Board Members

Ann Vaughn began teaching music at Holton-Arms School, an independent school for girls in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1992. During her tenure there, she taught general and choral music to girls in grades 3 though 8. As Chair of the Music Department, she supervised music faculty in all three school divisions. She led curricular review and development for the department, as well as departmental participation in school-wide strategic initiatives. Ms. Vaughn served for three years on the Holton-Arms Board of Trustees as the Faculty Trustee.

Ms. Vaughn was active throughout her career in the Maryland Music Educators Association, the State’s professional association for music teachers, serving as President from 2003-2005. She presented over the years at state, regional and national music conferences on a wide range of topics in general and choral music education. Of particular interest throughout her career was global music education. She travelled twice to Ghana to study traditional music in a small village in the Volta region, and she became known as a area resource for incorporating Ghanaian music into school programs. She was a strong advocate for Holton’s now well-established Global Education Program and served as a trip leader to Senegal for the first group of Upper School students to participate in the Junior Journeys program.

During her last several years of teaching, Ms. Vaughn became immersed in community outreach efforts on behalf of the School. She was instrumental in establishing a partnership around arts education projects with the Washington School for Girls, a Catholic school for girls in Anacostia. She continued to volunteer as a music teacher at WSG after her retirement from Holton and tutored at-risk students through a program to help with mastery of basic reading skills. 

Ms. Vaughn received a B.A. In English from Ohio Wesleyan University and earned her Master of Music degree from the Catholic University of America.

“For me the most compelling idea in the Impact 100 model is that individual women – who join together, who pool intellectual and financial resources, and who educate themselves about the greatest unmet needs and inequities in their community – can become significant agents of change.”

Jenny Backus is the founder and President of Backus Consulting, a strategic communications firm. A nationally recognized spokesperson and expert on strategic communications and partnerships, Backus has worked for Fortune 500 companies, national trade associations and NGOs and in the political arena serving in leadership positions in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate and on Presidential campaigns.

Jenny previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement for Google and in the Obama Administration as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy & Planning at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A graduate of Brattleboro Union High School and Brown University, Backus lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Ed Pagano and son Jack.

Jenna’s over 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, brand management, and team leadership, combined with a deep passion for social change, has a firm history in environmental and healthcare work. She has an extensive background in nonprofit and association marketing, along with expertise in rebranding, email marketing, and consumer communications.

Mary Cohen has spent her career in education. Upon graduating, she worked as a special education teacher in Kentucky.  She then spent the next twelve years working for a professional organization advocating for the educational rights of students with disabilities and students who are gifted. Over the course of the next several years, she was responsible for the content of an on-line special education bulletin board, consulted with a county in Maryland on the development of an evaluation system for their special education program, served as an administrative assistant in a Maryland independent school, and worked as a substitute teacher.

Mary has volunteered with a number of organizations including the Special Olympics, the Girl Scouts, the Community of Concern and providing meals for a men’s shelter.  She is a former board member of the Parents Council of Washington and continues to moderate an upper school and middle school student leader discussion for the organization.

Mary became involved in Impact100 DC because of the organization’s commitment to diversity and to seeking out organizations who are working to address systemic inequity.  She is proud to be part of an all-women philanthropic organization that is able to provide transformational grants to a local non-profit.

Martha Coven currently wears three professional hats: she is a Visiting Lecturer at the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs, the author of Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age (Princeton University Press, 2022), and the founder of Coven Consulting LLC, a consulting practice serving philanthropic and nonprofit clients.

Earlier in her career, she served as a congressional aide, a nonprofit advocate, and in the Obama White House. She holds a B.A. in economics and a J.D. from Yale University.

Martha is a longtime resident of the District of Columbia, where her children were educated in the public schools.

Talia Curhan is an advocate and activist for reproductive rights, food justice, mental and physical health equity, and education reform. She currently works in US state policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a leading policy and research organization for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Previously, she worked as a community organizer with Advocates for Justice and Education, a DC-based nonprofit. She worked directly with parents and children with disabilities and special health care needs and provided leadership training that enabled them to serve as pillars in their communities and support all families struggling to navigate the DC special education and health care systems.

