QENO Team: Staff, Coaches, Advisory Council

Staff

	Vacant, Director
	Stephanie Straughn, Interim Director 910-962-3844 straughns@uncw.edu Stephanie Straughn, MSSW began her journey with UNC Wilmington’s Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO) as a MSSW Field Placement student. She is now QENO’s Program Manager and manages all QENO programming and evaluation. She has been an integral partner in QENO’s transition to participant-led program design and created and performed the program evaluation for QENO’s first Executive Director Academy that was created by and for new nonprofit Executive Directors in southeastern North Carolina. Stephanie has also led multiple collaborations with UNCW’s School of Social Work to increase students’ knowledge of and experience with macro social work and its impact on our nonprofit sector. Stephanie has a Bachelor’s in Social Work with a Minor in Psychology from UNC Wilmington and a Master’s of Science in Social Work, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and a certificate in Human Services Management, from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She served on the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) NC Chapter’s Board of Directors and the UNCW BSW Committee and acted as an officer of two student social work organizations at UNCW. Stephanie’s areas of interest include nonprofit management, reentry, substance abuse, criminal justice reform and prison social work.
	Davonna Cohen, Office & Event Coordinator 910-962-7039 cohendm@uncw.edu Davonna Cohen became a member of the QENO team in January of 2018, interning as QENO Program Assistant. She has since served as a SECU Program Coordinator, Interim Office and Event Coordinator and as of December 2020, she now serves as QENO's Office and Event Coordinator. In this role, Davonna maintains all office functions including tracking funding expenditures and carries out all QENO event logistics. As SECU Program Coordinator, Davonna oversaw the expenses of a $50,000 grant from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation for QENO to host 10 SECU Public Fellows in Summer 2020. These interns were placed virtually in 10 organizations located in Brunswick and Onslow counties. Davonna holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree with a minor in psychology as well as a Master of Social Work degree with a certificate in substance us from UNC Wilmington. Her passions include reentry, substance use, mental health, prison social work, children, and dance.
	Emmanuel Mitcham, Marketing and Communications Specialist Emmanuel Mitcham supports QENO in his role as Marketing and Communications Specialist for UNCW Community Engagement. He assists in developing and managing branding for events as well as creating graphics for marketing materials. Emmanuel has strong background in higher education, diversity, and healthcare marketing. He is very passionate about his work, both personally and professionally. He has a history of providing assistance to non-profit organizations and individuals in the Wilmington community.
	Sara Bullins, Program Assistant Sara Bullins supports QENO as a Program assistant. Her role includes assisting the department program manager in all aspects of program delivery including event planning & setup, program evaluation, and assisting with administrative duties related to QENO’s organizational coaching process. Sara is following in her mother’s footsteps as a UNCW legacy. She is perusing a degree in Social Work and Sociology with a Minor in Leadership Studies. She is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient and did her project on implementing Diabetes education and awareness in schools. She is also a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and has held chair positions such as housing chair and community service chair. Sara has a passion for social justice and advocates on behalf of individuals living with disabilities. She dedicates her time to educating others on the matter and spreading awareness. She is excited to be a part of the QENO team and looks forward to all the opportunities ahead.

QENO Coaches

Coaches are independently contracted by UNCW and not employees of QENO.

