CITY YEAR LOUISIANA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jennifer Eplett Reilly (chair)
Co-Founder of City Year and Board Chair
City Year Louisiana

Jennifer Eplett Reilly is a mother and a civic leader. She has engaged in social entrepreneurship for twenty years as one of the original co-founders of City Year Inc., founding executive director and president of Echoing Green Foundation, and a leader of innovative public private partnerships in Louisiana.

She recently led the launch of City Year Louisiana in response to the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and now serves as chair of City Year Louisiana’s site board.  Ms. Eplett Reilly is co-chair of the international committee of the City Year Inc. board of trustees. She serves on the boards of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Business First Bank, Episcopal High School, and the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation. She has also served as chair of the Shaw Center for the Arts, the LSU Swine Palace Theatre, and the citizen leadership committee of Plan Baton Rouge.

Ms. Eplett Reilly received her B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College in 1985 and an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1990. Ms. Eplett Reilly is married to Sean Reilly and they have three children: Anna, Aidan, and Rowan.

Orlando C. Watkins
City Year Louisiana Vice-Chair
Vice President of Programs
Greater New Orleans Foundation

Vice President of Programs for GNOF, Orlando Watkins has more than 15 years of experience at educational and community-based organizations. Prior to joining the Foundation, Orlando was appointed by Lt. Gov. Mitchell Landrieu to the post of executive director of the Louisiana Serve Commission, which supported the development of high-quality, non-profit and school-based programs. Orlando has served in numerous other leadership positions, including executive director of the southern region for Jumpstart for Young Children. Orlando started his career in Atlanta, where he co-founded FreeForm Academy, served as director of the NASA-funded Inspiring Careers in Engineering Mathematics and Science, and managed the Emma and Joe Adams Community Scholars program at Morehouse College. Orlando currently serves on several boards including the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, New Schools for New Orleans and City Year Louisiana. Orlando is a graduate of Morehouse College and a recipient of the Echoing Green Fellowship.

Ross Barrett
General Partner
Louisiana Ventures 

Ross Barrett is a General Partner with Louisiana Ventures, LP and Themelios Ventures, LP, a venture fund focused on commercializing Pennington Biomedical Research Center related technology. He is a Co-founder, of VC Experts, Inc. Previously, he worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide to senior U.S. Senator, J. Bennett Johnston, where he specialized in risk assessment and regulatory reform. Mr. Barrett received a masters degree in taxation from New York University School of Law. Prior to NYU Law, he earned a J.D. from Louisiana State University School of Law. In law school, he was selected to participate in the National Tugel Moot Court Competition. Prior to that, he earned a B.A. in Political Science from Southern Methodist University, graduating with honors.

Lori Bertman
Bertman and Associates
The Pennington Foundation

Lori Bertman currently serves as President and CEO of the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, one of Louisiana’s largest private family foundations.  For the seven years prior, Lori operated her own firm, Bertman + Associates, a philanthropy and fund development consulting firm headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Leading up to the establishment of her firm, she served as the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Director of Donor Services and managed 150 donor advised funds.  For five years, Lori was an associate with Emily Distefano and Associates, a fundraising and nonprofit management firm. She also serves on numerous nonprofit and foundation advisory boards.

Since 1994, Lori has worked with nonprofit organizations, foundations, corporations, and individual donors in the areas of fund development and strategic philanthropy. Within the past 10 years, Lori has managed capital, annual and planned giving campaigns helping nonprofit organizations raise millions of dollars.  Following Hurricane Katrina, Lori organized local, regional, and national funders to raise more than $40 million for various relief and recovery efforts.  Lori was recently honored with a National Leadership Award of Advocate of the Year by Share Our Strength for her work during Katrina. She also co-founded City Year Louisiana, a youth service organization dedicated to serving displaced children.

Lori serves as an adjunct instructor for the Louisiana State University School of Social Work where she teaches a community leadership and resource development course.  Before working in the areas of fund development and philanthropy, Lori was a health educator and volunteer coordinator for local nonprofits and Louisiana State University.  Lori holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree from Louisiana State University.

Lori has two children, Sophie (10) and Isaac (9).

Dan Bevan
Trustee, Chief Financial Officer, & Treasurer
The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation

Dan Bevan is Trustee, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Dan currently serves on the Boards of Children’s Charter School, The Louisiana Charter School Association, and Education’s Next Horizon.  He graduated from Louisiana State University with Bachelor of Science Degrees in Finance and Accounting.  He served in the United States Army as a Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps during the Vietnam conflict.  He is a member of the Louisiana State Board of Certified Public Accountants and the International Facilities Management Association.

Dr. Kirby Goidel
Professor
Louisiana State University

Kirby Goidel is a Professor of Mass Communication and Political Science at Louisiana State University. He is the Director of the Louisiana Survey, and the co-author of two books (Money Matters: Consequences of Campaign Finance Reform in U.S. House Elections and The States of Campaign Finance Reform) and numerous journal articles focusing on democratic politics and processes.  He received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Kentucky and his B.S. from James Madison University.

Noel Hammatt
Board Member
East Baton Rouge Parish and School Board

Noel Hammatt received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from University of Maryland, a Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction and a Certificate of Education Specialist, both from Louisiana State University. He is an Instructor in the College of Education at LSU, and is a former East Baton Rouge Parish public school teacher.  He is in his third term in office, currently serving as Vice-President of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.  Noel was Staff Sergeant in the United States Army - six years, served in Europe, Panama, and stateside.

Gerri Hobdy
Director of Grantmaking Programs
Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF)

Gerri Hobdy is the Director of Grantmaking and Partnership Relations for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and her primary responsibilities are managing the grantmaking and monitoring process for the Foundation and building  relationships with area non-profits and other partners.  In this role she serves as administrator of the Foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Relief Funds, manages special projects and Foundation initiatives.

Diana Lewis
New Orleans Community Leader
Diana Lewis has been deeply committed to New Orleans and the region since the mid-1960s through civic organizations such as the Junior League, United Way. Kingsley House, Bureau of Governmental Research, Greater New Orleans Foundation, CABL, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and Foundation for the Mid South. She is vitally interested in creating affordable housing, livable neighborhoods and quality public education.  She also volunteers with Teach for America, New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School, New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative.

Mike Polito
President
MAPP Construction

Mike Polito is the President and CEO of MAPP Construction which he established in Baton Rouge in 1991. Favorite movies are Grease and the Wizard of Oz. 1984 graduate of Louisiana State University and presently serves on the executive committee of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, the Capital Area United Way and the Louisiana AGC.

Brooke Smith
Director of Strategic Partnerships
The Office of Lieutennt Governor Mitch Landrieu

Brooke Smith serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Louisiana Office of Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu.  In the role, she oversees the Louisiana Serve Commission, the Retirement Development Commission and the newly-created Office of Social Entrepreneurship, founded to enable citizens and organizations to start and build innovative, effective and sustainable solutions to social problems facing the state of Louisiana.  Prior to this position, Brooke served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Serve Commission.  The Louisiana Serve Commission encourages citizen service as a means of community and state problem solving and grants AmeriCorps national service funds and Learn & Serve service-learning funds to community organizations and schools throughout the state.

Before joining the Louisiana Serve Commission, Brooke spent 12 years in Switzerland and worked at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  There, she helped develop public/private partnerships including the creation of WHO’s Global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health – a global health partnership made up of key stakeholders including, the World Bank, UNISEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  At WHO, she also developed, led and managed the global advocacy efforts for WHO’s annual public awareness campaign, World Health Day.

Tommy Teepell
Chief Marketing Officer
Lamar Advertising

Tommy Teepell is the Chief Marketing Officer for Lamar Advertising Company, one of the largest publicly held outdoor companies in the United States with over 200 outdoor companies operating in 45 states billing in excess of 1 billion dollars annually.Tommy graduated from Louisiana State University with a BS degree in Accounting. While at LSU Tommy was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa honorary leadership society.  He was also President of Kappa Alpha Order and Interfraternity Council and named to the Dean’s List.  After graduating from LSU, he spent several years with the CPA firm KPMG , Teepell went on to be recognized as a national sales leader for both IBM and XEROX ; the MARKETER OF THE YEAR  by Sales & Marketing Executive International, and WHO'S WHO IN MARKETING.  Tommy received outdoor’s highest marketing recognition when he was awarded the L Ray Vahue Award and named to the OAAA HALL OF FAME.  Tommy also spent several years on Madison Avenue in New York directing the national marketing for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.Tommy has conducted sales and marketing seminars around the world for the television, radio, magazine and the outdoor industry. He has addressed the advertising associations of Japan, Mexico and over 170 Advertising Federations in over 46 states.  He is the author of the audio and video tape series "Disciplined Selling".  Tommy lives in Baton Rouge Louisiana. He has served on the Board of Directors for The Louisiana Council on Child Abuse, Playmakers, The Louisiana Christian Home Educators, The Dunham School, The National Black Home Educators Association, the Traffic Audit Bureau, and the Baton Rouge Crisis Center, He is has been active in leading the United Way Pacesetter’s Campaign, the Rotary Club and the United Way Speaker’s Bureau.  Tommy also serves on the Outdoor Advertising Assoc of America Marketing Committee, past Co-Chairman of the OAAA 1991, 1994, 2001, and 2003 Conventions.  Tommy and his wife of 32 years have four sons - Tommy, Timmy, Todd, and Taylor, three daughters – in – law and seven grandchildren at last count.

Sarah Newell Usdin
Founder & President
New Schools for New Orleans

Sarah Newell Usdin has spent the last fifteen years in education reform.  In 1992, after teaching in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship, she joined Teach For America, a national corps of recent college graduates who teach in our nation’s lowest-income communities.  Usdin spent the next three years teaching in Baton Rouge before becoming Teach for America’s Executive Director in Louisiana. Believing that more needed to be done to systemically impact the quality of teachers in public schools, she became a Partner with The New Teacher Project, a national nonprofit teacher recruiting and training organization. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Sarah formed New Schools for New Orleans to assist in the recovery and reformation of public education.  Because of an early interest in social justice, Sarah majored in religion and German at Colgate University.  Sarah also holds a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University.  She has two children, Lyle (5) and Cecile (1), and is married to Tommy.

Kyle Wedberg
Deputy Superintendent for Administration & finance
The Recovery School District

Kyle Wedberg started his relationship with City Year Louisiana as a corps member in the 96-97 Boston corps.  He has since been active with City Year in one capacity or another.  While serving with Paul Valass, CEO of the School District of Philadelphia, he also served as a member of the City Year Greater Philadelphia Advisory Board.  He then returned to City Year, Inc. to serve as Regional Director and Director of New Site Development at the Headquarters of Idealism in Boston.  It was during this time that Kyle helped to launch City Year Louisiana in just 100 days!  In 2007, Kyle left City Year to return to work for Paul Valass in his new role as Superintendent of The Recovery School District in New Orleans.  He has since joined the City Year Louisiana Advisory Board.  He brings with him a wealth of knowledge about City Year and the Education System.

CITY YEAR LOUISIANA COUNCIL OF CHAMPIONS

John G. Davies
President and CEO
Baton Rouge Area Foundation

John G. Davies has served as president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation since June 1988. During that time, the Foundation has worked with donors to provide more than $160 million in grants and reach nearly $500 million in assets. In the past decade, the Foundation has spearheaded pivotal projects, including downtown and inner-city revitalization, and hurricane recovery efforts.

Mark C. Romig, APR
Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations
Hospital Corporation of America Inc., Delta Division

A native New Orleanian, Mark C. Romig joined Peter A. Mayer Advertising in 1992 after serving as Vice President and Business and Community Development Manager at Hibernia National Bank, headquartered in New Orleans, where he managed investor, media and community relations. Prior to joining Hibernia, Mark served as a Confidential Executive Assistant to then U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole in Washington, D.C. Mark also served as Director of Protocol and Guest Relations for the 1984 World’s Fair.

Mark’s expertise is in the field of issues management, crisis communications and community relations. His past and present clients include Macy’s, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Louisiana Speaks, the Unified New Orleans Plan, the City Council of New Orleans, the Port of New Orleans, Tulane Hospital (HCA), Harrah’s New Orleans, Six Flags New Orleans,  former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, the New Orleans Saints, the New Orleans Zephyrs, LSU Healthcare Network, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, PepsiAmericas, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Fore!Kids Foundation, and the Audubon Nature Institute. He is accredited (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America.

Mark is a graduate of the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration., School of Business Administration. He is a member of the board of directors of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Fore!Kids Foundation, the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), Longue Vue House and Gardens, the Sugar Bowl Committee and the TKE Educational Foundation. He is a former International President of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and past president of the Sugar Bowl Committee, Project Lazarus and Southern Repertory Theater. He also serves as member of the City Park Board of Commissioners, the Executive Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society (New Orleans area) and is a board member of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the annual PGA TOUR event in New Orleans. Mark is also a former board member of City Year – Louisiana and serves as a City Year – Louisiana Champion.