Yasmine barakat

Yasmine joined The Community Foundation in June 2023. As the Executive Assistant, she provides high-level administrative support to the Executive Office. Yasmine has six years of experience in the administrative and legal field bringing a diverse skillset. Throughout her career, she’s worked on various projects, including high-risk immigration cases to help clients obtain their citizenship. A lover of animals, nature, and spending time with her family, Yasmine is thrilled to be joining The Community Foundation team and to leverage its individual strengths to make a significant impact.

Marcus Braxton

Marcus joined The Community Foundation in December 2020. As the Chief Operating Officer, he leads The Community Foundation’s work to enhance its internal operations, systems, and processes to ensure the organization has the infrastructure needed to continue its success and impact. Marcus has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, having worked for organizations such as Young Invincibles, a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization committed to amplifying the voices of Millennials in all aspects of life. As Young Invincibles’ Senior Director of Operations and Finance, he built and shaped the operations of a small start-up into a large national advocacy organization with offices around the country.

Marcus has also worked for organizations such as Arabella Advisors, a philanthropic consulting firm where he managed approximately $25 million in various philanthropic initiatives, and the Pew Charitable Trusts where he supported the organization’s fundraising efforts. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of a local DC-based nonprofit organization that focused on providing educational opportunities to low income students.

Marcus is passionate about the role of operations professionals in creating fair and equitable organizations and has spoken at conferences across the country on the topic of internal equity within organizations. Originally from Tennessee, Marcus received his undergraduate degree in International Relations from Rhodes College in Memphis and his MBA degree from Johns Hopkins University here in DC. Marcus serves on Board of Directors of Seabury Resources for Aging, a local nonprofit organization that provides personalized, affordable services and housing options to help older adults in the greater Washington, DC area live with independence and dignity, and is a volunteer mentor for the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School's Leading a Diverse Society Mentoring Program.

Rhoda Brown

Rhoda Brown brings over four decades of diverse professional experience to her role. Having navigated both for-profit and non-profit sectors within the Washington Metropolitan area, Rhoda's career reflects a rich tapestry of service and leadership.

Growing up as the daughter of an Air Force member, Rhoda's upbringing took her across various regions of the United States and to several countries worldwide. This nomadic lifestyle instilled in her a profound flexibility and adaptability, which she seamlessly applies across diverse arenas today.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Rhoda finds fulfillment in her roles as a parent to two adult children and a grandparent to a cherished granddaughter. In addition, she sits on the board of From Pain to Power a domestic violence organization that provides victims of domestic abuse with the supports necessary to turn their pain into power. Her passion for exploring new cultures and fostering understanding through travel fuels her free time pursuits.

Rhoda holds a Bachelor's degree in Health Services Management, complemented by a dual master's degree in Business Administration and Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. Driven by a deep-seated commitment to social justice, Rhoda channels her expertise and energy towards creating positive impacts for underserved communities.

Michelle Castillo

Michelle joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in May 2023 as the Staff Accountant. In her role, Michelle provides support to accounting, grants, accounts payable and financial reporting, working closely with the Controller and Director of Finance.

Michelle joins us from the Carlyle Group where she worked for five and a half years. She is originally from Suriname, a small country in South America. Her native language is Dutch.

Dismailin Chalas

Dismailin Chalas joined The Community Foundation in October 2023. As an Accounting Associate, she oversees data entry for gifts that are received and other administrative duties. Before joining The Community Foundation, Dismailin worked for a nonprofit organization that provides underprivileged communities the knowledge and resources they need to become financially independent. Her responsibilities included gathering and examining applicant materials, evaluating and processing grant applications, keeping track of client files, and delivering invoices.

Dismailin was born in the Dominican Republic. When she was 10 years old, Dismailin moved to New York City, where she grew up in Spanish Harlem. Dismailin is currently enrolled in college, with the goal of becoming the first female graduate in her family to hold a bachelor’s degree. She is excited to be a part of the community foundation and is looking forward to learning more about this industry and expanding her skill set. 

Rachel Crawford

Rachel joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in October 2022 as the Director of Finance. The Director, Finance has primary responsibility for the investment functions for the Foundation, which includes monitoring, implementing and maintaining appropriate internal controls for the organization; as well as leads the annual audit.

