Human Services Conference

Terry believes comprehensive community development is not possible without targeted investments. She is dedicated to ensuring residents of marginalized neighborhoods acquire assets they desire for upward mobility — jobs, safe and stable housing and communities designed to promote health.

LISC Phoenix makes capital investments with an equitable lens. Last year, LISC Phoenix invested $112 million in Arizona. Terry oversees the community development operation in Phoenix and Honolulu. She previously held the position of City Councilperson in Mesa AZ. She is currently the Chairperson of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Community Advisory Council, a Board member of Artspace Minneapolis Minnesota, and Arizona Advisory Board for U.S. Bank and the Finance Chair of the Valleywise Health Centers Governing Council.

Terry Benelli
Executive Director of LISC Phoenix

Jim has served as the Deputy Chief of Medical Services, for the City of Peoria Fire – Medical Department since 2005. He has also served in a number of leadership positions in both the public and private sector prior to joining the Peoria Fire-Medical Department. Jim has over 35 years of EMS experience for municipal public safety organizations, private sector EMS and EMS education. He serves on numerous regional and state committees and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety Administration.

Jim Bratcher
City of Peoria Deputy Fire Chief

A seasoned community leader, Erik relocated from Nashville, TN to ASU in 2018. Drawing upon years of experience in local and state government, Erik is a public policy practitioner who is passionate about tackling large municipal problems, particularly those that affect the economic wellbeing of our most vulnerable residents.

Erik is leading the development of the Design Studio for Community Solutions, at Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions as well as the Maryvale One Square Mile Initiative. The Studio works with local stakeholders in specific communities to devise practical solutions to complex issues. Serving community as a vehicle for collaboration and innovation, DSCS matchmakes ASU resources with community players to encourage and activate community-generated solutions.

Erik was named Nashville’s first Chief Resilience Officer in 2016 after serving in several other community development leadership roles in the Mayor’s Office. Prior, he was an elected Metro Councilmember for eight years, representing a rapidly changing urban district in East Nashville.

As CRO, Erik was charged with helping Nashville build a platform of resilience prepared for natural, economic, and social shocks and stresses. Erik has multi-sector experience in public policy, community engagement and development, homelessness solutions, and strategic planning. Erik’s spouse, Jen, is a senior leader at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Eric Cole
Director of the Design Studio for Community Solutions

Amy Conrick is the Director of National Projects at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), and also serves as the Director of the National Center for Mobility Management, a technical assistance center funded by the Federal Transit Administration.

Since 2001, Amy has worked as a writer, presenter, trainer, and facilitator the fields of employment transportation, health care transportation, mobility management, and transportation innovation. Amy holds a B.A. in English Literature from Georgetown University, an M.Phil. in Medieval Irish and English Literature from the University College Dublin, Ireland, and several certificates in human-centered design (“design thinking”). She lives in suburban Virginia with her husband John, enjoys outdoor living, traveling, and spending time with their three adult sons.

Amy Conrick
Director of National Projects at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA),

Dawn has been changing lives of people with disabilities for 29 years at TCH. Dawn has held a variety of positions at TCH which include; Group Home Supervisor, Human Resources Coordinator, Development Coordinator, K.i.D.S. Developmental Supervisor, and her current role as Director of Development. As Director of Development she is responsible for community outreach, bringing needed resources to the agency, writes grants, and oversees volunteers to ensure individuals with disabilities live a full meaningful life. She is involved with community partners like the Tempe Chamber of Commerce (past board chair) and is a graduate of Tempe Leadership Class XXVII. Dawn is an Arizona Native that grew up in Tempe. She is the Tempe Chamber 2017 Business Woman of the Year, Keller Williams Inspirational Hero, and recognized as one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business.

Dawn Hocking

Dr. Logan believes and his life’s work reflects that human suffering is not a fate to be borne, but a challenge to be overcome. He is a certified trauma specialist and works routinely with foster and adoptive parents, grieving families dealing with loss, and caregivers seeking to become trauma informed. He holds a Master’s in Biblical Counseling and a Doctorate in Practical Theology. His trauma certifications CFTP and CCTSF are with ATI and IATP. Additionally, Dr. Logan is an Ordained Minister.

At the heart, Roderick is a teacher fighting ignorance and apathy; an information specialist to whom parents and professionals often look to for insight, a spiritual perspective, and a pragmatic point-of-view. His array of professional services include educator, counselor, coach, mentor, and advocate. Since 1981, Dr. Logan’s talents have found expression in industries of transportation, broadcasting, state government, mega-church, and child and family welfare. Whether in the classroom, small group, or private session, Roderick’s intention is to create a safe holding environment from which others can regulate and begin showing up for their own rescue.

Roderick and his wife, Melody, have been married for 38 years. Together they raised two sons and a daughter and have eight grandchildren. Among family and friends Roderick is known as, “the man in a rowboat rowing backwards into the future.”

Roderick Logan

Paul has served as the Fire Chief for the City of Goodyear since 2013. He has also served in a number of leadership positions for the City of Goodyear to include Interim Deputy City Manager, Deputy Fire Chief, and Battalion Chief. Paul has over 30 years of fire and ems experience for public safety organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Arizona. He received a designation as a Chief Fire Officer, is a Certified Public Manager, earned an MBA from Franklin Pierce University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Roger Williams University.

