Our People

CAFHA has grown and diversified its staff capacity and resources to more effectively advocate for housing equity and structural change. We are proud of our amazing team and appreciate the diverse perspectives and expertise of our board members.

Gianna Baker, Co-Executive Director

Gianna has 15 years of experience in community development, community organizing, and policy advocacy. She previously worked at Housing Action Illinois where she was responsible for affordable housing advocacy efforts, managing the statewide membership program and overseeing the network of AmeriCorps VISTAs. She was also an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago’s Institute for Pastoral Studies, where she taught a graduate course on the principles of community organizing. Gianna is a board member of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County. Gianna earned a master's degree in Community Development from North Park University and bachelor's degree from Howard University.

Patricia Fron, Co-Executive Director

Patricia has over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and capacity building, program design and implementation, policy advocacy, and housing research. At the core of her work is a passion for building strong partnerships, programs, and initiatives to advance fair housing justice. Patricia previously worked at the Law Center for Better Housing advocating for tenant rights and conducting original research and reporting on foreclosure and displacement. Over the years, Patricia has authored several reports and articles, including the region’s first Fair Housing and Equity Assessment in 2013. Patricia received her master's degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.

Abdi Maya, Communications and Training Manager

Abdi has over 15 years of experience in training, public relations, communications, and marketing. She previously served as the Community Relations Officer for the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) where she was responsible for coordinating statewide outreach and education efforts, legal training, and the development of multi-language agency materials. Abdi also led the State of Illinois Interagency Committee of Employees with Disabilities (ICED). Abdi holds a bachelor's degree in Politics and Government from Illinois State University and a master's of Business Administration from National-Louis University. She is a certified trainer and facilitator.

Maria Moon, Senior Housing Justice Organizer

Maria works with impacted individuals to build leaders who assist CAFHA in defining and leading its advocacy initiatives. She provides education on the Cook County Just Housing Amendment and connects individuals to legal assistance, housing resources, and re-entry services. Maria previously served as a community organizer with Cabrini Green Legal Aid and has served as a facilitator of Visible Voices, a peer support group for formerly incarcerated women. She was a part of the successful passage of the Illinois Record Sealing and Expansion Bill, and the Illinois Women’s Correctional Services Act (WCA), passed in 2017. Maria is a trained Peace Circle Keeper, filmmaker, spoken word artist.

Sharon Norwood, Housing Justice Organizer

Sharon is the main point of contact for our Tenant Leader Board working with Housing Choice Voucher holders on a variety of advocacy efforts. As a dedicated member of the Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing, Sharon has helped advance fair housing protections through her through her participation in local campaigns including the passage of HB 2775, the statewide law prohibiting source of income discrimination, and the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance. Prior to joining CAFHA, Sharon was a Community Organizer with Working Family Solidarity where she rallied support for a variety of legislative and outreach efforts. Sharon was featured in WTTW Chicago's Firsthand: Segregation documentary series in 2022.

Andre Ruddock, Outreach Coordinator

Andre supports reentry housing advocacy initiatives and CAFHA’s Community Navigators Program. He facilitates educational workshops to inform community members about the Cook County Just Housing Amendment and renters' rights. Andre is a dedicated grassroots organizer, social justice advocate, and volunteer. Andre has been an integral member of the Housing Choice Partners Participant Advisory Council (PAC) since its inception. Through PAC, he has shed light on issues impacting State policy and reentry programming. Andre is also skilled semi-truck driver and founder of Returning Citizens In Memory of Henry Dee (RCHD), a nonprofit serving formally incarcerated individuals.

Sheila Sutton, Director of Advocacy

For over a decade, Sheila has worked in housing policy, affordable homeownership and renter’s rights. She has led coalitions towards policy victories and provided support to prospective homebuyers, renters in distress, and women experiencing homelessness. Sheila previously served as Manager at the Metropolitan Planning Council and as Organizer with Housing Action Illinois and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization. Stories of housing injustice from people she has worked with, as well as her own, have become Sheila's guiding stars. She holds a master's degree in Global Socio-cultural Studies from Florida International University and a bachelor’s degree from Earlham College in Indiana.

