Surjit Chana is the Vice Chairman of CFH, Board Director of the University of Surrey Foundation and working on his Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellowship project.

Surjit has over 35 years’ experience in the private and social sectors. He has deep general management, strategy, operations, marketing & communications, sales/fundraising, CSR, governance, technology and digital skills. His prior roles include Chief Operating Officer, IBM Digital, Chief Marketing, Communications and CSR Officer, IBM Europe and Executive Vice President of a nonprofit, Women’s World Banking. Surjit was a member of IBM’s Global Senior Leadership Team for 10 years. His Harvard Fellowship focused on advanced leadership skills to address societal challenges (ESG) and impact of technology on leadership skills. He continues to work on his fellowship project focused on defining solutions to reduce inter-generational poverty and improve gender equality.

He is a Physics graduate from the University of Surrey and holds patents for his work on transaction processing and expert systems/artificial intelligence.

His passion is to apply his skills and experiences to have a social impact to improve the lives of underserved communities.

Marian’s career in Human Resources spans four decades. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for VNS Health (formerly The Visiting Nurse Service of New York), an industry leader employing ~10,000 people in the NYC/metro area. During her tenure, VNS Health garnered multiple “Best Places to Work” awards for its supportive climate, learning and career growth opportunities, and outstanding benefits programs. Innovative human capital strategies were key to the organization’s success, as demand for home care, hospice and behavioral health services grew, staffing increased five-fold, and VNS Health expanded its scope to offer managed long-term care and Medicare Advantage health plans,

Marian has extensive experience in labor and employee relations, organizational staffing, compensation and wellness strategies, work/life balance programs, talent & leadership development, mergers & acquisitions, and HR policymaking. Recent initiatives she led include an employee advisory group focused on anti-racism, a multitude of COVID response services for staff, and a framework to support career progression and pay transparency across diverse business units.

Marian holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College, as a member of the college’s first co-ed class, and an MBA from Rutgers Business School, focused on labor relations and organizational management.

Marian has dedicated her time and expertise at two non-profit service organizations, serving as a Board Member of Women Aware, a domestic violence services organization, for over 25 years, and as President of Village Recreation and Swim Club, a local swim and social organization, for 15+ years.

Judy Tabak is a Creative Director and Strategist with extensive experience in pharmaceutical as well as health and wellness advertising.

Her strategic and creative knowhow was responsible for breakthrough campaigns for Medtronic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators, as well global work for all brands of Essilor –the world’s largest manufacture of eyeglass lenses.

Additionally, Judy volunteers for the Bottomless Closet, and is on the steering committee of the JCC’s Upper East Side Engage Volunteer organization, and its Living Well Together team.

She joined the board in 2020.

Allen Rumanyika, MBA, CPA, is the Director of Investment Operations at the Smithsonian Institution. Throughout her career as a finance leader, she has acquired diverse experiences in top-tier private equity and public accounting firms. These include GCM Grosvenor, Credit Suisse, PwC, and Deloitte. Allen received a Bachelor of Commerce from Makerere College and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. She joined the board in 2021.

Dr. Bailey is the Director, HIV Services at Citicare Family Health Center in New York and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of HIV/AIDS treatment and services to CFH. He has held the position of Medical Director for Gay Men of African Descent and as Attending Physician at Mt. Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital (The Spencer Cox Center) and St. Vincent’s Hospital, Midtown and Manhattan (Infectious Disease Clinic) facilities. In addition, he was a correspondent for POZ magazine, reporting on major HIV conferences, developments and advancements in the field.  He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Tulane University and served his residency in Internal Medicine at The St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons.  Dr. Bailey joined the board in November, 2016.

Caroline Morgan Berchuck, MD, MPH, is an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, Attending Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. At McKinsey, Caroline supports healthcare clients – including providers, state governments and payers – on clinical strategy and operations, value-based care, social determinants of health / health equity, and home-based care. Caroline, who formerly held leadership positions at Commonwealth Care Alliance and Cityblock Health, brings expertise in developing health system strategies as well as building and operating high-performing clinical care delivery models that operate in value-based arrangements, particularly with Medicare and Medicaid, including home-based and mobile care, virtual care, innovative primary care models, and home hospital.

