Board and Staff | Together We Can Foundation

Contact Info

5101 Cleveland Street, Suite 305 Virginia Beach, VA 23462
757-288-3231
info@twcfoundation.org

BOARD OFFICERS

BOARDS

BOARD MEMBERS

TWC STAFF

Heather Fine

STAFF-SMART TRANSITIONS PROGRAM MANAGER/INSTRUCTOR

Board and Staff Bios

BOARD CHAIR

Cindy A. Curtis

Retired Deputy City Manager, Virginia Beach. Member and Chair of the Together We Can Foundation Board of Directors.

Cindy A. Curtis retired as Deputy City Manager for Virginia Beach after spending 33 years in executive leadership positions in municipal governments across Virginia. She has been a member of the Together We Can Foundation Board of Directors since 2016 and as its Chair since 2019. Cindy also serves as a board member of the Virginia Recreation and Parks Foundation and the Community Services Board of Virginia Beach. She is the Treasurer of Hospice House of Hampton Roads. Cindy passionately believes that through servant leadership, we can make a difference in our community.

“The important work of Together We Can aligns with her belief that every youth deserves the opportunity to thrive and to mature into an adult life and career, which allows them to live comfortably while contributing positively to their community.”

BOARD VICE-CHAIR

Jennifer Duffy

Senior Vice President of Wealth Management, Quantum Private Wealth at Raymond James.

Jennifer Duffy is a Senior Vice President of wealth management at Quantum Private Wealth at Raymond James. She is a former board member of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition and Trust Authority. She enjoys giving back to her community. She volunteers for Norfolk Academy, William and Mary Athletics and at Church of The Holy Family.

BOARD SECRETARY

Donna S. Morris

Executive Vice President, Reinvent Hampton Roads. Extensive professional and volunteer experience.

Donna S. Morris is Executive Vice President for Reinvent Hampton Roads. Donna is a Past Chair of the Virginia Beach Community Services board and currently serves on the Virginia Beach Social Services Advisory Board. She brings decades of professional and volunteer experience to her role on the Executive Board for the Foundation.

BOARD TREASURER

Archie L. Simmons, CPA

CFO of Hoffman Beverage, 20+ years in accounting and nonprofit involvement.

Archie L Simmons, CPA, is a Virginia Beach native with more than 20 years of experience working in the accounting field across multiple industries. After graduating from William and Mary, Archie spent 15 years in public accounting with KPMG, including two of those years in New Zealand. He currently serves as the CFO of Hoffman Beverage and has been involved with various not-for-profit organizations throughout his career, including 7 years on the board of Volunteer Hampton Roads and 3 years serving as the Treasurer for Galilee Episcopal Church.

“Being a father myself and watching this next generation grow up in a very complex world has given me the perspective to know how easy it would be to become disconnected. I am proud to be a part of an organization that focuses on this major national issue here in our community to identify those individuals and work to instill confidence and a sense of belonging for young individuals trying to create a future for themselves. “

BOARD MEMBERS

Daniel Berger

Daniel Berger is an attorney focusing his practice on complex civil litigation. Daniel represents businesses and individuals in commercial disputes involving a wide range of issues including contract law, unfair competition and trade secrets, professional liability, and business torts. Daniel has experience litigating cases in both state and federal courts, as well as defending and prosecuting appeals in the Virginia Supreme Court. Before going into private practice, Daniel served as Judicial Clerk to Hon. Robert J. Humphreys, Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2011-2013.

Phil Damuth

Phil Damuth has worked in a regional family business, Damuth Trane, over the last 23 years. Damuth Trane was a regional HVAC professional services business that covered Hampton Roads -Southeastern VA & NE North Carolina. During his career at Damuth Trane, Phil’s role was vice president for client and community relations. This role allowed him to engage with the Hampton Roads Region to develop partnerships, internships, and expand the company’s community involvement. Phil is now looking to leverage this experience in community involvement by contributing to the Together We Can Foundation.

“I believe in the mission of supporting at-risk young adults in acquiring the tools necessary “to be all they can be” for independent adult life in the Hampton Roads workforce.”

Melissa “Mel” Goodrich

Melissa “Mel” Goodrich is a seasoned human resources executive and leadership coach with more than 32 years of experience driving organizational transformation, workforce strategy, and leadership development across health care, retail, and education sectors. She currently serves as Chief Human Resources Strategic Partner for Bon Secours Mercy Health – Hampton Roads, where she leads strategic people initiatives that advance mission, culture, and operational excellence. In addition to her executive role, Mel is an HR Consultant with the Birdsong Health Literacy Center of Excellence, supporting its efforts to improve community health through literacy, education, and volunteer engagement. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at ECPI University and Old Dominion University, where she teaches business and human resources courses, preparing the next generation of leaders for success. Mel is deeply engaged in community leadership. She serves on the Board of the Together We Can Foundation and the ODU Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Board, supporting youth development and advancing women’s leadership. She is also an active member of Women United (United Way) and Go Red for Women – American Heart Association, championing causes that strengthen communities and promote health and equity. A credentialed professional holding SHRM-CP, PHR, ACC, and CPCC certifications, Mel is passionate about aligning people strategies with organizational goals, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, and supporting leadership growth at all levels.

