Summer Willis: Founder & Executive Director
Summer Willis is the founder of Strength Through Strides, a community for sexual assault survivors emphasizing resilience and strength. Currently running 29 marathons across the country, she aims to raise awareness about the alarming statistic of 1 in 9 women experiencing sexual assault.
Before founding Strength Through Strides, Summer taught education in Texas, Louisiana, Tanzania, Mexico, and Chile. Outside her marathon endeavors, she enjoys going on adventures with her boys, listening to audiobooks, and dreaming big. Summer’s dedication to empowering survivors and challenging societal norms makes her a valuable member of the Strength Through Strides board.
Meredith Anastasio: Legal Counsel & Event Planner
Meredith Anastasio, Founder & CEO, MAEvents, LLC As an event management executive, Meredith has successfully elevated philanthropy and thought leadership across many industries, always with a focus on delivering valuable and impactful programming and experiences. She is known for developing high-level thought leadership programs, connecting leaders, elegant receptions, and fostering key relationships to ensure success. Prior to her career in events and marketing, Meredith was an environmental litigator in New York City. She earned her JD and Master’s in environmental policy from Vermont Law School in 2002. In 1999 she earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science, communications, and sociology, from George Washington University. Meredith lives in Connecticut with her two young boys and their new puppy.
Melanie Brinkley Ferlito: Development Director
Her expertise lies in designing corporate strategy and managing the path to expertly identify, develop, and support client needs within commercial and nonprofit entities. Melanie’s background also includes extensive experience in managing and delivering proven solutions to unique problems.
Melanie has been married to her husband Eric for 28 years and has three lovely children – Connor, Lauren and Olivia – all of whom are in college. She loves her 2 rescue golden retrievers and 2 rescue kitties.
Ellen Cannon: Administrator
Ellen Cannon is currently completing an English Teaching Fulbright grant at the Industrial University of Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Prior to this role, she taught elementary school for 5 years in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving in the 2018 Teach for America corps at Phillis Wheatley Community School for 2 years and then teaching 3 years at Homer Plessy Community School, an arts-integrated charter school. While at Homer Plessy, Ellen also completed a yearlong fellowship in the Foundations of Reading through the Special Education Leaders Fellowship program. She was inspired to pursue a career as a teacher by her first roles as a Program Coordinator and Site Coordinator with Playworks, an education non-profit that promotes healthy play in elementary schools. Ellen graduated from UCLA in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies and a minor in Spanish and in 2023 earned a Masters of Science in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University School of Education. In her free time, Ellen enjoys being a plant mom as well as dabbling in various crafting activities, such as crochet and preparing costumes for her favorite holiday, Mardi Gras.
Justin Faifer: Sales & Marketing Strategist
Experience in small business development from both marketing strategy & organizational management. With a master’s in digital communication and media arts from DePaul University. Thesis on the integration of physical and digital brand continuity and discourse.
Deep conviction Justin, had the privilege of working alongside not-for-profits and churches in urban Chicago and Detroit for the last 15 years. Building relationships with individuals aged out of foster care, older homeless communities, supporting refugees and veteran mental health.
Acknowledging, my unhealthy boundaries with relationships in early adulthood, now active in the critical role that men play in fighting against abuse. My family has experienced multiple generations of sexual trauma and other abuses. as a single dad of two teenage daughters, living in Chicago. I’m very honored to be able to contribute to Strength Through Strides mission.
Isabella Carzzana: Secretary
Isabella is a California native transplanted to Harrisonburg, VA. She works in sales operations at a software company and is a proud mom to a newborn boy. Besides running and hiking, Isabella also loves drinking milk tea and reading good books!
Danchen Li
Danchen Li is a professional with core competencies in data analysis, marketing research, and communication. Aspiring to be a data-driven leader, Danchen seeks to leverage data and technology to create value and impact in the business world. With an MS in Business Analytics from Washington University in Saint Louis, Danchen possesses a strong foundation and finds working with Excel and PowerPoint to be both a skill and a source of comfort.
Paul Wolfe: Board Treasurer
Paul Wolfe is an active and highly visible member of the community, bringing a wealth of experience from public-intensive occupations. Specializing in customer service and public speaking, Paul currently serves in a pivotal role as chair of the Democratic Party of Alachua County, where the focus is on community engagement and providing assistance to individuals. Committed to making a positive impact, Paul is dedicated to leveraging expertise in customer service and public relations to effectively connect with people and address their needs.