Staff Biographies

Brian Alexander

Brian is an Ohio native and he graduated from Miami University in 2007. As former teacher, student government president and current Eagle Scout, he has always been attracted to leadership and service and found City Year to be an excellent fit for his interests and passion. He moved to the Washington, DC area in 2008 after joining Teach for America to teach middle and high school social studies in Prince George's County, MD. After completing his two year commitment, Brian continued his work in education by becoming a Whole School Whole Child Program Manager here supporting teams in elementary and middle schools from July 2010 to June 2012. Brian now currently serves as a Program Director at City Year Washington, DC.

Cherise Alexander

Cherise Alexander is a proud Washington, DC local, excited to serve her first year with City Year Washington, DC as the Special Projects Assistant to the Executive Director and as a member of the Development team. She holds a B.A. in Telecommunications and Gender Studies from Indiana University and is dedicated to aiding underserved and underrepresented communities. Prior to working at City Year, Cherise acted as the Marketing, Public Relations, and Programs Intern for Becky's Fund, a Washington, DC based anti-domestic violence nonprofit organization. In this position, she helped create and conduct youth peer-leadership initiatives such as youth empowerment workshops and domestic violence awareness college seminars and helped plan and execute fundraising events such as self-defense lessons, financial planning workshops, and the annual Gala. Now as the Special Projects Assistant for CYDC, she is responsible for the daily operations of the site and the Development department, maintaining and managing the Executive Director’s calendar, tracking funds, managing the fundraising database, and assisting with department events and fundraiser galas. She is overjoyed and honored to join the City Year team and looking forward to a great year helping serve communities in her hometown.

Chris Carter

A native of Virginia, Chris Carter grew up in Front Royal and studied dietetics at James Madison University. After college, Chris joined City Year Washington, DC as a corps member serving at Ferebee-Hope Elementary School, and returned the following year as a Diplomas Now Team Leader at Shaw Middle School. Now in his third year, he is taking on the role of Program Manager, and will continue to serve the DC community as part of City Year and the Diplomas Now collaborative.

Audra Clark

Audra Clark has a B.A. in Communication and Business Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a Masters of Public Administration from The George Washington University, where she concentrated in non-profit management. Prior to coming to City Year, Clark served a year in San Antonio as a marketing and fundraising AmeriCorps*VISTA with ACCION Texas, the nation’s largest nonprofit microlender. Clark joined the City Year family in August 2004. She has held a number of positions in the development department at City Year Washington, DC, including serving for four years as the Development Director. In this role, she was responsible for all areas of fundraising, including donor identification, cultivation, and engagement, proposal writing, external communications, and event planning. Clark now serves in a part-time capacity as a Development Consultant for City Year Washington, DC, helping with strategic thinking and planning and supporting the day-to-day operations of the department. Clark is extremely proud of City Year’s impact, both on the students served and on the corps members and considers it a privilege to raise money for such an amazing organization. 

Christine Dougan

Christine recently joined City Year DC as Program Manager for the Whole School Whole Child Initiative. She relocated to the District this past fall after having spent the year teaching English at Lycee Polyvalent Flora Tristan, a technical high school in the Parisian suburbs. She is a proud graduate of DePauw University and Teach For America Alumnus (Charlotte ’08) where she taught English at EE Waddell High School. Christine’s past experiences in the classroom are what inspires her. She is so excited to be a part of the City Year DC team and working to end the dropout crisis here in Washington, DC.

Janae Eason

Janae Eason is a native of Washington, DC, and is honored to serve in the city in which she was raised. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from The George Washington University. Janae worked in different areas, including university fundraising and student financial aid, before coming to City Year Washington, DC as a corps member for the 2009-2010 corps year. She was a member of the Heroes team, and returned for a senior corps year on the 2010-2011 Civic Heroes team. Both experiences gave her significant experience in service-learning and program and youth development. Janae is returning to City Year for her second year as a Whole School, Whole Child Program Manager, and will be responsible for managing corps members and sustaining relationships with her schools and other service partners.

Allison Felder

Allison Felder graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2007 with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in Biology and Spanish. After graduating, Allison joined City Year San Antonio and served as a corps member and senior corps member. She then came to City Year Washington, DC and served as a Whole School Whole Child Program Manager at Malcolm X Elementary School and Turner Elementary School in 2009 through 2011. Since then, Allison has worked closely with school partners and DC Public Schools as the Service and Educational Partnerships Director and Whole School Whole Child Director. Allison is currently the Managing Director of Program and Service, overseeing all of City Year Washington, DC’s in school service.