“Together We Can is important to me because I believe the best way to help someone is to educate, provide resources, and support them in achieving their goals. This organization embodies that mission by empowering young people and creating meaningful opportunities for their future success.“

Rich Johnson

Rich Johnson is a Senior Vice President, Middle Market Banking with SouthState Bank. He lives in Virginia Beach, VA with his wife, Lindsay, and their three children. Rich graduated from The University of Maryland in 2007 with a degree in Finance. He enjoys coaching his children’s sports teams, playing golf, spending time at the beach with his family and watching The New York Giants.

“I believe in matching the talents of our community’s youth with the needs of the community to create win-win situations and ensure Hampton Roads continues to be a great place to live for all.”

Martha McClees

Martha McClees, a lifelong resident of Virginia Beach, Retiring in 2024 Martha was the Executive Director of Virginia Beach Vision, Inc., a nonpartisan, issue-oriented business organization. Earlier in her career, she served as the Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator for the City of Suffolk and as the Vice President for Governmental Affairs for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, providing her with a long working affiliation with elected officials, area business and community leaders. Backed by 35 years in non-profit administration, Martha is versed in volunteer coordination, issues management, community advocacy and Board development. Martha served as a City Council appointee to the VB 2040 – Community Coalition, the Social Services Board, the Community Services Board, and the Arts Commission. Martha was a founding member of the TWC Board of Directors and in recent years returned to the Board of Directors to continue her active support of the mission. Additionally, Martha continues to serve on the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival Board of Directors, the ViBe District Board, and the Board of Virginia Musical Theatre.

TWC reaches youth who otherwise lack clear guidance and the tools necessary to have a successful transition into adulthood. These are youth who might otherwise flounder, not realizing their unique opportunities for success. TWC’s program reaches these individuals at a time most critical to their future, giving them direction and most importantly, hope. It is a model program that I would like to see grow across the region and the Commonwealth to reach a broader population of youth in their formative years.

Joanie Needham

Joanie Needham has been in the Banking Industry for over 45 years in Hampton Roads with many of those years in the Business and Commercial Lending arena and the most recent 4 years as a Private Banker. She has served on several committees and boards of various organizations throughout her career.

She is delighted to be an active board member of Together We Can Foundation and enjoys helping to educate and inform our community about the plight of disconnected youth and the work of this wonderful and worthwhile organization.

Ninah Pearson

Ninah Pearson is the board liaison with Virginia Beach Human Services. She is the Child and Family Wellbeing Program Manager for Child Protective Services In-Home and Family Support programs. Ninah has spent over 30 years in child welfare and has seen firsthand how disengaged youth can be unseen and forgotten.

Together We Can brings resources and programs to the youth allowing them to have some of the same opportunities and change the trajectory of their future.

Donna Siller

Donna Siller is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in many clinical and administrative capacities in Virginia Beach over the past 40 years. She has masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Donna’s commitment to serving youth comes from seeing how structure and support builds a strong foundation for adulthood. Donna worked at the City of Virginia Beach Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as well as Southeastern Virginia Health System, She currently provides psychotherapy in a private practice.

Cassandra Thompson

Cassandra Thompson is a Strategic Human Resources Leader with over 25 years in the for-profit and not -profit sectors supporting organizations in healthcare, media, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, education, publishing, aviation, and defense. She has demonstrated success aligning Human Resources strategies to business goals and developing critical talent to deliver business results and improve processes and systems. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University and studied Business Administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Cassandra has served on the board of REACH (Reading Enriches Children), Urban League Guild, Minority Advisory Council (A United Way Affiliate) and Boys & Girls Club of Suffolk. She is also a graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads, a Regional Leadership Program.

Nancy M. Welch MD, MHA, MBA

Nancy M. Welch MD, MHA, MBA has served as a public health director in Virginia since 1976. Currently, she is the Director of the Chesapeake Health Department. Over the years she has also served as the acting health director for the Western Tidewater Health District as needed. Her major professional focus is utilizing data analysis as a persuasive motivator for individuals and communities to actively engage in healthier lifestyle habits. She received her B.S. at Lynchburg College, Degree in Medicine at Duke University and M.B.A. at Old Dominion University. Her Pediatric Residency and Masters of Health Administration were at the University of Colorado. She is board certified in both Pediatrics and Public Health/ Preventive Medicine; Dr. Welch is also a Retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Dr. Welch’s book, “Healing Emotional Wounds—A Story of Overcoming the Long Hard Road to Recovery from Abuse and Abandonment,” was recently published and is available in bookstores and at Amazon.com. It chronicles the story of her adoption of two Ukrainian children and their struggles to overcome emotional and behavioral challenges.

