The RoR Team

Built for Scale. Grounded in Experience.

Our Story

After more than a decade of frontline and executive leadership in the human services sector, founders Dr. Anjali Browning and Mary McCutchen assembled a scalable collective of core operations staff, technology partners, and specialized professional associates.

Together, our leadership has administered and/or managed more than $20M in state and federally funded social programs across the continuum of care—including HCD Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF), Project Roomkey, Project Homekey, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), ESG street outreach and emergency shelters, Rapid Re-Housing (RRH), and HUD Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs.

Because no single consultant can be an expert in every regulatory niche, RôR operates on an agile Hub-and-Spoke Model. Our core leadership and operations staff anchor your daily implementation, while seamlessly pulling in our vetted bench of specialized partners—from AWS systems architects to civil engineers and urban planners, to landlord/tenant attorneys—ensuring you get exact, heavy-hitting expertise precisely when your project demands it.

Managing Partners & Co-Founders

Anjali Browning

Managing Partner & Co-Founder | Capacity & Systems Strategy

Dr. Anjali Browning is an Applied Anthropologist and Capacity Strategist specializing in organizational development, data-informed program design, and critical service delivery for high-acuity populations. Prior to co-founding RôR Strategies, she served as Director of Programs and Services for Arcata House Partnership, where she designed, launched, and oversaw 18 unique state and federally funded programs across the housing continuum—including pioneering Humboldt County's first Emergency Tent Shelter, Safe Parking programs, and student rapid re-housing partnerships with College of the Redwoods. A former Fulbright Fellow and recipient of UCLA’s Excellence in Civic Engagement honor, Anjali bridges global perspectives on poverty, resource scarcity, and political economy with gritty, on-the-ground homelessness and human services systems implementation.

Mary McCutchen

Managing Partner & Co-Founder | Finance, HR & Compliance Architecture

Mary McCutchen is a seasoned nonprofit finance and human resources executive specializing in multi-stream agency budgeting, audit readiness, and organizational restructuring. With extensive experience directing financial and administrative operations for Community Action Agencies and regional crisis networks, Mary turns complex federal and state funding compliance into clean, repeatable workflows. She leads RôR’s fiscal architecture, full-spectrum HR administration, grant compliance, and asset stabilization systems—ensuring organizations have the ironclad administrative backbone required to pass rigorous audits and sustain long-term growth.

Data Architecture & Core Operations Team

Melissa Lazon

Data Strategist | Data Architecture & Workflow Design

Melissa brings years of hands-on experience in nonprofit program administration, HMIS data management, and grant compliance, turning messy spreadsheets into systems that actually work for the people using them, because good data shouldn’t require a translator. A Unix and software administrator for banks, medical offices, and homeless services organizations, she knows environments where reliability and compliance aren’t optional. She wears many hats: she takes shifts at the Emergency Weather Shelter and on outreach initiatives, has led the Humboldt County Point-in-Time count for the Arcata region, and manages volunteers and community events. Her specialty is creating order where there is chaos, building process and workflows into technology teams can adopt.

Sumer Lindsay

Associate | Case Management & Program Operations

Sumer Lindsay is a versatile, highly organized case manager with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Humboldt State University and experience across foster care, homeless services, and the nonprofit sector. Her background includes serving as a Social Worker with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services and nearly five years as Program Manager for Onsite Programs at Arcata Bay Crossing. Sumer is steady in high-stress situations, committed to responsive client service, and known for building orderly systems and paperwork that keep programs running smoothly. A fast learner who takes on whatever a project needs, she is an invaluable and steadfast member of RôR’s field implementation team.

Alisan (Ali) Rose

Program Strategist | Shelter Operations & Program Development

Ali is a Program Strategist with close to a decade of leadership experience in shelter operations, residential supervision, and adult day programs. As a shelter manager since 2022, she leads daily operations, trains staff, and provides crisis intervention, grounded in trauma-informed care and strong client advocacy. Earlier roles supervising supported living and independent living skills programs for adults with disabilities built her expertise in health and safety protocols, individualized service planning, and program oversight. Ali helps individuals and families reach stability through personalized support, budgeting guidance, and community collaboration. A respected leader and a wealth of knowledge, she is dedicated to building safe, empowering environments where every participant can succeed.

Our Specialized Associate Network

When projects require specialized technical intervention, RôR deploys professionals from our established partner associations, including:

Landlord/Tenant & Eviction Defense/Compliance Attorneys (supporting our Tenant Stabilization Unit frameworks)

HCD & Federal Grant Compliance Specialists

Civil Engineers, Architects, Urban Planners, Project Managers, & Capital Project Advisors

Data Security & HIPAA/PII Privacy Technicians

See our case study