LearnServe Staff
Scott Rechler – Director and CEO +
A Washington, DC native, Scott graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in social anthropology. He wrote his senior thesis on social entrepreneurship and social change in southern Chile, and co-founded Harvard’s Race, Culture, and Diversity Initiative to improve campus inter-cultural relations. Scott worked for five years at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, strengthening Ashoka’s dynamic global community of social entrepreneurs. Scott was selected a 2009 winner of the Linowes Leadership Award of the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region. He received his M.B.A. from George Washington University’s School of Business in May 2012. Scott serves on the board of ScholarCHIPS, a LearnServe venture that offers college scholarships to children of incarcerated parents. A fluent Spanish speaker, Scott has lived in Chile and Bolivia. Scott joined LearnServe in 2006.
Latrina Bowman – Student Success Director+
Latrina has always been passionate about empowering youth to discover their full potential. Growing up in Baltimore and witnessing the inequalities in the school system from a young age, she realized the benefits of community engagement and non-traditional educational opportunities. Her interest in international education was ignited during her undergraduate career at Gettysburg College when she traveled to Ghana, West Africa for a semester abroad. This transformative experience inspired her to return to a small village in Ghana to lead several community development projects, specifically within the education system. Carrying on her interest in education, she spent years working in various roles in the Baltimore City and Washington D.C.'s public and private school systems. She earned her Master’s from the University of Baltimore in Global Affairs and Human Security with a focus on International Education reform. Most recently, Latrina served as the Academic Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore where she supported and provided resources for undergraduate and graduate students throughout their academic careers. Latrina joined the LearnServe team in 2021.
Anne Schoolcraft – Development Director +
LearnServe Fellows/Incubator Programs Staff
Board of Directors
Michael Akin +
President, LINK Strategic Partners
Board Member since 2024
Anna Bennett +
Founding Partner, Bennett, Petts & Associates, retired
Board Member since 2018
Anna Bennett was a founding partner in the polling firm of Bennett, Petts & Associates where she provided polling, strategy, and message development to political, non-profit, and corporate clients across the nation and globe. Bennett has polled for hundreds of Democratic candidates including two presidents, nearly a dozen governors and U. S. senators, and two dozen members of Congress. She volunteered her time and expertise with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to support and strengthen emerging democracies around the world including in the Former Soviet Union, Northern Ireland and in preparation for the first Palestinian elections. Campaigns & Elections magazine named Bennett one of 74 women changing American politics, selected her as a “Rising Star” in American politics and named her to their list of “Texas Influencers” as one of the 50 most influential Democratic figures in Texas politics and government. She is a former member of the board of directors of the American Association of Political Consultants. Bennett has been a guest lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and American University’s Graduate School of Political Management. After years on the front lines in political campaigns, Bennett now offers analysis, strategic advice, message development and business planning to political and non-political clients in the Washington, DC area.
Philip Eliot – Chair, Finance Committee; Treasurer +
Managing Director, Reflection Ventures
Board Member since 2017
Philip is a Managing Director at Paladin Capital Group, a venture capital firm focused on early stage software companies. He has been working with entrepreneurs as an investor and advisor since 2000, and he has served on the boards of numerous private companies at stages of growth from pre-revenue startups through $100M+ acquisitions. Prior to working in venture capital, Philip worked at Dean and Company, a strategy consulting firm. Philip is an active supporter of social entrepreneurship through volunteer work and was one of the founders of Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit organization teaching social entrepreneurship to students through the operation of a community-focused retail bike shop. Philip has been a volunteer for LearnServe as a Mentor in the Fellows and Incubator programs since 2012 and joined the board in 2017.
Ali Fraenkel – Chair, Governance Committee +
Creative Consultant, Expression & Beyond
Board Member since 2023
Devoted to all-things-community & creation, Ali brings an unwavering spirit as a facilitator, community builder, experience creator, and artist. In Ali's most recent role, she served as Tribute.co's Director of Community, where she worked to empower individuals, organizations, and businesses to make gratitude, celebration, and acknowledgement everyday occurrences with joyful video technology (the "Tribute"). Almost a decade ago, she co-created the Ascienzo Family Foundation, which has granted millions of dollars into their local, regional, and national communities, and they operate via trust-based philanthropy principles and a passion to put money in the hands of young people. She's been a part of the LearnServe community for 5 years, most recently serving on the Growth Council.
Deborah Greene +
Special Education Specialist, Prince George’s County Public Schools
Board Member since 2020
Shakirah Hill Taylor +
Chief Digital Officer, Fenton
Board Member since 2023
Shakirah Hill Taylor is Fenton’s Chief Digital Officer, serving as a member of Fenton's executive leadership team and senior strategic counsel to clients. She provides leadership and strategy for the firm’s digital practice on a wide range of interactive strategies and execution to drive innovative and award-winning digital work. She brings extensive expertise in digital strategy, online advocacy building, and social impact. Shakirah leads organizations to reach intended audiences to create positive, impactful, and sustainable change. In addition to her digital work, Shakirah is a part-time labor and birth doula, providing birth support to Black and Brown pregnant people. In 2021, Shakirah was awarded the Black Futures Lab Public Policy Fellowship to develop maternal equity policy in Washington, D.C.