Rakesh Chandra is a technology and operations executive, former co-chair of the non-profit SCORE Fairfield Country, and an advisor to the Nirmaan Organization. He started his career supporting banking and Insurance industry clients in India and in Europe. At IBM, he contributed significantly as a member of the Senior Leadership team for more than a decade, where he gained deep expertise in technology, marketing, operations and performance management. His roles included Director of Finance at IBM Europe, Paris, and Vice President of Global Sales Operation. In support of his passion for education, he has endowed a merit-cum-need based scholarship at his alma mater, BITS, Pilani, in India. He is also a mechanical engineer with a post-graduate degree in operations research.

Cynthia English is a native New Yorker and advocate for the homeless who has both personal and professional experience with this topic. She spent 10 years navigating the challenges of street homelessness and three years in and out of the shelter system. Those years led her to volunteer and then pursue a career as a shelter specialist for the Coalition for the Homeless. Cynthia recently retired from her full-time position and plans to use the next chapter of her life to continue to fight for fair and equitable housing for all New Yorkers. She is the mother of three adult children and has one grandson. She enjoys spending time with family, watching true crime documentaries, and playing video games.

In addition to the Harvard Initiative, Robert Heckart is advising various projects addressing young adult homelessness, including:  a student-operated shelter in Harvard Square; a similar shelter in New Haven to open in 2023 and to be operated by Yale students in partnership with a local NGO; and a program in Boston providing job training and life coaching to young adults experiencing homelessness.

From January 2015 to December 2016, Bob was a Senior Fellow in Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative.  From August 2013 to January 2015, Bob was Senior Counsel to Senator Carl Levin and, from December 2010 to August 2013, he was Senior Adviser to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for Economic and Financial Policy.  Previously, Bob was a partner in the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

Bob is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Yale University.

Tim is a Partner in the Business Solutions, Governance, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group of Proskauer Rose LLP, in New York NY.   He focuses his legal practice on financial restructuring and insolvency law, crisis management, financial reform, and the acquisition and sale of assets and troubled companies in chapter 11. His clients have included a number of companies from the healthcare industry.  Over 15 years of experience representing and advising Fortune 500 companies, investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms with respect to restructuring and insolvency matters in and out of court. He joined the Board of Directors in June, 2014.

Grigor is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker at Compass, and is the co-founder and principal of the Belevedere Advisor Team at Compass. He made the transition to real estate from the pharmaceutical sector, holding leadership and management positions at JGL North America LLC (NYC), JGL d.d. (Croatia), Guideline; and as a graduate student/research fellow at the laboratory of Sanford Simon, Ph.D. He earned an MA in Molecular and Cellular Biology and his BA in biochemistry from Stony Brook University.

Outside of work, he serves as the Vice President of Swiss Ski Club of New York, is an avid skier, guitar and ukulele player, and wine enthusiast. Grigor joined the board in Februray, 2020.

Phillip is a writer with lived experience of homelessness. In 2018, he began writing on Facebook to share his story and research on social issues, including the social history of jazz. He contributes his skills as a volunteer in policy advocacy on homelessness as speaker at rallies and press conferences in New York City, and meeting with legislators’ staff in Albany. Philip is fluent in French, having lived and studied in Paris, France; and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Geneva College (Pa.). Philip joined the Care For the Homeless Board of Directors in June, 2018.

Frances A. Meléndez is a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of New York. She is a graduate of the College of Staten Island and received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate School of the City University of New York.

Dr. Meléndez has extensive and ground breaking clinical experience working with adults and children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. She has introduced long and short-term therapy to at-risk populations.

Dr. Meléndez joined the board in 2021.

Prior to forming “The Development”, Jane was CEO of InterbrandHealth, where she strategically restructured the organization around its central concern: the client. Jane expanded InterbrandHealth’s footprint worldwide. She has also held senior executive positions at Worldwide President of Grey Healthcare Group and was the Executive Vice President, Director of Client Services for Klemtner Healthcare at Saatchi & Saatchi.