Talia’s experience at non-profit organizations has prioritized cross-cultural educational and public health outcomes for women, all with the goal of widespread community education, engagement, and advocacy. Whether it be supporting victims of human trafficking, facilitating lifestyle changes with pediatric families, or interviewing formerly incarcerated mothers, she ensures that her advocacy is informed by an understanding of and respect for familial differences and the individuality of each person’s situation and cultural experiences.

Talia joined Impact100 DC as a Fellow in 2022 and has been part of the Communications team since joining. She is also supporting the growth and development of the Fellowship program. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nutrition, Psychology, and Human Development from Brown University, and lives in Washington, DC.

Ms. Dennis began her career in social justice and child advocacy when, as a recent college graduate, she joined the National Black Child Development Institute, which focused on improving conditions for Black children in the areas of education, child welfare, and health.  There, she helped develop a program to mobilize the community in five pilot cities to work one-on-one with at-risk youth to increase their chances of success in school and beyond.  Following law school, Ms. Dennis worked as a staff attorney for the National Audubon Society, where she built a powerful coalition that brought social justice groups to lobby alongside the environmental community on a range of issues.  While stepping away from the law to raise two daughters, she volunteered as a community leader in her children’s California school district, where she was active in fundraising and promoting student achievement, as well as outreach to new immigrant communities.  Upon her return to DC in 2009, Ms. Dennis received specialized student advocacy training from the Took Cowell Institute for At-Risk Youth at the U.D.C. David A. Clarke School of Law.  She went on to co-found and direct a DC-based nonprofit that paired volunteer mentors to work individually with homeless middle school-aged youth.  There she was responsible for all facets of board development, community outreach, program administration, and fundraising.  Ms. Dennis received a B.A. in Politics from Mount Holyoke College, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

“After years of providing direct services through a number of nonprofits in DC, I’m drawn to the idea of creating a single transformational grant that can change an organization — and the people it serves.”

Dorothy began her professional career at IBM in New York City, in its stockholder relations department.  She advanced to a career in marketing and management where she worked with IBM marketing representatives to educate new customers on the values and benefits of moving to automated office systems. 

Her IBM management and marketing positions led her to transition to the Human Resources field, where she worked as the Director of Human Resources for Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland until December 2017.  She is currently working part-time as the Human Resources Manager for a small minority-owned business. In both roles her responsibilities have encompassed employee relations, recruitment, health and retirement benefits, and payroll. 

Dorothy is passionate about helping others and has served on the board of the Organization for Training Others in Need (OF/TON), where she facilitated classes in an underserved community. She also served on the Board of Trustees and various board committees at Holton-Arms.

Dorothy has a BS in Business from Marymount College of Fordham University and a Masters in Human Resource Management from American University. 

“I have always made it a priority to contribute to my community. Once I learned about Impact100 DC I could not pass up the opportunity to join a diverse group of women across the DC Metro area to make a truly meaningful impact by providing significant support to our community. I am particularly inspired by Impact100 DC’s vision to address the needs of our community prioritizing those that result from systemic racism and structural inequity.”

Betty currently serves as Vice President-Controller at Hines, a global real estate investment, development and management firm.  Over the past 25 years, she has gained experience in all aspects of real estate accounting and financial reporting for office, apartment, condominium, and multi-use developments.

Latina Fauconier, CPA, is currently a Professional Accounting Fellow in the Office of the Chief Accountant at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington DC. Prior to joining the SEC, Latina spent 17 years in public accounting at PwC and most recently led PwC’s Capital Market Accounting Advisory Services Deals practice in Detroit Michigan. Latina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Latina is passionate about community service, having served on the executive board of the Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (“NABA”) for over 8 years, mentoring college students at Wayne State University’s Mike Illitch School of Business through PwC’s Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program (“MPREP”) Scholars program, teaching financial literacy to high school students through the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (“DAPCEP”) in partnership with Wayne State University. Latina has also been a regular leader and advocate for diversity and inclusion initiatives within PwC and Michigan’s Association of Certified Public Accountants (“MICPA”). 

Latina now resides in Maryland with her husband and two young daughters. 

