, East Bay. Contact Antonio at adorado@foundationforlouisiana.org
Ashley Navarre has more than 15 years of professional experience in the philanthropic sector. She is a former Grants Learning & Impact Officer and Grants Manager at BCM, where she led grantmaking operations to enhance the Foundation's overall impact. She also successfully led the transition to an online grant application and review process and the migration to a new grants management system. Ashley served on the planning committee for the Philanthropy Southeast in 2021, has held leadership roles with Peak Grantmaking as Membership Chair for the Southeast Region, and is a former Chair of the Conference Connections Committee. Ashley, a New Orleans native, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Dillard University. She also holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of New Orleans. Contact Ashley at anavarre@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Strategic Projects Manager
Caryn Blair is an urbanist born and raised in New Orleans. Caryn has experience in government, social impact consulting, academia, and nonprofit operations. Her multi-sector advocacy has focused on racial justice, equitable work environments, PK-16 education, anti-displacement efforts, and food access initiatives. Caryn is skilled in grantwriting, strategic thinking, event coordination, and program development and evaluation. She earned her bachelor's degree in urban studies and a graduate certificate in disaster management and community resilience from the University of New Orleans. She received her master's in urban planning with a specialization in community development from SUNY Buffalo, where she was the recipient of the School of Architecture and Planning's Public Service Award. Caryn currently serves on the board of SPROUT NOLA, a community-driven nonprofit committed to creating a more equitable food system. Contact Caryn at cblair@foundationforlouisiana.org
Chantelle Pierre, a native of New Orleans, brings over 25 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership.
A go-to strategist for organizations experiencing leadership transitions, she has led teams to produce goal-shattering results. Chantelle is a sought-after speaker, presenting and facilitating discussions on donor engagement and inclusive leadership development strategies regionally and nationally. She raised seven-figure, multi-year gifts used to resource historically excluded, Black-led grassroots organizations serving vulnerable populations.
In addition to pursuing her P.h.D. in Justice Studies at the University of New Orleans, she serves as an executive committee member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in New Orleans, as an advisor of Outdoor Afro, a cohort three member of Loyola's Women's Leadership Academy and a local board member of the St. Charles Center for Faith + Action. She is an FFL L.E.A.D. alum. Contact Chantelle at cpierre@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Charmel Gaulden is a lawyer and philanthropic executive with over 15 years experience in nonprofit administration, program design, and strategic advocacy. She previously served as the Vice President of Public Safety Grants at Baptist Community Ministries and chair of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network (GNOFN) Criminal Justice action table, a collection of seven local and national funders working to support equity and justice in the Greater New Orleans region. Licensed in both Georgia and Louisiana, Charmel has practiced law in both state and federal courts. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia. Contact Charmel at cgaulden@foundationforlouisiana.org
Cherrie comes to Foundation for Louisiana with over 30 years of accounting, budgeting, and financial management experience. She has worked in nonprofit, government, and private sectors. Born and raised in New Orleans, Cherrie returned home in 2014 after seventeen years, during which she resided in Washington, DC and Memphis, TN. She is excited to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to supporting and uplifting people and communities across the state of Louisiana. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Xavier University. Contact Cherrie at cbarthelemy@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Creative Producer, Digital Marketing Strategist, and Graphic Designer
- Racial Justice Program Officer
Damia Khanboubi is a creative producer, digital marketing strategist, and graphic designer with a deep commitment to justice, equity, and liberation. She is passionate about using art to create systemic change and amplify marginalized voices. Born in Casablanca and raised in New Orleans, Damia has always found herself immersed in the transformative power of culture. Existing at the intersection of multiple, at times conflicting, cultures, Damia developed a keen cultural awareness and sensitivity that she considers to be the most important tool in her work.
