NCHV - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Berdie Cowser has been with the Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd. since May 2001, where she is currently the Vice President of Housing and Development.
Berdie is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Cream City (WI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
Mr. Bridwell has 21 years of experience working with homeless individuals. He has dedicated the past 17 years to specifically assisting homeless veterans to successfully reintegrate back into their communities. Mr. Bridwell is currently the Director of National Operations for Cloudbreak Communities, a special needs housing developer for homeless veterans that has developed over 3,000 units of housing for veterans. Previously, he was employed as Arizona's first Homeless Veterans Services Coordinator at the Arizona Department of Veterans Services and was responsible for coalescing stakeholders to create, implement and evaluate the State's effort to end homelessness among veterans. Mr. Bridwell served as a key leader in Project H3: Home, Health, Hope; a local implementation of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, uncovering critical innovations in "Housing First" models for people experiencing long-term homelessness and who are medically vulnerable and has played a key leadership role in Project H3 VETS, Maricopa County's initiative to end chronic homelessness among veterans.
In his previous employment as the Arizona Director for United States Veterans Initiative, the Nation's largest non-profit dedicated to the successful reintegration of homeless veterans, Mr. Bridwell helped establish over 200 beds of housing and services between its Phoenix and Prescott operations involving use of VA Grant & Per Diem, HUD, City, and State HOME programs and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits among other sources. His Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program established in Phoenix led to "Best Practice" recognition by its funding entity, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Mr. Bridwell holds a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor's of Social Work from Arizona State University. He has also served as the Board Chair of the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness and is a Board Member of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Cindy Sturtevant Borden is the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV). In this role, she leads NCHV's Technical Assistance Center with a focus on the DOL-VETS Homeless Veteran's Reintegration Program (HVRP). Borden provides intensive coaching in program design and implementation to grantee service providers and works closely with federal staff. She oversees the development of TA Center products including webinars, research briefs and best practice guides. Prior to joining NCHV, Borden provided training and technical assistance to a variety of community service organizations. Her work included product development, management coaching and capacity building. Borden earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish Language and Literature both from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Danielle Applegate is a Director at IT Concepts, an 8(a) service- disabled, veteran-owned small business. Prior to bringing her 25 years' experience to ITC, she led Veteran and Military Family Engagement at Oracle Cerner, and ran VetsFirst, an accredited Veteran Service Organization, with a stint in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for Women Veterans, where she created groundbreaking women veteran initiatives and nationwide VA programming.
A ninth-generation veteran with dual-military parents, Danielle served on active duty in the US Army and the National Guard; her duty included a tour in Korea. Due to service-connected injuries, she left active duty and earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and a nonprofit executive certificate from Georgetown University. As a published military and veteran community subject matter expert and advocate, she gives her time and expertise widely, to include chairing the Board of Directors for the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, and serving on the Board of Directors for PsychArmor Institute, Hesperus, the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation, the National Physical Activity Alliance, and Carry the Load. She lives in Northern Virginia where she is being raised by two delightful teens who enjoy volunteering as much as she does.
David Higgins is the Communications Associate for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing communications strategies to advance the mission of the organization. He manages the social media accounts, The Dispatch, and collaborates with other staff members to produce printed materials.
David has spent over a decade as a graphic designer specifically working with non-profit organizations, providing website/graphic design, social media management and creative printed materials. Prior to joining NCHV,
David was the Communications Director at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, where he created a new website for the organization and updated their communications and social media outreach.
David has a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Communications from Clark Atlanta University.
Job Titles:
- National Vice President of Supportive Housing at National Equity Fund, Inc
Debbie Burkart is a national vice president of supportive housing at National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF), a leading non-profit syndicator of low-income housing tax credits. Since joining NEF in 1992, she has underwritten supportive housing and affordable assisted living investments for NEF's funds for a wide range of special needs populations.
