Contact Us
Youth ImPact has two coordinating staff from NEN that support the collaborative, and help develop projects.
The project is also supported by many consultants that specialize in various capacity building efforts.
Youth ImPact Staff
Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Youth ImPact Director
Cindy Carraway-Wilson, M.A., is an experienced trainer and facilitator with 20 years of experience in the child, youth and family services field. She is a graduate of Duquesne University, where she studied psychology. She has extensive experience in program evaluation and outcome measurement, and trains on a variety of topics such as positive youth development, youth participation and asset building, and GLBTQ topics. Before coming to NEN, she worked as a counselor and mental health therapist in Pennsylvania and at Kids in Crisis in Greenwich, CT. She is a member of the training cadre for the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development and a certified trainer from the Academy for Educational Development.
Contact: Voice (207) 319-6009 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email cwilson@nenetwork.org
Andi Waisman, Youth ImPact Coordinator
Andi Waisman, MS., Ed, is coordinator of the Youth ImPact coalition in Windham County, VT. She has worked in the field of sexuality education since 1981 as a counselor, advocate, educator and trainer. She has directed the Education Departments of Planned Parenthood of Central Massachusetts in Worcester and Pro Health in Fitchburg, and most served as an HIV prevention specialist at the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont. She has developed several best practice prevention programs targeting youth and adults, and as part of that work has organized and sustained many collaborative efforts in Windham County. She has a master's degree in education.
Contact: Voice (802) 254-4609 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email awaisman@nenetwork.org
Youth ImPact Consultants
Keith Allen, Information Technology
Keith Allen is NEN's information technology specialist. He has worked for numerous software development firms and consulting firms in the Boston area, where he developed and implemented software applications for a wide range of clients in the education, financial, semiconductor, and medical industries. For the last nine years he has worked as an independent consultant developing database-driven websites for smaller private and non-profit businesses throughout New England. He has worked on a variety of projects for NEN, including the design of ImProve Outcomes software. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in physics.
Contact: Voice (978) 462-0035 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email kallen429@yahoo.com
Doug Tanner, ImProve Outcomes & Technical Assistance Coordinator
Doug Tanner, M.Ed., LSW, NEN's lead ImProve Outcomes consultant and a technical assistance specialist to Family and Youth Services Bureau grantees, has over 12 years of experience in case planning, staff supervision, program development and grant administration in programs serving at-risk youth. As coordinator of ImProve Outcomes, he integrates best practices for assessment and evaluation with cutting-edge information management technology in order to build capacity and increase client effectiveness. Before joining NEN, Doug was associate director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet in Northampton, Mass. He has also been residential director, program director, computer systems administrator, youth counselor and special education teacher in a variety of agency settings. He has worked with adults, families and children.
Contact: Voice (978) 544-2067 / Fax (978) 544-7748
Email dtanner@nenetwork.org
Melanie Wilson, Director of Research & Public Policy
Melanie Wilson is NEN's director of research and public policy. She has worked in the field of child/youth services for 10 years. Her areas of expertise include spirituality and youth and educational access for homeless adolescents, both of which she has written about extensively. She has presented dozens of workshops around the country on both issues, and conducts several research projects each year. She edits NEN's research publications, including its website, and supervises graduate interns. She has an undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from Indiana University and a master's degree in social work from Boston College.
Contact: Voice (603) 778-6010 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email mwilson@nenetwork.org
Sharon Vardatira, Fund Development Specialist
Sharon Vardatira, NEN's fund development specialist, brings over 20 years of experience in non-profit development, management. For the past nine years, since starting Meridian Consulting in 1995, she has worked with the New England Network to help a variety of organizations develop organizational capacity through fund development, fundraising planning, program evaluation, assessing community need, diversity education, and board development. Sharon has a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree in theology (with a concentration in liberation and feminist theology) from Harvard Divinity School. She is a member of the National Society of Fundraising Executives, Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts and the Council on Foundations.
