Network Staff

Staci Berger, President and CEO - 

Prior to joining the Network, Staci worked for nine years with New Jersey Citizen Action where she went from being an organizer to the Political and Legislative Director. As the Political and Legislative Director, she devised and implemented political, legislative, and electoral strategy for the state’s largest non-profit, non-partisan independent watchdog coalition. She received her Masters in Public Affairs and Politics from Rutgers University in 2004. Staci has served as an associate trainer for the Midwest Academy, a leading national training institute for the progressive movement, and worked as a labor organizer with the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees/AFT/AFL-CIO.

Staci has achieved numerous professional milestones and honors. She received the 2017 Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Policy Career Achievement Award and the 2017 Golden Rose Award for Advocacy from The Rose House. In 2016, she was honored by the New Jersey General Assembly during Women’s History Month as a Change Maker, in 2014 she was presented with NJ Citizen's Action's Community Service Award and was the inaugural recipient of the Center for Non-Profits’ Emerging Leader Award in 2013. 

She currently serves on the National Low Income Housing Coalition Board of Directors, is a member of the Housing Advisory Council for the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and represents the Network on the Community Reinvestment Act Advisory Boards for both PNC Bank and Valley National Bank where she assists these institutions in meeting community investment objectives. Previously, she served on the Economic and Community Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia  and on TD Bank’s Leadership Council. She has made multiple appearances on national media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a recognized expert on housing and community development issues sought by national, regional and local press. 

Sharon K. Barker, Vice President and COO

Kelvin Boddy, Director of Healthy Homes and Communities – Kelvin is responsible for collaborative development projects involving crime prevention, healthy housing, and local advocacy/empowerment. Specially, he works on Healthy Homes and Communities, the Community Reinvestment Act, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, and numerous other projects that increase the capacity of the Network. Prior to working with the Network, Kelvin was a recent graduate of Rutgers-Camden with a BA in History, and has since become one of the leading figures on matters of CPTED, through the creation and presentation of educational workshops, seminars, and field exercises involving the subject.

Arnold Cohen, Senior Policy Advisor - Responsible for coordinating the Network’s public policy advocacy and outreach activities. Prior to joining the Network in 1994, Arnold began his career in Newark, NJ as a grassroots advocate organizing statewide public policy campaigns in the areas of affordable housing, early childhood education, health care, and environmental justice. In addition to his work at the Network, Arnold sits on the boards of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, the Anti-Poverty Network and the Essex Community Land Trust. He represents the Network on their partnership with the Regional Plan Association’s 4th Regional Plan. In his role as the Senior Policy Advisor at the Network, Arnold has been instrumental in leading campaigns that have led to the passage of the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit, State Rental Assistance Program and the Abandoned Properties Act. Through Arnold’s efforts, the Network has been a leader in advocacy for creating homes lower income people can afford, revitalizing the communities where they live and strengthening the work of nonprofits in these areas. 

Chelsea FrancoMartin, Policy and Organizing Associate – Responsible for supporting the Network by working to implement and amplify our policy agenda to build strong communities and create more affordable housing choices for New Jersey residents. Chelsea is also responsible for leading Advocacy Teams to support the grassroots advocacy Network members are involved in. Before joining the Network, Chelsea worked as a Case Manager at the Public Health Management Corporation connecting children and families to the necessary, critical resources. She also previously worked with the Network as a Community Scholar, at the Defender Association of Philadelphia in multiple roles, and was a 2022 Eagleton Fellow. Additionally, she is a Collective Member at Tha Block- Trenton where she directs the organization’s monthly community meal and co-facilitates community conversations for women as part of a series called Dear Block Girl. She also recently joined the Community Opportunity Alliance's (Formerly NACEDA) Policy & Research Committee.

Chelsea graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice after studying Criminal Justice at Mercer County Community College. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus in community development from Rutgers University and is currently working toward a Master of Arts in Chicana and Chicano studies at the University of New Mexico. Most recently, Chelsea completed the Midwest Academy Organizing for Justice Training.

Matthew Hersh, Director of Policy & Advocacy - Responsible for leading the Network’s policy, advocacy and community engagement efforts. A long-time journalist and policy and nonprofit communications professional, Matthew previously served as senior editor at Shelterforce Magazine, a publication of the National Housing Institute, which focuses on federal, state, and local affordable housing policy as well as community development and community organizing. He has worked extensively with several local chapters of Habitat for Humanity, New Jersey Clean Communities, the Newark Trust for Education, New Jersey Audubon, and more. Matthew is a member of the Highland Park Borough Council, as well as a member of the Highland Park Affordable Housing Corporation. As a member of the Borough Council, he worked with the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice and the New Jersey ACLU to lead the Borough’s “Inclusive Communities” policies to assure protections for undocumented residents. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Highland Park Educational Foundation, which makes small grants to the Highland Park Public Schools.

