Leadership

Jeffrey M. Smythe
Chief Executive Officer

Jeff became the CEO for HOPE Atlanta in December 2018. He has dedicated his career to serving human services organizations that focus on poverty alleviation and make a transformative impact on those they serve.  For more than 13 years, Jeff served as the Executive Director for Meals On Wheels Atlanta (formerly Senior Citizen Services).  During his tenure, the organization tripled in both the number of seniors served and the annual revenues raised while expanding services to surrounding counties.  Over the course of his career, Jeff also served in leadership positions for Lutheran Services of Georgia, C5 Youth Foundation, EARTH University Foundation, Meals On Wheels America, Open Hand Atlanta and WorldTeach Costa Rica.

Jeff currently serves on the boards for the Georgia Supportive Housing Association and Travelers Aid International.

Ashley Williams
Chief Operating Officer

Ashley has been with HOPE Atlanta since November 2018. She oversees the day-to-day operation of all client programs and services, while providing leadership and supervision to the management and staff. Previously, she served as the Deputy Director of Housing and Resource Coordination for the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Homeless Continuum of Care. Her leadership and case management experience while working in home care agencies and mental health residential gives her great insight into the needs of clients and their families served in metro Atlanta. As a member of HOPE Atlanta’s executive leadership team, she commits to implementing and executing the agency’s strategic and tactical plans and policies to make homelessness in Atlanta rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Brenda Hodo-Iddris
Chief Financial Officer

Brenda Hodo-Iddris is a financial executive and thought leader with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm who has for the last 19 years delivered financial and operational solutions in the for profit and nonprofit sectors. As the Chief Financial Officer of HOPE Atlanta, she lead’s the organization’s accounting and finance functions, treasury, IT, facilities and partners with executive leaders on organizational strategy. Prior to joining HOPE Atlanta, Brenda developed strategic financial solutions for 37 higher education institutions at UNCF in Atlanta.

Before relocating to the Atlanta area, she worked for several years in non-profit education at Step Up for Students, a $700M scholarship organization head quartered in Florida. Prior to transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Brenda held various financial leadership positions within several industries including real estate development, banking, technology services and food processing. She has an MBA in Finance from Webster University, and holds a BBA in Management from the University of North Florida. Brenda loves the warm weather in Georgia, but is originally from the ‘windy city’ of Chicago.

Liz Liston
Chief Development Officer

Liz joined HOPE Atlanta in 2019 having spent the last 13 years in nonprofit fundraising with a focus on human services. She has a diverse skill set, including experience in major gift fundraising, event planning, volunteer management, grant writing, and capital campaign management. Liz has served the Atlanta community through positions with The Galloway School and Truancy Intervention Project Georgia, and recently led the efforts of CHRIS 180’s 15-million dollar capital campaign, which will double the organization’s impact by 2020. Most recently, she raised funds for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. She enjoys interacting with donors to align their philanthropic interests with programs and services that improve the lives of our community’s most vulnerable.

Camille D. Cochran
Deputy Director, Homeless Services

Camille is a licensed clinical social worker and joined HOPE Atlanta in 2020. She received her BSW from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama and obtained her MSW from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Camille is currently a PhD candidate at Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work. She has worked in the field of social work for over 15 years.

Nicole Morgan,
HR Director

Nicole Morgan joined HOPE Atlanta in December 2020 to support the people who serve the vulnerable of our communities. As a senior certified professional (SPHR) she has worked in various industries including telecommunications, non-profit, education, and healthcare. Nicole has over 15 years of experience in human resources and earned her B.A. degree from American University in Washington, D.C. During her time with other organizations she created Peer Leaders to provide training and resources to other employees; instituted the employee engagement initiatives to encourage create best practices; and created and instituted management training.

Jason Willis
Deputy Director, Hunger Relief

After four years as Regional Director for Action Ministries in his hometown of Rome, Jason joined the executive team as Vice President of Hunger in June 2019. Leading the charge to end hunger across Georgia, Jason has been instrumental in helping triple the size of Action Ministries’ Superpack program, combating weekend hunger for children. Jason is a graduate of Shorter University and Covington Theological Seminary where he received his Master’s in Theological Studies. Prior to joining Action Ministries Jason served as a senior pastor for 21 years and is the Founder and CEO of 2:10 Ministries in Mexico where he leads mission teams to engage with local churches and give hope in the community.

Gary Chagnon
Hunger Relief Operations Director

COMING SOON

Dominique Ellis
Director of Emergency Services

Dominique has been with HOPE Atlanta since May 2018 and has had the pleasure of working in various departments. She has over 10 years of experience in the human service industry and a graduate of Harris-Stowe State University. Prior to relocating to Metro Atlanta, Dominique gained a diverse background through her work experience as a Lead Pre-Trial/Probation Officer for the City of Saint Louis, Veteran Housing Case Manager, and in Workforce Development roles. Dominique believes in equality for all and strives to empower everyone to achieve their full potential.

David-Lee Mattison
Director of Special Needs Housing

David has over 25 years of combined experience in homeless and providing HIV prevention education/risk-reduction counseling services and Program Management. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Norfolk State University. David has an extensive background with the LGBT community, specifically targeting high-risk racial and ethnic minority populations in nontraditional venues. He is also a National Behavioral Interventions trainer for the CDC and State of Georgia and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Deadra McCray
Director of Homeless Outreach

Deadra has over 15 years of experience working in case management. She has held positions as a mental health paraprofessional and a lead PATH case manager as well as a depth of experience working with individuals treated for alcohol and substance abuse. Deadra holds a Master’s in Special Education and a Bachelor’s in Social and Criminal Justice from Ashford University. She has been with HOPE Atlanta since 2017.

Santia Moore
Childhood Hunger Director

Santia began working with children in 2008 and in Hunger Relief in 2018 . After graduating from Georgia Southern University, with her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a minor in Childhood and Family Development, Santia began serving the Piedmont Region by overseeing our Summer Feeding and Enrichment and SuperPack Programs in Newton, Henry, and Rockdale Counties. A Georgia native, Santia is actively involved in her community and lives in DeKalb County with her son Zion.

Erika Parks
Director of Housing

Erika has been with HOPE Atlanta for the past 10 years. She is a Tulsa, Oklahoma Native where she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma. Erika continued her education at Capella University and holds a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

Alison Poole, LMSW
Director of Veteran Services

Alison has been with HOPE Atlanta since September 2014. She has spent the last six years supporting the VA’s goal of effectively ending homelessness for veterans in Georgia through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF). With over 20 years of experience working with human service organizations (14 of those managing programs for homeless persons), she has a special interest in advocating for underserved populations, including homeless families, individuals with disabilities drug users, sex workers, LGBTQ persons and older adults. She received a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and BA in African-American Studies and Political Science from the University of Buffalo, New York. She is the daughter of an honorably discharged WWII veteran.

Recognizing that the issues of homelessness, hunger, and racial justice are closely intertwined, HOPE Atlanta takes a public stand against racism and systemic injustices and declares that black lives matter.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors consists of several men and women who work in key industries that are essential in our fight to end homelessness and hunger in our community. Our organization is eternally grateful for our generous Board members who endow HOPE Atlanta with knowledge and support.