(Opening Soon)
Our Dynamic Team
Who We Are
Laurin Kelly, MPH, PMP, CSM
Executive Director
Laurin P. Kelly, MPH, PMP, CSM, is a Senior Program & Project Management Expert, Strategic Leader, and Consulting Specialist, with a specialization in DEI and Social Justice. With approximately 15 years of experience, Laurin has made significant contributions in IT, healthcare/public health, and HR across both private and public sectors. Known for leading diverse global teams and managing multimillion-dollar budgets, her expertise includes health equity initiatives, EHR implementation, AI, and healthcare quality improvement.
As CEO and Principal Consultant of Battle Plan Strategic Consulting, LLC, Laurin transformed the start-up into a six-figure business within a year, demonstrating her prowess in business development, marketing, and professional development. Via Battle Plan and her extensive experience and expertise in project management and process improvement, Laurin provided project management consulting services to various nonprofits, including the Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation and Black Women Thriving East of the River. As a consultant, she implemented efficient project management systems and oversaw workforce development, equity, and social justice projects.
Laurin's background includes tenure at Amazon as a Senior Program Manager, an Associate/Program Manager at Booz Allen Hamilton, as well as consulting roles at Deloitte, Leidos, and Palladium supporting operations for the Defense Health Agency (DHA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and USAID.
Educationally, Laurin possesses a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Benedictine University and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Grand Canyon University. She is also a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Laurin founded Black Women in Project & Program Management in 2020, and spearheaded efforts to transform BWIPM into ABWIPPM. Furthermore, Laurin is an active member of various professional associations, reflecting her commitment to the field and her community.
In her role as an Executive Director at ABWIPPM, Laurin brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, extensive knowledge in public health, IT, and project management, combined with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Her experience in consulting, mentorship, and professional development positions her as an influential leader, poised to drive significant impact in the organization.
Our Board of Directors
Board Member
Shannon Gatewood
Shannon Gatewood, MPH, PMP serves as the Senior Director of Strategy, Policy, and Operations at W2 Consulting Corporation, a minority- and woman-owned SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) based in Laurel, MD. She is a public health consultant with over 15 years of experience leading projects and nearly 20 years of experience supporting research groups as well as local, state, and federal agencies focused on psychological and behavioral health. Her work has included program planning, development, implementation, and assessment; her efforts consistently empower decision makers to respond to evidence-based recommendations and execute plans that enhance access to high-quality products, services, and care.
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Ms. Gatewood began her professional career in 2007 as a full-time Research Assistant at the University of Maryland – Baltimore (UMB). She held consecutive positions during her 11-year tenure with the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE). As a Program Evaluator, she honed essential skills such as stakeholder engagement, developing outcome measures and metrics, and reporting on program-specific and large-scale aggregate data to program leaders, participants, and other key stakeholders. She seized the opportunity to branch out from program evaluation and assumed responsibilities as a Project Manager. She was promoted to Senior Project Manager and spent her final years at the agency overseeing a 300+ project portfolio and small team as a Mental Health Program Manager.
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Ms. Gatewood left her previous employer to accept a director position with W2 Consulting Corporation in September 2011. As a program and project management subject matter expert (SME), she is adept at crafting and ensuring adherence to strategic and project-specific work plans in addition to drafting and utilizing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress against established goals and objectives. Since joining W2 Consulting she has provided oversight on small-scale projects up to multi-million-dollar contracts for clients at the Administration for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Ms. Gatewood manages cross-functional teams on several concurrent projects and ensures intended outcomes are realized within budget, on schedule, in accordance with available resources. She has proved herself as a creative, effective leader and was recently promoted to Senior Director in recognition of her contributions.
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Ms. Gatewood earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2006 and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory University in 2011. She went on to earn her certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP)® from the Project Management Institute (PMI)® in 2019. Her certification complements her diverse skill set and hands-on experience; she values ongoing development and growth and welcomes opportunities to connect and collaborate with like-minded professionals.
Board Member
Hana Augins Pugh
Hana Augins Pugh is a multi-faceted, multi-hyphenate Jill of all trades with a background in biology and research. She brings experience as a collaborative and creative operations professional with a passion for supporting organizations with forward-thinking, sustainable solutions.
As the founder and lead consultant of Pugh Insights, Hana supports the operations and growth of small to medium businesses, teams, and nonprofits by developing systems and processes, managing budgets and financial reports, leading strategic planning, owning software adaptations and integrations, and workforce planning.
Prior to establishing Pugh Insights, Hana contributed to the biotechnology sector through roles at the National Institutes of Health and Lockheed Martin, where she played a pivotal role in vaccine development and infectious disease projects. She also made significant contributions to the software and tech industries, providing invaluable support in marketing and business development during Scaleform's acquisition by Autodesk.
