One Hope United is led by a President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO is informed by an executive team comprised of Chief Officers and Vice Presidents in operating divisions and Executive Directors of service lines. Together, the Executive Leadership Team guides Hope Members in the OHU Promise to drive excellence, accelerate impact and transform lives.
Dr. Damon Cates has been the President & CEO of One Hope United since 2024. The OHU Board of Directors asked Damon to serve as Interim President & CEO in 2023. A leader in fundraising with more than 25 years of experience, Damon previously had headed up OHU’s philanthropy and constituent engagement efforts. As President and CEO, Damon currently leads the development of OHU’s long- and short- term strategies, manages overall operations and resources, serves as OHU’s primary spokesperson and evaluates and tracks OHU’s success in reaching its goals. Damon’s accomplishments include his leadership in fundraising at both state and federal levels, cultivating stronger relationships with legislative leaders in Illinois, Florida, and nationally. He successfully guided the organization through its COA reaccreditation process, implemented initiatives to strengthen collaboration and teamwork, helped shape and share the OHU story and established the OHU Promise to set the vision and priorities for the near future.
Damon received a BA from Millikin University, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined One Hope United from the University of Chicago, where, for over 16 years of service, he led alumni relations and development programs for several of the University’s academic units, also serving as director of a multi-billion dollar university-wide fundraising campaign. In addition to UChicago, Damon has also held leadership fundraising positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University.
Damon is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at conferences. He has published articles on enhancing constituent engagement and building organizational capacity. Damon was also appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to the Illinois Youth Budget Commission in 2023 and DCFS’ Child Welfare Advisory Committee in 2024.
Sarah Tunning, LMHC, brings more than 25 years of experience in the child welfare sector as both a social worker and therapist. Before becoming Founding Chief Operating Officer, Hope House United at One Hope United, she served in several key leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Program Officer, Executive Director of Florida, and Senior Vice President of Continuous Quality Improvement.
Sarah’s career began in foster care and investigations with the Florida Department of Children and Families. She later spent a decade directing mental health programs before returning to child welfare, where she continues to integrate her deep expertise in mental health and substance abuse into her leadership.
Throughout her career, Sarah has championed quality initiatives in mental health, from developing and redesigning curricula to teaching at the college level. She holds a Master of Mental Health Counseling from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Social Work from Malone University in Canton, Ohio.
Bishal Maskey brings more than two decades of experience helping nonprofit organizations thrive, blending sharp financial expertise with a deep passion for work that transforms lives locally and globally.
He joins One Hope United from Keshet Disabilities and Inclusion, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and championed programs supporting people with disabilities, including therapeutic schools, residential services, summer camps, and community recreation. In addition, he managed a commercial real estate LLC, ensuring that the organization’s resources were strategically invested to sustain its mission long-term.
Previously, Bishal was CFO at Envision Unlimited, where he helped expand day, residential, mental health, and foster care programs by 50% in just two years, significantly increasing opportunities across the community. Earlier in his career, he dedicated 20 years to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), rising through leadership roles to ultimately serve as Executive for Strategic Financial Operations, where he guided the fiscal management team through a major restructuring.
A lifelong learner, Bishal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Management, cum laude, from the University of Maine and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
Elizabeth M. Hopkins is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and social service program management. Her career began in mental health services as a case manager and counselor, and she later served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), acting as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for children in the Illinois court system. In addition, Elizabeth has held leadership roles across multiple social service organizations, consistently championing excellence and equity in care.
She previously served One Hope United in several impactful roles, including Director of Continuous Quality Improvement & Reporting, Manager of Special Projects, and Medicaid Coordinator. During her tenure, she led quality initiatives across more than 20 programs, developed agency-wide policies, created staff training curricula, and was honored with the 2018 Fully Contribute Value Award for her outstanding contributions. Elizabeth is widely recognized as a Medicaid expert, with a deep understanding of program compliance, service delivery, and funding mechanisms that support vulnerable populations.
Elizabeth also contributed to national standards of excellence as a former Council on Accreditation (COA) reviewer, helping ensure that human service organizations across the country meet rigorous benchmarks for quality and accountability.
