THE TEAM

Meet the Team: Meet the Team

TLH Staff

CONSTANCE GILKIE

Executive Director & Founder

Constance Gilkie is the founder of Transformational Living Homes (TLH), an organization that provides housing and support to individuals facing addiction and homelessness. TLH was established in 2007 by Ms. Gilkie, drawing on her now 40 year journey from past personal experiences. Today, TLH offers over 125 beds and assistance in accessing social services throughout Long Beach and LA County. Ms. Gilkie is a graduate of the class of 2019 Leadership Long Beach and has been recognized for her dedication to serving marginalized segments of the homeless community, earning numerous accolades such as the Ken Schonlau Award for Volunteer of the Year and the Elizabeth Hartigan Award for Outstanding Contribution to Recovery. Ms. Gilkie also serves on the board of the Los Angeles Sober Living Coalition, demonstrating her commitment to the recovery community in Long Beach.

MANISHA DHANAK

Director of Operations

Financial and Office Manager at Transformational Living Homes. She oversees all financial matters at TLH and assists the team with grant writing, special projects and overall program planning. Ms. Dhanak has over 25 years of experience in many areas ranging from owning her own business to running the operations of a large music festival to working in the nonprofit world from the sides of case management, program development, and accounting. Helping her local community and the world at large is one of her biggest passions. She values kindness, ethics and compassion. Manisha has studied social work and business; she has a certificate in project management and a multitude of skills from having built a business from the ground up that is still used as the model for a national franchise.

MARVIN DERAMUS

House Manager

Marvin DeRamus, a social justice warrior tirelessly advocates for homeless and at-risk populations. He currently works as a housing specialist for Transformational Living Homes and has served on the Board of Directors for Housing Long Beach for 2 years. Mr. DeRamus has been an active volunteer for Long Beach Advocates since 2012 and is a proud graduate of the Salvation Army Adult Rehab Center, as well as a long-time student of African culture and spiritual sciences. With his unique collection of experiences, Marvin has been instrumental in mentoring the youth about the pitfalls of gang involvement. Being formerly justice-impacted, he counsels individuals re-entering Long Beach from incarceration. As a recipient of certifications from the California Conference for Equality and Justice, the Neighbors United Leadership Program, Motivational Interviewing, and many more, Marvin continues to broaden his skills, so he can assist the community of Long Beach.

DARIN PHILLIPS

Web Designer/Artist/Tech Support/Videographer

Darin is a 5x Cancer survivor, Motivational Speaker, Content Creator, Graphic Artist & Technological wiz, who manages all things technical & electronic for TLH, as well as Designing & handling our website and video walkthroughs for TLH. Darin is also a Part 107 Licensed Commercial Drone Pilot who handles all our aerial footage of our homes.

PAMELA MARSHALL

House Manager

Pamela is a newer member of our team who brings invaluable experiences and knowledge to TLH deriving from her own personal experiences in times past with drugs and homelessness. She has felt firsthand what a program like TLH can do for a person. She is now a certified drug and alcohol counselor as well as a mental health recovery specialist, and is also a certified ordained minister. She brings many valuable assets to the TLH team and has a very Generous and Loving personality that many around her grow to love. Her heart is dedicated to helping those with the same struggles of her past, helping them overcome them and be the best person they can be. Her experiences and history are a valuable tool in helping other members of our program at the homes that she manages.

We’re proud to be part of this collaborative force for good, and to have the privilege of making an impact on other peoples lives.

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ALTHEA MCMURRIAN

Board Trustee

Althea McMurrian serves as a member of the TLH board and volunteers many hours a week as office assistant at the TLH main office. She has been a volunteer with TLH since it's inception. With over 40 years of corporate IT experience Althea provides knowledge and experience with back office operations and data management. Ms. McMurrian has many years of volunteering with organizations that assist low-income populations.

DR. NASSEIF GARRAS

Advisory Board

Nasseif Garras brings his many years of experience in financial and real estate management to TLH, and wisdom into play with regard to TLH's financial decision-making processes. Mr. Garras currently runs a tax and accounting firm and is an Enrolled Agent, Real Estate Broker and Loan Officer. He comes to us from Egypt where he served as an orthopedic surgeon for 20 years. He enjoys time with his family and giving back to the community.