“Impact 100 is an organization of amazing women working together as a collective to provide high impact grants to nonprofit organizations making a difference in the local community where we live, work and play.” 

Ms. Harkness began her legal career as an estate and trust officer in 1979 in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1981 she moved to Washington, DC and became a legislative assistant to a Senator on Capitol Hill. She managed banking, housing, taxes, and Indian affairs. After a few years, Ms. Harkness started her family and began a career of volunteer service. She was a Girl Scout leader for five years, volunteered in the schools, and at “So Others Might Eat.” Once her children left the nest, she began working at Crossway Community, a three-year skill-building and residential living program for economically disadvantaged single mothers and their children. At Crossway Community, she worked on fund raising, writing grant applications, working in the before school breakfast program, and wrote the application for the first charter school in Montgomery County.  She was on the Board of Hope for Children, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the education and welfare of children whose parents were affected by AIDS and poverty. In 2012, after moving to Chicago, Ms. Harkness was on the Board of “Save Abandoned Babies (SAB),” a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of the safe, legal options under the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. The work at SAB included fund raising, lobbying and educating the community about the law. Ms. Harkness graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in psychology, sociology, and philosophy and a J.D. from the law school.

“My hope is to help unite and empower women for the greater good. Impact 100 accomplishes these goals by bringing women together to support non-profits in a meaningful way in the greater Washington area.”

Britt is a Partner in the Tax Practice of KPMG.  She has over a decade of experience advising on both domestic and international corporate tax matters for public and privately held clients that are leaders in a wide range of industries, including health sciences, technology, media, and digital services.  Throughout her career she has helped companies grow globally, focusing on strategies for global value chains, intangible property, and foreign tax credit utilization.  Prior to joining the partnership of KPMG, Britt was a partner at the global law firm McDermott, Will & Emery. 

Britt has lived in Washington DC since 2006.  She currently lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of D.C. with her husband, two children, and a Great Dane named Gary.  She is an avid long-distance runner, having ran several marathons in the US and Canada.  She has worked with local non-profits that are focused on the power of running for youth development and social change.

Britt received a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Creighton University.  She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.

Dana Hirschenbaum has spent the past 20 years working in the public sector, and is currently a Senior Financial Institution Policy Analyst for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs. Early in her career, she worked for a variety of legal non-profits, including the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, the ACLU of Northern California, the Child Care Law Center, the California Women’s Law Center, and the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division. She received a JD from Berkeley Law at UC Berkeley and a BS from Cornell University.

Dana has served on the boards of the Penn Treaty Special Services District, First Person Arts, and the Fishtown Neighbors Association, all in Philadelphia. Additionally, she was a member of Impact100 Philadelphia from 2019-2022. She recently relocated to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to be close to the beach, and when she’s not attending Impact100 DC meetings and event, she is probably working on her garden.

Heather Johnson is a founding member of the Impact 100 DC chapter. She was initially attracted to the organization by the concept of a diverse group of women supporting, in a significant way, the needs of those in the Washington Metropolitan area. She served on the Health and Wellness committee her first two years reviewing grant proposals and is excited to join the board to expand her opportunities to “give back.” She is currently co-chair of that same committee as well as a member of the Membership Committee.

Heather is a recently retired obstetrician and gynecologist after delivering over 3500 babies during her 40-year tenure. She was senior partner at Reiter, Hill & Johnson, an Advantia practice. She received her MD at Yale University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She served in the U.S. Army for eight years prior to going into private practice.

While a mother and nana (she has two adult children, an attorney, and a physician, and 2 adorable granddaughters) and an OBGYN at heart, Heather is also passionate about giving back to her community.  She has served on boards and committees at Columbia Hospital for Women, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, Mary’s Center, The Landon School, and Stoneridge, and is currently on the Medical Advisory Committee for the National Menopausal Foundation and a member of the Women’s Wellness, Health & Aging Project/Johns Hopkins.  She enjoys teaching and has been at numerous worksites and on blogs and zooms discussing subjects from breast feeding to osteoporosis, to menopausal signs and symptoms to postpartum depression and many more. She has recently published two books for her patients, one on preconception/pregnancy and postpartum life and another on pre/peri/menopausal and postmenopausal life.

