ABOUT
We are in the business of helping organizations, companies, and government align their values with their strategy. We do that through strategic planning, meeting support and facilitation, and research.
LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill
Principal + Lead Consultant
Common Cause Consultants was founded by and is led by LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill, a recognized community-innovator in the greater Pittsburgh area. LaTrenda has experience in coalition-building, project management and strategic planning working in the areas of policy, communications and operations before founding Common Cause Consultants. In addition to leading CCC, she has formed LaTrenda Consulting to provide tips and tools to individuals who are interested in growing their own freelancing business. Most of her time is spent balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood, as she is the mother of four.
Kylie Seltzer, Ph.D
Research Strategist
Kylie Seltzer is committed to building community and making Pittsburgh a more equitable place. She supports much of the strategy at CCC. She recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh and her research examined the intersection of race theory and architecture. Now, she is excited to continue learning and to help non-profits reach their fullest potential. When she is not researching, she can be found teaching fitness classes at the Barre Code or doting on her senior shih tzu, Vinny.
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Ryan Scott, Ed.D
Associate Consultant
Dr. Ryan Scott is passionate about the community’s pursuit of economic self-reliance, education, and civil rights. He strives to ensure equity and social justice for all. As a native of the greater Pittsburgh area, he is no stranger to the culture of the city and is familiar with the needs of the community. He received his Doctorate in Education at the University of Pittsburgh, with an area of concentration of Higher Education Management. He serves as an Associate Consultant with Common Cause Consultants, supporting much of the meeting facilitation and strategic efforts of the company's nonprofit clients.
Ashley Humphrey
Operations Coordinator
Ashley Humphrey has spent her career working with non-profits to achieve their fundraising goals. With a background in fine arts and child welfare, she has coordinated several large-scale projects, managed fundraising campaigns, and aided in strategic planning efforts. She is committed to helping non-profits realize their mission. She supports CCC across the firm, keeping track of many of our strategic deadlines and milestones. Originally from southeast Missouri, she earned her MFA from Webster University in 2009. In her spare time, she teaches and choreographs for a nationally-ranked dance studio and spends time with her spouse and two children.
Annia Aleman
Associate Consultant
Annia is a leader in innovation. She advises Common Cause Consultants on human-centered design efforts that create long-term sustainability and strategy with cross sector partners.
She is the current innovation director for Ascender Pittsburgh, a small business incubator in the Pittsburgh region. Annia worked for four years at the Department of Innovation & Performance, City of Pittsburgh. Annia’s eye for creative solutions, problem-solving skills, and convening and cultivating partnerships led her to work across teams and departments. Here, she was responsible for launching and managing PGH Lab, a program that connects startups and city government to test new products and services. She helped push forward the citywide Inclusive Innovation plan that convened and amplified organizations working towards a more inclusive and equitable Pittsburgh for all. In 2018 the Pittsburgh Business Times recognized Annia as one of Pittsburgh’s“30 under 30,” and The Incline recognized her as one of the“Who’s Next: Technology.”
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Morgan Beckham
Research Associate
Morgan Beckham is a dedicated social justice advocate and someone who is committed to helping ensure equity for marginalized communities. Morgan Beckham is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and she completed her Master's in Public Health with a concentration in health promotion and behavior. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in qualitative data collection/analysis using a community-based participatory approach, oral/written communication, and program development. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature, reading, singing, and traveling.
Chandler Dangerfield, MSW
Research and Program Associate
Chandler Dangerfield is a macro-based social worker that lives by the guiding principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from West Chester University and a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Community,
Organization, and Social Action from the University of Pittsburgh. Chandler has developed professional experience in research, anti-racism, and community-engaged work. Using a strength-based approach, Chandler supports individuals, groups, and organizations in achieving their goals. In her free time, Chandler enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her family.
