STAFF: Senior Leadership
|
Ingrid N. Floyd
Executive Director Ingrid Floyd, M.B.A., is Executive Director of Iris House, a program in Harlem and since 2012 in Central New Jersey focused on the needs of women, families and the community infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. As Executive Director she is responsible for administrative and fiscal oversight of the agency, its programs and its staff. Ms. Floyd is an advocate and educator for women living with HIV, specifically women of color. Since joining Iris House she has introduced new programs to the agency such as National Virtual Support Groups, Social Media Prevention Outreach, HIV Testing and Counseling, Harm Reduction, substance abuse screenings and condom distribution initiatives along with programs to engage gay and heterosexual men. Ms. Floyd also oversaw the development and implementation of multiple social marketing campaigns launched in Harlem and New Jersey in 2012 entitled ‘Love Your Life/Keep it 100’ and a campaign targeting women of color in 2017 entitled ‘Love Your Life/Ama tu Vida’. In 2021 the agency launched ‘Simply Glow’d’ to target young people 13 – 24. Under Ms. Floyd’s direction the agency has improved its visibility in the community with the introduction of the Women as the Face of AIDS Summit, held for the past sixteen years to bring increased awareness to policymakers, funders and providers on the needs of women living with HIV/AIDS. Ms. Floyd served on the NY Governor’s Task Force to End HIV and on the NY End the Epidemic Women’s Advisory Group. In 2020 Ms. Floyd was asked to become the Interim Executive Director of Women Organized to Respond to Life Threatening Diseases (WORLD) in Oakland, CA. During her tenure with WORLD Ms. Floyd has stabilized and expanded the agency’s funding including a recent HRSA grant focused on building a community workforce to increase vaccinations amongst African Americans and Latinos. Ms. Floyd has also grown the WORLD staff over 300% during her tenure. Ms. Floyd is a member of Black Agency Executives, is a past chair of the governance committee of the NJ HIV/AIDS Planning Group, which she remains an active member. Ms. Floyd earned her MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998 and a Double Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Professional Mathematics from South Carolina State University in 1997. She also earned a Certificate in Executive Leadership for Nonprofits from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work and completed the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Executive Program at the Anderson School of Business. Michael Smirlock, Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Director Michael Smirlock has served as the Iris House Deputy Executive Director since 2019. Dr. Smirlock’s responsibilities include Human Resources, fiscal and contract management, and grant writing as well as overseeing all Food and Nutrition and New York-based prevention services. He brings 20 plus years’ experience in the academic, private and non-profit sectors in financial education and institutions. His non-profit experience includes holding the Executive Director position at STRIVE, an international workforce development agency. Dr. Smirlock has a Ph.D. in economics from Washington University. |
|
Ofelia Barrios
Senior Director of Community Health Initiatives Ofelia Barrios, Senior Director of Community Health Initiatives, is responsible for providing oversight and management of the Prevention Department and leads HIV/HCV/STI, PrEP/PEP, advocacy, substance use, and skills building services. As a member of the Executive Team, she is responsible for shaping, managing and implementing strategic public health initiatives that deliver a high level of awareness, innovation and impact to communities affected by HIV/AIDS and social/structural determinates of health. Ms. Barrios is an active member of the NYCDOHMH Women’s Advisory Board and co-chair of the Immigrant Health Alliance; nurtures solid relationships with local and national stakeholders, and is a key leader in NYC. Ms. Barrios holds a Master’s Degree from the University of New Mexico, a Bachelor’s Degree from Middlebury College and is also a graduate of the CDC/ASPH Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership. |
|
Sheri Cruz Director of Behavioral Health Sheri Cruz, LMSW, Director of Behavioral Health, Clinical Supervisor has worked in the non- profit sector for 19 years, and is committed to the work she does with disenfranchised communities. Sheri has worked with diverse groups including adults living with chronic illness, mental health concerns, young adults, and children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Sheri’s responsibilities include oversight of the supportive housing case management team, providing crisis management, conducting psychosocial evaluations for supportive housing residents, supervision and training for Master’s level social work students, facilitating a weekly group that addresses the social emotional needs for Iris House participants, and serving as an interface between clients and outside social service providers. Sheri earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Yeshiva University- Wurzweiler School of Social Work and earned her postgraduate certification in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the Metropolitan Institute for Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Program.
