Our Team | F.O.R.T.E. House

Leadership Team

Tia Ryans

Founding Executive Director

Tia Ryans is the founder of F.O.R.T.E House and a political advocate for social justice and criminal justice reform. Tia uses public speaking platforms to advocate for those who have been marginalized and disenfranchised due to collateral consequences of race, displacement, and/or economic statuses.

"Access to higher education provided me with resources, the opportunity to give back to my community and a way to open doors for many to walk through and do the same"

M: 908-374-4186

O: (862) 218-0808

Ivelisse Gilestra

Ivelisse Gilestra graduated from Rutgers as an NJ STEP/MVC member with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Sociology receiving outstanding academic achievement awards. She actively participates as a panelist in discussions related to mass incarceration in correlation to historical systemic structures enforcing exclusionary policies affecting access for those directly impacted. She continuously advocates on issues of accessibility to higher education at the federal level, while emphasizing the collateral consequences of sanctioned barriers affecting people with criminal convictions and currently incarcerated. Participated in the dialogue with the former United States Secretary of Education, John B. King at the Second Chance Pell Convening. In 2017, Ivelisse received the Citizens Against Recidivism Advocacy Award and a City Council recognition by the City of New York for her community engagement. She is relentless in shifting the narrative which normalizes the effects of the prison industrial complex in communities of color while envisioning effective and humane ways of defining justice. Currently works for College and Community Fellowship in New York as a Community Organizer.

O: (862) 218-0808

Mitchell Greene

Mitchell Greene currently serves as a consultant to the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CUEED) at Rutgers-Newark Business School and ICF International. In addition he provides business consulting services to private sector entities throughout Northern & Central New Jersey. Greene also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the Management & Global Business Department at Rutgers University as well as the Continuing Education Program at Passaic County Community College.

M: (973) 928.8792

O: (862) 218-0808

Irma Gorham

IRMA GORHAM possesses more than forty years in housing development, management, strategic planning, land use planning, and private-public joint venture initiatives.

Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Paterson Housing Authority. Ms. Gorham fosters and advances the Authority’s mission by embracing high standards of ethics, management, and accountability, as well as forges new partnerships in order to carry out the Authority’s mission. The Authority is the third-largest public housing authority in the state.

Ms. Gorham interacts with all government entities to negotiate contracts including developer agreements, contracts with legal consultants and all required professionals in the planning and development of the Heritage at Alexander Hamilton Revitalization Development, the Belmont/Senior Development, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) rental housing program, and Freedom Village senior complex. The rebuilding of neighborhoods continues with plans for the Rosa Parks Veterans Housing, a new initiative, Re-entry Housing, and the demolition and reconstruction of the Riverside Terrace complex. Aside from property management and construction, Ms. Gorham is an advocate for programs that provide support services to assist residents in becoming self-sufficient.

Ms. Gorham is the recipient of a Bachelor’s Degree in Community Development and Regional Planning, and a Master’s Degree in Urban Policy Planning and Policy Analysis from Morgan State University. Also, in 1999, Ms. Gorham attended Harvard University; John F. Kennedy School of Government as part of HUD’s Community Builders’ Program. Ms. Gorham is an active member of a number of community organizations and volunteer groups throughout the state of New Jersey.

O: (862) 218-0808

Janis Nicolosi-Endo is currently the Director of Communications and Public Relations at YCS - a private non-profit statewide social services agency. She manages all communications both internally and externally for the organization. In her position, she works closely with the media and the administrators of 68 YCS programs to report on the program's successes and highlight the achievements of staff and clients. Janis is also the founder of ArTalk International - a project that supplies art supplies and books to emerging countries throughout the world.

Janis enjoys reporting on everyday people who are doing amazing things quietly in their communities. She has written for the World Tribune Press, The Bergen Record, Big Apple Parent, and local community newspapers.

She is the grateful mother of three adult sons.

Janis Nicolosi- Endo

O: (862) 218-0808