Who We Are

Susan has been the Executive Director for CLA since 2017. She has over 25 years of working with children and adults facing a variety of issues from mental illness; physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities; substance abuse; and homelessness. Susan believes all people deserve a safe and nurturing place to call home and the resources they need to live a meaningful life. It is her mission to ensure that is exactly what all of the men and women at CLA experience. Susan is a graduate of the 2015 class of Leadership Fairfax and holds a Professional in Human Resources Certificate (PHR). She lives in Falls Church with her family and two cats: Lucy and Ethel. Her favorite superhero is Thor.

Helen-Barys Russo's official title is Special Projects Assistant -- but that hardly encompasses all she does for the CLA Administrative and Program Teams. A winner of the Lisa Burrill Dedication to Excellence award in 2021, Helen is the bread and butter of CLA. She has been keeping us on task (or at least trying...) since 2018. Her super strength is multi-tasking (which has come in pretty handy during the pandemic.). She has lived in Fairfax, VA for over 30 years, making her a local for this area. When Helen isn't saving the day at CLA you can find her outside reading a book.

Velma was born and raised in Freetown Sierra Leone. She holds a medical degree from the Russian Friendship University in Moscow and has a passion for helping others. Velma speaks Russian and some French. She has over 23 years of experience working with adults with mental illness; Intellectual and developmental disability; and homelessness and is a strong advocate in ensuring they live their best lives in all environments.
Velma believes that when we overcome our own biases, flaws and disabilities, we are able to appreciate and understand that everyone is important and a valued element in their community. Her favorite show is Tom and Jerry “it brings out the kid in me”

Rick has been a Training and Compliance Manager at Community Living Alternatives since 2019. He has over 23 years of experience with children, youth, and adults that have challenges with mental health, substance abuse, intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rick’s philosophy is not to focus on one’s shortcomings and failures but focus on one’s strengths, which cultivates confidence. He uses this philosophy daily to help the staff at CLA feel heard and be the best they can be. Rick proudly served in The United States Marine Corps for 10 years and resides in Woodbridge, VA with his family. Rick currently has no pets though his family is pressuring him to get a dog,and his co-workers fully support this effort. Rick’s favorite Superhero is Superman..... who had a dog named Krypto. Come on Rick, get a dog!

Gena Bunney has been a Project Director with Community Living Alternatives since 1989. Gena volunteered over 1000 hours at the Lakeland Village institution in Washington State and graduated with a double major with a BA in Sociology and a BS in Communication. She believes this is her calling. Never one to be afraid to get her hands dirty, you will often find Gena helping individuals work in the garden or working side by side with staff to make an activity as engaging as possible. She believes all people deserve to be understood and it’s important to be kind, compassionate and provide the men, & women she supports a healthy & happy life. Gena shows the individuals she works with that they deserve to be around people who treat them with respect & kindness. She believes it’s her obligation to ensure that is exactly what all the men and women at CLA experience. When she's not at work, you can find Gena searching yard sales (often for something for work). If there is one four letter word that drives Gena crazy, it's SALE.

Calvin Crenshaw started with CLA in 1989. Calvin is a big believer in the dignity of risk. He believes everyone should be afforded the opportunity to push themselves and safely try things that people said they couldn’t do. Some of the things Calvin has made happen over the years for individuals at CLA include a trip to Old Faithful, an individual receiving the Volunteer of the Year award with Meals on Wheels, and an individual who independently takes an annual trip on an airplane to see family. In his current role as Project Director Calvin is known as the Gentle Giant due to his soft voice and his height, which played a part in his induction to the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. When he isn’t at CLA you can find him coaching basketball in the community.

Monica Duggal is a Project Manager for Community Living Alternatives since January 2012. She oversees the accounting, individual certifications, and maintenance of the HUD homes. She is also in charge of Medicaid billing. She has over 25 years' worth of experience in the financial, budgeting and HR departments. It brings her joy that her work can help individuals with mental and intellectual disabilities. She is a native of Northern Virginia and is married with a son, a daughter and two dogs. In her free time, she loves to spend time with family and friends, travel, take afternoon naps, eat different cuisines, and organize things.

Gina Creskoff uses her 25 years of bookkeeping experience to keep the bills paid and all the lights on at CLA. After raising 3 kids she is ready to spend more time with her animal friends. When she is not working, she is somewhere outdoors exploring our beautiful Earth.

Doreen joined the CLA Team in January 2007 as the HR Manager. She is proud to be part of CLA's Team and supporting our mission of helping others and making CLA an employer of choice. Doreen applies her 30 years in the HR/Administration field to assist CLA in continuing to grow. On her down time, Doreen enjoys spending time with family and her fur babies, reading, cooking and going anywhere that has a beach. Her favorite fictional character is Simba from Lion King and recently checked off a Bucket List item by seeing the long running Broadway Show.