Damia is a 2012 Puentes New Orleans Public Leaders Fellow, a 2019 Association of Performing Arts Professionals Leadership Fellow, a 2019 Foundation for Louisiana Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, and Development (LEAD) cohort member, and a 2021 Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow. Contact Damia at dkhanboubi@foundationforlouisiana.org
Native New Orleanian Dana Delpit brings over 30 years of experience in non-profit fund accounting to Foundation for Louisiana. Her decades of experience include five years of working in community health centers. Dana comes to us from Louisiana Public Health Institute where she served as Compliance and Finance Manager for the PCCP program. The Xavier University graduate earned her MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. Contact Dana at ddelpit@foundationforlouisiana.org
Dr. Keith Magee, a respected theologian, social justice scholar, and public intellectual, brings a wealth of knowledge in public theology, policy, political affairs, and the intersection of race, religion, and politics to the board. With a career spanning over three decades, including roles such as Senior Fellow and Visiting Professor of Practice in Cultural Justice at University College London and Chair of The Guardian Foundation, Dr. Magee is equipped with a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities facing communities today.
She is the proud mother of a Broadway choreographer, Ellenore Scott, and since retiring from her own dance career, Ramos has continued to teach dance, has competed as an Ironman triathlete and now enjoys her southern New Orleans lifestyle.
Job Titles:
- Climate Justice Program Manager
Emilia comes to FFL with experience at the intersection of operations management and education in support of climate justice, youth development programs, and the disability community. Emilia holds a BS in Psychology and French and an MSPH in Environmental Public Health and Development from Tulane University. Her multicultural background and understanding of our world's interconnectivity drive her passion for intersectional work that furthers health, equity, and justice. Contact Emilia at eaguinaga@foundationforlouisiana.org
Dr. Halima Leak Francis (she/her) is a nationally accomplished educator, practitioner, and scholar whose career spanning more than 20 years has focused on strengthening capacity, sustainability, and equitable practices within nonprofits, philanthropy, and higher education administration.
She joined Tulane SoPA in 2019 to lead the development of the school's Public Administration program. As the program's founding Director and Professor of Practice, she worked with school leadership and advisors to steer curriculum design; recruit a nationally accomplished faculty; and secure Southern Association of Colleges, and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation. Under her leadership, the program exceeded launch expectations by tripling initial enrollment projections, and was later named in honor of the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis - reinforcing its role as a contemporary voice for advancing inclusive public service and community leadership.
Dr. Leak Francis joined Tulane from Texas Muslim Women's Foundation, a multi-sector, ethnically and culturally diverse civic organization specializing in providing culturally specialized social services, and she has a proven track record of strengthening of communities through meaningful collaboration, strategic leadership, and philanthropic investment. Along with her work at Texas Muslim Women's Foundation, she has developed programming and engaged public and private supporters on behalf of institutions such as CUNY School of Professional Studies, New York University, Barnard College, and Communities in Schools of Wake County (North Carolina). Throughout her career, Dr. Leak Francis has also taught diverse populations of students, increasing educational and professional development access in public service related fields through online and blended learning environments.
Leak Francis holds a B.A. in English from Hampton University, as well as an M.A. in Sociology of Education and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from New York University - Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. A dedicated community volunteer, she prioritizes advancing systemic equity and inclusion by supporting organizations and programs that are committed to the same. She serves as a founding co-chair of the HERitage Giving Fund, Tulane History Project co-chair, Greater New Orleans Foundation's Impact 100 co-chair, and Foundation for Louisiana board member. Additionally, Leak Francis holds the Carnegie Corporation of NY Professorship in Social Entrepreneurship at Tulane's Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C., she has lived and worked in cities throughout Virginia, New York, and Texas. She now enjoys her home in the New Orleans area with husband Eddie, who is an award-winning mass media veteran and New Orleans native. Her favorite times are spent with her husband, her amazing bonus son, other family members, friends, and pets.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Programs
- Strategist
Jamie Schmill is a creative systems thinker, strategist, and team builder, who has cultivated her expertise in programs and grants management, capacity building, and equity-centered evaluation through work across the higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. She is fascinated by the relationship between diverse ways of learning and knowing, values-based leadership, and community-led social change and nurtures this interest as a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University. A life-long dancer and athlete, she holds undergraduate degrees in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Dance and a Master of Arts in philosophy from Tulane University. Contact Jamie at jschmill@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Racial Justice Program Officer