“I am looking forward to using my experience, skills, and talents to better the lives of the many in our community who do not have a voice.  I see Impact 100DC as the best way to accomplish this goal.”

Francine Lamoriello is the Executive Vice President for Global Strategies for the Personal Care Products Council and directs all PCPC global issues advocacy and activities.
Francine has extensive experience overseeing U.S. and global advocacy programs, including
building coalitions, and forging industry collaboration to achieve regulatory, legislative, and
public policy goals.

Prior to joining PCPC, Francine served as Senior International and Business Strategy Advisor at Baker, Donelson, PC, where she counseled clients on international business strategy and
regulatory affairs, and international trade policy. Previously, Francine was Director of
International Trade and Investment Services at KPMG Peat Marwick where she led international strategy and marketing studies for a wide variety of U.S. companies. Francine has also held positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and on Capitol Hill.

Francine graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Comparative Governments and History. She has a Master of Arts degree in International Economics/West European Affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a degree in Soviet Studies from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. She is a member of the Board of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy in Washington, DC, and Impact100 DC.

Carole Mumin is one of Washington, DC’s admired playwrights, producers, directors, literary artists, educators, and civic leaders. The former White House Aide; University of the District of Columbia adjunct professor; public and private sector program consultant, and adult education trainer has over thirty years of programmatic and administrative experience in the District of Columbia.

She Co-Founded, the Organization for Training Others in Need (OFTON) that has trained hundreds of DC residents. The organization was awarded the Jesse Battle Empowerment through Employment Award and is celebrating its 29th Anniversary. She is also a Founding Member of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington. Her education and art credits include Where Eagles Fly, eLearning Tool, The Perfect Pet, The Green-Eyed Monster Series, The World Is My Oyster Series, The Lemonade Stand, I Just Want to Tell Somebody, and Malcolm, Martin, Medgar, Director.

She served with distinction in three White House Administrations: Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Carter where she became the first Muslim to work directly for a U.S. President as a White House staffer.

Lois Nembhard is the Director of Grantmaking + Programs at HumanitiesDC where she oversees community grantmaking and public programs. HumanitiesDC funds and collaborates with DC residents and local nonprofits to tell the stories of what makes DC the unique place that it is through various means such as oral history projects, documentary films, festivals and so much more. She has spent her career in various settings including city government, local and international nonprofits, and almost 20 years with the AmeriCorps and Social Innovation Fund federal grant programs.

Originally from Jamaica, Lois now considers DC home and has volunteered with various local organizations over the years. She believes strongly in the power of collective giving, belonging to the African American Women’s Giving Circle for many years and now continuing those efforts with the committed women of Impact100 DC.

She received her BA from Mills College in Oakland, CA and her Master’s from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Kate Rodgers is a career educator with a background in management, marketing
and sales. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in
Philadelphia before transitioning to work within the field of educational publishing
and learning solution services. She has held a variety of positions for Pearson
Education (now known as Savvas Learning Company), McGraw-Hill Education
and Benchmark Education Company. She has trained and led teams of various
sizes with her skills recognized with the Terry McGraw Sales Leadership Award.
She has partnered and collaborated with school systems of all sizes throughout
the Mid-Atlantic Region to analyze and develop solutions to meet the
instructional needs of their students and teachers within their classrooms. In
addition, Rodgers spent three years as the Director of Enrollment, Marketing and
Alumni Engagement for a local elementary school. During that time, she also
assisted with the launch of a Pre-K program as well as a needs based grant
called Fund A Scholar. Along with this professional experience, in 2012, she
established a student service and social outreach program called Greater Love at
St. Bernadette School in Silver Spring, MD whose while chairing their school
advisory boards for two years. Additional board work includes the National Park
Trust in Rockville, MD.

Rodgers received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.Ed in
Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College. She has two daughters. She
lives with her husband in Silver Spring, MD.

Ranit Schmelzer has worked for more than 25 years at the intersection of communications, policy, and advocacy as a lead strategist and spokesperson in the Executive Branch, in Congress, and in the advocacy world. Today as the President of Schmelzer Strategies, she advises nonprofit organizations, universities, and foundations on the development, planning, and implementation of comprehensive communications strategies.

