A Volunteer Visitation Program to Federal and Military Prisoners Throughout the United States
Our Board
Tom Slick
Board Chair
PVS Visitor - FCI Sheridan
Tom has been a PVS visitor at FCI Sheridan in Oregon since 2009 and joined the board in 2020. Tom says “PVS visitors, staff and board members make up a wealth of talent so it is my hope in serving on the board that we can garner sustainable financial resources to support these individuals as they work to achieve our mission which is to provide prisoners with regular, face-to-face, contact from the world outside of prison to help them cope with prison life and prepare for a successful re-entry into society.”
Shazad Carbaidwala
PVS Visitor - MCC Chicago
Shazad has been a visitor with PVS for over 7 years supporting Federal Medical Center in Devens Massachusetts and Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago Illinois.
Shazad also leads a Philanthropy organization, Project Rise through his Masjid. They focus on community upliftment initiatives in the Chicago land area. Also, serves the Village as a Emergency Management Association official.
Shazad current resides in Westmont, Illinois with his wife and beautiful daughter.
Eileen Gilkenson
Board Vice Chair
PVS Visitor - FDC Philadelphia
Eileen first became involved with PVS in 1980, when she encountered PVS Visitors while incarcerated for 10 days at FPC Alderson. She was employed with PVS, first as the National Recruiter for 7 years and then as the interim Executive Director. She currently visits and is the Local Coordinator for FDC Philadelphia.
Before joining PVS, Eileen worked as a licensed social worker and nonprofit administrator for over 30 years. She worked for 16 years as a clinical social worker in residential programs for those living with severe mental illnesses.
Eileen most enjoys spending time with her husband Ray (who is also a PVS Visitor) and her extended family which includes three active grandchildren.
Luis "Suave" Gonzalez
Artist, Activist, Podcaster
Suave graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Education and Marketing. He is the subject of the national, IDA and Pulitzer Prize award winning podcast “Suave.” He is also the creator of the “Death by Incarceration” podcast, a podcast that addresses the criminal justice system from the inside out. Suave is currently an Administrative Reentry Coach at Community College of Philadelphia, where he assists returning citizens getting into college.
Michael Guerra
Attorney
Mike has been a PVS board member since 2020 and serves on the Board’s Personnel Committee. Mike is an attorney and lives with his wife and son in Connecticut.
Linda Roberts
PVS Visitor - FCC Coleman
A PVS Visitor at FCC Coleman in Florida, Linda is a visible activist and advocate for the LGBTQI community, in particular, the transgender and gender diverse populations. Her activism led her to visit the Florida legislature in Tallahassee to meet with lawmakers and testify before several committees contemplating anti-transgender bills. In 2018, Linda was honored with the Engendered Spirit Award as a Capital Pride Hero on behalf of Capital Trans Pride and the Capital Pride Alliance of Washington, DC. This recognition is given annually to outstanding supporters, advocates and activists of the transgender community who have brought about positive changes to the lives of transgender persons and their community.
Linda served as Board Member (over 5 years) and Treasurer (over 4 years) of DignityUSA. She has participated in eleven volunteer trips with Global Volunteers, including delivering lectures on Transgender 101 and her personal story in Costa Rica and Appalachia in West Virginia.
Linda is retired from a 40-year finance and accounting career, including nearly 29 years as a senior executive with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. In addition to her three adult children and six grandchildren, she sponsors two young girls in India and the Philippines through Unbound.
Steve Schwab
CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
As CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Steve spearheads the country’s preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring military and veteran caregivers. He has grown the Foundation’s staff, programs, development, and partnerships over the past eight years, managed the launch of the Hidden Heroes campaign, established the Hidden Heroes Cities program, launched a no-cost national respite program for military caregivers, and successfully championed the expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to caregivers of every war era. In 2021, Steve oversaw the launch of the Hidden Helpers Coalition, bringing together the White House and over 60 public and private organizations with the intent of supporting children in military and veteran caregiving families. He has closely advised senior leaders in every sector, addressed audiences across the country, testified before Congress about the challenges faced by America’s military families, and advocated for legislative and regulatory solutions to support them.
Dan Struble
Board Secretary
PVS Visitor – FCI Otisville
Dan discovered PVS after a long and rewarding career in state government and has been a PVS visitor at FCI Otisville in New York since his retirement in 2012. He finds being a PVS visitor can be a life-enriching experience for both the prisoners he sees and himself alike.
Scott Sussman
District of Columbia Board of Elections
Former BOP Deputy Administrator, Community Reentry Affairs Branch
Scott retired from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2021, where for the last 10 years he served as the Deputy Administrator of the Community Reentry Affairs Branch, but more importantly to us, was PVS’s primary point of contact for the Bureau. Scott assisted PVS throughout its many iterations and wishes to be a part of its current evolution as he believes it’s more important than ever to link our incarcerated citizens with those outside the prison gates. Scott is currently working for the District of Columbia’s Board of Elections heading up a program that encourages incarcerated DC residents to register and vote in DC’s local and national elections.
Dr. Esther Zeledon
Independent Contractor - International Development/Coaching
Dr. Zeledon is a senior development advisor and strategist, localization expert and transformational coach. Esther works with governments, donors, NGOs, communities, businesses and individuals to define and integrate their shared vision into plans spanning business development, sustainability plans, communication strategies, project management, and more. Dr. Zeledón holds PhD and MS degrees in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from UC Berkeley, and a BA in Earth and Environmental Science from Swarthmore College and holds a certificate in change management and systems management.