Jeff Franco

Jeff Franco has been the Executive Director of City Year Washington, DC since February 2008. During Franco’s tenure, City Year has grown from 75 to 164 corps members and from serving in 1 to serving in 16 DC public schools. During this same time period, the organization’s budget increased from $3 million to $6.2 million. Franco’s leadership in developing and implementing a six-year scale plan has paved the way for effective and sustainable growth. Currently three years in to the plan, by year six City Year will have 340 corps members serving in the 5 high schools that produce 57% of the Washington, DC students who drop out, and the 28 middle and elementary schools that feed into those schools.

Franco came to City Year with extensive experience in the business development and management arenas and has a successful track record of implementing corporate business development plans. Directly prior to joining City Year, Franco served as the Director of Global Business Development and Project Manager at Voxiva, a technology company specializing in disease surveillance systems for HIV-AIDS, SARS and Avian Flu in developing world countries. Franco helped develop Voxiva’s corporate strategy, analyzed market entry conditions and evaluated new opportunities in Latin America, Africa, and the United States. Prior to that, he worked as a Senior Consultant at BearingPoint Consulting, Associate Director of Marketing and Sales at Corporate Executive Board, and a Consultant at the International Finance Corporation.

Outside of his professional work, Franco dedicates his time to various organizations. He has served on his church’s Steering Committee for young adults and has led efforts on a variety of volunteer endeavors in the community. Franco is a member of DC’s Hands on Housing, So Others Might Eat (SOME), and Net Impact, an international nonprofit organization that seeks to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. Franco is also a 2010 graduate of Leadership Greater Washington, an organization focused on connecting diverse leaders to find effective solutions to regional challenges. He graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut with a B.A. in Political Science, Pre-Medicine, and Spanish and has a Masters in International Affairs and an M.B.A. from American University in Washington, DC. Franco is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and enjoys traveling and participating in triathlons.

Maria Aurora Frijas

Maria Aurora Frijas is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of the University of California, Riverside with a B.A in History/Law and Society. She was always involved with service throughout her school and community and when the opportunity to give back with City Year came along, she knew it was what she was looking for. Maria Aurora served on the E! Entertainment Civic Engagement Team as a corps member and then as the Recruitment & Visitor Program senior corps member at City Year Los Angeles. After her two years at City Year Los Angeles, she joined the 2009 Summer Academy Team and then transitioned to City Year Washington, DC in August 2009 as the Recruitment and Alumni Affairs Manager, in which she recruited young adults to join City Year as part of the national service movement as well as coordinate events for local alumni in the Metro DC area. Maria Aurora now currently serves as the External Affairs Director at City Year Washington, DC.

Charisse Furlongue

Charisse Furlongue is a west coast transplant and attended high school in the Northern Virginia area. She holds a B.A. in Letters, Arts, and Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University. Charisse joined City Year Washington, DC as a corps member in the 2009-2010 corps year. She was a member of the Whole School Whole Child team serving at Malcolm X Elementary school and returned for a senior corps year where she served as the Team leader on the 2010-2011 Malcolm X team. Through her experience serving the Congress Heights Community, Charisse has developed a true love for service learning as well as educating and developing young people. Charisse has returned to City Year as a Whole School, Whole Child Program Manager, and looks forward to making a positive impact on a new partnership, students, and corps members.

Hunter Griendling

Hunter Griendling graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in philosophy and a minor in international studies. She joined the AmeriCorps program as a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA) at the Tippecanoe Chapter of the American Red Cross, working as a resource development specialist. Hunter served as an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team leader at the Atlantic Campus. She supervised a team of nine young corps members on seven remote service projects ranging from environmental conservation in northern New York to community development in Camden, NJ. Her team was deployed to meet immediate relief needs in northwest Alabama after the 2011 tornados and long term disaster recovery needs in Springfield, Massachusetts. Hunter strongly believes in national service programs, as well as the powerful impact a service year can have on young Americans.

Jane Horstmann

Curriculum and Learning Manager
Jane Horstmann is a proud Philadelphia native, and earned her B.S. in Secondary English Education from Boston University. In her role as Curriculum and Learning Manager, she organizes the site’s inaugural Learning and Development Conferences and manages the Whole School Whole Child Project Leaders. Previously Horstmann worked as a Program Manager at Malcolm X and Garfield Elementary Schools, and as the National Mobilization Manager for City Year’s Headquarters. Horstmann is committed to supporting urban schools in working to end the drop out crisis and feels that City Year corps members will help close the achievement gap nationally. Prior to joining City Year, Horstmann taught and volunteered in classrooms in DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and Sydney, Australia. 

