Cynthia Colbert, President & CEO
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston
Cynthia Nunes Colbert, MSW, is the CEO at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. With a master’s degree in social welfare planning and administration, she has dedicated her career to social services. Prior to moving to Houston, she served as Executive Director of two other Catholic Charities chapters. From 2005 to 2010, she led Catholic Charities of Central Texas in the Diocese of Austin. From 2010 to 2012, she led Catholic Charities in the Diocese Wichita, Kansas. Since 2013, Colbert has endeavored to strengthen the collaboration with local parishes and Archdiocesan offices to help strengthen families and alleviate poverty in the Galveston-Houston area. The most rewarding part of working with Catholic Charities for Colbert is bringing God’s love to others in need.
Stacey Williams, Executive Director
East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry
Stacey Williams is the Executive Director of East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry. She is a lifelong resident of Fort Bend County and has dedicated the last eight years to EFBHNM in the role of Development Director. During this time, she completed the Fort Bend Excellence for Nonprofit Leadership program, the Central Fort Bend Chamber Leadership program, the Fort Bend Leadership Forum, and earned a certificate from the Rice Center for Philanthropy. She has served the community in various leadership roles, including those in the Neill Elementary PTO and the Presbyterian Youth Connection Council. Her dedication to the community has been highlighted for multiple years in UpClose magazine.
Jean West Evans, Executive Director
Emergency Aid Coalition (EAC)
Jean West Evans is the Executive Director of Emergency Aid Coalition. She has been involved in social service organizations since the age of 13, beginning as a volunteer youth leader with the American Red Cross. Her career path never veered from roles in direct service, planning, group facilitation and administration to serve and impact people in need. Jean has acquired extensive training and professional experience in group facilitation, temperament typology, and conflict resolution. She taught and developed expertise in mediation/conflict resolution strategies, working with adolescents as a means to mitigate negative behavioral responses, build self-esteem and positive peer influence. She has served on numerous regional and national training teams. She also was appointed to develop and facilitate the intensive de-brief of emergency responders following the 1995 Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City. She views her role as leader of a small non-profit community assistance ministry as an opportunity to continue learning as a servant leader.
Cathy Moore, Executive Director
Epiphany Outreach Community Health Services (ECHOS)
Cathy Moore is the Executive Director at Epiphany Outreach Community Health Services (ECHOS).
Cathy joined Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS) as Executive Director in 2016. She has over 20 years of non-profit experience, having served as a fundraiser, consultant and executive director. Cathy has spent most of her career working in faith-based non-profit organizations. Cathy says her greatest passion is equipping people to put their faith into practice as they serve others through ministries such as ECHOS. She enjoys working with the entire ECHOS community, helping to expand and improve programs, providing opportunities for volunteers to serve our neighbors, and meeting our neighbors’ needs and transforming lives. Cathy has a Bachelor of Science from Lesley University. She serves on several committees at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, including the church’s outreach and hunger initiatives. Cathy serves as a board member for ACAM, and is also a board member and the membership chair for Texas Executive Women.
Millie Garrison, Executive Director
Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM)
Millie Garrison is the Executive Director of Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM). She has a background in Education and Human Resources that has equipped her to lead HAAM for the past 15 years. HAAM began as a small resale store and food pantry that provided food for 175 families 30 years ago and in 2019 HAAM provided food to over 66,000 individuals. Garrison is passionate about assisting individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. She believes that “education is the way up” and provides the leadership necessary for her team to expand and adapt programs and services to fit the ever-changing needs of the individuals who come through the doors at HAAM. Along with her belief in working to improve the community, she also strongly believes in making a difference through her church as a Lay Leader at Strawbridge United Methodist Church.
Leiza Whitecotton, Executive Director
Interfaith Caring Ministries (ICM)
Martin Cominsky, President & CEO
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
Martin Cominsky is the CEO and President of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. Martin is responsible for directing the IM’s efforts to bring Houston’s diverse community together for dialogue and service. Previous to his work at Interfaith Ministries, Martin served as the Director of the Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League, which is headquartered in Houston. Martin oversaw the League’s efforts to combat prejudice, hate and anti-Semitism in this dynamic region. Martin also founded the SERVE HOUSTON YOUTH CORPS, which was the AmeriCorps program that recruited high school graduates to serve as tutors and mentors to students in under-resourced schools. Martin has a B.A. from the University of Houston in Journalism, graduating with membership in the UH Honors College, and earned his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Ali Al Sudani, Chief Programs Officer
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
Ali Al Sudani is the Chief Programs Officer of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. His background is in training, engineering, process improvement and project management. Al Sudani was born and raised in Iraq. After he graduated from college, Al Sudani worked with different organizations in Iraq and Jordan as a trainer, translator and leading workshops on democracy and conflict resolution. In 2009, he applied to resettle in the United States as a refugee. Al Sudani was greeted by a team member from Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston when he arrived, and two months after arriving in the United States, he took a position as a case worker at Interfaith Ministries. Now as the Chief Programs Officer, he managed the Meals on Wheels program, which serves more than 5,000 seniors and adults with disabilities every weekday. He enjoys the community service, program development and fundraising aspects of the organization’s work.
