Our Mission
Our Vision
Building community capacity by collaborating with local and potential stakeholders to create an environment that fosters the tenants for a healthy and vibrant Englewood.
Teamwork Englewood was formed in 2003 as part of the New Communities Program, sponsored by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the MacArthur Foundation. Its goal is to unite the many organizations serving Englewood residents and work toward the common goal of building a stronger community.
Created by St. Bernard Hospital, Greater Englewood Parish United Methodist Church and Pullman Bank Initiatives (a subsidiary of the former Park National Bank), Teamwork Englewood drew input from more than 600 residents to draft a “Quality of Life Plan” – a roadmap to a brighter future for Englewood.
We are a capacity builder and a catalyst for positive community change, focused on safety, services to special needs populations and the promotion of healthy lifestyles for all residents. We are committed to providing quality services aligned to best practices. We will maintain existing partnerships and create new ones with community organizations, schools, faith-based institutions and businesses to continue our positive impact on the quality of life in the Englewood community.
Staff Directory
Directors
I come to the role with years of experience in organizing, policy, and not-for-profit management. I am a mother and wife and have been raising our family here in the Englewood community. I have a Master's in Not for Profit Management and another Masters in Urban Planning and Policy. While serving in this capacity at the organization I have been so proud of our intentional work to improve the Quality of Life for residents through our services and community-building efforts.
Debra attended Saint Xavier University in Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies with a minor in Business Administration. I currently manage the community program staff at Teamwork Englewood, which includes the Parent Mentor Program, Englewood Women’s Initiative, Youth Programs and the Englewood Quality of Life Initiative. My connection to the Englewood community is my desire to work for change by improving the quality of life for residents and community leaders in Englewood.I have years of experience in organizing and services for Southside residents.
After working for various reentry organizations in the past 10 years, Mark M. Mitchell accepted the position of Reentry Program Manager for Teamwork Englewood in February of 2017. It is his contention that the current state of reentry–excessive job readiness, insufficient resources, and inadequate job opportunities–has been and continues to be a failure. In understanding that disappointment, he continuously seeks to implement innovative and holistic approaches to truly assist with improving the lives of returning residents. Mr. Mitchell’s perspective of this work derives from lived experience and having obtained four post- incarceration degrees, the latter two being a master’s in Political Justice and Criminal Justice. Mr. Mitchell was born and raised in the Englewood community.
Melody is a proud native of Englewood with over two decades of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University and a Master of Science in Education in School Business Management from Northern Illinois University. Melody is licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education as a Chief School Business Official and is a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Melody leads the organization’s financial strategy and planning, overseeing all financial operations to ensure fiscal stability. She is deeply committed to Teamwork Englewood’s mission, recognizing the critical role of sound financial stewardship in sustaining and advancing the organization’s impact in the Englewood community.
Staff
My passion is in community work. I have a bachelors in African American Studies. My professional paradigm has been centered solely on Englewood because that is the community that I grew up in and live in, and I am here to serve my people, in order to be unapologetically Black in black spaces, through the work of public safety. I was a public safety ambassador in our Public Safety initiative #TIME2136 and now serve a the Coordinator.
Sonseriya Williams graduated from TEAM Englewood Highschool, before moving on to study and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Missouri- Columbia. After returning to Chicago Ms. Williams spent three years working as a special educator within the Chicago Public Schools system and furthering her education. Obtaining a Master’s in Public Administration in Public Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Using both life experience and professional training, Ms. Williams now leads as Project Manager for the Englewood Quality of Life Initiative.
“I was born and raised in Englewood, first attending Arna Wendell Bontemps for elementary school then Lindblom Math & Science Academy. After high school, I left the Chicagoland area, taking my talents to Mizzou in Columbia, Missouri where I obtained a Bachelors of Science in Health Science. As the Health and Wellness Program Coordinator, I am responsible for facilitating programming to promote health and wellness in the Englewood community in partnership with the Englewood Quality of Life Plan Taskforce.