Paul Luizzi
City of Goodyear Fire Chief

Melanie Mitros is Vitalyst Health Foundation’s Director of Strategic Community Partnerships. In this role, Melanie works with coalitions and community partners identifying timely and relevant topics to establish strategic alliances for effective change initiatives, such as Mobile Integrated Health Programs (e.g. Community Paramedicine).

Melanie is the lead staff for Vitalyst Health Foundation’s Grants including Systems Change, Spark and Medical Assistance where she oversees the application, evaluation and post-award engagement processes. In her time at Vitalyst, Melanie has championed a movement towards more inclusive and participatory grantmaking through a health equity lens and implementation of ongoing learning for grant recipients.

Formerly, as the founding Director of the Arizona Living Well Institute, she engaged public and private partners to build a statewide infrastructure for effective promotion and delivery of evidence-based health promotion programs. She holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness.

Melanie Mitros
Director of Strategic Community Partnerships

Heather Mulder is the Outreach Senior Manager for Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. Working with older adults, and specifically, persons impacted by Alzheimer's disease has been the common thread in Heather's career, first in long term care, next with an Area Agency on Aging and finally as an educator for the Alzheimer’s Association- Illinois Chapter. Heather was selected to be part of the 2016/17 cohort of Arizona's top emerging nonprofit leaders for a year-long leadership development program through the American Express Leadership Academy. Heather is known as a connector and shares her talent with BAI helping to create accessible programming for both persons with dementia and their care partners.

Heather Mulder
Outreach Senior Manager for Banner Alzheimer’s Institute

Allison is the Program Manager for the Watts College Design Studio for Community Solutions, developing community driven initiatives, including work on the One Square Mile Initiative in Maryvale. Allison's 25 years in education also include serving as an Early Head Start Director, PK-3 teacher and extensive curriculum development. Allison was a faculty member of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College in Early Childhood Special Education for 15 years, developing programs, teaching and directing a university-based inclusive preschool program.

Allison Mullady
Program Manager for the Watts College Design Studio for Community Solutions

Jesus Rivera, Battalion Chief (Paramedic) has served as a member of the Surprise Fire-Medical Department (SFMD) for over 21 years. Jesus is the Division Chief over Surprise’s Medical Services. Jesus received the Surprise Fire Chief’s award in 2016, AEMS Aces of Hearts award in 2018 and the Image Trend Hooley Award for Innovation in 2019. Jesus has an associate degree in Paramedicine, and a bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Leadership. Jesus has been involved in Surprise’s behavioral health program since 2015, is a partner in the West Valley Community Paramedicine Program and manages Surprise Ambulance and Treat and Refer programs.

Jesus Rivera
Battalion Chief at Surprise Fire-Medical Department

The Arizona Housing Coalition is a statewide collaborative association that leads the efforts to end homelessness and advocate for safe, affordable homes for all Arizonans. The Arizona Housing Coalition is also the proud home of the Arizona Veteran StandDown Alliance, a statewide program that connects homeless and at-risk Veterans with the services they need to bring hope and stability to their lives.

Joan has more than 20 years of experience in program coordination with a focus on educating the community about issues of social need through state and federal legislative advocacy, community organizing, coalition building, and public relations. Joan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Public Administration, both from Arizona State University.

Joan Serviss
Executive Director of the Arizona Housing Coalition

Patricia Solís, PhD, is Executive Director of the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience (KER) at Arizona State University, a campus-wide effort to link community needs with research innovations that build community resilience. KER is funded by the Virginia G. Piper Trust. Dr. Solís also holds research faculty privileges in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning.

She is Co-Founder and Director of YouthMappers, a consortium of more than 175 universities in 45 countries that creates and uses open spatial data for humanitarian and development needs in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development.

Prior to joining ASU, Dr. Solís was Co-Director of the Center for Geospatial Technology at Texas Tech University and Deputy Director of Research at the American Association of Geographers. She received a BS in Physics, BA in German, and MA in Geography from Kansas State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Iowa where she was a Presidential Fellow.

Dr. Solís has developed over fifty competitively funded projects promoting innovations in research, education and community collaboration with support from federal agencies, foundations, and private donations. She has published scores of peer reviewed articles, focused on exchanges of knowledge, outcomes of fellowships, and applications of open geospatial technologies to address socially relevant challenges, from water resource conflict to hazards to diversity in higher education.

Her international experience includes fostering academic networks among emerging scholars, efforts that have been recognized by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Dr. Solís also serves as the State-Department appointed President of the Geography Commission of the Organization of American States, and a Fulbright Specialist.

Patricia Solís
Executive Director of the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience (KER) at Arizona State University

Caryn is the Association’s Human Resource, Training and Certification Director. For more than 23 years, Caryn has served as Membership Director at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). Caryn offers expertise in collaboration, training and certification, and conference planning. She brings a strong customer service orientation from both the private and non-profit sectors to her leadership position, working to promote the organization and its mission to better meet its members’ needs. With Caryn’s expertise in personnel management she has developed full-day and workshop training sessions around topics that involve effective human resources management.

Caryn previously served as the Executive Director of the Association for Commuter Transportation. Caryn has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.

Caryn Souza
Human Resource, Training and Certification Director