Leadership
In a nod to MADD’s beginning as a grassroots organization, board members serve as volunteers during their tenure. During the three-year term, national board members oversee MADD’s road map to reaching No More Victims®.
We salute our board members for donating their time, talents and energy to the MADD mission and thank each and every one of them for their integrity, dedication and vision.
David Esmie
Traci McMillan
VP, Mission Operations
Traci McMillan
VP, Mission Operations
Traci McMillan is a Vice President of Field Operations for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Traci joined MADD as a member of the Field Relations Team in March 2016 and has guided field leadership with budgeting, program services, capacity building, fundraising and personnel management. Her proudest accomplishment is the impact she has made with Executive Director Staff Development and Team Building.
Before joining MADD, Traci spent 16 years with The Muscular Dystrophy Association. She held many different roles including Health Care Services Coordinator & Camp Director, State Executive Director, Regional Field Representative and Divisional Director. She brings expertise in the planning and the execution of special events, sponsor development and analytical problem solving. Beyond her professional skills and accomplishments, Traci has a strong passion to end drunk driving and is dedicated to serving those impacted by drunk and drugged driving.
In her free time, Traci enjoys spending time with her family, reading and cheering for the Arizona Cardinals. She is currently pursuing continuing education at Western Governors University.
Catrina Clemens
VP, Mission Programs & Services
Catrina Clemens
VP, Mission Programs & Services
Catrina Clemens currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives with Mother’s Against Drunk Driving. In this position, Mrs. Clemens helps lead and direct the strategy, development and execution, and expansion of MADD’s lifesaving mission services and prevention programming. Catrina takes a vision and breaks it into accomplishable steps through sound strategy development. She instinctively sees the strands of opportunity that weave themselves throughout the organization and braids them together into a coherent whole.
Catrina is inspired by the resiliency of each of the victims and survivors that she has had the privilege of working with during her tenure with MADD. They truly are the daily motivation that drives her work. This intense drive paired with her abilities to tackle challenges head on; build consensus, teamwork and support at the local and national levels allow her to develop and implement big picture strategies that are anchored in the practical application of mission programming.
Most recently Catrina served as the National Field Relations Director for the Central and Southeast Regions. In these roles she led, managed and provided the vision collaborative guidance and direction to field leadership, employees and volunteers regarding fiscal responsibility, grant management, fund development, human resource needs, training and delivery of victim services, capacity building efforts, crisis management, underage drinking prevention programming, and volunteer management. Catrina’s forward thinking and acute understanding of the field made her transition into her current position seamless and a win for the organization.
Prior to joining MADD, Mrs. Clemens led the budget development, campaign planning, oversight, management and reporting requirements for the DFW State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) and the City of Dallas Charitable Giving Campaign. In addition, she provided strategic support to the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). These public sector campaigns distributed vital mission funding to thousands of local, national and international nonprofit organizations on a quarterly basis. Within this role, Catrina oversaw the administration and adherence of agency policies, procedures and guidelines for compliance to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and State of Texas regulatory bodies.
Mrs. Clemens graduated with her Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Services with minors in Psychology, Sociology and Substance Abuse Prevention from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. In her free time, Catrina loves spending quality time outdoors with her husband and son.
Susan Rudigier Mchabcheb
Chief Revenue Officer
Susan Rudigier Mchabcheb
Chief Revenue Officer
Susan Mchabcheb, MOL, CFRE has over 30-years of experience working with teams and donors, building long-term mutually beneficial relationships to support organizations’ missions and build social movements that change lives.
Mchabcheb brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong track record in non-profit development and revenue generation. With more than 20 years of leadership in the philanthropic sector, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive results and build meaningful relationships with donors looking to make an impact on lives through their philanthropic investments. She most recently served as Chief Development Office for Goodwill Industries International. Prior to that, she was a Senior Director of Major & Strategic Gifts for The Alzheimer’s Association. She was Chief Development Officer at Easterseals and has worked with Easterseals affiliate organizations to build relationship-based fundraising expertise. Mchabcheb’s expertise in donor cultivation, major gifts, foundation relations and corporate partnerships contributes to revenue growth.
