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Our Team

Meet MOASH's staff

Finance Director
Carolyn H.
Carolyn (She/Her) is the Finance Director for MOASH. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a BBA in Accounting. She and her husband have two teen sons, one of whom is part of the LGBTQ+ community. She has been in charge of all things finance and accounting related to help sustain MOASH programming for over four years. Carolyn was the lead on all three of MOASH's clean external Audited Financial Statements. She is passionate about helping youth gain more agency over their lives and louder voices in areas that impact them. In her free time she enjoys being a volunteer school garden coordinator, traveling to Florida, taking nature walks, eating out, making home improvements, and stock picking. She is excited to show up every day in support of MOASH's mission within her home state.
(she/her)

Program Director
Chardae B.
Chardae, M.Ed, MCHES, is the Program Director at the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH). Through her professional and volunteer experiences, she has worked with thousands of youth in the Metro Detroit area. While developing curricula and facilitating sexual health education sessions for both in-school and after school programs, she gained a passion for working with adjudicated youth, young people who are pregnant and parenting, as well as folx who are involved in the commercial sex industry. Before coming to MOASH, she led the health education team in the Pediatric Department at one of the largest healthcare systems in the state. Chardae completed her undergraduate education at Michigan State University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism. She continued her educational journey by completing the Sexual Health Education Certificate Program through the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. She went on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Community Based Health Education from Wayne State University. As an outspoken advocate for youth, she continues to build community and empower youth voice, prioritizing young people from marginalized communities including youth of color and LGBTQIA+ youth.
(she/her)

Policy Intervention Coordinator
James T.
James supervises development and delivery of technical assistance and policy interventions for 6 school districts on the Promoting Protective Policy (P3) Project, a partnership between Michigan State University, Wayne State University, University of Texas at Arlington, and MOASH. He also leads MOASH's implementation of the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) by providing training and compliance monitoring. As an organizational policy maker with varied experience in K-12 schools and retail settings, James is especially interested in the interpersonal dynamics between co-workers, service providers and recipients, and members of the public. James is passionate about equitable policy formation/implementation and making policy “work” for everyone.
(he/him)

Bookkeeper and Office Manager
Katie A.
Katie is the bookkeeper and office manager for MOASH. She holds a master’s degree in statistics and an undergraduate degree in mathematics with a concentration in economics. Katie is passionate about youth education. She has worked for over 20 years as a mathematics teacher of adolescents and young adults. She has also worked in various settings as a bookkeeper, tax preparer, and statistician. Katie and her husband raised three daughters who are now in their 20s, one of whom is part of the LGBTQ community. Katie is excited to support the incredibly important work that MOASH is doing.

Program Coordinator
Katie L.
Katie (she/hers) is a Program Coordinator at MOASH. She graduated from the Ohio State University in 2021 with a BSEd in English Education and a minor in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. In college, she was a leader of a student organization that focused on volunteering at local LGBTQ+ organizations and was a LGBTQ peer mentor through the Multicultural Center. Katie worked part-time as the Project Assistant on the Michigan Department of Education’s LGBTQ Students Project, on which MOASH is now the fiscal agent, for 5 months before joining MOASH full-time. She is excited to be doing work supporting her passions of education and youth wellness as a part of the MOASH team.
(she/her)

