Staff and interns
Caterina Gironda
October 23, 2012
Program Intern
Caterina Gironda is excited to join the Third Wave family this autumn as a Program Intern. A lifelong feminist, poet and activist, and a proud CUNY student, Cat received her undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies from Brooklyn College. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality at the CUNY Graduate Center in their Liberal Studies program. Her thesis explores the social construction of monogamy and the impact this may have on cultural relationships towards sex and sexuality. Cat passionately supports The Third Wave Foundation’s work blending philanthropy and activism, and believes their gender justice framework makes leaps forward towards a truly intersectional approach to activism.
Posted in: People, Staff and interns
Jennifer Van Dam
October 23, 2012
External Relations Intern
Jenn is excited to join the Third Wave Foundation as the External Relations Intern because of her interest in issues of race and gender. She has also worked as Membership Co-chair for Women In Film and Media Pittsburgh and as a Development and Membership intern with WQED. She received a BA in Communications and Cultural Studies from Chatham University in 2012 and is currently pursuing an MA in Media Studies at The New School for Public Engagement. Her interests lie specifically in the ways that stereotypes function in the media to create certain narratives that are blindly consumed and continually reproduced. She strongly advocates media literacy. Jenn looks forward to bringing her skills to Third Wave and learning many more along the way.
Posted in: People, Staff and interns
Kim Ford
October 23, 2012
External Relations Manager
Kim Ford is excited to join Third Wave as External Relations Manager. Along with her belief that everyone is a philanthropist, she brings extensive experience working with community-based and national nonprofit organizations. She has served as Board Chair of the Audre Lorde Project, a panel member of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice U.S. Grants, and recently founded Kitchen Table Giving Circle: A Black/African Descent Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Women Philanthropic Initiative.
Kim has worked with Stonewall Community Foundation on their Racial Equity Initiative and with Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues as Operations Manager. Previously she served on the board of African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change as board member, board chair and first salaried Executive Director, and as the Development Officer/Event Manager at Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.
Kim's experience with grassroots organizations includes: NYC’s annual LGBTST Kwanzaa celebration; NYC’s first Black Pride; Arms Akimbo: NYC's first-ever Lesbian, Bisexual, Two-Spirit and Transgender Women of Color Organizing Institute; NYC’s People of Color Pride Weekends; as well as working in coalition with Las Buenas Amigas and The Lesbian Avengers. She has facilitated workshops; moderated and spoken at various events, panels and readings; and presented on various topics including organizing in the LGBTST POC communities, racism within LGBTST communities, women’s health and wellness, and sexuality.
Posted in: People, Staff and interns
Rosalba Messina
October 23, 2012
Interim Executive Director
Rosalba M. Messina is the Interim Executive Director of Third Wave Foundation. Principal and Founder of MCG, Messina has more than 25 years experience as an effective transformational leader, manager and coach. Messina has successfully led organizations to effect positive change by creating accountability in a collaborative, inclusive, trusting and creative work environment. She is experienced in developing working partnerships among board, staff, community members, NGOs, government agencies and donors worldwide. With each assignment, her goal is to increase the effectiveness of individuals and organizations – leading to greater institutional power and impact in the world.
Prior to launching her own consulting practice, Messina held executive level positions for various organizations in both non-profit and corporate environments. She is an affiliate consultant for the Support Center for Non Profit Management and Adelphi University's Center for Non Profit Leadership. She is a current member of Citigroup’s Women and Company and the Society for Human Resource Management and a past member of the National Advisory Council for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Messina is a guest lecturer and conducts workshop trainings on various topics in management.
Posted in: People, Staff and interns
Rye Young
October 23, 2012
Interim Program Officer
Rye Young is Third Wave Foundation’s Interim Program Officer. He joined Third Wave as an intern running their Emergency Abortion Fund right after he graduated from Bard College. At Bard, Rye became interested in social justice work, but knew little about philanthropy and thought he would be an organizer for life.
Third Wave Foundation opened his eyes to the world of social justice philanthropy and its efforts to transform the conditions of inequity. In his role as Program Officer, Rye is interested in building the capacity, visibility, and strength of organizations that serve their communities by creating opportunities to lead social change efforts.
In addition to working at Third Wave, Rye is a trainer and mentor with Flip the Table: Youth Food Council – an organization dedicated to building the leadership of young food justice activists in New York City. He is also an organizer with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice working on their Shalom Bayit domestic worker justice campaign.
Posted in: People, Staff and interns
Terry Ferreira
October 23, 2012
Office Manager
Terry is the Third Wave Foundation's Office Manager. She is excited to join the Third Wave because of her firm belief in the importance of the voices of marginalized communities and the power of grassroots activism to create change. Previously, she was a retail manager at Babeland, a sex-positive, feminist-owned adult store, where she honed her feminist values and leadership skills. Terry has worked extensively in the animal rights movement, and has rehabilitated animals all over the country, including those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She is also an organizer of the New York City Dyke March and a former member of the advisory group for Have Art Will Travel, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting gender justice
Posted in: People, Staff and interns