We depend on our dedicated staff to carry out Foundation for Louisiana's mission. FFL's high-engagement team works closely with Louisiana residents to provide resources in support of their work. Our staff bring a wide array of experience and talent to our work and they share an abiding commitment to building a better Louisiana.
Charmel Gaulden
CEO and President
Charmel Gaulden is a lawyer and philanthropic executive with over 15 years experience in nonprofit administration, program design, and strategic advocacy. She previously served as the Vice President of Public Safety Grants at Baptist Community Ministries and chair of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network (GNOFN) Criminal Justice action table, a collection of seven local and national funders working to support equity and justice in the Greater New Orleans region. Licensed in both Georgia and Louisiana, Charmel has practiced law in both state and federal courts. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia. Contact Charmel at cgaulden@foundationforlouisiana.org
Dana Delpit
Chief Financial Officer
Native New Orleanian Dana Delpit brings over 30 years of experience in non-profit fund accounting to Foundation for Louisiana. Her decades of experience include five years of working in community health centers. Dana comes to us from Louisiana Public Health Institute where she served as Compliance and Finance Manager for the PCCP program. The Xavier University graduate earned her MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. Contact Dana at ddelpit@foundationforlouisiana.org
Jamie Schmill
Vice President of Programs
Jamie Schmill is a creative systems thinker, strategist, and team builder, who has cultivated her expertise in programs and grants management, capacity building, and equity-centered evaluation through work across the higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. She is fascinated by the relationship between diverse ways of learning and knowing, values-based leadership, and community-led social change and nurtures this interest as a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University. A life-long dancer and athlete, she holds undergraduate degrees in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Dance and a Master of Arts in philosophy from Tulane University. Contact Jamie at jschmill@foundationforlouisiana.org
Wankeeta Jackson
Racial Justice Program Officer
New Orleans Program Officer Wankeeta Jackson is a passionate racial justice advocate whose work has spanned both the public and private sectors. Prior to her work at FFL she served as Grant Research and Evaluation Associate at Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation. Currently she serves on the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition board as Co-chair working towards a safer, decarcerated New Orleans. Keeta earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech and later a Master’s in Human Services. Contact Keeta at kjackson@foundationforlouisiana.org
Mita Shrestha
Senior Staff Accountant
Mita Shrestha brings her more than eight years of work experience in financial recording, financial reporting, and budgeting of government and non-governmental grants from a national and international non-profit organization. She has excellent teamwork and cross-functional collaboration skills while working with various program teams. Before joining Foundation for Louisiana, she worked at YWCA Hartford Region, Connecticut as a Staff Accountant and Save the Children International, Nepal as a Finance Officer. She earned her MBA in Finance from Apex College, Pokhara University in Nepal. She likes to listen to music and cook during her leisure time. Contact Mita at mshrestha@foundationforlouisiana.org
Caryn Blair
Strategic Projects Manager
Caryn Blair is an urbanist born and raised in New Orleans. Caryn has experience in government, social impact consulting, academia, and nonprofit operations. Her multi-sector advocacy has focused on racial justice, equitable work environments, PK-16 education, anti-displacement efforts, and food access initiatives. Caryn is skilled in grantwriting, strategic thinking, event coordination, and program development and evaluation. She earned her bachelor's degree in urban studies and a graduate certificate in disaster management and community resilience from the University of New Orleans. She received her master's in urban planning with a specialization in community development from SUNY Buffalo, where she was the recipient of the School of Architecture and Planning's Public Service Award. Caryn currently serves on the board of SPROUT NOLA, a community-driven nonprofit committed to creating a more equitable food system. Contact Caryn at cblair@foundationforlouisiana.org
Tiffany Hall
Grants Manager
Tiffany Hall is a non-profit administrator from New Orleans, LA. Tiffany previously held a position at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, as the Operations & Grants Manager, where she created systematic and shared practices that supported the organization, staff, and Board of Trustees and identified and managed fundraising opportunities. Passionate about the arts at an early age, Tiffany has a background in visual arts and dance. She received her B.A. in painting and M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans. She was one of six selected to participate in the 2020 cohort of Dance in Leadership Training (DILT) offered through Dance/USA and is a proud alumni of the intern program at Jacob’s Pillow. Contact Tiffany at thall@foundationforlouisiana.org
Chantelle Pierre
Director of Pooled Funds
Chantelle Pierre, a native of New Orleans, brings over 25 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership as the founder of Chantelle Pierre Consulting. She offers fundraising and leadership development services that promote racial equity within organizations.
A go-to strategist for organizations experiencing leadership transitions, she has led teams to produce goal-shattering results. Chantelle is a sought-after speaker, presenting and facilitating discussions on donor engagement and inclusive leadership development strategies regionally and nationally. She raised seven-figure, multi-year gifts used to resource historically excluded, Black-led grassroots organizations serving vulnerable populations.
In addition to pursuing her P.h.D. in Justice Studies at the University of New Orleans, she serves as an executive committee member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in New Orleans, as an advisor of Outdoor Afro, a cohort three member of Loyola’s Women’s Leadership Academy and a local board member of the St. Charles Center for Faith + Action. She is an FFL L.E.A.D. alum. Contact Chantelle at cpierre@foundationforlouisiana.org.
