Valarie Ashley is recognized as a collaborative nonprofit executive who has served youth, adults, and families. Prior to coming to Fair Chance, she was the Executive Director of Southeast Ministry for ten and half years. She was named one of “10 Local Heroes” by Washingtonian Magazine in 2012 and was an honorable mention for the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2014 EXCEL Award. Through her work at Southeast Ministry, she helped found the DC Adult and Family Literacy Coalition, the Skyland Workforce Center in Ward 8 and the HIRE DC database to help small and mid-size nonprofits have access to a high-quality affordable database. Valarie is a proud member of Leadership Greater Washington’s Class of 2014. A Long Island, NY native, Valarie received her B.A. from Boston University and attended George Washington University for graduate school. She loves to read and is a member of two book clubs.

What does a child need to succeed?
Caring adults who make them feel safe and secure to explore their world and develop their gifts and talents.

Kristen Barney is the Network Services Manager at Fair Chance where she supports current and alumni partner organizations through five Network Services offerings. Kristen’s career has been marked by a passion for social change. She has served in a variety of nonprofit roles, including Vice President for Operations with the Millennium Institute, an international capacity building organization focused on holistic, participatory, systems focused national planning to enhance equity between the Global South and North. After fifteen years in the nonprofit sector, Kristen became a consultant and coach, working with a dozen nonprofits focused on youth, environment, and sustainability. Kristen served as a Capacity Building Specialist in Fair Chance’s Praxis Program from 2014-2020, managed the Impact Academy program for in 2018, and became the Program Development Specialist in 2021. She also served on Fair Chance’s Racial Equity Task Force from 2017-2022.

Kristen holds a MA in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MS in organization development with American University/NTL Institute, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management with Georgetown University. Kristen serves as a pro bono consultant with the Dance Institute of Washington and is Secretary of the Board of Directors of Youth Entrepreneur Institute. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, and loves gardening and yoga.

What does a child need to succeed?
Love, from family, teachers, mentors, and friends.

Taylor Cobb serves as Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships. She brings 7 years of experience to the Fair Chance team. In her capacity, she has supported strategic development plans that create equity and systems change. With her years in the non-profit community throughout the United States, Taylor's fundraising philosophy stems from supporting non-profits deeply rooted in justice. Taylor areas of expertise include fundraising for the purpose of narrative-building, power-sharing, systems-change and advocacy. Taylor's non-profit interests align closely with youth, young adults, and the LGBTQIA community.

In her previous work, Taylor has supported creating infrastructure for system-involved individuals; non-profit fundraising infrastructure. Taylor has served in many leadership roles throughout the Philadelphia region including at universities and nonprofits. Currently Taylor serves as the Treasurer for the Mazzoni Center and the League United for Latin American Citizens Chapter 20009. Taylor has a B.A. in Strategic Communications and Masters in Higher Education from Temple University. Currently, she is pursuing Doctorate in Higher Education from Saint Joesph's University.

Eshanda is a Capacity Building Specialist working with our Praxis Partners. She has over 15 years of experience as an innovator and social entrepreneur in project management and organizational development. Eshanda has provided a multitude of capacity building trainings for both U.S. and international organizations with a focus on strategic planning, program evaluation, and board development.

Prior to joining Fair Chance, Eshanda launched Simply eConsult, an enterprise development solution for small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on building capacity and strengthen opportunities for SME participation in a broader economic ecosystem.

Eshanda is committed to transforming nonprofits, small businesses, and non-governmental organizations by identifying business gaps, structural needs and addressing business operations.

Eshanda earned both a bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Howard University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She is passionate about travel, culture, family, friends, music, and authentic food.

What does a child need to succeed?
Every child needs to feel loved and supported by their community and confident knowing that all is well.

TL is a Capacity Building Specialist working with our Pathways Partners. She brings a wealth of experience developing and implementing national and local programs and initiatives on behalf of nonprofit organizations. Her previous work and areas of expertise focused on change management, systems building, leadership development, program evaluation and developing mutually beneficial relationships. TL is a problem solver and strives to increase clarity and provide tailored solutions to any challenge she encounters. TL obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from a local DC university and takes great pride in being able to help local nonprofits develop, expand and sustain their programming so that they may fulfill their missions more effectively.

What does a child need to succeed?
A cross-sector system of support that is functional, equitable and family and community centered.

Sawida Kamara is a Capacity Building Specialist working with our Pathways Partners. She is an experienced nonprofit leader and change-maker who is passionate about supporting people and organizations in rethinking their status quo, and making generative changes that advance their missions. Sawida brings over 20 years of experience working with small, mid and large organizations on organizational renewal, organizational development, and change management.