Prior to entering private practice in 2012, Ranit led public affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service in the Obama Administration and before that, she worked in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, including ten years as Communications Director for U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. In the nonprofit world, she served as Vice President for Communications at the National Women’s Law Center.

A graduate of the University of Rochester, Ranit lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband, two children, and one big labradoodle.

Ellen Sivon began her career as a senior administrator and legislative director for the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA), administering professional development programs in international education through contracts with the Office of International Training of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).  As part of her MA in International Development she authored a study for NAFSA, Private Sector Funding Available to Foreign Students in the United States.  After earning a Certificate to Teach English as a Second Language, she was a private ESOL tutor and substitute ESOL teacher for Montgomery County, MD, Public Schools.  Her volunteer work has included Board membership and fundraising for The Center to Prevent Childhood Malnutrition and serving as a host for international visitors arriving in the DC area through Meridian House International.  Ellen also had a 20-year volunteer affiliation with the St. Columba’s/Truesdell Education Partnership (STEP) in Washington, DC, a program that provided academic and extracurricular activities to enhance long-term educational opportunities for 73 inner-city students. Her responsibilities included Board membership, tutoring, mentoring, fundraising and serving as volunteer coordinator responsible for recruitment, training, and assignment of volunteers.  Ms. Sivon has two grown daughters in the DC area and lives in Bethesda, MD. 

“What attracted me to Impact 100 is the simplicity of the model: one woman/one vote/big impact! Each member has a stake in the outcome and thus a real connection to her giving, and an opportunity to make a real and visible difference for those in need in her community.”

Mary Ellen had a 30+ year career in financial regulation. After 5 years on Capitol Hill working on legislation, she transitioned to the executive branch, helping to oversee a variety of financial institutions and then concentrating on housing finance. At the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) & its predecessor,  her work included leading the agency’s Congressional Affairs office, serving as  Senior Policy Advisor,  Associate Director in the Office of Strategic Initiatives, and finishing  as Associate Director in the Division of Conservatorship. (FHFA is the regulator & conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the regulator of the Federal Home Loan Banks.)

Mary Ellen also worked in the private sector in Washington for a few years, and in local government in London in the mid-1980’s. Early in her career, after getting a post-graduate Diploma in Montessori (an early education method) she taught for two years.

Mary Ellen’s charitable and professional organization activities include a longtime affiliation with Women in Housing & Finance (including serving as President), coordinating monthly deliveries of food for Martha’s Table from a group of 20+ volunteers (-& preparing meals monthly for over 25 years), serving on the Archdiocesan School Board and leading our Parish Council (after serving as Finance Committee Chair while we undertook fundraising for major building improvements).

“One of the wonderfully attractive elements of the Impact 100 model is the synergy it provides – taking advantage of diverse member experiences and knowledge, and bundling contributions to achieve a significant impact in addressing unmet needs in the community.”

Caitlin is a fundraising professional with 20 years of experience working for non-profits focused on advocacy, social justice and human rights. Caitlin started her career at USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. She later moved to Community Change where she learned about the power of community organizing to make social change. She has since held leadership positions with the League of Women Voters and RESULTS, an organization dedicated to using advocacy to increase funding for that will reduce poverty globally and in the United States.

Since 2019, Caitlin has led the individual giving program at Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Caitlin has lived in Washington D.C. since 2007 and previously served as the treasurer of the board for Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), an organization dedicated to ending gender-based harassment and assault in D.C.

Caitlin has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Stockton University. She lives in the Rosedale neighborhood of D.C. with her husband, young son, and dog, Wally.

Meagan Van Orden is a Professional Accounting Fellow in the SEC’s Office of Chief Accountant’s International Group. She primarily works with securities regulators and other regulatory bodies around the world on the development of international financial and sustainability reporting standards, auditing standards and other initiatives to promote investor protection and confidence in global capital markets. Prior to joining the SEC’s Office of Chief Accountant, she spent 13 years with KPMG where she primarily focused on providing accounting and audit services to public financial services companies, both domestically and abroad.

Meagan received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting from Binghamton University. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and California.