Meet the Speakers
Desmond Alufohai
Division Director II, Protocol & International Affairs Division, Miami-Dade Aviation Department
Miami-Dade International Airport
U. Desmond Alufohai serves as Division Director II of the Protocol & International Affairs Division at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD), where he leads the largest airport-based protocol office in the United States. With more than 35 years of international leadership experience, he is widely recognized for his expertise in diplomacy, global engagement, protocol, and international trade.
Mary Ambrose, LMSW
Chief Impact & Equity Officer
United Way SELA
Mary Ambrose, LMSW, serves as Chief Equity and Impact Officer at United Way of Southeast Louisiana, bringing more than 25 years of experience in community impact, nonprofit leadership, and social services. She leads initiatives that strengthen community partnerships, mobilize resources, and advance equitable opportunities for individuals and families across the region.
Her work encompasses community engagement, strategic partnerships, volunteer leadership development, and investments in programs addressing critical social and economic challenges. She played an instrumental role in the Super Bowl LIX Impact 59 grant initiative, which distributed more than $3.6 million to nonprofits throughout Greater New Orleans.
A Licensed Master Social Worker, Ambrose holds a Master of Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She also holds a Diversity and Inclusion certification from Cornell University’s eCornell program.
Her commitment to community service has earned national recognition, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and the New Orleans Saints’ 2025 NFL Inspire Change Changemaker Award.
Isabel Barrios
Principal
Greater New Orleans Community Foundation
Isabel Barrios joined the Greater New Orleans Foundation in 2009 and leads its short and long-term disaster response and recovery work. She co-designed the Foundation’s strategic framework for equitable disaster response, and coordinates with philanthropic, public, and nonprofit partners in the region to get millions of disaster recovery dollars to where they can be most impactful when disaster strikes.
In addition to being the Foundation’s Director of Disaster Recovery, Isabel is its Community Resilience Officer and works with peers in Houston, Baton Rouge and Mobile to strengthen and innovate community-level resilience in the region. Firmly rooted in New Orleans, she has worked and volunteered in its nonprofit, advocacy, and activist communities since 1996. Isabel is a founder of Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a community land trust, and currently serves on the board of The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities; as well as the Volunteer Louisiana Commission. Born in Guatemala City, she has called New Orleans home since 1987.
Teala Fugitt
Case Manager Supervisor
Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans
Adam Hawkins
Director of Outreach and Emergency Services
Hope Atlanta
Adam Hawkins serves as Director of Outreach and Emergency Services at Hope Atlanta, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness. Since joining the organization in 2022, he has brought extensive experience in community outreach, homelessness services, and support for individuals facing substance use and mental health challenges.
Adam leads outreach initiatives that connect people experiencing homelessness with critical resources and pathways to stability. His work includes partnerships with MARTA, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and community organizations throughout metropolitan Atlanta. Drawing on his experience working with San Francisco’s homeless community and his own lived experiences, he emphasizes compassionate engagement, relationship-building, and a holistic approach to addressing homelessness.
Through his leadership, Adam advocates for meeting individuals where they are, building trust, and connecting vulnerable populations with the services and support needed to achieve lasting stability.
Bianca Hernandez
Title
The Other Ones Foundation
Mayté Hernandez
Director of Case Management Services
Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans
Mayté Hernandez serves as Director of Case Management Services at Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, bringing a multidisciplinary background in mental health, social services, and public administration to her work supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
Originally from Carolina, Puerto Rico, Mayté holds a bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s degree in Psychology from the City University of New York, and a Master of Public Administration from City College of New York, where she was a Colin Powell Graduate Fellow.
Before joining Travelers Aid, she led the development and expansion of a mental health care management program serving children and underserved communities in Upper Manhattan. She was also selected for the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Program, recognizing her potential for continued leadership and community impact.
Her experience bridges behavioral health, community-based services, and program leadership, informing her approach to strengthening case management and improving access to essential services.