Jennifer brings an extensive background in criminal justice reform, civil rights advocacy, and leading winning policy and electoral campaigns to FFL in her role as the Baton Rouge Racial Justice Program officer. A Louisiana native, she is deeply committed to a vision of a more just, equitable, and compassionate South. Her approach is informed by her community organizing
experience and rooted in the belief that the wisdom of lived experience should always inform strategy. A creative and strategic thinker, she loves building people power and community-led initiatives. An avid traveler, foodie, and lover of hiking, she enjoys finding new adventures to share with her family. Contact Jennifer at jharding@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program Director
Jessica is a nonprofit leader, educator, and writer with 15 years of federal and private grant management experience. She came to FFL from Project Lazarus where she wrote and administrated federal and private grants and provided support services to 75 individuals annually who were experiencing homelessness and living with HIV. A fellow in Tulane University's inaugural Experiential Education and Leadership Institute, she holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from Loyola University and an MFA in Writing and Pedagogy from Chatham University. A Mississippi native, she is co-founder of the New Orleans Writers Workshop and Dogfish New Orleans Reading Series. Contact Jessica at jkinnison@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Institutional Giving Officer
Raised in New Orleans, Jules Goins is a fundraising professional with more than seven years of experience. Jules has been a contract grant writer, Director of Development at Dancing Grounds, Grant Writer/Prospect Researcher at Dillard University, and Senior Grant Writer at Jeremiah Program. Jules has also worked as a training coordinator for Public Allies New Orleans and has served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in New Orleans and an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader in Boston. Jules earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from New York University. Contact Jules at jgoins@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Lieutenant General Honore is a native of Lakeland, La. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Agriculture upon graduation from Southern University and A&M College in 1971.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Managing Partner of Gilbert & Associates
Linetta J. Gilbert serves as Managing Partner of Gilbert & Associates. A respected leader in the philanthropic community, she offers consulting, coaching, and network-building support to foundations, large and small non-profits, and emerging thought leaders.
Her areas of practice include strategy development/planning and technical assistance for advancing organizational and community wide racial equity outcomes; board development; strategic planning; leadership development; and group facilitation. Some of her current and recent clients include:
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Casey Family Programs
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The WK Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network
BoysTown Louisiana
Linetta has held leadership positions with a number of notable foundations. She served as Senior Program Officer for Social Justice Philanthropy with The Ford Foundation, where, over nearly a decade, she invested, monitored and leveraged $1 billion in resources dedicated to transforming and strengthening community-based philanthropic organizations worldwide. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Linetta helped guide decisions on philanthropic investments that would help to rebuild infrastructure and increase capacity in government, resident leadership, non-profit organizations and the business community and transition the region from recovery to transformation. She served as a place-based consultant in New Orleans to the Annie E. Casey Foundation for its Neighborhood Transformation Initiative.
As the former Vice President of Programs for the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Linetta designed and implemented grant-making and programs for this regional foundation, expanding its programmatic reach to include critical issues such as housing and community development; work force development; violence prevention; neighborhood resident engagement; faith-based economic development; and rural development initiatives. She has also served as a national consultant on public policies in the fields of early learning/education, health, housing and child welfare services.
Linetta actively uses her years of development experience to help improve her community and currently serves on the boards of Agenda for Children, the Amistad Research Center and the Old Algiers Main Street Corporation. She is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Louisiana, a statewide public charity that invests in people and practices working to reduce vulnerability and build stronger, more sustainable communities. Additionally, she is a past board member of Good Work Network and served as a founding board member with Agenda for Children and the Louisiana Children's Museum. Linetta is a member of Christian Unity Baptist Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She and her family consider New Orleans home.
