Get to know our leaders — click on photos to learn more about our incredible staff who oversee various departments, teams, and programs at Breakthrough
Executive Leadership Team

Yolanda Fields
Executive Director
Wilonda Cannon
Senior Director, Community Economic Development
Alexandra Cesario
Senior Director, Development
Lisa Gwin
Chief Program Officer, Breakthrough Youth Network
Cheron Massonburg, BSN, RN
Chief Program Officer, Housing, Health and Wellness
Damien Morris
Senior Director, Violence Prevention
John Smith
Chief Administrative Officer
Yolanda Fields
Executive Director
Started as a volunteer in 2002, started as the Director of Street Outreach in 2003
Email:yfields@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1713

Wilonda Cannon
Senior Director, Community Economic Development
With Breakthrough since 2014
Email:wcannon@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1745

Alexandra Cesario
Senior Director, Development
With Breakthrough since 2013
Email:acesario@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1782

Lisa Gwin
Chief Program Officer, Breakthrough Youth Network
With Breakthrough since 2002
Email:lgwin@breakthrough.org
Phone:(872) 444-8210

Cheron Massonburg, BSN, RN
Chief Program Officer, Housing, Health and Wellness
Email:cmassonburg@breakthrough.org
Phone:(872) 444-8251

Damien Morris
Senior Director, Violence Prevention
With Breakthrough since 2008
Email:dmorris@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1734

John Smith
Chief Administrative Officer
With Breakthrough since 2002
Email:jsmith@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1730
Staff Leadership Team

Nate Bedell
Director of Community Operations
Martin Coffer
Director, Community Safety & FamilyPlex Operations
Lauren Cole
Director of Housing Programs
Wendy Daniels
Associate Director, Food Services
Ann Healing
Director of Church and Volunteer Engagement
Myisha McGee
Post Secondary High School Director
Tashee Poplous
Associate Director, Violence Prevention
Ana Pyper
Associate Director, Nettie Bailey Student Achievement Program
Kimberly Sankey
Associate Director, Early Childhood Education
Kirsten Strand
Director, Donor Relations
Bradley Troast
Associate Director, Institutional Giving
Tanya Whitten
Associate Director, Communications
Lisa Wiese
Director, Behavioral Health Services
Nate Bedell
Director of Community Operations
With Breakthrough since 2016
Email:nbedell@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1382

Martin Coffer
Director, Community Safety & FamilyPlex Operations
Email:mcoffer@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1714

Lauren Cole
Director of Housing Programs
With Breakthrough since 2009
Email:lcole@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1715


Ann Healing
Director of Church and Volunteer Engagement
Worked at Breakthrough from 2007 to 2008, returned in September 2015
Email:ahealing@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1773


Tashee Poplous
Associate Director, Violence Prevention
Email:tpoplous@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1708

Ana Pyper
Associate Director, Nettie Bailey Student Achievement Program
With Breakthrough since 2019
Email:apyper@breakthrough.org
Phone:(872) 444-8207

Kimberly Sankey
Associate Director, Early Childhood Education
Email:ksankey@breakthrough.org
Phone:(872) 444-8210


Bradley Troast
Associate Director, Institutional Giving
Email:btroast@breakthrough.org
Phone:(773) 346-1783