During her 27 years with NEF, Burkart has assisted in the acquisition and/or underwriting of more than $1 billion in tax credit equity for special-needs projects including more than 4,000 units of housing for homeless veterans in 15 states. In 2012, she founded and directs LISC-NEF's Bring Them HOMES, an initiative for homeless veterans, which has raised over $5 million in predevelopment grant funding for veterans supportive housing projects. She's a nationally recognized expert on affordable seniors housing as well as supportive housing financing and policy, and speaks frequently at conferences. For nearly a decade, she has been a judge for the National Council of State Housing Agencies' Annual Awards for Program Excellence in the Special Needs category.
In 2008, she became a National Coalition for Homeless Veterans board member and in 2016 joined Corporation for Supportive Housing's (CSH) national board. She also sits on the boards of Brilliant Corners and LA Family Housing. Burkart received the Corporate Silver Star Award from Volunteers of America Illinois in 2016 and the Community Hero Award from New Directions in 2011 for her work in veterans supportive housing. In 2017, she was profiled by Affordable Housing Finance as one of ten women who have reached the top of the affordable housing industry.
She graduated from Duke University and received master's degrees in business administration and city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Ifechukwude ‘Ife' Abili is the NCHV's Development Associate. Having experience in customer service, Ife enrolled as a Political Science major at the University of South Florida and entered the veteran advocacy field as his first Washington-based field of work. This continues now into his role with NCHV providing outreach to our sponsors, stakeholders, and assisting the team with various other external communications.
Job Titles:
- Associate for the Coalition
Jaidee Villaflor is the Housing Program Associate for the Coalition, responsible for strengthening our work around best practices on affordable housing developments for veterans. He focuses on identifying critical issues and valuable resources to help navigate this complex landscape. Prior to joining NCHV, Jaidee taught civics with the Close Up Foundation, covering a wide variety of topics such as food insecurity, homelessness, and access to higher level education. His commitment to public service began in 2019, where he founded a non-profit organization that provided relief to the homeless people in his community. Jaidee graduated with a degree in political science from the University of California Irvine.
Janet M. Stringfellow received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication from the University of Puerto Rico in 1992 and a Master of Rehabilitation Counseling in 1996. She is one of the two authors of the thesis "Knowledge that the law students of the University of Puerto Rico demonstrate about the Americans with Disabilities Act and their attitudes toward individuals with disabilities." Also, in 1997, she received her license as a rehabilitation counselor. In 2002, she was recognized as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) in the United States. In 2008, she completed the Volunteers of America of Florida executive development track, and the Volunteers of America's Executive Development Program in 2011. In June of 2012, she became an ordained minister for Volunteers of America. Stringfellow is currently serving as a board member for Leading Age Florida as a Leading Age Education Committee Board Chair, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and Volunteers of America Inc. Church Governing and National Board. Stringfellow has served with Volunteers of America of Florida since 1998, and is extremely honored to build on VOA's 122 years of service, and she proudly upholds the distinction of being the first Hispanic President/CEO of a Volunteers of America affiliate.
Karen Christian is the Operations Manager for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV). A highly experienced administration, operations, and office management professional, she has worked to streamline labor-intensive processes and operations and improve the quality of financial reporting, membership and donor recruitment, and stewardship at NCHV. An Army veteran who has experienced homelessness, Karen's passion for helping others has translated into work spearheading the responses to NCHV's toll-free referral line for veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. In this role, she has referred hundreds of veterans to organizations for assistance with finding shelter, permanent housing, employment, and other resources to address the issues contributing to their housing stability. Karen has turned her experiences into positive change for others by utilizing them to dispel stereotypes and inform policy proposals NCHV puts forth to Congress and the Administration. Majoring in Business Administration at Morgan State University, she plans on completing her degree soon. She enjoys making a meaningful contribution to NCHV and the veterans we serve.