Rachel is a Certified Public Accountant with over 7 years in both private and public accounting experience, most recently having worked for a DC-based environmental non-profit. During her years in public accounting, she worked specifically with not-for-profits and health care entities with complex investment portfolios and specialized in the review and preparation of Form 990 Informational Tax Returns. Rachel is a native of Syracuse, New York and graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Kate Daniel

Kate joined The Community Foundation in January 2019. She facilitates donor requests, assists in community leadership initiatives and scholarship fund processes, and provides general assistance for the local Montgomery County office in development, communications, and event planning. She came to Maryland from Texas, where she was born and raised and obtained an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Nonprofit Management from the University of Houston. She then served as program coordinator of a Houston area Meals on Wheels program, which is where her excitement for philanthropy began.

Dr. Marla Dean

Marla M. Dean is a native Detroiter. For over a decade, she has lived East of the River in Washington, D.C. With nearly 30 years of teaching and leadership experience in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, and Virginia, Marla is a recognized national leader and expert in the two generational and whole child approaches.

Most recently, Marla has served as the executive director and chief executive officer of Bright Beginnings Inc. (BBI), a non-profit, community-based organization that operates two-generation programming for children and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Washington, D.C.

Marla is well-known as a leader and a changemaker in the DC community. Previously, Marla has served on the Low Income Investment Fund’s (LIIF) New Market Tax Credit Advisory Board, as well as Mayor Bowser’s inaugural Thrive by Five Coordinating Council. She was also a member of the 2020 Class of Leadership Greater Washington. Currently, Marla serves as Chair of Ward 7 Education Council, a member of the DC Council's Taskforce on Early Childhood Educator Compensation and the Ward 7 ANC Redistricting Taskforce. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for birdSeed Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring black homeownership in a rapidly gentrifying Washington, DC, as well as, on the Board of Directors for both R Street Institute and the DC Early Learning Collaborative.

Marla is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she is heavily involved as the Chair of Community Forum & Scholarship Committee. Previously, Marla served as the Eastern Region Program Manager for the Delta Research and Education Foundation’s Delta Teacher Efficacy Campaign (DTEC) and on the 2017-2020 DCPS Strategic Advisory Committee.

Marla attended The University of Michigan for both her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and her Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning. She also holds an Education Specialist from Michigan State University in Educational Leadership. Marla conducted her doctorate studies at University of Pennsylvania in Educational Leadership and Organizational Theory.

Marla is a proud Ward 7 resident where she lives in the PennBranch community with her husband, Steve. She has one son who graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in Cinema, Television and Emerging Media Sciences. Marla currently is the Board Chair of Philanthropy DMV.

Yorman De La Rosa

Yorman joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in April 2022 as a Donor Services Associate. Yorman comes to The Community Foundation with more than 5 years of project management experience in the economic and community development sector. He is a passionate advocate of greater education access for low-income, first-generation students. Prior to joining The Community Foundation Yorman spent 4 years working in youth development at a local DC-based nonprofit organization and with the Peace Corps in Morocco.

Yorman grew up in Pennsylvania, is an outdoors fanatic and holds a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Kutztown University.

(Rev.) Ronnie Galvin

(Rev.) Ronnie Galvin joined the The Community Foundation in November 2020.  

Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Ronnie was a part of the team at The Democracy Collaborative, serving as the Vice-President for Racial Equity and the Democratic Economy. In this work he and his team helped advance the Collaborative's work to interrogate, reimagine, and redesign local and regional economic systems to that they produce justice, equity, sustainability, and broadly held wealth. 

Ronnie is also a facilitator and leading voice in the region and around the country on issues of racial equity and reparative justice. He will be bringing this background to support the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s evolution as an organization that leads with racial equity in the region. 

Darius Graham

Darius Graham joined the foundation in October 2023 as the Managing Director of Community Investment. In this role, he oversees the foundation’s grantmaking programs, strategic initiatives, and collaboratives. He leads the Community Investment team and serves on the foundation’s executive leadership team.

