--WHO WE ARE

KEY STAFF MEMBERS

Corporate Headquarters
St. Louis, MO

Sandra M. Moore, President
Susan K. Glassman, Senior Vice President
Wade Baughman, Project Manager for Senior Services
Shaughnessy Daniels, Project Manager
Marlene Hodges, Assistant Project Manager
Lisa King, Executive Administrator
Marilyn Sanders-Nwagbara, Administrative Assistant

Urban Strategies Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI

Esther Shin, Vice President of Human Capital Development

Urban Strategies Memphis HOPE
Memphis, TN

Karla Owens Davis, Senior Project Manager
James Franklin, Supervising Case Manager
Shirley Hubbard, Supervising Case Manager
Debra Lambert, Case Manager
Rodney Lomax, Case Manager
Rose Shelton, Case Manager
Tekeima Townsend, Case Manager
Patrice Willis, HOPE VI CSS Case Manager

Heritage Park Community
Minneapolis, MN

Yvette Matchette, Heritage Park Community Liaison Specialist

Renaissance Place/Blumeyer HOPE VI Community & Supportive Services Office
St. Louis, MO

Elphanie Swift, HOPE VI CSS Project Manager
Traci Baker, Senior CSS Case Manager
Nate Dewart, Field Coordinator – Neighborhood Networks
Erica Mayborne, CSS Case Manager

KEY STAFF

St. Louis Corporate Headquarters

Sandra M. Moore, President

As President, Sandra M. Moore guides the Urban Strategies Team and oversees all administrative, strategic, and financial operations.  She has more than 30 years experience in comprehensive, neighborhood-based planning, social program development and public policy implementation, and under Ms. Moore’s leadership, Urban Strategies has had significant success leveraging public resources with private, civic and philanthropic investment to support human capital development in low income communities around the United States.  In this regard, the organization has had notable impact, and has achieved a remarkable 34-to-1 private-to-public investment leveraging point in human services programs.

Before joining Urban Strategies, Ms. Moore served as the CEO of the Missouri Family Investment Trust, a public-private partnership entity leading Missouri’s multi-system reform efforts.  In that capacity, Ms. Moore worked with a board of directors that consisted of cabinet directors of eight of the fifteen departments of state government and nine private sector representatives.  As CEO, she was responsible for helping communities statewide develop, implement and evaluate strategies to improve education, health, mental health, human resource and economic development outcomes for vulnerable Missouri families.

Immediately prior to joining the Family Investment Trust, Ms. Moore was Vice President of St. Louis 2004, Inc., an all-out citizen-based effort to make the St. Louis Region a recognized leader in the 21st century by accomplishing major projects. Ms. Moore was responsible for the workforce and economic development goals and objectives of St. Louis 2004.

Ms. Moore is the former Director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (MO DOLIR) where she served as a member of Governor Mel Carnahan’s cabinet and was responsible for the Division of Labor Standards, the Division of Employment Security, the Division of Workers’ Compensation, the Governor’s Council on Disability, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights and the State Board of Mediation. The MO DOLIR had approximately 2,000 employees within the various divisions and commissions.

Ms. Moore has a BA in Urban Planning and JD, both from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.  She is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Mound City Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.  Ms. Moore also serves as a board member for Advantage Capital, the St. Louis Internship Program, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, The Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA), the Missouri Historical Society, the St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable and the YWCA -Metro St. Louis.
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Susan K. Glassman, Senior Vice President

As Senior Vice President, Susan Glassman oversees Urban Strategies’ Community and Supportive Services programs in several HOPE VI communities: Blumeyer/Renaissance Place at Grand in St. Louis and Lamar Terrace/University Place and Dixie Homes in Memphis Tennessee.  She designs or coordinates several Urban Strategies projects in the areas of enhanced schools, community health, economic development and supported housing.

Ms. Glassman formerly served as CEO of the American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri (ALAEM), a leading voluntary health organization with a 30-member Board of Directors and a staff of 20.  Under her leadership ALAEM spearheaded major community collaborations to address asthma, improve air quality and reduce tobacco use.

Prior to assuming her position at the American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri, Ms. Glassman worked for many years in local government.  As Deputy City Manager of the City of University City, Missouri, she coordinated projects among city departments while directing operations of Public Relations and the Municipal Court.  She established and served as first Chairman of the Board of a 21-member municipal insurance pool, which continues to save the participating municipalities hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.  She served as city government liaison to the Delmar Loop business district and helped to establish the Special Taxing District, which was the catalyst for the revitalization of a lively retail and entertainment district.  She also represented the city in regional discussions of key intergovernmental issues, in negotiations with developers and in cultivating arts organizations.

