SOUTHEAST CDC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Baltimore City Mayor
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager for Housing Development
Ali serves as the Senior Manager for Housing Development. She has a background in nonprofit fundraising, program management, and multi-family affordable housing development. A native of Texas, Ali is a bilingual advocate for minimizing the wealth gap among marginalized communities. She holds a Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. In her free time, Ali enjoys exploring Baltimore with her dog Ruby and spending time with friends in Patterson Park.
Job Titles:
- Highlandtown Main Street Manager
Amanda has worked in Southeast Baltimore for over 10 years. Before joining the Southeast CDC she was the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. She holds an MA in Community Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art and BS in Visual Communication Design from Stevenson University. Amanda has also provided graphic design services for businesses, non-profits and events throughout Baltimore.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
As part of the Southeast CDC's COVID relief program, and in partnership with Baltimore City, Andres joined the Southeast CDC team in March 2021 as a Housing Coordinator. Born in Bogota, Colombia, he moved to the United States in 2000 to live in Takoma Park, Maryland. Growing up first in Colombia and then in the United States has allowed him to form an understanding of struggles immigrant families may have while accommodating into the new culture and society. He has worked with Baltimore City Public schools and has developed a keen eye for the needs of the Latino/Hispanic community through volunteering at various community events with Gallery Church Patterson Park. He currently resides in Southeast Baltimore in the neighborhood of Greektown.
Job Titles:
- Community School Coordinator, Highlandtown 237 Elementary / Middle School
Andréa joined the Southeast CDC team in 2021 and serves as the Community School Coordinator at Highlandtown #237. Previous to working with Southeast CDC she served as a Community Health Educator for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. Most recently she was a Baltimore City Public School Teacher at Commodore John Rodgers. Andréa has a strong desire to help strengthen the connection between African American and Latinx communities. In her free time you can find Andréa gardening at home or eating pupusas with friends.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Neighborhood Programs
Andy joined the Southeast CDC in October 2014, and currently serves as the Manager of Neighborhood Programs. He's originally from California but has worked as an Urban Youth Development Worker with the Peace Corps in Paraguay and public school art teacher in New Orleans. Andy received his MFA in Community Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Arts where he focused on utilizing the bicycle as a vehicle for community development and personal expression.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer / CFO, Planned Parenthood
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Case Manager, Family Stability Program
Damien joined the Southeast CDC in March 2020 and is part of our case management team. Through his work in the Family Stability Program, Damien provides support to families at Graceland Park EMS, Highlandtown 237 EMS, Highlandtown 215 EMS, Holabird Academy, John Ruhrah EMS, Tench Tilghman EMS, and William Paca ES who are risk of an eviction or utility turnoff. Many of the families that Damien serves are immigrants. Damien himself immigrated to Baltimore City from the Dominican Republic in 2017 and for that reason he resonates with many of the struggles immigrant families are facing right now.
Prior to joining us, Damien worked as a Client Access Associate with Healthcare for the Homeless where he connected vulnerable members of the immigrant community to necessary healthcare services here in Baltimore. He has over ten years of experience in the bilingual customer service industry and hopes to use those skills to better serve the immigrant community in Baltimore. Before coming the U.S., Damien worked for ten years in his country's National General Archive digitizing and preserving priceless historical documents. Outside of work hours you are likely to catch Damien writing, painting, or drawing in his studio, as he is an award-winning artist and poet.
Job Titles:
- Community School Coordinator, William Paca Elementary School
Dana Fleming (she/her) joined SECDC in August 2023 as William Paca Elementary School's Community School Coordinator. Dana brings five years of non-profit case management experience working with vulnerable populations ranging from mental health services for children to affordable housing solutions for unhoused adults in Howard County. Dana obtained her bachelor's degree in Family and Human Services at Towson University and her master's degree in Human Services Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Delivery Systems from University of Baltimore's and Coppin State University's joint program. During her free time, Dana enjoys traveling, shopping, binge watching Greys Anatomy, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family. A quote that inspires her: "there is strength in vulnerability". She believes that helping people requires kindness, empathy, and being part of the social impact you wish to see.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chairman / Principal, Workshop Development
- Principal of Workshop Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Community School Coordinator, John Ruhrah Elementary / Middle School
Fernanda (she/her/ella) joined the Southeast CDC in August 2023 and serves as the Community School Coordinator at John Ruhrah Elementary and Middle School #228. She is originally from Chile and worked for two years there after graduating as a Social Worker. She moved to Maryland in 2019 with her husband and her son. Before working with Southeast CDC she served as a Client Services Representative and Safe Release Support Specialist at Esperanza Center, Catholic Charities of Baltimore. She feels great motivation to help Latino families in the community. Fernanda loves baking, making art at home and singing. When not working, you're likely to find Fernanda trying new foods, or in any playground in the city with her family and their dog.
