EMPOWERING THE AGES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Community Advocate and Retired Director
Giving generously of her time and talent has been Ann's lifelong trademark. In her native country of England, she earned a Bachelor's degree in foreign languages from Kings College (University of London) and an ACA (accounting) certification while working as audit staff for a major accounting firm. Her husband's job brought her "across the pond" to the U.S. in 1984, where she focused on raising their children, working part-time, and devoting volunteer talent to numerous community causes. Ann was a founding committee member of a micro-finance project in a church parish in Guatemala, and a founding member of a crisis helpline program, for which she also served as a board secretary and home visitor. She has put her financial skills to work as treasurer for numerous community groups over the years and now runs a monthly money management workshop in an affordable housing facility. Ann also volunteers in multiple roles in literacy programs supporting adults and children in Montgomery County.
Job Titles:
- SECRETARY
- SECRETARY of the BOARD
Brian's advocacy for education equity, including a focus on de-segregation of Montgomery County and closing the opportunity gap, began when he himself was an MCPS student and continues now in his professional role as an MCPS high school teacher. A graduate of American University, where he studied Political Science and Secondary Education, he continues to devote himself to local advocacy efforts in the Washington DC area.
As a lifelong networker and connector, Cali is dedicated to using her energy, skills and talents to strengthen intergenerational bonds. She believes that connections strengthen the fabric of life, whether between family members, colleagues, friends, teachers or students. Cali has spent her professional career championing children. She earned her BA in Psychology at Syracuse University, a Masters Degree in Special Education at Columbia University, and a Masters Degree in School Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. She was a Special Educator for Montgomery County Public Schools. And as a volunteer, she was a Wish Granter for the Make a Wish Foundation and supports children and their families that enter into Montgomery Hospice. Now retired from teaching, she takes classes at Johns Hopkins University Life Long Learning Institute, remains active with her Senior Leadership Montgomery class, exercises, reads prolifically, and spends time with her four grandchildren and her active puppy. She believes her career interacting with families, implementing children's programming, and her activities as a senior have informed and enriched her role on the Board of Directors of Empowering the Ages.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Retired Special Assistant to Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, Community Advocate and Leader
Deborah Oliveros is a Venezuelan-American bilingual researcher and analyst focused on racial justice, intersectional feminism, representation and technology's social impact. Deborah brings to ETA her unique perspective as an immigrant, understanding the challenges these communities face and finding ways to bridge the intergenerational gap for them to succeed in living a good quality life in this country.
Hal's goal: to increase the number of us who age long and well, strengthening family and social connections, at realistic cost. His first career was with non-profit, state and federal health programs of all types, from Medicaid to HMO's to the U.S. Indian Health Service. Then for 20 years, he had his own business, helping the largest international firms deliver measurable improvements in all sectors from health to mining to aerospace to international finance. Recently, he worked with diverse non-profits in Maryland to start Community for Life programs, a new non-profit business model to serve the vast majority of seniors who need affordable, safe, and reliable assistance to age-in-place. Hal and his wife have four wonderful, grown children, a Morkie, and too many orchids.
Program Specialist Janel Peters has years of experience coordinating intergenerational programs. She has worked with schools, senior living communities, volunteers, youth groups, and adult day programs to make meaningful connections between youth and older adults in various community settings. Earlier in her career, she coordinated volunteers working with older adults within immigrant communities. She received her bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University and her M.A. from Columbia University.
Originally from Lake Placid, New York, Janel and her husband have lived in Rockville, Maryland, for many years with their three children. She enjoys music, theater, and coffee.
Jill's passion is using communication to bring people together to solve challenges in the community, especially those affecting our most vulnerable residents. In 2018, she completed a four-year term as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, during which she chaired the Board's Strategic Planning Committee; was a member of the Policy Management and Special Populations Committees; and chaired and served on numerous committees as the Board's legislative delegate to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE). She was a member of the Montgomery County Collaboration Council's Disproportionate Minority Contact Reduction Committee, a work group formed to address the school to prison pipeline; and Montgomery County's Children Fleeing Violence from Central America work group. Prior to her election to the Board, Jill served Montgomery County schools in a variety of roles, including PTA president, delegate for the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA), and member of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Parent Advisory Council. Since 2010, Ms. Ortman-Fouse has provided leadership coaching, team building, strategic planning and facilitation services with her business, T.E.A.M. Consulting, to nonprofits and businesses throughout the region. A 2017 graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Jill enjoys endurance sports and has completed ten marathons and an ironman distance triathlon. She and her husband are parents of two MCPS graduates who now attend University of Maryland Baltimore County and University of Maryland College Park.