Ms. Glassman is currently President of the Board of St. Louis Artworks and member of the Board of Trustees of the University City Missouri Public Library.  She is on the grant allocations committee of the Incarnate Word Foundation.

Wade Baughman, Project Manager for Senior Services

As Project Manager for Senior Services, Wade Baughman coordinates community development efforts for older adult residents in sites throughout the United States.  He works closely with residents to assess their physical, social, and economic needs, and partners with McCormack Baron Ragan Management staff to identify community assets, develop programs, and implement strategies for meeting those needs.  Mr. Baughman’s responsibilities also include identifying and obtaining funding for these senior community-building programs and activities, creating partnerships with local organizations that serve older adults, and providing guidance and support to management staff on aging-related issues.

Prior to joining Urban Strategies, he worked as a labor and employment attorney in a variety of settings.  With his background in collective bargaining, contract administration, and dispute resolution, Mr. Baughman offers extensive experience in collaborating with clients individually and in groups to identify concerns, resolve conflicts, set goals, and implement strategies for success.

Mr. Baughman holds a Master’s of Social Work from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, and a B.S. in Business Management & Administration from Bradley University.
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Shaughnessy Daniels, Associate Project Manager

As Associate Project Manager, Shaughnessy Daniels comes to Urban Strategies with eight years of experience in community revitalization, grassroots outreach, creating relationships and connecting resources that produce positive outcomes.

Prior to joining Urban Strategies in 2006, Ms. Daniels served as Assistant to the President at St. Louis 2004, a regional improvement initiative led by former United States Senator John C. Danforth.  At St. Louis 2004, Ms Daniels played a key role in planning and implementing many successful programs and events that brought people, organizations and resources together to make St. Louis a better place to live, work and play.  She credits this experience as being instrumental in shaping her focus to assist in the delivery of services that will strengthen families and promote change in the communities they live in.

Ms. Daniels holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and has a broad range of experience in not-for-profit development, grant writing and event planning.
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Marlene Hodges, Assistant Project Manager

As Assistant Project Manager in the COVAM Community, Marlene Hodges serves as the liaison between COVAM CDC community stakeholders and oversees the strategic and comprehensive development of services and activities.  She also oversees the COVAM Community Development Corporation’s board of directors.

As part of her partnership with McCormack Baron Ragan, Ms. Hodges is an intermediary between residents and property managers.  She also coordinates projects that employ an integrated approach to job training, child care, affordable housing, education, health care and economic development.

The St. Louis office of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development honored Ms. Hodges with a Community Partnership Award for her work in the COVAM Community.

She was a 1999 participant for the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute program, in which she was one of seventeen fellows who worked with core faculty to use the arts to positively impact individuals in non-traditional settings.

Ms. Hodges is a participant in the Creative Communities Training Institute, an initiative with the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development, and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts to provide sequential arts instruction to young people residing in public housing communities.  She is also a training participant for the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence at the University of Pennsylvania (CUREx Penn).
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Lisa King, Executive Administrator

As Executive Administrator, Lisa King supports the President and staff and has primary responsibilities for day-to-day operations. She has ten years of experience in the not-for-profit environment, particularly with community engagement. Ms. King previously served three years in the political arena, acting as a constituent liaison in the offices of Missouri Senators Danforth, Ashcroft, and Bond.
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Marilyn Sanders-Nwagbara, Administrative Assistant

As Administrative Assistant, Marilyn Sanders-Nwagbara supports the Senior Vice President of Urban Strategies and staff. She also is the administrative support for the COVAM Redbird Rookies Program.

Mrs. Sanders-Nwagbara has 15 years of experience in the administrative field and previously worked with McCormack Baron Salazar as the Administrative Assistant to a Senior Project Manager and Vice President of Construction Administration for four years. Prior to working for McCormack Baron Salazar, Mrs. Sanders-Nwagbara served as an Architectural Department Secretary at HBE Corp, a developer which designs and builds moderate hotels, hospitals and banks.
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Urban Strategies Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI
Esther Shin, Vice President of Human Capital Development

As the Vice President of Human Capital Development for Urban Strategies, Esther Shin coordinates the social and economic strategies for revitalizing urban communities.  Her responsibilities include developing long-term sustainability plans for social service programs and providing technical assistance to community organizations strengthening their neighborhoods.

