Lakeesha Harris

Executive Director

Lakeesha Harris is an unapologetic Black Feminist, and Abolitionist. She joined CVD's staff following her time as Co-Executive Director of Lift Louisiana -  where she worked to shift policy needed to improve the lives of Louisiana's women, their families, and their communities.

In 2021 -2022  Lakeesha wrote and hosted Old Pro News - a limited podcast dedicated to educating everyone on current legislation, policy, and activism of Sex Workers globally. A continuation of her work as the former Director of Reproductive Health and Justice at Women With A Vision, Inc,  in New Orleans, LA - where she worked with Representative Mandie Landy in spearheading the first comprehensive statewide bills in the nation to decriminalize sex work.

Before moving to the Deep South, Lakeesha was an organizer, Health Educator, and Insemination Coordinator in the midwest providing comprehensive care to sex workers, women, trans people, and GNC folx at one of the last remaining feminist Health centers in the country, Chicago Women’s Health Center.

Sandra Maldonado

Program Director

Sandra Maldonado joins us as an experienced reproductive health worker at Chicago Women's Health Center (CWHC). She brings a commitment to providing affirming and respectful service to hopeful parents, and needed experience managing programs.

Marissa Brown

Office Coordinator

Pronouns she/her/hers

Marissa (she/her/ hers) is a mother of 4, former homeschooling parent and Chicago south-side native. She has been a passionate birth worker providing support for friends and family for over 20 years before beginning her doula journey. Marissa is a Certified Birth & Postpartum Doula and has been a Birth Doula with CVD since August of 2021. In addition to her passion for birth work, Marissa is a social justice leader and non-profit organization professional working on such issues as food justice, reproductive health, and transformative justice. When not supporting birthing families, Marissa spends most of her time farming on her urban homestead.

For CVD matters you can reach Marissa at [email protected].

Katee Evans

Program Coordinator 

Pronouns she/her/hers

Katee Evans (she/her/hers) has been committed to CVD since 2018, working to build a platform for doulas to provide comprehensive support for vulnerable pregnant people in the Chicagoland area, through our Postpartum program. She feels  the opportunity to work with Chicago Volunteer Doulas is a perfect catalyst to promote birth justice through providing pregnancy and postpartum support that addresses disparities that occur among vulnerable populations; especially black and brown people and the LGBTQIA+ communities. Ms. Evans has a Master's in Public Health from Loyola University Chicago. She has 5 years of experience coordinating community partnerships for public health improvement while preparing and evaluating program outcomes, and assessing the impact of program activities and reviewing data collection.   

Ms. Evans believes that working in the Public Health field can be the solution to many of the world's problems, such as maternal and child health, disease prevention, public health safety, and public health policy, and that dedicating herself to public health practices will allow her to be the best public health advocate she is capable of being.  For CVD matters, you can reach Katee at [email protected].

Justin Kreindler

He/Him/His

Justin Kreindler is a nonprofit professional with years of experience in employment equity and political organizing.  In addition to his work as Director of Programs and Partnership for Public Allies Chicago, Justin worked as an organizer for AFL-CIO Lawyers Committee and the New Voters Project.  He has also worked on several political campaigns. In addition to his work with CVD, Justin is a founding board member of Exaquest Carbon; a research organization focused on solving the climate emergency.
In 2019 Justin ran for Alderman of the 46th ward with a focus on convincing people to stay in Chicago by investing in schools, ensuring more affordability in the housing market, and meaningful police reform. Justin is married with two young children.  He is also an accomplished photographer, a news junky, and the resident chef at home.

Dannie Ransom (Board Treasurer)

They/Them/Theirs

My name is Dannie Ransom (they/them) and I am a non-binary Black queer feminist organizer, birth justice advocate, and learning abolitionist based in Chicago, IL. For many years of my life, I've held many roles in service to movement and been in these streets fighting for improved material conditions of my community and those suffering violence at the hands of the state. I graduated from an HBCU where I became grounded in and radicalized by freedom fighters and movement elders that helped me understand the urgency for collective liberation of all BIPOC folks within the prison and medical industrial complex. Since graduating, I've devoted my personal time and paid work to advocating and organizing oppressed people until we free us.

During my time in Chicago, I organized alongside birth justice advocates and workers to form the Black Birth Justice Forum (BBJF). BBJF is a team of birth workers that challenges, informs, and (if needed) co-authors legislation to expand equitable access to doulas in Illinois. Currently, I serve on the communications team at Black Youth Project 100, where I lead communications and digital organizing strategy and support the members of the organization. Signs: Gemini sun, Scorpio moon, Leo rising.