Our Founder and Her Story
Born in New York City grew up with a love for horses and people. Cheri began her professional career at NBC-Television studios located across the street from the infamous Radio City Music Hall, as a tour guide. She became a free-lance writer for several music industry trade magazines and at CBS-Television as a radio news desk editor. Her greatest memory was working on the film set of “Manchurian Candidate” with then neighbor and Director, the late Jonathan Demme.
Life can bring many challenges and during a serious bout with un-diagnosed postpartum depression Cheri’s life took a turn that resulted in homelessness and several years of self-destructive behavior. Her resolve to defy the odds caused Cheri to go back to school and finish her BS at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Integrated Marketing Communications. Never feeling good enough resulted in acquiring an MBA with a specialization in Organization Leadership at New York Institute of Technology, followed by a Graduate certificate in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School of Management at Devry University.
The Pacific Northwest was never on her radar as she often states, but life’s circumstances brought Cheri to University Place in 2008-where she worked as a Development Coordinator for United Indians of all Tribes Foundation as a Americorp Vista Volunteer. Several positions followed including the City of Seattle as the Community Capacity Building Coordinator. Helping over 100 organizations become Assisting Agencies with Washington Connection, Cheri was recruited by the State of Washington as a Program Specialist II for the Combined Fund Drive overseeing State and Higher Education employees’ online charitable donations. Cheri became a certified Navigator for the ACA in her role as Outreach & Eligibility Specialist for NeighborCare Health Clinic. It’s in these roles she knew what it was that was most missing in lives well lived. Access- Knowledge-Trust-Support; and the ability to walk with people meeting them where they are.
Cheri Denise Coleman, MBA
About Cheri Coleman
“Because people deal with many different types of organizations and agencies over the course of their lives, they need to be able to understand how to advocate for themselves and their families. They need to know how to get to the facts. They need to know they can trust the person sitting across from them. They need to know that the process does not have to be confusing and that they have choices. I am there to serve people, and create a level of trust and efficiency between them and the multitude of organizations that assist them as a direct-service professional.” PartnerCafe-Bridging the Gap across Sector was created and “On the Road with PartnerCafe” was born.
Currently, Cheri works as a Case & Contact investigator with the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department.
She is a proud Mother and Grandmother- Go OU Sooners! Go UT Longhorns! Go New York everything!
Cheri is also a ‘Donor” parent with the New York Organ Donors Foundation & UNOS.