Felecia Pullen, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO

Dr. Felecia Pullen is a qualitative researcher with an expertise in the application of Critical Race Theory to understand the impact of racialized drug enforcement policies on the ability of people of color to attain recovery capital. She also designs integrated conceptual models to explore the intersection of race, structural racism, and addiction among people of color who use drugs (PoCWUD). Her goal is to establish political, social, economic and health equity for PoCWUD. Her seminal work in the field has been recognized by OASAS, SAMHSA, the CDC and the New York City Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene, Mt. Sinai/REACH and others. She has been deemed one of America’s most noted racial justice and equity experts, activists and advocates.

Dr. Pullen is also the creator and developer of the Mixed Method Recovery Capital Assessment Tool (MRCAT), a digitized product which is used to  standardize the measurement of an individual’s attainment of recovery and negative recovery capital. Her ground-breaking tool is an organic extension of her research, and has been recognized by Peers and industry leaders as the gold standard for recovery capital assessment.

Dr. P.'s expertise, advocacy and activism have elevated her to become one of the most sought after keynotes. She has delivered numerous presentations on health equity, Peer engagement, racial justice and harm reduction, racialized drug policies, the intersection of structural racism and addiction of PoCWUD and she has advised other researchers on Cultural and Racial Responsivity. Due to her recognition in the field, she was twice appointed by NYC Mayors Bill DeBlasio and Eric Adams to New York City’s Municipal Drug Strategy Council, and holds an executive position on the FOR-NY and Let’s Talk SAFETY boards of directors.

Dr. Pullen is the  founder, President & CEO of The PILLARS and SAFE in Harlem. Her responsibilities include  financial growth, organizational structure, and program development.  As a policy analyst, she applies her expertise to increase financial equity for small not-for-profits and health equity for people of color. Dr. P’s vision is a world within which everyone has an equitable opportunity to access recovery capital!

Asari Offiong, Ph.D.

Programmatic & Organizational Consultant

With nearly nine years of experience, Asari has experience working in mental health and leading youth development programs in various metropolitan areas across the US. Her most recent work with the Children’s Aid Society in NYC for four years, led her to specialize in substance abuse prevention among at-promise adolescents. She has managed and organized youth programming for over 2,000 youth in New York City which provided an array of services: individual/group counseling, college preparation, job readiness, civic engagement and more.

She received her doctorate degree at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on adolescent health and using mixed methods to explore urban adolescents’ perspectives and engagement in risky behaviors, particularly for those affected by parental drug use. Asari also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Boston University and B.S in Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan.

Miranda Hawkins

Operations Manager

Miranda holds her BSW from Silberman School of Social Work and started out at The PILLARS as a social work intern when we first opened our doors. After years of leading our digital communications and marketing remotely while serving other non-profits abroad, she is now our Operations Manager. She handles external communications with our network of partners, keeps our policies and procedures up to date, our finances in order, and makes sure our three divisions have what they need to serve our community well. Miranda is a mom to three children, who also feel like they’re a part of the team and are often at the office!

Crystely Feliz

Youth Prevention Specialist

Crystely Feliz is a youth prevention specialist with a degree in psychology from Lehman College who works closely with Harlem youth to build confidence and support healthy development through evidence-based programs. She brings experience in program leadership, community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and prior work in education, with a strong focus on data, operations, and delivering impactful services.

Her work is rooted in community advocacy and connecting on-the-ground needs with broader systems of support. With a deep passion for public health policy and community advancement, Crystely is driven by her firsthand experience in underserved communities. She plans to pursue a Master of Public Health to expand her knowledge and deepen her impact, with the goal of ensuring communities are not just represented in policy—but are leading the conversations that shape their health and future. 

Tiffany

Yoga

Tiffany first began practicing yoga with the intent to relieve bodily stress she encountered from engaging in numerous dance classes and rigorous gym sessions on a weekly basis . After just a few classes, she realized the benefits of yoga were far beyond stretching and gaining flexibility. Despite Tiffany’s epiphany with yoga, she held an inconsistent practice due to challenges of connecting and committing to one studio she felt aligned with. It wasn't until she became a student at TYG, where she became dedicated to strengthening her practice. As a student of TYG, she enjoyed the experience of the instructors’ attentiveness, and the studio prided itself on developing an open community for anyone who simply wanted to practice yoga. As a new instructor, Tiffany's primary goal will be to institute the same values, and consistently voice the notion that yoga is for everyone. While upholding this belief, Tiffany intends to incorporate her dance and social service background by creating rhythmic sequences in her classes and also becoming fully trained to provide Trauma- Informed Yoga classes to different organizations. When Tiffany is not on her mat, you may find her engaging proudly in community advocacy within her home state of New York, serving time as an avid dancer/student of African Dance, and spending quality time with her family.

Carol J. Hunt

Meditation

Carol is the instructor for the meditation class here at The PILLARS. She retired from the field of gerontology after more than 30 years as an executive director for a not-for-profit organization in Queens. From 2001-2011 she led a Unity Study Group in Harlem and before she was a Unity Licensed Teacher at Unity Center. Carol graduated from Unity World Wide Ministries and was ordained as a Unity Minister in 2016.

Noni Moore

Foot Reflexology

Noni is a native of Harlem, New York and has been a Holistic Health Practitioner for more than a decade.  She is certified in several wellness modalities including:  Group Fitness, Dance Movement, Chair Yoga,  Reiki, Breathology (C.O.L.B) and Reflexology.

Noni is not a stranger to The PILLARS. She has taught Afro-Fusion Dance here before the pandemic began. She now offers the therapeutic touch of reflexology here. Come & enjoy this wellness experience for your uplifting & healing.

Mr. Wong

Tai Chi & Qigong

Mr. Wong has been practicing Tai Chi since 1988. He enjoys practicing these martial arts because they are good for ones health. The classes can also help restore ones energy, or qi. His classes consist of a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing. Mr. Wong finds that playing calming music during his classes improves the level of comfort and increasing the sense of calm.

Clyde

Mixed Martial Movement

Clyde’s class helps individuals to help themselves through movement. He has been practicing MMM for over 15 years. He enjoys this practice because it helps him practice balance in his life. Outside of The PILLARS Clyde walks in the parks and converses with his friends.

Sherneice Gatewood

DV Prevention

Sherneice facilitates the domestic violence prevention class here at The PILLARS. She received her Bachelors of Human Services in 2010 and not long after, she started her own non-profit organization. We Are Phenomenal Women Inc. (W.A.P.W) was founded in 2015. As a domestic violence survivor Sherneice had a burning desire to support other women in similar situations as she had endured. Her class focuses on education, empowerment, and awareness. She believes that it is up to all of us to become involved in the efforts to stop domestic violence in our communities. That we must become one voice in the fight against domestic violence.