Contact: Voice (413) 549-2736 / Fax 802) 425-3007
Email svardatira@nenetwork.org
Youth ImPact Staff
Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Youth ImPact Director
Cindy Carraway-Wilson, M.A., is an experienced trainer and facilitator with 20 years of experience in the child, youth and family services field. She is a graduate of Duquesne University, where she studied psychology. She has extensive experience in program evaluation and outcome measurement, and trains on a variety of topics such as positive youth development, youth participation and asset building, and GLBTQ topics. Before coming to NEN, she worked as a counselor and mental health therapist in Pennsylvania and at Kids in Crisis in Greenwich, CT. She is a member of the training cadre for the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development and a certified trainer from the Academy for Educational Development.
Contact: Voice (207) 319-6009 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email cwilson@nenetwork.org
Andi Waisman, Youth ImPact Coordinator
Andi Waisman, MS., Ed, is coordinator of the Youth ImPact coalition in Windham County, VT. She has worked in the field of sexuality education since 1981 as a counselor, advocate, educator and trainer. She has directed the Education Departments of Planned Parenthood of Central Massachusetts in Worcester and Pro Health in Fitchburg, and most served as an HIV prevention specialist at the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont. She has developed several best practice prevention programs targeting youth and adults, and as part of that work has organized and sustained many collaborative efforts in Windham County. She has a master's degree in education.
Contact: Voice (802) 254-4609 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email awaisman@nenetwork.org
Youth ImPact Consultants
Keith Allen, Information Technology
Keith Allen is NEN's information technology specialist. He has worked for numerous software development firms and consulting firms in the Boston area, where he developed and implemented software applications for a wide range of clients in the education, financial, semiconductor, and medical industries. For the last nine years he has worked as an independent consultant developing database-driven websites for smaller private and non-profit businesses throughout New England. He has worked on a variety of projects for NEN, including the design of ImProve Outcomes software. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in physics.
Contact: Voice (978) 462-0035 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email kallen429@yahoo.com
Doug Tanner, ImProve Outcomes & Technical Assistance Coordinator
Doug Tanner, M.Ed., LSW, NEN's lead ImProve Outcomes consultant and a technical assistance specialist to Family and Youth Services Bureau grantees, has over 12 years of experience in case planning, staff supervision, program development and grant administration in programs serving at-risk youth. As coordinator of ImProve Outcomes, he integrates best practices for assessment and evaluation with cutting-edge information management technology in order to build capacity and increase client effectiveness. Before joining NEN, Doug was associate director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet in Northampton, Mass. He has also been residential director, program director, computer systems administrator, youth counselor and special education teacher in a variety of agency settings. He has worked with adults, families and children.
Contact: Voice (978) 544-2067 / Fax (978) 544-7748
Email dtanner@nenetwork.org
Melanie Wilson, Director of Research & Public Policy
Melanie Wilson is NEN's director of research and public policy. She has worked in the field of child/youth services for 10 years. Her areas of expertise include spirituality and youth and educational access for homeless adolescents, both of which she has written about extensively. She has presented dozens of workshops around the country on both issues, and conducts several research projects each year. She edits NEN's research publications, including its website, and supervises graduate interns. She has an undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from Indiana University and a master's degree in social work from Boston College.
Contact: Voice (603) 778-6010 / Fax (802) 425-3007
Email mwilson@nenetwork.org
Sharon Vardatira, Fund Development Specialist
Sharon Vardatira, NEN's fund development specialist, brings over 20 years of experience in non-profit development, management. For the past nine years, since starting Meridian Consulting in 1995, she has worked with the New England Network to help a variety of organizations develop organizational capacity through fund development, fundraising planning, program evaluation, assessing community need, diversity education, and board development. Sharon has a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree in theology (with a concentration in liberation and feminist theology) from Harvard Divinity School. She is a member of the National Society of Fundraising Executives, Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts and the Council on Foundations.
Contact: Voice (413) 549-2736 / Fax 802) 425-3007
Email svardatira@nenetwork.org