Preventing Homelessness and Human Trafficking in Schenectady

Jennifer L. Whitson, CMP

President

Ms. Whitson is a Certified Meeting Professional with a diverse career background that spans over 20 years in public and private communications and meeting/event management.
Highlights of Ms. Whitson’s career include serving as Deputy Communications Director for the United States House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means Democratic staff from 2001-2005. While a staffer for the Ways and Means Committee, Ms. Whitson had the opportunity to work closely with the office of the then Ranking Member, Charles B. Rangel (D- NY) on various Communications projects. After leaving Capitol Hill she went on to The Aspen Institute to serve as Communications Director for the bi-partisan Commission on No Child Left Behind.
Ms. Whitson would go on to transition to event production as a script writer for various events and conferences in the DC area including the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference and the Girl Scouts of America’s 100 Anniversary Celebration. Her event experience continued to grow when she joined the Conference department of The Potter’s House of Dallas in 2012. For over 4 years Ms. Whitson was part of the planning and logistics team behind countless meetings and conferences with attendees of 200 to 30,000+ in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth, Orlando and Atlanta areas.
Since moving move back east in 2017, Ms. Whitson has worked for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), Washington, DC, Buffalo Collegiate Charter School, Buffalo, NY and the City School District of Albany. Currently Ms. Whitson is a Senior Public Information Officer in the Office of Communications for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Ms. Whitson is a graduate of Buffalo State University. In addition to being a board member for Safe, Inc. of Schenectady, she is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® and is a member of the Board for the Pearls of the Capital Region Foundation, Incorporated.

Bethany Caldwell

Vice President

Bethany is a Senior Consultant at Protiviti, a global consulting firm, where she provides Internal Audit and Financial Advisory services to clients within the manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Before joining Protiviti, she gained valuable experience at KPMG, providing external audit services. Bethany holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Hampton University and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Bethany is deeply committed to community outreach and volunteers with several organizations, including Junior Achievement.

Dr. Angela Antonikowski

Secretary

Dr. Angela Antonikowski has lived in the Capital Region for over 20 years. She is a proud 3-time graduate of UAlbany and is a practicing clinical psychologist and Associate Dean of Community Outreach & Medical Education. Dr. Antonikowski has a strong commitment to service, education, and clinical care. As a clinical psychologist, she sees patients diagnosed with pain disorders and health professionals experiencing trauma and burnout. Dr. Antonikowski’s research focuses on educational factors associated with health equity such as mentoring, pathway and pipeline education, and training faculty on inclusion-minded leadership and mentoring practices. An advocate for access and equity in her community, Dr. Antonikowski has served as a board member for community organizations focused on children and adolescents experiencing chronic illnesses, housing insecurity, and increasing access to health professional careers.

Cathy Lewis

Treasurer

Joanne Coppola

Board Member

Joanne is a retired Family and Consumer Science Teacher, and still enjoys substitute teaching. Joanne also loves to spend time outdoors.

Nettie Crossman

Board Member

Nettie has served on the Safe Inc. Board for more than a decade.  She is a retired educator, having worked as an English teacher and then librarian in the Schenectady City Schools. She graduated from North Carolina Central University, in Durham, where she received her bachelor’s degree; and later from the University at Albany where she received her Master’s. Nettie is active with her church, Grace Fellowship, and the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  In 2015, for her leadership and service, she was recognized by the sorority’s 13,000-plus-membership in the North Atlantic Region, as their small chapter “President of the Year.” Long before her commitment to Safe Inc., Nettie previously served on two other local boards, the Schenectady YWCA and the SCCU Begley Library Advisory Board.  In 2023 she was honored by the Schenectady NAACP and received “The Arthur Allen Educational Trailblazer Award.” Besides her family, sorority work, and her volunteerism at Safe Inc., Nettie’s other great joy is vegetable gardening.

Constance DuVerney

Board Member

Connie has been a Safe Inc. Board of Directors member since 2018 and became Vice President in 2019.

