Staff Biographies
Carolann Johns, Interim Executive Director
Ms. Johns was appointed Interim Executive Director effective June 1, 2010. She comes to LINC with over thirty years experience working with organizations serving New York’s most vulnerable residents, including program development and strategic reorganization. She has founded two successful non-profit social purpose organizations. Most recently, she served as Interim Executive Director at JobsFirstNYC. Ms. Johns holds a Masters Degree from Columbia University Teachers College. She also completed Columbia Business School’s Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Executive Level Certificate Program.
Jennifer John, Senior Director of Programs
Jennifer comes to LINC with over ten years experience in the development and implementation of innovative community engagement programs. As Regional Manager for the Bose Corporation, she launched the company’s interdisciplinary outreach program, In Harmony With Education, in New York. Prior to that, she served as Senior Manager of Education for New York City Center. She received her Master of Arts in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and her B.A. from Texas State University. Jennifer is a Board Member of the Gotham Arts Exchange and consults on the Education Committee for the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company.
Debora Mulrain, Director of Community Engagement
Debora has worked with LINC since May 1998. Prior to joining LINC, she was an active parent in her community who led a series of successful workshops through her involvement with EPIC (Every Person Influences Children). Debora is directly responsible for supervising LINC program staff and works closely with community partners to ensure LINC programs maintain quality standards.
Deborah B. Dessaure, Community Project Coordinator
Since joining LINC in 1999, Deborah has worked to bring early literacy programming to the Bronx neighborhood of Kingsbridge Heights and also Harlem. Deborah's accomplishments include initiating the Seniors and Second Graders Intergenerational Reading Program, in its seventh year at the time of this writing. She also created the successful "Books and Breakfast" workshop series, which provides a fun way to give parents ideas on how to support their children's learning at home. Deborah earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 1999.
Albania Jimenez, Community Coordinator
Albania began her early literacy efforts for children as an active and involved parent in her Upper Manhattan community. Since coming to LINC, she continues to coordinate reading opportunities for children in the Manhattan neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood and also works in Stapleton, Staten Island. Albania helped to develop the successful Lobby Reading Program, in which children gather in the lobby of their building for reading, storytelling and literacy activities on a monthly basis.
Chabely Ramos, Community Coordinator
Chabely comes to LINC from New York Cares, Inc. where she recently completed a year of national service through Americorps. She has extensive experience planning and implementing community service programs for New York City youth. Chabely graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University in 2007. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Sociology. Chabely was born and raised in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. She is passionate about early literacy and is excited to have the opportunity to give back to her community.
Kathleen McDonald, Program Coordinator - Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program
Kathleen has over 16 years of experience working for literacy-based
programs. Before joining LINC's Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program as a
Program Coordinator in 2002, she worked as an elementary school reading
specialist for the New York City Board of Education for 13 years.
Kathleen was first introduced to the Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program
at a high school in Brooklyn, where she served as a supervisor for a
class of teenagers involved in the program. Kathleen holds an
Associate's Degree from the College of Staten Island.
Kelly Roten, Development Manager
Kelly comes to LINC with five years
experience in social work and community organizing. She spent 2009 starting a new
nonprofit in Austin, TX, where she was responsible for coordinating and
managing all aspects of developing an ICCD-certified Clubhouse, including
gathering community support, educating the public and other service providers,
identifying funding sources, researching and writing grants, managing
volunteers, and creating a start-up plan and project timeline. Prior to that, she served as Program Director
of a school-based mental health program at a public school in East
Harlem. She received her
Master of Social Work from New York University and her B.B.A from the University of Miami.
Barbara Didder, Full Charge Bookkeeper
Barbara lends her expertise to the organization with her Associates degree in Business Management, a diploma and a certificate in Full Charge Bookkeeping. Working many years in the financial and business sector has also contributed to her current duties as Payroll Clerk and Administrator of the employees' benefits.
