Case Management Team:

Glenis M, Scott, Sr. MSW, GSW, Director of Case Management, Glenis has worked in various youth-serving capacities. Prior positions include social worker at an alternative school and Gert Town Resource Center, assistant to the mayor of N.O. for 8 years administering federal grant funds to youth organizations and volunteer with nonprofits that address housing, at-risk youth and mental health issues.

August J. Collins, Sr., Director of Youth Advocacy – August is a New Orleans native who has 10 years experience working with at-risk youth in a variety of settings in and around New Orleans. He has worked in alternative schools, group homes and mentoring and tracking programs. August has committed his life and his future to working with high-risk youth in New Orleans.

Renell Gibbs, Lead Youth Advocate, CBM, was born and raised in the B.W. Cooper Housing Development in New Orleans. He received his GED from Delgado Community College and has spent the last three years mentoring youth from his housing development. Renell brings a breadth of experience and understanding of the struggles that our clients face to his work as a mentor.

Sean Verrett, Youth Advocate/Tracker - Sean was born and raised in the 8th Ward of New Orleans and attended St. Augustine High School. Sean has been mentoring at-risk neighborhood youth for the past five years and feels as though it is his calling to work with adolescents at YEP because he struggled with dealing with the influence of negative peer pressure as a youth and wants to help other young people make positive life choices.

Garvin Williams, Youth Advocate - Garvin is born and raised in New Orleans, LA and is the proud father of three teenage daughters. Garvin graduated from West Jefferson High School and has an Associate Degree in English from Grambling State University and an Associate Degree from Delgado Community College in Embalming. Garvin has been a mentor and role model for at-risk youth for the past 10 years. He has mentored at-risk youth in the Louisiana Youth Challenge program and has also been an academic counselor for students at ITT Technical College.

Catrina Trumble-Corey, Youth Advocate - was born and raised in the St. Thomas Housing Development.  She had three children by the age of 20.  She’s the proud mother of two teenage daughters, two sons; a teenager and a four month old.  Catrina graduated from L.E. Rabouin High School, she has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Southern University at New Orleans, and she is currently working on a MSW Degree at Southern University at New Orleans.  Catrina has worked with at youth risk in the past and is very dedicated to helping at-risk youth change their lives through mentoring and modeling positive behaviors.

Jerome Jupiter, Director of Educational Services - As an educator who has over 12 years experience working with children, youth, and adults, Jerome has also been instrumental and successful in developing relationships and strong partners with institutions such as the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, the criminal justice system, prisoner re-entry initiatives, and substance abuse programs. In 2007, Jerome initiated and coordinated a mentoring program for adult males. The primary focus of the mentoring program is to address the many barriers to employment that African American males often experience.

Giayana Dorsey, NOPLAY Program Specialist - Giayana is born and raised in New Orleans. She graduated from Edna Karr High School and then received her Bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. Upon graduation from Xavier, Giayana spent a year working with NOPLAY as a Literacy AmeriCorps Member before she came on has a full-time instructor with the program. Giayana is in the process of starting a part-time Master’s program in Adult Education while she continues to teach at NOPLAY.

Liz Lichtman, Literacy AmeriCorps Member - received a Master's in International Education from George Washington University. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, she taught English and History and ran education projects for secondary school girls. She currently helps run RUBARB, an all-volunteer community bike shop in the 9th ward in New Orleans that teaches youth how to work on bicycles and fosters other creative outlets.

Cherie Smothers, Literacy AmeriCorps Member - received her GED through NOPLAY. She was the first student to receive her equivalency diploma through our educational program. Cherie decided to stay involved with YEP after getting her GED and is excited to be giving back to other GED students as an AmeriCorps Member.

Nola Woodland, Literacy AmeriCorps Member - Nola was born in New Orleans, LA. She recently graduated from Antioch College with a BA in Language, Literature and Culture. Nola then returned to New Orleans where she has been volunteering at a women’s shelter and providing residents with a variety of supportive services and referrals.

Trashanda M. Grayes  is a native of New Orleans, LA.  She attended Xavier University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  Upon graduation, she decided to become an elementary school teacher.  Therefore, she completed an alternative teacher certification program at Xavier University and also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction along the way.  After receiving her Master’s, she made a decision to obtain her Doctorate degree. She moved to San Diego, California and attended Alliant International University, where she received a second Master’s degree in Psychology and a Doctorate degree in Psychology as well.  She really missed home so she decided to come back to serve her own community.  She is a full time instructor with the program. 

Willie Muhammad is a New Orleans native. He attended Walter L Cohen Senior High School . After graduating from Walter L Cohen he continued his education at Xavier University of New Orleans. In 1998 Mr. Muhammad graduated with a degree in Social Studies Education / Secondary Ed. For nine years he has taught in the public school system. Besides working as an educator Mr. Muhammad is also very active in the community.

   Contract Counseling Team:

Vera Triplett, PhD, LPC, RPT - provides family and youth counseling to YEP clients and their families. Dr. Triplett, an established local practitioner and associated with Central City Counseling, has expertise in our youth population and the specific cultural nuances and serious challenges of growing up in the greater New Orleans region.

Anthony Lowery, MA, LAC -  is a licensed substance abuse counselor who provides substance abuse counseling to YEP clients. He earned his Master’s degree in community counseling from Holy Cross College. He has sixteen years of counseling experience with adults and adolescents with substance abuse problems. His areas of counseling competence include addictions, detoxification, in and out patient treatment, relapse prevention, aftercare and continual care.
 

   Administrative & Management Team:

Melissa Sawyer Ed.M., Executive Director, is a co-founder founder of YEP. She received her B.A. in Sociology from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Melissa was a 1998 Teach for America Corps member and was placed at Booker T. Washington High School in New Orleans. After completing her two-year commitment, Melissa attended Harvard University where she received her Ed. M in At-Risk Adolescents and Urban Education. Melissa returned to New Orleans where she spent three years working as a Youth Advocate with JJPL.

Meshawn Tarver, Director of Operations and Administration  -  Meshawn has been with YEP’s NOPLAY program since its inception in 2006 and she was instrumental in the creation and design of the program. Meshawn earned a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University and has over 5 years experience working with community members, educating them about a wide range of public health issues. Meshawn directly supervises the instructors, Literacy AmeriCorps Members and community tutors at NOPLAY.

Donna Wolf, Administrative Assistant
Donna was born & raised in the 7th ward of New Orleans – off of Broad Street and St. Bernard Avenue. She was 20 years old when she had her daughter and raised her as a single parent. Donna attended UNO for several years and then left to pursue a full-time career. Donna worked in data administration for a major US Company for 15 years and then spent 10 years working as a data specialist with a large healthcare provider.

Magdalene L. Maag “Maggie” provides services to YEP as an independent consultant through her consultancy, Nonprofit Coach. Maggie provides technical assistance, evaluation reports, program development, outcomes and fundraising assistance to YEP. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from National University of San Diego and has twenty years of experience in the management of nonprofit organizations and public agencies.