Expanding Benefits Access in Untapped Communities

Ebony is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the field of helping to improve the lives of vulnerable families and communities rooted in equity. In her most recent role as the Senior Director of Programs with Prosperity Now, Ebony led a team that provided tailored technical assistance and capacity building to nonprofits and other key stakeholders to increase their leadership, ability to access resources, influence policy, expand their partners and networks, and find promising solutions in providing human-centered services grounded in data to advance economic stability and mobility. Prior to her work at Prosperity Now, Ebony spent nine (9) years at W.K. Kellogg Foundation where she worked across many initiatives, programs, and sectors to provide resources and agency to partners nationally. During that time, Ebony supported the design and implementation of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) enterprise. In this initiative, Ebony managed the collaboration and networking with over 130 organizations and thought experts to identify best practices and guiding principles for communities to consider when implementing the TRHT framework of narrative change, racial healing, separation, law, and economy. Ebony earned her MPA in Nonprofit Leadership Management from Western Michigan University and her BSBA from Colorado Technical University.

Shaneece is a Subject Matter Expert in housing and other areas tied to economic security, such as debt counseling and financial coaching at NCOA. Shaneece brings with her extensive non-profit experience. As a Grants Manager at an international non-profit, she managed grant projects and economic security initiatives from application to approval and utilization, overseeing a $50M portfolio. In progressive positions at a national non-profit housing counseling intermediary, she served as the Housing Counseling Network and Direct Services Director, in which she oversaw over 160 organizations nationwide, a cross- functional team of 10 FTEs, and a budget of over $2.2M. Her portfolio of work included both housing and financial counseling to thousands of consumers annually through direct client services and through their intermediary services that addressed needs, including but not limited to: HECM/reverse mortgage counseling, foreclosure counseling, homebuyer counseling, debt counseling, financial coaching, and assistance accessing federal, state, and local benefits programs (e.g., SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.).

Shaneece was a Mortgage Loan Officer for a major Banking institution where she increased their mortgage loan portfolio; worked with individuals and families with all aspects of mortgages/loans, refinancing, housing affordability and related Affordable Lending Products; and ensured consumers’ preparation for homeownership through homebuyer education and community-level and professional events.

She possesses her Masters in Public Administration from Strayer University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kent State University.

Kayla Little joined NCOA in May 2024 and serves as the primary contact for grantees of the 2024-2025 Capacity Building Grant, the 2024-2026 Senior SNAP Initiative, and 2025-2027 Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation grant. Previously, she interned at Pyxis Partners, where she developed internal training plans to enhance community engagement capacity, wrote policy briefs, and created communications to support the NIH’s All of Us Research Program. She also interned at the Public Health Foundation, assisting the Performance Management and Quality Improvement team in developing toolkits for the CDC’s Let’s Rise initiative. Kayla has clinical experience as a Physical Therapy Technician at multiple clinics and as a Rehab Aide at Medstar St. Mary’s Hospital. Additionally, she collaborated with the Public Health Foundation to develop a training plan titled “Black Maternal Mortality: Understanding Root Causes and Potential Solutions” for public health practitioners and healthcare professionals. Kayla holds a Master’s in Public Health in Health Equity and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, both from the University of Maryland.