Board

Steve Abraham, President and founder of WILL, is a Washington, DC native. In 2003, Steve left the practice of law to bring his vision for WILL to high school students in Washington, DC. His passion for young people is evidenced by his volunteer activities with programs at high schools and tutoring and coaching throughout his career. Among his many community involvements, Steve currently serves on the Boards of the Multi-Cultural Intern Program, The Aaron Straus & Lillie Straus Foundation, and The Camp Airy and Camp Louise Foundation, and previously served on the Boards of the Washington and Lee University Alumni Association and the Decade Society. On June 6, 2008, Steve was presented the Amigo of the Year Award by Principal Maria Tukeva at the Bell Multicultural High School's 23rd Annual Scholarship Benefit Gala. In May 2011, Steve was honored by his selection as a member of the Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2012. (2003 to present)

Jim Vines, Board Chair, is a partner in King & Spalding’s Tort and Environmental Litigation Practice in the Washington, DC office where he serves as the office’s E-Discovery coordinator. Jim has had a distinguished legal career—he clerked for The Hon. William H. Rehnquist, the late Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court; held a leadership position in a global manufacturing firm, taught at the Vanderbilt Law School; and served for five years as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Prior to attending law school, Jim worked for several years as a CPA and financial analyst. (2008 to present)

Nicole DuPont Latimer, Board Vice-Chair, is a principal with the Advisory Board Company and the Executive Director of its Performance Technologies division. Nicole’s areas of expertise and interest include public health, quality of care, change management and leadership development. Prior to joining the Advisory Board Company, she held positions with Deloitte Consulting and IBM. Nicole holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, one in Business Administration and one in Health Services Administration, as well as a Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. As the beneficiary of outdoor leadership and environmental education programs at both of her schools, Nicole is committed to bringing those experiences to underserved youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. (2009 to present)

John Griffith Johnson, Jr. (Grif), Vice-President, is a retired attorney who practiced law in the District of Columbia for 33 years between 1976 and 2010 with several law firms, most recently 14 years at the firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. Grif graduated from Princeton University in 1972 and from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976. His practice was concentrated in the representation of television and radio broadcasting companies before the Federal Communications Commission, and in advising institutional investors in electronic media enterprises. He served for several years as the Vice Chair of Paul, Hastings’ Washington office, and he has a long-standing interest in matters involving attorney professional ethics. In retirement, Grif has been active in community-based volunteer work, including both teaching and tutoring English as a second language to adults through Language Etc.; tutoring at a local DC elementary school under the auspices of For Love of Children; delivering meals to homebound clients of Food and Friends; and leading various initiatives involving the alumni of the schools that he attended. (2011 to present)

Cathi Coridan, Treasurer, provides professional writing and consulting services to nonprofit and behavioral health organizations along the Eastern Seaboard and in the Midwest. Cathi brings over 35 years of experience in youth development. From 2002 to 2010, Cathi served as CEO of two youth-serving nonprofit organizations, Mount Saint John in Southern Connecticut and Girls Incorporated of Worcester, MA. Cathi recently returned to the DC area after 10 years in New England and is committed to enhancing services to underserved youth in the National Capital area. (2008 to present)

Brian Foster, Secretary, is a Managing Director in the Corporate Executive Board’s IT Practice with responsibility for all product marketing, web, and consulting operations. Prior to joining the Corporate Executive Board, Brian held positions in business development and strategic planning at Excite@Home in Silicon Valley and as a research director in the Financial Service practice of the Advisory Board Company. Brian holds a BA from Williams College and an MBA from The Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth. Across his a career, Brian has been actively engaged in multiple youth development programs and was the founder and head instructor of Francis Junior High Karate Academy, an after-school martial arts program for inner-city youth in Washington, DC. (2010 to present)

Sandra Baker is the Director of Guidance at the Bell Multicultural Senior High School, Washington, DC. Ms. Baker is an accomplished After School Program Director and Senior Guidance Counselor with over 20 years of combined experience in the areas of teaching, counseling, mentoring, staff and program development, and administration. She possesses extensive knowledge of secondary education and has broad-based experience creating, implementing, and managing dynamic programs for at-risk youths in DC Public Schools. (2008 to present)

Steve Best is a native Washingtonian and is chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense and Investigations Group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. Through his work as a prosecutor in Fairfax County and as a Federal prosecutor in DC, Steve has a special understanding of the socio-economic pressures that face today's inner-city youth. He is committed to ensuring that each child has an equal opportunity to succeed in life. (2006 to present)

Ann Emery is a Learning and Evaluation Specialist at the Latin American Youth Center. She manages all stages of the program evaluation process, from designing data collection instruments to analyzing data and sharing results with staff. Prior to joining the Latin American Youth Center, Ann evaluated educational programs at ICF International; researched positive youth development programs at the Charlottesville/Albemarle Commission on Children and Families; and contributed to a variety of adolescent research projects at the University of Virginia. Ann holds a BA in Spanish and Psychology from the University of Virginia and she is currently pursuing an MS in Educational Psychology from George Mason University. Ann is excited to join the WILL Board as she understands firsthand the benefits of experiential education. (2011 to present)

Melissa Maxfield serves as Senior Vice President of Federal Government Affairs for Comcast Corporation, responsible for all legislative and political activities for the company in Washington, DC. In 2009, The Hill newspaper named Ms. Maxfield as one of the “Top Corporate Lobbyists in Washington, DC.”

Prior to joining Comcast in 2003, Melissa worked for Senator Tom Daschle, serving as his top political staffer in her position as Director for DASHPAC (1999-2003). From 1996 to 1998, she worked on Senator Daschle’s re-election campaign and served as his political liaison at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). Prior to that (1991-1996), Melissa worked for Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. (2010 to present)

Emeritus
Lisa Fitzpatrick is an epidemiologist and infectious disease physician. She has a joint appointment with Howard University School of Medicine and the DC Department of Health. Over the years, Lisa has served as a mentor and role model for many young people from junior high school through graduate school. Lisa believes that an outdoor leadership class and wilderness experiences during high school changed her life and provided insight into a world she never knew existed, and, along with her formal education, are the cornerstones of who she is a person. (2009 to 2011)

Felda Looper is a native of Oklahoma, who has made DC her home for more than 25 years. Felda, who has 20 years of international and domestic business experience, was instrumental in WILL’s founding and is dedicated to its principles and members. She was the first female accepted into the Congressional Page program. (2003 to 2009)

Leah Galvin recently moved home to Colorado. She was a Learning and Evaluation Specialist at the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) in Washington, DC where she oversaw research and evaluation efforts including the design, implementation, and maintenance of a center-wide database system to track demographic and outcome information on all youth attending LAYC programs. Leah also conducted program evaluations at LAYC and research in youth development. Leah’s background in Sociology helps her understand the diverse needs and challenges faced by urban youth today. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Leah understands the positive long lasting impacts that nature can have on youth. (2009 to 2011)

"WILL changed me into a better person that will try to speak up for what's right and good. It's made me a louder person" — Hector     "He (Steve) actually cares about young people in DC or he would never have created this program. Because of him I am now trying to become a better, stronger leader in my community, my school, and my home." — Arthur