Staff and Board

Schlonn Hawkins

CEO/Publisher

Schlonn is CEO/publisher of Shelterforce. She has more than 15 years of experience in publicity, media training, community relations, and strategic planning. Before joining Shelterforce, Schlonn was director of Delaware’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading—Get Delaware Reading, which was responsible for driving collective impact to ensure more children in low-income families are reading on grade level. Previously, she was one of the directors in the marketing and communications department at United Way of Delaware, where she used digital technology to creatively shape the story of the organization. She also led Delaware’s only one-day giving campaign yielding more than $800,000 of unrestricted dollars for the nonprofit sector.

An active mentor and volunteer in her community, Schlonn serves on several boards. She also is a certified Musical Theatre professional (a graduate of American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City) and uses her training as an instructor at a local dance studio.

Miriam Axel-Lute

CEO/Editor-in-Chief

Miriam has been the editor of Shelterforce since 2010. She was previously on staff at Shelterforce from 1997 to 2002 and freelanced for the magazine in the interim. She has also been the news editor of a weekly newspaper, an opinion columnist, freelance editor, parenting blogger, performance poet, urban planning student, and community development consultant. Miriam is based in Albany, New York. 

Lillian M. Ortiz

Managing Editor

Lillian has been with Shelterforce since 2016. Her background is in community journalism, where she spent more than a decade covering New Jersey municipalities. Before joining Shelterforce, she was the editor of the Verona-Cedar Grove Times, which, during her tenure, was named the Best Small Weekly in the state for several years. Lillian has earned dozens of awards for her reporting, layout and design, and photography.

In 2023, she was selected to participate in ProPublica’s investigative editor training program.

Lara Heard

Associate Editor

Lara joined the Shelterforce team in 2023. She has a background in health reporting, including for What to Expect, and she attended the health and science program at the Craig Newmark Journalism School. Lara’s interest in social justice issues, particularly the intersection of health and housing, led her to Shelterforce. She is based in New York City but is originally from the Bay Area in California.

Shelby R. King

Investigative Reporter

Shelby R. King joined Shelterforce in 2021 as our first investigative reporter. Now based in Ft. Collins, Colorado, Shelby started her journalism career covering public safety and then housing and development in the Pacific Northwest. She was awarded a 2022 Investigative Reporters & Editors fellowship and currently serves on the Larimer County Planning Commission.

Elizabeth Sheedy

Assistant Editor/Copyeditor

Elizabeth Sheedy, assistant editor/copyeditor, worked for many years at The Montclair Times, as a reporter, columnist, copyeditor, and managing editor. Before joining Shelterforce, she was associate editor of Montclair Local, a print weekly. She is a member of the American Copy Editors Society and of the Society of Professional Journalists; she served for five years on the board of the SPJ New Jersey Pro Chapter. Elizabeth’s work has been recognized by NJPA and NJSPJ with awards for feature, arts, and column writing; enterprise reporting, and page design, among other categories.

Tracey Figueroa

Administrative Associate

Tracey joined Shelterforce in September 2024. She has more than 24 years of experience providing managerial and administrative support. Before joining Shelterforce, Tracey was an administrative assistant with the Delaware State Housing Authority. She is a team player with excellent communication and organizational skills, and she strives to help others succeed.

Tracey’s homebase is now Delaware, but she is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She is a self-motivated and progress-driven woman who has successfully homeschooled 3 children. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends creating memories and enjoying laughter.