Daniel Lawson

Daniel is serving his fourth year with the City Year Washington, DC Civic Engagement Team, and his second year as the Program Manager. He graduated from George Mason University in 2008 with a BA in Conflict Analysis & Resolution and a concentration in Community, Group, and Organizational Conflict. Daniel has worked with youth of all ages and has built up a passion for community building and civic engagement throughout his academic and volunteer career. His personal mission is to find meaningful ways to bring together citizens from all corners of a community to build something great together.

Quentin Liggins

Quentin Liggins is a Minneapolis native who attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where he obtained his BA in History. During his time as an undergrad he was actively involved in community service and mentoring. Quentin held a position as the Co-Community Service Liaison of Holy Cross' Black Student Union and served as a Big Brother in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program. He also worked as a Peer Mentor during his senior year helping freshman students acclimate to college. After undergrad Quentin worked for Goldman Sachs in New York and Boston. As a financial analyst within the sales and trading division he helped his team build and maintain relationships with institutional investors. He is excited to bring his business background into the City Year organization in hopes of helping Corp Members develop strong professional characteristics and skills as they help students improve in the classroom.

Cherry Lim

Cherry Lim grew up outside of Boston in Braintree, MA, where she learned the importance of service and giving back from a young age. Lim graduated from Tufts University, where she majored in American Studies with a concentration in Comparative Race and Ethnicity. Learning about inequities in education as well as society only served to further validate her commitment to the community. Prior to joining City Year, Lim tutored students from Boston high schools through the college application process as well as serve as a Customer Service Assistant at the Admissions Office at Tufts. She is excited to continue her tradition of service with City Year DC and assist passionate and committed young adults through the City Year application process.

Sarah Lucianek

Sarah Lucianek was born and raised in Downers Grove, Illinois. Lucianek is a graduate of the University of Missouri (2009) where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and certification to teach grades 1-6. Prior to joining City Year, she taught fourth grade in St. Louis Public Schools and earned a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Learning and Instruction from the University of Missouri. Lucianek is now entering her third year as program manager, and she is excited to continue to work with corps members and youth in the DC community.

Kristin McDonough

Kristen McDonough graduated from James Madison University in 2007 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. After graduating, McDonough joined City Year San Antonio and served on the Miller Academy Whole School, Whole Child Team. She then served as a team leader for the Young Heroes Program. After completing her service, McDonough returned to the DC region whereupon she taught special education in DC Public Schools through the DC Teaching Fellows program. She also earned a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Policy and Leadership from American University. Currently, Kristen serves as a Diplomas Now Program Manager.

Lauren Miner

Lauren Miner is a graduate of Roger Williams University (2008) with majors in Political Science and History and a minor in Spanish. While in school, Lauren became involved with numerous student groups surrounding community service and quickly decided to pursue a career in public service. As a result, she joined City Year Rhode Island where she served as the Training Project Leader and the Team Leader for the Hasbro Team serving at Highlander Charter School. After completing her first year in Rhode Island, Lauren moved to Washington, DC to become a part of the City Year DC corps as the Team Leader for the Acacia Group Team serving at Francis-Stevens Education Campus. Today, she continues to work for City Year as the Corporate Partnerships Manager and is responsible for building relationships with current and prospective corporate sponsors to support City Year Washington, DC’s work in the DC community.

Nick Monts

Whole School Whole Child Program Manager  

A Michigan native, Nick Monts earned a B.A. in Secondary Education and a M.A. in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. Nick has worked as a high school social studies teacher in the Detroit area. His previous schools include Covenant House Academy, which serves as an alternative high school and a shelter for homeless teens and Clintondale Continuing Education Center, a vocational school helping troubled high school students get back on track. Nick is embarking on his second year as a Program Manager and enjoys City Year's culture and camaraderie. Nick has a passion for innovative educational programs and looks forward to another year at City Year Washington, DC.  

Dave Moore

Dave Moore grew up just outside DC and is a proud alum of the 2001-2002 City Year Boston corps and was a member of the City Year Little Rock start-up team. After four years on staff in Little Rock, Dave took a break from City Year to volunteer in Bolivia, train government employees, return to school to finish his undergrad and get married. Dave is very excited to return to City Year and serve in his hometown.

