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.
Desiree King
Desiree’s career in social work began in 2013 working for a nonprofit agency primarily dealing with those who were experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and/or mental health. One of the main responsibilities was working with local agencies to secure housing or to provide resources through the Housing Resource Center. During that time, Desiree completed her Associates Degree in Human Services and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has worked with housing programs such as Shelter Plus Care, Continuum of Care, Project Protect, Housing First and other programs that have been implemented in the City and County of St. Louis.
In 2019, she went back to school for her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Missouri Baptist University, while also transitioning from nonprofit to work for the State of Missouri within the Department of Mental Health. That position placed her on the administrative side of Social Work and advocacy by ensuring that policies were implemented and that the rights of the consumers being served weren’t impeded or ignored. With 10 years of working in the community as a direct front line staff and administration staff, Desiree understands that the common goal is to ensure that the purpose and vision of each community partnership is understood and translated in ways that can be carried out successfully to ensure permanent and positive change for those who are served in the community.
Hannah is a graduate student at Washington University’s Brown School. She earned a bachelor’s in sociology from Western Carolina University, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work. Hannah is passionate about addressing issues of poverty, homelessness, and racial injustice. She previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the NC Hunger Corps, and as VISTA Leader for NC Campus Engagement’s VISTA program.
