About Our Keynote Speaker

India Walton

Homelessness Is Not a Personal Failure. It Is a Policy Outcome.
Who Pays When We Don’t Pay Up Front?

The Lake Is Rising: What the Numbers Are Trying to Tell Us
Are We Measuring the Right Things?

Back by popular demand! Gaither Stephens is the Founder and CEO of Gaither
Dynamic, a national leader in data-driven solutions for homelessness. Over the past six years, he has designed more than 300 dashboards for 60+ communities nationwide, turning complex HUD and HMIS data into clear insights that drive strategy and accountability. As founder of the CoC Alliance, the largest peer network for Continuum of Care leaders, Gaither is committed to advancing system-wide improvements through collaboration and shared innovation. His work emphasizes person-centered housing principles and racial equity, helping communities not only track outcomes but also identify disparities and reform policies to ensure fair and effective solutions. A frequent national speaker at NHSDC, FCEH, and other conferences, Gaither brings a unique ability to translate raw data into tools for lasting impact.

The Meeting after the Meeting: Where Real Change Happens

Sherita Traywick-Johnson, JD is a lawyer, pastor, educator, and community leader. She earned her Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Criminology from SUNY Cortland. She has served on the Greece Central School District Board of Education, in both houses of the New York State Legislature, and at the New York State Department of Labor, where she gained firsthand experience with workforce issues, labor concerns, government systems, and the challenges facing working families and local communities. Sherita has also taught criminal justice, law, and public policy courses at Rochester Institute of Technology and
Schenectady Community College.

Beyond government and education, Sherita has spent years working directly in the community through grassroots outreach, advocacy, ministry, and nonprofit leadership. Through Young & Gifted, Inc and her advocacy organization, Paperwork, she has helped individuals and families navigate housing challenges, public benefits, educational advocacy, fair hearings, and complex government systems. Her work has always centered on helping people access resources, understand their rights, and move
toward stability and opportunity.

Len Statham is the Chief Operating Officer of the Alliance for Rights and Recovery (formerly NYAPRS). He has worked with people in recovery for over 25 years, promoting recovery-focused services and service provision. Currently, Len serves on the board of the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board, as well as the Advisory Board of the Academy of Peer Services. He has worked nationally with SAMHSA’s Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center (BRSS TACS) to help peer-run organizations from across the country develop and operationalize programs and policies that increase their sustainability.

Additionally, Len has worked with the National Development and Research Institutes Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NDRI-ATTC) and The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, offering training and technical assistance to organizations across the country and providing employment services to people in mental health recovery. Len holds a master’s degree in organizational management from SUNY Empire State College and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP). Importantly, Len is a person with lived experience in the mental health system, and this experience informs and strengthens his work in the field.