PRESENTERS’ BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Nazima Ali, Early Education Teacher, First Steps Academy

Nazima is a 45-year-old mother of three living in East Harlem. Nazima is a survivor of domestic violence and speaks about her experiences with domestic violence and homelessness to raise awareness in the community. Nazima is currently a teacher at a day care center and also has experience as a peer leader in a program for women dealing with domestic violence. Nazima has a passion for helping people in need and takes pride in taking care of her children and pursuing her goals.

Rebekha Askew-Morris, New York City Department of Education

Rebekha earned a bachelor degree in Psychology, a MS in School and Mental Health Counseling, and a MS in School Building/District Leadership. She started her career in education in 1999 as an Educational Assistant working in District 75 with students labeled as Emotionally Handicapped. From 2005-2016, she trained teachers and administrators on the effects of trauma and how it impacts students’ lives and educations. She then transitioned to an administrative position serving students in temporary housing for the Department of Education. Ms. Askew-Morris also has personal experience with housing insecurity. At the age of 21, she entered a domestic violence shelter with her young children and later created a women’s empowerment group called “Courage.”

Constance Barry, MSW, Assistant Director of Supportive Services, Jericho Project

Constance oversees the case management team at the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program at the non-profit Jericho Project. She has a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Morgan State University and MSW from Hunter. Her background encompasses experience providing services to different at-risk populations including children and youth and families involved in the child welfare system. She has worked in the juvenile justice, foster care, and preventive systems and is currently dedicating her efforts towards ending veteran homelessness.

Dennis Barton, Planned Parenthood of New York City

Formerly homeless, Dennis entered treatment and recovery from drug addiction 17 years ago and has gone on to achieve great things in both his professional and personal lives. Dennis is an ordained Deacon in the Collegiate Churches of NY, currently works at Planned Parenthood of NYC in the Education Department, and volunteers with a boy’s group at the Lower East Side Girls Club. Dennis has served as a peer leader and advocate in life skills empowerment programs for homeless men and women and currently acts as a mentor in these programs. Dennis speaks about his experiences with homelessness and recovery from substance abuse in order to advocate and educate the community.

LeShan A. Gaulman, LMSW, Program Director, Barrier Free Living-Transitional Housing

LeShan is a licensed master social worker with several years of professional service. He is currently the Program Director of Barrier Free Living-Transitional Housing, a New York City based homeless program that specializes in serving the Activities of Daily Living Dependent homeless. He is a Lehman College MSW graduate and Adjunct Lecturer in the Social Work Department.

Hunter Gradie, Chief of Staff, New York City Department of Homeless Services

Hunter started his career in NYC government working for the Mayor’s Office of Operations, where he worked on implementing large scale multi-agency initiatives, including citywide workforce development, response to Hurricane Sandy, IDNYC, and improving physical conditions within homeless shelters. In 2016, Hunter moved to the NYC Department of Social Services as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer to support the integration of DHS and HRA under the Department of Social Services. Before joining NYC government, Hunter worked in Washington, D.C. for several Members of Congress and the AFL-CIO. He has an MPA from the Cornell University and a BA in Political Science from the University of Delaware.

Sister Mary Alice Hannan, Founder, Desda’s Grate

Sister Mary Alice worked in the education field for nearly 30 years while also volunteering with the homeless population. She worked on the streets, followed by sheltering people in churches, and was on the cutting edge of providing permanent housing with supports. She served as the Executive Director of the Bronx-based Part of the Solution (POTS) agency. She also founded a home in New Rochelle for homeless single mothers and their children, where she lives. The home, Desda’s Grate, is named after one of her favorite homeless women and the grate where Sister Mary Alice found her living.

Daniel Lowy, LCSW, Senior Vice President, Argus Community

Daniel has been working in the field of social work for 16 years. He has a bachelor degree in Psychology from SUNY Cortland and a MSW from Adelphi University. With Argus Community, Inc., Daniel has worked with clients affected by various, often overlapping issues, such as HIV, chemical dependency, and incarceration. Other projects have dealt with youth development, delinquency prevention, and education and employment for adults and youth. He has served as a supervisor, administrator, grant project coordinator, and trainer. In addition, he has taught under-graduate and MSW-level social work students as an adjunct instructor at Lehman College since 2006.

Joe McKenzie-Hamilton, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, Inc.

With gratitude, Joe has worked for West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing for nearly 26 years. For most of that time, he has been the program director for two congregate care sites that provide permanent, supportive housing for older, formerly homeless adults with a history of serious and persistent mental illness, some of whom also lived with substance abuse issues. Recently, he has been a part of the agency’s newly created Quality and Training Team.

Pastor Heidi Neumark, Founder and Executive Director, Trinity Place Shelter

Heidi is Founder and Executive Director of Trinity Place Shelter for homeless LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. She is also an author, speaker, and Lutheran pastor who has served congregations in the South Bronx and presently in Manhattan. Her experiences in congregational and community organizing in the Bronx led to a highly acclaimed book, Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx. Her late-life discovery of her Jewish heritage and the murder of her grandfather in a concentration camp led to her most recent book, Hidden Inheritance: Family Secrets, Memory and Faith. She holds an honorary doctorate of divinity from Muhlenberg College. Heidi is married, has two adult children and lives in New York City.

Amanda Sisselman-Borgia, LMSW, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Lehman College Social Work

Amanda studies the impact of discrimination on homeless youth and adults, trauma, at-risk youth and families, and the intersection between spirituality, religion, and domestic violence/family trauma. Amanda’s clinical practice has focused mainly on at-risk youth and working with women and children who have experienced trauma.

Barbara Zerzan, LCSW, ABD, Lecturer, Lehman College Social Work

Barbara has held numerous management positions in a variety of agencies serving low income New Yorkers. She has developed, reformed, and overseen programs for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults and has expertise in homelessness, employment, financial management, and rental assistance programs. She was also hired as a consultant to both the New York City Human Resources Department and the Department of Homeless Services to help design a viable employment initiative within the shelter system.

We extend a special thanks to their faculty mentors:

Patricia Kolb

Manuel Munoz

and Brenda Willimas-Gray