With two decades working in maternal and infant health, and with an intimate knowledge of the local landscape, Mrs. Newman-White has the rare combination of skills and passion to take First Year Cleveland to the next stage of impact.

Mrs. Newman-White began her public health career with the Cleveland Department of Health’s MomsFirst program in 2004 as a Case Manager. In 2005, she joined the administrative office as Program Administrator and then Deputy Director before moving on to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, as a Grant Supervisor. (read more)

Richard joined First Year Cleveland in October 2023. He has spent nearly two decades in various data analytic roles with the last 13 years as the lead maternal and child health data analyst at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. His focus has been to identify social and economic factors impacting the health and well-being of residents in Cuyahoga County. 

Stacey began her nonprofit management career in development at academic medical centers in Boston and Cleveland. She then worked as a development consultant in healthcare, education, social service, and faith-based institutions before becoming foundation manager at the Glick Family Foundation. Most recently, Stacey served as operations manager for a Cleveland-based community organizing consortium dedicated to voter engagement, community-based healthcare, and justice reform. She is committed to generative, collaborative spaces focused on racial equity, healthy children, and strong families.

Julie Hewitt is the project manager for First Year Cleveland. She joined the team in January 2023, transferring from a research project manager role at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

In her role, she supports grantee-partners in executing their funded projects with a particular focus on those partners receiving funding through the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Alvonta joined the First Year Cleveland team in September 2023. He previous spent 6 years at Better Health Partnership, a regional health improvement collaborative, where he began as a Program Coordinator and grew into the role of Quality and Performance Improvement Manager.

Al comes with experience working with many community organizations, medical health centers, and programs to improve the health of families of Northeast Ohio.

Alaa is originally from Lebanon and moved to the United States in 2023 to pursue a Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO). He graduated in December 2024 and joined First Year Cleveland as Fiscal Coordinator, where he oversees departmental finances and contributes to the organization’s mission of improving birth outcomes and supporting families.

His journey in the nonprofit world began during his undergraduate studies at the University of Balamand, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. While pursuing his degree, he became deeply involved with several disaster response organizations, supporting communities during some of Lebanon’s most challenging times. Later, he served as a Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (INARA), where he helped ensure the effectiveness of humanitarian programs for vulnerable populations.

Although he began his academic path in the STEM field, his experiences in service and humanitarian work shifted his passion toward the nonprofit sector, where he found both purpose and impact.