Frederique, or Freddi, joined Southeast CDC in 2023 as the housing Outreach Coordinator and has taken on a new role in 2024 as a Housing Counselor. Freddi has a passion for helping people, and throughout her life, she has participated in various humanitarian organizations, from being a member of the Association of International Students at her college, to organizing rallies, field trips, and other activities for students, to her volunteer work during the relief effort with various nonprofit like Red Cross, the UN Blue Helmet Peacekeeper Force during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, and now with her participation in her neighborhood trash pickup effort. When not working, Freddi can be found gardening or reading, which she loves sharing on her social media page.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Housing Counselor, Project Manager
Glenda Schulz is originally from Honduras; she immigrated to the United States almost 20 years ago. Prior to joining the housing counseling team, she worked in a variety of industries including healthcare administration, Hispanic AIDS education, and real estate. While working as a real estate agent, she found her true calling of helping others achieve their American dream through homeownership. She is a HUD-certified Housing Counselor and has assisted many clients in successfully achieving their goal of becoming homeowners. In addition, Glenda has counseled many homeowners who have faced financial challenges such as foreclosure and has guided them through rebuilding their finances. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her husband and two daughters, working as a certified event designer and planner, and enjoying anything that is arts and crafts related.
Jared was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Towson University. From there he traveled to Mexico to get certified to teach English as a foreign language. He spent time in Asia, teaching English in Vietnam as well as volunteering and backpacking through Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Jared spent over a year at the House of Ruth MD as a bilingual service coordinator/outreach specialist. He is passionate about language; is a fluent, self-taught Spanish speaker and an intermediate self-taught Arabic speaker. Jared loves cooking and trying new food. Some of his favorite restaurants in Southeast Baltimore are Samos, La Taverna Ecuatoriana, and Queen of Sheba. When not eating out, he is in the kitchen and can be found on Instagram to sharing his creations (@chefgolian).
As a HUD-certified Housing Counselor, he is excited to be able to help his community, Baltimore, and assisting its residents achieve the American dream.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair / Realtor, Cummings and Co.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Small Business Project Manager
Johanna (she/her/ella) is part of the Neighborhood Revitalization team supporting artists and businesses in the Highlandtown Main Street and Highlandtown Arts districts. She has a background in bilingual education, advocacy, marketing, and project management. She's worked with many B2Cs and nonprofits, supporting their marketing and growth as a freelancer. She's an entrepreneur herself, having recently started her own initiative, and brings this entrepreneurial spirit to her role. She looks forward to helping small businesses in her community build healthier and more inclusive economies. Outside of work, you'll likely find Johanna hiking or walking her dog, Millie, in Patterson Park.
Job Titles:
- Housing Programs Project Manager
Jorge joined Southeast CDC in 2023. He has experience in marketing and community organizing in the nonprofit sector, which he'll be utilizing to spread the word about Southeast CDC's home repair and homebuying programs. He has a degree in Diplomacy and Political Science from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua. Jorge is originally from Nicaragua and moved to Maryland in 2018 with his wife and children. When he is not working, he enjoys reading philosophy books and doing home improvement projects.
Job Titles:
- Director of Homeownership and Family Success
Karen (she/her) has over 20 years of nonprofit experience in place-based community building, community schools, and education organizing and advocacy. She worked as part of the Baltimore Education Coalition, which mobilized thousands of people to reverse education funding cuts and create public will to pass the 2013 law that is funding new 21 st Century school buildings in Baltimore. At Southeast CDC, Karen directs our Housing Counseling and Community School programs. Outside of work, you're likely to find Karen gardening, hiking or volunteering in her Baltimore City community with the York Road Partnership.
