Nonprofit Power Players

Pascale Leone, executive director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, leads a nonprofit representing 200+ nonprofit organizations that collectively operate 55,000 units of supportive housing statewide. Formerly VP of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at The Corporation for Supportive Housing, she shaped the award-winning strategic vision for a racial equity framework. She was also a recognized national thought leader in the Healthy Aging in Place initiative, focused on scaling replicable supportive housing models for older adults, promoting health and stability.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
I am my mother’s daughter. Witnessing her tireless dedication as a registered nurse, working multiple shifts to provide for my sister and me, I learned the essence of perseverance. From battling anti-Haitian and anti-immigrant discriminatory policies in the 1980s to championing nurses’ unionization for pensions in the 90s, she epitomized principled struggle. She was my introduction to advocacy and selflessly working for societal benefit. My identity and commitment to justice are forged in her extraordinary journey.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
There are many: from forging relationships with dedicated elder volunteers to helping mobilize 1 million women voters to advance reproductive freedom, to leading transformative organizational change centering racial equity – my life’s work has been to harness the collective power of those most impacted to advance change. At the Supportive Housing Network, we’re committed to eradicating homelessness through the creation of supportive housing, and with every groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting and tenant success we inch closer to that reality.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
I think a universal recognition that housing is a fundamental human right and not a privilege reserved for the so-called ‘deserving’ can ameliorate public perception of the unhoused and our general understanding of the pathways to homelessness. We also need a shift in our policymaking – one that considers the housing-related impacts across all sectors will be crucial to breaking down silos and simplifying the very complex web we’ve created to eradicate homelessness.

Donna Lieberman has been the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union since December 2001. She also founded the NYCLU’s Reproductive Rights Project. During her tenure, the NYCLU has grown to over 90,000 member-donors, with eight offices around the state, and become the state’s leading voice for freedom, justice and equality, especially for those whose rights are most at risk: people of color, young people, and low-income New Yorkers.

Neela Mukherjee Lockel, MSW-MPA, is the president and CEO of EAC Network, responsible for running social service programs throughout the entire New York region. Focusing on the five pillars of at-risk and vulnerable populations, Neela is an advocate for addressing critical needs while striving to uplift communities. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Neela was the CEO of the Long Island Red Cross, before joining EAC. 

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
While in college, planning to go to law school, I began working at a community youth shelter. It was my first orientation to nonprofit work. I discovered a love for social work, and a true appreciation for the incredible value of nonprofits to all communities. It’s a sector of service that speaks to me and helps me understand my own role as a community member and leader. I have not looked back since.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
There are so many, but I am most proud of where I am today: working for an organization that does meaningful work for so many New Yorkers and communities. We recently had our annual Building Bridges Gala. I stood in front of a room full of people and shared how we do the work we do. Empowering people through hard times and embracing a hopeful future, it’s among the proudest moments of my life.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
There is tremendous opportunity to aid the work that EAC Network carries out among our five pillars and various populations. The areas that are currently of the utmost importance include safe and stable housing that supports those in need, ample and available mental health resources in response to the ever-growing number of challenges faced by individuals and communities, and the creation of a competitive environment to retain and sustain good clinicians for the public/nonprofit sector.

A long-time environmental advocate who currently lives in Collinsville, Connecticut, Leah Lopez Schmalz earned her J.D. and environmental law certificate from Pace University School of Law in White Plains, NY. Her undergraduate study in sustainable architecture and design culminated in a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Louisiana. She joined Save the Sound as its staff attorney in 2001, took on leadership of its programs in 2018, and became its president in 2022.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
Growing up in Louisiana, I was acutely aware of the necessity of a reciprocal relationship with our oceans. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina hit close to home — followed by Irene and Sandy here in the Sound region — my commitment to the intersection of climate change, resiliency, and health grew. Nonprofits are doing amazing work in this space through innovation and collaboration, taking risks that the private sector and government won’t.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
We defeated Broadwater. When Shell Oil wanted to build a multi-story natural gas facility in the middle of Long Island Sound, I led the creation of a massive, bi-state coalition — Save the Sound’s first — to defeat it. We brought our legal and press expertise to bear, and people from firefighters to yacht clubs, congressmen to musicians turned out to oppose it. After years of work, the developer backed off and the government formally rejected it.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
Our organization was founded, in part, to fill gaps that state and federal governments couldn’t or wouldn’t — gaps like enforcing the Clean Water Act, protecting forests that filter our drinking water, and taking down outdated, dangerous dams. That’s still a big part of our work. Governments are always under budgetary pressure, but properly funding the agencies that protect our health and environment is always a good investment.

On January 1, 2023, David Ludwigson became the 6th person to lead God’s Love We Deliver, in its 5th administration in the organization’s nearly 38-year history. Prior to his appointment as CEO, David served as vice president and chief development officer. During his tenure at God’s Love, fundraising has grown from $6 million to more than $22 million annually; the number of volunteers has tripled, and the number of meals cooked and delivered annually has grown from 670,000 to more than 3 million annually.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
Then board co-chairs of God’s Love We Deliver, Michael Sennott and Sylvia Vogelman. I had been a long-time volunteer at God’s Love when they suggested I join the organization full-time. Seeing their incredible dedication to our mission inspired me to make the jump. Knowing them gave me confidence I was making the right move.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Too many to list. Raising nearly $40 million to open the Michael Kors Building at God’s Love stands out. As does our annual meal growth. In my first year as a staff member at God’s Love we cooked and delivered 670,000 meals. This year we will crest 4 million!

