Fedora Galasso, MPAff, MSSW, Chief Executive Officer (She/Her)
Fedora Galasso is the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) where she leads the organization in strengthening services for Texas youth and young adults. Prior to joining TNOYS she was the Southern Regional Director for Young Invincibles, a national, nonpartisan policy research and advocacy organization committed to amplifying the voices of young adults and expanding their economic opportunity.
Fedora has extensive state government experience. At the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, she managed several innovative statewide programs that fostered public and private partnerships to expand access to health, education and economic supports for Texans. At the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Fedora worked as a senior policy analyst and Child Protective Services investigator and legal liaison. In these roles she identified and disseminated evidence-based best practices, program models, and policies to improve the child welfare system.
Fedora graduated with dual master’s degrees in Public Affairs and Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin where she specialized in social and economic policy with a focus on innovative child and family social policy and programs. During this time she worked at Ascend at the Aspen Institute and the Texas Council on Family Violence, researching, implementing, and evaluating family economic security programs. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University – Commerce.
Fedora was born and raised in Guyana, South America, and has lived in Texas for the past twenty years. In her spare time, Fedora enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, swimming at Austin swimming holes and parks, and eating breakfast tacos.
Natalie Ferguson, Operations Manager (She/Her)
Natalie Ferguson is the Operations Manager at TNOYS joining in early 2021. She graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelors in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. Since moving to San Marcos, TX, Natalie has been very involved in her community. In the city, she volunteers with scholarship organizations as well as mentoring new students at Texas State University. Natalie worked with Young Invincibles TX to further their youth programming and facilitate discussions around healthcare and higher education advocacy. She is extremely passionate about uplifting the voices of young people in the political process. Natalie is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration.
Melissa Hamaker, Finance and Grants Administrator (She/Her)
Melissa Hamaker joined TNOYS in late May 2024. She graduated from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelor’s in Public Administration and is a U.S. Army veteran. She also has a certificate in grant writing and an Associate’s in Paralegal Studies. With over a decade of nonprofit experience, Melissa has managed multiple grant programs overseeing state and federal grant program requirements. Before joining TNOYS, Melissa played a pivotal role in enhancing emergency preparedness planning and healthcare system development across Central Texas. Beyond her professional endeavors, Melissa finds immense joy in spending quality time with her children. With a steadfast commitment to driving growth and fostering positive outcomes, Melissa is dedicated to making a lasting impact on the communities she serves.
Lauren Rose, MPAff, Director of Public Policy (She/Her)
Lauren Rose joined TNOYS in January 2019. She has worked both inside and outside of the Texas Capitol. The 86th Texas Legislative Session was her 7th legislative session – with the bulk of those years focused on policy change to improve the lives of Texas children and support at-risk and system-involved youth. Lauren worked at Texans Care for Children for 8 years and has been volunteering as a mentor through the Seedling Foundation for 6 years. Lauren received her master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Government all from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dewey Marshall, Policy Manager (He/Him)
Dewey Marshall was born and raised in Denton County, where he currently resides. He has been working for various non-profits since 2013 and has a passion for fighting structural injustice. Dewey attended Ranger College in Ranger, TX, followed by University of Utah, then came back to his home of Denton to complete his Bachelor’s of Social Work at Texas Woman’s University. He has been involved in community organizing since 2015, and first started working in housing counseling and policy at the North Texas Fair Housing Center. Since then, Dewey has worn many hats, including Campaign Field Manager for Beto for Texas, Lead Texas Organizer for Grassroots Law Project, Executive Director for Texas Tenants’ Union, and most recently Policy Director for the North Texas Fair Housing Center. He works with high school debate teams on the weekends and enjoys being mediocre at chess during his free time.
Ann-Charlotte Proffitt Minifee, MPAff, Director of Practice (She/ Her)
Ann-Charlotte joined TNOYS in January 2019 to contribute to, and eventually lead, TNOYS’ practice strategy. In this role, Ann-Charlotte develops and oversees strategies to provide training, technical assistance, and capacity-building support to youth-serving organizations across the state. Major practice initiatives include conferences, emergency preparedness and response, and building Texas’ capacity to prevent and address commercial sexual exploitation of youth. Prior to this role, Ann-Charlotte worked for the Child and Family Research Partnership at the University of Texas at Austin on evaluations of state-funded initiatives. She has also worked with foundations to manage grants and develop investment strategies, as well as nonprofit organizations to conduct financial research, write grant applications, and support fundraising. Ann-Charlotte received her master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and her bachelor’s degree in Plan II Honors and French, all from the University of Texas at Austin.