This year, Dave is serving as the Diplomas Now Program Director and will be working with three middle and high schools to address the dropout crisis. His teams will work in collaboration with Talent Development and Communities in Schools to provide a comprehensive response to truancy, behavior issues, and poor performance in math and English. 

Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio

Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 with a B.A. in Management and Society and minors in African-American Studies and Social Entrepreneurship. After college, Neils was a part of the 2008-2009 City Year Washington, DC Corps where he served on the Young Heroes Team. After serving with City Year, Neils worked for Higher Achievement as an Assistant Center Director for the Adams-Morgan Center. He then returned back to City Year in 2010 as a Whole School Whole Child Program Manager of two schools: Francis-Steven Education Campus and Winston Education Campus. Neils currently serves as a Program Director and oversees several teams and their partnerships.

Abby Ransler

Individual Giving Manager
Abby Ransler brings her enthusiasm for education and fundraising to her role as Individual Giving Manager for City Year Washington, DC. She has worked with educational non-profits focusing on under-privileged youth for over six years. Throughout her career, Abby has been motivated by the need for additional resources for DC’s youth, including imperative after-school and service-oriented programs. She has been especially struck by the "oozing" of passion at City Year and is honored to add to it! In her new role, Abby conveys this passion of educating DC's deserving youth to individual donors while keeping an eye on finding new funders. Before joining the City Year team, Abby worked at The Fishing School as Development and Communication Manager and at the NativityMiguel Network of Schools as Associate Director for Development. In both of these positions, she garnered funding to provide critical services for disadvantaged students, one on a local level and the other nationally. Prior to that, she was the Director of Development at Community Lodgings, Inc., which empowers homeless and low income youth and their families to lead lives of self-sufficiency. In this role, Abby also directed a mentoring program to further improve successful student outcomes. Abby, a 2005 graduate of the University of Virginia, is thrilled to continue serving youth of Washington, DC, where she resides in Petworth with her rescue dog, Grover.

Antonio Richardson

Government Relations and Program Service Operations Manager  

Antonio was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After graduating from high school, Antonio committed one year of service with City Year Louisiana in 2007. Believing that all children should have a fair chance to succeed in school, he decided to serve a second year with City Year Louisiana. Within his two years of serving, Antonio has been awarded with a Clinton Innovation Award and served as one of City Year Louisiana’s Co-representative for City Year’s Deans Council. In February of 2012, Antonio became a start-up senior corps member with City Year Orlando. While serving on the start-up team with City Year Orlando, Antonio tutored 9^th grade students in Orange County Public School System and served as the data and evaluations point person while in Orlando. He has been involved with several non-profit organizations, including the Children’s Defense Fund and Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge. As the Government Relations and ProServe Operations Manager in Washington, DC, Antonio will ensure the corps members and ProServe staff have all the resources and information they need to complete their jobs and responsibilities while being in compliance with HQ, ServeDC and AmeriCorps.

David Steber

Senior Admissions and Alumni Affairs Manager  

Originally from Davidson, NC, David Steber graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Environmental Studies in May of 2008. After graduation, he moved to Washington, DC to join City Year, where he served two years as a corps member and team leader on the Comcast Team serving at the Browne Education Campus. Steber believes strongly in the national service movement and the ability young people have to make lasting positive change; this is why he is proud to join City Year’s Recruitment Department as the Admissions Coordinator.

Andrew Stein

Andrew Stein serves as the Development Director for City Year Washington, DC. As Development Director, Andrew and his team are responsible for raising the site's annual revenue of over $6.5 million. Andrew is a proud City Year alum, serving as a corps member on the Civic Engagement team after graduating from Michigan State University in 2004. Andrew then served as a senior corps member and a staff member in the Recruitment and Alumni Affairs Department. Andrew left City Year in 2008 to attend law school at Georgetown University Law Center. While in law school, Andrew continued to serve the DC community by working in a legal clinic that represented low-income tenant groups in Washington, DC. After law school, Andrew worked at the law firm, WilmerHale, in the litigation department, before returning to City Year Washington, DC in his current role. Andrew is a proud resident of the District and is honored to raise money for an organization that has meant so much to him and has such a positive impact on the city that he and his family call home.

