Kristina supports the Advocate program in our Chapel Hill office where she oversees recruitment, training, and ongoing support for our volunteer Advocates. She also provides training and assistance for the Chapel Hill student leadership team, and works closely with this team to best support Members and Advocates in their work together and ensure our Advocates receive top quality training. Kristina love to dance and watch anything that Shonda Rhimes has created. Just not at the same time. She is in the process of learning to cook and welcomes any and all friendly advice and delicious recipes.

Mike leads the Saturday morning Opportunity Class. CEF’s Opportunity Class meets weekly and covers topics from personal finance to job readiness to health, as well as teaching self-sufficiency and how to obtain permanent housing. 

Diiv oversees service delivery to all of the Members in the Chapel Hill office, ensuring that Members receive the services they seek working with CEF Advocates. Diiv supports and coordinates with  Advocates to help them find the right resources to assist Members in reaching their goals and to identify helpful strategies for working together and building effective Member-Advocate relationships. Diiv also oversees the OC Hub in the Chapel Hill office, coordinating partner agencies to co-locate services and provide coordinated care across systems countywide. Diiv is passionate about Social Justice (think globally/build locally!), cooperativity and interdependence (food coops, farming coops, housing coops, consensus building, coordinated care, etc.), post-colonial literature, growing edible things, eating edible things (especially sweets), and building strong relationships with their (big, messy, complicated, blended) family, friends, and community.

Kevin works part-time Staff Support in both the Chapel Hill and Durham offices. He is a Master’s level social worker and professor at North Carolina Central University.  He enjoys working in CEF’s environment of diverse cultures, ideas, perspectives as well as challenges. He has a 6 year old grandson he adores, a marriage that has endured for more than 38 years (his poor wife), and a perpetual “claim” of putting his house on the market – for the last three years.  He loves food – especially Chicken Pot Pie, Shrimp and Avocado bowls from Diced, and Vanilla Haagen-Dazs ice cream, but not all at the same time! TCM, Perry Mason, Jazz, and the “occasional” Rachel Maddow are his ear and view jams.

Yvette is the captain of the ship in the Chapel Hill office, leading the front of the house including reception, welcoming, and administration. Yvette also leads community advocacy efforts in Chapel Hill and is the creator and director of the CEF Advocacy Choir! Yvette is the first face many Members and Advocates see when they enter the office, and effectively ensures that everyone who walks through the door is cared for and leaves happy (and keeps CEF’s Office Agreements!).

Zach serves as CEF’s Workforce Development Fellow, an AmeriCorps VISTA position facilitated through CEF’s partnership with the IDA and Asset Building Collaborative of North Carolina. He will oversee efforts to expand employment access in Orange County through the development of resources and programs drawing together businesses, CEF, and other social agencies. In his free time, Zach likes to run, spend time with friends, learn about history (particularly local, social, architectural), and listen to music (all genres but especially pop).

Kyle is placed at CEF through the UNC School of Social Work. He is excited to learn from Members, Advocates, and staff. He will support several aspects of CEF programming and bring an empathetic perspective to all of his work. Kyle enjoys movies, concerts, and anything outdoors.