Who We Are

Deputy Director

Public Policy Institute

Kari is the Institute's Deputy Director. Kari began her career at Community Advocates as an intern while obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As an intern, she spent time in the housing, utility, protective payee and health departments, which has provided her with a broad foundation of knowledge to work on social issues affecting people living in poverty.

Kari was hired to serve as a case manager for the disability department after completing her internship and graduating. Through several advancements, Kari joined the Institute in the position of Prevention Services Manager and was promoted to Deputy Director in June 2015.

Kari has always had an interest in learning and furthering her education, and recently received her Master’s Degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kari also serves on the board of the Wisconsin Coalition to End Homelessness, a statewide organization dedicated to advocating for homeless programming in Wisconsin.

Partnership Engagement Specialist
Public Policy Institute

Following her graduation from Marquette University's Diederich College of Communication in May 2024, Eleanor serves as Partnership Engagement Specialist on the Development and Communications teams of Community Advocates' Public Policy Institute. Through her work, Eleanor engages with individual donors and private funding opportunities to effectively cultivate and retain Community Advocates' partners.

Therapeutic Intervention Specialist
Public Policy Institute

Andrea Bailey joins the Public Policy Institute as a Therapeutic Intervention Specialist with the Milwaukee Family Intervention Services program. Andrea’s experience includes working with children and families through evidence-based therapeutic intervention (Parent Child Interaction Therapy), as well as systems level work aimed at preventing child neglect. Prior to moving to Milwaukee, she lived in Lancaster, PA, where she directed a language program working with people from refugee and immigrant backgrounds to provide language learning services and community support. Andrea is committed to trauma recovery, family well-being, and individual mental health. She strives to integrate practices in her work that promote healing and wellness, and will be specializing in offering Parenting with Love and Limits, an evidence-based intervention, designed to help caregivers and youth through group therapy, individual family coaching, and positive parenting strategies. Andrea has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is an Advanced Practice Social Worker (APSW), working toward clinical licensure. She is a mother, advocate, and friend, with hobbies that include reading, beekeeping, and spending time outside.

Coordinator
Southeast Region of the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth

Kat comes from a background in nonprofit and community work as an alumna of Public Allies Milwaukee, and most recently worked with Marquette University’s Center for Community Service to connect students to the important work happening across the city. Kat is passionate about the role of community care in promoting public health and taking systems-level approaches to building stronger communities. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Marquette University and a Master's of Public Health from the University of South Florida.

Family Support Specialist
Milwaukee Family Intervention Services

JJ Draper is an avid writer and community changemaker born and raised across the North side of Milwaukee. They are a cofounder of Butterfly Collective MKE, a grassroots organization dedicated to uplifting and supporting Black and Brown Trans and Gender Nonconforming individuals in Milwaukee. Through their work with Butterfly Collective MKE, they have fundraised and distributed financial support to community members, organized communal events, collaborated with fellow grassroots organizers, highlighted local Black and Brown Queer artists, and shared valuable local resources.

In addition to their work with Butterfly Collective MKE, JJ serves as the Youth Engagement Specialist for Ex Fabula, where they create and facilitate workshops for Ex Fabula's Youth Affinity Storytelling program. JJ received leadership and social justice training through a Public Allies Milwaukee apprenticeship in 2021 and is currently pursuing a degree in Community Engagement in Education. In their free time, JJ enjoys playing video games, writing, watching video essays, and spending time with their little one.

Lead Engagement Specialist
Stronger Families Milwaukee

Gabriel Drinkwater has served Community Advocates for seven years in the Call Center, Energy Assistance, Housing, Project Bridge, FSET and now the Public Policy Institute serving in the Stronger Families Program as an Engagement Specialist. Gabe, a Marine Corps veteran, is also doing an internship with the Nevermore Batterers Prevention and Intervention program as well. Gabe brings a wealth of knowledge to the table when it comes to all types of community resources and is eager to serve the community in any way that he can.

Community Outreach and Engagement Manager
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute

De’Shawn Ewing joins the team as the Community Outreach and Engagement Manager. His professional career began in 1997, as a mentor for Rosalie Manor Community and Family Services. This experience helped instill a love for working in and with the community.

