Board/Staff/Committees - Dupont Circle Village

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DUPONT CIRCLE VILLAGE
BOARD / STAFF / COMMITTEES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Schwarz holds a B.Phil. in Logic and Metaphysics from the University of St. Andrews and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California-Berkeley. He taught philosophy at Mount Holyoke College, the University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, also publishing a book and several journal articles on topics in philosophy of language. In 1980, David took a position at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His 30-year career at EPA included managing regulatory development and writing the Title 40 Part 3 regulations governing electronic reporting by regulated industries. He also chaired an electronic data standards working group under the auspices of the United Nations. Since retiring in 2010, David has returned to research and writing on issues in philosophy of language and has served a three-year term as president of Congregation Bet Mishpachah. In 2015, he lost his partner of 37 years, Stephen Lee, to Huntington’s Disease.

Jeanne Downing

Vice President

Jeanne Downing moved to D.C. after finishing a degree in economic geography and then quitting a tenure-track teaching job to pursue a passion for economic development work in Africa. Despite no overseas experience or language fluency and bolstered only by enthusiasm, she found consulting work, initially writing books for USAID on the African drought of the 1980s. She was then offered a job at an NGO as their director for Africa Programs—work that allowed for travel into remote rural villages in somewhat unstable African countries. From NGO work, she began a 15-year career with USAID leading a 10-year research effort to inform market-led agricultural development and President Obama’s Global Feed the Future Initiative. She retired from USAID in 2014 but continues to work as a consultant. In 2017, Jeanne joined the Dupont Circle Village, with the desire to engage in volunteer services. From the beginning, she was drawn to work with DCV care groups.

Kari Cunningham

Secretary

Kari Cunningham is a nonprofit leader with two decades of experience helping disability, education, and human service organizations achieve their goals. She holds a B.A. in History from SUNY Binghamton and a M.A. in Communication from SUNY Albany, both of which she graduated from magna cum laude. Her educational pursuits commonly focused on the role of women in social movements and political change. Kari is the Past President of the Friends Park and served in officer capacities with Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B and Ross Elementary PTA. She has served as a volunteer with Age-Friendly DC and the Dupont Circle Village as well. After living over a decade in Dupont Circle, Kari, her husband, and daughter now reside in North Cleveland Park.

Steven Kittrell

Ex officio,

Treasurer

Steven D. Kittrell was a partner at the international law firm of McGuireWoods LLP for the last 25 years of his legal career. At the firm, Steve was the managing partner for the DC office and served as the chair of the tax department and on the firm’s board of partners. His practice focused on tax law, especially employee benefits and executive compensation. Steve worked with many public companies and their boards of directors. He and his wife Susan Hattan have lived in the Dupont Circle area since the 1980s.

Sarah Burger

Board Member

Sarah Burger worked for the last 50 years to improve nursing homes through public policy. Sarah joined Elma Holder executive director of The National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (Now Consumer Voice) in this endeavor. NCCNHR created a large coalition of stakeholders including Consumers, providers, professionals and government to define and find consensus on the major elements of the Nursing Home Reform Law of 1987. NCCNHR maintained the coalition during the next decade of rulemaking and implementation. In 2001, Sarah’s focus shifted from consumers to long term care nursing. She became the Coordinator of The Coalition for Geriatric Nursing Organizations, the major policy organization for 27,000 long term care RNs. Retiring in 2015, Sarah remains a senior advisor to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU-Rory Meyers College of Nursing, the umbrella for the CGNO. Sarah was a founding member of the Washington Hospice Society which became Hospice Care of the District of Columbia. She continues volunteer work with the Expert panel on Aging of the American Academy of Nursing where nurse staffing in nursing homes is an ongoing challenge especially in the face of COVID. Sarah has had no clinical experience since the 1970’s and has lived in DuPont Circle since 1990.

Charletta Cowling

Board Member

Charletta has been a member since 2016. Charletta is a native Washingtonian. She is a member of the Jubilee Housing Board. She worked as a resource person for low-income families prior to her retirement.

Gretchen Gayle Ellsworth

Board Member

Gretchen Gayle Ellsworth’s career began in the office of a Washington State Congressman. After a few years she moved to the Smithsonian Institution under the still-new Secretary, Dillon Ripley. From 1968 to 1988 she directed and expanded the Institution’s programs of fellowships which were aimed at supporting a lively intellectual life in and among the Smithsonian’s mix of programs. She successfully pressed for improving equity in treatment of women and minorities, considering both the status of employees and their representations in museum exhibits and programs. She moved to the National Zoo as Associate Director and retired in 1994. Retirement permitted her to embrace an athletic life as a competitive rower at Potomac Boat Club in DC. She has served on numerous community boards, ranging from bilingual child development, National Parks in Washington and rowing boathouse issues. She has three sons, is married to Bob Hirsch, and has lived in Adams Morgan for over 50 years.

Katharine Gresham

Board Member

Katharine has been a member since 2019. Originally from South Carolina, Katharine has been in Washington DC since 1975. Upon graduating from law school in 1978, she worked briefly and miserably at a corporate law firm before joining the Appellate Division of the General Counsel’s Oﬃce of the Securities and Exchange Commission, where she became an Assistant General Counsel for Appellate Litigation and received the Distinguished Service Award. She retired in 2005.

James Hambuechen

Board Member

James Hambuechen was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1953. He lived in St. Louis until college. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1975 and graduated magma cum laude from George Washington University Law School in 1984. He worked as a lawyer for private firms and the US Department of Justice. He retired several years ago. He enjoys traveling, reading, theater, movies, and fine dining.