Early in her career, Mchabcheb was the Director of Special Events for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago where she developed and produced fundraising and cultivation events, the inaugural events for the opening of the MCA’s current building including its 24-hour Summer Solstice, designed and managed the event rental program and managed the food services and catering services. She was also a consultant on the grand opening festivities for the Goodman Theatre and the DuPage Children’s Museum in the Chicago area.
She has served on the AFP Chicago Board of Directors, was a co-chair of the AFP Midwest Conference on Philanthropy and the AFP North Carolina Philanthropy Conference, the AFP Ethics Committee, the AFP Mentoring Committee, West Suburban Philanthropic Network Board of Directors, and the Arab American Family Services (AAFS) Board of Directors. Mchabcheb has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from North Park University, Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota.
Mchabcheb resides in Maryland with her family.
Alan Brogdon
Chief Technology Officer
Alan Brogdon
Chief Technology Officer
Alan Brogdon is our Chief Technology Officer. With over 20 years of strategic leadership experience in technology, operations, and shared services, Alan is a seasoned executive recognized for driving transformative initiatives that enhance organizational efficiency and operational effectiveness in nonprofit and mission-driven organizations.
In his recent role as Chief Operating Officer at the Progeria Research Foundation (PRF), Alan spearheaded key initiatives that streamlined operations, strengthened internal systems, and positioned the organization for sustainable growth. Under his leadership, PRF enhanced its use of technology, modernized internal processes, and laid the groundwork for data-driven decision-making.
Before his tenure at PRF, Alan served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the March of Dimes, following a successful period as the organization’s Chief Technology Officer. There, he led a comprehensive overhaul of the IT infrastructure, implemented an e-commerce framework that generated over $40 million in online revenue, and significantly reduced operational costs while improving service delivery. His innovative approach to marketing and technology-driven fundraising strategies played a pivotal role in revitalizing the foundation’s brand and driving substantial revenue growth.
Alan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Georgia and pursued his MBA studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina. He is passionate about building high-performing teams and leveraging technology to achieve meaningful impact. His expertise includes optimizing financial operations, enhancing talent management, and leading digital transformations that align technology with strategic goals.
Katie Alvino
Chief Marketing Officer
Katie Alvino
Chief Marketing Officer
Alvino brings a strong history of marketing experience and transformational leadership. She has dedicated her career to developing strong brands and building and coaching marketing individuals and teams.
Katie has a proven track record of bringing structure, process and strategy to marketing teams. Most notably, she led a complete modernization and centralization of marketing and communications at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Then she kept a steady hand on the brand during the strong integration of those two iconic institutions and the refinement of an identifiable joint brand.
Katie can blend consumer insights and creative to uncover strong new brand directions. She has a wonderful ability to take beloved brands with devoted followings and make them relevant to new audiences.
Her professional career began at Daymon Worldwide/Kroger and SuperValu, where she worked in brand management and product launches. She then spent two tours at International Dairy Queen and Orange Julius, separated by time spent at Phillips Distilling Company. All of these roles gave her consumer-packaged goods experience. But more importantly, she gained hands-on experience working with, strengthening and sometimes reviving powerfully established brands.
In 2021 she was hired by the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University to serve as the institutions’ first joint chief marketing officer. She was the driving force in completely overhauling not only the marketing and communications functions within the two colleges, but also shifting the way marketing and branding are perceived, appreciated and understood.
Alvino holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from Northern Kentucky University. She has also earned a master’s degree in leadership from Augsburg University. That involved study in areas like strategic communication strategies, crisis communication management, cultural competence and transformational leadership strategies.
Stephanie Manning
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Stephanie Manning
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Stephanie Manning has specialized in traffic safety policy for twenty-five years. She has worked on both behavioral safety and vehicle safety-related policy, including the establishment of a national .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) standard, and more recently legislation to mandate advanced drunk driving prevention technology. Stephanie began her career working with another traffic safety organization, and in that capacity worked alongside MADD on .08 BAC. It was during the latter stages of the successful .08 BAC campaign – back in 1999 — that MADD recruited Stephanie to open its Washington, DC office and serve as the organization’s Director of Federal Affairs. During her time at MADD, Stephanie worked closely with Congress and the Administration to strengthen policies for victims’ rights, and to secure funding for drunk driving and underage drinking prevention.