Bishop Donna Hubbard
Human Trafficking Awareness Trainer, Survivor Advocate,
and Founder of Woman at the Well Transition Center
Airline Ambassadors International
Bishop Donna Hubbard is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker, certified human trafficking awareness trainer, and survivor advocate whose work draws on both lived experience and decades of service to vulnerable populations.
A survivor of human trafficking, exploitation, addiction, and incarceration, Donna transformed her personal experiences into a lifelong commitment to advocacy, education, and community support. In 1994, she founded Woman at the Well Transition Center, a nonprofit organization providing counseling, training, and reentry services to formerly incarcerated women. Its programs have included human trafficking intervention, relapse prevention, parenting support, and employment readiness.
Since 2015, Donna has served as a Certified Human Trafficking Awareness Trainer with Airline Ambassadors International, conducting training for aviation professionals and other frontline personnel across the United States and internationally. She has also facilitated awareness training in connection with three Super Bowls.
In addition to her advocacy work, Donna is a commercial airline flight attendant, bringing a unique combination of survivor perspective, professional aviation experience, and practical training expertise to her presentations.
An ordained minister and the first woman Jurisdictional Bishop of Celebration of Praise Ministries International, Donna holds degrees in Theological Studies and Christian Counseling. She is a dedicated mentor, educator, and advocate for survivors of trafficking and individuals rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
John Ishu
Director
Travelers Aid Chicago at O’Hare International Airport
John is the Director of Travelers Aid Chicago at O’Hare International Airport. He has been with the program for 25 years. He is responsible for not only the daily operation of the program, he also maintains and expands partnerships within the airport community including but not limited to US Customs/Border Protection, Chicago Police Department, Transportation Security Administration, over 40 airlines that serve O’Hare, and Chicago Department of Aviation.
A graduate of The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, previous to Travelers Aid Chicago, John has 9 years experience with other non-profits including an advocacy program for quality childcare and as Program Manager for a teen drop-in center.
John is a two-time nominee of O’Hare’s Wings of Vision Award and is a graduate of the Inaugural Class of US Customs/Border Protection Field Office’s Partnership Academy. Under John’s leadership, Travelers Aid Chicago at O’Hare has grown from a small office of 2 full-time staff and 40 volunteers to a considerably large office with 15 Social Service and Volunteer Coordination staff, as well as over 120 of the most loyal, dedicated, and consistently trained airport volunteers on the planet at 7 information desks throughout O’Hare.
Peter Lauten
Director of Partnerships
Travelers Aid International
Peter Lauten currently serves as the Director of Partnerships at Travelers Aid International (TAI), where he cultivates relationships and develops innovative travel-related assistance programs across the organization’s regional sites.
Peter began his career at TAI as Volunteer Coordinator at Washington Dulles International Airport in April 2017. He was promoted to Program Manager at the same location in September 2018, where he directed both volunteer teams and staff, notably leading the Dulles Travelers Aid program to win the 2019 “Tower of Dulles” award for outstanding community service. Peter holds a B.A. in Political Science and Government from Tulane University
Morgan McBrearty
Program Manager
Travelers Aid Philadelphia International Airport
Morgan has worked for Travelers Aid for 6 years, holding the positions of Volunteer Coordinator, Assistant Program Manager, and is now the current Program Manager of Philadelphia. She is one of the original hires to implement and develop the TAI-PHL Volunteer Program.
As program manager, she oversees the Volunteer Navigators and staff for the airport. Her goal is to ensure Travelers Aid International provides the highest standard of customer service to guests and airport employees along with growing the PHL program.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stockton University and has ten years of experience in both customer service and community engagement. With knowledge in community building, she brings a unique perspective to non-profit management alongside guest experience. She is passionate about bringing impactful change, and inspiring new forms of team building and elevating service.
Kianna Moore
The Other Ones Foundation
Donna Paramore
CEO
Travelers Aid New Orleans
Donna Paramore has been leading the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans as Chief Executive Officer since July 2020, guiding one of the region’s longest-standing nonprofits in its mission to end homelessness. Her nearly two decades of experience in fundraising and leadership across social service organizations—including Clover New Orleans, Girl Scouts of Louisiana East, and KIPP New Orleans—equip her with a deep understanding of community needs and nonprofit impact.
