Americana Community Center Staff

Edgardo Mansilla, Executive Director:  Edgardo, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, came to Louisville in 1990 on a scholarship to study social work.  He has a Master in Social Work degree from the Carver School of Social Work, as well as a master's in Theology.  Edgardo is a part-time professor at the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work.  He has extensive experience providing programs in Louisville to benefit refugee, immigrant, and low-income families. edgardo@americanacc.org

Helmer A. Duverge, Director of Family Initiatives:  Helmer is originally from the Dominican Republic and has been in education for over 30 years.  He joined Americana in May 2008.  His main task is to provide the vision and leadership to connect children and their parents through intergenerational programs and activities that support the development of literacy and honor home culture. helmer@americanacc.org

Maria Blough, Finance and Grant Manager:  Maria has been with Americana Community Center since September 2005 serving in a variety of roles, starting off as a full-time volunteer in the Louisville Urban Corps program.  Maria is from Hilliard, Ohio and received her undergraduate degree from Bluffton University.  She is a recent graduate of the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville, completing a Master of Science in Social Work. maria@americanacc.org

Jason Wadowski, Youth Program Coordinator:  Jason has worked with Americana since September 2006 and started off as an Americorps volunteer.  He was hired onto a full-time position in September 2007.  Jason is originally from Michigan where he studied communication and social work at Cornerstone University.  Prior to joining ACC, Jason spent three months in South Africa and Mozambique serving populations affected by HIV/AIDS.  He has made subsequent trips following up with individual and organizational connections.  He has also gained experience with different cultures from traveling to various countries in the Carribbean, Central America, and Europe. jason@americanacc.org

Nermina Nuredin, Senior Office Assistant/Facility Manager:  Nermina is originally from Bosnia and moved to Louisville in 2002.  She has worked at Americana since May 2005 and is currently working on her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting at the University of Louisville. nermina@americanacc.org

Nihada Bektasevic, Office Assistant/Facility Manager:  Nihada is also from Bosnia and moved to Louisville in 2001.  She started at ACC in August 2007 as the evening office assistant and loves working with kids.  She is currently a student at Jefferson Community College and working for an Associate Degree in Art. nihada@americanacc.org

Michael Poindexter, Youth Program Staff and Boy Scout Program Director:  Michael is a current Sociology student at the University of Louisville. He started working at Americana in June 2008 as an Americorps* VISTA Summer Associate, and was then hired for a part-time position.  Michael just started working with the Boy Scouts program and has enjoyed two camping trips with the youth in the program. michael@americanacc.org

Isaiah Wiles, Garden Manager: Isaiah is currently a student at the University of Louisville, where he is obtaining a degree in Liberal Studies. His areas of concentration are Social Change, Humanities, Health, Political Science and Pan-African Studies. He is a native of Somerset, Kentucky, where he lived through high school. He moved to Louisville in fall 2006 and began volunteering at Americana in the after-school program in the fall of 2007. In August 2008, he became a part-time staff at the Center and now does work in the rain garden, the community garden, grounds keeping, and with the work crew. isaiah@americanacc.org

Jason Crigler, Youth Program Staff:  Jason has been at Americana Community Center since February of 2007.  In addition to his work as a youth program staff member, he helps plan and implement the Family Bridges Initiative, a program that supports and encourages both parents and students in school, at home and in the community. Additionally, he helps implement the Right to Read program.  Prior to joining the staff at ACC, Jason taught in secondary schools for a year in Grenada, W.I. He has also spent time working on various community, water, and public health projects throughout the developing world including East Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. He is currently finishing up a degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Louisville. jasonc@americanacc.org

Kristin Burgoyne, Family Coach: Kristin is originally from West Virginia and received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Marshall University in 2005. In 2006, she moved to Louisville to pursue a dual Master’s from the University of Louisville. In May 2009, she graduated with her MSSW and M.A. in WGST and is the first member of her family to complete college. She hopes to one day return to school for a Ph.D. Kristin filled the Family Coach position in May 2009 and is excited about working with the families in the Family Education program. kristin@americanacc.org

Heather Collins, Art Program Coordinator: Heather has been working at ACC since 2007 when she began as an Art Intern. She graduated from the University of Louisville with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Studio Art in 2008. Currently, Heather is in her last year of graduate school at U of L's School of Public Health. Heather brings a holistic approach to ACC's Art program by using art as an intervention for helping to improve the health of ACC's children and community. heather@americanacc.org

Ashley Bachelder, AmeriCorps*VISTA Memer: Ashley is originally from Massachusetts and graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in May of 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology.  Ashley is currently serving a one-year term as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in ACC’s Youth and Family Education Programming.  She became interested in working with people from different cultures after spending the past three summers doing service in South Africa.  In the future, Ashley intends to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work. ashley@americanacc.org

Elizabeth Perkins, AmeriCorps*VISTA Member: Elizabeth graduated from the University of Dayton in May of 2009 with a BA in Spanish and Women's and Gender Studies and minors in Human Rights Studies and Sociology. She is currently working a one-year term at Americana through the Americorps VISTA program, serving as the Adult and Community Program Coordinator. She learned Spanish while studying in the Dominican Republic and grew to love language and culture through this experience. In the future Elizabeth would like to work for an NGO in Latin America. elizabeth@americanacc.org

Victor Munderere, Family Education Staff: Victor joined Americana's staff in September 2009 and is working with the Family Education and After School program. He also serves as a youth counselor. Originally from Burundi, Victor has much experience working with refugees from many different countries. He is also a certified medical interpreter and a fluent speaker of more than 7 languages.  Victor is currentry enrolled at Jefferson Community College in the nursing program.

Nakia Harris, Teen Staff: Nakia is currently a student at the University of Louisville and will be graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology this upcoming May.  She is native of Louisville and begin working at the Americana Community Center in December of 2009 and works specifically with the Teens in the After School Program.