For the past twenty-six years, De’Shawn has worked with several nonprofits serving youth and families. Some of those were Next Door, Our Next Generation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and The Parenting Network. Much of that work has included facilitating and coordinating workshops for youth, general parent and specific fatherhood education. Many of these workshops focused on sex education and healthy relationship skills. Most recently, De’Shawn served the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention as the Family Injury and Violence Prevention Program Coordinator; there he helped coordinate activities and strategies around domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and more. He also convened, built, and expanded community partnerships to grow community capacity.

Child Welfare Program Manager

Lauren Faulds manages the Stronger Families Milwaukee program, which seeks to prevent child abuse and neglect by delivering supportive services and resources to vulnerable families, and the Milwaukee Family Intervention Services program, which assists parents who are having difficulties with their children's behavior prevent family separation. She also organizes the monthly Empowerment Coalition of Milwaukee (ECOM) meetings and leads the Housing Focus Group for the Milwaukee Child Abuse Prevention Coalition (MCAP). Prior to her work at PPI, Lauren served in Community Advocates’ Housing Department as a Housing Advocate in the Siemer and My Home programs, where she helped to ensure that individuals and families maintained stable housing; assisted with budgeting, relocation, and children’s needs; and mediated and advocated for tenants and landlords. She also has experience at Pathfinders Shelter and Drop-In Center, St. Ben’s, Comfort Keepers, and Project Homeless Connect. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Concordia University.

Intake Specialist
Child Welfare Program

Moving to Milwaukee in 2018 from El Salvador, Jose joined the Public Policy Institute team in 2024 as the Intake Specialist for the Child Welfare Program. Jose had previously served as a case manager for the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee in which he assisted with inspections to make sure families were living in safe conditions. He is currently pursuing an Associate's Degree in Software Development at Milwaukee Area Technical College. In his free time, Jose plays video games, goes hiking and likes exploring around the city.

Contract Monitor
Stay Strong and Brighter Future Projects

Heather Harper has worked in the field of education for 15 years. Her roles include special education teacher for grades K-12, special education supervisor, home-bound and behavioral specialist, district teaching coach for Milwaukee Public Schools, and Southeastern educational supervisor for Catapult Learning. Heather has a Bachelor of Arts in Media Management from Columbia College, a Master's in Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Grants & Communications Manager
Public Policy Institute

Lisa is responsible for communicating the work of Community Advocates and the Public Policy Institute. Previously, Lisa covered local and national politics as the assistant editor of the Shepherd Express, Milwaukee’s largest independent newspaper. Her reporting on Milwaukee County’s mental health services and policy earned her awards in 2016 from Mental Health America-Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lisa spent a decade in New York working in book publishing and e-commerce. She published three novels as well as three nonfiction books about shy people: Shyness: A Bold New Approach, The Shyness Breakthrough, and Shyness: The Ultimate Teen Guide.

Family Support Specialist
Milwaukee Family Intervention Services

Before joining PPI as a Family Support Specialist for the MFIS program, Kela was the Parent Peer Specialist for the Stronger Families Milwaukee Program at The Parenting Network. Kela has experience in program development, administrative work, supporting families as it relates to parenting, and caring for people with disabilities. She holds an Associate’s degree in Human Services from Milwaukee Area Technical College, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Most importantly, Kela is a mother to two teenagers and a toddler that keeps her busy. In her free time, Kela enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing board games, and showing herself love!

Family Support Specialist
Milwaukee Family Intervention Services

Bridgette joined the Public Policy Institute in 2023 as an Intake Specialist for PPI's child welfare programs. She is now a Family Support Specialist for the Milwaukee Family Intervention Services team. She has a background in psychology and research. For the next step in her education, she will be pursuing her Master’s in Social Work degree from UWM in Fall of 2024. Bridgette's career goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker focusing on trauma-informed therapeutic services and somatic therapy. In her free time, Bridgette enjoys biking, making jewelry, and being in the sun.