Previously as the Program Director for Baltimore at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Darius guided the distribution of over $30 million in grants annually to nonprofits working across the areas of housing, health, workforce development, and education in Baltimore and beyond. In this role, he also developed and led strategic initiatives such as the Greenmount Life, Opportunity, and Wellness (GLOW) Initiative — an award-winning, multi-year, place-based strategy that unites residents and a network of over 30 nonprofits to ensure all residents of four central Baltimore neighborhoods can access and utilize comprehensive healthcare services, nutritious food, and enriching opportunities for youth. Other initiatives included the $25 million economic mobility initiative (Mobility LABs) in partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation and a $3.7 million initiative in Stockton, California to improve academic and civic outcomes.

Prior to that, Darius was the founding executive director of two university-wide innovation and entrepreneurship programs at Johns Hopkins University (Social Innovation Lab and FastForwardU) where he helped students, faculty, and local residents transform novel ideas and new technologies into viable ventures. Darius was the founder and executive director of DC Social Innovation Project, which supported the launch and growth of innovative community-based ventures tackling pressing social issues in Washington, DC. He began his career as an attorney in the Financial Restructuring practice group at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Darius is a Civil Society Fellow with The Aspen Institute and ADL and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. As an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and Goucher College, Darius has taught graduate courses on social entrepreneurship, public sector innovation, and nonprofit leadership. At the Baltimore Museum of Art, he serves as vice-chair of the board of trustees and chair of the governance committee. He previously served as co-chair of the board of directors of Community Law In Action, a mayor-appointed commissioner at Serve DC, and a Social Entrepreneur-In-Residence at University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Darius' work and insights are highlighted in two books, Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at AnyLevel and In the Business of Change: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting Business as Usual. He has been a speaker at SXSW, SOCAP, Mission Investors Exchange, and Startup Champions; published in The Baltimore Sun, Inside Philanthropy, and more; and received honors from Ebony magazine, Baltimore Business Journal, and was recently named a GameChanger by Baltimore magazine. Darius is the author of Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from Florida A&M University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley – School of Law.

Melen Hagos

Melen Hagos joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in January 2017. Melen currently leads the overall strategy, vision, and operational aspects of several funding collaboratives. Previously, she worked at the Brookings Institution, where she served as the Senior Center Coordinator working on public and private events, communications, and donor engagement for international education projects. Her previous experience also includes fellowships with She Should Run, a nonprofit organization which works to elect female candidates to national political office.

In 2017, Melen was selected to participate in the Young Professionals Program, an initiative of the Leadership Center for Excellence which invests in high-potential leaders in the DC Metropolitan area. This program provides the opportunity to develop new professional skills and capacities, while also acquiring the tools, visibility and network necessary to engage in their broader community. She holds a B.A. in International Development with minors in African and Middle Eastern studies from James Madison University.

Anna Hargrave

Anna Hargrave joined The Community Foundation staff in February 2006. Through her previous experience at the Office of the Montgomery County Executive, Montgomery Youth Works, and the Jewish Social Service Agency, Anna came to The Community Foundation well-versed in program management, community outreach, and project development. She recently completed her service on the Board of Directors for Leadership Montgomery, an organization which brings together current and emerging leaders interested in making Montgomery County a better place to live and work.  A graduate of Kenyon College, Anna earned her BA in Spanish Area Studies and Drama.

Since joining The Community Foundation team, she has worn many hats. She spearheaded planning for the annual Celebration of Giving event as well as numerous learning and networking opportunities for donors, including the creation of The Community Foundation’s Taste of Philanthropy series in Montgomery County, which enables donors and philanthropic friends to connect with each other, learn about the community, and share their own ideas for making a deeper impact. She has also led the Sharing Montgomery grant process, which engages donors in vetting high-impact organizations serving the County’s low-income neighbors.  In response to the pandemic, she worked with donor-leaders to launch the Neighbors in Need Montgomery campaign to provide direct cash assistance to families in crisis and the Food for Montgomery campaign to address the alarming spike in food insecurity. Most importantly, Anna has worked 1:1 with hundreds of Montgomery County donors to provide them with the tools, resources, and support needed for them to give to all the causes they care about deeply, here and around the world.