Missy Herndon, President & CEO
Interfaith of the Woodlands
Missy Herndon is the President and CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands and Interfaith Community Clinic. She has held this position since 2016 after being promoted from the Director of Programs and Services. A graduate of Texas A&M University, former PR consultant Herndon became a stay-at-home mom and social editor/writer while her boys were young. Her journey changed paths when her son Will was diagnosed with juvenile Batten disease and given a fatal prognosis. In 2009, Missy and her husband Wayne co-founded the Will Herndon Research fund. The fund has raised $4.7 million to date in The Woodlands community and continues raising awareness and funds to find a treatment to save Will. Missy spends her days serving others in the community she loves and calls home, The Woodlands, Texas. She is passionate about her family, friends and helping neighbors in need.
Deysi Crespo, Executive Director
Main Street Ministries
Deysi Crespo, MSW is the Executive Director of Main Street Ministries (MSM). Her focus is aligned with the mission of transforming lives with an emphasis on alleviating poverty, addressing food insecurity, and providing immediate long-term crisis interventions. In 2012, she earned her master’s degree from University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work with a Clinical Concentration and obtained a Specialization in Trabajo Social, working with Latino communities. After being involved with Katy Christian Ministries in various roles since 2007, Deysi became Executive Director in 2014. Under her leadership, Katy Christian Ministries has become a trauma-informed care agency, achieved the top 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator and has received other valuable recognitions and accreditations from GuideStar, Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston, and the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability. She was proud to join Main Street Ministries as their Executive Director in 2024.
Renae Johnson, CEO
My Brother’s Keeper Outreach Center
Renae Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer at My Brother’s Keeper Outreach Center. She has held this position since she founded the organization just over 25 years ago. Johnson attended Penn State University and later graduated from the International Christian Institute School of Ministry in 1997. Johnson’s background in ministry and her deep reliance in her faith are the pillars she used to establish the organization that has now come to be a pioneer in relieving food insecurity in the Houston area. My Brother’s Keeper Outreach Center assists more than 40,000 households annually through various avenues such as: food assistance, financial assistance, counselling, school supplies, Thanksgiving meals and Christmas toys.
Les Cave, President & CEO
Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM)
Les Cave is the President & CEO of Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM). Prior to joining NAM in 2018, Les served 15 years as President of CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare in Houston, Texas. He is an accomplished organization president, development professional and manager. Les has extensive experience working with volunteers, donors and senior staff including boards of directors, senior administration, physicians, corporate and community volunteers. He has created and prudently managed budgets and endowments; led capital campaigns; acquired numerous major gifts; planned gifts and managed fundraising operations. Les has also successfully developed and initiated new community programs in Houston. He has a solid background in written communications, community relations, and public speaking.
Allison Booker-Brooks, Chief Program Officer
Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM)
Allison Booker-Brooks is the Chief Program Officer at Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM). She is responsible for all client service delivery at NAM. Booker-Brooks’ qualifications include leadership positions at the YWCA of Houston and United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast. She is a native Houstonian who has been doing social work the majority of her working life. She has worked with foster children, adoptive parents, young adults, and seniors.
Ann Schorno, Executive Director
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Ann Schorno is the Executive Director for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Ann graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a BA in Economics and received an MBA from the University of Chicago. Ann has always been an active participant in parish life through liturgical ministry, leadership roles and parishioner involvement. In April, 2010 she was appointed Executive Director overseeing the operation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an 1,800 volunteer, $9M nonprofit agency that challenges its members to grow in their faith by providing person to person service to those living in poverty throughout the 10-county area that comprises the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. In 2013, Ann completed the Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives certificate program at RICE University’s Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership.
Paula Tobon, Executive Director
St. Vincent’s House
Paula Tobon is the Executive Director at St. Vincent’s House (SVH). She returns to SVH after two years at the University of Texas, School of Public Health, the Center for Health Care Data serving as Administrator of Special Projects. During her previous employment as SVH Operations Manager, then Interim Executive Director, Paula developed strong community and inter-agency collaborations. Since returning, she has renewed those alliances and is busy forging new avenues of cooperation to better serve clients. Paula is a bilingual (English/Spanish) healthcare executive with an impressive record of collaborative leadership in project management, fundraising, business development, strategic planning, partnerships and operations management. She is skillful in managing projects within budget and timeline while engaging a broad set of stakeholders for successful implementation. She has a reputation as a results-oriented negotiator and a strategic, objective and collaborative leader. Paula enjoys fostering volunteer, employee and executive board relations, as well as strong community partnerships.
Amy Corron, President & CEO
Wesley Community Center
Amy Corron is the President and CEO of Wesley Community Center. Before joining Wesley in 2013, Corron worked at United Way of Greater Houston for 22 years in the Community Impact area. She was instrumental in launching United Way THRIVE, a collaborative effort to help hard-working, lower income individuals achieve financial stability through workforce training, financial coaching, and access to safe financial products. She also worked as an investment banking analyst for 7 years. Amy is very passionate about helping people gain the skills they need to become self-sufficient and build their own safety net.