Engagement Specialist
Stronger Families Milwaukee

Tammi is an Engagement Specialist within the Public Policy Institute Department (PPI). Prior to becoming a part of the PPI team, Tammi served in the Food Share Employment & Training Program (FSET) as a Case Manager for a year in which she assisted individuals with employment trainings, education goals as well as helping individuals obtain stable employment. Prior to obtaining employment with FSET, Tammi worked for the Department of Children & Families as a Child Care Subsidy Specialist for five years. In this role Tammi assisted parents with selecting quality childcare providers, determining program eligibility, as well as visiting the homes of families to assist with enrolling in the Wisconsin Shares Program. Tammi also assisted with community outreach to educate families on the process on how to obtain a child care authorization.

Coordinator
City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance

Charlie joins the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance with expertise in sustainability, organizational dynamics, and service. Charlie earned their Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Urban Dynamics from Arizona State University as well as a Sustainability and Innovation Fellowship from Starbucks Coffee Company, where they launched and managed teams and sites throughout Milwaukee. Charlie joined the Alliance’s LGBT Work Group in 2019 and also served as Health and Wellness Coordinator for Pridefest, so they are launching their career at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute with a thorough understanding of the Alliance’s mission, partnerships, and goals.

Training & Technical Assistance Manager
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute

Now serving as Training and Technical Assistance Manager, Hannah has also held positions at the Public Policy Institute as Prevention Manager and as Coordinator of the Southeast Region of the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth after assisting job-seekers with obtaining job skills and employment through Community Advocates’ FSET program. She earned her bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed an internship with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office as a Victim/Witness Advocate.

Training Coordinator
Public Policy Institute

Rita Liesiefsky has built a long career in the training field. She has worked as an Implementation Consultant and Trainer for a health care software company, a Technical Trainer for an education company, and a Training Manager for an umbrella service agency. She has led seminars on diversity, stress management, and personality and supervisory traits and its effect on association morale. Rita has developed assertiveness interactive trainings (with homework!), among other targeted and just-in-time trainings. She is especially proud of her Women-In-Leadership two-day workshop delivered to women’s auxiliary organizations.

In addition, Rita has served as a Disaster Director on over 10 national operations, and as Human Services Disaster Director on seven national operations, and as the American Red Cross Wisconsin Field Service Manager.

Rita has always been passionate about the “aha” moments of training and uses two quotes as life guides: “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death” (Albert Einstein) and “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood” (attributed to many).

Engagement Specialist
Stronger Families Milwaukee

Devin earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree with a focus in communications from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. Prior to joining PPI, Devin served as a Case Manager for the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) Program, in which she assisted individuals with structuring a plan to accomplish both personal and educational goals. Through providing immediate and long-term resources, these individuals have successfully completed educational goals such as job trainings and obtaining a GED or HSED.

Engagement Specialist
Stronger Families Milwaukee

Erik earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Concordia University Wisconsin and joined Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc in 2011. Prior to joining PPI, Erik had served as a Case Manager for the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) Program since 2017, in which he assisted individuals with structuring a plan to accomplish both personal and educational goals. Through providing immediate and long-term resources, these individuals have successfully completed educational goals such as job trainings and obtaining a GED or HSED.

Resource Coordinator
Public Policy Institute

Laura comes to PPI as our Resource Coordinator with an extensive background in community service and support. Her journey began in 2016 at Community Advocates, where she worked in the call center for Energy Assistance, providing essential aid to those in need. From there, she transitioned to become a Client Support Staff at the Milwaukee Women’s Center, further honing her skills in client care and empowerment. Laura also served as a W2 and FSET case manager at Maximus, expanding her expertise in case management and resources. Since December 2022, Laura has excelled in her role as a Triage Specialist for the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, leveraging her extensive experience to guide and support clients in their rental housing needs. In her new role, she is providing assistance via PPI, the RHRC, and Community Advocates as a whole. Her passion for helping the community shines through in every facet of her work.

