An experienced service professional of more than 10 years, Chanel D. Weathers, MPA, is distinguished for her skill across multiple channels. Hailing from a service-oriented family, she envisioned a similar career path for herself but in her own right. In 2011, she graduated from Albany State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and subsequently took on her first professional role as a residential specialist with SafeHorizon, a victim services nonprofit organization providing social services for victims of abuse and violent crime. One year later, she joined Women In Need, Inc., the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for New York City’s homeless families, especially women and children, as a case manager and employment specialist. In 2014, Ms. Weathers furthered her knowledge upon attaining a Master of Public Administration from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Progressing in her career endeavors, Ms. Weathers served Outreach in Richmond Hill, New York, as a career and development advisor, promoted to a research and evaluation analyst assistant between 2014 to 2018. In 2016, she joined Lantern Community Services, excelling as an employment services supervisor, leading to her promotion to her current role of director of education and employment. In her director-level role since 2021, Ms. Weathers supervises a team of 11 employees, oversees data and quality assurance and conducts development and financial literacy training. Lantern Community Services is a social services agency that provides shelter and supportive housing for people who were previously homeless. Frequently, these individuals are veterans of the U.S. military or have either been incarcerated, homeless or living in the foster care system. The organization also assists with education and training programs and job placement.
In addition to her primary career endeavors, Ms. Weathers has been an adviser for AdvisoryCloud Inc. since 2021. Furthermore, she expanded her expertise by becoming an independent travel agent and the owner of Chanel’s Travel Channel in 2022, where she specializes in arranging individual, group and corporate travel for her clients. That same year, she also began working as a career service consultant for the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy. To add to her professional skills, Ms. Weathers received certification in financial counseling through the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education in 2021, as well as accreditation in motivational interviewing.
Active in her local community, Ms. Weathers has offered her services as a volunteer tax professional through Ariva since 2021. A supporter of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, she was also a sponsor for Children International from 2012 to 2015. Additionally, Ms. Weathers is a respected member of the International Society of Female Professionals and an executive board member of AVRASA since 2020. She has also been a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society since 2019, from which she was notably recognized with a Leaders in the Field Award. Ms. Weathers attributes her success to having a fantastic support network, including her family, who have always encouraged her to reach for her goals. She also believes her interest in being a life-long learner has contributed to her success.
Ms. Weathers’ goal in the coming years is to complete her Master of Arts in mental health counseling from New York University by 2023, as she strives to become a licensed therapist and launch her own private practice to focus on more policy work for social justice. To achieve this, she has served as a clinical therapist intern at the Ray of Light Counseling Center in Valley Stream, New York. Through this opportunity, she has become interested in cognitive behavioral therapy to help people through grief, lifestyle, and psychological changes. Her overall goal is to reduce stigma through education.
In her spare time, Ms. Weathers enjoys traveling. Her life’s motto is “Life is what you make it.”