Program Coordinator
Natasha T.
Natasha is a writer, youth advocate, and artist-activist. From 2009-2018, she served as co-founder and Executive Director of RAISE IT UP! Youth Arts & Awareness (RIU), an award-winning organization that promoted youth engagement, expression, and empowerment through performance, literary art, and social activism. In 2018, she became a Regional Organizing Director for NextGen America’s NextGen Rising initiative, the youth organizing and voter mobilization and of NextGen America. Her writing has been featured in digital publications and academic journals such as the Hollywood Reporter, The Body is Not an Apology (TBINAA), AlterNet, and Kalfou: A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies. Natasha has performed/presented at various venues, conferences, and festivals including Harry Belafonte’s inaugural Many Rivers to Cross Music and Social Justice Festival in Atlanta, at the African-American Policy Forum’s (AAPF) Breaking the Silence Retreat at Vassar College, and for the #SayHerName Campaign at the African American Women and the Law Conference in Washington, DC. As a poet and speaker, she has had the honor of sharing the stage with artists and activists such as Stevie Wonder, Kimberle’ Crenshaw, bell hooks, Janelle Monae, Barbara Smith, Ryan Coogler, Sonia Sanchez, Jessie Williams, John Legend and more.
Natasha is the facilitator for MY REC.

Communications Contractor
Noelle K.
Noelle, CHES (she/her) has held various roles at MOASH and presently provides program and communications support. She is currently earning her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan, and has previously worked in the field of sexual health as a facilitator, sex educator, and research assistant. Her areas of interest include stigma prevention and mitigation, comprehensive and affirming sexuality education, and LGBTQ+ health and wellness. She is particularly passionate about fostering authentic participatory approaches with youth to create and sustain lasting and meaningful change.
(she/her)

Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator
Patty D.
Patty (she/her) is a lifelong Michigander and the state's biggest fan. She studied Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Political Science at Grand Valley State University. Community care is the center of her advocacy framework, and she cares deeply about environmental conservation, equitable abortion access, and empowering sex education for all. Patty lives in northern Michigan and spends as much time swimming as possible.
Patty is the facilitator for MY CAB.
(she/her)

Communications Manager
Sarah Y.
Sarah, BSW, QMHP, RYT200 (she/her) is the communications manager at MOASH. She graduated from Wayne State University’s school of social work and completed her senior year field practicum at MOASH. Sarah has worked in the field of adolescent mental health from 2017 to 2023 through a peer role, encouraging youth voice and advocacy in treatment to improve outcomes, engagement, and resiliency. Sarah completed Planned Parenthood's Summer of Defiance fellowship in 2017 in partnership with Change Corps which provided campaign and organizing skills while working on actual campaigns such as the national fight for health care reform or passing local sex education policy. Sarah also completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training with additional certifications in children’s yoga, adolescent yoga, and trauma-informed yoga. Sarah has volunteered with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, served on the Association for Children's Mental Health (ACMH) board, spoken on panels regarding her queer identity through Eastern Michigan University's EPIC program, and been a member of Pride Alliance of Livingston for 5 years. Sarah currently resides in Michigan with her wife, Lindsey and dog, Luna.
(she/her)

Advocacy Director
Shakti R.
Shakti R. (she/her) serves as MOASH's Advocacy Director where she has developed and leads the organization’s advocacy program. Some of her previous experiences include teaching comprehensive sex ed to middle school students, writing for the award-winning health promotion website, Go Ask Alice!, and evaluating PPFA’s Chat/Text sex ed program. Shakti also serves as a Board Member for the Abortion Fund of Ohio (AFO), Ohio's only statewide abortion fund which provides financial and logistical support to Ohioans seeking abortion care. As a queer, Jamaican-Indian woman, all of her work centers on values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and staying research-informed; failure to do so only furthers harm against historically marginalized communities. She holds a Master's in Public Health (MPH) and certificate in Sexuality, Sexual & Reproductive Health from Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, and a Masters of Science (MS) in Social Psychology, with a focus on intergroup stigma and discrimination towards queer and trans folks, from Ohio University.
(she/her)

Program Coordinator
Shane S.
Shane (He/Him) is a Program Coordinator at MOASH. He is currently a Junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Sociology and Social Work. Before serving on the MY Voice council for 2 years, Shane spoke in front of the Michigan State Board of Education in regards to passing a Guidance to protect LGBTQ+ students, served as a Youth Ambassador for both the Women’s March on Washington and the Tyler Clementi Foundation, and interned for the ACLU. He has a strong passion for promoting intersectionality and inclusivity in schools and is excited to be joining the MOASH team. In his free time, he enjoys road tripping and going to concerts, shows, and festivals.
Shane is the facilitator for MY QTIPOC and MY Community.
(he/him)