Communications Associate
Public Policy Institute

Alyssa joined Community Advocates' Public Policy Institute in 2024. Serving as Communications Associate, Alyssa helps share the organizations past, present and future through connection and storytelling. She plays an integral role in Community Advocates' multi-media development, including website and social media development. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is working toward receiving her certification as a Holistic Sex Educator.

Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator
Public Policy Institute

Cecilia Eva Tenorio is a part of the Public Policy Institute as the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator. Cecilia Tenorio is a Mexican-American bilingual educator and mental health advocate with over 10 years of experience in diverse immigrant communities within the public education and healthcare sectors. Cecilia earned her BA in History, Spanish and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies at UW Madison, and earned her Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Universidad Europea in Madrid, Spain. She completed an internship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in their Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and has previously worked closely with Milwaukee’s Latinx population as Clinic Manager at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. Most recently, she became a trained facilitator, earning an Escucha Tus Emociones Comprehensive Training on Mental and Emotional Health Certificate, an initiative sponsored by PPI and Milwaukee County Department of Behavioral Health Services which aims to promote culturally responsive mental health and wellness conversations in the Latinx community in Southeastern Wisconsin. She’s passionate about eliminating socioeconomic barriers and access to mental health resources and operates from holistic healing models. Cecilia holds social justice and community-activated medicine as values that guide her in both her personal and professional life. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Engagement Specialist
Stronger Families Milwaukee

Sarita Tirado served at Community Advocates for 6 months as the FSET Administrative Assistant and 3 years as an FSET Case Manager. Now with the Public Policy Institute, Sarita serves as an Engagement Specialist with the Stronger Families Program. Sarita worked with youth 16-24 year old and families at Milwaukee Job Corps for 6 years prior. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and attending partner gigs as a musician.

Therapeutic Intervention Specialist
Public Policy Institute

Amanda serves as a Therapeutic Intervention Specialist and a Counselor in Training as she completes her licensing requirements. She is a dedicated professional with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology from UW Parkside, complemented by a Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. With a diverse background in healthcare, social services, and youth development, Amanda brings a wealth of experience to the Public Policy Institute.

Amanda became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in 2014, demonstrating a passion for healthcare and community. Having served as a Laboratory Technician and COVID Tester at Summit Clinical Laboratories, she excelled in patient communication and support during testing processes.

Amanda volunteers with organizations like the Milwaukee Rescue Mission and Running Rebels, focusing on empowering women, children, and youth. Recently trained as a Substance Abuse Counselor, Amanda is committed to promoting wellness and resilience in our community.

Economic Policy Analyst

Conor helps to facilitate the Milwaukee Transitional Jobs Collaborative, which advocates for more resources for subsidized employment and seeks to ensure that these resources are wisely used. Transitional Jobs are short-term subsidized jobs that are effective in transitioning people who are isolated from economic opportunity into work.
Additionally, Conor facilitates the Milwaukee Reentry Council, a sub-committee of the Milwaukee Community Justice Council, which works to improve reentry outcomes and reduce incarceration by broadening and deepening community engagement in reentry. He helps lead Circles of Support, restorative practice circles that create community between the once incarcerated and the never incarcerated.

Previously, Conor co-led the “Healthy Workers, Healthy Wisconsin” project. Funded by UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Partnership Program, this five-year project combined entry-level employment and training with trauma and health services to improve economic and health outcomes for people previously disconnected from the formal economy. Conor worked closely with our academic partners, UWM, along with Covering Wisconsin and a network of health service partners and a network of training and employment partners.

He is a graduate of University College Dublin with an honors degree in Economics. He started work doing economic modeling at the Department of Transport in Sydney, Australia, followed by a number of years as an economic analyst for an aircraft leasing company in Shannon, Ireland. Subsequently Conor worked as an economic policy analyst for the Department of Commerce and Industry, Gaborone, Botswana, facilitated through the Irish government. He founded and managed a family-owned granite fabrication business, Stone Dimensions, in Pewaukee for 20 years prior to joining Community Advocates. He works on projects and policies aimed at lifting people out of poverty based upon work. He is active in MICAH (Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope), sits on the board of Community Warehouse and on the Community Advisory Board of the Zilber School of Public Health, UWM.