Charlotte Holloman

Board Member

Charlotte is a native New Yorker and has lived in her Dupont Circle condo since 1989.Both parents were native Washingtonians. She holds two graduate degrees, a Masters in teaching from Trinity DC and a JurisDoctor from Catholic U. In the 70s, she taught HS government and civics at Armstrong Adult Center. In the 80s and 90s, she worked with the US Senate Judiciary Committee as a WREI research fellow, as a political operative in four consecutive national presidential campaigns, as a legislative liaison for Planned Parenthood and as public liaison for the DNC. She spent 16 years as medical advocate/caregiver for a friend and several family members.

Bob McDonald

Board Member

Bob McDonald was the Founding Executive Director of Foggy Bottom West End Village until his retirement in 2016. Previously he was the Volunteer Coordinator for Dupont Circle Village for 18 months. His professional life included over forty years in behavioral healthcare management and various nonprofit organizations including Foundry Church. He has served as the Vice President of the Washington Area Villages Exchange (WAVE) as well as on the vestry for St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Bob has lived with his husband, David Insinga, in the Dupont Circle neighborhood since 1991.

Meaghan McMahon

Board Member

Meaghan is the Founder and Director of MBM Consulting which she began in July 2015. Since that time, she has worked with local government agencies as well as for-profit, not-for-profit and start-up organizations nationally. Meaghan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Sociology from Cornell University where she graduated magna cum laude. Following graduation, she attended the University of Michigan School of Social Work as part of the Geriatric Scholar program and in 2011 earned her Master of Social Work degree. Meaghan is currently a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in Washington, D.C.

For nearly two years, Meaghan acted as the volunteer Director of Outreach and Communication for the Washington D.C. Chapter of Aging2.0. Meaghan has been a volunteer with the Dupont Circle Village for the past ten years. She is also a volunteer with Forest Hills of DC, a senior living community. Meaghan is from Buffalo, NY originally and has been a DC resident since 2012. She currently lives at 14th and U Street NW with her husband Phil and dog Lyla.

Bill O'Brien

Board Member

A native of Providence RI, Bill O’Brien moved to the Washington area in 1966 to attend Georgetown Law School. After serving as a law clerk for Judge John Sirica, Bill practiced law with an international law firm for over 30 years, concentrating on antitrust and commercial litigation and professional responsibility and legal ethics issues. Bill and his wife, Joyce, have lived in Sheridan Kalorama since 2004 and BIll has been active in local organizations, including DCV and serving as a Board Member and Secretary of the Friends of Mitchell Park.

Michael Speer

Board Member

Michael has been a member since 2019. Originally from Mississippi, Michael earned his BA in history from Sewanee University in Tennessee then his Ph.D. from Ohio State in 1972. He moved to Washington to work at the Government Accountability Office until he retired, as Director of Training, in 2003. He now serves as a consultant and coach offering learning opportunities in leadership and group and organizational dynamics. He is a member and past president of the Washington-Baltimore Center for the Study of Group Relations; coach, Coaches4Causes; former board member, A K Rice Institute; former leadership professor, University of Maryland and Burns Academy of Leadership; co-creator, Group Relations International; yogi, memoirist, meditator. He serves as co-chair of DCV’s Diversity Task Force and has a strong commitment to helping make DCV a village where all feel welcome. Michael lives with his partner and husband of 37 years.

STAFF

Eva M. Lucero

Executive Director

Eva has been DCV’s executive director since 2015. She is responsible for the management of the organization on a day-to-day basis. She plays a major role in implementing member services, fund raising, advocacy, publicity, and marketing. She was the executive director of Arts for the Aging (AFTA) for a decade, and also worked at Ayuda, Humanities, DC, and the former Corcoran Gallery of Art. Eva has lived in Washington for more than 30 years, as well as in Santa Fe, San Antonio and New York City.

COMMITTEES

Development Committee initiates programs and oversees ongoing fundraising efforts. These include an annual fund appeal, charitable giving programs, fundraisers large and small, and cultivating donor and grant opportunities.

Diversity Taskforce monitors and suggests action plans that keep Dupont Circle Village committed to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.(Michael Speer and Myrna Peralta, Co-Chairs)

Finance Committee is charged with oversight of the budget and financial operations of the Village working closely with the Treasurer and President to shape future initiatives and fiscal policy. (David Schwarz, Chair)

Health and Wellness Committee Works on programs that support members’ ability to continue to safely live in their current environment. (Sarah Burger, Chair)

Membership/Activities Committee works to expand membership, support and engage new members, and implement a broad range of activities based on members' interests. (Beth Merricks and Monica Heppel, Co-Chairs)

Nominating Committee is appointed each year to review candidates for the Board of Directors, who each serve staggered three-year terms. In accordance with the Bylaws, the Board reviews the candidates advanced by the Nominating Committee and makes appointments to the Board in January. (Jeanne Downing, Chair)

Public Relations Committee fulfills several areas of responsibilities including developing and implementing DCV's Communications plan to enhance recognition among local and national media, potential funding sources, local and national policy leaders, and, potential new members. The committee creates innovative programs to increase brand awareness, identifies key aging issues that need to be brought to policymakers and elected officials and develops education campaigns focused on possible solutions, and serves as the initial point of contact for media inquiries and responses.

Volunteer Committee focuses on recruitment, development, and retention of volunteers. In support of its goals, the committee defines policy, establishes training, and identifies/organizes opportunities for volunteers to perform on behalf of Dupont Circle Village, including an array of member-to-member and administrative tasks.