Ms. Shin formerly worked as a Community Development Coordinator for McCormack Baron Salazar in the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood.  She was responsible for managing the social service aspects of the revitalization effort that was led by the Washington University School of Medicine.

Prior to working for McCormack Baron, Ms. Shin served as an intern with the Social Security Administration in Washington, DC.  Her work consisted of researching old age insurance programs for eighteen different countries and investigating the success/failure of privatizing social security.
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Urban Strategies Memphis HOPE
Memphis, TN
Karla Owens Davis, Senior Project Manager

As the Memphis HOPE VI CSS Senior Project Manager, Ms. Davis is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, establishing cooperative relationships with other organizations and service providers, identifying funding opportunities, leveraging resources, and supervising a staff seven case managers.  All this is done with the ultimate objective of moving the nearly 600 families of University Place (formerly Lamar Terrace) and Legends Park (formerly Dixie Homes) toward self-sufficiency.

Prior to joining Urban Strategies, Ms. Davis worked for over 16 years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Region 5 in Chicago.  While there, she served in several positions, including Remedial Project Manager for the Superfund Program, where she oversaw the cleanup of hazardous waste sites; and Deputy Director for the Office of Strategic Environmental Analysis.  Most recently, she served as manager of U.S. EPA Region 5’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Program.  In this capacity, she led the development of regional EJ policy and played a leading role in incorporating EJ principles into existing programs.  She also served as lead spokesperson, providing education and outreach to Agency staff, the public and other stakeholders.  Through her involvement with the program, she worked closely with the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, business and industry, community and non-profit organizations, other federal agencies, and state and local governments to ensure that no group of people—particularly low-income and minority populations—bore a disproportionate human health or environmental impact from pollution.  Because of her work, she received numerous regional and national U.S. EPA awards.

Ms. Davis also has 15 years of experience in the redevelopment and management of private residential real estate for low-income and Section 8 families in Chicago, and she is a licensed Realtor in the State of Illinois.

Ms. Davis attended Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering.  She also holds a certificate in Integrated Marketing from the University of Chicago.  Ms. Davis is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a volunteer with The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis.
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James Franklin, Supervising Case Manager

James Franklin is the Supervising Case Manager for the Memphis HOPE project.  His role is to ensure that former residents of the Dixie Homes Development receive adequate case management services that enable them to work toward economic self-sufficiency.

Mr. Franklin has a long career in the human services field.  He worked for Housing Counseling Services Inc. in Washington D.C.  In 1979, he began working for the City of Memphis, Division of Housing and Community Development as the Equal Opportunity Specialist.  James became Executive Director of Memphis Opportunity Industrialization Centers in 1981 and worked there until 1984 when he was named Assistant Director of Job Training Partnership Act at State Technical Institute.  James was promoted to Director of Student Services in 1986.  In 1993, James began working for the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) where he was a Training Specialist, HOPE VI CSS Coordinator, and ROSS Grant Coordinator.

Mr. Baker holds a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Valparaiso University and an M.S.W. (with a specialty in Planning and Program Development) from Howard University. 
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Shirley Hubbard, Supervising Case Manager

Shirley Hubbard is the Memphis HOPE VI Supervising Case Manager and is responsible for overseeing the case management services for residents of the former Lamar Terrace public housing development, now University Place.

Ms. Hubbard has over 21 years of Social Work experience.  She formerly worked for the Memphis Housing Authority where she served as the Community and Supportive Services Coordinator for the College Park and Uptown HOPE VI developments.   Ms. Hubbard also has worked at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a Hematology Social Worker.    

Prior to her work in Memphis, Ms. Hubbard worked in Desoto County, MS as the Director of Welfare Reform with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for low-income parents seeking employment.  She also has worked at the Desoto Sunrise Emergency Shelter for Children, the Family and Children Services Division of the Desoto County Human Services Department and Parkwood Psychiatric Hospital.

Ms. Hubbard holds a Bachelor’s degree from Delta State University in Cleveland, MS and serves on several community boards with a special interest in youth development.
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Debra Lambert, Case Manager

As a Memphis HOPE VI Case Manager, Debra Lambert provides case management and referral services to former residents of the Dixie Homes Development and helps them to meet re-occupancy criteria for the new HOPE VI units.  In this role, she helps residents achieve self-sufficiency and improve the quality of their lives by addressing job readiness, education, training, employment, health, recreation, and transportation concerns.

