Meet the Staff
Samantha Stangl – Executive Director
Samantha has a passion for systems change thinking and collaborative approaches to solving problems. She volunteers with YouthBridge Community Foundation and was selected as a 2019 Brown School Emerging Leader award winner.
Samantha has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Iowa and a Master’s of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. She spent nearly ten years doing direct service social work in a variety of capacities, including providing services for Spanish speaking victims of intimate partner violence, connecting first generation students to higher education, and providing case management and crisis intervention to immigrant children and families. She also worked for the St. Louis County Children’s Service fund, the Clark-Fox Family Foundation, and most recently worked in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Earl Strauther – Deputy Director
Earl G. Strauther has more than 30 years of corporate, civic and non-for-profit experience in business development and operational and change management, having most recently served as the Deputy Director of a youth club in St. Louis. For ten years, he has served as the Board President for the Planning Commission of the City of St. Louis.
He understands the mission to solve homelessness and moving people into homes for a better quality of life and is his passion for service has been cultivated by his faith walk.
He obtained a Bachelor’s in Business Management and his Master’s of Art in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University in Mequon, WI. He is a Graduate Fellow in Executive Health Management from the University of Kansas and is certified in Fundraising by Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and Nonprofit Management from Washington University, St. Louis.
Melissa has a Bachelor’s of Sociology from Whitworth University. She spent 15 years doing social work in a variety of capacities, including providing services for older adults, at-risk youth and adults with disabilities.
Most recently, she has worked with the Mehlville School District. Before that, she worked at Lutheran Senior Services, Faithful Friends (mentoring program) and ran a chamber of commerce in Washington State.
Melissa is passionate about networking, serving the community, addressing homelessness, social justice, mental health and poverty.