Prior to her work at Fair Chance, Sawida led and managed diverse leadership development, training and technical assistance initiatives targeting government, civil society, and clinical professionals in the U.S. and globally. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University. When not working, Sawida is an avid traveler and digital nomad.

What does a child need to succeed?
Affirming emotional connections, autonomy, supportive and safe spaces.

Andrew is a Consultant Capacity Building Specialist for the Venture Philanthropy Partners’ Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative. He is an experienced national operations, programs, development leader who possesses extensive infrastructure building, strong leadership skills and superb relationship management abilities. Andrew is also prolific trouble shooter; comfortable with tackling problems right through from detection to resolution. Andrew has held many executive positions with national and international organizations and brings over 15 years of experience serving in roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director, & Senior Adviser of various non-profit organizations focused on youth, health, education, and social justice. Andrew uses his communications degree to deepen his impact in human resources, fund development, marketing & communications, and change management.

What does a child need to succeed?
Every child needs a champion! Someone who will encourage their dreams, inspire them to hope and who will create opportunities for those dreams to be achieved!

Sallie is the Research and Evaluation Manager, responsible for data collection, evaluation, and knowledge management. Prior to joining Fair Chance, she spent eight years with the UDC-Community College’s Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning division where she was responsible for program development, operations support, and evaluation reporting. Before UDC-CC, Sallie worked at Mentors, Inc., a mentoring organization for DC public high school students, where she led the organization’s effort to pilot a new program for middle school students as well as managing all data-related activities. Sallie earned a MA in Organizational Sciences from the George Washington University and BA in Psychology with a minor in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

What does a child need to succeed?
She believes that every child needs a caring, supportive adult in their lives to succeed.

J McCray is Chief Operating Officer at Fair Chance. He has dedicated more than 20 years to building resilient and adaptive nonprofits from the inside out. J was COO at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, where he helped GEO grow to a community of more than 600 grantmaking organizations committed to helping nonprofits achieve success. Early in his career, J worked with education and health advocacy nonprofits, including the Title I Dissemination Project, where he supported educators in Massachusetts. J has served on several boards of organizations committed to building strong nonprofits and is currently on the board of Innovation Network, an organization dedicated to building evaluation capacity for the social sector. J believes in the power of storytelling. He was trained in nonfiction writing at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Maine, where he worked with residents of a former manufacturing town to describe how an eight-lane bowling alley became a hub of support for their community.

What does a child need to succeed?
A community that values difference and helps each child discover how they want to make a difference in the world.

Ann Birnbaum Miles is the Chief Program Officer at Fair Chance. Ann is a seasoned professional with 20+ years’ experience leading youth-serving nonprofits in communities of poverty and working with community leaders and school systems to create partnerships leading to better outcomes for young people. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin she worked in several youth-serving nonprofits in San Francisco and then became the founder and Executive Director of Community Bridges Beacon, the first school-based community center launched by the San Francisco Beacon Initiative – a collaboration of public and private funders, community-based organizations, schools, and communities. She then received her Masters from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and came to DC to lead the DC chapter of Experience Corps where she placed senior volunteers in DC Public Schools to improve reading outcomes for young people.

What does a child need to succeed?
Positive relationships with peers and adults, meaningful and engaging activities, and safe environments.

Salome Odera is the Communications and External Relations Manager at Fair Chance. In this role, Salome manages Fair Chance’s website, social media platforms, and collateral creation. Additionally, she provides promotional and logistical support for events that engage various Fair Chance stakeholders. Prior to assuming her role, Salome served as a Public Allies AmeriCorps member at Fair Chance.

Outside of Fair Chance, Salome serves a Service Co-Chair for the AmeriCorps Alums DC board. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Cornell University and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Salome has a background in youth engagement, volunteer engagement, and community outreach.

What does a child need to succeed?
A caring community that supports their voice and allows them to dream big."

Bemene is our Institutional Philanthropy Manager. In this role, Bemene ensures timely management of corporate and private foundation relationships as a member of Fair Chane’s fundraising team. Bemene is also a member of Fair Chance’s Racial Equity Task Force, which is responsible for our internal organizational learning, including racial equity learning opportunities. Bemene joins Fair Chance from the University of Georgia, where she managed the implementation of a research project across five counties which taught families healthy relationship and communication skills.

She has her Master’s in Public Health from Georgia State University and has formerly worked as an Epidemiologist and Health Educator. Bemene is a certified professional life coach and mindfulness practitioner and believes wholeheartedly in spaces that enable people to thrive and be fully themselves.

What does a child need to succeed?
Every child needs parents and a community of committed individuals dedicated to supporting the child.

Erica is a Consultant Capacity Building Specialist for the Venture Philanthropy Partners’ Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative.. In this role, she draws on 20 years of public service and leadership experience driving positive outcomes for diverse communities.