Shakirah received her Master's in Public Relations and Integrated Marketing from Georgetown University where she graduated cum laude. She is also a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park where she earned her B.A. in English and Literature with a minor in Art History.
Deborah Levine +
Staff Attorney, Neighborhood Legal Services Program, retired
Board Member since 2020
Ricardo O. Neal – Chair +
President & CEO, We Will All Rise, Inc.
Board member since 2013
Ricardo Neal is the President & CEO of We Will All Rise, Inc. Ricardo has served in various leadership and governance roles for 25 years within the education, philanthropy, and public advocacy sectors and has led community change work nationally and internationally. Ricardo earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Boston University School of Social Work. Ricardo has helped cities and school districts develop programs and strategies to improve students’ and families’ life outcomes in high-need communities. Born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Ricardo currently lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife and two children.
Craig Rocklin – Chair, Development Committee +
Director of Development, NPower
Board Member since 2013
Craig Rocklin has served as a fundraising professional for over twenty-five years in the Baltimore/Washington community, raising money for small and large, local, national and international non-profits alike. Organizations for which he has worked include the Children’s Defense Fund, the American Red Cross National Headquarters, Human Rights Campaign, and Children’s National Medical Center. He served as Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations for the George Mason University School of Public Policy. Craig has served as a long-term volunteer with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He received his master’s degree in Organization Development and Knowledge Management at George Mason. Board member since 2013.
David Selden +
Senior Vice President, ICF International, retired
Board Member since 2020
Maurice D. Wilkins Jr. – Chair, Programs Committee +
Executive Director, Just Cities Institute
Board Member since 2016
Maurice Wilkins is a former urban education and nonprofit leader, turned “techie” who has a distinct passion for diversity and inclusion. He joined the team at Outco Inc, a job search and interview prep accelerator for software engineers, where he led Outreach and Relationship Management. Prior to his position at Outco, he served as the Director of Outreach for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) at ZeeMee. Maurice is also a former leader in the LearnServe Fellows Program. Maurice is a first generation college graduate from Morehouse College, where he studied Africana Studies and Political Science.
Advisory Board
Sam Black +
Sam is a retired attorney at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP. He was a long-time volunteer at Lowell School in D.C., where his children started school, and there he served as the board chair. He later helped, with Hugh Riddleberger, to found the Latino Student Fund. In his law practice he has worked extensively with universities, school finance, and with public charter schools. Sam joined the LearnServe Board because he believes that students who gain experience in social entrepreneurship will become even better leaders in their college years and in their future communities. Sam was a LearnServe Board member from 2008-2013, and joined the Advisory Board in 2013.
Anna Gemolas +
FourWords, LLC
Anna is founder of FourWords, LLC, which consults on communication tools for social change. Her clients include the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education. Anna worked for ten years as an executive at Lockheed Martin, serving as Director of Communications and Public Affairs. Before starting at Lockheed, Anna worked in communications in agency, healthcare, non-profit, and university settings. Anna has served on the Board of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and helped to found the Chamber’s Community Foundation, which works to enhance veteran-owned business’ ability to win government contracts. While at Lockheed, she worked extensively with Project Thanksgiving, which annually helped 80 local charities provide 2,700 families Thanksgiving dinners. She is a director at Interfaith Works, a Washington region nonprofit that unites more than 165 congregations of many faiths to pursue social justice and identify and meet the needs of the poor. Anna has an M.S. in public relations from Syracuse and a B.A. from the University of Seranton. Advisory Board Member since 2011.
Michael Kimsey +
Kimsey Foundation
Michael is Executive Director, President, and a Trustee of the Kimsey Foundation, a family foundation supporting educational and cultural initiatives to offer opportunities to youth from the Washington, DC area. Mike serves as chairman of the Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital DC Task Force. He is a founding member of the Place-Based Funders Group, a board member of KIPP DC/Key Academy, and a trustee of the Federal City Council. He also serves on the advisory board of several other regional organizations including the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-Greater Washington, Charity Works, and the Center for Corporate Citizenship of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his philanthropic work, Mike commanded the Main Support Medical Company of the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division in Germany. He also served as the office in charge of Patient Administration and Logistics at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe medical facility in Belgium, and as a personnel advisor to the U.S. Army battalion commander in Bosnia. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy at the College of William and Mary and an M.B.A. at George Mason. Advisory Board Member since 2011.