Executive Director
Taryn G.
Taryn, MPH, CPH, CHES is the Executive Director at the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH), where she has held various roles since 2011. During her time at MOASH, she has worked alongside youth to break down the siloed approach to adolescent sexual health issues, in order to effectively address all that intersects with sexual and reproductive health among young people in Michigan. Taryn has worked in the field of sexual health for over 17 years and, prior to her work at MOASH, worked as a sexuality educator, HIV test counselor, and research assistant in HIV-prevention curriculum development. Currently, she is a board member for GLSEN Southeast Michigan Chapter and is the co-chair of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Sexual Health Education Advisory Committee.

STEP Coordinator
Tramara L.W.
Tramara (she/her) is the STEP Coordinator for the GSA that takes place at the non-profit Racquet Up Detroit. After graduating in May 2022 from Albion College, she has made it a priority to work with youth to help them improve both academically and most importantly, mentally. In and out of classroom settings, she looks forward to providing a safe space for young adults to ask for help and to simply be themselves!
(she/her)
Meet MOASH's Board of Directors

Youth Board Member
Adam DeGregorio
Adam (he/him) is a youth member of the MOASH board of directors. He has been a part of MOASH for two years. He joined MOASH in hopes of getting better sexual health education for himself and his peers. Adam is also the President of the Dexter Pride Festival Planning Committee, a youth city council member, a Communications officer for Dexter Drama Club, a Student Thespian Officer (STO), and the 10th-grade student body advisory representative. In his (very little) free time, he enjoys musical theatre, going to local parks, and vocal performance study!

Youth Board Member
Mackenzie Lovell
Mackenzie (she/her) is one of the two youth members of MOASH's board of directors. She is about to go into her fourth and final year at Michigan State University studying Comparative Cultures & Politics and Social Relations & Policy.
On campus, she works with organizations like Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention team, and Pad the Mitten (a menstrual equity organization). She has devoted not only her time personally to reproductive justice but academically as well with her focus on Women's and Gender Studies. She is passionate about menstrual equity, the accessibility of reproductive health care, and reforming sex education. She is honored to serve on MOASH's board of directors. She has always admired the work they do for reproductive justice in the state of Michigan and is excited to be a part of it.

Board Treasurer
Naomi Khalil
Naomi is in the eighth year of serving as Director of Instructional Equity for the Farmington Public Schools. In this role, Ms. Khalil leads a number of initiatives, including but not limited to: district diversity initiatives (student lead diversity program, activities for staff and parents, Social Justice training, Minority Student Achievement Network representative, Farmington/Farmington Hills Multicultural Multiracial Council representative, Civil Rights compliance officer); federal programs and grants coordinator; section 504 district coordinator; career focused/career tech education director; and district student assistance program coordinator. Prior to coming to FPS, Ms. Khalil worked for two years as a Spanish HS teacher in Utica Community Schools before spending 11 years as a teacher, curriculum coordinator and principal of the Academy of the Americas school, a dual language immersion K-8 school in the Detroit Public School system. Ms. Khalil also develops and delivers professional development to educators in a number of areas, including privilege & oppression, whiteness, race politics, and gender identity. She roots these sessions in the needs of students as she works diligently to be an advocate for and ally to student voice. In addition to her educational experience, Ms. Khalil is a champion of her middle eastern heritage, has native fluency in Spanish, and has lived and traveled extensively abroad. This vast experience, coupled with her life experiences that she shares with her wife and two children, allows Ms. Khalil to bring a unique, yet powerful perspective to the world of diversity work.