Michael Stevens

Originally from Rochester, New York, Michael Stevens served in the Inaugural City Year Louisiana Corps in 2006. After his time with City Year, Stevens became an AmeriCorps member with Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville. There, he engaged potential homeowners, community associations, and corporate partners in powerful service. Following that, Stevens returned to Rochester to complete an internship doing research on nationwide best practices around community policing and community/government collaboration. Stevens came to City Year Washington, DC in 2007 and served as the Program Manager for the Civic Engagement (CE) Team where he was responsible for creating & implementing transformative physical service projects that bring together DC residents of all backgrounds in the common experience of service. After serving as a Program Director for two years, Michael is currently the Director of School Partnerships.

Lindsay Templeton

Lindsay Templeton graduated from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a B.A. in Communications. After college Lindsay joined the 2008-2009 City Year Rhode Island corps where she served as a member on the Perry Middle School Whole School, Whole Child Team. After her City Year she moved to Richmond, VA where she served as the Teen Director at the Shady Grove Family YMCA for two years. Lindsay is excited to join City Year Washington, DC this year as a Whole School, Whole Child Program Manager.

Meg Terry

Meg Terry joins City Year, DC as the Events Manager. Meg is a Florida native, and a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Family and Child Sciences. Prior to joining City Year in our nation’s capital, Meg was a public school teacher in Orlando, FL, and served as the Chairman of Habitat for Humanity’s Young Professionals of Orlando. From a very young age, Meg was dedicated to community service as a powerful, life-changing experience. In college, she was deeply changed by her work with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, specifically Camp Boggy Creek in Florida. Through her continued work with Hole in the Wall Camps, Meg came to see the important role that community service can play in a young person’s life, and the potential it had to dramatically change the trajectory of our communities, and the children and families who live in them. Meg is excited to bring her passion, spirit, and love of event planning to City Year, DC. 

Stefany Tobel

Raised in Queens in New York City, Stefany Tobel attended both public and private schools where she developed her respect and passion for public service. She completed her undergraduate degree at Tufts University in Boston, and received her MS in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. She has proudly served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Jumpstart for Young Children, and as a Prekindergarten Teacher for HeadStart. Before joining City Year she was a Stoneleigh Jr. Research Fellow at the Philadelphia Education Fund developing the data system for Diplomas Now. She continues to develop the strategic use of data as the Evaluation Specialist for City Year Washington, DC. 

Kristin Walega

A native Washingtonian, Kristin Walega graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and a Masters of Public Administration from The George Washington University, where she concentrated in non-profit management. After graduating from Villanova, she joined City Year Greater Philadelphia as a corps member in 1997. She has remained on staff since the completion of her second term of service in 1999. In her 15 years with City Year, Kristin has held a number of roles at multiple sites. Prior to joining the City Year Washington, DC staff she served as the Director of Events for City Year, Inc. where she oversaw the network-wide management of the Visitor Program and events, including Opening Day, MLK Day of Service, and Graduation in addition to planning large-scale national events including the National Leadership Summit and the organization's annual convention, cyzygy. As the City Year Washington, DC Chief of Staff, she is responsible for the management of all day-to-day site operations and the implementation of the site's six-year scale plan. In her role she oversees a wide variety of areas and departments including: staff and corps member recruitment and selections; budget and expenditures; marketing, events and communications; HR and staff professional development; and overall site operations and strategy.

As a City Year alumna herself she also enjoys her responsibility as liaison with the local City Year Alumni Association and works in partnership with the Alumni Association Board to engage the area alumni. Kristin is committed to the mission and vision of City Year which is her motivation for ensuring all staff and corps are able to do their jobs at the highest levels of excellence and that they are focused on both engaging the communities we serve and the improvement of students' academic performance.

Gavin Ware

Gavin Ware is a Washington, DC native. He graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2009 with a B.A. in Business Administration w/an emphasis in Marketing. Gavin has previously served as a Whole School Whole Child Corps Member and Team Leader with City Year Washington, DC. His passion for community service originated in college while volunteering with service based student organizations on his campus. Gavin is greatly enthused to continue serving his community as a Program Manager for City Year Washington DC.

Jerry Wohletz

Jerry Wohletz recently joined the team at City Year Washington, DC as Communications and External Affairs Manager. In this role, Jerry is responsible for site-wide and external communications that help to engage the community through media, print communications and collateral, social media, and outreach efforts. He works with City Year corps members to prepare for public speaking engagements, manages social media for the organization, oversees design of program materials and is responsible for media outreach. Prior to joining City Year, Jerry worked at a small liberal arts college in Western New York in leadership programming and communications. He is a Lawrence, Kan. native and a graduate of the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Communication Studies and American Studies.