Kathryn Monet is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. In this role, she focuses on the execution of NCHV's strategic policy and technical assistance agenda, and on expanding NCHV's strategic partnerships to more effectively end veteran homelessness. Kathryn has spent over a decade in the public and nonprofit sector working to address housing instability and homelessness among veterans. Prior to joining NCHV, she was with the National Alliance to End Homelessness focusing on the promotion of data-driven, evidence-based interventions to end homelessness, particularly among veterans. Kathryn also was involved in veteran homelessness in a legislative capacity during her time at the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She earned a Masters of Public Administration from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Science in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University. Kathryn currently serves on the VA Advisory Committee for Homeless Veterans, the US Vets DC Advisory Council, the Board of Directors for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the Board of Governors for the National Housing Conference.
Job Titles:
- Food Writer and Culinary Consultant
Leon Winston retired in 2020 from his role as Chief Operating Officer and Housing Director of Swords to Plowshares in San Francisco, CA, where he worked on the housing, treatment, and income support needs of homeless and at-risk veterans for 25 years. A US Navy veteran, he was referred to Swords to Plowshares by the SF VA Medical Center as a homeless client in 1993 and graduated from its transitional housing program prior to coming to work for the organization in 1995.
During his tenure at Swords to Plowshares, he became involved in the creation of Swords' first Permanent Supportive Housing program, The Veterans Academy, as the 108-unit project was nearing completion in 1999 (upon the sudden retirement of Swords first Housing Director, Maceo May). During the intervening years he was agency lead on the development of multiple other permanent supportive housing projects, including Veterans Commons, 75 units of supportive housing targeting homeless and disabled senior veterans, and Edwin M. Lee Apts, 119 units - 62 supportive units for formerly homelesss veterans and 57 affordable family units. His final project, the 105 unit Maceo May Apts., was starting construction at the time of his retirement in 2020. It will house formerly homeless veterans and their families on the former Naval Station Treasure Island. He was also housing director during the acquisition of two Master Lease permanent supportive housing sites, the Fairfax and Stanford Hotels, totaling over 150 additional single room occupancy units and the creation of a Safe Haven program for treatment-wary chronically homeless veterans.
Leon has prior service on the NCHV board, including as Vice Chair and Chair of its' Government Relations Committee before leaving the board to prepare for retirement. Other civic involvement includes serving two terms on the VA Secretary's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, several years as member and as co-chair of San Francisco's Continuum of Care Board, and as Board Chair of the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative.
Mr. Eric Hutchinson, is a Proud U.S. Navy Veteran, Who has devoted himself to a career of helping Veterans navigate through the various challenges and resources available to them. Mr. Hutchinson is the Residential Services Director for Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities Inc. He sits on the Association of Substance Abuse Providers (ASAP) - NY Peer Certification Board, and Co-Chairs their Veterans Committee. He provides advocacy and supportive services to those in need and assists in wri ting policy & regulations as a member of the Alumni Association of NYS- Steering Committee.
Patrick E. Ryan has a unique blend of experience in the Executive and Legislative branch and for the last 14 years as a trusted consultant on a wide array of issues affecting the delivery of services to veterans. Prior to becoming a consultant, he served for 21 years as the counsel to the Chair and Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs, including serving as the Committee Staff Director and Chief Counsel from 2001 to 2004. Before going to work on Capitol Hill, Ryan worked at VA as a staff attorney in the Office of General Counsel, as a budget analyst in the Office of Management, and as a benefits counselor for the Veterans Benefits Administration's Washington Regional Office. He has a broad knowledge of VA laws and the budget process, and has worked extensively with stakeholders to gain acceptance of a number of important changes to the laws and processes governing the delivery of benefits and services to our nation's veterans. Ryan earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and his undergraduate degree in government and politics was awarded by the University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer for Veterans and Military
Samuel (Sam) Holmes currently serves as the Program Officer for Veterans and Military Families at the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust. Prior to joining the Trust, Sam served as Executive Director of the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras where he led the planning and administration of two homeless Continuums of Care in Northern California. Before that, he spent over 10 years working in the military and veteran community first as an active duty enlisted Marine then as a Program Officer with the Bob Woodruff Foundation. His passion serving the community comes from his own struggles during transition out of service. Sam's work in the veteran community focuses on serving vulnerable veterans and finding solutions to systemic injustice. Sam was honored to serve on the Veterans Task Force for Legal Services Corporation and currently serves on the Veterans Community Oversight and Engagement Board, Federal Advisory Committee for the VA's work at the West LA VAMC.