Board Co-Chair
Colby Spencer Cesaro
Colby, MPA, is Vice President at the Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities association (MICU). In her role, she focuses her time analyzing data on the contributions of higher education institutions, their students, and graduates to the economy, enhancing awareness of the importance of higher education to policymakers and the public. Outside of MICU, Ms. Spencer Cesaro is Board Co-Chair of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH). MOASH’s work is focused on mobilizing youth voices, engaging community partners, and educating decision-makers to advance sexual health, identities, and rights for youth. Ms. Spencer Cesaro is also Board Chair of The Arts Alliance, a non-profit focused on arts advocacy throughout Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan. The Arts Alliance works collaboratively with National Endowment for the Arts and other organizations nationally. Ms. Spencer Cesaro holds a Bachelor of Science in elementary and special education from New York University with a concentration on vocal performance and music. She holds a Master of Public Administration in urban/social policy and econometric/quantitative analysis from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York City.

Board Co-Chair
Craig VanKempen
Craig, LMSW, MPH is a Program Specialist with the Adolescent Health Initiative at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. He is also a clinical therapist in private practice at Integrative Empowerment Group in Ypsilanti, specializing in working with members of the LGBTQ, poly, and kink communities. He has been working on improving the sexual health of adolescents for over two decades. He lives in Ypsilanti with his wife Angela where they spend most of their free time working on theatrical endeavors with the Neighborhood Theatre Group.

Dr, Clyde Barnett, III
Dr. Clyde B., III, is an educational consultant and an adjunct professor of the Leading for Equity and Justice program at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. B focuses on investigating the possibilities of and barriers to advising through a transformative leadership lens in P-20 education spaces. This investigation occurs through the collection, exploration, and analysis of community voices in both K-12 schools and higher education institutions to inform advising, policy, and practice. To further this work, Dr. B established an educational consulting agency, Discover Without Barriers, where he works on challenging educators through reflective, transformative, and continuous learning. Here, he's fostered numerous partnerships with public schools, charter schools, and government agencies to develop educational professionals into scholar-practitioners. His work is centered on incorporating the voices of students, parents, and community stakeholders who have been historically excluded from decision-making in P-20 spaces. To turn the tide, Dr. B is currently leading numerous student and community voice projects throughout the state of Michigan.

Jenny, Wein
Jenny, CPA, PMP is an IT Manager for the Great Lakes Water Authority. She has over 20 years of experience in business, technology improvement, and organizational change management. Jenny joined MOASH in order to help improve people’s sexual and reproductive confidence and to increase the quality and quantity of resources available to welcome their unique desires. Jenny has a Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Science in global sustainability from the University of Michigan and a Bachelors of Arts in accounting from Michigan State University with a specialization in international business. Outside of her full-time work and volunteering Jenny owns and manages a handful of rental properties and she enjoys creating gardens and habitat for native wildlife.

Laurie Bechhoffer
Laurie, MPH, has been an advocate, champion and change agent on adolescent sexual health and effective HIV/STD and sex education programs for the past 25 years. She believes in the power and strength of young people to make informed decisions about their relationships, their sexual health, and their future. She has been the HIV/STD Education Consultant with the Michigan Department of Education since 1996, working closely with schools, parents, and communities to promote HIV/STD programs for youth that are consistent with student needs, community norms, the law, and research and best practice. Laurie is committed to acknowledging and addressing the structural barriers that impede equitable health and education outcomes for young people. She has been the project director for a federally-funded grant to promote exemplary sexual health education, access to sexual health services, and safe and supportive school environments for all students. Laurie leads a statewide initiative, A Silent Crisis: Creating Safe and Supportive Schools for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Students. In 2008, she co-founded the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH). She has been invited to serve on numerous national panels including the National Sexuality Education Standards Committee, and to speak at a sex education briefing on Capitol Hill. Laurie is a past president for the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education, a Fellow with the American School Health Association, and co-author of a chapter in the book, Case Studies in Global School Health Promotion. She earned her M.P.H. from the University of Michigan and her B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University.
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