She earned a B.S. from Hampton University, an M.A. from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, Reading Specialist Certification from SUNY @Albany and Administrative certification from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Connie retired from the Schenectady City School District after 37 years of service working as a reading teacher, academic intervention supervisor, assistant principal and elementary school principal.

In retirement, she enjoys visiting the elderly, volunteering at City Mission and ushering at Proctors Theater. At Safe Inc., Connie hopes to make a difference.

Barbara Dworkin

Board Member

Barbara is a past president of Safe Inc. of Schenectady and served on the board since 2005. She earned her B.A. from Russell Sage College in 1974 and her M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in 1997 from the University at Albany.

Barbara was the founder and President of English Perfect which provided her with the opportunity to teach professionals worldwide the necessary language skills to succeed in their fields of expertise. On a local level, she has mentored executives at the General Electric Company, SABIC and physicians at Ellis Hospital and Albany Medical Center. Not only did she teach foreign students at Union College, but she instructed professors from various disciplines regarding the necessary methodology to better support foreign students. She has prepared countless foreign students for their U.S. citizenship exam on a voluntary basis. Barbara earned an award from the American Society for Training and Development for her implementation of creative programming in the workplace.

Barbara has held leadership positions in the not-for-profit community, both locally and nationally. As a staunch advocate for religious freedom for all, she has served on the board of the National Interfaith Alliance in Washington, D.C. Locally she has been the recipient of of the “Voices that Challenge” award from the Interfaith Alliance of New York State. She received an award from the Muslim Community of the Capital District for her services as a long-term Jewish ally of the Muslim community, volunteer, interfaith activist and advocate for new immigrants. She has received a leadership award from the Capital District Palestinian Rights Committee for her organization of a Palestinian-Jewish dialogue group. Barbara has served on the Board of Directors of her synagogue, Congregation Ohav Shalom in Albany, NY, and on the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY.

Barbara and her husband, Paul, are now retired and reside in Albany, NY. They have 2 adult children and one granddaughter.

Devon Wimberly

Board Member

Devon Love Wimberly is the owner-proprietor of Wimberly Athletics and Training. His love for children can be seen daily as he works with student athletes from Schenectady, Albany, Niskayuna, Scotia, Burnt Hills, Clifton Park and Troy. He presently retains the position of Innovation, Equity and Engagement Specialist for the Schenectady City School District, while working as a Board Member at SAFE Inc., Cornell Cooperative Extension, Schenectady Community College Outreach Center, the Niskayuna D.E.I Task Force and the Capital District Youth Football League. He is a member of the Schenectady National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Friendship Baptist Church of lower Union Street Schenectady, Union Colleges Fighting Dutchmen Gridiron Club, a 2X Captain in football for Union College and The Albany Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. Devon was born in Albany, NY where In 2022 he received the distinguished honor, City of Albany’s Merit in Recognition of Community Service. It has always been about serving others first for Mr. Wimberly.

Shalain Garcia

Board Member

Shalain Garcia is the Director of Programs and Statewide Race Equity Coordinator for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), Office of Youth Justice.

She received her B.A. in Psychology and her M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University at Albany (SUNY) in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

After spending almost five years as a Probation Officer, Shalain transitioned to work at DCJS providing technical assistance to localities across the State of New York with the development and implementation of programs and opportunities that cover the systemic landscape from prevention to reentry. Within the Office of Youth Justice, Shalain lends subject matter expertise related to research and implementation in the areas of reducing racial/ethnic and gender disparities, school pushout/disproportionate school discipline, promoting youth and community engagement and moving beyond trauma to healing centered engagement.  With healing and justice at the center of her work, Shalain has also served locally and nationally as a featured panelist, speaker and trainer in the topic areas of race equity, implicit bias, community/youth engagement, and healing-centered practices.

Outside of her day-to-day responsibilities, Shalain has continued to support communities both locally and nationally through her work with organizations such as the YWCA of Northeastern NY, Schenectady Scholars and most recently as a member of the national inaugural board of directors for Justice for Black Girls.

Jennifer Carter

Board Member

Lakeia Bowman

Board Member