Speaker Bios: 2024 Prenatal-to-Three County Leaders Academy and Counties for Career Success Peer Exchange #2
Opening Reception
Nastassia Walsh, Director of Strategic Communications, National Association of Counties
Nastassia Walsh is Director of Strategic Communications for the Counties Futures Lab at the National Association of Counties. In this role, Nastassia oversees the day-to-day management of NACo’s programs and networks that help counties across the country improve community outcomes on key local issues including criminal justice, health, behavioral health, economic mobility, economic development, disaster resilience and human services. Previously, she served as the Associate Program Director for Community Health and Justice at NACo. Prior to joining NACo, Nastassia was a senior policy analyst at The Council of State Governments Justice Center where she provided training and technical assistance to state and local criminal and juvenile justice agencies to develop programs for people returning to their communities from jails and prisons. She also spent six years at the non-profit Justice Policy Institute researching local, state and federal criminal and juvenile justice policies. She has a master’s degree in forensic psychology from Marymount University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University.
Steve Clark, Executive Director, Maricopa County Workforce Development Board
Heather Carter, Ed.D., Senior Vice Chancellor, Maricopa County Community College District
Dr. Heather Carter serves as the Senior Vice Chancellor of External Affairs for the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) in Tempe, Arizona. In this role, Dr. Carter oversees the planning, development, and coordination of MCCCD’s strategic workforce, economic, government and community affairs initiatives. She is instrumental in shaping and implementing workforce development programs that support public and private sectors. In her previous role, Dr. Carter was the Executive Vice President with Greater Phoenix Leadership where she focused on Arizona’s health sector and P-20 education. Prior to that role, Dr. Carter served 10 years in the Arizona State Legislature and held a variety of faculty and leadership roles with Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Arizona. Dr. Carter graduated from ASU with a degree in communication. She then completed a master’s degree in educational technology at ASU and earned a doctorate degree in education leadership from NAU.
Federal Support for Economic Mobility for Families with Young Children
Raessa Singh, Senior Policy Advisor on Homelessness, The Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Raessa Singh is the Senior Policy Advisor on Homelessness in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In this role, she supports priorities related to the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities. This includes cross-cutting work with a specific focus on the connections between child welfare and homelessness. Prior to this role, Raessa worked at the D.C. Department of Human Services helping to lead initiatives such as the rollout of the District’s COVID emergency rental assistance program and efforts to improve access to housing stability services for families and single adults. Raessa earned graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Health from Boston University and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Molly Bashay, Senior Policy Advisor, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
Molly Bashay is a senior policy advisor in the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) within the U.S. Department of Labor. Her portfolio ranges from infrastructure and unemployment insurance to climate and youth policy. Molly is a staunch advocate for economic justice and the policies and programs that deliver tangible results –namely, long-term careers, high wages, economic security, and peace of mind – to workers and their families. Prior to joining ETA, she worked with nonprofits large and small, leading initiatives on digital equity, the future of work, community and economic development, eliminating student debt and embedding equity throughout the education-to-workforce pipeline. Molly received her master’s degree in European Union social and economic public policy and a bachelor’s degree in government and environmental policy.
Liz Texeira, Impact Fellow, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education
Elizabeth Texeira was most recently the Director of the Office of College and Career Readiness for the Rhode Island Department of Education where she managed a large team responsible for Career and Technical Education, Early College Opportunities, Adult Basic Education, statewide School Counseling, Computer Science for Rhode Island (CS4RI), the All Course Network, and the interagency PrepareRI initiative. Prior to that role, she worked with the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner in Rhode Island and the University of California. She served as the Executive Director of The School Fund, an international education nonprofit, and is the founder of Girls Thinking Global, a nonprofit in the girls’ empowerment space.
Local Strategies for Building Child Care Supply
Cynthia Melde, Senior Program Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Phoenix
Cynthia Melde joined the LISC Phoenix office in 2022 as a Senior Program Officer to launch their $65 million Child Care Infrastructure Grant program. Cynthia brings over 20 years of experience working in community health and early childhood development previously serving in roles with state government and non-profit organizations. As a mom of two, Cynthia knows how important access to high quality child care is for families, the workforce and the economy. Cynthia is committed to strengthening and investing in an early childhood system that meets the unique needs of each neighborhood across Arizona.
