COO and Senior Consultant, Vanessa Taliferro
Vanessa' Bio
Vanessa Taliferro, is a highly skilled business executive and driven leader with over 30 years of expertise in banking, administration, accounting, real estate development, construction management, and non-profit management. Ms. Taliferro began her early career in banking before assuming the position as Director of Business Affairs for a non-profit organization in 2003. During her 13-year tenure, Ms. Taliferro assumed multiple responsibilities including overseeing general accounting functions, managing over 100 residential and commercial units, developing innovative social service programs to serve vulnerable communities, effectively managing the HUD certified counseling center, securing over $2.5 million in grant funding for housing and youth programs, and implementing policies and procedures to improve and streamline business operations.
In addition, she has experience providing financial management to minority construction firms and development consulting for multi-million-dollar projects. To date, Ms. Taliferro has secured over $25 million in grant procurement and over $25 million in real estate and construction development for various community-based and non-profit organizations. Her blend of experience, professionalism, and creativity has resulted in maximum efficiency and success for all clients. Furthermore, she is dedicated to supporting individuals, organizations, and the community.
Vanessa graduated with honors from Elmhurst College with a B.S. in Business Administration and obtained a Master of Certificate in Accounting from North Park University. Currently, she is completing a Master of Science in Non-Profit Management from North Park University. Additionally, Vanessa has received certification in Housing Counseling Program Management, Assisted Housing Management from HUD, and QuickBooks Online.
CEO and Research Specialist, Ashley Taliferro
Ashley's Bio
Ashley Taliferro, is a highly motivated leader with a background in psychology, criminology, and history. Her previous experience includes project management, instructional coaching, specialized marketing, and social science research. She has over 5 years of experience as a helping professional which includes creating and facilitating psychoeducational workshops for youth and college students, mentoring psychology paraprofessionals, supervising youth group therapy, providing applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism, observing and reporting client data, maintaining program and client data, and developing trauma-informed curriculum for youths exposed to trauma.
As Senior Research Consultant, Ashley is responsible for all qualitative and quantitative research related to grant procurement, developing strategies for community development, and assisting in grant writing and review. Ms. Taliferro’s extensive knowledge and specialized interest in emotional and behavioral development in minority populations strengthens our capacity to assist community-based organizations that serve marginalized communities. Moreover, her expertise in life skill development, psychoeducational programming, and recovery support facilitates the organizational development of our clients. As of currently, Ms. Taliferro has secured nearly $1 million in grant funding for AD-V clients. Additionally, Ashley provides administrative duties for a local non-profit organization.
Ashley obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Executive Operations Assistant, Cametha Games
Cametha's Bio
Cametha Games is a Chicago native who currently resides in Houston, TX. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Administration from Northern Illinois University, Cametha has built a strong foundation of knowledge in the field. Her career began as an office manager, and she later transitioned to Lawndale Christian Health Center, where she excelled for 10 years in various roles such as team coordinator, site manager, and operations manager.
Cametha's exceptional organizational skills and emotional intelligence set her apart, leading her to be sought after for solving difficult cases under the guidance of the Chief Operating Officer. She has consistently demonstrated a talent for helping others discover and develop their personal skills, often providing trainings in areas such as customer service, de-escalation, and team building. Additionally, she possesses expertise in writing human resource policies and procedures.
From 2011 to 2021, Cametha served as the lead executive and personal administrator to Stephen and Yolonda Garner, where she honed her ability to steward assignments and thrive under pressure. Currently, Cametha is the proud owner of Global Business Enrichment LLC, a company that specializes in providing virtual short- and long-term administrative support to businesses. Her goal is to enhance and improve day-to-day administrative and operational needs, offering excellent services that align with the team culture, mission, and vision of her clients.
Grants Project Manager, Deonna Nelson
Deonna's Bio
Deonna Nelson is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of office administration experience, encompassing project management, training and data analytics, and data maintenance. She initiated her career in the banking sector but later made a transition to the non-profit sector, assuming the role of Human Resource Manager for an organization dedicated to assisting low-income children and families.
Deonna's enduring passion for serving others is evident in her current collaboration with smaller organizations, where she provides essential administrative services to expedite projects crucial for sustaining their missions and addressing issues within underserved communities.
Deonna earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Management Information Systems from the University of Montevallo in Alabama.
Executive Assistant, Ricka Riley
Ricka's Bio
Ricka Riley, has over 13 years of experience as an administrative assistant, 5 years as an information systems coordinator and over 4 years working as a community liason in the area of education. In addition, she has 5 years of experience in digital marketing and design.
Ricka is a graduate of University of South Florida with a Bachelors's degree in English Technical and Professional Writing with a Minor in Music. She is also an alumni of Life Christian University, graduating with a Bachelors in Theology.
Currently, she is a digital marketing specialist, offering services for various business and non-for profit organizations, in the area of social media content, web design, video production and live streaming.
She is the author of three books, a teacher and a creative worship arts pioneer.