About Us
John Davis, President and Founder
John has over 10 years of experience in commercial and residential real estate management, maintenance, and NYC Building Code Compliance. He also holds a number of certifications from the NYC Fire Department and the NYC Department of Buildings. John worked in several different roles in real estate management which included: Property Management, Building Engineer, Fire Safety Director, and Violations Compliance Manager. John was also self-employed as an NYC Building Code Compliance Consultant for 5 years
Tony Johnson, Vice President of Operations
Tony is a native New Yorker. He was born Brooklyn and raised in Queens. After graduating from high school, Tony began his college studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a B.S. in Economics. Tony has worked in several industries including Technology, Banking, and Entertainment (Music). A lifelong learner, Tony decided he needed to further his education into a field where he could help people and work for himself. He went to law school and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2001. Tony has represented and counseled clients ranging from bankruptcy, real estate & commercial transactions, employment, and sports & entertainment. Today, Tony’s career path has led him to human resources. He is thrilled to partner with John Davis as VP of HR & Operations at Changing Lanes. In this role, Tony will manage all administrative, human resources and operations. It combines his interest in working with a mission focused organization whose purpose is to give underserved populations the chance to secure meaningful employment through job training and career development.
Dr Norissa Williams, PhD, MSW. Board Member
Dr. Norissa Williams spent her developmental years between Brooklyn and Long Island. Being a first-generation American, having family members negatively impacted by the criminal justice system and being passionate about helping people, she pursued an undergraduate degree with a major in Human Services and a minor in psychology at St. John's University. Immediately after obtaining this degree, she went on to earn a Masters in Social Work at Stony Brook University. Thereafter, Dr. Williams worked directly with families impacted by the child welfare system and gained experience interfacing with various child and family systems of care. Seeing the racial and class bias within these systems and wanting to have an impact at a macro level, she returned to schooling and earned a PhD. in Applied Developmental Science (the study of intervention and prevention science.) In addition, Dr. Williams has ten years of experience in higher education; having taught in the CUNY system as well as private universities such as NYU.
Grant Writer & Development Associate: Diana Aulicino
Diana is a grant writer and development associate at Changing Lanes. Before that, she volunteered for two years at a soup kitchen and food pantry, while working as a legal consultant for her family’s real estate firm. In her spare time, she enjoys collecting antique maps and travelling. She has a JD from Albany Law School and a BA in Anthropology from Smith College. She lives in Bedford, NY.
Course Instructor: Diana Buckholz
James Joyce, the Irish Literary Legend, stated that “, Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” Diana knows that we all have unforeseeable circumstances that arise in our lives. She chooses to view them as “portals of discovery.” She also knows that we all handle ourselves as best we can with the resources available to us at any given time.
By supporting each other’s growth, we can build stronger and better communities as a whole. That’s why, over a decade ago, she began giving back by sharing knowledge through Education. She started by establishing a Music Studio. And, she also teaches other subjects learned via education and work in the fields of Real Estate, Law, Marketing and Government. As an Instructor, she knows she does more than teach; she mentors her students and assists them in achieving their goals.