Our Team

Working together with you to build a community in which all women and girls thrive!

Mary Deschler

CSWG & Special Projects Coordinator

Learn More About Mary

Mary is the Special Projects Coordinator for The Oasis Center and the Program Coordinator for the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She graduated from Florida State University and double majored in Family & Child Sciences and Psychology. She believes the best way to improve your community is by empowering others to reach their dreams. Mary is looking forward to learning and growing with Oasis!

Cinthya Dominguez

Empowerment Coordinator

Learn More About Cinthya

Cinthya is the Empowerment Program Coordinator for The Oasis Center. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida State University and has experience providing strength-based therapy to individuals and families. She has also worked with the Hispanic Outreach Center in Pinellas County to provide mental health services and connect families with community resources. Cinthya currently works with the Women’s Circle Program, Girl’s Circle Program, and Girls Can Do Anything! Summer Camp. Cinthya is passionate about supporting  women and is looking forward to working with the girls and women in Leon County. 

Sydney Field

Intern

Learn More About Sydney

Sydney Field is an intern for the Oasis Center for Women and Girls. She is currently a senior at Florida State University pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Sydney plans to continue on and attend a Master of Social work program in the Fall of 2023.

Emily Friedlander

CSWG Intern

Learn More About Emily

Emily Friedlander is an Intern for the Tallahassee-Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She is a current senior at Florida State University studying Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Psychology. Upon graduation, she plans to move back to Orlando and hopes to complete her Master’s Degree in either Social Services or Public Administration.

Raven James

Women's Counselor

Learn More About Raven

Raven is the Women’s Counselor for The Oasis Center. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida State University and Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Raven has experience providing motivational-based therapy to youth and adults. She has also worked with Volunteers of America to provide services and connect veterans with community resources. Raven currently works with the single mothers’ support group and individual counseling. Raven is excited about being a listening ear and an advocate for women, and is looking forward to making a change in the community. 

Kelly Otte

Executive Director

Learn More About Kelly

Kelly has been working to make the world a better place for women and children for 35 years, 25 here in Leon County.  She is the Founder and Executive Director of Oasis. Kelly was formerly the Executive Director of Pace Center for Girls/Leon and Refuge House, Tallahassee’s domestic and sexual violence program. She has worked in domestic violence centers, rape crisis programs, and women’s centers in Carson City, Nevada, Norfolk, Virginia, Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee. In addition to her work with women and girls, Kelly has a passion for the nonprofit sector. She co-writes a column “Notes on Nonprofits” for The Tallahassee Democrat and was the first Executive Director of United Partners for Human Services, a coalition serving 90 human service organizations in Tallahassee.  Kelly has been an Adjunct Professor at FSU in both the Askew School of Public Administration and the College of Social Work and formerly taught at the University of North Florida. She holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Florida.

Cece Pierre

Girls' Circle Facilitator

Learn More About Cece

Cece is a recent graduate from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and a minor in Psychology. She hopes to pursue her Master’s degree in Social Work in the future. She has worked with the Department of Children and Families as an Economic Self-Sufficiency Representative at the Kearney Center and has volunteered with agencies such as Habitat for Humanity. Cece is currently one of our Girls’ Circle Facilitators and works with our Girls’ Circle Program and our Girls Can Do Anything! summer camp. She believes that every moment leads to a greater movement within an individual’s life and she is passionate about creating those moments that can make an impact in the lives of women and girls.

Stephanie Shumate

Director of the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

Learn More About Stephanie

Stephanie is the inaugural Director of the Commission on Status of Women and Girls. Stephanie is a natural connector with a passion for always starting with “Why” when working with people and serving in her community, she believes connection and communication are keys to success. She brings the utmost commitment, energy, and dedication to the CSWG. And hopes  to expand, elevate, and engage the important initiatives, programs, and services that uplift, celebrate, and advocate for the women and girls in our community. Stephanie brings almost two decades of community engagement, advocacy initiatives, production management, innovative communication strategies, leadership training, personal development, and group facilitation to the CSWG. Stephanie was most recently Vice President of Client Relations at CATECOMM, a Tallahassee based Public Relations and Communications firm, and brings experience from her prior career roles with Herff Jones as a Yearbook Specialist and Educator, Executive Director of the Leon County Responsible Decision-Making Coalition, Political Campaign Staff, and Director of The Florida Youth Delegation at The Florida Department of Education. She’s a graduate of Florida State University with a B.A. in Sociology and holds a Certificate in Leadership Studies and Theories.

Fionna Sosa-Kerner

Children's Advocate

Learn More About Fionna

Fionna is a Child’s Advocate for the Oasis Center. She is currently a senior at Florida State University, majoring in Psychology with a minor concentration in Women’s Studies. Fionna’s goal is to receive her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and become a mental health counselor. As a Latinx woman, she is very passionate about providing and spreading mental health awareness within her community, as well as others. She believes that having a supportive community is crucial to an individual’s life and hopes to provide as much support as she can for the women and girls at the Oasis Center. 

Saylor Sumnick

Children's Advocate

Learn More About Saylor

Saylor is a Child’s Advocate for the Oasis Center. She is a freshman at Florida State University, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Child Development. Saylor is working towards a combined master’s/bachelor’s degree in hopes of becoming an Elementary school teacher, or some other occupation with children as her focus. Saylor’s passion in life is to lead and teach children and be a voice in the education community regarding inequalities in the teaching profession.
She hopes that her love for children will only grow while working with Oasis and seeks to make a change within her community.