In 2004 Stephanie was recruited to serve as a Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Stephanie’s portfolio included the authorization of programs for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and safety programs within the Federal Highway Administration. Her proudest achievements as a Committee staffer, acting on behalf of her boss Ranking Member and then Chairman Jim Oberstar, were securing increased funding for NHTSA’s traffic safety programs, and the establishment of the first long-term authorization for high-visibility law enforcement mobilizations.
In 2007, Stephanie left Capitol Hill to spend time with her family. For fourteen years Stephanie provided transportation consulting services to just a couple of clients at a time. As a consultant for MADD, she played a major role in securing Congressional endorsements in MAP-21 – and via the appropriations process – for the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. This included the authorization and funding for a research program on drunk driving prevention technology, incentives to states to adopt all-offender ignition interlock laws, and high visibility law enforcement programs. More recently Stephanie has led efforts for MADD to mandate advanced drunk driving prevention technology on new vehicles.
In January 2021, Stephanie rejoined the MADD family as an employee, now serving as MADD’s Chief Government Affairs Officer.
Stephanie lives in Loudoun County, VA, with her husband Drew, and their three kids Clara, Owen, and Vivian. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys hiking, live music, and spending time with family and friends.
Saerin Cho
Chief Legal Officer
Saerin Cho
Chief Legal Officer
Saerin Cho is the Chief Legal Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving ® (MADD). Prior to joining MADD, Saerin was the General Counsel of Digital Green Foundation, a global development nonprofit organization that provides technology solutions for rural farmers to build prosperous communities, and the Deputy General Counsel and the Chief Eligibility Counsel at TechSoup, a global technology nonprofit organization that connects mission-driven technology companies and nonprofits worldwide with digital resources.
As a nonprofit governance enthusiast, Saerin enjoys serving on boards and currently serves as the vice chair of a global board of directors for Public Interest Registry (PIR), a nonprofit organization registry that manages mission-driven domains including .ORG. As a law professor at University of San Diego School of Law, she teaches in-house corporate counseling. Saerin holds a J.D. and an LL.M. in Taxation, Magna Cum Laude, from University of San Diego School of Law, and two B.A.s, Magna Cum Laude, in International Studies and Cum Laude, in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine.
Saerin was born and raised in South Korea, moved to the U.S. as a teenager, and is of the first generation in her family to attend a university and law school. She is a mother to two children and a wife of a veteran. She resides in San Diego, California with her family.
Kenneth H. Ceaser
Chief of Staff, Chief People & Culture Officer
Kenneth H. Ceaser
Chief of Staff, Chief People & Culture Officer
Kenneth Ceaser is the Chief People & Culture Officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In his role, Kenneth leads the development and execution of people strategy to support the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization. He closely oversees recruitment, compensation & benefits, diversity, talent management, employee relations, and culture. Kenneth’s diverse professional background spans more than two decades of experience in human resources strategy, talent management, leadership development, organizational design, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement.
Prior to his role at MADD, he has held various HR leadership positions for companies such as Boy Scouts of America, Walgreens, AmerisourceBergen, and Boeing. Kenneth is passionate about serving others and believes his skills will contribute to the overall mission and community impact. He serves on the Project Transformation board which is a nonprofit on a mission to transform communities by engaging children and college-age young adults in purposeful relationships.
Kenneth served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force with a focus on Human Resource Management and Advanced Leadership Studies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Business Management and an Executive Certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. In his free time, he loves to spend time with his wife Kristen, and three kids, Brooklyn, Natasha, and Nicolas.
“I’m truly honored and excited to be a part of a great organization whose mission is to greatly impact lives with no more victims.”