Tuesday Smith, Finance and Operations Administrator

Tuesday is an experienced financial leader with a proven track record of success in financial management, strategic planning, and operational efficiency in the public, private equity and non-profit sectors. In her most previous role, she was responsible for managing all aspects of the organization’s human capital function and financial operations. Earlier in her career, Tuesday held various financial positions at several Fortune 100 companies including: Limited Brands, Sara Lee Corporation, and Baxter, International. Originally from Chicago, she holds a master's of Business Administration degree in Finance and Strategy from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Marketing from DePaul University.

Kate Walz

Kate is a Senior Staff Attorney at National Housing Law Project (NHLP) and a local and national expert on housing policy related to federally assisted housing preservation, fair housing, crime-free and nuisance property ordinances, the Violence Against Women Act, and the intersection of the criminal legal system and housing access. Kate has served as counsel in several high-impact federal litigation cases and HUD complaints.

Andrea Juracek

Andrea is the Director of the Fair Housing/Public Housing Revisioning Team for Enterprise Community Partners Advisors. She consults nationally with a variety of agencies on ways to create equitable housing policies and programs. She previously served as Executive Director of Housing Choice Partners, as Director of Fair Housing for Open Communities, and as Deputy Director of HOPE Fair Housing Center.

Betsy Shuman-Moore

Betsy is an attorney and Fair Housing Program Director for Northside Community Resources in Chicago. She previously served as Director of the Fair Housing and Bias Violence Projects at the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. She has represented hundreds of housing discrimination complainants and tried several civil rights cases, including some of the first sexual harassment in housing cases in the country.

Michele Rodriguez Taylor

Michele serves in the Office of Student Affairs at the UIC School of Public Health where she supports students embarking on public health careers. For over 20 years, Michele has filled several leadership roles in the nonprofit sector and has a broad range of experience in strategic planning and professional development training. She is a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) circle practitioner in Chicago.

Leone Jose Bicchieri

Leone is the founder and Executive Director of Working Family Solidarity. As a proud son of Mexican and Italian immigrants, Leone has dedicated over 30 years to organizing workers of all backgrounds for economic and racial justice. Leone previously served as Executive Director of the Chicago Workers Collaborative, where he founded the “Bringing Down Barriers” program to promote unity among African Americans and Latinos.

Juliana Gonzalez-Crussi

Juliana is the Executive Director of Center for Changing Lives. Juliana previously served as the Director of Housing Counseling & Advocacy Department at the Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA). Over her career, she has filled several leadership roles in seasonal and farmworker housing, housing policy and housing research. Juliana holds several appointed positions focused on equity and access.

Maria Krysan

Maria is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Senior Scholar at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For more than 25 years, she has conducted research on the causes of racial residential segregation and racial attitudes. Maria is an award-winning co-author of Cycle of Segregation: Social Processes and Residential Stratification, and is involved in several housing projects.

Andre Johnson

Andre is the founder and CEO of LiveEquipd, a comprehensive web-based platform that simplifies equipment procurement for healthcare professionals and patients with paralysis-related disabilities. Andre's personal experience with spinal cord injury inspired him to start his own company after facing many barriers to finding suitable medical equipment for his needs. He is passionate about health technology and innovation.

Jawanza Malone

Jawanza is the Executive Director of the Wieboldt Foundation. He previously served as Community Organizer, Coalition Builder, and Executive Director of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization (KOCO). His extensive background in community organizing and program development has led him to work in both the public and private sectors, in philanthropy, and with communities on five continents.

John Petruszak

John is the Executive Director of South Suburban Housing Center (SSHC). He is a legal expert in fair housing enforcement who has led a number of legal fair housing conferences and seminars. John has testified before the U.S. House Budget Housing Subcommittee on race-based FHA mortgage product steering in Chicago. He is a current contributor to several other committees and boards.