Chris Howie

Chris joined The Community Foundation as Managing Director of Development in October 2023. With more than 20 years in the nonprofit and philanthropic space, Chris has worked in higher education, media, public policy, and environmental campaigns. His earlier career in Washington, D.C. includes senior roles at NPR, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Brookings Institution, where he built partnerships with local and national leaders in collaboration with philanthropies to advance change at the city scale.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Rowan University and began his career in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and worked at BlackRock funds. A Philadelphia transplant, Chris now resides in Northwest Washington, D.C. with his wife Gupi and their two sons, Nigel and Graham. When they are not volunteering with local organizations, you will find Chris and his family on their goat farm in St Mary’s County, Maryland.

Olivia Hsu

Olivia Hsu, CFP®, CAP® joined The Community Foundation in May 2022 as a Donor Services Associate. She is currently working with the Montgomery County team to support donor requests and initiatives.

Olivia is a Certified Financial Planner™ and previously spent three years working in wealth management at Wealthspire Advisors (previously Bronfman Rothschild) in Potomac, Maryland. In this role, she developed an interest in coordinating philanthropy and planned giving for her clients and also served on the firm’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. She received her BS in Finance from Virginia Tech and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia. In her free time, you can find Olivia spending time in nature, supporting regional sports teams, and volunteering locally.

Tiara Isom

Tiara joined the Community Foundation in June 2022 as the Events and Marketing Coordinator. In this role, she supports event planning logistics, marketing, and promotion. With a strong background in event planning and communication strategies, Tiara plays a vital role in ensuring seamless event execution and engaging outreach efforts.

With over 8 years of experience organizing and coordinating events for the DC community, Tiara brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Prior to her current position, she spent four years as a marketing coordinator for a Managed Care Organization health plan, serving the DC community. This diverse experience has honed her ability to deliver successful events and execute effective marketing strategies, allowing her to connect with audiences effectively.

Fueled by a deep passion for making a positive impact and contributing to the community, her fervor for events and marketing was first ignited during her tenure with the promotions department at CBS Radio for WPGC 95.5 station. There, she adeptly managed social media accounts and orchestrated various community service events. Since then, Tiara has dedicated her time to volunteering and working in community outreach and marketing roles, solidifying her commitment to community engagement. As a Bowie State University graduate, she holds a Certificate of Bachelor Studies with a degree in Communications.

Dawnn Leary

Dawnn Leary joined The Community Foundation in February 2015. Dawnn works to support The Community Foundation’s Economic Opportunity portfolio, including The Community Foundation’s education and workforce development investments and activities. She comes to The Community Foundation from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) a national community development finance institution where she managed the grant portfolio for the DC local office and coordinated DC’s Sustainable Communities Initiative in Neighborhoods East of the River. Prior to LISC, Dawnn held senior management positions at the HSC Foundation and East of the River Community Development Corporation.

Her passion and experience is in addressing various issues on the community development continuum such as affordable housing, business development, workforce development, adult education and resident engagement.  She holds her Bachelors of Human Development & Psychoeducational Studies from Howard University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, she also serves as Chair of the Board of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund and Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board.  

Kathy Matthews

Kathy Matthews joined The Community Foundation in 2000. As Director of Grants Management, she oversees all financial and administrative operations and functions of grant awards – and is responsible for financial reporting, budget oversight and grants compliance. She coordinates and supervises the financial and administrative operations and functions of grant awards for The Community Foundation.  She is responsible for ensuring that the grantmaking process serves grantees and potential grantees with the highest quality of customer service while maintaining The Community Foundation’s mission and values. 

Prior to this role, Kathy was Grants Manager, a Grants Management Associate, and a Receptionist at The Community Foundation. And, prior to The Community Foundation, she held various positions within the private sector and the District government. A native Washingtonian, Kathy is a loyal sports enthusiast and supports a variety of community-based organizations.

Ashley McGlawn

Ashley McGlawn joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in October 2023 as the Director of Human Resources and Administration.  In this role, she will be implementing HR strategy that supports and uplifts The Community Foundation’s organizational goals; while aligning our HR practices, policies, and administrative operations.

