Ellen Gerstein
Executive Director
As the founding Executive Director, Ellen is responsible for managing the daily operations of the Gwinnett Coalition including a county-wide information and referral service, the coordination of a community strategic plan for health and human services, the largest volunteer event in the country Gwinnett Great Days of Services and a Veterans Resource Center. In addition to the administrative and fiduciary responsibilities of the office, Ellen also maintains an active role in community planning and program development. Because the needs of Gwinnett County are so complex and far-reaching, her involvement on behalf of the Coalition spans across many areas of interest from health services to high-risk youth programs to economic growth and housing development.
Ellen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia and a Master of Management in Human Relations and Organizational Behavior from the University of Phoenix. Ellen was recently appointed to the SAMHSA National Advisory Committee.
Suzy Bus
Program Director
As Gwinnett Coalition’s Program Director, Suzy manages the various Coalition programs: Gwinnett Helpline, Gwinnett Great Days of Service, Gwinnett County Veterans Resource Center and the annual internship program. Suzy manages the Helpline and all its volunteers which includes their training and the maintenance of the extensive database of service providers. Suzy also provides support for a number of the Gwinnett Coalition’s committees and working groups and represents the Gwinnett Coalition at the homeless working team, community events as well as supporting numerous current projects supported by the Gwinnett Coalition. She provides administration support for the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant administered by the Gwinnett Coalition and is involved in the Gwinnett Point in Time Count every two years in Gwinnett County. Suzy has a BA honors degree from Lancaster University in England in Youth and Community Studies.
Rachael Holder serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for the Gwinnett Coalition and has been with the Gwinnett Coalition for many years. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to internal functions of the Gwinnett Coalition, as well as assisting with special events and other community initiatives.
Rachael holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree and Master of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia.
Rachael Holder
Special Projects Coordinator
Kim Thomas
Planning & Evaluation Manager
Kimberly Thomas serves as the Planning and Evaluation Manager for the Gwinnett Coalition. Her responsibilities include coordinating planning efforts, evaluating planned initiatives and maintaining documentation of these results, and serving as a representative for community-wide collaboration on behalf of the Gwinnett Coalition.
Kim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Health Education and Promotion from Georgia Southern University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Georgia Southern University, Institute of Public and Nonprofit Studies.
Lecia Young
Program Coordinator
Lecia joined the Gwinnett Coalition team as the new Program Coordinator working closely with the Program Director. Her responsibilities include overseeing the G.R.E.A.T. Little Minds project, supporting and coordinating events and programs, and managing all social media accounts on behalf of the Gwinnett Coalition.
Lecia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in Educational Psychology from Georgia State University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.