Don Kozusko +
Kozusko Harris Vetter Wareh LLP
Don is a founding partner of his law firm, Kozusko Harris Vetter Wareh LLP, which specializes in private client legal representation. He counsels international and domestic entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists and privately-held businesses on tax and legal issues relating to investments, business, estate planning and charitable endeavors. Don is a director of a non-profit production company that uses theater to inspire change in family wealth management and philanthropic endeavors, and serves as a director of several foundations involved in education, art, family planning. Don and his wife Adele live in Vienna, Virginia and have two sons, Chris and Drew. Chris participated in LearnServe’s Ethiopia trip in 2006. Don joined the LearnServe board because he was impressed with the quality of the programs and the impact they had on his son. Don served on the LearnServe Board from 2009-2013 where he served as Treasurer of the Board and chaired the Finance Committee. He joined the Advisory Board in 2013.
Nancy Kuhn +
Anthony Shop +
Co-Founder and Director of Client Services, Social Driver LLC
Social Driver LLC works with clients in the for-profit, non-profit, and political fields on communications consulting, website design, and new media training. Anthony’s work focuses on unique applications of social media, including private-label social networks for employees or customers, or custom social media applications for conferences or other live events. Before Social Driver, Anthony served as founding principal of Liftoff Solutions LLC, a firm that developed strategic communications campaigns for nonprofit and governmental organizations. He also served as press secretary for a congressional campaign. As editor of his campus newspaper, Anthony launched its first website. Anthony has a B.A. in International Relations from William Jewell College in Missouri, and an M.B.A. from the George Washington University School of Business. LearnServe Advisory Board Member 2011-2013, Advisory Board Chair 2013-2015.
Sam Taussig +
Sewanee University; Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (alum)
Sam is a member of the Sewanee University Class of 2015, a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (BCC), and an alum of the LearnServe Fellows Program, LearnServe Zambia, and LearnServe Paraguay. At BCC, Sam was active in student government and was nominated as a Distinguished Scholar by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Sam has served as both an active participant and leader in Children’s International Summer Villages. He served as a LearnServe Ambassador in the Fellows Program, and in a coordination capacity during his second trip to Paraguay. In 2010-11 Sam worked as an intern at Development Finance International, Inc. in Bethesda. Advisory Board Member since 2011.
Martin Tillman +
Marty is President of Global Career Compass, an international consulting practice focused on global workforce trends and the impact of education abroad experiences on student career development. The International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership named him a Distinguished Fellow, and he was cited as a pedagogical pioneer in the field of cross-cultural education and service-learning in Service-Learning: A Movement’s Pioneers Reflect on Its Origins, Practice and Future. Marty consults and conducts workshops with leading international education organizations and universities, including Central College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the International Partnership For Service-Learning & Leadership, The Washington Center, American Institute for Foreign Study, SIT Graduate Institute, CEA Global Education, State Department EducationUSA, CET Academic Programs, among others. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; M.A. from Colgate University in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education and an M.A. in Intercultural Management from World Learning’s SIT Graduate Institute.
LearnServe Emeritus Board Members
Richard Hall – Emeritus +
Head of School, Washington International School, retired
Board Member since 2008
Kathy Kemper – Emeritus +
CEO, Institute for Education
Board member since 2008
Kathy is founder and CEO of the Institute for Education (“IFE”), a non-profit foundation that promotes leadership and civility locally, nationally, and worldwide, and educates youth for global citizenship. A former professional tennis player, Kathy served as head Women’s Tennis Coach at Georgetown from 1978 to 1990. Kathy and her husband James Valentine have two daughters, Kelsey and Christina, both of whom participated in LearnServe summer trips to China and Paraguay. Kathy helped create the Center for International Education, and based on that and on her professional work over many years, nothing could have been more natural than for her to become a founding member of the LearnServe Board. Board Member since 2008.
Hugh Riddleberger – Founder; Emeritus+
Founder, LearnServe International, retired
Board member since 2008
Hugh is a career educator, first as a teacher and then in a number of senior administrative capacities, including at schools in Boston and New Orleans, as well as Washington. He served as head of Sheridan School in D.C. and interim head of Langley School in Virginia. His father, his wife Louise McIlhenny, and one of his daughters were or are currently career educators. He founded LearnServe because of his interest in international community service and in broader community service curriculum in American schools.
Catherine Tinsley – Emeritus+
Board Member Emeritus since 2008
Catherine is a Texan born and raised who was bitten by the international bug in high school on the Experiment in International Living, spending a summer in France. She and her husband Tom have lived and raised their family in Denmark, The Netherlands and the U.S. Here in Washington she has devoted time to teaching ESL and volunteering in many school and church activities. At Washington International School she was chair (twice) of the principal annual fundraising event, president of the Parent Association, and the chair of the 40th anniversary celebration. Catherine is on the Board of Assist. Catherine joined the LearnServe board because of the diversity of the participants and the depth of learning that happens in both the Fellows program and on the international trips. Board member since 2008.