SECOND STORY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member / DPR Construction
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board Member / QIA Consultants, LLC
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Development
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Paul - Tittle Associates, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Advisory Board Member / DPR Construction
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Residential Services
Cathy Benn has an MS in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University, a BS in Nursing from Duke University, and is a licensed professional counselor (LPC). She is also a certified supervisor for residents in counseling and for graduate-level mental health interns. She has worked at Second Story since 2011 in various capacities. As Vice President and Senior Clinician for 2S, Cathy oversees all residential programs and serves as a clinical resource for all other programs. She feels strongly about creating safe spaces, promoting belongingness, and recognizing strengths and resilience in all persons.
Job Titles:
- Director of Resource Management
Christine Bartell is the Director of Resource Management and has been with Second Story since 2010. She spends her days managing human resources, donations, volunteers and facilities.
Prior to joining Second Story, Christine was a Sales Executive and Recruiter for various IT companies for over 15 years. She was a top producer and won several awards for outstanding performance and sales.
Christine is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, where she attended Queens University. She now resides in the Washington DC metro area. She is married with six children. Her hobbies include going to the beach, biking, playing tennis, and traveling.
If you come to visit, you will meet Diana, Christine's beloved mini Fox Terrier, who mostly resides under Christine's desk during the day.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Leadership Staff Member
Jade Leedham began her journey with Second Story by volunteering at the Culmore Safe Youth Project (CSYP) in 2009. Her passion for supporting youth in crisis stems from her personal experiences immigrating to the United States at the age of nine and growing up in Fairfax County.
After joining the Second Story team in 2010, she spent over three years working with young people in the Annandale and Culmore SYP programs. Seeing firsthand the impact of these programs, Jade was inspired to take on the lead development role in 2013 to provide strategic direction for all of Second Story's fundraising, outreach, and marketing initiatives. A decade later, Jade remains committed to Second Story's mission, shifting her focus to support the CEO with organizational management and youth advocacy in 2024 as Executive Vice President.
Jade values time spending her free time with friends and family, especially her niece, Willow. She also enjoys music and exploring cultures and cuisines through travel with her husband, Matt.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Bailey Glasser, LLP
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board Member / Stout
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board President / Founders Bank
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Leadership Staff Member
Judith Dittman is the Chief Executive Officer of Second Story. She has been with the organization since 1995. As Chief Executive Officer, she has used her background of almost 30 years in nonprofit management and advocacy to obtain more services for at-risk, abused, homeless and runaway youth including opening seven new programs since 2004 targeted to this population.
Judith has served on federal panels to develop standards for federally funded programs serving runaway, homeless and street youth and was a Greater Washington Nonprofit Roundtable Fellow. She has presented at numerous National Conferences on topics relevant to youth and young adults and serves on the Policy Advisory Committee for the National Network for Youth, and is a member of the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team of Fairfax County, as a former Board Member for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Advisory Board.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Karen Wirz, LLC
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Vice President / Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of the Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations
- in 2020 As the Vice President of Operations
Mickey Skelton joined Second Story in 2020 as the Vice President of Operations. Her primary responsibility is ensuring organizational effectiveness by providing leadership for the organization's operational functions. She brings extensive process improvement, change management, and administrative management experience to the role, with nearly three decades of experience in management consulting in both the private and public sectors. Mickey has worked for Ernst & Young, the American Productivity & Quality Center, and several Federal contractors and local small businesses, and has served in roles from senior consultant to Chief Culture Officer. More recently, she moved into the nonprofit space to have greater impact on the local community, serving as Director for McLean Youth Track & Field, and leading a disaster relief nonprofit she founded in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Mickey holds an MBA from the University of Texas, and a B.A. from Bucknell University. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children, and spends the vast majority of her spare time watching, coaching, or playing soccer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary of the Board
Job Titles:
- Board Member / FitzGerald Financial Group
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Community - Based Services and Has Been
Soraya Borja serves as the Vice President of Community-Based Services and has been with the organization since 2006. Soraya's passion for social services began at a young age. Growing up in Ecuador, Soraya was aware of social injustices and opportunity gaps. Thus, she started her career by joining the Ecuadorian Youth Red Cross. From there Soraya continued to support underserved communities in Latin American and relocated to Puerto Rico where she pursued her degree at Inter-American University. She then moved to New York and studied International Relations at the City University of New York. When she and her family moved to Virginia, Soraya found an opportunity to continue her work with immigrant families at Second Story. Since joining the organization Soraya has managed the Culmore Safe Youth Project, the Culmore Teen Center, and now she manages Second Story in the Community. When she's not at work, Soraya enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board