Mrs. Lambert began her career in social work in the mid-eighties and has worked in the social services field throughout the United States, including Mississippi, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado.  Prior to joining the Urban Strategies Memphis HOPE Team, she worked at the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA), where she provided case management and referral services to the residents of Cleaborn Homes public housing and Askew Place transitional housing.  In this position, she also supervised interns from various colleges through mentoring and reviewing assignments completed.

Mrs. Lambert received a Bachelor of Social Work from Delta State University and is a licensed Realtor® in the State of Tennessee.
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Rodney Lomax, Case Manager

Rodney Lomax is a Case Manager with the Memphis HOPE VI project where he is responsible for helping former residents of Dixie Homes to become self sufficient.  As a Case Manager, he works on the front line, motivating residents to develop goals and helping to ensure that these goals become reality.

Mr. Lomax previously worked as a Social Worker with the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA), where he worked with various MHA developments to help families learn how to maintain—and in some instances, exceed—standards.  He regularly helped heads of households to find employment and helped elderly residents to attain health insurance and improve their standards of living.  He also has experience in recruiting youth into growth and development programs.   

Immediately prior to joining the MHA, Mr. Lomax worked with the non-profit agency Women in Community (WICS) where he served as a case manager and the office. Mr. Lomax also worked with the Memphis Urban League as an instructor and counselor.  As a result of his efforts, students received technical training they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience.

Mr. Lomax holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Memphis.
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Rose Shelton, Case Manager

As a Memphis HOPE VI Case Manager, Ms. Shelton is responsible for providing former Dixie Home residents with a variety of quality services geared toward setting them on the path to self sufficiency.  Through education, employment, homeownership and various training opportunities, our residents are striving to change their lifestyles, one day at a time!

Ms. Shelton has worked as a social services Case Manager for 18 years in Memphis and Georgia.  Prior to working with Urban Strategies Ms. Shelton was employed with the Memphis Housing Authority in a similar capacity with Dixie Homes Residents advocating for change through the Ross Grant Program.  Previously, she worked for the Department of Human Services, the Shelby County Community Services Agency and Exum Towers’ Independent Living facility for disabled and elderly residents.

Ms. Shelton holds a B.S. from Tennessee State University.
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Tekeima Townsend, Case Manager

Tekeima Townsend currently serves as Case Manager for former residents of the Lamar Terrace development.  She spent the prior five years working with Memphis Housing Authority residents to provide services that help individuals and families in the areas of relocation, career development and personal growth.  She is dedicated to empowering and reforming the lives of individuals in distressed communities through counseling, training and education.

Previously, Ms. Townsend worked for the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) as the HOPE VI Community and Supportive Services Social Worker for Hurt Village and Lauderdale Court residents.  In this role, she was a member of a team charged with transforming the lives of relocated families and helping them to successfully return to the revitalized communities.  While working with MIFA, she also created a still-thriving Youth Ministry at Berean Missionary Baptist Church. 

Prior to serving the MIFA, Ms. Townsend was a Special Needs Teacher at Susanna Wesley Child Care Center, where she was responsible for educational and emotional nurturing of typical- and special-needs children.  Her duties included providing basic medical needs, preparing developmentally appropriate lesson plans, incorporating goals from individual family service plans into classroom activities and working with families and staff to accomplish educational and developmental goals for each child.

Ms. Townsend holds an Associate of Applied Science from Shelby State Community College and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Memphis.  She is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at the Memphis Theological Seminary.
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Patrice Willis, HOPE VI CSS Case Manager

As a HOPE VI CSS Case Manager, Patrice Willis works with individuals and families to develop their personal and professional goals and provides follow up services.  Ms. Willis has more than 19 years of diverse experience working with families and a passion for service and community. Her commitment to providing direct, hands-on service stems from working in her family’s non-profit organization dedicated to serving ex-offenders and the underserved.

Prior to joining the Urban Strategies team in 2005, Ms. Willis served as a development officer and volunteer coordinator with Girls Incorporated of St. Louis and as a Welfare-to-Work case manager at the YWCA of Greater Nashville.  Patrice joined the US Memphis HOPE team in 2006, continuing Urban Strategies’ standard-of-service in Memphis, TN.  Patrice's vast array of civic activities includes everything from volunteering at a women’s prison to planting flowers at local non-profits.