Most recently, she expanded her expertise in the corporate sector as a Corporate Compliance Manager for a global durable medical equipment company. In this role, she gained valuable skills that directly benefit the social service environment, including:
Elizabeth holds a Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) in Child and Family Law from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Biopsychology, with a minor in French, from Saint Joseph’s College.
Eva Penar is an accomplished communications and marketing leader with extensive experience building brands, leading campaigns, and elevating civic engagement initiatives. Most recently, she served as Chief Content and Communications Officer at the Executives’ Club of Chicago, where she launched a new brand, website, podcast, and program template.
Previously, Eva was Director of Marketing and Communications at The Chicago Community Trust, where she developed branding and messaging for the landmark “We Are Chicago” $1 billion endowment campaign. She also helped design the On the Table ambassador program, which became a viral civic engagement initiative generating more than 17 million digital impressions, and partnered with the Sun-Times Foundation to establish the Community Match Program, providing visibility and funding to nonprofits across the region. Eva also led the branding for the Trust’s new headquarters in 2012, creating an immersive visitor experience that highlighted the Trust’s mission and impact. Earlier, she served as Manager of Public Relations, increasing visibility for the Trust and elevating the work of its grantees and donors.
Her earlier career includes roles as Marketing Manager for Time Out Chicago, where she helped launch the magazine in the Chicago market; five years at the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, where she supported a major expansion and high-profile exhibitions such as The Gelman Collection: Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and 20th Century Mexican Art; and communications roles with the Chicago Millennium Celebration under the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Her work has earned recognition including a Chicago Emmy Award in 2004 for a Univision public-service announcement she coordinated.
Eva has been recognized as a “Super Connector” by Time Out Chicago (2009) and represented Chicago internationally at the Korea Foundation Summit (2019) and Young Atlanticist Summit during NATO Chicago (2012). She has held leadership roles with professional networks including CommA, NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Network), and the NTEN Nonprofit Tech Club Chicago Chapter, and has contributed her expertise to cultural and community organizations such as the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Jackson Chance Foundation.
Fluent in Polish and Spanish, Eva brings both global perspective and deep local commitment to her work, consistently building connections that strengthen communities and amplify impact. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from University of Illinois Chicago and a certificate in Data Driven Marketing from Cornell University.
Joselyn “Josie” Bayona has been with One Hope United since 2019, first overseeing One Hope United’s Family Support Services Program in Palm Beach County and then becoming the Director of Programs, in 2020, overseeing our Residential Line of service known as Hope Houses. In early 2024, she was promoted to Senior Director of Programs as the Residential line of services continued to expand with 9 homes throughout the state.
She brings over 30 years of knowledge and a wealth of experience working with at-risk youth. Beginning her career in the Substance Abuse Field, in her hometown of New Jersey, she helped develop and implement an Early Intervention and Intensive Outpatient Program during her 10 years working at an Adolescent Substance Abuse Outpatient Program. In moving to Florida, she continued her work with teens involved in the Juvenile Justice System, specifically as the Program Director for Pace Center for Girls in Palm Beach and with the Palm Beach County School District for 14 years. During her time working with the Juvenile Justice Program, she became involved with the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board where she was able to collaborate with other community stakeholders focused on improving the quality of life for at-risk teens.
Josie is also a School Psychologist and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University, a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Montclair State University, a Master’s Degree and Psy. S. In School Psychology from Nova Southeastern University.
Macey Wythe joined One Hope United in February 2025. She began her career in child welfare with the Child Protection Division of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and brings more than two decades of leadership experience across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. In her current role, Macey oversees program operations across Florida and Illinois, ensuring quality, consistency, and mission alignment.
Throughout her career, Macey has led child welfare, prevention, teen parenting, and school-based initiatives. She has extensive experience spearheading RFP development, grant writing, budget creation and oversight, funder negotiations, and the launch of innovative programs designed to strengthen outcomes for children and families.
Macey earned her Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Studies from Georgia Southern University and maintains her Child Welfare Certification in the state of Florida. She is also a graduate of the 2022–2023 Accelerated Leadership Program hosted by certified trainer and executive coach Ellen Nastir.
Macey describes herself as a genuine, adaptable, and empathetic leader with a clear vision and a deep commitment to positively impacting the well-being of children and families in her community.