Spring Cohort 2022
Aqirah Stanley has been an active member of Alliance of Families for Justice since January 2018. She started out as AFJ’s first Shirley Chisholm Fellow, and then became AFJ’s Project Manager before stepping into the role as Deputy Director. As a directly impacted person, Aqirah fully understands the trauma and challenges of incarceration on families and children and wholeheartedly supports the use of collective action as a driving force of change, healing, and empowerment. Aqirah has been a passionate visionary and an asset to AFJ since day one, and looks forward to continuing to create opportunities for AFJ to unite and empower directly-impacted families and friends, as well as allies and volunteers.
Ava Rosenroth has worked in the nonprofit sector in New York City for over a decade, and is a passionate advocate for strengthening those who serve our community. As Director of Institutional Giving at The New York Foundling, Ava has raised millions of dollars annually in support of programs that help children, adults, and families reach their full potential-including those that work with families involved in the child welfare system, help people with developmental disabilities to live their best lives, offer alternatives to incarceration for young people caught up in the justice system, support students on their path to academic achievement, and improve access to health care. As a leader, Ava strives to foster an environment where all employees are appreciated, heard, and equipped for success.
Ava discovered her passion for nonprofit management while pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Binghamton University, and learned to love the sound of her own voice from broadcasting on her college radio station, WHRW Binghamton. When she is not fundraising for The Foundling, Ava organizes events with the New York Horror Movie Meetup Group, and is a member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and The Workers Circle, where she is learning to speak “a bisl Yiddish.”
Carlos (he/him/el) is a first-generation American a proud member of the LGBT+ and Latinx Community who believes that every person had the voice and right to shape their lives in an inclusive, just and equitable society. Carlos has almost a decade of experience in shaping community lead approaches and takes pride and taking a community first approach across all areas of work he is a part of. In his current role as Community Outreach & Engagement Associate at Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, Carlos focuses on cultivating and strengthening relationships with CCC’s community-based partners, child and family service providers, elected community leaders, neighborhood alliances, faith-based organizations, and the children and families living in New York City.
Carlos brings a range of experiences over the last 10+ years including expertise in facilitation, partnership development, and centering community voice through participatory engagement. This includes bringing these skills to make a difference towards social justice issues including LGBT rights, mass incarceration, community change through collective impact, issues concerning the Latinx community, issues on child and family well-being, and racial equity in the workplace. In the past, he has worked with various organizations including The Center for Human Development and Family Services, Humanities Action Lab: States of Incarceration and NYC Parks GreenThumb, and South Bronx Rising Together.
Carlos holds a BA in Political Science & History from Ithaca College, and a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management with a focus on Organizational Change from The New School. #RepresentingQueensNY
Catherine was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. She is a Senior Staff Attorney and Immigration Policy Counsel at Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), a non-profit public defense office that provides outstanding representation and advocacy free of cost to people facing loss of freedom, family separation and other serious legal harms. She manages city, state, and federal legislative and policy work for BDS’s immigration units. She also advises clients and attorneys about the immigration consequences of criminal and family court cases and represents non-citizens fighting to remain in the United States. Catherine received her Juris Doctorate degree from Pace University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.
Crystal Charles is a Policy Analyst. She conducts policy and data analysis, leads and participates in coalitions, and advocates on behalf of the Schuyler Center in the areas of child welfare, child poverty, home visiting, and other related issues. Prior to joining Schuyler Center, Crystal was a Public Administration & Policy PhD student, Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at the University at Albany. Her research focused on how collaboration between nonprofit organizations and government agencies, the internet, and social media can be employed as vehicles for social change, increased civic participation, and government transparency. Before coming to Albany, Crystal was a Tow Policy Advocacy Fellow at the Fortune Society. Crystal holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Justice from John Jay College.
David Ng is the Engagement Manager at the Advocacy Institute. Before joining the Advocacy Institute, he worked as the External and Government Relations Manager at the Human Services Council. Prior to that, he was appointed as a Chief of Staff in the New York State Assembly and as an External Relations Specialist in the New York State Senate working on various legislative priorities, state budgets, and issue campaigns. David also served as a Fellow to the First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Administration for Children Services, working on procurement and workforce issues.
