John A, Guidry, PhD
John A Guidry, PhD
Pronouns: he/him/his
PRESIDENT and CEO
John A. Guidry, PhD, is the founder, President, and CEO of TRX Development Solutions. He has been active as a researcher, behavioral scientist, and program evaluator for over 25 years. With TRX, he specializes in strategic development, evaluation design, client relationship management, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols for TRX projects. Specific field specialties include: HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual and reproductive health; behavioral interventions; evaluation of behavioral health programs (mental health and substance use treatment); stigma and stigma-reduction interventions; youth advocacy and programming; elder justice; LGBTQ+ advocacy and policy; and IRB management and research with vulnerable populations.
Prior to founding TRX in 2016, John worked as an independent grant writer, program evaluator, and community researcher in public health and advocacy in New York City and nationally. At Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) from 2011 through 2013, he was Director of the Community Health and Research Department, for which he responsible for directing GMHC’s youth program (Club 1319) for Black and Brown gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; developing and implementing GMHC’s grassroots social marketing campaigns; and contributing to community-based participatory research partnerships with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the City College of New York, and the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies of the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
From 2004-2008, John managed “Pathways to Collaboration,” a multi-sited learning community that documented practices of community engagement with local partnerships around the United States. The project was funded by the Kellogg Foundation through the New York Academy of Medicine. The findings were published as Engaging the Community in Participation, by Roz Lasker and John A. Guidry (McFarland, 2009).
From 1996-2004 he was a professor of political science with Augustana College in Rock Island and Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a scholar and researcher, John’s work concentrated on social movements, urban politics, the rights of children, and democratization in Brazil and the developing world and resulted in several peer-reviewed publications in the field.
John received the doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan in 1996, MA in Latin American Studies from Tulane University (1988), and BA in political science from Loyola University of New Orleans (1986).
Erin Hou, MPH
Erin P Hou, MPH
Pronouns: she/her/hers
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EVALUATION AND RESEARCH
Erin Hou, MPH, is experienced in program and grant management, monitoring and evaluation, research, grant writing, and international health and development.
Erin provides oversight of TRX administrative management, including finance and billing functions, human resources and strategic management. She also manages several evaluation projects at TRX, working with clients specializing in mental and behavioral health, youth services, LGBTQ+ services, domestic violence prevention, HIV/AIDS services, and other supportive social services. Most recently, Erin has collaborated with New York State Department of Health and the New York City LGBT Community Center to implement the 2021 LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Community Survey for New York State, which will inform LGBTQ+ policy, funding and advocacy across the state for the next 5 years.
Prior to joining TRX, Erin worked in corporate philanthropy and legal services for the Esteé Lauder Companies. She also worked as a project consultant and grant writer with United Nations Volunteers to develop a project to connect HIV-positive mothers and their children with sustainable economic opportunities and healthcare in Pallisa, Uganda. Previously, Erin worked at the FHI360 and USAID-funded MPlus Project in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she played a lead role in coordinating a research study examining the effectiveness of mobile phone communications in relaying HIV prevention messages among men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers and refugees. While in the Philippines, she developed the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for a mobile health clinic providing sexual and reproductive health services to women living in remote areas of Manila. Erin has also previously worked as a Research Assistant at the National Institutes of Health and Columbia University Medical Center.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Advertising from Syracuse University (NY, USA) and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).
Gina Cramer, MS
Gina Cramer, MS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EVALUATION
Gina Cramer, MS, has a background in grant management and evaluation, data analysis, grant writing, and training. As the Manager of Analytics & Evaluation, Gina brings extensive experience in SAMHSA evaluation.
Prior to joining TRX, Gina served as a Grant Consultant for the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance (THRA), a comprehensive peer-run harm reduction program in Austin, Texas. At THRA, Gina assisted in the research, writing, and submission of grant applications. Through these efforts, Gina secured vital funding to ensure the continuation of harm reduction services in Austin.
Gina also previously worked as the Evaluation Coordinator for META Consultants, a Consulting Company in San Antonio, Texas. At META, Gina oversaw a team to monitor over 27 grant funded projects. She provided monitoring, evaluation, and training to community-based organizations, ensuring their compliancy and accurate reporting to funders such as the CDC and SAMHSA.
Gina received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Chermaine Paiso, BS
Chermaine Paiso, BS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
MANAGER OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Chermaine Paiso, BS, has approximately 15 years of experience in Electronic Health Records, project management, implementations, analysis, and training experience.
