the new life team
The team at New Life Forward is at the heart of our organization. We’re real people who care about doing great work to help others. From our Executive Team to Advisory Board Members, our Partner organizations and all the volunteers who carry out our mission, we are grateful for the talent and diligence our team brings to the benefit and success of our constituents.
team spirit at heart
our team
Susan Hayer, PhD
Founder and Board Member
Susan launched New Life Forward to help low-income families at imminent risk of homelessness. Before launching the nonprofit, Dr. Hayer worked with large corporations as a project leader, facilitator, planner, and researcher. She led initiatives to obtain corporate agility by adeptly leveraging organizational change management tools and techniques to maximize organizational effectiveness, team performance, and address cultural challenges. One of her missions in life is to make positive generational changes by lifting up from poverty one family at a time, one city at a time, one state at a time.
Sheena Takher
Director of Communications & Events
Sheena brings 13 years of experience in the events industry, ranging from private events to conferences, fundraising galas, and concerts. Sheena skillfully worked concurrently with the production team of each event, working behind the scenes to ensure a successful outcome. Born and raised in northern California, she has always lived by the motto, “work hard, be humble,” in her activities and client relationships. She is excited to bring her expertise and giving nature to New Life Forward where she will be able to make a difference for people in need. She looks forward to engaging with the community and building relationships with those who have the mindset to change the world, uplifting the voices of those on the margins.
Gail Gust
Board Member
Uncharted Marketing founder and chief marketing strategist Gail Gust is a dynamic and accomplished marketing professional with over 25 years experience leveraging entrepreneurial vision, branding, and integrated marketing strategies to deliver measureable results for rapid-growth corporations. Ms. Gust possesses integrity, authenticity and a strong sense of initiative to get things done. She is passionate about helping business owners discover and achieve their goals. As a Board Member, Ms. Gust will help drive the mission to prevent homelessness and overcome hardship by not just creating a stop-gap, but giving constituents the tools and solutions to move their lives forward.
Jenna Mons
Board Member
Jenna Mons Anderson is a dуnаmiс and rеѕultѕ-fосuѕеd executive with more than 12 years of senior leadership experience in Health Science/Bio-Pharmaceutical and Technology markets. She has an exceptional track record in developing and implementing innovative strategies, deploying new business models, expanding channels, formulating effective go-to-market strategies.
Most recently, Jenna has held executive level rolls at three health technology startups focusing of driving business imperatives, sales and marketing and fund raising, as a partner in Addison Consulting. Prior to that she served as SVP of Marketing and Technology at ALPHAEON Corporation, a lifestyle healthcare company, where she drove sales to 200 million in three years and lead a team of more than 50 people.
Prior to ALPHAEON, she worked for Allergan, a global pharmaceutical company, in consumer and professional marketing roles in the Bariatric Division and the Urology Division. Prior to joining Allergan, Jenna worked in the New York ad agency world for several years at Ogilvy and Mather and Rapp Collins.
Jenna obtained her BS in Public Relations with a Minor in Business Administration from the University of Florida. She is the wife of Christopher Anderson and proud mother of three daughters Addison, Everly and Olivia. Her life’s purpose is to help people optimize their health and wellness and she is passionate about her current role as CEO of the first health and wellness company that is seeking to tackle to wellbeing from all angles.