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
Securing medically tailoredmMeals as a covered benefit under Medicare and Medicaid nationally would promote equitable access for millions of people living with severe and/or chronic illness to this life-saving, cost-effective benefit.

John has spent the last 15 years finding ways to help the City’s nonprofits navigate challenges by providing grants, loans, advice and analysis. He feels privileged each day to work with such an inspiring group of colleagues, nonprofits and funders.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector
Lord Richard Layard of the U.K., who combines a passion for improving society with discipline and rigor. I was fortunate to work closely with Richard in 1996/7 before moving laterally into the nonprofit sector.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Hmmm.. I am proud every day to have the opportunity to work with nonprofits — from the biggest to the smallest, which provide so much of what makes this city special. I can’t pick one.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
I’d love to put us out of business on the lending side by having the government pay faster and reimburse interest so that conventional lenders would make the loans that we and a few fellow travelers, FJC, and the Fund for the City of New York, make now.

Edward R. Matthews has been the CEO of ADAPT Community Network since 1989 following a career in NYS Government. During the past 33 years, Matthews has overseen the growth of the agency from supporting individuals and families in four boroughs of NYC to now supporting over 25,000 families and individuals in a wide variety of services in eight counties, including the Hudson Valley, and employing over 3,000 staff.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
First, the individuals and families we support at ADAPT as well as those families who spent their lives in the sixties and seventies, like Vicki and the late Murray Schneps, who forced the creation of our current service system from nothing. The second is the thousands of direct service professionals who every day, for insufficient wages and benefits, put the needs of kids and adults with disabilities ahead of their own.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Being a part of the team helping people to leave Willowbrook in 1987 has been one of the best moments of my career. Then again in 2017, steering our organization through a major name change from United Cerebral Palsy of New York City to ADAPT Community Network. Otherwise, my proudest moments happen each day when I know my leadership team is living our mission and building a more inclusive world for people with disabilities.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
The system of services for individuals with developmental disabilities in NY is now 50 years old. While many significant advancements have been made, health equity remains a significant unsolved issue. The Medicaid fee structure that providers get paid under now exacerbates this problem. A new integrated payment model is needed to combine health and long-term care which will give providers and families more leverage in obtaining quality health outcomes.

Patrick McGovern is the CEO of Callen-Lorde, which provides comprehensive, judgment-free health care regardless of ability to pay and pioneers research, advocacy and education to drive positive change for LGBTQ+ people. McGovern is a seasoned and accomplished executive in health care, previously holding roles as chief operations and strategy officer at Amida Care and VP of government affairs at Gilead. He was CEO at Harlem United from 1999-2010, where his leadership transformed access to HIV testing statewide.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
I was raised in Queens in an immigrant family with very limited means. My parents sacrificed to provide my sisters and me with a good education. I was also lucky enough to have scholarship opportunities. My dedication to nonprofit work is my way of “paying it forward.” Beyond that, my mother instilled in us empathy for the underdog that underlies my commitment to helping others lift themselves up.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
As breakthrough cures for Hepatitis-C became available, Medicaid programs balked at the costs and greatly restricted access. I led a team to develop a “Netflix” model whereby the state of Louisiana paid the drug manufacturer a lump sum that gave them unlimited access to the cures. The more people they treated, the lower their price per cure. This incentivized the state to open access, and Louisiana has been curing people by the thousands since.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
Society increasingly recognizes the intimate connection between our physical, behavioral and social health. Callen-Lorde operates under multiple licenses from multiple state agencies to weave together whole person care. Separate agencies and multiple licenses are legacies of a time when society bifurcated care. Multiple licenses with quite different regulations can result in fragmented care and increased costs. I’d like to see a streamlining of the agencies and a reduction in the number of separate licenses.

Frankie Miranda is the first openly gay president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, the nation’s premier Latino non-profit membership organization. Since 1998, he has played a key role expanding HF’s member network to include hundreds of community-based organizations that operate across the U.S. and established programs that empower hundreds of thousands of Latinos. Frankie sits on the NYS MTA Board, the external Comcast Corporate DEI Advisory Council, and is a trustee of Fundación Banco Popular.

Tia Morris is an advocate for equity, dedicating more than 25 years to improving educational opportunities for young people. In 1998, she began her teaching career with the NYCDOE through Teach For America and returned in 2020 as executive director. Tia has served as executive director for Teach For America New Jersey, a founding member of a school network, and held chief level central office positions in both the Newark and Camden school systems.

Was there something or someone that inspired you to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector?
In my University honors program, few classmates looked like me. I realized then the role that quality education – accelerated classes, high rigor, high expectations, high support, and consistent encouragement – played in landing me in that prestigious program. All things being equal, the primary difference between myself and other students from similar backgrounds was education. I decided at 19 that the most revolutionary thing I could do was to work to get Black and brown kids to college.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Working alongside a group of teachers to found a school to address the systemic inequities and challenges that hindered our students was my proudest moment until my first students went on to become teachers themselves – some even returning back to the very classrooms where I taught them. Many of my former students I now count as friends and colleagues and nothing could make me prouder than seeing my former students leading and changing the world.

What policy changes could be made to aid in your work within the nonprofit sector?
Policies that eliminate barriers to recruiting and retaining diverse educators are key, including initiatives that forgive student loan debt for educators, create housing incentives for teachers in high-cost cities, and ensure educators are paid competitively. To reduce child poverty and improve student outcomes, we should increase investment in policies like Child Tax Credits, and increase school access to promising programs and practices in early literacy and math education while investing in robust teacher professional development.