Donna leads both the Chapel Hill and Durham geographies, working with staff, Advocates, Members, and the Board of Directors. She stewards organizational vision and growth for all of CEF. Donna supports both offices in developing partnerships to secure housing justice and financial security for all Members. Donna’s passions are music, Jeopardy, Mahjong, and cooking shows.

Jessica is the Member Services and Programs Manager (MSPM) at CEF. In her role she supports program staff, guides program strategy, and manages reporting for Member Services and Advocate Programs for the Durham and Chapel Hill offices. Prior to joining CEF, Jessica was a coordinator and advocate with Compass Center, and began her career as a community research analyst at Forsyth Futures. Jessica is passionate about community, qualitative research and storytelling, mental health advocacy, access to quality and affordable housing, and racial justice. She believes in working collaboratively with the community to build thriving communities. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys cooking, dancing, hiking, reading, and yoga.

Travis is the Advocacy Manager at CEF. He develops and leads the organization’s advocacy initiatives to proactively seek to change the systems we witness every day from the Durham and Chapel Hill offices. Rooted in his own lived experience in the working class, Travis organized for a decade in field, student, community, and labor organizing campaigns prior to joining CEF – most recently for a Native-led grassroots organization based in Tribal communities. Travis holds an M.A. in public policy from Central European University, a post-baccalaureate in labor studies from the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, and a B.A. in international and global studies from Middlebury College. He is driven by a passion for building a mass movement of oppressed people and a world characterized by collective care, community, and relationship. Travis especially enjoys drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee, storytelling and fiction, hiking and the outdoors, and watching horror movies.

Jessika is the Advocate Program Coordinator for CEF’s Durham office. Prior to joining CEF in this capacity, Jessika served individuals in crisis on both local and national levels. These experiences led to Jessika’s increased passion for embracing intergenerational communication and storytelling spaces as resources in proactive and preventative efforts toward equitable access. In her spare time Jessika is devoted to healing through the practice of increased self awareness and communicating boundaries as a lived example of safe space for her children to develop, thrive and extend to others.

Sophia is the Member Services Coordinator in CEF’s Durham office. In her role, Sophia works alongside Members, community partners, Advocates, and other staff to develop and implement the best resources for Members. Prior to joining CEF, Sophia grew her skills through case management, resource navigation, youth development, and food justice initiatives. Sophia strongly enjoys building community and relationships with those around her. She believes that collective action is at the center of our work. Outside of work, Sophia spends time with her partner, cats, friends, and family through food, exploring outside, and playing ultimate frisbee.