Meet Our Staff

Hope For The Day^® (H.F.T.D) is a non-profit movement empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education.

HFTD was founded in 2011, starting in Chicago music venues doing outreach. Since those humble beginnings, we have evolved and grown to pioneer programming that we call Proactive Prevention. Thanks to our team of passionately dedicated staff and volunteers, we are committed to starting the conversation, raising the visibility of resources, and educating why IT’S OK NOT TO BE OK^®!

Benjamin Kohn

Interim Executive Director

Rae'Jean Alford

Director of Marketing

Allison Herman

Director of Education

Apoorva Katikaneni

Director of Development

Erick De Santiago

Art Director

Janine Richards

Development Manager

Kira Berkoff

Education Project Specialist

Mary Grace Ritter

Multimedia Specialist

Bev Schwartz

Public Policy & Development Coordinator

Jackee Anderson

Streaming and Discord Coordinator

Maria Curiel

Bilingual Education Coordinator

Haniyyah King

Education Instructor

Maria Requena

Education Instructor

Clinical Oversight Committee

Audra Duren, LCSW

Board Member — LinkedIn, Mid-Market Account Director

Samantha Allweiss, LCSW

Director of Social Responsibility and Inclusion at Private Practice

Dr. Teri Hull, P.H.D

Private Practice

Michelle Halm, MA, M.Ed., PEL

Director of Grief Support and School-Based Partnerships at a Community Mental Health Center

Cassandra Walker, LCSW, CCTP

Owner and Trauma Therapist - Intersections Center for Complex Healing PLLC

Michelle Hayes, LMFT, CCATP

Relationship Therapist & Practice Owner
Northwestern MFT Faculty & Supervisor

Eric J. Anthony, MS Counseling

Primary Clinical Therapist for
PHP/IOP programs
Compass Health Center

Alana Atchison, PsyD, ABPP

Private Practice

Christine Wulbecker, LCSW, PMH-C

Owner & Therapist, Emilie Counseling

Spanish Subcommittee

Gina Cano, LCSW

Dario Zamorano, AM, LSW

Nieves A. Esquivel, M.A., PsyD.

Alice Robles-Shanahan, LCSW

Board of Directors

Audra Duren, LCSW

Board President — LinkedIn, Mid-Market Account Director

Alana Atchison, PsyD, ABPP

Board Member — Board Certified Clinical Psychologist

Jake Oher

Board Member — Chief Development Officer at MetroSquash

Vince DeSantiago

Board Member — Cinematographer/Photographer

Peter Myeroff, CPA

Board Member — Certified Public Accountant