With experience in both elementary and secondary education, Josh leads with a passion to close the opportunity gap and see all children succeed in school. Josh was born and raised in Salisbury, Maryland, and currently lives in Washington DC. Josh has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from American University, a masters degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University, and is a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Josh began his career as a middle school social studies and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher. Currently, Josh is the proud principal of Flower Hill Elementary School. He has also served as an instructor for McDaniel College in their Equity, Excellence, and Education graduate program.
Joslyne has over 15 years experience in the nonprofit world. She has worked at several intergenerational programs including, Big Brothers Big Sisters in Nashville, TN, Back on Track Tutoring in San Francisco, CA, and The Young Women's Project in Washington D.C. Joslyne is the founder of Story Starters, a program in the suburbs of Boston that uses children's literature to get families with young kids talking about race and racism and acting as change agents in their communities. Joslyne and her family moved to Olney, MD three years ago where Joslyne started Olney Together, a community-centered volunteer group that provided food and diapers to over 600 families experiencing scarcity during the pandemic. Joslyne is a SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) trained facilitator and loves to run groups on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She has a master's degree in social work from Smith College School for Social Work.
Kofi served as a dedicated member of ETA's founding board of directors from 2019 until his death in 2023. With his passion for fitness and community, he created and chaired ETA's Light A Spark event with contagious enthusiasm each year. He was an invaluable partner in developing and implementing our civic engagement work with teens. As the program director of John F. Kennedy High School's Leadership Training Institute, as an Empowering the Ages board member, and throughout his teaching career, Kofi inspired students every day to achieve leadership excellence.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Executive Director
Executive Director and Co-Founder Leah Bradley has extensive experience in the intergenerational field, including providing nationwide training and technical assistance to practitioners establishing intergenerational initiatives. She has visioned, planned and implemented many intergenerational programs throughout the Country. Leah is a social worker, having earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan with concentrations in interpersonal practice and gerontology and a Bachelors of Science from University of Delaware in Family and Community Service.
Leah and her husband reside in Olney, Maryland and have two daughters in Montgomery County Public Schools. Leah enjoys traveling and watching her daughters play sports.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Director and Lead Teacher, Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Retired Nonprofit Executive
Megan Campbell is an experienced corporate attorney with a special focus on corporate governance. She worked closely with the board of directors and executive management team of a Fortune 200 company engaging them on legal and compliance matters and advising on corporate governance issues. In 2019, Megan began volunteering with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service and Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland to provide estate planning for low-income seniors, and she loved empowering the seniors and helping them plan for their future. She then founded Willow Legal Group, where she is passionate about educating and empowering the community on planning for the future and preserving a legacy that extends beyond physical assets to also capture an individual's experiences and memories. Megan lives in Rockville with her husband, son and 3 dogs. She enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking and is learning to play golf.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Deputy Director
Deputy Director and Co-Founder Megan Tracy Benson is experienced in nonprofit program coordination and working with older adults in multiple settings, including as a care coordinator in supportive senior public housing. Megan has launched and expanded intergenerational programs in partnership with schools, government agencies, and individuals. She has extensive volunteer experience in county schools and the local community. Megan earned her B.A. from Brown University and her M.S.W. from the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
Megan is a Southern California native who has lived in Silver Spring for nearly two decades. She and her husband have two children in Montgomery County Public Schools. She enjoys traveling with her family, reading, and spending time with friends.
Nick is ETA's Technology & Communication Program Assistant, as well as an Information Science undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park (Universities at Shady Grove campus). Nick previously worked for the Achieving Collegiate Excellence & Success (ACES) program at Rockville, Magruder, and Wheaton high schools, supporting public high school ACES students. Nick says he enjoys working with seniors because, "they're really mature and insightful. They're wise and have a lot of advice to share."
Patty's career-long mission has been to help people have satisfying and happy lives under the challenging circumstances of living with dementia symptoms, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, or neuro-cognitive decline. Born and raised in Laurel, Maryland, Patty earned a B.S. from University of Maryland, and Masters of Business Administration / Masters of Health Administration from Pfeiffer University. She has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist since 1993. Currently, she is the Memory Care Manager for a large corporation in Maryland. Patty lives in Ellicott City with her wonderful husband, two daughters and German shepherd; they spend most of their free time traveling and watching their daughters play soccer.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Retired Principal, Montgomery County Public Schools
Wendy brings a track record as a mission-focused, problem-solving nonprofit leader who grows organizational impact. She serves as the Executive Director of Chevy Chase At Home, which helps older adults age successfully. Previously, she led a regional dog rescue that saves more than 1,000 lives annually. Wendy also serves as a pro bono nonprofit consultant with Catchafire. Wendy earned a Bachelor's Degree from Brandeis University and a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate at Georgetown University.