Workshop Facilitators

Greg Bunnett has been on the Career Development staff team at Youth Opportunity Boston for 5 years. He is a skilled facilitator in job readiness and also a strong employer recruiter. Greg also has a great deal of experience in leading teams and youth development. He worked at City Year before coming to YOB. In addition to his professional experience, Greg is a life-long Boston native, having grown up in Roxbury.

Nika Elugardo is founding director of Applied Evaluation Systems, the consulting arm of the Emmanuel Gospel Center. She has been actively involved with the Emmanuel Gospel Center since 2000, where she has served in capacities such as strategic management consultant and vice chairperson of the Board of Directors. Her professional experience includes national low-income advocacy and training, research, not-for-profit development and outcomes measurement consulting. She currently chairs the Board of 1head1body, a ministry that serves Christians in furthering racial reconciliation in churches. Ms. Elugardo received her Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard's JFK School of Government and her B.S. in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nika, her husband and their daughter live in the Mission Hill area of Boston and are active members of Cambridgeport Baptist Church

A&B Consulting, LLC is a consulting firm specializing in accounting and financial services for individuals, non-profits and businesses.  The company was formed as a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) in May of 2001 by its founders and principals Ms. Glenda L. Allsopp and Ms. Margo J. Brathwaite.   They have cumulatively over 30 years experience in the financial services industry and accounting field.  The purpose of the company is two-fold as it seeks to:

* Educate individuals about personal finances through interactive workshops and seminars on money management, debt reduction, investments, retirement planning and other related subjects.
* Provide accounting and financial services to all types of business through Business Consultation Services; including accounting systems set-up with internal controls, business planning analysis, working capital and cash flow management, and any other relevant services.

Bob St. Julien is the CFO-Controller for the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston. He has more than 18 years of accounting, finance and tax experience in both local and international operations

Mr. St. Julien has worked for both profit & not for profit organizations and held senior finance and accounting positions in companies like Digital Equipment Corporation, Textron Systems and United Way of Massachusetts. Bob is involved in training and capacity building with various organizations and serves as member of various boards of Directors.

Bob has received a BA with Pace University and MBA at Suffolk University in accounting and finance. He is well-known for his passion to help build the capacity of faith and community based organizations.

Dana Wade is the Development Director at Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston.  Emmanuel Gospel Center is a 67-year old faith-based non-profit organization whose mission is to understand and nurture the vitality of urban churches and their communities.  Through research and training, consulting, and programs, EGC builds the capacity of urban churches to serve urban residents well and operate effectively at the grassroots level, particularly in Boston’s low-income and immigrant communities.  By working with and through churches, EGC seeks to build a community that supports and cares for individuals of all backgrounds throughout the city.

Dana is responsible for EGC’s fundraising and special events.  EGC has 11 programs and a budget of $1.5 million.  EGC receives support from churches, individuals, foundations, corporations, government grants, and fees for service.  Dana also oversees EGC’s communications, including newsletters and website.

Prior to joining EGC in 2002, Dana was the manager of contributions at John Hancock Financial Services.  Her responsibilities included reviewing proposals, conducting site visits, and providing technical assistance to non-profit organizations.  During her 15-year tenure in Community Relations at Hancock, Dana designed, implemented and led two corporate volunteer programs, and also helped plan and run many corporate events.

Dana has offered workshops and provided individualized technical assistance on proposal writing and fundraising for small non-profit organizations.

Dana earned a bachelor’s degree from Gordon College and a master’s degree in urban affairs from Boston University.  She has lived in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston since 1997.

David Wright born and raised in Roxbury, is a native Bostonian. A product of Boston Public schools, he is a graduate of both the Boston Latin School and holds degrees from Harvard College, cum laude, and Harvard Law.

Mr. Wright is a bar certified attorney with skill in litigation, contract and employment law. Since 1999, Mr. Wright has served as the president and CEO of the African American Federation of Greater Boston, Inc. (the “Federation”) a collaboration of 35 community-based organizations located in inner-city Boston. In this capacity, Mr. Wright has worked with boards and organizations to build infrastructure, do strategic planning, develop and strengthen boards, and obtain other resources critical to the sustainability of community organizations.

Mr. Wright is also a consultant for the Boston Capacity Tank of the Black Ministerial Alliance. He specializes in Board Development and Strategic Planning for community and faith based organizations.

Mr. Wright is an ordained, minister at the Abundant Life Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also serves as a director and trustee of several community-based organizations. David is a husband and a proud father of two boys, Nathan, “The Boy Wonder,” and Micah, “The Boy of Steel,” and one daughter, Elizabeth, “The Girl Without Fear.” He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with his lovely wife, Shelbey.

Virginia Ward is the eldest twin daughter of the late Evangelist Dorcas Maxwell (nee Brewster) and Rev. Lenard Maxwell, Sr. a native Bostonian and daughter of the church, Virginia has always had a love for youth. Through the witness of friends at college, Virginia received Christ as her Savior in December of 1981. In October of 1982 she was baptized and received into membership at the Abundant Life Church in Cambridge. In February of 2001 she became a licensed minister. In September of 2003 she became an ordained minister.

Virginia serves as the first full-time Youth Pastor of the Abundant Life Church, where she ministers to youth of all ages. The New Generation Youth Ministries is multi-generational and reaches youth in the Riverside area of Cambridge with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Youth are taught how to transfer Biblical truths to their daily lives and empowered with opportunities to serve.

Virginia attended Northeastern University and majored in management. She has also participated in the Streetworkers training for youth workers at the Center for Urban Ministerial Education, the urban component of Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary. She is currently attending Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary studying for a Masters of Youth Ministry.

Virginia is a trainer and a coach for the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative; a national, faith-based urban youth leadership venture founded by the DeVos families. In April of 1999 she completed the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative as the Boston City Coordinator and a participant. Virginia currently serves as a trainer in the Initiative.

Virginia is a ministry council member of the National Network of Youth Workers, the New England Network and the Massachusetts Urban Youth Ministries Network. She is a former board member of the Riverside Leadership Council and the Cambridge Community Television. Virginia is a certified trainer for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and The Mass Mentoring Partnership. She is certified by the Trauma Center for the completion of the Basic School and Community Based Critical Incident Stress Management.

She is the wife of 20 years of her best friend, Rev. Lawrence Ward, Pastor of the Abundant Life Church in Cambridge, MA and the mother of two sons (mighty men of valor), Paul and Mark. Together they serve in ministry as a family for the kingdom of God.

For over 15 years, Danielle Gantt has worked with children and families in a variety roles. Beginning as an after school counselor she became increasingly involved in youth services and expanded her leadership as a program site coordinator, director and administrator.  She is well versed on what is needed to provide an effective, safe and nurturing environment for children and youth and she delights in sharing these tools and strategies with other youth workers.  In her current role as the Director of Education at the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, she provides training and technical assistance to churches and faith based organizations that run after school programs.  She is also a member at Concord Baptist Church where she works with the Youth Ministry and coordinates the Children’s Ministry which collectively serves children and youth ages 3-17.