Antonio Dorado
Fiscal Sponsorship Program Associate
Antonio Dorado is a thoughtful, organized, and adaptive team builder, who has expertise in program management, administrative support, and grant writing. His experience as a Marine Corps veteran provides him with an in-depth understanding into the challenges facing the veteran community, including healthcare, VA services, and challenges with houselessness. He also has history working with communities through the nonprofit, international development, and private sectors. He is moved by the relationship between humanity and nature, decentralized leadership models, and community-led social movements. He also is a lover of hiking, music, and his sobrinas and sobrinos (both human and dog). He studied Political Science and International Studies at California State University, East Bay. Contact Antonio at adorado@foundationforlouisiana.org
Jessica Kinnison
Fiscal Sponsorship Program Manager
Jessica is a nonprofit leader, educator, and writer with 15 years of federal and private grant management experience. She came to FFL from Project Lazarus where she wrote and administrated federal and private grants and provided support services to 75 individuals annually who were experiencing homelessness and living with HIV. A fellow in Tulane University’s inaugural Experiential Education and Leadership Institute, she holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from Loyola University and an MFA in Writing and Pedagogy from Chatham University. A Mississippi native, she is co-founder of the New Orleans Writers Workshop and Dogfish New Orleans Reading Series. Contact Jessica at jkinnison@foundationforlouisiana.org
Michele Garval
Senior Staff Accountant
Michele Garval brings 35 years of accounting, spanning both the public and private sectors, experience to the Foundation for Louisiana. Previously Michelle served at the Vera Institute of Justice, The Women’s Action Alliance, and Victim Services. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering to procure props and costumes for several local theatre companies. Contact Michele at mgarval@foundationforlouisiana.org
Maria Cherry Rangel
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Maria Cherry Rangel is a New Orleans-based cultural strategist, resource organizer, and equity coach, with 15 years of success in helping organizations grow and scale. Cherry’s advocacy has ensured that millions of dollars have been redirected to Southerners, BIPOC communities, and LGBTQ communities. As Director of Strategic Initiatives for Foundation for Louisiana, Cherry launched FFL's arts and culture program, and utilizes her expertise in organizational growth, cultural strategy, racial justice, and LGBTQ organizing to inform FFL’s future. With Ron Ragin, she co-authored Freedom Maps: Activating Legacies of Culture, Art, and Organizing in the US South. Cherry was a 2018-19 Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow and is an alumnus of Smith College. Contact Cherry at mcrangel@foundationforlouisiana.org
Ashley Navarre
Director of Grantmaking
Ashley Navarre has more than 15 years of professional experience in the philanthropic sector. She is a former Grants Learning & Impact Officer and Grants Manager at BCM, where she led grantmaking operations to enhance the Foundation’s overall impact. She also successfully led the transition to an online grant application and review process and the migration to a new grants management system. Ashley served on the planning committee for the Philanthropy Southeast in 2021, has held leadership roles with Peak Grantmaking as Membership Chair for the Southeast Region, and is a former Chair of the Conference Connections Committee. Ashley, a New Orleans native, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Dillard University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Orleans. Contact Ashley at anavarre@foundationforlouisiana.org
Nicole Harris
Senior Staff Accountant
New Orleans native Nicole Harris is a dedicated accountant who brings over ten years of accounting and non-profit financial reporting experience to Foundation for Louisiana. The Dillard University alumna’s experience spans the legal and medical fields having previously served at the Louisiana State Bar Association and Fresenius Medical Care. Contact Nicole at nharris@foundationforlouisiana.org
Sabrina Joseph
Staff Accountant
St. Maarten native Sabrina Joseph brings a wealth of experience to the Foundation for Louisiana. Having lived all over the country, her previous experience includes work in the logistics, transportation, and medical fields. The Wilberforce University alumna earned her master’s in accounting from the University of Phoenix and is active in her church Choice International Family Outreach Center where she is an ordained minister and executive administrator. Contact Sabrina at sjoseph@foundationforlouisiana.org
Nat Rupp
Economic Justice Program Officer
Nat Rupp comes to FFL with a background in economic development and justice space. She has worked in federal, state, local government, as well as for non-profits and NGOs domestically and abroad. She is passionate about an intersectional approach in conjunction with FFL's continued environmental and legal and community justice work. Nat has a BA in philosophy, and a master's in public policy for George Washington University, focusing on economic development and program evaluation. Contact Nat at nrupp@foundationforlouisiana.org
Morgan-Me'Lyn Grant
Grants Program Associate
Morgan-Me’Lyn Grant is a revolutionary academic artist with a wealth of development experience. She has served in roles ranging fromAdministrativeAssistant to Director of Special Events, creating opportunities for research and organizational prosperity in Black women-led businesses and spaces. Morgan-Me’Lyn studies intersectional justice rituals and earned her B.A.from Stanford University in African and African American Studies, with her research at StanfordUniversity in New York, Oxford University, and the Breyer Center for Overseas Studies inFlorence, Italy and culminating honors thesis achieving Creative Honors in Identity, Diversity, and Aesthetics. Contact Morgan-Me'Lyn at mmgrant@foundationforlouisiana.org
Emilia Aguinaga
Fiscal Sponsorship Program Associate
Emilia comes to FFL with experience at the intersection of operations management and education in support of climate justice, youth development programs, and the disability community. Emilia holds a BS in Psychology and French and an MSPH in Environmental Public Health and Development from Tulane University. Her multicultural background and understanding of our world’s interconnectivity drive her passion for intersectional work that furthers health, equity, and justice. Contact Emilia at eaguinaga@foundationforlouisiana.org