Ashley has always had a heart for organizations that focus on the betterment of others.  In 2018, she left Corporate America to use her HR powers for good – spending over 5 years developing Human Resources for Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Inc., a large legal aid organization in Virginia that provides full legal representation for civil legal matters – free to their clients.  Ashley is a practiced Human Resources professional with 15 years of experience in various levels of HR – focusing on employee relations and engagement, recruiting, benefits administration, training and development, event management, DEI efforts, and building and maintaining organizational culture.

Ashley holds a BA degree in Journalism and Communications (Public Relations emphasis) from the illustrious Hampton University (The REAL HU!).  She is a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and is an active member of the Society of HR Management (SHRM), having served as President, President-Elect, and Communications Director on the Board of Directors for her local SHRM chapter.  Currently, she serves as the Lead District Director for the HR Virginia SHRM State Council.

Ashley is a happy wife and loving mother of two.  She enjoys singing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Benton Murphy

Benton currently serves as Director of Fund Administration and Special Projects at The Greater Washington Community Foundation. In this role, provides overall fund administration and impact measurement functions, enhances the organization’s fundholder engagement work through effective data segmentation, and supports the overall business operations of the organization. Benton has nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, originally coming to the Community Foundation in January 2004. Prior to his current role, Benton served as Senior Program Officer as well as Interim Vice President for Community Investment where he focused on projects addressing racial and social justice, workforce development, and education. Benton holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Juliana Mitrojorgji

With over 13 years of considerable cross-functional experience across multiple business environments in both the private and public accounting sectors, Juliana Mitrojorgji, MBA, joined The Community Foundation in September 2011. She is responsible for and specializes in managing The Community Foundation’s quarterly and annual financial reporting process, managing and overseeing all investments’ related activities, auditing financial data for accuracy and compliance with GAAP and The Community Foundation’s internal policies and procedures, and communicating accurate financial information to individual donors, organizations, and other interested parties. Furthermore, she manages and oversees the internal work associated with the annual independent audit process for The Community Foundation (GAAP and GAGAS audits).

Jennifer Olney

Jennifer joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in November 2019. As the Senior Program Officer for the Partnership to End Homelessness, Jennifer brings together the public and private sectors to advance effective and innovative solutions to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring in DC.

Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Jennifer worked as the Director of Networks and Programs at Funders Together to End Homelessness. In this role she worked with funders across the country dedicated to ending homelessness. In addition to her work leading local and national networks, she designed and facilitated communities of practice looking at intersectional issues and focused on collective action. Jennifer has spent her career working to end homelessness and is excited to be back in the District, where her career began.

Jennifer earned her Bachelors degree in Communications from Clemson University and completed her Masters in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tiffanie Purvis

Tiffanie Purvis joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in January 2023 as its General Counsel and Senior Philanthropic Advisor. In this role, she handles general legal matters for The Community Foundation and works with professional advisors and donors to craft and achieve philanthropic solutions and strategies. She educates professionals on charitable giving with a specialization in gift-planning strategies. She manages The Community Foundation's Legacy Giving and Nonprofit Endowment Programs. She oversees The Community Foundation's Professional Advisors Council and Estate Planning Journal Club.

Before joining The Community Foundation, Tiffanie held positions as Planned Giving Officer for the Southern Poverty Law Center, Assistant Director of Gift Planning, and Director of Gift Planning at the University of Maryland, College Park. As a front-line fundraiser with several years of experience, Tiffanie has raised millions for her perspective organizations by leveraging blended gift strategies and working collaboratively with advisors and donors.  

In 2017, Tiffanie won the inaugural Rising Star Award in charitable gift planning from the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, where she is also a member and serves on the Government Relations Committee. She is a National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) member serving the Greater Washington, D.C. region. She serves on the NCGPC Board as Ethics Committee Chair and program committee member.

Prior to her career in fundraising, Tiffanie was a solo practitioner in the field of Estate Planning and Landlord-Tenant law in Georgia. She is licensed in Georgia and Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and her Law Degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, where she graduated with honors from both institutions. In May 2023, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland College Park with a Master's Degree in Public Management with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

Tiffanie is a Maryland resident and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She enjoys traveling to new and interesting places with her family and friends in her free time. Let her know if you know of a new adventure she should experience.

Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson has been serving as the Together, We Prosper Campaign Counsel with The Community Foundation since 2022.  Mary has pursued her passion for building thriving communities as the founder of Capacity Partners, a consulting firm in its 20th year serving nonprofits in Greater Washington.  Mary and her team have worked successfully with The Community Foundation on the Children’s Opportunity Fund and Food for Montgomery. 

Mary is deeply committed to helping people get to the heart of challenges and achieve their goals.  An expert in nonprofit fundraising and management, she brings extensive experience in capital campaigns and major donor programs, comprehensive strategic planning, and board development. Prior to founding Capacity Partners, she was president of the electronic screening division of national consulting firm Marts & Lundy, director of prospect screening at Bentz Whaley Flessner, and product manager at Wealth ID, a Thomson Financial company. Previously she was the co-owner of DataPlus Inc., a software company serving nonprofits nationwide.

A member of Leadership Greater Washington class of 2019 and Leadership Montgomery class of 2010, she is a current board member of The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce and former volunteer at many local nonprofits.  Mary earned a BA from Brown University, Phi Beta Kappa, and an EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a concentration in administration, policy, and planning. 

Rebecca Rothey

Rebecca Rothey, CFRE, CAP®, AEP® has held multiple leadership roles in charitable gift planning positions since joining the Greater Washington Community Foundation in 2016. Previously she was a director of gift planning at The Johns Hopkins University and Medicine and director of planned and principal gifts at Catholic Charities of Baltimore. She began her gift planning career at the American Red Cross of Central Maryland as manager of major and planned gifts. It was her three years, from 2012-15, as director of major and planned giving at the Baltimore Community Foundation that sparked her passion for the role community foundations play in helping donors give back to their communities and her understanding of the nuances of professional advisors’ roles in philanthropy.

Rebecca is a member of the editorial advisory board of Planned Giving Today and has written for Bloomberg Tax. She has served on the board of the Baltimore Estate Planning Council and is a past president of the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council. A frequent presenter at local and national conferences, Rebecca is known for bringing deep expertise, clarity and wit to complex topics as well as for her stylish eyeglasses.

Jonathan Schroeder

Jonathan Schroeder joined The Community Foundation as the Communications Manager in January 2022. A Northern Virginia native, Jonathan is a firm believer in building brands by empowering and elevating the voices of internal and external stakeholders – with a specific focus on community voices.

Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Jonathan was the Media & Communications Manager at United Community where he managed external communications, media relations, and digital communications for one of the largest human services nonprofits in Southeast Fairfax County. In this role, he developed and implemented communications strategies surrounding the nonprofit’s rebrand and extensive COVID-19 response efforts.

Jonathan received his BA in Communications (Public Relations Emphasis) from Brigham Young University, with a minor in Latin American Studies. Prior to completing his undergraduate degree, Jonathan lived in Northeastern Brazil for two years, serving as a volunteer missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is a passionate advocate for the Latino community and is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Soccer.

Gisela Shanfeld

Gisela joined The Community Foundation in March 2017 and is excited to be a part of “the other side of grantmaking”. She formerly spent four years working in Development at Synetic Theater in Arlington, Virginia where she learned a lot about DC Philanthropy and the burgeoning DC Theater Scene. As a graduate with a BA in Sociology and Political Science from the Anglo-American University in Prague, Gisela has long held an interest in the work and impact of NGOs; from grassroots community organizations to those working on an international level. Gisela lives in Alexandria with her husband and two beautiful dogs.

Isabel Spake

Isabel joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in June 2022 as a Program Officer. She has over 10 years of project and grants management experience in the DC area. Isabel’s interest in community-based work started while serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for DC government, where she later became the AmeriCorps Program Officer. In addition to her experience in local government, she has also worked for local nonprofits focused on teacher quality efforts and public land efforts.   

Isabel earned her Bachelors degree in History from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and her Master of Public Administration from George Washington University. Although she lived overseas for a chunk of her childhood, she considers the Greater Washington her home. When she’s not with her husband and sons enjoying the outdoors, you can find her hunting for secondhand items at local thrift and consignment shops.