Ken DeJesus Director of Testing and Outreach Mr. De Jesus served as an executive committee member of the New York State Prevention Planning group (2012-2014) and on the New York City Prevention Planning group (2007-2010). In 2010 he was voted Community Co-Chair (2010) of the New York City Prevention Planning group. A graduate of SUNY/Old Westbury College American Studies/Psychology and a graduate of the Emerging Leaders Program at Columbia University, a program funded by the Robin Hood Foundation. Ken has an extensive background in HIV, Hepatitis C and STI testing, program implementation and the coordination of community events. He is current a member of AHF’s LOUD, which strives to fight HIV by employing marketing initiatives that are not only culturally competent but effective at encouraging behavioral change throughout Latino communities in the U.S. Ken is proud to work in his own community of Harlem. |
|
Harry Gibbs
Director of Housing Programs Harry Gibbs has been working in the HIV/AIDS field for non-profit organizations , New York City public Hospital and in the private sector in the New York City metro area for twenty years. He has been responsible for monitoring the care provided to patients, served as a Compliance Officer and Director of Funded programs. Currently, Harry Gibbs has been serving as the Housing Director for Iris House Scatter Site programs for over 10 years. |
|
Serge M. Jean
Director of Food & Nutrition Services Serge M. Jean has worked in the field of Non-for-Profit Social Services for over 23 years. Currently, he serves as the Program Director for the Food and Nutrition Services Department at Iris House, Inc. In this position, Mr. Jean oversees day-to-day operation of the Food and Nutrition Program, including managing program’s monthly budget, narrative and data reports, scheduling and monitoring intervention delivery, handling the department’s administrative and fiscal matters, as well as overseeing and supervising all program staff and volunteers; Mr. Jean is also the College liaison/ preceptor for our advanced college of pharmacy students from Touro College of Pharmacy, Lehman’s College graduate students and Metropolitan College of NY graduate students; Mr. Jean earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Philosophy and in English for Teaching from The City College of New York (2005), and received a Master of Science in Special Education also from The City College of New York (2010). Previous experience for Mr. Jean includes, Peer Mentoring and Coaching, Corporate Banking, Business Consultant, Ministry Consultant, Community Needs Assessment, Non-for-Profit Strategic Planning, HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Development and Implementation, Food and Nutrition Program Management, as well as running Support Groups for Adults, and Working with high-risk LGBTQ Youths and Young Adults to enhance quality of life. Nathalie Menard
Clinical Program Manager, Housing Programs Nathalie Menard is a dedicated, multilingual Clinical Program Manager with 20 years of experience developing and executing successful housing programs. She has ensured the development of individualized service plans, referral provisions, reassessments, monitoring and tracking cases to improve clients’ health outcomes. In her professional capacity, she has facilitated “Healthy Relationships’, a small group-level risk-reduction intervention intended for people at high risk for acquiring or transmitting STIs (including HIV). She currently assists in the recruitment and hiring of all new staff, trains all department members, orients them to the social services and the agency policies and procedures, and provides ongoing supervision to all department staff. She identifies appropriate on-site and off-site training for the staff, and facilitates attendance at such. Nathalie also schedules and facilitates initial interviews with prospective clients referred by DHS/DOH. Makes appropriate selection for acceptance and facilitates the expeditious admission and orientation of new clients in order to meet occupancy standards. In addition, Nathalie provides necessary crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and mediation as needed. Nathalie is a skilled communicator able to deliver cultural sensitivity educational workshops, establish rapport with members of diverse groups, and promote team cohesiveness. Ms. Menard holds a Masters degree in Community Health with a concentration in Healthcare Management. |
|
Erika Miller
Director of Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement Erika Miller serves as a member of the Executive Team to ensure Iris House programs continue to provide quality services and care to NYC’s and NJ’s vulnerable population. She is responsible for monitoring and evaluating program outcomes to redefine services; and ensuring that there’s ongoing compliance with internal policies and stakeholders. She has more than 10 years of experience working in Oversight and Compliance within the private, non-profit, and City Government sectors. Ms. Miller holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Organizational Assessment and Monitoring from John Jay College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Virginia State University.
Jason Osher Director of Development Jason Osher joined Iris House in September 2022 as the Director of Development. Before Iris House, Jason was with the Waterfront Alliance in a temporary role to get the organization up to speed in all aspects of fundraising. Prior to the Waterfront Alliance, Jason served as the Deputy Director of Development at New York Restoration Project which he joined in 2015 to lead foundation and government fundraising, along with the direct mail program, to support operating programs as well as capital projects expanding green, open space and programming in parks and community gardens throughout New York City. Before NYRP, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), which he joined in November 2000, and had primary responsibility for strategically planning and raising the funds needed to support SIECUS’ programs, as well as oversaw all finance, budgeting, and human resource functions for the organization. Before joining SIECUS, Jason was the Associate Director of Foundations and Corporations at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Jason attended Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and The Eugene Lang College of New School University. Audria Russell
Program Manager, New Jersey Programs Ms. Russell has held various positions in her career, ranging from Public Health Educator and Health Specialist within the New York City jail system. Currently, she is a Program Manager with Iris House. Notably, she has served as a member of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene HIV Prevention Planning Group, as the Chairperson for the Substance Users/Mental Health and the Immigrant Workgroups. Ms. Russell holds two Masters Degrees in Thanatology from Brooklyn College, and a second degree in Social Work from Fordham University; she is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers. |