Jane holds a BA in Art History and Economics from Goucher College and has spent time at the Sorbonne in Paris. She is a trustee emeritus of the American Foundation for the Blind and is a current trustee of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Jane joined the board in November, 2019.

Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. is a Senior Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, a Yale Berkeley College Fellow, a private business consultant and an international affairs lecturer. Over his 34-year Foreign Service career, he represented the United States abroad as Ambassador three times and served in senior positions at the State Department and the White House. He retired in March 2018 with the rank of Career Minister. Thomas was ambassador to Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Bangladesh. Ambassador Thomas also served as the State Department’s Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to Secretary Rice, Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources, Director for South Asia at the National Security Council and Director of the Operations Center.

He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and holds a master’s from Columbia University. Ambassador Thomas holds Honorary Doctorates from the College of the Holy Cross and Loyola University. He joined the board in February, 2019.

Will Woods is an active member of Urban Pathways Consumer Advocacy Program, using his own understanding of homelessness and listening to his neighbors’ perspectives to inform Urban Pathways’ advocacy efforts. With the belief that there are clear and equitable solutions to the homelessness crisis, Will has expanded his advocacy work. He works with Knock Knock Give a Sock, hosting community dinners and speaking in corporate offices to destigmatize homelessness, is a member of the Consumer Advisory Committee for the Health & Housing Consortium, and regularly participates in programming with the Supporting Housing Network of NY. As the Member Education & Programming Specialist for Open Hearts Initiative, Will is working on growing an in-house advocacy program, expanding the awareness of the public on what being homeless is really like, facilitating a group where folks get together to learn from those with lived experience, and a group that discusses housing and racial justice issues.

Michael Ziegler is a past member of the law firm Duane Morris, LLP. He specializes in health law matters, providing counsel to a wide variety of health care providers, health-related businesses, and clinical services. He is an adjunct professor at NYU, Columbia, and SUNY, and serves on numerous committees related to health care and law. Michael Ziegler served on the Board of Directors from 1993 to 2003. He is now the Counsel to the Board.

Daniel Baldwin practiced as a real estate/corporate attorney for over 30 years, representing clients in the public and private sectors, with a focus on purchases/sales and leasing of commercial and multi-tenant residential properties, land use, and  intergovernmental relations. He joined the CFH Board of Directors in September, 2012, and served as Chair from 2016-2019. He retired from the Board in 2024.

George Nashak joined Care For the Homeless (CFH) as President & CEO, on October 16, 2017. He came to CFH from HELP USA, where he served as Executive Vice President and supervised operations of the organization’s $100 million portfolio of housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. Before joining HELP in 2012, George spent 8 years at DHS. He began as the Assistant Commissioner for Housing and Program Planning and worked on the New York/New York III Agreement. Later, as Deputy Commissioner for Adult Services, he oversaw the single adult shelter system, the street homelessness, and the re-housing of homeless adults’ services. In addition to his duties at CFH, George serves as a member of the Boards of Directors of Homeless Services United and St. Francis’ Friends of the Poor. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.

John Chue joined Care For the Homeless (CFH) in August of 2021. John comes to CFH with a deep bench of experience in FQHC budget and finance. Most recently, John served as CFO at Long Island FQHC. Before that he served as CFO of Damian Family Care Centers, an FQHC that serves a comparable population to CFH. John holds a B.S. in Accounting from Hunter College and a B.B.A in Finance from Baruch. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tawana Hill, DO joined CFH in November of 2021. Prior to joining CFH, Dr. Hill served as the Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer at YAI. Dr. Hill has previously worked as a primary care provider for Jamaica Hospital, Premier Healthcare/YAI, and Access Community Health Care.

Dr. Hill specializes in Family Medicine and has over 19 years of experience in the field. Dr. Hill completed her residency at Brookhaven Hospital in Long Island, NY and then worked at Brookhaven Hospital as an attending physician and assistant clinical professor. She graduated from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, (NYCOM) in 2004. Dr. Hill completed a Post Baccalaureate at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her undergraduate study at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in Sociology.

