Staff
The Young Women’s Resource Center has a full-time staff of passionately dedicated people who make sure our mission is carried out every day. These are the people who bring the Young Women’s Resource Center to life and who carry out its programs and objectives.
Staff
Sonia Ashe
Sonia is our Director of External Affairs. She leads our development and fundraising strategies and builds relationships with our supporters.
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Frieda Bequeaith
Frieda is one of our Empowerment Supervisors. They actively prepare for and facilitates Empowerment Groups in the schools and After School Programming at the YWRC. In addition to planning and implementing bi-annual client events, they also supervise the Empowerment team and programming.
Pronouns: They/She
Sierah Bougher
Sierah is our Childcare Supervisor. She oversees our childcare program as well as the literacy curriculum implemented during care.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Marcia Bradley
Marcia is our Art Therapist and specializes in creative therapies. She provides voluntary and confidential therapy services for our girls and young women in schools and at the YWRC.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Elhondra Brazzle
Elhondra is our Empowerment Program Assistant. She facilitates the Empowerment programming within the Greater Des Moines schools and onsite at the YWRC.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Ayo Davis-Yeboah
Ayo is our Counseling and Program Support Specialist. She provides individual and group counseling at the YWRC, schools and community organizations. Ayo also supports both the Empowerment and Young Moms Programs by facilitating groups as needed.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Klarque Denman
Klarque is our Childbirth and Perinatal Specialist, and is also a doula. She facilitates our Pregnancy and Childbirth programs and provides individual support to our young moms participants.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Sarah Dirks
Sarah is a Parenting and Life Skills Specialist. She facilitates parenting and life skills groups, in addition to providing individual support for our young moms.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jerry Dysart
Jerry is one of our Transportation Specialists. He ensures our participants get safely to and from YWRC groups and programs.
Pronouns: He/His/His
Kathy Dysart
Kathy is one of our Transportation Specialists. She ensures our participants get safely to and from YWRC groups and programs.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Gary Elliston
Gary is one of our Transportation Specialists. He ensures our participants get safely to and from YWRC groups and programs.
Pronouns: He/His/His
Tom Hawkins
Tom is one of our Transportation Specialists. He ensures our participants get safely to and from YWRC groups and programs.
Pronouns: He/His/His
Hanna Howard
Hanna is our Fund Development Associate. She provides support for several aspects of fundraising including annual donor stewardship, third party events, in-kind donation drives, acknowledgement letters and maintaining the donor database.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Tony Jackson
Tony is one of our Transportation Specialists. He ensures our participants get safely to and from YWRC groups and programs.
Pronouns: He/His/His
Jessica Kincaid
Jessica is one of our Empowerment Program Supervisors. She actively prepares for and facilitates Empowerment Groups in the schools and After School Programming at the YWRC. In addition to planning and implementing bi-annual client events, she also supervises the Empowerment team and programming, and all in-school groups.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jennifer Mesecher Ogg
Jenny is our Finance, HR and Data Director. Jenny manages the YWRC finances, including overseeing the entire organizational budget. She also manages the program results database.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Chelsea Moore
Chelsea is our one of our Empowerment Program Specialists. She actively prepares for and facilitates Empowerment Groups within the schools and at the YWRC, including our Black Girl Magic group.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Erin Moran
Erin is our Communications Director. She oversees and executes all marketing and communication efforts for the YWRC. She is also the lead for all community special events.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Sarah Myren
Sarah is our Young Moms Program Lead. She facilitates parenting and life skills groups, as well as individual support for our young moms, in addition to leading our Young Moms team. She also facilitates our Mariposa group.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jewelz Smith
Jewelz is a Childbirth and Perinatal Specialist. She actively prepares for and facilitates Young Moms Groups within the schools and at the YWRC, and provides clients with individual support. Jewelz is also certified to provide breastfeeding support.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Cindy Tello
Cindy is the Office, Volunteer and Logistics Manager. She provides overall office management (including reception duties), manages the volunteer program and oversees client transportation.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Irma Tello
Irma is our Bilingual Empowerment Program Specialist. She actively prepares for and facilitates Empowerment Groups within the schools and at the YWRC, including our Mariposa group.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Kari Zimmerman
Kari is our Executive Director. She leads all staff and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers