What LeaderBridge Alumni are up to!
May 15, 2023

CNN Heroes: Yasmine Arrington
Congratulations to LeaderBridge alum Yasmine Arrington who was honored by CNN Heroes, featuring her story and the story of the nonprofit organization she founded – ScholarCHIPS – which provides funding and a network of support to make college accessible for students with incarcerated parents.

Yasmine Arrington
March 13, 2023

Patrice Sulton Featured in the Washingtonian
The Washingtonian recently interviewed Patrice Sulton, Executive Director of DC Justice Lab, about her efforts and contributions to reform DC’s criminal code. Patrice joined the Criminal Code Reform Commission in 2018 to lend her expertise as a criminal and civil defense attorney and criminal law scholar. Patrice completed the LeaderBridge Positive Intelligence program in 2022.

Patrice Sulton
February 14, 2023

WETA Features Andrew M. Lee and DC Strings
WETA interviewed Artistic Executive Director Andrew M. Lee and highlighted two concerts presented by DC Strings in honor of Black History Month. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, DC Strings presented a concert titled “Living the Dream: A Celebration of the March on Washington.” Andrew has completed several LeaderBridge programs, including the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s BIPOC Executive Director cohort and the Positive Intelligence and Public Narrative programs. To see upcoming performances by DC Strings, visit their website at www.dcstrings.org.

Andrew M. Lee
December 22, 2022

Alana Brown Named a Washingtonian of the Year
Alana Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Safe Sisters Circle, has been selected as one of eleven locals honored as a Washingtonian of the Year who is making our region an even better place. In the announcement, she is described as “a drum major for gender justice.” Alana participated in the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s BIPOC Executive Director Cohort. Congratulations on this great honor, Alana!

Alana Brown
November 23, 2022

Georgetown University Alumni GSPotlight Series features Danny Rico
LeaderBridge alum Danny Rico was recently featured by the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) at Georgetown University. An member of the inaugural class of the GSP program, Danny earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the Walsh School of Foreign Service and a Master’s of Arts in Latin American Studies from Georgetown. The article highlights his journey and student experience, as well as his career path in the nonprofit sector. Danny currently serves as the Director of Development and External Affairs at Sasha Bruce Youthwork and completed the Rising Leaders Program in 2022. Read the full article here.

Danny Rico
November 14, 2022

Daniela Hurtado Completes University of Pennsylvania Certificate Program
Daniela Hurtado recently earned a Certificate for Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice! Daniela Hurtado, Director of Operations and Programs at La Cocina VA, has participated in several LeaderBridge programs: Leadership Greater Washington’s Rising Leaders program, Georgetown’s CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program, Inspire Leadership School’s Public Narrative training, and the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s BIPOC Leadership Development program.

Daniela Hurtado
November 1, 2022

Rebecca Lemos Otero Honored as Community Changemaker
LeaderBridge partner the Catalogue for Philanthropy is honoring Rebecca Lemos Otero as a local Changemaker at their Community Changemakers 2022 event. The Changemaker awards recognize individuals and organizations working to make a difference in their community through commitment, passion, and a focus on networks and relationships. Rebecca, Executive Director of HumanitiesDC, participated in the 2016 cohort of Georgetown’s CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Rebecca Lemos Otero
September 23, 2022

Rebecca Lemos and Yasmine Arrington Selected for LGW Signature Program
Two LeaderBridge alumni, Yasmine Arrington, Founder and Executive Director of ScholarCHIPS and Rebecca Lemos Otero, Founder of CityBlossoms and Executive Director of HumanitiesDC were selected to participate in Leadership Greater Washington’s 2023 Signature Programs. Congratulations to Yasmine and Rebecca – two long-time nonprofit champions of the Washington, DC community!

Yasmine Arrington & Rebecca Lemos Otero
July 15, 2022

Amalia Lopez Promoted to Deputy Director of Girls on the Run Montgomery County
Amalia Lopez was promoted to Deputy Director of Girls on the Run of Montgomery County after working as their Director of Operations for three years. She has been with Girls on the Run for eight years.
LeaderBridge alum Amalia completed Leadership Greater Washington’s Rising Leaders program in 2018. Congratulations on your promotion, Amalia!

Amalia Lopez
July 1, 2022

Alycia Chuney Starts at Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth, and Families
Since completing the Emerging Leaders program in 2020, LeaderBridge alumna Alycia Chuney has accepted a new position as the Project Director at Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families. Congratulations on the new role, Alycia! Learn more and connect with Alycia on LinkedIn here.

Alycia Chuney
April 18, 2023

Dani Faulkner Promoted and Honored With Champion Award
LeaderBridge alum Dani Faulkner was honored with the Champion Award at the 2023 Nonprofit Technology Conference for continually investing in helping other people in the community learn and improve. Dani was also recently promoted to Chief Development Officer at Baltimore Corps. Congratulations, Dani! She completed the Georgetown CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program in 2022.
Learn more at https://www.nten.org/connect/awards.

Dani Faulkner
March 10, 2023

Nicole Schenkman Joins HumanitiesDC in New Role
Nicole recently accepted the role of Administrative Coordinator at HumanitiesDC, which is led by fellow LeaderBridge alum Rebecca Lemos Otero. Nicole previously spent six years at City Blossoms, and completed the Rising Leaders program through LeaderBridge in 2018.

Nicole Schenkman
January 27, 2023

Dr. Michelle Edwards Launches the Idari Collective
Dr. Michelle Edwards, former Executive Director of Live It Learn It, founded the Idari Collective to offer coaching, nonprofit and education consulting, mentoring, and curated experiences for black women. Idari means leadership in the Yoruba language, and Michelle brings nearly 20 years of experience in leading schools, nonprofits, and leadership development to her clients. Michelle has been an active member of the LeaderBridge network since 2018, participating in the CPNL’s Nonprofit Management Certificate Program, the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s BIPOC Executive Director cohort, and the Positive Intelligence program. To learn more, connect with the Idari Collective on LinkedIn.

Michelle Edwards
December 7, 2022

Ari Pak Accepts New Role at National Nonprofit
Ari Pak joins the Forum for Youth Investment as their Senior Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Specialist. Previously, Ari served as a Program Director for AALEAD. They participated in Leadership Greater Washington’s Rising Leaders program and Georgetown CPNL’s Nonprofit Management Certificate Program. Congratulations on the new role, Ari!

Ari Pak
November 22, 2022

Isabel Argoti Becomes Deputy Director
LeaderBridge alum Isabel Argoti steps into the Deputy Director role at Community Bridges in Maryland. Previously, Isabel managed the career mentoring program at Collegiate Directions. She completed the Georgetown Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program in 2021. To connect with Isabel, visit LinkedIn.

Isabel Argoti
November 4, 2022

Yasmine Arrington Honored by the Junior League of Washington
LeaderBridge alum and ScholarCHIPS founder and Executive Director Yasmine Arrington received the Rising Community Leader Award from the Junior League of Washington at their annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast. Yasmine participated in the 2021 cohort of Georgetown’s CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program. Congratulations on this recognition of your leadership, Yasmine!

Yasmine Arrington
September 28, 2022

Marisa Stubbs Joins New Initiative
LeaderBridge alum Marisa Stubbs joined Wayfinding Partners this September as their new Initiative Director. Previously, Marisa served as the Development and Communications Director for Critical Exposure, and the Founder and Executive Director for Food For Life. She participated in the 2021 cohort of Georgetown’s CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program. To connect with Marisa, visit Linkedin.

Marisa Stubbs
August 7, 2022

Janaiha Bennett featured in The Washington Post
Congratulations to LeaderBridge alum Janaiha Bennett, Executive Director of the Youth Leadership Foundation (YLF), which was featured in the Washington Post article “Summer programs help area students, educators with learning loss” (8/7/22). YLF’s summer program teaches core curriculums and offers one-on-one mentoring. “The mentorship is the bread and butter of YLF,” said Janaiha Bennett, the foundation’s executive director. “We realize the importance of the individual — that everyone’s story is different, everyone’s needs are different.” Janaiha has worked at YLF for ten years and was promoted to Executive Director in 2018, after completing Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program.

Janaiha Bennett
July 12, 2022

Nora Morales Appointed to Montgomery County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity
Nora Morales, Program Director at Identity, Inc., was recently appointed by the Montgomery County Council and County Executive Marc Elrich to serve on the Coordinating Board for the new Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. The ECECE will work to ensure that high-quality, affordable early childcare programs are available in Montgomery County. LeaderBridge alum Nora completed the Inspire Leadership School’s Public Narrative Training in Spring 2022. Learn more about Nora’s experience in Public Narrative at https://youtu.be/GW5RHT8a3Xw.

