As the central connector linking those with unmet needs to essential services in the state of Maryland, 211 Maryland, a 501(c)(3) organization, is pleased to announce the appointment of six new board members. The members bring deep and varied expertise in the areas of business, non-profit and foundation management, consulting, law and technology.
211 Maryland newly appointed board members include:
- Shelly L. Brown, Esq., Partner, Neighbors & Brown
- Veola Green, Executive Managing Partner, The International Institute of Family Development; Program Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Ateira Griffin, CEO and founder, BOND: Building Our Nation’s Daughters
- Chau Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, NYSA LLC
- Janice Williams, Janice Williams Consultations LLC
- Tiffany Turner-Allen, Executive Director, Nonprofit Prince George’s County
“Our board of directors is comprised of an exceptional team of recognized business and community leaders committed to lifting communities up by identifying and advocating for services that meet the collective, fundamental needs of all Marylanders,” commented Quinton Askew, president and CEO of 211 Maryland. “We believe that individuals and communities alike are made stronger by enlisting the resources of many, rather than solely relying on the efforts of one; we’re thrilled to add these leaders as an expression of that belief. Channeling the talent, energy and expertise of Shelly, Veola, Ateira, Chau, Janice and Tiffany will advance our mission as Maryland’s central connector to essential health and human services.”
Shelly Brown, Esq., has more than 25 years of experience successfully representing individuals in the Circuit and District Courts of Maryland and in the District of Columbia. In her work, she advocates the values she learned from her parents, both of perseverance through pain, and how altruism is a crucial principle that ultimately rewards the giver as much, if not more than, the receiver.
Ms. Brown is committed to the community and is the creator of Common Sense Life Skills, a program for at-risk adolescent girls. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, she received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland, College Park and earned her juris doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is the proud mother of two high-achieving, philanthropically minded children who regularly participate in community charity events, excel in sports and make their mother proud every day.
Veola Green is the executive managing partner and principal at The International Institute of Family Development (IIFD), as well as program associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). Recognized as an innovator and bridge-builder among people, governments and organizations, Ms. Green leverages her background in field work, policy reform and program management to serve the causes of child welfare and international women’s development at a systemic level.
At IIFD, she brings together a diverse team that collaborates with government and private sector entities to increase enterprise generation across the African diaspora. As program associate at AECF, she focuses on system innovation within the Child Welfare group. Board roles include the Pan African Women's Development Association Legislative and Agriculture committees, and the executive leadership team of Black Emergency Managers Association International where she grows partnership development and strategic planning.
Ms. Green holds a B.S. in human services, a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Springfield College, and a certificate in executive leadership from Simmons University School of Management.
Ateira Griffin, CEO and founder of Building Our Nation’s Daughters (BOND), is a Baltimore City resident, educator, facilitator, community organizer and writer. Her passion for making a positive impact in marginalized communities drives her work in disrupting all things oppressive to the Black community, women of color and single mother households. BOND mentors single mothers to cultivate positive mother-daughter relationships and increase their economic mobility two generations at a time.
Ms. Griffin serves on a variety of boards including Teach for America Baltimore and the Union Hall Board. Her community activism work includes the “Back on the Bus” campaign, which secured two hours of extra free student Maryland Transportation Authority ridership; the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund Community Forum, passing the Transparency in Lobbying Act; and Baltimore Rising, a seven-week, free organizing and advocacy training for Baltimore residents. She has played leadership roles in Baltimoreans for Educational Equity, and the #FixtheGap campaign, which secured $300 million in educational funds for Baltimore.
Ms. Griffin received a certificate in administration and supervision of schools and a Master of Science in secondary education, both from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University.
Chau Nguyen, chief technology officer for NYSA LLC and senior solutions architect on assignment with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is a seasoned technologist with more than 25 years of experience in the federal, non-profit and private industries. In his role, Mr. Nguyen provides technical leadership, Agile project management, and serves as business liaison between HHS/payroll management accounting and other agencies.
Prior to Mr. Nguyen’s work with HHS, he worked with the U.S. Digital Services (USDS) for the Social Security Administration’s Disabilities Claims Processing System (DCPS) program as chief test architect and cyber security specialist. He is the co-founder of Hope for Tomorrow, a Rockville, Maryland-based non-profit that provides medical and dental services to disadvantaged communities, which recently has provided free dental clinics to more than 4,000 patients. He serves as commissioner to the Maryland Governor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and several boards including Lien Doan Potomac Inc., a Vietnamese-American Scouting Troup 1794, and Hoa Hoa Buddhist Foundation.
Tiffany Turner-Allen, executive director of Nonprofit Prince George’s County, leads this human services coalition which provides advocacy, collaboration and education to all county nonprofit organizations. Driven by a mission to see her community become a model of racial equity, she also launched Blacktivism:The Collective: The Center for Peace and Prosperity in Black Communities, which focuses on training and education to uplift and advance the entire Black community. With a diverse background in teaching, media and entertainment, community relations, business development, marketing and promotions, Ms. Turner-Allen’s life work has centered on public health, education and social justice reform to solve long-standing problems plaguing communities of color.
Ms. Turner-Allen holds a B.A. in communications, a minor in African-American studies from George Mason University, as well as a certificate in community health leadership from Morehouse School of Medicine.
Janice L. Williams, president and principal consultant at Janice Williams Consultations, brings more than 25 years of nonprofit management experience in strategic planning, development, executive coaching, donor engagement process, and infrastructure improvement to build deep connections and drive revenue. Her analytical and evaluation talents help organizations identify metrics to map progress and measure success through robust reporting mechanisms.
In her previous role as vice president of development for St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, Ms. Williams led development initiatives for the annual fund, board campaign, major donor campaign and capital campaign supporting the $17 million annual budget for 13 human service programs serving men, women and children experiencing hunger, homelessness and poverty. She also served as executive director of the American Red Cross in Prince George’s County and director of development at Healthcare for the Homeless.
About 211 Maryland 211 Maryland is the central connector to health and human services for the state of Maryland, empowering individuals and communities to thrive by linking those with unmet needs to essential resources. As the 24/7/365 access point to vital resources that help individuals and communities thrive, we connect those in need via call center, web, text and chat to support services for natural and man-made disasters, housing, food, domestic violence, aging and disabilities, tax and utilities, employment, healthcare access and veterans’ affairs; additionally, 211 Maryland offers confidential crisis response for substance abuse, mental health and suicide emergencies at https://pressone.211md.org.
211 Maryland is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3). To connect or donate, visit www.211md.org.