Mallory Slivka

Mallory Slivka joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in January 2015 as the Administrative Associate. She currently is the Accounts Payable Specialist and processes received contributions and assists with other finance work.

Mallory is originally from Pennsylvania and currently resides in Washington, DC.

Silvana Straw

Silvana Straw is a senior philanthropic leader with over 30 years’ commitment to our community and social justice. She serves as philanthropic advisor to major donors and clients, facilitating their charitable giving and helping them invest strategically. She has developed and led major efforts focused on the safety net, homelessness/housing, youth development/civic engagement, arts and culture, nonprofit capacity building and advocacy/systems reform. In 2014, her leadership resulted in a groundbreaking study on affordable housing prepared by The Urban Institute entitled, Housing Security in Greater Washington.

She served as lead staff for the Neighbors in Need Fund which invested in advocacy efforts to preserve the safety net; and emergency services for hundreds of thousands of people directly affected by the economic crisis. Her youth work has included the Greater Washington Youth Philanthropy Initiative—an award-winning youth civic engagement program. She also created and led the Creative Communities Initiative focused on advancing the work of artists in communities as catalysts for social change.

Erika Taylor

Erika joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in December 2017 as the Front Desk Receptionist.  Erika managed the every day duties associated with the Front Desk and provided administrative support to varies departments at The Community Foundation. She enjoyed helping and interacting with visitors and staff.

As of June 2018, Erika was promoted to Grant Associate. Her roles includes managing incoming grants to ensure that the department provides optimal service to donors and fund holders. She also maintains all donor information from inputting and processing grant recommendations, serve as a resource for grantees and nonprofits in the community, as well as providing information on The Community Foundation's initiatives, giving, unrestricted funds and proposal due dates and processes.

Erika has always had a passion for philanthropy, and has worked in various positions of the nonprofit sector for over 10 years. She was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and attended Norfolk State University majoring in Business Administration.

Eliza Tolbert-Howard

Eliza is a California native who joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in May 2023 as a Development Officer. Her current role on the Prince George's County team includes Development, Donor Services, Marketing, Communications, and Event Planning. Before joining the Community Foundation, Eliza spent four years working in nonprofit spaces. She holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. Eliza is passionate about access and equality for women, minorities, and low-income individuals. In her free time, she enjoys the arts and personal development.

Jenn Walen

Jenn joined The Community Foundation in March 2020. As the Senior Manager, Data and Systems, Jenn leads current efforts to benchmark current information management practices and evolve The Community Foundation’s information systems and processes to higher levels of efficiency and sophistication.

Jenn has over 15 years of experience in development and operations at other community foundations in Baltimore and Nashville and most recently managed foundation relations for a human services organization in Baltimore. She received a BA in Religion from Boston University, Phi Beta Kappa, and did graduate work at Vanderbilt University. In her free time, she is an avid reader and sports fan.

Tonia Wellons

Tonia Wellons is the President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the largest public foundation in the region with over $500 million in assets and $70 million in annual grants. With deep community development experience, Tonia leads a regional foundation with a 50-year history of mobilizing community resources and investing more than $1.4 billion to build equitable, just, and thriving communities.

Since being named CEO in April 2020, Tonia has worked with the Board of Trustees and staff to reimagine the strategic priorities of The Community Foundation to center racial equity and inclusion. Under her leadership, The Community Foundation developed a bold 10-year strategic vision that will leverage its resources and expertise to lead this community in addressing the most catalytic opportunity of our lifetimes: closing our region’s racial wealth gap. Together, we have the privilege to do the difficult but essential work of identifying the most promising ways to make progress toward closing the gap and mobilizing resources to make it happen.

Named the Washington Business Journal’s 2020 Nonprofit Leader of the Year, Tonia was recognized for leading the region’s largest coordinated COVID-19 philanthropic response fund, working closely with regional foundation partners and local government advisers. With a focus on speed, equity, and impact, this effort rapidly raised and deployed over $11 million in critical resources to help stabilize 300 nonprofits, more than half of which were led by people of color, so they could support community members struggling due to the public health and economic crisis.

