OUR TEAM


Cindy Trussel

Executive Director/CEO and Founder

Lighthouse Charities started with one passionate immigrant born and raised on a farm in Australia.
Cindy’s empathy comes from her lived experience. At the age of 11, her father had lost his job and could not find work. The family was about to lose their home.
After arriving in the United States, Cindy and her five siblings slept on a floor for months and scarcely had the money to buy school supplies. Drawing on that experience, Cindy knows first-hand that it is not possible to learn a new language, find employment, and adjust to a very different culture in a short period of time.
Cindy has found her true calling in helping other immigrants find their resilience. This is how Lighthouse Charities was born. Cindy’s passionate belief in the human spirit, her entrepreneurial instincts, and her "roll-up- your-sleeves" work ethic — have already transformed the lives of hundreds of refugees.

Lindsey Tanner

Program Manager & Food Distribution Director

Lindsey has been with Lighthouse Charities since it started. She left to join the military and is now in the Air Force reserves part-time. She has worked with the Rejesha project in the past, training and helping the program evolve into what it is today. Outside of Lighthouse Lindsey enjoys working out and building her small business.

Tani Nihipali

Volunteer Coordinator & Community Outreach

Tani Nihipali is a small-town girl living in the big city! She was raised in Alamo, Nevada, a small rural town located 100 miles north of Las Vegas and has been a resident of North Las Vegas for over 20 years. She attended Dixie State College in Southern Utah where she met her husband. She is a wife and mother of five children. Her passion for serving others has grown from a desire to love God and love her neighbors. She is excited to join the Lighthouse Charities team and serve in her community. When not at Lighthouse Charities, she enjoys time spent with family more than anything!


Veronika Denisova

Case Manager

Veronika Denisova comes to the Lighthouse Charities family from Belarus. She moved to Las Vegas over five years ago. She graduated from university with a degree in Economic (Commercial) Law and International Law in Belarus. Veronika practiced law for 15 years in Belarus, working for five years at a state-owned enterprise and ten years in one of the largest commercial holdings there.  Currently, Veronika is attending UNLV  Law school. 

Since 2020, she has volunteered as a human rights activist, remotely helping the citizens of Belarus to protect their civil rights. With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Veronika has been actively helping Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing their country and coming to the United States.  Through this process, she became aware of Lighthouse Charities and was an advocate and liaison for Ukrainians as she helped them connect with resources available to them through our programs.  We are so grateful she has joined our staff!  

"Everyone can and should protect their rights. The truth is that not everyone is able to do it on their own."

Laura Humphries

Office Administrator

Tiffany Bennion

ESL Teacher

Krysti League

Grant Writer