Job Titles:
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program Manager
Marie-Isabelle has been designing and developing projects that model the beloved community for over 20 years. Since 2004, Marie-Isabelle has provided Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices programming through Turning Point Partners, Partners in Restorative Initiatives, Juvenile Accountability Conferencing, International Institute of Restorative Practices, Center for Restorative Approaches, Lycée Français, Tulane University, and her own practice, Restorative and Resilient. Marie-Isabelle's work on ending homelessness has included Trauma Informed program design and management at Bethany House, Travelers Aid Society of GNO, and UNITY. Since founding EarthShare Gardens, she has remained involved in Food Justice projects including Gathering Tree Growers Collective, New Leaf Garden, and Sprout. Her community organizing work includes campaigns for equal access to housing and transit with People's Hurricane Relief. Marie-Isabelle is a second generation culture bearer. Her cultural arts involvement includes writing and photography, as well as music through her band, T Marie and Bayou Juju. Marie-Isabelle grew up in Lafayette, LA She lives in New Orleans and hosts an urban homestead and accessible housing community at her home. Contact Marie-Isabelle at mipautz@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Program Director at the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
May Nguyen is the Central Coast Program Director at the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, managing the coalition's $7 million grant administration and water infrastructure development projects in low-income areas of California's central coast.
May most recently served as the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic's Community Outreach Director, and, prior to that, she organized the campaign to win recognition and payment for lost subsistence use due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. May was also Mary Queen of Viet Nam CDC's inaugural Business Development Director and led the successful fundraising effort to finance redevelopment of small businesses in New Orleans east after Hurricane Katrina. May volunteered on the Louisiana NLG's Board of Directors and actively supported the community protest against the police killing of Alton Sterling.
Michele Garval brings 35 years of accounting, spanning both the public and private sectors, experience to the Foundation for Louisiana. Previously Michelle served at the Vera Institute of Justice, The Women's Action Alliance, and Victim Services. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering to procure props and costumes for several local theatre companies. Contact Michele at mgarval@foundationforlouisiana.org
Mita Shrestha brings her more than eight years of work experience in financial recording, financial reporting, and budgeting of government and non-governmental grants from a national and international non-profit organization. She has excellent teamwork and cross-functional collaboration skills while working with various program teams. Before joining Foundation for Louisiana, she worked at YWCA Hartford Region, Connecticut as a Staff Accountant and Save the Children International, Nepal as a Finance Officer. She earned her MBA in Finance from Apex College, Pokhara University in Nepal. She likes to listen to music and cook during her leisure time. Contact Mita at mshrestha@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Finance Director
New Orleans native Nicole Harris is a dedicated accountant who brings over ten years of accounting and non-profit financial reporting experience to Foundation for Louisiana. The Dillard University alumna's experience spans the legal and medical fields having previously served at the Louisiana State Bar Association and Fresenius Medical Care. Contact Nicole at nharris@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- Research Professor of Sociology
Pamela Jenkins is a Research Professor of Sociology and faculty in the Women's Studies Program at the University of New Orleans. She is a founding faculty member of UNO's Center for Hazard Assessment, Response and Technology (CHART).
Before Katrina, her research interests were diverse but focused on how communities respond to a variety of problems. Her research interests post-Katrina include documenting the response to Katrina as part of a national research team on Hurricane Katrina evacuees. She has published on first responders, faith-based communities' response to the storm, and the experiences of elderly during and after Katrina. Throughout her career, she has evaluated a number of national and local efforts focused on community sustainability. At a community level, she is involved in several projects that work directly with best practice for violence prevention, including domestic and community violence. In her work with FFL, she currently serves on our advisory committee for our coastal work.
St. Maarten native Sabrina Joseph brings a wealth of experience to the Foundation for Louisiana. Having lived all over the country, her previous experience includes work in the logistics, transportation, and medical fields. The Wilberforce University alumna earned her master's in accounting from the University of Phoenix and is active in her church Choice International Family Outreach Center where she is an ordained minister and executive administrator. Contact Sabrina at sjoseph@foundationforlouisiana.org
Job Titles:
- Grants Manager
- Administrator from New Orleans
Tiffany Hall is a non-profit administrator from New Orleans, LA. Tiffany previously held a position at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, as the Operations & Grants Manager, where she created systematic and shared practices that supported the organization, staff, and Board of Trustees and identified and managed fundraising opportunities. Passionate about the arts at an early age, Tiffany has a background in visual arts and dance. She received her B.A. in painting and M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans. She was one of six selected to participate in the 2020 cohort of Dance in Leadership Training (DILT) offered through Dance/USA and is a proud alumni of the intern program at Jacob's Pillow. Contact Tiffany at thall@foundationforlouisiana.org