Prior to working in government, he worked as a community organizer focusing on housing, immigration, and community development. He currently serves as a Member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Racial Equity in his hometown. David holds a M.P.A from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and graduated from Binghamton University with a B.A. in Political Science & Economics.
Diante Webb is the Executive Assistant and Liaison to the Board of Directors at GrowNYC, the sustainability resource for all New Yorkers. At GrowNYC, Diante assists the organization’s c-level leadership, staff, and Board of Directors with daily operations, meetings, and secretarial tasks while also managing calendars, scheduling, and events. Diante began his career working for non-profits at the Fund for the City of New York in 2016 after graduating cum lade with a B.A in History from Marymount Manhattan College in May 2015. During his time at Marymount, Diante sharpened his leadership and organization skills which earned him several academic and leadership awards, an Alumni Association Award, and status as a Fulbright Alternate. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Diante took an early interest in recycling and sustainability, even inspiring his family to recycle plastics and glass at home, and has continued to inspire others through his work at GrowNYC. Outside of work Diante enjoys yoga, cooking, travel, museums, and music, you can probably find him sitting in the park or at the beach relaxing, enjoying the sun, or somewhere in a museum.
Elizabeth Stingley is currently the Collective Impact Manager of Organization Partnerships at South Bronx Rising Together. As an education practitioner and previous high school teacher, Elizabeth completed an M.Ed. in Educational Studies examining the ways in which the classroom historically and presently contributes to systemic racism and heteropatriarchal structures. She is passionate about the intersection of equity, education, and community, and the ways in which relationships can be built and fostered to create systemic change.
Foustina Greenaway was born on the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands; when she was 12 years old, her family relocated to New York. Growing up in New York, presented a welcome change as well as new challenges. When she arrived in New York, she enjoyed the sights and sounds and the fact that there were so many activities available; however, the harshness of the winter season, was a huge change from the year-round sunny climate she was accustomed to as well as the assimilation into a new culture.
Growing up in New York, Ms. Greenaway quickly realized the disparities within her community which directly impacted her desire to be a change agent. She decided then, that it was important for her to strive to be the best she can be in her studies, so that one day she will be able to make a positive impact on her community. While in High School, Ms. Greenaway joined a peer mentoring program with the Montefiore Hospital where she worked as a peer mentor for hospitalized teenagers who had behavioral issues. This exposure fostered her interest in working in the human services field. Upon graduating from high school, she embarked upon a career in human services.
She received a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts at the City College of New York, and a Master of Science Degree in Guidance and Counseling from the College of New Rochelle. Ms. Greenaway decided to broaden the scope of her work in human resources and continued her education in a program that studied the effects of substance abuse and its impact on the community. She obtained her Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Certification (CASAC-T). She utilized her experience in substance abuse and alcoholism to provide individual and couples counseling at SCAN – NY for the United States District Court population.
Over the last twenty-four years, she has worked in various administrative roles addressing the needs of youth and families in the foster care system. The various roles have provided direct oversight of the SILP, Hard to Place, Group Homes, the RTC, and management of the mother-child program. These experiences were the catalyst for the development of a 501c3 Chinyere House Inc., a non-for-profit agency which she is the Founder and Executive Director. The focus of Chinyere House is to provide services for youth who have aged out of foster care. The goal of Chinyere House is to decrease recidivism and homelessness, provide our youth the opportunity to sustain gainful employment, stable housing, and upward mobility. Ms. Greenaway is currently the Assistant Director of Child Care Service for the Edenwald Residential Treatment Center (RTC) at JCCA which has a population of 110 youth. Edenwald RTC is the only residential program in New York City currently providing services to youth on the Spectrum. Ms. Greenaway provides facility oversight of the cottages and monitor records to maintain ACS/OCFS standards. She supervises four residential supervisors in four different cottages, two of which are specialized programs; one of the programs tailored to meet the needs of Autistic youth with a state-of-the-art sensory room and structured programming to address their needs. The other provides transitional services to youth aging out of foster care. Youth transitioning from care or stepping down into foster homes are tracked by staff in the community to provide additional support to the youth while acclimating to a new environment. Foustina Greenaway identifies as a Champion for at risk youth and her aim is to advocate for and to empower the underserved.