Amber Kinney
Chief Financial Officer & Administrator
Amber Kinney
Chief Financial Officer & Administrator
Amber Kinney joined MADD in 2022 as the Chief Financial Officer and Administrator and leads Finance and Human Resources. In her role, she builds upon and strengthens a foundation of financial stewardship, impact, and sustainability through strategic, analytics, transactional and systems contributions relevant to mission success. Amber has a passion for serving and strives to use her skills and talents to contribute a lasting positive impact on community and organizations.
She has deep experience in leading nonprofit financial and administrative functions having held executive roles in nonprofit since 1995. Most recently Amber was Sr. Vice President and CFO of Partnership with Native Americans, a national Native-serving organization. Other previous roles were as the CFO for Dallas’ AT&T Performing Arts Center where she oversaw Finance, Analytics and Shared Data Services and led critical initiatives to successfully transition systems and processes from construction to operations. Other nonprofit organizations where Amber served include the Woodall Rodger Park Foundation, Child Care Associates and the Dallas Summer Musicals and DSM Management Group where she led Accounting, HR, and IT functions.
Before transitioning to nonprofit, Ms. Kinney honed her accounting skills in private industry for several years. Ms. Kinney holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s from LeTourneau University. She is passionate about her family and her faith and loves exploring all the wonderful things to do in the DFW area.
Amber is recognized for her expertise in nonprofit fiscal management and was named as “Outstanding CFO Nonprofit Organization” by DCEO Magazine in 2014. In addition to her professional role, Amber serves the community as a volunteer and currently is Treasurer of Traffick911, a nonprofit that frees youth from sex trafficking by building trust-based relationships. Amber is a member of Financial Executives International.
Stacey D. Stewart
CEO
Stacey D. Stewart
CEO
Stacey D. Stewart is the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). For more than 25 years, Stacey has served in purpose-driven roles including President and CEO of the Fannie Mae Foundation, U.S. President and Executive Vice President for Community Impact Leadership and Learning at United Way Worldwide (UWW), and most recently the President and CEO of March of Dimes.
Stewart is a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan where she earned an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Georgetown University and holds numerous honorary degrees. She has been a director on more than 40 non-profit boards, nationally, and in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Stewart also serves on the boards of Hologic, Inc., a medical technology company focused on women’s health and PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust, a residential real estate investment trust.
Stacey is a mother to two college-age daughters and resides in Bethesda, MD with her husband.
Tony Pham
Tony Pham
Tony Pham is currently the Vice President of Marketing at SuperLayer, the leading web3 venture studio with investors such as Marc Andreeseen, Chris Dixon, Paris Hilton, Joe Montana, and Nas. His responsibilities at SuperLayer include branding, communications, community development, content marketing, digital, events, social, and integrated marketing strategy. Prior to joining SuperLayer, he led marketing at Kadena, a scalable proof-of-work blockchain company. Previously, Tony was VP of Marketing at TrustToken (now Archblock), whose TrueUSD stablecoin is one of the world’s top 100 cryptocurrency tokens.
Tony began his career in Silicon Valley by running product and community marketing at Slide (founded by PayPal inventor Max Levchin, acquired by Google). After Slide, he was the first VP of Marketing at Life360, a popular family safety app used by over 35 million monthly active users around the world (IPO on ASX). Tony is recognized as a technology industry leader, having won a Webby Award and a Data-Driven CMO Growth Award. He has been an expert source and on-the-record spokesperson to media such as Bloomberg, CNN, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, Forbes, and USA Today.
Outside of work, Tony teaches meditation and compassion classes at Tibet House US. He also serves on the board of directors of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and volunteers as a grief group facilitator for young adults that have lost loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tony has received training in nonviolent communication and completed the teacher certification for Compassion Cultivation Training ©.
He graduated from Grinnell College and is a Fulbright Scholar.
Jeffrey Glover
Jeffrey Glover
Governor Katie Hobbs appointed Colonel Jeffrey D. Glover as Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety on January 17, 2023. Colonel Glover began his career with the Tempe Police Department and has over 25 years of law enforcement experience. He worked his way through the ranks, serving the Tempe Police Department in a variety of capacities. Colonel Glover worked as a Field Training Officer, Narcotics Detective, Crime Prevention Detective, Media Relations Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Mobile Field Force Commander, Detention Manager, Acting Commander over 21st Century Policing, Professional Standards Commander, Commander over both Criminal and Special Investigations Divisions to include Homicide, Narcotics and the SWAT Team.