Sam lives in Northern California with his wife and son. He is a proud graduate of City College of San Francisco, and earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Business Administration from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis.
Spencer Bell is the Policy Analyst of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. He is responsible for developing and implementing NCHV's strategic policies, representing NCHV's interests before Congress and the Administration through collaborative policy analysis as well as shoe-leather advocacy on the hill. Spencer has spent over a decade in government affairs working to elevate issue driven dialogues and promote pragmatic, bipartisan solutions across a myriad of stakeholders. Prior to joining NCHV, he worked in issue advocacy for the U.S. House and education firms, campaigns and political management. Spencer is an eagle scout and has long history of serving veterans in a legislative capacity for a Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Florida.
Stephen J. Peck, who served as a Marine officer in Vietnam, heads the nation's largest nonprofit devoted to providing housing and other essential services to at-risk veterans.
Thomas G. Bowman was nominated by President Trump to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 3, 2017.
Before his appointment as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Bowman was the Majority Staff Director of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. He has also served Veterans at VA for nearly ten years between 2002 and 2012, including assignment as Chief of Staff to two previous VA secretaries, Jim Nicholson and James Peake.
Mr. Bowman's other assignments at VA included Deputy Chief of Staff, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs, Acting Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. For three and a half years, he served as Senior Advisor to the Director of VA's Sunshine Healthcare Network caring for Veterans in Florida, southeast Georgia, and the Caribbean, which involved him directly in VA's diverse field operations.
The son of a career Navy chief and enlisted pilot, who was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked, Mr. Bowman was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps through NROTC at the University of Texas in 1969. He served 30 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry and Judge Advocate officer, including 21 years on active duty. He retired as a colonel in October 1999, after serving as Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. He worked three years as an attorney in private practice, concentrating on military and Veterans issues, before joining VA.
Mr. Bowman holds a law degree from Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Mass., and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Texas at Austin. His wife Joan died of ovarian cancer in 2013, after 41 years of marriage. He has three grown children and seven grandchildren. His younger son and daughter-in-law both serve in the United States Coast Guard. Content Goes Here
Todd Shell is a native Texan who currently resides in Houston Texas. He is the National Director - Supportive Housing and Treatment/Recovery Facilities at CORT focusing on strategic partnerships with organizations that provide housing and programs nationally. He has been with CORT for over 31 years and for the past 8 years his focus has been on helping the homeles s. He is extremely passionate in helping the homeless and has received numerous awards locally and nationally for his outstanding work, support, and advocacy on ending homelessness. Todd is the immediate past Chairman of the Board for Texas Homeless Network and on the Advisory Council for US VETS Houston.
Victoria Lee is health care consultant Booz Allen Hamilton. She primarily focuses on health system transformation and process improvement to improve access to health services and patient experience. She previously worked at Deloitte and the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She received her Bachelor's in Business Administration from Appalachian State University and a Master's in Public Health from The George Washington University.
More than two decades ago, Vincent Perrone became involved in a grassroots effort to build the largest supportive services agency for veterans and their families in New England and was subsequently named Chairman, President & CEO of Veterans Inc. A 501(c)3, CARF accredited nonprofit headquartered in Massachusetts, Veterans Inc. has helped more than 75,000 veterans and their families in need and today operates a national referral service and offices and programs in all six New England states. Born in Worcester, MA, Perrone is a graduate of Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the nation and the birthplace of ROTC, where he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force. He served in the military for 20 years, retiring as a Lt Colonel. He has a Master of Science Degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and holds Level III certification from the Department of Defense in Program Management and Acquisition Logistics disciplines. Following his retirement from the Air Force and before taking his current position at Veterans Inc., Perrone was Director of Global Government Marketing for EMC Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. Perrone and his wife, Debra, have four children, Francesca, Vincent III, Samuel, and Ricky.