Laura Benson, Executive Director (Ext. 234)

laura@dpfc.net

Laura is the senior executive responsible for leading all aspects of the Partnership, from day to day operations to long-range strategic direction.  She is accountable to the Board of Directors and works closely with all Board-level committees to ensure that Partnership activities advance the mission and adhere to management standards of excellence. Laura works to build and maintain strong relationships with local and state partners to maximize collaboration among Partnership programs and facilitate efficient use of community resources. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Laura brings more than 13 years of nonprofit leadership experience to the Partnership, with expertise in program initiatives for low income families, children and vulnerable populations.

Melanie Busbee, Communications Manager

(Ext. 221)

melanie@dpfc.net

Melanie is responsible for public relations and communications for the Partnership, as well as visual communications, social media, website maintenance, and community outreach and event planning.  Melanie joins the Partnership with a solid background in marketing/advertising, graphic design, and journalism. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a concentration in advertising.

Pat Harris, Program Coordinator (Ext. 224)

pat@dpfc.net

Pat is part of the Program and Evaluation team. She is responsible for monitoring and providing technical assistance to our funded partners to help improve the quality of early childhood education services for children and families in Durham. She comes to the Partnership with over thirty years of program development experience in community based programs.  Pat received her master’s degree in Urban Studies from Hunter College, City University of New York.

Danielle Johnson, NC Pre-K Program Manager
(Ext. 225)

danielle@dpfc.net

Danielle manages the NC Pre-K Program serving 420 children. Previously, Danielle served for nearly 10 years in early childhood development and Early Head Start/Head Start and non-profit management in New York working primarily with children and families. She received her master's degree in Public Health from Hunter College, City University of New York.

Kelly McCoy, Administrative Coordinator (Ext. 230)

kelly@dpfc.net

Kelly supports the administrative operations of the Partnership. She is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor of science in psychology.

Angelica Oberleithner, Assistant Director, (Ext. 219)

angelica@dpfc.net

Angelica focuses on operations, development and planning, including oversight of grant development and internal and external relationships and communications. Angelica works closely with the Executive Director and the Finance Director as well as other senior staff on a variety of projects and to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of the Partnership. Angelica has an extensive history of working in non-profit organizations in North Carolina as well as in Philadelphia. Her experience ranges from program and staff management in the areas of Family Support, Maternal and Child Health, Domestic Violence, HIV Prevention and Intervention, to Program Evaluation, Monitoring and Development.  Angelica holds a master's degree in Sociology from the University of Vienna, Austria, in Europe, and is fluent in German, English, and Spanish.

Sandra Roberts, Finance Director (Ext. 223)

sandra@dpfc.net

At the Partnership, Sandra manages the fiscal operations, which includes allocations to funded partners and More at Four sites, state contracts and other accounting processes. Sandra possesses more than 20 years experience in all aspects of accounting and fiscal management in the public sector. She worked for another partnership in North Carolina and was former CFO of a nonprofit in the Los Angeles area with a mission to end homelessness. Sandra earned a bachelors degree in Business Administration/Accounting from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Jameka Wells, NC Pre-K Program Specialist
(Ext. 214)
jameka@dpfc.net
Jameka assists the NC Pre-K Manager with her duties and is involved with the screening of parents and children and handling NC Pre-K scholarship information. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and Spanish education.

Ted Whiteside, Development Manager,
(Ext. 227)
ted@dpfc.net
Ted is responsible for the development and implementation of the Partnership's overall fundraising strategy, including extensive grant-writing. Whiteside brings with him over 30 years of nonprofit experience. He is a graduate of Providence College and completed his master's degree work at Rhode Island College. As former Executive Director/CEO of Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island and the North Carolina-based Summit House, Ted has an extensive history in fund development and agency grant-support achievement