Elissa Edmunds-Hunt
Associate Consultant
Elissa is Pittsburgh born and raised and based in the city. She is dedicated to eliminating health disparities through both grassroots and systematic change. A firm believer in“nothing for us without us”, her approach is to always listen to the people who were harmed first, build meaningful and equitable relationships, and then co-design the solutions. She is a creative, compassionate, and interdisciplinary strategist with a background in public health and strategic communications. Elissa is both a visionary and someone who can develop concrete steps to achieve goals and excite people about the work. She is a relationship builder, organized thinker, and prioritizes making ideas, processes, and communications accessible. Elissa has a proven track record of program and project management and being able to bring together diverse stakeholder groups to address critical healthcare and social justice issues.
Paigean Jones
Research Associate
Paigean Jones is a doctoral student in the School of Social Work at Howard University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from West Chester University and her Master of Social Work from Georgia State University. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Registered Yoga instructor, and Certified Trauma Professional. Her research interests center on mindfulness, maternal health disparities, gendered racism, and Black women’s mental health. Most recently, Paigean served as a fellow for the Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program hosted by the American Psychological Association, where she implemented programming to improve the mental health outcomes of adolescent girls living in underserved communities in Philadelphia. She is passionate about increasing access to culturally responsive modalities of care through research and policy changes. In her free time, she enjoys engaging in a variety of hobbies including gardening, hiking, learning to play the guitar, and being a dog mom.
Stephanie Lewis
Associate Consultant
Stephanie is an advocate of equity and DIYer of a better future Stephanie is an out-of- school time champion and youth advocate. She strives to ensure that numerous stakeholders of the region feel deeply connected, supported, and engaged. Previously, Stephanie served as the Director of Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time (APOST), an initiative of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In this role, she worked to build and support a quality out-of- school time network through collaborations, professional development, and partnerships. Prior to becoming an APOST team member, Stephanie served as the Director of Educational Initiatives for The Oasis Project of Bible Center Church in Pittsburgh’s Homewood community. She oversaw program development, strategic planning, program evaluation, and program management for multiple out-of-school time programs under the initiative. She began her work at Bible Center as a volunteer for The Maker’s Clubhouse and was integral in the formation and expansion of the STEAM- focused program for K-5th graders.
Ruben Luciano
Research Associate
Ruben Luciano Jr. is a Southern California native completing a Ph.D. in history at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is deeply interested in the intersection of how legal structures and institutionalized stigmas affect underrepresented and marginalized communities. Ruben subscribes to the belief that the continued improvement of equitable measures and investment can positively impact these communities, and he is committed to lifelong, impassioned work in this growing field, as well as directing members of these communities to optimal educational resources and programs. This past year, Ruben completed a Fulbright fellowship for dissertation research in the Dominican Republic. When he is not working or researching, Ruben enjoys running, creative writing, listening to all genres of music, and studying fashion design.
Miriam Messiah
Project Coordinator
Miriam Messiah is the youngest member of our team and is a current part-time student at the Community College of Allegheny County. She coordinates and directly liaises with community in her various capacities. She is helping CCC build the capacity of pilot efforts in county government. Her role is helping clients understand gaps in service provision and documentation. She is a social worker at heart and someone who helps to connect residents of the region to the services that they need.
Sara Segel
Associate Consultant
Sara brings more than two decades of experience leading successful strategic initiatives and creating engagement opportunities that make a long-term difference in the corporate, nonprofit, and community sectors. Through a lens of equity and social justice, she plans, designs and manages programs and processes to help organizations succeed by aligning and exciting their stakeholders. As an outside advisor or member of the team, Sara has led results-producing strategic initiatives for influential nonprofit, corporate, and civic organizations at the local and national levels.
Zimife Umeh, Ph.D
Research Consultant
Zimife is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at The George Washington University. She received her degrees from Duke University and University of Pittsburgh. She has published research on school discipline and educational attainment. She provides non-profit organizations and private corporations with data- driven assessments and evaluations of their people, culture, and structures in order to develop a baseline understanding of strengths and opportunities for growth.