Hana (pronounced like “Benihana”) received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a research-based HBCU in Princess Anne, MD. Hana hails from Northeast Baltimore and is a proud mother of two sons. Her favorite hobby is adding a ton of items to an online shopping cart and closing the browser once she sees the total – she calls it virtual window shopping. Otherwise, you can catch her curating Spotify playlists, collecting vinyl records, attending live music shows, traveling stateside and abroad, trying new foods, and having dance parties with her son.
Board Member
Katrina DeCosta
Katrina DeCosta is a seasoned Operations Transformation Cyber Change Management Strategist and Governance Manager at Deloitte, with 13 years of experience in the health sector, both private and public. Renowned for her role in helping federal organizations implement data consolidation and cybersecurity Zero Trust programs, she has managed projects with a combined portfolio exceeding $30 million, is a 2020 Women of Color in STEM Rising Star, and a 2023 Modern Day Technology Leader BEYA award recipient. Her work spans across major U.S. health agencies like the VA, FDA, SAMHSA, and CDC. Holding a BA from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MPH from Case Western Reserve University, Katrina is also certified in various disciplines including ScrumMaster, Agile Project Management, and ITILv4, among others.
In her role at Deloitte’s GPS consulting practice, Katrina leads teams focused on modernization and cybersecurity, contributing significantly to mission-critical federal government initiatives. She serves as a Customer Experience Program Advisor for the University of Richmond. Katrina uniquely combines her public health background with IT expertise, effectively translating user needs into high-value technical solutions. Her leadership has notably advanced data visualization tools and modernization programs to support change management efforts.
As a mentor and coach, Katrina is dedicated to guiding junior practitioners at Deloitte and in her community. She plays a key role in Deloitte's Howard University pilot program, aimed at strengthening recruitment from HBCUs. Katrina’s dedication extends to promoting STEM in disadvantaged areas and supporting various ministries in her local church. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., her professional brand is marked by a unique intersection of health, operations, and technology, focusing on modernization and cybersecurity with a shift to Zero Trust.
Board Member
Kayla Newton
Kayla works at Evolve Giving Group as a Senior Associate Consultant, bringing nearly 15 years of experience supporting and managing private giving programs at nonprofit organizations. Kayla’s work history includes working in fundraising offices at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the University of Maryland, Children’s National Medical Center, and House of Ruth Maryland, Inc. Kayla received her BA in communications from Morgan State University and her MPA from the University of Baltimore. Originally from California, Kayla now resides in Washington, DC with her Boston Terrier, Onyx.
Board Member
Kevin Abraham
Mr. Kevin Abraham is a Healthcare Information Technology Executive specializing in Implementation and Adoption. He focuses his endeavors on fostering meaningful and measurable outcomes that are people-focused and data-driven. Mr. Abraham has over 20 years of experience as a program and project manager supporting over $500 Million efforts. Mr. Abraham currently fills a role as an acquisition professional leading change management and adoption initiatives for a global healthcare organization and enjoys mentorship and traveling in his spare time.
Board Member
Alexis Cobbins
Alexis currently serves as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Manager for the Human Services Agency in the City and County of San Francisco. Prior to thus role she was the Executive Director for the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative. Over the course of her career , Alexis has advocated for and worked with Black women and their families through her roles at Mayor Ed Lee’s signature anti-poverty program “Project 500” (The San Francisco Human Services Agency) and at the Black Infant Health program at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. With a Masters of Social Work from California State University, East Bay, Alexis is deeply experienced in organizational change management, community engagement, providing culturally relevant and responsive services, trauma-informed care/systems, grief and loss therapy related to community violence, reflective practice, and anti-racism work. All of Alexis’ personal and professional experiences drive her passion to eradicate racism and create equitable outcomes for Black families and other families of color.
Board Member
Parris Adams
Parris Adams, MBA brings 10 years of combined experience in Program and Project Management focusing on strategic initiatives and process improvements with esteem Fortune 500 companies.
Her project management journey began with client implementations with notable organizations such as MetLife Insurance, CVS Health and EY (Ernst & Young). Building relationships, engaging stakeholders at all levels, including the C-suite, and delivering high-quality, on-time projects are the key ingredients to her success.
Parris holds a Master of Business of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix along with a bachelor's in liberal arts and sciences from Wichita State University. She is currently studying for a Risk Management Professional certification through Project Management Institute scheduled for February 2024.
In her spare time, she provides professional advice to Black women who seek to pivot into project management. Also, she serves as Lead Mentor to coach and guide Black women as they manage projects at nonprofit organizations.