Sedoo Ijir, MPH, Senior Program Manager (She/ Her)
Sedoo Ijir (pronounced “Se-Doe”, rhymes with “Meadow”) is passionate about creating effective programs and resources to meet the health and well-being needs of youth and marginalized communities. Before joining TNOYS, Sedoo was an AmeriCorps VISTA serving with the University of Houston-Downtown’s (UHD) Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. As part of UHD’s hub for community engagement, she recruited and collaborated with staff, students, faculty, and community organizations to support high-impact learning practices while also conducting effective community engagement projects. Sedoo provided technical assistance to over 20 projects and, through her community relationships, connected them to the people and resources they needed to thrive. Sedoo also has experience working with immigrant and refugee youth at Football United, as well as identifying the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals and developing trainings for service providers with the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago. Sedoo earned her master’s in public health at Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Global Health also from Northwestern.
Alexander Polk, Program Manager (He/They)
Alex Polk is driven by using his skills and lived experience to help young people overcome challenges and adversity. At TNOYS, Alex develops and presents training content on youth issues, supports program development for member organizations and external stakeholders, and supports the coordination of conferences and other training events. Alex started with TNOYS as a member of TNOYS’ Young Adult Leadership Council in 2017 and has presented numerous times at various conferences and on training webinars, particularly on youth homelessness, CSEY, and LGBTQ issues. As a transgender rights advocate, Alex prides himself on his ongoing efforts towards equity, inclusion, education, self-care, and empowerment.
Jay Wilk, Training Manager (They/Them)
Jay Wilk joined TNOYS as the Training Manager in 2024. They have a background in community theater, and victim/survivor-centered resources for those impacted by domestic violence. Jay has collaborated with youth in Austin, TX to create theater pieces centered on topics of healthy dating and relationship warning signs, as well as lead presentations with healthcare providers in identifying best practices for supporting patients experiencing family violence. They previously worked at The National Domestic Violence Hotline – responding to contacts reaching out via chat and text, as well as serving as a Learning and Development Specialist with a focus in uplifting trainings around sexual violence. Jay is passionate about youth-led advocacy, healthy relationship education, and centering hope and joy with their contributions.
Jermaine Neblett, Director of Partnerships (He/Him)
Jermaine Neblett is a nonprofit leadership professional with experience in the arts, social services and youth services sectors. He received degrees from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa, TX; as well as The New School in New York City. Previously, he served the Houston community by leading his team to provide the best possible disaster response and volunteer experience to over 84,000 volunteers and pushed 100,000,000 pounds of food to the Greater Houston Area providing vital nourishment to those in need. In addition, Jermaine managed the Salvation Army Greater Houston’s Young Adult Resource Center, where he became a Trauma-Informed Care advocate by providing a plethora of direct services to young adults ages 16-25 experiencing homelessness and other barriers.
Neblett moved to Houston in 2015 after managing a nationwide arts and writing program in NYC. In his free time, he is a multidisciplinary artist working in poetry, photography, and conceptual art; he has work published in literary publications including Obsidian: Literature & Art in the African Diaspora. He is working on projects that uncover the subtleties of masculinity, perceived welcomeness, and the push and pull of intra-community discrimination. He lives in North Houston with his husband, Cory; and their fur babies, Barack and Andrew.
Tyneisha Quarterman, Partnerships Manager (She/Her)
Tyneisha, also known as Ty, joined TNOYS as the Partnerships Manager in March 2024. She leads the efforts behind the Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB), focusing on Opportunity Youth and Young Adults (OYYA) and creating pathways for their growth and success. With a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Huston-Tillotson University, Ty brings a deep understanding of community and social dynamics to her role.
Prior to joining TNOYS, Ty served as a Program Specialist at the Austin Area Urban League, where she provided program leadership, designed curriculum, fostered community partnerships with local schools, and mentored youth in at-risk situations. She also worked part-time as the Manager of Programs and Community Engagement for BRAVE, a local Austin organization, where she led youth ages 14-24 through a leadership development program. Her passion for working with youth and young adults (YYA) stems from a desire to help them realize their potential, overcome challenges, and thrive into who they were created to be.
Born and raised in Georgia, Ty loves sports, family, and laughing. Outside of work, she is passionate about fitness, writing a personal blog that highlights vulnerability, and exploring new experiences. She also is very active in her local church where she leads bible studies and serves in the Young Adult Ministry on the Welcome and Prayer teams, contributing to the spiritual growth and support of her community.
Mary Bergeron, Director of Communications (She/Her)
Mary Bergeron has worked with TNOYS since November 2019 and came on as TNOYS’ Director of Communications in April 2020. She has over a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and product management, having worked in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Prior to joining TNOYS, Mary served in marketing and product management roles at an education technology startup, and she has worked with many other mission-driven organizations. She has enjoyed working with TNOYS to create a positive impact for youth and young adults.
Alexander Pryor, Graphic Designer (He/Him)
Alexander Pryor joined TNOYS in August 2020 to support the communications and marketing needs of the organization. His bread & butter is in graphic design. Through his mosaic of experiences, Alex is well-versed in other areas such as social media content and video editing. His full-time experience has primarily been through digital communications roles in the non-profit industry but has a history of supporting start-ups and small businesses as well. Alex was born in Washington, D.C. and received his bachelor’s degree in American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.