Washington, DC Public Policy Staff

AnnMaura Connolly

AnnMaura Connolly is the Chief Strategy Officer of City Year. As CSO, AnnMaura directs City Year’s public policy and public affairs work, manages relationships with national leaders and organizational partners, oversees City Year’s international programs, and collaborates with the CEO on strategic advancement issues. Additionally, AnnMaura serves as a co-convenor of ServiceNation, and oversees the day-to-day operations of Voices for National Service, a coalition of service organizations that works to advance citizen service policy.

AnnMaura has over 20 years of experience in the service field, beginning with her service year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and including senior management positions at Youth Service America and the Corporation for National and Community Service. She has also acted as an independent consultant to a variety of foundations and nonprofits, including the Grantmaker Forum on Community and National Service, Atlantic Philanthropies, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. She joined City Year as Chief of Staff in 2000, and went on to serve as the Senior Vice President for Global Initiatives and Strategic Partnerships, and Chief External Affairs Officer before being named CSO in May of 2010. AnnMaura holds a BA in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross and serves as President of Voices for National Service and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program at Brandeis University, the Steering Committee for the Civic Mission of Schools, and MyGoodDeed Inc.

Nicole Kennedy

Special Projects Assistant, City Year, Inc.  

Nicole joined City Year in September 2011 as Special Projects Assistant to the Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President. Prior to City Year, Nicole worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Starlight Children’s Foundation MidAtlantic. Originally from Rye, New York, Nicole moved to DC after graduating from Bucknell University with a degree in English and Political Geography. Service has always been a huge part of her life; in college, she helped found Relay for Life at Bucknell, served on the American Cancer Society Pennsylvania Youth Task Force, worked on microfinance programs in Nicaragua and volunteered with various local community organizations. Nicole recently served on the 2012 Summer Academy Team as Operations and Logistics Manager.

Jennifer Ney

Jennifer Ney joined the City Year family in May 2002. As Senior Director of Public Policy, she is responsible for maintaining current knowledge of national service legislation and directing policy initiatives that expand access to quality service opportunities for all Americans. Prior to City Year, Ney worked for seven years in the office of Senator Charles Robb (VA), with whom she worked extensively on legislation to protect the civil rights of minority farmers. In addition to working on Senator Robb’s legislative team, Ney directed Robb’s scheduling and advance operation and coordinated his speaking and media opportunities. In 2001, she was special assistant to the CEO/President at Dittus Communications, a full-service public relations and issue advocacy agency. Ney graduated from the University of Virginia where she majored in American Government and minored in Sociology. Outside of work, Ney serves on the Board of Directors for Capital Rowing Club, the largest community-based rowing organization in DC. Ney is committed to Capital Rowing Club's mission of diversifying the sport of rowing and making it an accessible, affordable activity for all DC residents.

Matthew Welch

National Mobilization Manager  

Prior to joining the City Year/Voices for National Service, Matt served as Graduate Policy Fellow for Young Invincibles, a policy research and advocacy nonprofit devoted to promoting the interests of young people. He has also served as Policy and Communications Coordinator of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Public Affairs and PAC Coordinator for the American Association for Justice (formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). Matt first entered the world of advocacy and organizing after college when he attended Campaign Corps, a campaign management training program. Following his training he worked on a series of state and local political campaigns in New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Manhattan where he served as Field Director and eventually Campaign Manager. Matt received a B.A. in Political Science from Providence College, and an M.A. in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

Washington, DC School Relations Staff

Bridget Kelly

Senior Manager, School Relations

Bridget Kelly joined City Year in February 2013 as Senior Manager for School Relations for City Year Headquarters. In that role, she focuses on the alignment between City Year's work and national and state education priorities. She provides support for state and district engagement efforts. Bridget previously served as a program officer for the Race to the Top program at the U.S. Department of Education. There she worked closely with several state grantees as they implemented comprehensive education reform plans. Prior work experiences include serving as a New Sector Alliance Resident in Social Enterprise at ACCESS (now called uAspire) and teaching English to middle school students at a bilingual school in Honduras through a nonprofit called Bilingual Education for Central America. Bridget was also an Education Pioneers Fellow in Washington, DC at the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. She has a B.A. from Yale University and an M.P.A. from Princeton University.