A decorated federal executive, nonprofit leader, and business owner, Erica is heralded for transforming the organizational culture and practices of government agencies and nonprofit entities. She is widely recognized for her work in designing and developing comprehensive career development programs to benefit youth, women, and low-wage workers. Additionally, Erica’s professional experience in customer-centric programming, organizational development, process reengineering, and executive coaching, has resulted in career and business growth among diverse populations.

Erica earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Florida A & M University. Erica is also active in several professional and community organizations, including the National Black MBA Association, where she previously served as Chapter President and inaugural member of the National Advisory Council.

What does a child need to succeed?
Success begins with mindset. When young people recognize their value, and reject self-imposed limitations, the sky is the limit.

Dr. Nisha Sachdev serves as a Capacity Building Specialist at Fair Chance. Nisha is a public health consultant, strategist and senior clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience leading multi-million programs within governmental agencies, organizations and foundations to address social issues in underrepresented communities. With a focus on at cross-collaboration with public and private partners, Nisha developed capacity building and high-impact, system-level interventions locally, nationally and globally to reduce the social and health disparities experienced by children, youth and families. She began her career working as a special education teacher. Nisha continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University. Nisha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Health in Global Health Promotion, a Master of Psychology, and a Doctorate of Public Health in Health Behavior, and a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from the George Washington University.

What does a child need to succeed?
Children need consistent, caring, supportive adults and environments that provide positive opportunities that foster growth, development, and empowerment to help them realize their potential.

In January 2022, Amy Scheuer joined Fair Chance as the Events and Fundraising Manager and is currently serving as the Development Manager. Prior to joining the Fair Chance team, Amy held a position with a consulting firm coordinating federal meetings and previously worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a state partnership support associate. She supported and planned nationwide conferences, workshops, and meetings for public and private sector clients. Throughout Amy's career and personal pursuits, her commitment to detailed planning and prioritizing customer services ensures events are a success for the clients, attendees, and partners of any organization.

Amy earned both a B.A. in Biology along with a B.A. in Secondary Education from Clemson University in South Carolina. She earned her teaching license and has used her educator experience volunteering with organizations focused on youth development including Sitar Arts Academy, Girl Scouts of America, and Young Life.

What does a child need to succeed?
Emotional and physical stability, sustained belief in one's self worth, and loving guidance from dependable adults."

Tamala brings more than 19 years of non-profit experience in the areas of fundraising and development with local and national organizations. In her capacity, she has managed teams and budgets ranging in size from $500,000 to $7 million. Her areas of expertise are in strategic planning, communications, donor cultivation & stewardship, development training and budgeting. Tamala has served in senior leadership position at the Arc of the US, Refugees International, Paralyzed Veterans of America, The United Negro College Fund and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society just to name a few. Tamala currently serves on the board at RespectAbility where she enjoys working with the finance committee. Tamala received her B.A. in Communications from Temple University.

Victor is a Consultant Capacity Building Specialist for the Venture Philanthropy Partners’ Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative. As a former nonprofit executive director and philanthropic advisor, Victor Valentine brings a quarter-century of experience in multiple disciplines of capacity-building. Operating through the lense of racial-equity, diversity and inclusion (REDI), he brings expertise in the areas of board & executive leadership development, strategic & operational planning, financial management and advocacy to his work. Victor is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and holds a Masters in Public Administration from Wilmington University.

What does a child need to succeed?
A child needs a nurturing and safe environment conducive of learning, personal growth and that points to becoming a well-rounded and productive member of society.

Gretchen Van der Veer currently serves as the CEO of Fair Chance, a social change organization that strengthens community-based nonprofits to achieve life-changing results for communities impacted by racism, discrimination, and poverty. In this role she has leads the board and staff toward mission alignment and fulfillment, achievement of strategic goals, and setting the vision for expanded impact. She has guided the organization in establishing a racial equity framework, replicating in new locations, and working with hundreds of nonprofit organizations. She currently convenes the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity in DC, collaborating with other nonprofit and philanthropy leaders to advocate for fair compensation in grants and contracts and more equitable partnerships between government and nonprofit service providers. Prior to Fair Chance, Van der Veer served in several leadership roles with the federal AmeriCorps Agency including Director of the National Service Leadership Institute; Director of Leadership Development and Training; Acting Executive Director of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation; and Director of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

Van der Veer received her PhD from the University of Maryland in Education Policy, Planning and Administration and for the past several years, has served as an adjunct professor in George Washington University’s Human Service and Social Justice Program and as a facilitator for Georgetown University’s New Strategies Program in the McDonough School of Business. She has edited a book and written chapters and articles in several publications including most recently Nonprofit Quarterly.

What does a child need to succeed?
A caring adult and a chance to bring their whole selves into any situation and be embraced.