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STRIVE DC Staff
Ms. Chris Hart-Wright, Executive Director Mr. Carlton Bradshaw, Lead Trainer and Graduate Ms. Lisa Cleveland-Littlejohn, Trainer and Graduate Ms. Valerie Nophlin, Job Developer Ms. Viola Williams, Client Service Specialist Ms. Judy Skinner, Office Manager & Intake Specialist, Graduate Ms. Veronica Black, Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator, Graduate Ms. Michele Crosby, Development Director Mr. Rick Ingram, Maintenance & Intake Specialist, Graduate
Chris Hart-Wright
Executive Director
Ms. Chris Hart-Wright, Executive Director of STRIVE DC, supervises the day-to-day operations, overseeing the development and implementation of the program. It is her creative and energetic leadership of the current seven-member staff that has crafted the comfortable, accepting, and mission-driven atmosphere at STRIVE DC.
With a BS in Political Science and an MA in Public Administration from Howard University under her belt, Chris entered first the field of child-support and held increasingly responsible positions over a twelve year period at the District of Columbia’s Office of Paternity and Child Support Enforcement. Next acting as Senior Systems Manager at the ARIST Corporation, she managed development and implementation of the National Electronic Child Support Resource System, an online clearinghouse of national information on child support programs. Just before joining STRIVE DC in 1999, Chris was both a Consultant and Proposal Manager for Renaissance Government Solutions in the subject of child support.
At STRIVE DC, Chris’ responsibilities cover oversight of policy and procedures, financial record-keeping, and recruitment, training and supervision of all staff. Chris also conducts or oversees fundraising efforts and prepares the annual budget. Part of the fundraising and public-awareness effort involves regular meetings with District officials and community-based organizations. She develops public relations plans and markets the successful STRIVE DC “product” proudly through quarterly newsletters, flyers, fact sheets, and lectures.
Carlton L. Bradshaw Jr.
Program Manager & Lead Trainer
STRIVE DC Graduate
Carlton Bradshaw, STRIVE DC’s Program Manager and Lead Trainer, conducts the actual three-week intensive attitudinal job-readiness training workshop. He imparts proper employee-conduct to participants in a manner that is often confrontational through his own tough-love style. A veteran of the Army and of homeless shelters, Mr. Bradshaw operates in a way that draws upon both his military drilling experience and his street-smart past.
Mr. Bradshaw began in the military, touring Germany and reaching the rank of Sergeant as Squad Leader. For almost a decade he marketed insurance, and then he damaged his back loading packages for the United States Postal Service. Forced to live on the streets for a period, he eventually arrived at STRIVE DC and was hired as a Trainer after completing his instruction at STRIVE New York.
Balancing the relative brevity of the three-week program with intensity, Bradshaw has left lasting impressions with participants through his style of bringing out and then dissipating participants’ anger. He recognizes underlying issues in participants with passion and does his best to resolve them. In the workshop he critiques dress, attitude, resumes, handshakes, eye-contact, punctuality, and bearing, among other subjects. Perhaps most important of all, however, he offers his own life lessons and experiences as an example.
Lisa Cleveland-Littlejohn
Trainer
STRIVE DC Graduate
One of our two Trainers, Lisa Cleveland-Littlejohn instructs STRIVE DC participants about life skills. She interacts daily with every participant and draws from a tumultuous past to counsel individuals over obstacles and social issues.
A veteran of the streets and former substance-abuser, Lisa restarted her life after becoming a participant at STRIVE DC in 2000. Soon afterwards, she became an employee of STRIVE DC, first as Job Developer, and attended the STRIVE Academy on training methods. She next received her General Education Diploma at the University of the District of Columbia and is now enrolled at Prince George’s Community College pursuing her interest in business management.
During each three-week session Lisa recounts her own troubled past and inspires participants with her own testimony. She shares responsibility for running mock interviews and guides participants through resume fabrication. Her instruction and implementation of the curriculum are crucial to the actual development of participants.
Job Developer
One of STRIVE DC’s two Job Developers, Valerie Nophlin is responsible for maintaining a satisfactory working relationship with employers, through the successful matching of individual graduates with job openings. Furthermore, the position requires follow-up on employed graduates through dialogue with employers to ensure the “fit” continues to work. If a placement fails or runs out, the Job Developers continue to assist graduates until success is achieved.
Valerie arrived from New York first as a volunteer with Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Community Action Group and was then hired as receptionist after three months. In line with her previous employment, she carried out daily office tasks such as accepting participant applications, mailing fundraising material, and coordinating telephones. She carries certification in a myriad of training workshops and studies Urban Development at the University of the District of Columbia.
Today she provides one-on-one personal development consultations and directs participants through all of the job-search activities. Her most frequent work includes updating resumes, writing letters, contacting employers, searching the Internet, completing job applications, interviewing, and making follow-up calls. Over her three years in this position she has developed and continues to develop relationships with employers and network them to locate job openings and enhance long-term relationships. She is a resource for graduates looking to further their education by investigating appropriate GED, college, or training certification programs. As Job Developer, she maintains case files and collects follow-up data that quantify the success of STRIVE DC.