In February of 2020, Colonel Glover retired from the Tempe Police Department with more than 20 years of service. He returned to Tempe Police Department later that year, as Interim Chief of Police and was appointed as permanent Chief of Police in August of 2021.
Colonel Glover places an emphasis on community involvement and education, and provides instruction on various topics including leadership, ethics and professionalism, team dynamics, fair and impartial policing, health and wellness, and safety through communications training.
Colonel Glover is currently the National First Vice President for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). He is a National Board Member for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and is the Co-Chair of the MADD Traffic Safety Committee. Colonel Glover also serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Additionally, Colonel Glover serves as a commissioner on the Governor’s Commission for African-American Affairs.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University as well as a Master’s in Public Administration through the University of Phoenix. Colonel Glover is a graduate of the Arizona Peace Officers and Standards Arizona Leadership Program (ALP #8), the FBI National Academy Command School Session 265, and the Senior Management Institute for Policing (SMIP) Session 86. He has also earned certificates from the University of Arizona, Eller School in Government Leadership, and Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion.
David Esmie
David Esmie
David Esmie brings over 25 years of established Capital Market experience in the areas of Hedge funds, Venture Capital and Private Equity. He started his career at Paloma Partner in Greenwich, CT working with the likes of Steven A. Cohen and Paul Tudor Jones. He was also instrumental in the early stages of Dune Capital, a Hedge Fund ran by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Formally served as Vice President of Morgan Stanley Fund Services.
Currently, David runs his own family office investment banking firm focusing on buying and selling business, funding projects in all industries including agriculture, real estate development, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, healthcare and ecommerce.
Natalie Furniss
Natalie Furniss
Natalie Furniss is Senior Vice President, Nationwide Property & Casualty Legal and member of Nationwide’s executive leadership team, responsible for overseeing the execution of critical business priorities. Her primary responsibilities include leadership of the team responsible for providing legal and regulatory advice to Nationwide’s Property Casualty businesses and serving as liaison to key regulators.
Prior to joining Nationwide, Natalie was partner in a mid-size, Columbus-based law firm, focusing her practice on commercial litigation.
Safety behind the wheel is something that Natalie cares about deeply. Her professional experiences have exposed her to the tragedies associated with unsafe driving, including impaired driving. However, the cause is also deeply personal, she is a mother of three, including a soon-to-be new driver, and sister to a law enforcement officer, whose safety while on the job is always a concern. For these reasons, and many others, Natalie is passionate about serving on the National Board for MADD.
Natalie enjoys active memberships in many professional organizations and enjoys supporting several nonprofit organizations, particularly those that support the arts, women and children, and those in need. She is the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees for Star House, a drop-in residential facility for homeless youth; and serves on the board of directors for the Fairfield Medical Center, a nonprofit hospital, and the Lancaster Port Authority, which is focused upon generating innovation and development to drive economic growth.
Natalie received her B.A. in in Political Science from Ohio State University and her J.D. from Capital University Law School.
Eric Ebenstein
Eric Ebenstein
Eric Ebenstein is a Senior Director of Public Policy at TikTok where he is responsible for US strategic policy initiatives and government affairs at the federal, state and international levels. He has more than a decade of experience working on regulatory and policy issues for technology companies.
Prior to joining TikTok, Eric was Head of North America Public Policy at DJI–the world’s leading civilian drone company. During his tenure, he led DJI’s advocacy efforts for regulatory and legislative issues on the federal and state level as well as internationally for Mexico and Canada. Before this, Eric was at POET, a sustainable energy company where he built the state Government Affairs team and mandate. He also served as Chief of Staff for Government Relations at Hewlett Packard where he advised on the North American government affairs program.
Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Lehigh University, from which he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa and a Juris Doctor degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is based in TikTok’s Washington, DC office and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.
