Having a fierce dedication to live in a kinder and wiser world, Tina crossed over to the non-profit community after 20+ years in the for profit world after she experienced the power of effective advocacy and compassionate support particularly for human beings experiencing severe life stressors and trauma. Tina's passion and dedication to be the voice for families and disenfranchised communities stems from her own daughter's battle with mental illness and addiction issues. With over 15+ years of high impact, non-profit experience; Tina has held senior positions as the Executive Director at Twin County Recovery Services, Inc., The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America as their Director of External Relations, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as their Community Education and Outreach Manager, NAMI-NYS and the Executive Director for NAMI Mid-Hudson.
Holding a B.A. in Mathematics and Community Studies from Charter Oaks State College and the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University; Tina is an inclusive community coalition builder that empowers vibrant, diverse communities. In 2016, she was appointed as a member to the Statewide Multicultural Advisory Committee (SMAC) with the New York State Office of Mental Health, New York. In 2016, Tina was awarded the Dutchess County, NYS Public Health Partnership Award; and in 2019, she was awarded The New York State Office of Mental Health Excellence In Suicide Prevention: Creating and Strengthening Suicide Safe Communities Award. Tina has spent over a decade focused on suicide prevention and is currently an appointed member on the New York State’s Suicide Prevention Advisory Task Force.
Tina is inspired daily by the remarkable courage and resiliency exhibited by the families and individuals she has had the privilege to meet and support. In her free time, Tina volunteers her time as a certified instructor in mental health and suicide prevention trainings particularly to schools, families, and first responders. Tina loves spending time cooking or visiting museums with her highly energetic four generation family who are extreme foodies and art aficionados.
Elizabeth is a vibrant business professional with twelve years of experience in strategic operations and non-profit development. She brings a successful track record of achieving earned and contributed revenue growth by fostering relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations through the coordination and execution of a comprehensive fundraising plan. Elizabeth also has extensive experience in providing complete special event planning and marketing support through various media platforms.
A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Elizabeth holds a B.A. in Behavioral and Social Sciences. She recently completed the Executive Philanthropy and Resource Development Certificate program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, is a Level III Certified Grant Writer and has taken coursework in Corporate Sponsorship and Sustainability Analysis Planning. She has participated in several National Points of Light Foundation Conferences.
Elizabeth lives in New Jersey with her husband, children and yellow Labrador; she enjoys the arts and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
Amanda is a passionate Programs Coordinator with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York and currently pursuing her License in Social Work from the State of New Jersey.
She has a diverse background in many areas of human services, including her most recent experience working in partnership with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on their trauma-informed care initiative. She lives in Roseland, NJ with her family.
Michelle has excellent organizational and people skills. She is an essential part of the Support Services team as a behind-the-scenes coordinator. Prior to being a full-time mother to three children, she worked as an account executive for a large telecommunications company. Michelle and Chelsea Hilbert (cofounder of The SUDC Program in 2001) were neighbors in Charlotte, NC when Chelsea’s son died. Michelle and her husband, Etienne, were a great source of support and information. In fact, Michelle researched information about metabolic disorders and assisted Chelsea’s family with finding metabolic testing when their second child was born. Michelle and her family live in Southern California.
Heather earned her undergraduate degree from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. At Quinnipiac, Heather’s concentration was in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. She continued her education and earned a Master of Science in Forensic Science from Pace University in New York City. Her thesis was presented at the 35th Annual North Eastern Association of Forensic Scientists Meeting in 2009. Heather also attended the Lorenzo Di Medici University in Florence, Italy.
Prior to joining SUDC, Heather worked for the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory as a Forensic Scientist for six years. At AFDIL, she participated in many missions. One of which, was to identify the remains of soldiers from past wars. While there, Heather gained vast knowledge and experience in working with DNA and genetic analysis. Heather is a resident of New Jersey and is married with a son.
With over 20 years of experience in healthcare management, Ghazala brings a diverse skill set including marketing, patient and community education, and effective advocacy. She also possesses a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and expertise to our team.
Throughout her previous roles, Ghazala has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, success in bridging communities, and supporting families in hospice. Ghazala's ability to organize and coordinate marketing events, nurture relationships with community organizations and healthcare professionals, and spearhead initiatives to educate and advocate for community well-being, will be invaluable to the Foundation. Ghazala will oversee the SUDC Ambassador Program and looks forward to working with our Ambassadors to promote the Foundation's mission and establish strong relationships within diverse communities.
Ghazala holds a BA in Sociology, along with being a Professional Licensed Nurse. She is also multilingual in English, Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.
She lives in Plainfield, New Jersey with her husband and daughter who is soon to be college bound.
Caitlin is currently studying Business Administration, Communications and Marketing at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She hopes to start a career in digital media marketing, promoting brands and telling stories through social media after her graduation in Spring of 2023. Her love of volunteering and non-profit organizations inspired her to develop a community outreach program to fight food insecurity through her local food shelf as a member of the Phillips Scholars Program. Outside of her work with the SUDC Foundation, she is passionate about promoting confidence and leadership skills for young people as a dance instructor and professional cheerleader.
