Our Staff
The Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness leads a collaborative network of community partners focused on solutions to end and prevent homelessness in our community.
The Partnership has become the knowledge base for the COC. While we have a large administrative component, the Partnership is now a repository of skilled and experienced staff who can follow through on issues battling homelessness. In addition to “static” knowledge such as regulations and best practices, we also now offer “dynamic” knowledge with up-to-the-minute data reflecting meaningful trends. Building trust where it had been lacking is one perspective. Another is to see knowledge and data as the value we add along with exceptional administrative competence.
Knowledge
Skill
Compassion
Wisdom
Kim Crawford
Executive Director
Contact Kim at kcrawford@partnershipwake.org
Kim Crawford brings a wealth of experience to our organization. She holds both a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Corporate Communication from Lindenwood College. Her academic accomplishments also include an MA in Religion and Theology from the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Before she arrived at the Partnership, Kim was the NC ESG Homeless Programs Administrator. Other former positions include serving as Executive Director of the Allied Churches of Alamance County (ACAC) shelter, and the Life House, Inc. shelter for at-risk homeless children in Duluth, Minnesota.
Her passion to end homelessness prompted her to serve on multiple committees and projects during her career. She facilitated the successful execution of the first Alamance County Project Homeless Connect (ACICHA) “Bad Building Tour,” highlighting the poor quality of affordable housing in the community.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to work with the Raleigh/Wake Partnership to End Homelessness. I look forward to using my experience to bring the organization’s reach further into the community to assist more people in crisis, and hopefully break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.”
Jasmin Volkel
Coordinated Access System (CAS) Director
Contact Jasmin at jvolkel@partnershipwake.org
Although a native New Yorker, Jasmin has spent the past decade working to improve the lives of North Carolinians. She started as a mental and behavioral health case manager in Durham, NC after receiving a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Duke University. She worked with children and youth at-risk of removal from their homes. After graduating from NC State University with a Master of Social Work degree, Jasmin worked as a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Administrator for several NC Continua of Care (CoC) including the Wake CoC. She has helped inform others on the importance of data when designing and maintaining equitable Coordinated Entry systems both in and out of HMIS.
Cheryl Plourde
Deputy Director
Contact Cheryl at cplourde@partnershipwake.org
Cheryl Plourde has spent the past decade administering programs and researching evidence-based best practices in the housing and homelessness field. Before working at the Partnership, Cheryl spent several years conducting analyses on housing issues faced by persons with disabilities and drafting research articles on a variety of affordable housing issues faced by North Carolinians. Cheryl also spent nearly a decade as a Housing Program Administrator in Virginia administering state and federally funded homeless services grants. This work included interpreting complex federal and state regulations to modify compliance documents and analyzing financial and programmatic reports to ensure agencies met program benchmarks and expectations.
Cheryl is from Fayetteville and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University. After serving two terms in Americorps, she later received a Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Social Work Administration, Planning, and Policy Practice from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Jenn Von Egidy
Coordinated Access System Call Center Manager
Contact Jenn at jvonegidy@partnershipwake.org
Jenn Von Egidy has been working to end homelessness in North Carolina for 17 years in various roles. Prior to arriving at the Wake Partnership to End Homelessness, she was employed with the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness with the Balance of State Continuum of Care to share her expertise with homeless and housing program staff across the state as they work to adopt housing-focused, systems-based approaches. Much of her experience has been in supporting CoC governance coordination, policy and procedure development, providing technical assistance, presentations and trainings, and aiding the annual application process to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the North Carolina ESG office. She obtained her Bachelor of Social Work Degree at Appalachian State University while working full-time as a case manager in Emergency Shelter, Homeless Prevention, and Rapid Rehousing projects at the Hospitality House of Boone. Other notable roles include Director of Philanthropy at the Community Shelter of Union County, Positive Parenting Specialist at AppHealthCare, and contract work with the United Way.
A social worker by trade, you can see her passion for deepening the bench of knowledgeable professionals across the homeless response field, providing equitable and just housing and support services to our communities most vulnerable members, and being of service to the world in the relationships she builds and sustains, In her free time, Jenn rejuvenates and grows her spirit by being in nature, hanging with her family and pets, and facilitating a racial equity discussion group.
Thurston Alexander-Smith
HMIS Manager
Contact Thurston at talexandersmith@partnershipwake.org
Thurston has a passion for his community. Though he grew up in Charlotte, he visited Raleigh many times a year to visit family. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University, he continued his graduate work in Sociology at North Carolina State University and has called Raleigh home ever since.
Monika Gauthier
Housing Navigation Unit Manager
Contact Monika at mgauthier@partnershipwake.org
Originally from Connecticut, Monika Gauthier received her BA in Human Services from Springfield University and a BS in Criminal Justice from Strayer University. She has over 20 years of experience as a Case Manager, Program Manager, and Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Counselor Advocate. In addition, she served as the President of Women of Color Caucus Against Sexual Assault (WOCCASA) and is an Alumni of the CT Parent Leadership Training Institute.
Monika became a HUD Certified Housing Counselor while residing in Greensboro, where she also conducted Fair Housing Assessments. She managed the Rapid Re-Housing Program and the Foreclosure Prevention Program for the Greensboro Housing Coalition before transitioning to her position as Housing Case Manager at Allied Churches of Alamance County. While as the Housing Case Manager, she created a successful and robust Landlord Engagement Program. In this role, she helped match families with Landlords and provided ongoing assistance to both parties. Monika empowered and supported families along their housing journey of success through weekly voluntary Tenant Education classes and a monthly Women’s Empowerment Group.
Her proudest joy is being the mother of three wonderful children. She is also honored to be a military mom of an Army Veteran and an active-duty Army Soldier. Monika has a strong passion for serving our vulnerable population and firmly believes it is a Human Right for everyone to have safe and affordable quality housing.