The Team
Dr. Sasha Bernard
Founder & Executive Director
Sasha is a public health leader and advocate with a passion for health equity, health education, and community resilience. She is a graduate of Loma Linda University in California with a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Health Education and a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) in Global Health. In 2013, while completing her BSc in Biology at USC she witnessed a simple event that opened her eyes and heart to the challenges experienced by the vulnerable in society. That experience, and her passion for helping people led her to start the NGO: Bridges to the Heart – with a newfound commitment to make a difference, by showing love. Sasha combines lived experience with academic rigor to build pathways between public awareness, community support, and overall well-being of various populations within the local community. To date, she describes Bridges to the Heart as one of her greatest accomplishments.
Jenester Adana McKnight-Charles
Director of Legal Affairs
Jenester spent most of her childhood in Rio Claro where service to humanity was inculcated in her from a tender age, this stimulated her desire to assist and defend others especially the oppressed. On this premise she pursued her LLB Bachelors of Law (Hons) University of London and currently serves on our Bridges to the Heart team. She has a passion for service and relieving the suffering of her fellow men particularly the elderly.
Rayann Modeste
Director of Administration
Rayann is a Tourism & Hospitality specialist and the Owner and Managing Director of Orion Hospitality Agency. Her passion for hospitality was actualized during her programme at the Tourism Management programme at (TTHTI) Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institution. Outside of hospitality and events, she serves on the Bridges to the Heart team which, as she describes; has brought a new light on caring for the elderly in many ways and she’s proud to be a part of it!
Justin Matthew
Director of Programming
Justin is a MSc Candidate in the area of Counselling Psychology, who loves music and the outdoors. Since completing his BSc in Psychology at the University of the Southern Caribbean, he has served as a counsellor at various health centres within the North West Regional Health Authority. He has also been featured as a speaker on various topics including Mental Health, the Elderly, and Family Life. Justin currently serves on the board of directors at Bridges to the Heart as he believes it provides a platform to promote generational equity for a better society.
Cryston Lewis
Director of Finance
Cryston is an Entrepreneur and a Financial Risk Advisor. With over ten (10) years of experience in Insurance, Investments and small business development, he has been the recipient of numerous company and industrial awards including the prestigious designation of being a million dollar round table member. Currently a scholar, he is pursuing his FCSP designation at The American College of Financial Services. His love for the elderly and genuine appreciation for their contributions to society compelled him to join Bridges to the Heart, where he serves on the board of directors.