Our Team

We’ve got a great team!

South Park Inn is operated by a driven and passionate team of professional who care about ending homelessness and making the world a better place. Please allow us to introduce ourselves. We can’t wait to meet you!

Executive Leadership

Theresa Nicholson is a longtime advocate for and manager of vital services for the homeless and others who are disenfranchised.

A Master's-level clinician, Nicholson came to South Park Inn in 2024 from the Center for Human Development in Western Massachusetts, where she was Director of Homeless Services for nearly six years.

Previously, Nicholson was Chief Program Officer at Chrysalis Center in Hartford for three years and, before that, spent fifteen years at the Hartford-based Community Renewal Team, where she was Vice President of Behavioral Health Services.

Nicholson was also a former chair of the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network and represented the Greater Hartford Continuum of Care at the state level.

Kelly Gonzalez left the corporate world and entered the social service field in 2014 because she was looking for something more rewarding and impactful. She wanted to contribute to society in a positive way.

As a Hartford native, she wanted to help her hometown and the communities she was raised in and knew best. In 2016, Gonzalez began working with the homeless population. Her passion and drive to help people in need have created great strides in our community. She has contributed to many projects such as homeless outreach, warming center, community response services, and faith-based initiative sheltering.

kgonzalez@southparkinn.org

Brianna E. Dunlap

Director of Development and Community Relations

Brianna Dunlap is a results-oriented leader specializing in growing and maintaining the health of non-profits. She loves connecting people to what they are passionate about and is focused on building solid relationships with South Park Inn supporters, volunteers, and community partners. She oversees South Park Inn’s fundraising, communications, grants, and volunteer corps.

Dunlap joined South Park Inn in 2023. She earned her Master's in Public History at Central Connecticut State University (2016) and is the author of Connecticut Valley Tobacco, a History Press book on the history, culture, and people of cigar tobacco agriculture.

bdunlap@southparkinn.org

Coming Soon

Operations Director

A new colleague joins us in November.

Adaisa Jusino Ramos began her journey in the Human Services field in 2010 at Latino Community Services (LCS), intending to increase engagement in care for racial and ethnic minority individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders (COD) who are at risk for HIV or HIV positive. Ramos has developed a deep understanding of complicated issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ and HIV communities on various levels. She also dedicates her career and life to making a positive difference in the lives of people in the community she was born and raised in.

Ramos applies her skills in managing, coordinating, implementing, and marketing at SPI, and promotes self-sufficiency and initiative in the workplace.

aramos@southparkinn.org

Jyreek Ellerbe

Development and Volunteer Manager

Jyreek started his non-profit career in 2015, working in the performing arts department of the administration. During this time, he gained advanced skills in; development, fundraising, and marketing. He holds a Master's in Entertainment, a Bachelor's in Theatre and Marketing, and an Associate's in Education.

Jyreek is known for his empathy and approachability. As the Volunteer and Development Manager, he is committed to establishing strong connections with volunteers and creating development materials to maintain and attract support.

volunteering@southparkinn.org

Chef Hakim Zarif has been in the hospitality and food business for nearly thirty years. His experience includes MAX Downtown, Feng, and thirteen years as the chef for the City of Hartford’s Feeding the Children program.

Born in Connecticut and raised in Hartford, Zarif openly shares that he once experienced food insecurity for a period in his life, so he is happy to craft meals for the homeless guests staying at “the Inn.”