Leadership

Shannon TL Isom, named President and CEO of Community Shelter Board in 2023, has a twenty-year track record leading strategic teams and is deeply connected to continuums of care for communities of color, with a particular focus on social determinants, intersectionality, gender, and race. She has expertise in science, public health, non-profit management, medicine, and business. During her nine-year tenure as President and CEO of YWCA Dayton, Shannon increased the operational budget by 196%. She secured the first $1M state biennial appropriation for the Ohio Council of YWCAs.

Shannon holds a master's business administration degree, specialized in health administration from D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, and a bachelor’s degree in pre-med/biology from Spelman College. She was an MD candidate at Wright State University School of Medicine and also completed post-baccalaureate studies at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and studies at The Ohio State University School of Public Health.

Shannon serves as a board member for the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio and the Dayton Metro Library. She serves as a national advisory member for KeyBank and First Financial Bank Advisory Boards and as a member of the executive advisory committee for the Human Rights Center of the University of Dayton. Shannon served as a TEDx coach for TEDx Dayton.

Shannon received a Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton in 2022. She received a National Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2021 and Dayton Business Journal’s 2020 Regional Leader of the Year and Business of the Year.

With a budget of $82.1 million, Shannon TL Isom leads a regional effort to ensure that everyone in Columbus and Franklin County has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Under her leadership, Community Shelter Board (CSB) brings together public, private, and nonprofit partners to operate as a single, coordinated system focused on making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

As the Unified Funding Agency (UFA) and system leader for the prevention of and response to homelessness in Franklin County, CSB strategically invests in and manages a network of 16 partner agencies that provide outreach, prevention, shelter, and housing programs. Together, they help individuals and families move swiftly from crisis to stability. Founded in 1986 on the belief that no one should be homeless in our community for even one night, CSB’s system of care has helped more than 35,000 people secure permanent housing over the past decade.

Community Shelter Board is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the State of Ohio, United Way of Central Ohio, Nationwide Foundation, American Electric Power Foundation, The Columbus Foundation, and many other public and private investors.

Adam Rowan serves as CSB’s Chief Compliance + Operations Officer. With over 15 years’ experience in nonprofit and human services, Adam brings a background of operations/program management, quality improvement, and strategic planning to the mission of CSB. Prior to joining CSB in 2024, Adam held executive roles at Maryhaven and St. Vincent Family Services in Columbus, Ohio.

Adam holds a BA in Psychology from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Ohio Dominican
University, with a concentration in public administration. A graduate of Leadership Columbus, Adam’s dedication to driving impactful change and improving systems will be instrumental to advancing CSB’s mission.

Greg Long is CSB's Chief Finance Officer with more than two decades of executive financial leadership across both nonprofit and private sectors. A seasoned finance executive, Greg has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, enhancing cost efficiency, and enhancing financial performance for complex, mission-driven organizations.

Most recently, Greg served as Interim Chief Financial Officer for Atrium Living Centers, where he led financial operations for a $180 million healthcare organization spanning 26 facilities across four states. His leadership ensured timely financial reporting, strengthened compliance, and enhanced operational efficiency. Before that, he served as Controller for MedFlight of Ohio, where he rebuilt financial systems, introduced advanced revenue recognition models, and spearheaded process improvements that contributed to more than $15 million in profitability gains.

Greg’s earlier leadership roles include Chief Financial Officer at Central Ohio Urology Group, where he guided the organization through a successful recapitalization, and Vice President of Finance and Controller at AKSM, Ltd., where he helped triple revenue to $140 million through strategic growth and operational excellence. He began his career with Ernst & Young, where he provided audit and advisory services to clients across the nation.

Greg earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Otterbein University, graduating summa cum laude, and is known for his collaborative leadership style, analytical precision, and ability to translate complex financial data into actionable insights for boards and executive teams.

Níel M. Jurist is the Chief Communications + Government Affairs Officer at CSB, where she leads the organization’s strategic communications, public policy advocacy, community engagement, and brand management efforts. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, public relations, branding, external affairs and strategic communications, Níel brings a rich background from the public service and nonprofit sectors.

Previously, Níel served as the Chief Communications Strategist at JPRC, a boutique, family-owned public relations agency specializing in reputation risk management, strategic communications, and media relations. Before that, she was the Senior Director of Communications and Engagement at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), where she led marketing, media relations, stakeholder engagement, DE&I, and event strategy initiatives. In that role, Níel chaired the National Association of Regional Council's DEI committee. She also served as the communication's lead for the region’s LinkUS mobility and infrastructure initiative, collaborating with COTA, the City of Columbus, Franklin County, and MORPC.

Earlier in her career, Níel held positions as spokesperson for the mayor’s office and public information manager for the police department with the City of Gahanna. She also worked with the Ohio Treasurer of State’s Office, the Ohio Senate, the YMCA of Central Ohio, and Franklin County Children Services, and served as assistant director of diversity and inclusion at the United Way of Central Ohio.

Níel holds an MBA from Ashland University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from The Ohio State University. She is accredited in Public Relations (APR) and certified in crisis communication, media training, measurement and analysis, and reputation risk management.

Sherrice Sledge-Thomas is an accomplished organizational culture expert leading Community Shelter Board's human resources and diversity and inclusion efforts. As Chief People + Culture Officer, she spearheads initiatives to enhance organizational alignment and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally in CSB's mission to end homelessness. Sherrice's work is guided by CSB's core values of collaboration, passionate, committed effort, accountability and integrity, curiosity and innovation, and transparency.

With two decades of experience in organizational effectiveness, human capital management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Sherrice brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Prior to joining CSB in 2024, she served as VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and held leadership positions at NiSource as Director of Change Management and Director of Human Capital. Sherrice holds certifications in Advanced Change Management, Team Effectiveness, and various assessment tools.

Sherrice earned her Master of Business Administration and Organizational Leadership from Franklin University, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Women's Studies from The Ohio State University. Her commitment to driving positive change and fostering inclusive environments makes her an invaluable asset to CSB's mission and vision.

As Chief Programs Officer, Steven Skovensky has overall strategic and operational responsibility for all program areas, including prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. He is part of the senior management team that drives strategy for the organization and represents Community Shelter Board on a local, regional, and national basis.

Steve has extensive experience in the field of homelessness. He holds a deep and unwavering commitment to housing as the solution to homelessness, and has a long track record of demonstrating collaborative and productive relationships to best achieve that vision. Steve was with YMCA of Central Ohio from 2016 – 2020 where he most recently held the position of Executive Director of Supportive Housing, managing operational aspects of their permanent supportive housing portfolio. Prior to that he held the position of Senior Director of Operations, providing leadership at Van Buren Center, the largest homeless shelter in Columbus and Franklin County. Steve held a leadership role on the Maryhaven Outreach Team as the Program Coordinator, at Faith Mission as the Supportive Services Manager, and at Southeast as the Project Liaison Case Manager. He also worked in Chicago with individuals with HIV/AIDS, inpatient mental health patients, and at emergency shelters for single adults experiencing homelessness.

Before coming to Columbus, Steve worked for Lakefront SRO – now Mercy Housing Lakefront – an innovator in permanent supportive housing and blended management. He was a partner in the Aids Foundation of Chicago's Hospital to Housing program and study, and was named as a Harm Reduction Champion by Heartland Health Outreach in Chicago. Community Shelter Board leads a coordinated, community effort to make sure everyone has a place to call home.