Nora Morales
May 18, 2022

Daniela Hurtado Presents at National Main Street Conference
Daniela Hurtado, Director of Operations and Programs at La Cocina VA, presented a session on powerful cross-sector partnerships at the National Main Street Conference in Richmond, Virginia. The theme of the conference was celebrating community resilience. LeaderBridge alum Daniela completed the LGW Rising Leaders Program in 2018 and the CPNL certificate program in 2019.

Daniela Hurtado
March 21, 2023

Arleen Ramirez Borysiewicz Elected To Board Position
Arleen Ramirez Borysiewicz, who has been serving as executive director of NVMS Conflict Resolution Center since July 2020, was elected on March 17 to serve as Vice President of the Board of Directors of Resolution Virginia. Arleen completed the CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program in 2016 and the Positive Intelligence cohort program in 2021. Congratulations, Arleen!

Arleen Ramirez
March 8, 2023

Alana Brown’s The Safe Sisters Circle Receives Humanitarian Award
Under the leadership of its Founder and Executive Director, Alana Brown, The Safe Sisters Circle has recently received the Nannie Helen Burroughs Humanitarian Award. In recognition for their commitment to Black women and families in the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Courts awarded this distinction at their Black History Month’s Fourth Annual African American Impact Awards Ceremony. Alana participated in Catalogue for Philanthropy’s BIPOC Executive Director Cohort.

Alana Brown
January 23, 2023

Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth Steps Into New Executive Director Role
Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth has accepted a new role with the National Women’s Health Network, a women’s health advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. Denise brings over 30 years of experience in managing top health care organizations, most recently serving as the Executive Director of Brain Injury Services. Denise participated in the Positive Intelligence program in 2022.

Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth
November 30, 2022

CPNL Alumni Leadership Spotlight on Diana Ortiz
LeaderBridge alum Diana Ortiz was recently featured in an Alumni Spotlight by Georgetown University’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership. The article highlights her experience leading a nonprofit and her life-changing time in the Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program which she completed in 2021. Diana currently serves as the Executive Director and CEO of Doorways, and has also participated in the Catalogue for Philanthropy Executive Director Cohort and the Positive Intelligence program. Learn more at https://cpnl.georgetown.edu/spotlight/alumni-spotlight-diana-ortiz-doorways/.

Diana Ortiz
November 21, 2022

Paula Fitzgerald Receives Legacy of a Dream Award
Ayuda Executive Director Paula Fitzgerald was selected by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University to receive the 2023 Legacy of a Dream Award. Each year, this award is given by Georgetown University to a local individual who demonstrates outstanding service in the community and exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Paula participated in Georgetown’s CPNL Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program, the Positive Intelligence program, and Equity Through Action’s JEDI* Leadership Series. Congratulations to Paula on this prestigious honor!

Paula Fitzgerald
November 2, 2022

Alana C. Brown Publishes Article
LeaderBridge alum Alana C. Brown published an article on survivors of interpersonal violence for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Alana is the Founder and Executive Director of The Safe Sisters Circle. She participated in the 2021-2022 Executive Director Cohort program hosted by Catalogue for Philanthropy. To read the full article and connect with Alana, visit LinkedIn.

Alana C. Brown
September 28, 2022

Jo Ellyn Walker Steps Into New Role
This fall, LeaderBridge alum Dr. Jo Ellyn Walker moved into the Associate Director for Diversity Initiatives role at Georgetown’s Counseling and Psychiatric Service (CAPS). Previously, Dr. Walker served as the Interim Clinical Director and Co-Director for CAPS and the Wellness Director/Staff Psychologist for the Georgetown Scholars Program. She participated in the 2019 Class of the LGW Rising Leaders Program. To connect with Dr. Walker, visit Linkedin.

Jo Ellyn
August 5, 2022

Patrice Sulton Honored by the National Bar Association
The National Bar Association awarded Patrice Sulton with the Nation’s Best Advocates award at this year’s annual convention in Memphis. Patrice is the Executive Director of DC Justice Lab, an organization she founded to fully transform the District’s approach to public safety. New LeaderBridge alum Patrice completed the Positive Intelligence program with the summer 2022 cohort. Congratulations on this honor, Patrice!

Patrice Sulton
July 8, 2022

Joseph Hooks accepts a position at LAYC of Montgomery County!
This summer, LeaderBridge alum, Joseph Hooks has accepted a new position at Latin American Youth Center as the Managing Director of Montgomery County. Congratulations on the new role, Joe!.
Joe completed the Leadership Greater Washington Rising Leaders Program in July 2022. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/in/joseph-hooks-265b4757/

Joseph Hooks