Suited for Change is proud to welcome FIVE new board members to our organization this year!
Our community is built on the shared foundation of empowering women to achieve financial independence by increasing their potential for employment and career advancement. All five new additions to our board exemplify this mission and bring unique qualities to further advance Suited for Change’s impact in the community.
Meet Michelle Allen Harrington! Michelle first became involved with Suited for Change as a volunteer in 2015. Throughout her career, she has pursued work that centers on promoting equity within underserved populations and communities of color through high-impact communications, policy and partnerships. Michelle currently serves as Director of Communications and Marketing at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), a nonprofit association that works to transform philanthropic culture & practice to support thriving nonprofits. We cannot wait to see Michelle’s impeccable skills up close!
Meet Dina Cote! Dina E. Cote is a seasoned Global Project Manager turned Health & Wellness Specialist with demonstrated talent and experience in driving impact through results and advocacy. Following a successful career serving as a global communications and project manager at the World Bank Group and the United Nations Development Program respectively, Dina pivoted to support her clients on strengthening productivity and growth through health, work-life balance, and wellness assessments and coaching. Dina is ready to hit the ground running at SFC and we look forward to welcoming her into the SFC community!
Meet Lakina Edwards! Lakina has a true passion to serve others and believes SFC is the perfect vehicle to satisfy that desire. She currently works as an Associate at LINK Strategic Partners, a well-known DC Public Relations firm. In addition, she has completed internships at the DC Superior Court - Office of the Auditor-Master, and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
As a former client, Lakina offers a unique perspective and we are excited to see her expand her role within the Suited for Change community!
Meet Linda Gatti! Linda has a passion for Suited for Change's mission and vision and was a Board member in the 2000's prior to rejoining the Board in January 2021. Presently, she holds the position of Director of Programming, Enterprise Partnerships with the National League of Cities. Linda’s goal is to engage new corporate partners and law firms in the mission and provide sustainable funding in effort to support even more clients going forward during these challenging times. We are so grateful to have her back on our Board!
Meet Diedra Yates!
Diedra Yates worked in the US government for many years as a Human Resource Specialist, most recently at the Dept of Justice, and at Interior and Health and Human Services. After her retirement in 2011, she committed to volunteering to give back to the community, particularly to women in need. She found SFC when she came to volunteer in 2019 and has been a vibrant part of the volunteer team ever since. She was one of SFC’s first Professional Development coaches and now coaches clients virtually. She also serves as the Recording Secretary of Executive Board of the Washington Section of the National Council of Negro Women. We are so excited for Diedra to expand her ties with SFC on our board! Learn more about our new board members HERE!