Nikki Thomas, Assistant Director, Early Education Division, Human Services Department, Maricopa County, Ariz.
Nikki has over 20 years of experience dedicated to serving children and families, including pregnant teen parents; managing early education, childcare, and community programs for young children; and to supporting young children’s comprehensive health needs. From the beginning of her career, she has been passionate about early childhood education and Head Start programming as evidenced in her experience as Early Head Start and Head Start Center Manager and then Senior Program Director in Seattle, Wash. Most recently, Nikki was the Child Find Program Coordinator with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community where she led a team to implement and manage the Child Find Program to support services and referrals to Early Intervention/Special Education services for children birth to five years old. She has her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona and her M.S. in Early Childhood Studies from Walden University. Throughout her career, Nikki has focused not just on ensuring compliance with federal and state programming, but also on implementing innovative solutions to enhance quality programming for children and families.
Stephanie Bivins, Director, Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families, Mesa County, Colo.
Stephanie is a credentialed coach, local and international trainer and infant toddler specialist with over 15 years of experience in the field of education. As the Director of Mesa County's Partnership for Children and Families, Stephanie leads strategic efforts to respond to local needs and impact the early childhood landscape. In this role, Stephanie coordinated an innovative community initiative to increase quality and capacity of child care. Stephanie holds a master’s degree in early childhood education.
Nancie Deming, Licensing Care Manager/Community Child Care Coordinator, Cook County, Minn.
Nancie graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. Nancie came to Cook County just before the COVID-19 pandemic to help provide early childhood screenings and parent support services through Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE). In her current role as a Licensing Care Manager/Community Childcare Coordinator, she continues to uplift and support families and early childhood care providers. Nancie also volunteers to teach online chemistry and algebra to high schoolers and science and writing classes for her local homeschool co-op.
Serving Student Parents through a Two-Generation Approach
Sahar Mitchell, Program Manager, Social Venture Partners (SVP) Tucson
Both visionary and pragmatic, Sahar brings over 20 years of experience in the arts and in the non-profit sector to her role as Program Manager. As Program Manager, Sahar adores helping SVP’s 2Gen non-profits strategize their goals and deepen their community impact. In conjunction, she is devoted to facilitating meaningful opportunities for SVP to engage in capacity-building projects. Sahar’s personal and career trajectory has followed a dual course, often resulting in a professional nexus between the arts and community building. Through her work with non-profit organizations such as Community Investment Corporation and Arizonans for Cultural Development, Sahar developed humility, agility and versatility to get the job done. While serving on the boards of two local influential organizations, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, a lifeline for low-income families in several Southern Arizona counties, and Many Mouths, One Stomach, the drivers of the annual All Soul’s Procession, she learned how to cultivate sustainable philanthropic relationships.
Alicia Fuller, Pima County Family Voices Council
Yaritza Rodriguez Garcia, Student, Maricopa County 2Gen
Gladis Herrera, Early Head Start Teacher, East Valley Institute of Technology
C4CS: Q&A: Employer Support for Career Training Programs in Healthcare
Tabby Hatfield, Program Director for Medical Imaging and Cardiopulmonary Services, GateWay Community College
Tabatha Hatfield is the Division Chair for the Medical Imaging and Cardiopulmonary Services at Gateway Community College. She has been teaching in health care education for the last 13 years. Her journey began two decades ago when she embarked on a career in healthcare as a Radiographer and Sonographer. Tabby's educational foundation was built at Fort Hays State University, where she earned her AAS degree in Medical Radiography and concurrently pursued a BS degree in Diagnostic Medical Imaging. To further expand her expertise, she completed a Certificate in Sonography. While working as a sonographer at a prominent County Hospital in Kansas City, Tabby discovered her profound passion for teaching. Guiding students and residents in the intricacies of ultrasound became her calling. In 2009, she earned a Master of Arts in Leadership, equipping her with valuable skills to excel in both a Leadership and educational realm.