Prior to joining TRX, Chermaine worked in a variety of healthcare systems in Operations Management, IT Analysis, Project Management and as a Trainer. This has afforded Chermaine the opportunity to play key roles in the implementation of diverse Electronic Health Record Systems. She led a large-scale initiative to transition from paper records to electronic health records, and she reduced turnaround time for scanning paper records from 6 months to only 48 hours. Chermaine assisted in the rolling-out of various electronic health record projects, including process improvements and quality assurance initiatives.
Chermaine was a selected leader to train other teams on organizing projects and streamlining processes. From then on, Chermaine has been responsible for building, developing, and motivating peak-performance teams to achieve organizational objectives.
Chermaine earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.
Kenny Okafor, MPH
Kenny Okafor, MPH,
Pronouns: he/him
MANAGER OF ANALYTICS AND EVALUATION
Kenny Okafor, MPH, is experienced in program and grant management, evaluation, grant writing, program development, quality improvement, and HIV/AIDS social support.
Prior to joining TRX, Kenny began as a Project Manager at THRIVE SS, a nonprofit in Atlanta, GA dedicated to health equity amongst the Black LGBTQ population living with HIV/AIDS. During his time there, Kenny was responsible for grant writing, program creation and implementation, policy and process development and quality improvement measures. He also served as a spokesperson for the company at several conferences, presenting at AIDSWalk and the Southern Conference at Point Source Youth, an organization dedicated to ending youth homelessness. Throughout his time, he was able to eventually rise to the level of Director of Communications and development, where he led efforts to create consistent messaging about the organization, while also creating fundraising opportunities.
Kenny also previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry, where he was an operations manager at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He helped open a blood plasma collection facility in Columbus, GA that was vital to developing plasma-derived medicine for the pharmaceutical arm of Takeda. During his time there he led a team of 20 individuals through several successful FDA and EMA audits.
After graduating from James Madison University with a BS in Health Sciences, Kenny moved to the Atlanta area to attend the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University where he got his MPH in Public Health. During his Masters Program he worked at the CDC under the Birth Defect Division, helping with the strategic planning of the division for the next five years. Kenny also worked as a peer mentor for middle schoolers aspiring to go to college, as well as first-generation college freshman. He also served as the president of the nonprofit Students Helping Honduras, which raised tens of thousands to help build schools in Honduras.
Michelle A. Castel, MA
Michelle A. Castel, MA
Pronouns: they/them/their(s)
ASSOCIATE
Michelle Castel has a background in the private and nonprofit sectors with experience in Caribbean/American policy relations, human resources, education, and mental health. At TRX, Michelle develops comprehensive draft materials for reports and conducts and analyzes semi-structured interviews and focus groups for program evaluation and community-based research.
Before joining TRX, Michelle served as a policy fellow for the Haitian Women’s Collective, a Haitian women-led nonprofit organization focused on humanitarian and community development work in Haiti. At the Collective, Michelle evaluated existing policies and procedures to help implement sustainable projects. During their tenure as a graduate student researcher, Michelle’s work concentrated on racism, intergenerational trauma, and the use of herbal medicine in Afro-Latine communities.
They earned their MA in Africology and African American Studies from Temple University and their BA in Psychology with a French minor from CUNY Lehman College.
Mayra Lopez, BA
Mayra Lopez, BA
Pronouns: she/her/hers
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Mayra Lopez has a background in the nonprofit sector with experience in client relations, education, youth workforce readiness, education, and case management. Before TRX, Mayra worked as a receptionist for Harlem Children's Zone, a neighborhood-wide network of services and programs for children and families, ranging from early childhood initiatives, schools, career services, and fitness and wellness centers. She specifically assisted the executive administration of the center, along with aiding everyday callers with their programming needs and attaining solutions.
Previously, Mayra worked with Queens Community House (QCH) in their summer youth employment program as a worksite monitor. She managed a caseload of youth participants for two summers. She acted as the direct liaison between the employment worksites and QCH, by conducting weekly site visits to check in with participants and evaluate worksite management and safety. In her role as a Service-Learning Facilitator at the Research Foundation at Laguardia CUNY in their summer youth employment program she taught classes on active citizenship. In addition to her work facilitating classes for youth, Mayra created and implemented a curriculum about career readiness, financial literacy and developing workplace skills, for youth participants.
Mayra graduated with a BA in International Studies, with a concentration in Migration Studies, and a minor in Spanish from Haverford College in Pennsylvania. While in college, she worked in the library department, became a peer mentor for low-income, first-generation students in their first year, also she Co-Headed the student-run affinity group called Alliance of Latin American Students and volunteered with Puentes de Salud as an afterschool tutor for bilingual children.
