Spring Cohort 2023
Arielle Burlett has spent her public health career connecting vulnerable community members to vital social and clinical resources in their communities. As the Director of Healthcare Community Partnerships at Public Health Solutions (PHS), Arielle builds and supports relationships between community-based organizations and healthcare partners to bridge the gaps in social and clinical service delivery. Since the start of pandemic, her work has focused on mitigating the health disparities exacerbated by COVID-19, including the disconnect between available resources and how communities access them. Arielle is dedicated to developing strong relationships with community partners and is very eager to continue the work needed to make services available and accessible to everyone in NYC.
Prior to her current role, she served in a community engagement role in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. She holds a Master of Arts in Food Policy from Chatham University.
Ashley is the Director, Culture & Engagement at Center for Employment Opportunities, leading the team that designs and drives a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy across the talent lifecycle and broader organization and serving as a leader on the DEI Governance Group. Ashley joined CEO in the fall of 2018, bringing her prior talent support and management experiences in the education and non-profit sectors to the role. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from New York University and a Master of Education in Prevention Science and Practice from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She finds joy in food, movies, and karaoke!
Beginning her career in k-12 education, Ashley is a lifelong learner dedicated to understanding intersectional issues and the impact of power, privilege and oppression on Black and Brown communities through social justice and civic engagement initiatives. With over 10 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Ashley has a proven track record of gathering and translating data to tell stories and support organizations in the development of programs and standards that effectuate long-term change.
Cynthia Chong is the Special Projects Manager at Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Ms. Chong was born and raised in Queens and has personally witnessed the stigma around mental health, and the inequities in healthcare provision and access. She has vowed to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable populations who face inequities in healthcare. Due to her interest in health promotion and advocacy, Ms. Chong obtained a masters in public administration with a focus in health policy and management. In her current role, she manages HIGN’s community health education programming, which aims to increase individual older adults’ health literacy. The program also addresses community health promotion by providing accurate, evidence-based health information to be spread organically in the community. Her life experience and passion for change drives her desire to shift the collective mindset of the BIPOC community where there is a strong resistance to seeking medical attention, avoidance of preventive care, and stigma towards mental health care. It’s this personal knowledge that brings a genuineness to all that she does.
“D.” Eng (they/them) is a public health professional currently working as the Data Specialist in the Department of Strategic Planning and Grants Management at One Brooklyn Health- Interfaith Medical Center. They take large datasets and translate them into accessible and actionable information for grant applications, reporting deliverables and strategic plans across the OBH system. In particular, they are interested in understanding the social determinants of health and health disparities in underserved communities. Mx. Eng received a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health degree in Global Health from Stony Brook University, focusing on communicable diseases in developing countries. In addition to their day job, they are a board member at Forefront Brooklyn and a speaker/advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly for the visibility and inclusion of asexual/aromantic and trans identities.
Danté Hudson is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in leadership, strategic planning, marketing and communications, and leadership development. Based in White Plains, New York, Danté is an accomplished professional with a proven track record of success in various organizations.
Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, Danté plays a vital role in the organization’s overall development, strategic planning, service delivery, and management across multiple departments. In addition, he works closely with the Chief Executive Officer and executive team to create and support a high-performing culture to ensure the vision is aligned with the YWCA’s core values.
Prior to his work with YWCA, Danté served as Regional Director of Membership Sales & Engagement at the YMCA of Greater New York, where he managed the performance of 22 branches to ensure new member acquisition annual budgeted targets were met. He also created sales plans for branches in support of association objectives. Additionally, Dante has served in various roles at Boys & Girls Clubs and local YMCAs.
Danté is an active member of various foundations and advisory committees. He serves as the Committee Chair of the Non-Profit Westchester Emerging Leaders Program and was previously a Board Member at Open Door Foundation in Westchester. He also advises the My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Committee, White Plains Chapter. Danté has won several awards, including the Wunderkind’s Award from 914INC. Westchester Magazine, the “Rock Star” Award from United Way of Westchester & Putnam, and recognition from the City of White Plains Youth Bureau for “”Recognizing Success.”
Denise Acron is a Unit Director at Manhattan Legal Services where she leads the Government Benefits Unit. In this role, she supervises a team that litigates on behalf of low income clients in federal, state, and city courts concerning government benefits issues. Manhattan Legal Services, which is part of Legal Services NYC, the largest civil legal services provider in the country, fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. Raised in San Diego, California, Denise graduated from Columbia University with honors and Wake Forest University School of Law.
Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, Dennis is currently the Program Analyst Manager at JCCA. Prior to this role, Dennis served as the Community Organizer for the Mott Haven Community Partnership where he supported the outreach efforts of Community Ambassadors and executed various events and workshops for underserved families in Mott Haven, primarily immigrants and racial minorities.
In his current role as a Program Analyst Manager, Dennis manages projects for the Foster Home Services program through their entire life cycle and analyses data to get a deeper understanding of program issues and offer recommendations. Dennis has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana, Legon.
Pastry Chef, Dorothy Auer, oversees the beloved Joan Rivers Bakery at God’s Love We Deliver, bringing 20+ years of baking, culinary and management experience to the team. Dorothy is an entrepreneur, having started a successful bakery, restaurant and retail store. Dorothy also has experience in large scale production having been the head baker at NYC nonprofit, Hot Bread Kitchen for many years.
Dorothy’s approach to production is streamlined, with a product development focus on wholesome and healthful ingredients. While baking hundreds of thousands of desserts, she and her team are able to maintain a homemade quality that brings comfort to the people we serve. Dorothy is thrilled to be able to share her passion for being in the bakery and kitchen with the many God’s Love volunteers who work to make it all a success!
Dorothy splits her time between the West Village and the Adirondacks, she runs half and full marathons in her free time, paddleboards in the Summer, and loves catching a Yankee game, checking out local bakeries or spending the day at the MET. She joined the God’s Love team in December of ‘21 and has been a huge addition to the team!