Staff

Meet the Winston-Salem Human Relations/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team. The following is a brief description of responsibilities and an email link that allows you to contact each person directly. Please read the job descriptions to aid in delivering your comments, questions, and concerns to the appropriate person.

Contact Us

  1. Wanda Allen-Abraha, J.D., SHRM-SCP

    Director
    Email Wanda Allen-Abraha, J.D., SHRM-SCP
    Phone: 336-734-1226

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Serves as Chief Staff Advisor to the the African-American Heritage Initiative (AAHI), Human Relations Commission, Youth Advisory Council, and College Advisory Board
    • Serves as Nondiscrimination Ordinances Administrator
    • Serves as City Chief Diversity Officer
    • Serves as City Limited English Proficiency Program Officer
    • Serves as Human Relations Commission (HRC) Committee Staff Liaison: Hearing Board and Executive Committee 
    • Serves as LGBTQIA City Liaison
    • Serves as U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Assistance Program Partnership Administrator

  2. Ronnie Christian, Ed.D., M.S.

    Assistant Director
    Email Ronnie Christian, Ed.D., M.S.
    Phone: 336-734-1356

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Assists with managing the day-to-day operations of the department
    • Supervises and leads key departmental initiatives, including HUD grant management
    • Works closely with the DEI and NDO divisions
    • Supervises departmental training programs

  3. Adolfo Briceño

    Human Relations/Hispanic Outreach Administrator
    Email Adolfo Briceño
    Phone: 336-734-1225

     Areas of Responsibility

    • Serves as an equal opportunity trainer
    • Supervises fair housing, landlord/tenant, public accommodations, and employment investigations and mediations
    • Supervises Hispanic Outreach Program 
    • Supervises Language Access Program
    • Serves as host for Nexus TV
    • Serves as landlord/tenant and fair housing lead trainer

  4. Sherita Cain, M.M./HRM

    Human Relations Analyst-NDO
    Email Sherita Cain
    Phone: 336-771-5198

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Conducts employment and public accommodations discrimination outreach
    • Conducts employment and public accommodations presentations and trainings
    • Conducts NDO marketing and public relations
    • Assists with employment and public accommodations investigations/mediations

  5. Javier Correa-Vega

    Language Access Coordinator
    Email Javier Correa-Vega
    Phone: 336-734-1509

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Leads Hispanic outreach and communications for the City
    • Provides and/or assists with Spanish translation and interpretation for the community and City departments
    • Establishes and maintains key partnerships within the Hispanic community
    • Hosts the Tu Comunidad Hispanic outreach TV show
    • Serves as liaison for the Tu Comunidad newsletter

  6. Karlyn Duncan

    Senior Administrative Assistant
    Email Karlyn Duncan
    Phone: 336-734-1227

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Provides intake for housing, landlord/tenant, public accommodations, and employment discrimination complaints
    • Provides administrative support to the Director/Department
    • Tracks landlord/tenant, fair housing, public accommodations, and employment discrimination cases
    • Assists with financial reconciliation
    • Greets and receives citizens and residents
    • Serves as secretary for the Human Relations Commission (HRC) and African-American Heritage Initiative (AAHI)
    • Provides internal report processing
    • Provides outreach assistance

  7. CURRENTLY VACANT

    Equity & Inclusion Coordinator
    Phone:

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Provides DEI educational and special programs
    • Conducts DEI presentations and trainings
    • Plans and implements the City’s Equity Plan
    • Serves as DEI liaison for the Equity Core Team

  8. Iris McKnight

    Human Relations Analyst-Housing
    Email Iris McKnight
    Phone: 336-734-1229

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Serves as an equal opportunity trainer
    • Provides fair housing outreach
    • Serves as landlord/tenant and fair housing investigator/mediator
    • Serves as landlord/tenant and fair housing trainer

  9. Julie Puckett, M.A.

    Equity Assurance Administrator
    Email Julie Puckett, M.A.
    Phone: 336-734-1497

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Recommends plans, policies, and programs related to access and opportunity
    • Serves as legal compliance administrator in regard to organizational processes policies and mandates
    • Conducts analytical research and statistical reports
    • Tracks, measures, and troubleshoots policies and practices to prevent bias

  10. CURRENTLY VACANT

    Administrative Assistant
    Phone:

     Areas of Responsibility

    •  Provides Departmental administrative support, focused on DEI and Language Access
    •  Assists with internal report processing and tracking
    •  Serves as African American Heritage Initiative (AAHI) staff liaison
    •  Provides outreach assistance for DEI, AAHI, and Language Access

  11. Eleanore Tebbetts, J.D.

    Human Relations Analyst-NDO
    Email Eleanore Tebbetts, J.D.
    Phone: 336-397-7585

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Conducts all employment and public accommodations investigations
    • Conducts Mediations for employment and public accommodations
    • Conducts employment and public accommodations presentations and trainings
    • Ensures employment and public accommodations legal compliance

  12. Bob Thompson

    Language Access Coordinator (BIC)
    Email Bob Thompson
    Phone: 336-734-1306

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Serves as multilingual support for residents with limited English proficiency
    • Serves as the staff liaison with BIC stakeholder committee organizations to synthesize community resources
    • Serves as coordinator of the Community Ambassadors Program to establish contacts among diverse national origins of persons
    • Serves as the staff liaison to ensure digital equity training for multilingual individuals seeking to access City programs and services 

  13. Erika Simon

    Human Relations Outreach Analyst
    Email Erika Simon
    Phone: 336-734-1228

    Areas of Responsibility

    • Coordinator for Youth Advisory Council and College Advisory Board
    • Departmental Website Editor
    • Grants Assistant
    • Human Relations Commission (HRC) Staff Liaison: Community Relations Committee, Multi-Cultural Committee, and Student Relations Committee
    • Intern Coordinator
    • Marketing Liaison
    • Outreach and Training Coordinator

2023 SUMMER INTERN

Porsche Smith '25
Emory University
BA-Psychology