Viola E. Williams
Client Services Specialist
STRIVE DC Graduate
Viola Williams is STRIVE DC’s Client Services Specialist. Viola administers the program’s follow-up services to graduates and current participants. Finding free training courses, transportation, housing, transitional housing, and other instructional classes all falls within her expertise. Calling graduates of less than two years on a regular basis and checking employment status forms the core of her daily responsibilities.
A graduate of STRIVE DC and former substance abuser, Viola used the resources available from STRIVE DC in 2000 to complete her high school education, complete multiple computer training courses, and join the workforce. Formerly STRIVE DC’s Office Manager and now its Client Services Specialist, she continues to work away at her college-level degree at Trinity University where she is on the Honor Roll.
As part of STRIVE DC’s two-year follow-up service, Viola assesses employment statuses of graduates. She asks the employed to begin mailing in pay-stubs as verification and asks the unemployed to come back in and continue the job-search. For certain clients, especially those with addictions or those prone to substance abuse, Viola must locate services beyond the scope of STRIVE DC. When participants arrive for the three-week program she coordinates dress-code clothing, transportation, and child care for certain needs. Her talents lead her to assist in computer training throughout each session.
Judy Skinner
Office Manager & Intake Coordinator
STRIVE DC Graduate
Judy Skinner, STRIVE DC’s multi-tasking Office Manager, Receptionist, and Intake-Coordinator, is always the first to greet those walking through the front door. Her never-turn-anyone-away attitude towards clients off the street has proven her steadfastness to the mission of STRIVE.
Having worn many hats before arriving at STRIVE, Judy has skills in many professions. A twenty-six year contractor for the U.S. Department of State, she worked in the area of Visa waivers for naturalizing immigrants. She carries certificates as a dental assistant, accountant, and paralegal. As an entrepreneur, she continues to run her own local drinking-water company.
Judy busily balances her day between paying office bills, inventorying office supplies, answering a busy phone line, coordinating messages, and perhaps most importantly conducting the intake process. When a potential participant enters the STRIVE DC office, Judy often provides the steering influence in assessing the potential assistance STRIVE can offer. She encourages visitors at least to sit through the orientation held on the Friday before every new training course. Her omnipresent contributions to office operations facilitate every other aspect of STRIVE DC.
Ms. Veronica Black
Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator
STRIVE DC Graduate
Ms. Veronica Black serves as STRIVE DC’s part-time recruitment and outreach coordinator. Ms. Black is a 2007 graduate of the program. She has experience as a cook, housekeeper and salesperson. Ms. Black does excellent work recruiting and thus far has significantly increased the number of people attending orientations, training and graduating.
Michele Gay Crosby
Development Director
Michele Crosby, Development Director of STRIVE DC, acts as a critical link for STRIVE DC, as her proposal authorship and grant research lead to the program’s ultimate viability. In conjunction with the Executive Director, Michele finds and pursues all methods of funding, matching specific developmental needs with specific grants.
A veteran professional in proposal-writing and cost-analysis, she began by receiving her BA in mathematics at Hampton University and then her MA in economics at The University of Illinois. Her numerous work-force responsibilities have given her titles of Economic Analyst, Social Science Analyst, Management Consultant, and Senior Financial Analyst. Her work has revolved around health affairs, especially with the Department of Defense and other state social programs that utilized her economic and analytical skills.
Within the requirement for development funding and program improvement, Michele has been very creative in finding donors of products. In addition to traditional funding, she pursues gifts from service-providers like brochures from printing companies, signs from sign-companies, garden flowers from commercial nurseries, etc. Her other duties have her perform grant “maintenance” tasks including interim and follow-up reports. Her self-imposed mission is simply to let the work of STRIVE be known.
Rick Ingram
Industrial Maintenance Man
STRIVE DC Graduate
Rick Ingram, STRIVE DC’s Industrial Maintenance Man, graduated from the program in 2001 and has since worked his way into becoming an integral part of STRIVE DC’s daily life. At first volunteering, he is now an employee and arrives on-time daily to finish quickly his daily tasks among the other odd jobs he is assigned throughout the day.
He has left behind a difficult past and now openly seeks discussion and advice when problems arise in his life. In his own words he writes: “STRIVE DC, Inc. has helped me become a better person and successful in life. I started out as a volunteer cleaning the building, and now at the new building I have a position as a Maintenance Man. My responsibilities are to clean up which mean vacuum, clean baseboards, walls, desks, empty trash, restore basement from water damage, answer telephones and maintain the outside of the building. I am also a messenger and errand boy that answers phones and makes copies and faxes. I am not lazy and I am easy to get along with. I enjoy my position working with my fellow co-workers. My services are needed and I am always available and always on time.”
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Staff 