Maddy R Hatch, BS
Maddy R Hatch, BS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Maddy Hatch has a background in public health education and advocacy.
Before joining TRX, Maddy worked with Each Green Corner, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating food insecurity through sustainable food gardens and community education. She helped develop an interactive curriculum program on food systems, sustainability, and public health for young students.
Maddy graduated with a BS in Public Health from Santa Clara University with minors in Political Science and Biology. While in school, she worked as a Peer Health Educator on campus, advocating for accessible health and wellness resources for all students. Working with this student-led organization, she created educational content about mental health and facilitated interactive presentations about substance use. Maddy was also a Peer Advisor, where she facilitated academic advising sessions and served as a mentor to first-year public health students.
CONSULTING ASSOCIATES
In addition to our full time staff, TRX can call upon several consultants and partnerships with other companies and agencies to ensure the highest quality service to our clients.
Dr. Miguel Muñoz-Laboy, DrPH
Dr. Miguel Muñoz-Laboy is Associate of Professor of the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook University since 2021. His work has been fundamentally inspired and motivated by a keen interest in mitigating the effects of social determinants of health for socially and economically marginalized groups through conducting multi-methods and intervention research. Dr. Muñoz-Laboy’s areas of research include: Social determinants of Latinx health; Structural interventions to HIV continuity of care; Globalization and migrant health; Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; Bisexual health research; Masculinity and structural determinants of substance misuse; and, Social isolation, loneliness, and economic exclusion. His scholarly research program is substantiated by 78 peer-reviewed journal articles and of those, he is first or senior author on 47. Nearly all of his articles report empirical data and appear in highly impactful, influential journals such as the American Journal of Public Health and Social Science and Medicine. He is the author of 14 chapters in edited books, and co-editor and senior editor of 2 books. Throughout his career, he has been awarded 10 externally-funded grants as the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) and 11 as the co-Investigator. His scholarship is intrinsically linked to his pedagogical and service trajectories. For more than two decades, he has provided high quality graduate education in two distinct disciplines, public health and social work. Dr. Muñoz-Laboy also served the fields of social work and public health through leadership positions in professional organizations, on journal editorial boards for over a decade, and on numerous NIH study sections and research panels.
Email: miguel.munoz.laboy@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-mu%C3%B1oz-laboy-drph-4b57a45
Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams is a Healthcare Consultant with EK Associates. He has over 20 years of experience working in the HIV/STI field, with a specialization in reducing health and access disparities in communities of color. He provides strategic development coaching services, facilitates culturally appropriate linkages to HIV treatment and creates evaluation tools to measure program effectiveness. In the past, he has worked with Alere (now Abbott Laboratories), Latino Commission on AIDS, People of Color in Crisis, and Minority AIDS Project.
Email: kwilliams.ekassociates@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-williams-7b7a42197
Caroline R Bastian
Caroline R. Bastian (she/her/hers) is a Research Scholar at NYU Stern's Center for the Future of Management. She leads the data science and statistical analysis efforts for the DHL Initiative on Globalization. She is also co-author of the annual DHL Global Connectedness Index and manages data collection and index methodology for the report. Her research has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and other publications.
In addition to her position at NYU, she occasionally works as a consultant on outside statistics and data science research projects. She has been working with TRX for several years, contributing her data analysis skills on a variety of behavioral health program evaluations. She has also contributed to other evaluation and monitoring work, including the NYC Film and Television Industry Economic Impact Study and impact evaluations of educational and youth employment programs.
Prior to her appointment at NYU, Caroline was an independent economic and statistical consultant. Her clients included the United Nations, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Caroline began her career as an Economist at the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, where she researched trends in occupations and industries within the U.S. economy and worked to forecast their influence on future employment.
Caroline holds an M.S. in Applied Statistics for Social Science Research from New York University, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Economics, German Studies, and International Studies from Pacific University. She studied as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Cologne in Germany.
Partners
LAPA Fundaraising
LAPA FUNDRAISING
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LAPA provides the models, tools, and expertise to facilitate the success of their clients. Serving as campaign, grant, and planning experts-they have clients across the country, around the world, and in every field of charitable activity. Providing a full suite of fundraising services, specializing in a fully outsourced development solution-they conduct capital campaigns, major donor services, grants management, annual fund development, and conduct research and planning studies.