Job Titles:
- Director of Family Support Programs
Kate joined the Southeast CDC in October 2016. Now in the role of Director of Family Support Programs, Kate oversees our case management programs that support families at risk of homelessness and other housing emergencies, including our Family Stability and Eviction Prevention programs. Kate has over twelve years of case management experience and expertise serving immigrant communities in Baltimore City. Prior to joining the Southeast CDC, Kate worked at Education Based Latino Outreach (EBLO) and House of Ruth Maryland. Kate holds a M.A. in Intercultural Communication with a concentration in Hispanic Studies from UMBC, as well as a Master's in Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore. With the exception of some short periods studying and volunteering abroad in Latin America, Kate has lived her whole life in Baltimore. When not working, you're likely to find Kate taking walks around the city or hiking in a local park.
Job Titles:
- Community School Coordinator, Tench Tilghman Elementary / Middle School
Born and raised in Baltimore, Kaylah truly loves all the diversity this city has to offer! She attended City College, where her passion for systemic justice was born and embraced by the Baltimore Algebra Project. She graduated from Towson University with a BA in Spanish Language and Literature and began working with immigrants at Esperanza Center. Before coming to Southeast CDC, Kaylah worked helping with refugee asylum and family reunification as a long-term foster care supervisor, where she was able to learn more about both the youth and herself.
In her free time, you can catch her at Karaoke or playing Bingo down at the hall. She is a super foodie and will stop at no lengths for a quick bite. Butterflies and elephants are her spirit animals, and giving back to my community keeps her waking up every morning!
Job Titles:
- Interim Executive Director
- Management Consultant
Laurie Latuda Kinkel is a nonprofit management consultant with 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Before applying her expertise to assist Baltimore-based nonprofits in strengthening their management and programs, Laurie served as Vice President of Strategy for the Baltimore Community Foundation where she led two departments: Communications and Community Investment. For 12 years prior, Laurie was the Program Officer for the Goldseker Foundation where she managed all aspects of the foundation's grantmaking, with a focus on community development, education, and nonprofit organizational capacity building. Prior to the Goldseker Foundation, Laurie worked as an analyst for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catholic Relief Services, and Catholic Charities of St. Louis. She served on the board of directors of Live Baltimore and served on and chaired the board of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (now Maryland Philanthropy Network).
Lucia joined the Southeast CDC in March 2022 as a case manager helping non-English-speaking clients access benefit programs, including rental assistance. Originally from Mexico City, Lucia has been living in Baltimore City since 2007. Her own personal experiences of adapting to a new country and raising children in Baltimore have made Lucia passionate about sharing information and resources with other immigrant families. Through her advocacy, she became an active volunteer and leader in several community organizations, including Mis Raices, Ángeles de Baltimore, and Nuestras Raices. Additionally, Lucia has been the President of the Comité Latino de Baltimore since 2018. Prior to joining the Southeast CDC, Lucia worked for two years at Johns Hopkins' Centro Sol Program, attending to the mental health needs of Latinos in Baltimore. Lucia describes that what she is most passionate about is sharing information with and empowering the Latino community to improve their lives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary / Pastor, Breath of God Lutheran Church
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Managing Director, DTZ
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Owner, LUUA Design Studio
- Senior Loan Officer, George Mason Mortgage
- Seward Delegate Robbyn Lewis
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Deputy Director, at Molly at Southeast Cdc Dot Org
Molly joined the Southeast CDC in December 2017 as the Project Associate for Neighborhood Programs and served as the Director of Neighborhood Revitalization from 2020-2023. Raised in Michigan, Molly lived in Detroit and Boston before settling in Baltimore. She received her Master's degree in Urban Planning from Tufts University in 2012, with a focus on urban food systems. Outside of work hours, you'll find Molly teaching wall repair classes at the Station North Tool Library and tending to the community park in her neighborhood.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Urban Design Group
Richard joined Southeast CDC in June 2023. After growing up in Las Vegas, Richard spent most of his adult life in California before coming east. From helping inmates to re-enter society in New Mexico to training English teachers in the Republic of Georgia as a Peace Corps Volunteer, he has more than 10 years of experience in education and community development that he's excited to utilize at Southeast CDC. When not working, he can be found strolling around Patterson Park or backpacking the various forested and mountainous environs in the area with his wife Erin and their dog, Holly.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Delegate, 46th District
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors