Focus 2018: Workshop Session III Presenters

It Takes a Village: Ending LGBTQ Youth Homelessness (TC)             
Presenter: Melissa Meyer, Director, Safe and Supported/Lighthouse Youth and Family Services

Melissa Meyer is a trainer and organizational leader who has helped communities tackle complex issues like LGBTQ inclusion, sexuality education, and intimate partner violence. She has worked with youth and youth-serving professionals in a variety of settings for over 25 years. Meyer currently leads Safe and Supported, an LGBTQ youth homelessness prevention initiative.

Keys to a Healthy and Successful Safe Place Program – Regardless of Agency (SP)
Presenter: David E. Mount, Director of Street Outreach Programs, Seton Youth Shelters

A graduate from Old Dominion University, David Mount possesses nearly 43 years of professional work with children, adolescents, and young adults in private psychiatric hospitals, therapeutic residential treatment centers, a wilderness educational program for adolescent boys, emergency mental health clinician for local community services boards, and youth services provided within the Runaway/Homeless Youth Act community. Mount has serves on various local, state, and national work groups addressing target areas of runaway and homeless youth populations, victims of crime, human trafficking, and Virginia Beach Youth Forums.  Mr. Mount currently serves on the City of Norfolk Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Steering Committee, Virginia Beach Continuum of Care, Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, Hampton Roads Regional Task Force to End Homelessness, and National Safe Place Network Advisory Board. 

Bring Your "A" Game (YE)
Presenter: Melanie Cox, Director of Leadership Development, YMCA Association Services Office

Melanie Cox, Director of Leadership Development, celebrates 34 years of experience with the YMCA in youth development and outreach as well as family programming. She is trainer for both the local and the national YMCA organization, as well as a credentialed trainer for childcare in Kentucky.

Journey from Youth Worker to Executive Leader (PD)
Presenters: Pat Holterman-Hommes, President and CEO, Youth In Need; Bill Mann, Co-CEO and COO, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter; and Fonda Thompson, Executive Director, Open Arms, Inc.

In 2013, Pat Holterman-Hommes became the fourth President and CEO in Youth In Need’s history. She has been a key staff member at Youth In Need since 1990, serving most recently as Chief Program Officer. She has extensive expertise in the areas of adolescent development and family therapy, child abuse and neglect issues, positive youth development, and organizational development. Holterman-Hommes currently serves on the boards of the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies, National Safe Place Network, and the Community Council of St. Charles County. She also represents the needs of vulnerable children and youth on various statewide committees, including the Children’s Services Coalition.

Bill Mann is the Co-CEO and Chief Operations Officer of Florida Keys Children’s Shelter. He has been with FKCS since 2000, and he has served in many positions including youth advocate, team leader, and staff development director. Mann has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology of Criminology from Northern Illinois University.

Dr. Fonda Thompson is an ordained preacher, leader, mentor, and motivational speaker. Dr. Thompson has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management (both from Troy State University), and a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Ministry from Andersonville Theological Seminary. The last 24 years, she has been employed at Open Arms, Inc., a child advocacy center for abused, runaway, and homeless youth. While at Open Arms, she has worked in many capacities including group home director, runaway and homeless director, human resource director, and she currently serves as the executive director.

Dr. Thompson is married to Master Gunnery Sergeant (Retired) Ira Lee Thompson, Jr. They are the proud parents of Steven and Alena Thompson, and God-parents of Sharavious Jackson, Kim Jackson, and Arion Davis. Her motto in life is to always live the life that God has given you.

Delivering on the Promise of Diversity and Inclusion (OD)
Presenter: Ferdinand Risco, Assistant Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City

Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., MBA, is the Assistant Executive Director for The Transit Authority of River City (TARC), the largest public transit agency in Kentucky, carrying 15 million passengers annually. He is responsible for leadership and direction for all operations in the system. Risco’s experience includes: freight transport, manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation. He has worked in operations, maintenance, employee and labor relations, human resources, and diversity and inclusion. As a former Army officer, Ferdinand has helped government agencies and later Fortune 500 companies earn awards and distinctions for their best in class results.

As a transit executive and former college professor, Risco is highly sought after as a lecturer on many topics including: diversity and inclusion, equal employment practices, supplier diversity, disadvantaged business enterprise certification, leadership, and workforce development.