Hi im Maanasi Laird. I attended Richard Vocational High School. I work in the Englewood community and have been for several years helping people.
Mother of 4, born and raised in the Englewood community. Sabrina has been serving her community since 2007. She began as Chairperson of the Local School Council and Parent Advisory Council at her children’s elementary and high school here in Englewood. In 2012 she began working at Teamwork Englewood as the Base Operator of the Safe Passage program. She quickly established her connection to people as a Community Organizer, and currently is the Parent Programs Manager for Teamwork Englewood. Sabrina oversees the Parent Mentor Program which supports elementary schools and the New Englewood Stem high school in Englewood. She has an Associate Degree in Business Management with a minor in Marketing.
As the Job Developer for the TWE Re-Entry Department I assist the Englewood Community and the surrounding Chicagoland Areas with obtaining gainful employment, providing resources and services vital to returning citizens and job seekers in addressing identified barriers and challenges to ensure they meet personal and professional goals.
Furthermore, as a team member within our Re-Entry Department the overall effectiveness for our team is key for our functionality to be thresholds of success for each individual, family and the community of Englewood.
I am a paralegal at Teamwork Englewood, A paralegal is an essential part of any legal team’s operations. My duties consist of helping developing and managing cases, research clients, and drafting legal documents. I also compile and analyze data, organize documents, by preparing charts, graphs, and other statistical materials. Aside from serving documents, I also focus on the expungement and sealing of our clients criminal record. I am a proud alumni of Kenwood Academy High School, and a soon to be alumni at Chicago State University where I will be obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
My name is Taylor Allen, and I am the Office Manager for Teamwork Englewood. I am here to assist all staff with general overhead tasks and to aid others by getting what they need to get the job done! I am in my last semester of college and will earn my Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago this upcoming May. I have lived in the south-side Chicago area my entire life, and the Englewood community is a big part of Chicago’s culture.
Janika Parnell is a lifetime resident of the Englewood Community, seeking to give back to the neighborhood that made her. Ms. Parnell serves at Teamwork Englewood as a Case Manager and Lead Community Outreach Navigator. Beyond the office Ms. Parnell is pursuing higher education at Kennedy King College.
LaShawn Evans is a Program Manager for Teamwork Englewood’s Reentry Department and has been a member of the Teamwork Family since 2017. His work with returning residents--those recently released from the Cook County Jail and/or the Illinois Department of Corrections--consists of the following: job training, job referrals and placement, wrap-around services, legal support services, case management, and more.
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Janika Parnell is a lifetime resident of the Englewood Community, seeking to give back to the neighborhood that made her. Ms. Parnell serves at Teamwork Englewood as a Case Manager and Lead Community Outreach Navigator. Beyond the office Ms. Parnell is pursuing higher education at Kennedy King College.
James Long is the Supervising Attorney for the Teamwork Englewood Legal Clinic. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, James has a deep-rooted connection to the communities he serves. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with a major in Political Science and a minor in History. James then pursued his legal education at Chicago-Kent College of Law, obtaining his Juris Doctor in 2022 and successfully passing the Bar Exam that same year. He takes great pride in his work advocating for justice and providing legal support to those in underserved communities.
Gregory Sims is a Certified Substance Abuse Specialist, currently working as a Navigator in the organization’s Reentry Program, helping formerly incarcerated individuals; both male and female, find work and housing.
Most of his work is with men, and he Gregory is passionate about teaching those reentering society with children how to reconnect with their families. As a father of four sons and 1 daughter, Gregory is familiar with the difficulty of being separated from them due to his own incarceration. His journey taught him that progress takes time and reentry, especially into the lives of his children required a gradual process that included allowing them to share how his absence impacted them. He is proud to say that they are in a much better place now and it was the help he received on his road to recovery that inspires him to embrace the work he does now.
In his free time, Gregory is a musician who plays the bass guitar; and likes to laugh, although most know him as a quiet person.