Under her leadership, the organization has significantly scaled its outreach operations, growing from a smaller team to a robust 40-member staff. This includes establishing the largest outreach team of its kind in Louisiana to support vulnerable individuals directly where they are.
Donna emphasizes person-centered, compassionate support—meeting clients on the streets, guiding them into permanent supportive housing, and continuing to assist them with stability and self-sufficiency. Her leadership has garnered recognition in the community, with Travelers Aid being honored with the “Program of the Year” award by UNITY of Greater New Orleans. Donna also serves on the boards of Healthcare for the Homeless and Crescent City Community Court, further extending her commitment to advocacy and systemic solutions.
Sarah Parks, LMSW
Executive Director
Grace at the Greenlight
Sarah Parks, has been Executive Director of Grace at the Green Light since 2015. Sarah is a Licensed Master Level Social Worker (LMSW) who originally hails from South Carolina. She first felt the call to work with the unhoused population of New Orleans in 2003 after spending a summer volunteering with a local transitional housing program for women and children. After receiving her Bachelors of Social Work from Winthrop University in 2006, Mrs. Parks followed her call to move to New Orleans with the goal of serving those in need. In 2022, she completed her Master’s of Social Work from the University of New England. Prior to coming to Grace at the Green Light, she worked for various social service agencies including those that serve the unhoused as well as at-risk adolescents. The call to serve and advocate for the most vulnerable of our neighbors is one that she is devoted to and she is grateful to serve through Grace at the Green Light.
Periann Pulliam
CEO
Upward Transitions
Periann Pulliam is the Chief Executive Officer of Upward Transitions, a 99-year-old social services organization in Oklahoma City. In FY23, under her leadership, the staff of 12 provided direct assistance to 3,956 individuals in 2,615 households, meeting critical needs such as housing, transportation, and legal document retrieval for identification.
She previously served as Chief Operations Officer for four years and as Director of the Travelers Aid Volunteer Program for six years at Upward Transitions. A project-oriented professional with more than 35 years of experience in business operations, development, training, marketing, and administration, she has built a career defined by versatility and impact.
Her professional journey began as Operations Coordinator for a local photofinishing company, where she managed six lab and studio locations. She later held a similar role in store operations and training for a national portrait studio franchise with 250 locations. She then transitioned into new roles as a scheduling coordinator for a computer training company and as a partner in residential real estate sales. For eight years, she worked full-time in real estate marketing and sales, and she continues to maintain her broker’s license, offering real estate advice and referrals to clients.
Brittany Richardson
Chief Human Resources Officer,
and
Board of Directors, Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans
First Line Schools
Leigh Thorpe
Chief Advancement Officer
Strongward
Leigh Thorpe serves as Chief Advancement Officer at Strongward, formerly known as SBP, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping communities prepare for, recover from, and build resilience against disasters.
A New Orleans native, Leigh brings a deeply personal perspective to disaster recovery. After losing her home during Hurricane Katrina, she witnessed firsthand the challenges families face in rebuilding their lives and communities. Her experience connects her personally to Strongward’s mission, which began in the aftermath of Katrina and has since expanded to support disaster-affected communities nationwide.
In her leadership role, Leigh guides the organization’s advancement efforts, helping strengthen the partnerships and resources that make long-term recovery possible. Her work reflects a commitment to building resilient communities and ensuring that families receive the support they need long after immediate disaster relief efforts have ended.
Adrianna Yemhatpe
Program Manager
Travelers Aid San Diego
Adrianna Yemhatpe has been with Travelers Aid Society of San Diego for nine years, now serving as the Director of Social Services. In her role, she assists in creating and implementing programs that serve San Diego’s most vulnerable populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, unhoused individuals, and individuals fleeing domestic violence. In her time with TASD, she has created numerous relationships with local nonprofits and medical facilities to best support the 1,800 active clients currently enrolled to receive transportation assistance.
Adrianna is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz with a BA in Sociology and Black Studies.
As a San Diego native, she is happy to be back raising her two sons in the community in which she was raised.
