Sharon Adams-Taylor, Joe Gaudino, Todd Goldberg, Xavier Jennings, and Barry Lott expand the nonprofit’s Board in support of opportunity youth around the globe
Five new members have been elected to the Board of Directors for YouthBuild USA, a global nonprofit championing opportunity youth — young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed — as they earn the knowledge, training and opportunities that lead to long-term professional and personal success.
“We are so lucky to have these five incredible leaders join us at such an exciting, unique time in YouthBuild USA’s history,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild USA. “The varied expertise of our diverse Board strengthens our entire organization as we continue to support our local programs — and the young people they serve — through the triple pandemic of COVID-19, economic inequality, and systemic racism. We warmly welcome these talented colleagues who share our vision of health, equity, justice, and hope for opportunity youth.”
Sharon Adams-Taylor was most recently the associate executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, where she was responsible for child health, youth development, social justice, and equity initiatives. She raised more than $31 million while at AASA and helped schools improve the health, education, and life trajectories of children and youth in poverty. Prior to AASA, Sharon was a senior associate at the Children’s Defense Fund. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University, a master’s degree in maternal and child health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a master’s degree from the Catholic University of America. She currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Joe Gaudino is a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he has more than 10 years of experience in public accounting. His practice area is in audit and assurance, with a focus on asset and wealth management. He spent several years on the Massachusetts Council of Champions for Citizen Schools, a nonprofit organization that facilitates community mentorship programs and provides historically underserved students with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities. Joe received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rochester and master’s degrees in business administration and accounting from Northeastern University. He currently lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Todd Goldberg is a managing director at PGIM Real Estate. He is responsible for leading the U.S. Transaction function, which focuses on acquisitions, sales, and financing nationally on behalf of PGIM Real Estate’s managed accounts. In this capacity, he has sourced, underwritten, and closed several billion dollars in transactions. He is currently the chair of the U.S. Equity Investment Committee and sits on the U.S. Executive Committee. Todd received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree with a concentration in finance and economics from Fordham University. He currently lives in Madison, New Jersey.
Xavier Jennings is the YouthBuild associate director at Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) in Denver, Colorado. As a full-time staff member at MHYC, Xavier currently manages the same YouthBuild program he attended as a teenager. Upon graduation in 2008, he served as a YouthBuild alumni mentor until being promoted to a staff member in 2010. He has represented YouthBuild USA nationally, proudly serving on YouthBuild USA’s VOICES and National Alumni councils. Xavier graduated from the Community College of Denver in 2015. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with his two children.
Barry Lott is currently a director at the National Council on Aging, where he manages the oversight of the Senior Community Service Employment Program — the only federally funded job training program for older adults. He also oversees subcontractor operations and subcontractor contracts while monitoring the division’s fiscal performance. Barry previously worked for MAXIMUS Inc., an international leader in government services, where he worked with government clients to improve the performance of workforce services programs. He received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Frostburg State University. He currently lives in Newark, Delaware.
The YouthBuild USA Board of Directors consists of 21 dedicated individuals from diverse backgrounds. Collectively, the Board has relevant expertise in the fields of public policy, research, financial management, law, advocacy, nonprofit management, corporate management, housing, youth development, community economic development, and more.
In YouthBuild programs, opportunity youth pursue their education, prepare for future careers and grow into community leaders, building brighter futures for themselves and their neighborhoods. With love and respect, YouthBuild partners with opportunity youth to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. Responding to the urgent need for knowledge, training and opportunity, YouthBuild primarily serves young people who lack a high school diploma and financial resources.
YouthBuild USA is the nonprofit support center for a global network of more than 275 local YouthBuild programs in 18 countries, with 220 programs in 46 U.S. states and territories and 56 programs in 17 other countries.