Jeri Lastine, Program Director of Nursing, GateWay Community College
Jeri Lastine, RN, MSN, is a dedicated professional passionate about nursing education. In 1997, she began her career as a nurse, working in various clinical settings, including intensive care, telemetry, maternal-child health, school health and public health nursing. Jeri transitioned into nursing education in 2004, where she discovered her true passion. Jeri has been an educator at GateWay Community College since 2005, teaching and mentoring countless nursing students and faculty, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals. As Chair of the Nursing Division, Jeri has overseen the nursing division and ensured its excellence and compliance with industry standards. She has successfully implemented new courses and programs, cultivated numerous partnerships with healthcare institutions and introduced initiatives to better prepare the next generation of nurses and promote the nursing profession.
PN-3: Local Strategies for Advancing Maternal and Infant Vitality
Shadie Tofigh, Director, Maternal and Infant Health Initiatives, March of Dimes
Shadie is an expert in reproductive health, with over 15 years of experience developing family planning programming in Asia, Africa and Latin America. She has particular expertise in contraceptive counselling and client-centered care. Previously, Shadie worked with organizations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas and Save the Children.
Shelby Bodenstab, Director of Public Health Nursing, Del Norte County, Calif.
Shelby Bodenstab is a public health nurse with nearly a decade of experience and has dedicated her career to serving the rural community of Del Norte County in California. Beginning as a home visiting nurse and later assuming leadership of the maternal and child health program, she worked to improve equitable access and increase prenatal care rates of the maternal population in the county. She currently serves as the Director of Public Health Nursing at Del Norte County Public Health, leading a team dedicated to providing essential public health services in a low-resource community and continuing her work to improve local maternal health.
Joshua R. Swift, MPH, Public Health Director, Forsyth County, N.C.
Joshua Swift became the Forsyth County Public Health Director November 13, 2018. He has more than 18 years of experience in public health. Mr. Swift received his undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University and his master’s in public health from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. Mr. Swift serves on local and State organizations and is the past President of the North Carolina Public Health Association.
Meloney Baty, Healthy Start Supervisor, Maricopa County Public Health
Meloney is the supervisor of South Phoenix Healthy Start, which offers programs designed to help both mom and dad make healthy lifestyle choices before, during and after pregnancy.
Wendell Honanie Jr., Maternal Health Innovation Manager, Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
Wendell received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University, with an emphasis in social research. While earning his degree, Wendell completed a capstone research project on ethnic populations and financial spending within consumerism. In his profession in public health and advocacy, Wendell excels at strategy, forecast and social research. Wendell is known for his contributions in program strategy, operations, partnership centralizing and connective mentorship.
Action Planning Career Readiness for Families
Gabi Velasco, Policy Associate, Urban Institute
Gabi Velasco is a policy associate in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. They are a skilled project manager, qualitative researcher, policy translator, and technical assistance provider to community-based organizations and local governments. Velasco’s work focuses on housing justice, environmental justice, and upward mobility. They are committed to integrating critical frameworks throughout their research and are particularly interested in place-based and community engaged work. Before joining Urban, they worked with the sustainability program at the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, providing research and project management support across the state. Velasco received a BA in sustainability studies, a BA in urban political ecology, and a minor in women’s and gender studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Tina Chelidze, Policy Associate, Research to Action Lab, Urban Institute
Tina Chelidze is a policy associate in the Research to Action Lab where she works with local governments to promote economic mobility. She helps inform policy change at the local, state, and organizational levels by translating research into actionable insights. Before joining Urban, Chelidze worked at Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit organization at Harvard University that translates economic research to identify barriers to economic opportunity and develop scalable solutions that empower economic mobility. She previously worked at Research Improving People’s Lives (formerly known as the Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab) as a policy analyst for the Rhode Island Department of Education. Chelidze received her BA in economic theory and mathematics with a minor in creative writing from New York University, and she holds a master of public affairs degree from Brown University, where she specialized in data-driven policy.