	Andy Atkinson Andy Atkinson’s experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors spans four decades. Atkinson spent twenty-four years as Finance Director and Deputy County Manager for New Hanover County. Since retiring in 2003, Andy has served as a consultant by numerous private and public agencies such as Cape Fear Literacy Council, Phoenix Ministries, Access Three of the Lower Cape Fear and the UNCW with an emphasis on strategic planning, leadership skills, and board development issues. He served on the board of the Cape Fear Area United Way for 12 years and was recently the Chair of the Carousel Center for Abused Children.
	Richard E. Blouse, Jr. Dick Blouse is president and CEO of Global Perspectives LLC, a company that deals in economic development, strategic thinking and organizational development. He is a former president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber where he developed innovative initiatives that spanned the private and public sectors. Under his leadership, the Chamber created a regional economic partnership that united the Detroit region's 10-county governments with the private sector, doubled the Chamber's customer base to 20,000 firms and put it in solid financial footing with $8 million of daily cash management. He retired in 2010 and, in 2016-2017, Dick was asked to serve as Interim President/CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
	Beth Hoover-DeBerry Beth graduated from Salem College with a BA in Psychology and Sociology, and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. As a lifelong volunteer and avid museum-goer, Beth found an ideal match in the non-profit sector for her professional skills and personal interest at Reynolda House Museum of American Art, where she serves as Manager of Docent-Volunteers. Beth enjoys being able to share her knowledge of volunteer management with others by facilitating workshops at state and regional museum conferences, creating conversations to promote volunteerism in her community, and problem solving with non-profit professionals seeking guidance. She is active in several professional museum groups including the North Carolina Museums Council (NCMC) as a FoCoS Consultant, and the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) as a member of the program committee. She has served on the Executive committee of the Piedmont Regional Association of Volunteer Administrators (PRAVA), and served as Board Chair for HandsOn Northwest NC.
	Mona Johnson-Gibson Mona has more than 30 years experience in the private, public and non-profit sector in the areas of human service, marketing, training and administration. She formerly was the CEO of the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte for 12 years before retiring in January 2019 to Brunswick County. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from UNC-Charlotte and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Wake Forest University. She is a past president of Metropolitan Business & Professional Women (BPW) and has served BPW at the district and state levels. She also has served on the Cabarrus Mediation and Teen Court Board helping teens in trouble. In 2011 she was named one of the Mecklenburg Times 50 Most Influential Women.
	Tracy Meadows Tracy Meadows is a 1992 graduate of the UNCW Cameron School of Business with a BS in Accounting. Since that time, Tracy has served in various accounting capacities in the Wilmington area in both the private and public sectors and is currently in private practice with a wide variety of clients ranging from non-profit organizations to companies within the restaurant, retail, and construction industries. Tracy held roles as Treasurer, Vice-President, and President for such organizations as Smart Start of New Hanover County, North Carolina Junior Sorosis, Forest Hills Global Elementary School PTA, and the Hanover Seaside Club. Tracy currently resides in Wilmington, NC with her husband and son.
	David Morrison David Morrison is Coach and Owner of DF Morrison Consulting, a firm that empowers social-impact ventures (both for-profit and nonprofit) to work smarter. He helps organizations “keep it rollin’” by discovering the best structure for your needs, sharing the value of diversifying your revenue streams, and, ensuring you have the right team at your table. David holds both a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in nonprofit management and a Certificate in Conflict Management and Resolution from University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). He has served as a co-founder, board member and volunteer for local adapted recreation and human services organizations in Wilmington, NC since 2008, during which time, he has helped write and review countless grants of varying sizes and types. This includes grants for the over $1 million development of the BRAX Stadium PPD Miracle Field and Kiwanis Miracle Playground at Olsen Park David holds his bachelor’s Degree (’13) in English also from UNCW.
	Kim Nelson Bio coming soon...
	Boo Tyson Boo Tyson is the owner and founder of the nonprofit consulting business, Tyme Management, LLC, specializing in the facilitation of difficult conversations within nonprofit and other workplace settings. In this capacity, she works with boards of directors and executive staff in helping to create processes and develop relationships that can sustain an organization, its board and its executive director over time. Boo has 25 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, serving in roles ranging from program director to organizer to executive director. She also previously served as the vice-president of Education & Connections at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN. She holds an undergraduate degree in social work from NC State University, a Master of Divinity degree from the Divinity School at Wake Forest University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. The daughter of a public school teacher and a United Methodist minister, Boo grew up in eastern North Carolina being called Martha Buie. Portions of Boo’s family and history were captured in her brother Tim Tyson’s award-winning book, Blood Done Sign My Name.

Advisory Council

Dr. Jill Waity, Ph. D.	Dr. Andrea Jones, Ph.D.
Latisha Corpening, MA	Tracy Meadows
Michelle Gunn	Marcia Wright
Resea Willis