Carly Doshi
CARLY DOSHI
Carly is Head of Wealth Planning & International Connectivity with HSBC, based in New York City. In her role, Carly leads a team of subject matter experts, including former practicing lawyers and accountants, who provide wealth planning and thought leadership on a wide array of planning topics, including multi-generation wealth transfer, business succession, philanthropy, family office structuring, and family governance strategies. She works directly with the firm’s most sophisticated clients and their legal and tax professionals, and prides herself on a client-led, bespoke approach to planning advice delivery.
Carly is an active contributor to the advisor community and is frquently called up to speak and publish on wealth planning, philanthropy, family office advisory, and family governance matters. She has been quoted in the Financial Times, Bloomberg, Barron’s, Euromoney, the South China Morning Post, Business Insider, and other financial news publications, and has spoken at numerous national and international conferences on managing the complexities of family wealth. Carly is also quoted in The Family Office Handbook (Wiley, 2nd Edition).
Carly serves in leadership roles with the American Bar Association, including Chair of Charitable Planning Group. She sits on the Executive Board of the New York chapter of the Society for Trusts & Estates Practitioners (STEP), and also serves on STEP’s Global Philanthropy Advisors Steering Committee. She is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and a former Fellow of the American Bar Association, Real Property Trusts & Estates Section. For her contributions to the profession, Carly was recognized as a Young Leader by the American College of Trusts & Estates Counsel (ACTEC).
Carly has nearly 20 years of experience working directly with families on the complexities of managing significant wealth. She has managed teams of wealth planning professionals for a large US bank, has built and run a Philanthropy & Family Governance practice and led growth for a new Delaware trust company for a Registered Investment Advisor. Earlier in her career, Carly served as a planned giving advisor in a university philanthropy office. Carly earned a J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, wherein she concentrated on trusts and estates and family mediation, and obtained certification from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She obtained a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara.
Nathaniel “Nat” Beuse
Nathaniel “Nat” Beuse
Nat Beuse is the Head of Safety for Self-Driving in Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group and he was formerly an Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety Research at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He brings a unique understanding of federal policy and how policy relates to broad public acceptance of new technology, such as self-driving. His connection to the MADD mission stems from a drunk driving crash that significantly impacted his family.
Marc Benardout
Marc Benardout
Marc Benardout is a writer/producer/director whose career in the entertainment and advertising world spans over 37 years on both sides of the Atlantic. A creative entrepreneur, rainmaker and strategist, Marc has lived in Los Angeles since 1997 when he left his native home in London, England for the sunnier shores of California for his ‘American Dream’. Unfortunately that dream scenario became a nightmare when on the night of August 1st, 2019, his beautifully talented 24 year old son Noah was killed instantly by a speeding drunk driver, as Noah waited as a pedestrian to cross Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.
“That night, my entire family’s life was destroyed, upended and dramatically changed forever. Every parent’s nightmare of being woken up at 3am by two police officers to tell us our son has been tragically killed became a reality. From that moment onward the only way I could process my grief was to immerse myself into why and how this could have happened. I immediately set up a Foundation in Noah’s name to help in any which way to prevent this horror perpetuating for other parents and began working very closely with MADD. I am very honored and motivated to have been invited to the National Board to bring my conviction and determination as a victim to finally stop DUI tragedies forever in the honor of those that are no longer with us and for the legacy of my son, Noah.”
Matthew Bretz
Matthew Bretz
Matthew Bretz is a personal injury attorney in Kansas who has seen the devastation caused by drunk drivers in the numerous cases he has handled over the years. He has served on the boards of the United Way and the Red Cross and TECH for over 10 years and has a passion for helping the community by volunteering for local and national non-profits. He is motivated by the devastation and loss which he has seen his clients experience at the hands of drunk and drugged drivers, and is dedicated to preventing further loss of life and to holding drunk and drugged drivers accountable for their actions.