Previously as VP of Community Investment, Tonia successfully launched several key initiatives at The Community Foundation, including VoicesDMV, the Resilience Fund, and the Partnership to End Homelessness.

Tonia has more than 20 years of experience in public and private partnerships, financial access and inclusion, and international development. Prior to joining The Community Foundation, she served as a political appointee for the Obama Administration as head of global partnerships at the Peace Corps. Tonia was responsible for leading the agency’s relationships with other federal agencies, the private sector, international NGOs, and donors. Most notably, Tonia led bold cause-marketing partnerships at the Peace Corps for Let Girls Learn (an initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama). Tonia previously served as fund manager of a multi-donor initiative focused on financial access and inclusion at the World Bank Group. She also spent a significant part of her career working on USAID-funded capacity development initiatives during the immediate post-apartheid era in South Africa and the broader sub-Sahara region.

Tonia serves on the board of Leadership Greater Washington, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Bishop McNamara High School. She is a member of the Federal City Council, DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, and The Economic Club of Washington DC. She was named a Hero of the Crisis by Washingtonian Magazine, 2020 Nonprofit Leader of the Year by the Washington Business Journal, and the 2020 Philanthropist of the Year by the AFP DC chapter.

Tonia is a 20+ year resident of Prince George's County and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has a master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development Policy from the University of Delaware, and a bachelor’s in Political Science from North Carolina A&T State University.

Publications

We must reimagine how to address D.C.’s persistent health inequities

How to reconstruct an equitable future for our region for the Washington Post

Viewpoint: Region's income gaps can also lead to perception gap for the Washington Business Journal

Charitable giving in D.C. is well below the national average for the Washington Post

Recent Presentations and Appearances

Low-Wage Workers: The Pandemic’s Forgotten, The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis: Providing Direct Cash Assistance to DC Residents, Urban Institute

Ep 27: Leadership in Times of Crisis with Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Incite International podcast

News 4 Your Sunday: Economic Inequity and Social Challenges, NBC Washington

Frontline Conversations featuring Tonia Wellons ('20), Leadership Greater Washington

Darcelle H. Wilson

With more than 20 years of major gift fundraising experience in both the higher education and nonprofit arenas, Darcelle Wilson joined The Community Foundation as Sr. Director, Prince George’s County in September 2021. She works with donors to explore opportunities for achieving their philanthropic goals and facilitating their engagement on critical community issues affecting county residents.

Darcelle brings a strong background in major gifts fundraising and comprehensive capital campaigns, and strategic communications. She served as Assistant Dean for Development at the University of Maryland managing the major gifts, alumni relations, and communications/marketing programs. More recently, while working as Sr. Director of Development for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, she managed a team of regional and planned gift officers, corporate and foundation relations officers, and a development writer.

Her unique upbringing and early adult life as an Air Force daughter and wife had her living in various regions of the country and in several different countries around the world moving nearly every 3-4 years. She attributes that lifestyle to her flexibility and ability to move in diverse arenas.

Darcelle recently complimented her higher education background by completing a Cornell University certification program in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Danielle Yates

Danielle Yates joined The Community Foundation in June 2017. She leads the Marketing team in providing the strategic vision and tactical implementation of all communications and marketing programs across the organization. Danielle has nearly 20 years of experience developing and executing marketing and communications strategies, directing events and public relations efforts, and leveraging digital media tools to amplify the impact of nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Danielle managed marketing and recruitment for the U.S. Department of State's English Language Programs, administered by Georgetown University, to attract qualified applicants for teaching fellowships around the world.

Danielle found her passion for effective philanthropy while managing marketing and communications at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. In this role, she developed marketing campaigns to restore the profitability of GEO’s events program (by selling out seven successive conferences!) and directed the design, editing, and distribution of all print publications and digital resources. Previously, she served in external affairs positions at the Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Internet Education Foundation, spearheading planning for the inaugural State of the Net Conference which remains the largest and longest-running annual tech policy event in DC.

A California native, Danielle has a BA in Communications and Culture from UC San Diego, a certificate in event management and planning from the George Washington University, and a Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications from Georgetown University. She also recently co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing and maintaining a public park space in her NE DC community.