Denise McCardle Ladden, Special Projects Coordinator - Responsible for providing administrative support to the Network. Throughout her career, Denise has been in the education field in varied capacities including music education and eventually healthcare education as a respiratory therapist. She also managed a college-level program to train therapists before moving onto the administration side of higher education. Prior to joining the network staff, Denise had been retired only a short time from Bucks County Community College. Her fourteen years there she worked in the Continuing Education/Workforce Development/Public Safety division as Executive Assistant to the Vice President, and for the last two years as Assistant Director in the Allied Health department of that division. Denise holds a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Shaun Moran, Communications Associate – Responsible for assisting with the coordination of the Network's media and outreach communication efforts with members, supporters and media representatives. Prior to joining the Network in 2021, first as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then a Community Scholar, Shaun served as a legislative intern for the NJ Third Legislative District Office of Senate President Steve Sweeney. In 2020, Shaun graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Shaun was a 2022 Eagleton Graduate Fellow and holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy.

Ella Peterson, Development Associate – Responsible for researching and developing new sources of funding. Ella previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Network. Other earlier professional experiences include internships with the Office of Congressman Andy Kim and the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey. She currently sits on the board of Family Promise of Burlington County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Amherst College.

 Louis Prezeau, Director of Housing Counseling and Community Investments  - Responsible for the Network's housing counseling efforts, along with neighborhood revitalization efforts. Louis is a community economic development professional with extensive banking, finance, and development experience including both the development and underwriting functions of affordable housing.  Louis has also overseen the creation, management, and administration of client focused, culturally competent housing counseling programs and managed community development programs that addressed issues such as neighborhood revitalization, pandemic response, workforce development, disconnected youth, adult basic education, entrepreneurship, disaster recovery, and business improvement districts. Prior to joining the Network, Louis worked at La Casa de Don Pedro in Newark, NJ where as Director of Community and Economic Development he worked to revitalize the Lower Broadway community’s physical and social environment through affordable housing development, community planning and organizing, and a community focused housing counseling program.

Woodrow Prevard, Technical Assistance and Training Coordinator - Responsible for steering the Network’s efforts to provide an array of critical and strategic training, technical assistance, information, resources, and general support and recruiting and supervising our VISTA and Community Scholars Programs.. A New Jersey native, Woodrow brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management, previously fostering opportunities for underprivileged and BIPOC youth to enter the engineering field. With an extensive tenure at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Woodrow has passionately cultivated and trained collegiate students and recent graduates across 18 cities nationwide, guiding them as interns and empowering them to succeed in the engineering pipeline. Woodrow holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from The College of New Jersey.

Cristopher Prieto, Housing Justice Organizing Specialist - Responsible for helping Network members, the community development sector, and policy makers address and remove institutional barriers through working with Network members and community members most affected by lack of safe and affordable housing to secure housing justice for all. Before joining the Network, Cristopher worked as an intern in several federal agencies and institutions including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Cristopher graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global Studies. He also holds a Master of International Development with a focus in Governance and International Public Management and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Latin American Social and Public Policy from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Jessica Ramos, Finance Coordinator - Responsible for assisting in bookkeeping and accounting of the Network’s Finances. Prior to joining the Network, Jessica worked 11yrs with Paterson Habitat for Humanity as a Family Services Administrator and an Accounts Payable. She also worked for the Air Force as an Accounting Tech. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Arts in Geography, Anthropology and Minor in Urban & Community Studies from William Paterson University.

Nina Rainiero, Director of Communications - Responsible for coordinating the Network's media and outreach communication efforts with members, supporters and media representatives. Prior to joining the Network in 2010, Nina spent five years as a Public Relations Coordinator for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Policy from Penn State University and certification in Public Relations from Rutgers University. During her time at Penn State, Nina interned with the Harristown Development Corporation in Harrisburg, PA, doing marketing and research for their downtown redevelopment plan.

Holland Vonstamwitz, Membership and Operations Coordinator - Responsible for administrative and program support, as well as scheduling. Holland joined the Network first as part of the Network's Community Scholars program, and then as a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA. She received an A.S. degree in Biology from Morris County College as well as a Bachelor's of Science in Sustainability from Stockton University.

Network Consultants

Dr. Diana Artis, CEO & Founder, Olive Branch Educators - . Dr. Artisʼ passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion was nurtured during her studies at Columbia University. Her doctoral thesis focused on racial and ego identity development theory. She brings over twenty-five years of experience implementing theories of diversity, equity, and inclusion dating back to her work in post-apartheid South Africa. Dr. Artis has created a diversity education program based on well-established identity development models. She and the OBE team use evidenced-based principles to help transform institutions and assist individuals in their journey towards increased self-awareness regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Artis received her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in cross-cultural competency from Columbia University, Teachers College.

Staci Berger, President and CEO, ext. 1700
Sharon K. Barker, Vice President and COO, ext. 1400
Kelvin Boddy, Director of Healthy Homes and Communities, ext. 2100
Arnold Cohen, Senior Policy Coordinator, ext. 1600
Chelsea FrancoMartin, Policy and Advocacy Associate 
Matthew Hersh, Director of Policy & Advocacy, ext. 1100
Denise McCardle Ladden, Special Projects Coordinator
Shaun Moran, Communications Associate
Ella Peterson, Development Associate
Louis Prezeau, Director of Housing Counseling and Community Investments
Cristopher Prieto, Housing Justice Organizing Specialist
Nina Rainiero, Director of Communications, ext. 1200
Jessica Ramos, Finance Coordinator
Holland Vonstamwitz, Membership and Operations Coordinator

Main Number (609) 393-3752 | General Inquires:  [email protected]