Erika Bennett
Board Vice Chair
Erika Bennett
Board Vice Chair
Erika joins Essence Ventures as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer where she will shepherd marketing across Essence Ventures portfolio of businesses including Essence Communications, AfroPunk, Beautycon and more. Erika brings to EV years of experience driving results for some of the world’s most prestigious entertainment and consumer brands through insights-driven campaigns that have created meaningful and mutually beneficial brand/consumer relationships. She was recognized in 2018 as one of AdAge’s 40 under 40 and in 2016 as one of the Holmes Report’s Innovator 25.
Prior to joining Essence Ventures, Erika served as Instagram’s Global Culture and Community Marketing lead where she helped drive the development and growth of a new department at Instagram designed to activate, enable and amplify emerging culture on the platform by supporting underrepresented communities who are often at the epicenter of culture but do not often get the credit for it. She led the lionshare of creative output for the department and was instrumental in developing Instagram’s community marketing strategy.
Prior to joining Instagram, Erika served as Global Head of Entertainment, Education and Diversity Creator Marketing for YouTube where she oversaw YouTube’s creator marketing programs in the entertainment, education and diversity and inclusion verticals. This includes working cross-functionally to drive business strategy, product innovation and developing diversity marketing programs that super-served these audiences against business and creator goals. She recently led the successful global integrated launch of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund as part of YouTube’s $100M commitment to uplifting and illuminating Black Voices on- and off-platform.
Also while at YouTube, she was the Global Head of Social and Influencer Marketing, where she oversaw global digital marketing and influencer strategy for YouTube Originals (globally) and YouTube TV. In her tenure, she delivered YouTube Original’s first breakout scripted hit, Cobra Kai, while leading social and influencer efforts in support of YouTube TV’s tentpole sports marketing sponsorships of the NBA and MLB.
Previously, she was senior vice president of Allied Moxy, a division of Allied Integrated Marketing, dedicated to developing and executing best-in-class marketing campaigns that speak to the full diversity of the African-American consumer. Under her nearly five-year leadership, she shepherded the division to unprecedented year-over-year growth in new business and helped drive groundbreaking campaigns that delivered record-breaking results for such successes as ABC’s “black-ish”, NBC’s “The Wiz Live!” Netflix and Marvel’s “Luke Cage” and theatrical phenoms HIDDEN FIGURES, FENCES, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, RIDE ALONG and the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. The unparalleled evolution of the division was driven by innovation where Erika worked to expand the department’s capabilities across a spectrum of marketing disciplines including content creation, digital, influencer marketing and social strategy.
Other career highlights include launching the PR campaign for Call of Duty’s Black Ops 2, supporting key product launches for Beats By Dre and launching the most successful iteration of the wildly popular “Get Crackin’” Campaign for Wonderful Pistachios
Erika attended Northwestern University where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in communications with a focus on radio, television and film.
Sophia Toh
Board Chair
Sophia Toh
Board Chair
Sophia Toh is an executive coach and leadership trainer.
Before her coaching career, Sophia was the Vice President of Finance
Transformation and Chief Financial Officer for a multi-billion-dollar business
unit at Kraft Heinz Company. She spent fifteen years at Procter & Gamble,
where she held various finance leadership positions, including Chief Financial
Officer of Walker & Company Brands, a P&G subsidiary. Additionally, she
led finance and accounting teams in brand commercial delivery for Braun &
Crest, supply chain, cybersecurity, purchasing, information technology,
retailer finance, global business services, and accounting policies.
Sophia is an ICF-credentialed Professional Certified Coach
(PCC) and currently serves on the International Coaching Federation’s
Professional Coaches Board. She is also a Certified Management Accountant,
Certified Finance Manager, and certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis.
Sophia earned her MBA from Purdue University and her Bachelor of Business
Administration degree, majoring in Accounting from Clayton State University.
She also holds a Nonprofit Leadership Executive Certificate from Harvard Kennedy
School, an Executive Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell
University, and a Diversity Coaching Certificate from Howard University and
Coach Diversity Institute.
Sophia’s current focus is threefold: her career as a coach,
trainer, and speaker, her role as a volunteer and leader who gives back to
global, national, and local communities, and cultivating quality time with
family and friends.
