Peg Hacskaylo, Founder, is a social work professional designing and delivering services for women, families, and victims of crime for more than 25 years. In 2006, she founded the District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) to ensure access to safe housing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Washington, DC. Prior to that, Ms. Hacskaylo served as a Grant Program Specialist at the Office on Violence Against Women and Project Director for OVC TTAC, a national clearinghouse for training and technical assistance to victim services. During her tenure at DASH, Ms. Hacskaylo oversaw the development of innovative programs providing safe housing options for hundreds of survivors and their families. She has consulted to federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as with state and local domestic violence, sexual assault, and housing coalitions and programs. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University, where she also completed advanced studies in Business Administration.
Our Team
Mary E. Wilson, Interim Chief Executive Officer, is an attorney and an experienced executive in the corporate, government and non-profit sectors having served in a variety of positions over the last 35 years. Most recently she served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Capital Area Command of The Salvation Army, managing the staff, programs and facilities of 15 locations throughout Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. In addition to Salvation Army Corps facilities, Dr. Wilson was responsible for the residential treatment facility, the domestic violence housing program and the transitional housing program for women and children. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, she served as the Director for the largest Department of Social Services in NC. During her tenure, Dr. Wilson was responsible for the development of innovative programs such as the Community Division to co-locate social workers in non-profits to provide collaborative services directly in the community; and the first partnership with community organizations to leverage Work First funds, Housing Authority vouchers and community engagement to move women from shelters to stable housing. Dr. Wilson’s commitment to community engagement was sparked when she left corporate legal practice and entered non-profit service. As the Executive Director of a faith based community development corporation, Dr. Wilson started a women’s transitional shelter funded in part by a community thrift store. Dr. Wilson has a degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia, a Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law, an Executive Leadership Certificate from Duke University, a Certification in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration from Georgetown University, a Masters and a Doctorate in Leadership from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
L. Michele Parker, Operations Manager and Technical Specialist is an intermediary between health care providers/facilities and communities with comprehensive knowledge of solutions-based strategies and conceptual and analytical creativity that facilitates increased health care knowledge. She has over 15 years of experience in serving vulnerable communities through non-profits, and city and county governments with focuses on homelessness, workforce development, social services, maternal health, education and community public health. In positions of operations, programs, and communications management she uses effective communication skills for improved service delivery through outreach, education, social support, and advocacy with an emphasis on building communities. She is a Certified Housing Counselor from Neighborworks Center, and received training in Marketing on a Non-Profit Budget, Recognizing & Addressing Barriers – Domestic Violence 101, Dealing with Crisis in Drug Treatment Court, Advanced Public Health Essentials, Public Health Department Accredidation, WIC Basics, SNAP & Medicaid Benefits and Guidelines, American Red Cross – Disaster Cycle Services and FEMA Response Framework, Fundamentals and NIMS. In her role at Safe Housing Alliance (SHA), she manages core operations ensuring project delivery within the organization budget and company strategy. In addition, she coordinates logistics for SHA meetings, trainings, webinars and events and assists in the creation of education materials. She is nearing completion of a Master of Public Health Degree at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a focus on Community Health.
