DC VOICE's 2007 BOARD of DIRECTORS

Martin J. Blank, Chair
Director for School/Family/Community Connections
Institute for Educational Leadership
Washington, DC

As the Director for School/Family/Community Connections at the Institute for Educational Leadership, Martin J. Blank works to enhance the learning and well being of children, families and neighborhoods. He is also the Staff Director for the Coalition for Community Schools, an alliance that operates under a shared vision of how community resources and capacity can be mobilized around public schools students. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Management Team of the Early Childhood Collaborative and provides technical assistance for a community schools initiative to DC Public Schools and the DC Government.

Tonya Kinlow
Ombudsman for Public Education

Prior to her appointment by Mayor Fenty as Ombudsman for Public Education, Tonya Vidal Kinlow served as vice president for government relations at the District of Columbia Hospital Association (DCHA).  Ms. Kinlow is a former elected At-Large representative on the District of Columbia Board of Education  She is the current vice chair of the board of DC Voice, an organization working to ensure that every child in the District gets a high-quality public education.  Her active involvement in the public policy arena, both professionally and as a citizen, reflects her belief that effective government can be a catalyst for helping communities and individuals achieve goals.  

Curtis Etherly, Esq., Treasurer
Vice-President for Public Affairs, Coca Cola Company
Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
Columbia, MD and Washington, DC

Curtis Etherly, Esq., a graduate of Ballou Senior High in Washington, DC, is currently Vice President for Public Affairs (Mid-Atlantic & Eastern Pennsylvania Market Units) at Coca Cola Enterprises, Inc. Curtis has worked in legislative affairs, policy analysis and communications for a wide range of diverse employers, including the Greater Washington Board of Trade; District of Columbia At-Large Councilmember Carole Schwartz; the law firms of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue; the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO); and United Neighborhood Houses. He also served as Regional Director for Teach for America, New York. In addition to his extensive professional and nonprofit background, Curtis also volunteers as a neighborhood mentor and a motivational speaker to churches, schools and youth groups throughout the greater Washington metropolitan area.

Raymond V. “Buzz” Bartlett
Executive Director of Advancement for the College of Education
University of Maryland
College Park, MD

Buzz Bartlett is Executive Director of Advancement for the College of Education at the University of Maryland. Prior to this, he served in communications management in private industry and state government, lastly as Director, Corporate Affairs for Lockheed Martin where he was responsible for K-12 education policy outreach and the Lockheed Martin Foundation. Buzz served as president of the Maryland State Board of Education from 1997 to 2002, and is a board member of the Institute for Educational Leadership.

Wanda Fox
Principal
Brightwood Elementary School
Washington, DC

Wanda Fox, herself a product of DC Public Schools, is in her fourth year as a DCPS principal at Brightwood Elementary School demonstrating her commitment to public education. She also believes in servicing the needs of all students, as well as involving parents in their children’s education. Prior to becoming a principal, Wanda served as a classroom teacher, counselor, and assistant principal. She is one of the founding members of DC VOICE and currently supports implementation of a support network for principals.

Maree Sneed
Partner for Hogan and Hartson in Washington DC.
Maree Sneed is a partner in the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, with offices throughout the world, where she is a member of the education practice group. Her practice focuses on representing school districts throughout the United States on a variety of issues, including civil rights and special education. Prior to attending law school, Sneed was a teacher, secondary-school assistant principal and principal, and central and area office administrator in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools.

Richard Tagle
Executive Director
Higher Achievement
Washington, DC

For the past sixteen years, access and equity in education and health have been the focus of his professional work. From being a senior program officer for the US Conference of Mayors’ Health program to the current Executive Director of the Higher Achievement Program, Richard has been actively addressing the needs and concerns of marginalized communities. In this vein, he has been immersed in issues of reform, community development, organizational capacity building, and public engagement. He sits on the board of The National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University. Richard is on the commissions of Human Rights and Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs in DC.

Jane Thompson
Chief Operating Officer
DC Primary Care Association
Washington, DC

After moving to the District of Columbia in 1994, Jane immersed herself in the local health care community in a variety of leadership positions in each of the three sectors: public government, private industry and now in the nonprofit sector. Currently she serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the DC Primary Care Association, a health advocacy organization where she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of DCPCA and its programs focused on rebuilding the primary care system in DC. She is the immediate past President and CEO of AMERIGROUP’s DC and Maryland health plan, the largest Medicaid managed care plan in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining AMERIGROUP, she served for nearly 5 years in public service where she designed and implemented DC Healthy Families, the mandatory managed care program for low-income families.

Ted Trabue
Executive Director
District Economic Empowerment Coalition
Washington, DC

Ted Trabue is currently the Executive Director of the District Economic Empowerment Coalition. The group is a 501(c)6 that is dedicated to expanding economic and vocational training opportunities for citizens in the District of Columbia. Prior to joining the Economic Empowerment Coalition, Ted was the Vice President for DC Affairs at PEPCO for over seven years. Prior to PEPCO, he worked at the Greater Washington Board of Trade and as Chief of Staff for Council Chairman Linda Cropp. He is a native Washingtonian, and like his mother and grandmother, attended DC Public Schools and is a DC public school parent. Ted is a member of the Board of Directors at the DC Chamber of Commerce and an appointed member of the Board of Education of the District of Columbia.