Our Board Members
Elizabeth Echevarria
Founder and CEO
Elizabeth Echevarria is the founder and CEO of Living in Liberty, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to serving victims and survivors of sex trafficking throughout Western Pennsylvania. Her calling to this work began after hearing a missionary from India share about her work with Project Rescue in Calcutta, which deeply moved Elizabeth and led to the founding of Living in Liberty. She has also served alongside outreach teams working with trafficking victims on the streets of Belgium through a short-term mission trip with Breaking Chains. Elizabeth brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, including oversight of human resources and financial management, while remaining committed to Christ-centered, survivor-focused care.
Elizabeth has completed her Master of Social Work and has received specialized training in animal-assisted therapy to support holistic, trauma-informed healing within Living in Liberty’s programs. A graduate of Reach Northeast Ministry School at Allison Park Church, she has served women through ministry and advocacy for over 20 years and has a deep passion for supporting underserved and underprivileged women during seasons of hardship. She was honored with the Women of Courage Award for her leadership and work with Living in Liberty.
Deanna Budziszewski
Board Member
Tammy Friday
Board member
Tammy Friday is a hometown girl with a big heart. As a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and real estate professional, Tammy always focuses on helping others, following her Christian principles. Before her career as a professional agent in Pittsburgh and Naples, Florida, Tammy studied sociology at West Virginia Wesleyan, has a degree in Piloting and Air Traffic control, and was volunteer extraordinaire at her children's schools and through their activities mainly focused on fundraising efforts. Tammy was also involved with the Butler County Association for the Blind; she is a founding member of the North Naples Rotary Sunset and a member of Saint Kilian Church. Tammy is excited to bring her skills to Living in Liberty, which has tugged at her heartstrings since she became aware of the organization and the wonderful work they do to help women trapped in human trafficking.
Michael Hess
Board Member
Mike Hess considers himself to be the luckiest guy in America as he is married to the girl of his dreams and is a new father to a beautiful baby girl. Mike has worked in medical sales for the last ten years following his graduation from Grove City College in 2009. An avid runner, snowboarder, and hiker, Mike loves the outdoor adventures. Mike has been engaged in advocating for victims of sex slavery for the past seven years with several organizations and has a heart to see radical revival take place in America and abroad which puts an end to this horrific industry. Mike is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and believes that with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit active and at work through our lives that we will see victory in this war against human trafficking..
Bruce Schelenke
Board Member
The Rev. Bruce H. Schlenke is a retired Presbyterian minister. He is an active member of Pittsburgh Presbytery and has served churches in Akron, Ohio and in Greenville and Wexford, PA. Bruce’s wife of 38 years, Libby, is a retired elementary music teacher. They are parents of two grown sons, both public school teachers, and grandparents to two pre-school age young ladies.
Bruce is a die-hard Pittsburgher who loves the city’s streets, hillsides, sports teams, and capacity for invention and the arts. Even more, he deeply values the network of ministries that have been engendered in and faithfully serve our region.
Our Staff
Bonnie Nichols
Director of Street Outreach
Bonnie Nichols is known as the Mother Teresa of Pittsburgh from a Pittsburgh Post Gazette and has been working with Living in Liberty since 2013. With her roots in rural Pennsylvania, Bonnie comes to the streets of Pittsburgh by way of India. It was in India on a short term mission trip that she first confronted human trafficking first hand in a red light district and had her conception of the world turned upside down. When the reality that this happens in Pittsburgh became her reality, she drove to New City Fellowship in St. Louis to see what her denomination was doing about commercial sexual exploitation. After spending several days there, she continued learning with them through online trainings and classes. Married for fifty years, mother of five, one of whom is adopted and comes out of a traumatic childhood, and grandmother of twelve, she takes a nurturing spirit to the streets to help build loving community for women engaged in prostitution.
Pittsburgh post gazette article about Bonnie Nichols http://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2018/05/04/Jefferson-Award-finalist-Most-Outstanding-Volunteer-of-the-Year/stories/201804300024
Tania Thompson
Safe House Lead
Gary Volz
Director, Repurposed Store
Karen Robinson
Prayer Leader
Karen is a respected Women’s leader in her church at Allison Park. She is retired from a 30-year career in Retail Management. Her first exposure to trafficking was a short-term mission trip to India, working with the Daughters project. She saw the effects of young women trafficked in the streets of India. She oversees the Prayer ministry of Living in Liberty, hosting weekly prayer meetings to pray for the work of Living in Liberty, its volunteers, staff, and the women we serve.