Key Staff
Eileen Clifford, MD, SC
Chairperson, Board of Directors As the first woman to chair Eva’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Clifford brings an in-depth understanding of Eva’s operations and history and a deep commitment to the organization’s mission. She has played an active role in the growth and development Eva’s Village since it first opened its doors as a soup kitchen in 1982. Beginning that year, Dr. Clifford organized a weekly medical clinic for kitchen guests, staffed by volunteer doctors from St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson; the program eventually became Eva’s Medical and Dental Clinic that still serves Eva’s clients and community members today. Dr. Clifford has served as a member of Eva’s Board of Directors since 2009; she was elected Secretary, then Vice President, prior to becoming the Chair in 2017. A practicing board-certified internist, Dr. Clifford’s professional responsibilities include Medical Director of Care Management at St. Joseph’s Health. She trained and worked for eight years as a nurse, then attended New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, receiving her medical degree in 1977. She has served as a member, officer, and president of St. Joseph’s Health Medical Board, and on the boards of various non-profit organizations. Dr. Clifford has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership and outstanding service to the Passaic County community. Dr. Clifford joined the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in 1958. The Sisters engage in education, health care, pastoral and social service ministries in 13 dioceses within the United States, El Salvador and Haiti. 
Howard L. Haughton
Chief Operating Officer Howard comes to Eva’s with a wealth of experience in both the non-profit and for profit world. He oversees Eva’s Finance, Quality & Compliance, Facilities/Security and IT and collaborates with Eva's program directors to advance Eva's mission and vision. In Howard's career, he has experience managing Finance, HR, IT, Facilities/Engineering, Security, Rentals, and Events. Past non-profit roles include CFO of The Riverside Church in New York and CFO and Vice President of Administration for City Harvest, Inc. He also has over 15 years of for-profit experience as the former global controller of Titan Outdoor as well as other positions with Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Simon and Schuster and as a public accountant. 
Valerie Pitts
Executive Vice President, Human Resources Valerie is responsible for human resources management at Eva’s Village. She has worked in Human Resources for most of her 25 year career with experience in benefits, employee relations, payroll, talent acquisition and supervision. She has held senior management and consulting positions with large, mid-sized, and small companies in various industries: insurance; manufacturing; travel; marketing; financial services; healthcare; restaurants; and not-for-profit organizations. She is a certified and active member of SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management). 
Murtuza Tameem, MD
Medical Clinic, Eva's Village | Hospitalist, St. Joseph's Health | Board of Directors, American Society of Addiction Medicine, NJ Dr. Murtuza Tameem is a Board Certified Family Physician. He completed his residency at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, and currently works as a Hospitalist for St. Joseph's Health in Paterson and Wayne, NJ. He also oversees the Medical Clinic at Eva's Village and provides medical care for Eva's residents and clients. Additionally, Dr. Tameem teaches Clinical Skills at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Addiction Medicine in New Jersey. |
Leslie DeBlasio, LPC, LCADC, ACS, CCS, NCC, CCTP | Executive Vice President, Integrated Health Services
Leslie oversees the structure and integration of Eva’s clinical and recovery support services, including substance abuse, mental health counseling, primary medical and psychiatric care, and peer services, with the goal of offering a “Recovery Oriented System of Care” to the community. She is an accomplished Clinical Administrator with over 14 years’ experience in the field of substance abuse and mental health. For the past five years she has worked Eva’s as a mental health therapist, Clinical Director, Director of Women’s Residential Treatment Programs, the Family Shelter, Transitional Housing for Parents with Children, Criminal Justice Department and the Mental Health Outpatient Department. Previously, Leslie worked at Turning Point, Inc., Monsignor Wall Social Service Center, and Bergen Regional Medical Center in a variety of substance use disorder treatment and mental health settings including OMT, detox, hospital-based access, short-term residential, long-term residential, intensive outpatient, mental health outpatient, psychiatric screening, and JJC evaluation for NCADD. Leslie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Nyack College majoring in Psychology and has her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Alliance Graduate School of Counseling where she was an Honors with Distinction recipient. 
Donna Marie Fico
Executive Vice President, Supportive Services Donna is responsible for oversight and management of all non-clinical programs and services at Eva's Village, including the Community Kitchen serving nearly 500,000 meals per year; Men’s and Women’s Shelters, assisting more than 250 residents per year; The Culinary School, training 40-50 students per year; and the Childcare & Education Program, enriching the lives of more than 100 infants and children up to 12 years of age per year. Joining Eva’s Village in 2007, Donna previously served as Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Marketing and Education for the organization and was responsible for establishing The Childcare Department and the Culinary School at Eva’s Village. Donna is a board member of the Health Coalition of Passaic County and serves on the Executive Committee of the Passaic County Interagency Council on Homelessness. 
Heather Thompson
Executive Vice President, Development & External Relations Heather oversees relationships with key stakeholders of Eva’s Village, including philanthropic partners, donors, volunteers, and government and community leaders. She is responsible for creating and implementing strategies to secure public and private support for Eva’s operations, through partnerships with city, county, and state agencies, as well as individual and institutional philanthropy and fundraising events. She also oversees marketing and communications, public and community relations, and volunteer management and stewardship for the organization. Heather has 19 years of experience in nonprofit development, and has held previous senior positions at Park Avenue Armory and Citymeals-on-Wheels in Manhattan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a Certificate in Fundraising from NYU, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Finance from Cornell University. |
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