Dr. Hill is a native New Yorker born and raised in Jamaica, Queens. She is actively involved in volunteer work and community empowerment through her local church. For two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, she helped to organize free community testing in Jamaica, Queens.

Ronald R. Lawson joined Care For the Homeless (CFH) in October of 2016. He has 20+ years of experience in the non-profit landscape, serving several senior management positions. Prior to his time at CFH, he worked as the Director of Finance and Administration for the National Winter Activity Center. Previously, he served as the Managing Director of Lawson Consulting Associates (LCA), a provider of financial and strategic planning as well as board development and fundraising. Key clients included Columbia University, the Archdiocese of New York, and One Hundred Black Men Inc. Other past credentials include serving as the Assistant National Executive Director of Operations at the YWCA National Office, and as the Director of Finance Administration for former NYC Mayor David Dinkins’ re-election campaign. Ron holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The College of the Holy Cross, a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Heinz College at Carnegie-Mellon University, and a Certificate in Professional Accounting from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. A passionate alumnus, Ron sits on the Board of the Holy Cross Alumni Association.

Mr. Santos-Ramos brings decades of experience working with and delivering services to folks who are unstably housed or living on the streets. Most recently, he served as Interim Executive Director at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, a global leader in LGBTQ health care. Prior to his time as Interim Executive Director, he served in several other senior roles, including Senior Director, Organizational Planning & Sustainability and Director of Community Engagement & Strategic Initiatives. His resume also includes management positions at Community Healthcare Network and the New York City Department of Health.

Nathalie Interiano joined Care For the Homeless in 2016 as the Policy Associate and is now the Director of Policy and Advocacy. Before working in the human services sector, she was the Account Manager for a vaccine management company. She is originally from California and moved to New York to pursue a career in social justice with a focus on underserved and marginalized populations. Nathalie holds an MA in International Affairs from The New School for Public Engagement, a BA in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine and is a We Are All New York Fellow.

Cathy J. Sharp achieved the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential and joined Care For the Homeless (CFH) in January of 2015. She has extensive experience serving in management and senior administrative roles as well as overseeing fundraising and communications efforts. She brings broad experience in multiple areas of fundraising, ranging form government and foundation to corporate and individual donors; including major gifts and planned giving. Additionally, Cathy has raised over $25 million for annual, capital, and project-focused campaigns. She has also taught classes in Grant Proposal Writing as an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. Cathy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Speech from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Simone Thompson joined Care For the Homeless (CFH) in March of 2015. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker with over 25 years of experience, the bulk of which was spent at Covenant House New York – a human services organization that specializes in bringing amenities to homeless and vulnerable youth. Beginning as a Resident Advisor, Simone gradually worked her way up, eventually becoming Director. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York, a Master of Public Affairs and Administration from the Metropolitan College of New York, and a Master of Social Work from Hunter College. Simone has also completed a Certificate in Advanced Practice in Residential Services for Mentally Ill Persons from Fordham University as well as a Certificate from the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Executive Level from Columbia Business School.

Taylor Allen comes from seven years at Community Healthcare Network where she last served as Program and Operations Manager implementing process improvement projects for their portfolio of federally qualified health centers. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Union College in Interdepartmental Studies (Biology & Science, Medicine and Technology in Culture) and a minor in Africana Studies. Taylor is a currently matriculated student at SUNY Downstate Health Science University, School of Public Health where she is a candidate for a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Sciences. Taylor’s interests include program implementation and evaluation, health equity, research data analysis, and health policy.

Denise comes to us with a wealth of Human Resources experience in nonprofit organizations spanning 20 years. Her most recent position was Director of Human Resources at Project Hospitality where she provided leadership and management on all matters relative to human resources for 17 sites and 380+ employees. Denise has an extensive background in recruitment and retention, staff development, conflict resolution, organizational management, benefits, union and labor negotiations as well as policy development.