As both a Pediatrician and Health Director, I realize the importance of positive influences in the lives of young people. Smart Transitions provides both the caring and training to assist young persons towards the goal of knowing they can achieve and be proud.

Tom Crockett

STAFF-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tom Crockett has served as the Executive Director of the Together We Can Foundation staff since 2010, bringing a lifetime of experience in education and at-risk youth populations. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Old Dominion University and a Master’s in Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community college and taught at Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia for five years in the 1980’s.

In 1990, Tom left teaching to work as an arts and education consultant to the Polaroid Corporation. He helped develop an innovative national business-to-education marketing partnership that became known as the Polaroid Education Program. Tom also served as an education programming consultant for National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, USA Today, and Walmart and ran an innovative arts-based mentoring program for teens in Norfolk City called Art Quest.

From 2004 to 2009, he served as the Associate Director and then Executive Director for Young Audiences of Virginia—using innovative arts programming to solve educational and social challenges. Tom is the principal author and designer of TWC’s programming and materials and has a life-long commitment to ensuring success and happiness for teens on transition to adult life.

He is an avid photographer and a published author and shares three children with his wife, Kelly.

Katie Peters

STAFF-PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Katie Peters is an educator with several years’ experience working as the Community & Family Outreach Coordinator for two school districts in Wisconsin, where she oversaw extensive school and community grants, taught parenting programs, oversaw the AmeriCorps program, served on numerous community boards, and collaborated closely with organizations such as the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club. Katie helped at-risk families by connecting them with vital community resources, while planning and hosting successful community events that strengthened communication and addressed emerging needs.

Katie also served as the United Way Chair in 2017, leading a fundraising campaign to highlight the program’s immediate value to the community. In addition, she coordinated the Project SEARCH program, ensuring challenged students were placed in meaningful work rotations that frequently led to employment opportunities. This involved collaboration with several community organizations, businesses and schools. After moving to Virginia in 2019, Katie transitioned into teaching virtually from home and later began substitute teaching in the schoolhouse.

Her passion lies in serving others and making a positive difference in the lives of those around her. She enjoys spending her time with her husband and two children, with her oldest son currently attending Coastal Carolina University.

I value the mission of Together We Can because I have seen firsthand how access to support and opportunity can change the course of a young person’s life.

Heather Fine

STAFF-SMART TRANSITIONS PROGRAM MANAGER/INSTRUCTOR

Heather is part of the TWC staff dedicated to empowering youth. Heather Fine joined the Together We Can Foundation and the Barry Robinson Center in 2021. She has a B.A. in English from Virginia Tech and a M.S. in Secondary Education from Old Dominion University. A Hampton Roads native, she began her career as an English teacher and has experience teaching grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Her passion is working with youth, and she believes that youth today are facing more challenges surrounding disconnection than ever.

I believe in the Together We Can Foundation’s mission because I believe in the power of connection and optimism. All youth have the ability to succeed with the proper tools, and the Together We Can Foundation provides those tools that prepare youth for successful transitions into adult life.

Dawn James-Valentine

STAFF-PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR

Dawn is part of the TWC staff dedicated to empowering youth. Dawn James-Valentine is a dedicated and service-driven professional with more than 28 years of experience helping youth and families achieve their goals through workforce development, social services, and community advocacy. She has spent her career empowering young people to recognize their strengths, build confidence, and prepare for success in education, work, and life. Before joining the school system, Dawn served as a Workforce Development Specialist and Program Budget Officer with the U.S. Department of Labor, where she trained and supported organizations nationwide to help young adults acquire the skills and opportunities they need to thrive. As a Certified Workforce Development Professional, Dawn brings extensive experience in teaching and training. She has designed and led over 30 professional development sessions and workshops focused on career exploration, leadership, communication, goal setting, and personal growth. Dawn’s mission is to empower youth, believing that every young person deserves the chance to shape their own future with the proper guidance, tools, and encouragement. Her mission as a Career Coach is to help students set meaningful goals, develop real-world skills, and discover pathways to fulfilling careers. She is proud to support the Together We Can (TWC) mission, which aligns with her lifelong passion for helping youth transition confidently into adulthood and make a positive impact in their communities. Dawn resides with her son, daughter, and three very spoiled, but lovable, Rottweilers.