Ms. Willis is a St. Louis native and holds a B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee State University.
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Heritage Park Community
Minneapolis, MN
Yvette Matchette, Heritage Park Community Liaison Specialist

As the Community Liaison Specialist for the Heritage Park Community in Minneapolis, MN, Yvette Matchette is responsible for working with residents to develop community awareness and participation in supportive programming. Ms. Matchette also serves as a resource to residents and the management company.

Prior to working for Urban Strategies, Ms. Matchette was a teacher, mentor and program developer for youth in the Twin Cities area.  She also served as a program director for Alternatives, a program for troubled youth and youth on probation.  There, she developed programs that were aimed at underprivileged youth to reflect their interests and provide opportunities to develop more positive outlooks.

Ms. Matchette is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology, Law and Criminal Deviance with a Minor in Youth Studies.
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Renaissance Place/Blumeyer HOPE VI Community & Supportive Services Office
St. Louis, MO
Elphanie Swift, HOPE VI CSS Project Manager

As Project Manager, Elphanie Swift is responsible for the overall supervision for the day to day operations for the CSS component of the Renaissance Place HOPE VI program. The CSS program’s primary goal is to assist public housing residents in achieving self-sufficiency. In addition, Elphanie develops community relations and is responsible for bringing community partners to the program.

Prior to working at Urban Strategies, Ms. Swift was the St. Louis Social Services Director for The Salvation Army, Midland Division.  In this role she oversaw over $10 million dollars in programs and services. Programs under her supervision included two licensed daycares, a child welfare program, three homeless shelters, two supportive housing programs, a senior services HUD 202 housing development, Christmas and Emergency Social Service programs for and various other programs. Prior to holding the St. Louis Social Services Director position, Ms. Swift ran one of the largest family shelters in St. Louis City, The Salvation Army Family Haven.

Ms. Swift has a Bachelor of Science degree and is a licensed Realtor® in the State of Missouri.
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Traci Baker, Senior CSS Case Manager

As Senior Community and Supportive Services Case Manager, Traci Baker is responsible for overseeing day-to-day, client-related issues for the Blumeyer Community and Supportive Service Office.  Ms. Baker works very with the Project Manager to implement the case management system that serves all existing Blumeyer residents.  In this role, she assists family and elderly residents with the re-occupancy criteria for the new HOPE VI units.  Ms Baker focuses on helping all residents achieve self sufficiency and an improved quality of life by addressing job readiness, education, training, employment, health, recreation and transportation.

Ms. Baker has more than 10 years of experience in providing coordination and linkages to social service support systems for low income families.  Prior to joining Urban Strategies, she worked with the St. Louis Department of Health and Senior Services investigating instances of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Ms. Baker received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from St. Louis University in 2002, and is currently seeking her Missouri Social Work Licensure (LCSW).
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Nate Dewart, Field Coordinator – Neighborhood Networks

As Field Coordinator of Neighborhood Networks in Blumeyer / Renaissance Place at Grand, Nate implements all computer technology related programs in this housing development. Consistent with the CSS HOPE VI mission, Neighborhood Networks goal is resident and community self-sufficiency, using technology as a gateway. Programs include, but are not limited to: 1) Two Youth Computer Programs, 2) a Youth Technology and Community Employment Program, 3) a Senior/Disabled Resident Computer Lab, 4) Adult Basic Computer Skills Training and 5) US Bank Ten-Key Job Training. Nate continues to seek partnerships with community organizations and businesses to further these objectives.

Born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, Nate earned his B.A. in Architecture and Environmental Studies at Washington University in St. Louis in 2001. He continually aspires to connect the seemingly disconnected.
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Erica Mayborne, CSS Case Manager

As the HOPE VI Community and Supportive Services Case Manager, Erica Mayborne enrolls new Blumeyer and Renaissance Place at Grand residents into the CSS program and links all residents with CSS resources.  She assesses residents’ needs and refers them to helpful programs such as job training, education, childcare, employment, healthcare, recreation or transportation.  Ms. Mayborne works with individuals and families in creating and reaching personal and professional goals that result in improved quality of life and self sufficiency. Ms. Mayborne also focuses on helping residents meet reoccupancy criteria so they qualify to move into new HOPE VI housing.

Ms. Mayborne has social work experience working in group homes for people with mental illness, mental retardation and developmental disabilities.  Prior to joining Urban Strategies, she worked with Missouri’s Department of Mental Health coordinating services for people of all ages who had mental retardation and developmental disabilities and who lived in their natural home. 

Ms. Mayborne holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Illinois School of Social Work and a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.  Her current civic activities include volunteering at The International Institute and the United Way’s St. Louis Cares program.
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