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Board of Directors / Executive Team
Board Members
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Dana B. Stebbins, MSW JD
Board Chair
Dana Brewington Stebbins, MSW, Esq., of Mitchellville, Maryland, was elected board chair of Melwood on June 29, 2011. She has served on the board for more than three years. Ms. Stebbins is an attorney with an advanced degree in human behavior and is President and CEO of the Cornelius Group, which provides organizational development, business management, and other services for a variety of clients. She has more than 25 years of experience in strategic and legal services for community and economic development projects.
Ms. Stebbins is actively engaged in a number of business, civic and community organizations. These include: Past Chair, Economic Development Committee and Board Member for the Federal City Council; Past Board Chair, DC Chamber of Commerce; Board Member, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington; Board Member, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington; Principal, Council of Excellence in Government; Past Chair, Prince George’s County Group, and The Lab School of Washington.
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Richard Mahan, CPA
Vice Chair
Richard Mahan, of Howard County, Maryland is an audit principal in Reznick Group’s Bethesda office with more than 20 years of experience in public accounting practice and private industry. He was elected vice chair on June 29, 2011 and has served on the board for two years.
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George Watkins, CPA
Treasurer
George Watkins of Marbury, MD is President of Watkins and Associates and brings nearly 30 years experience as a certified public accountant to the organization. He is currently a Trustee with the Charles County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Watkins is entering his second year on the board, and was elected treasurer on June 29, 2011.
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Donald A. Donahue, Jr., MBA PhD
Secretary
Donald Donahue, Jr. of Washington, DC was re-elected as board secretary on June 29, 2011. He brings more than 25 years of healthcare administration and planning experience and more than 30 years of service as a member of the US military. Donahue is entering his third year on the board.
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Andrew V. Colevas
Immediate Past Chair
Andrew V. Colevas completed his second term as Melwood board chair in June, 2011. He is principal of Colevas Group, based in Prince George's County, Maryland. A Melwood board member since 2006, Mr. Colevas also serves on the boards of St. Anne’s School, BB&T Bank and is president of the Upper Marlboro Rotary Club.
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Tina Campanella, MA
Director
Tina Campanella, of Washington, D.C., is Executive Director of Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities and brings over 30 years experience with adults and teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before coming to Quality Trust, Campanella worked at the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), a nonprofit organization promoting enhanced quality of life for people with disabilities through training and accreditation activities in the United States and abroad. Campanella is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington’s 2010 class. She is entering her second year on the board.
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Joy J. Dorsey, JD
Director
Joy Dorsey of Washington, DC is Director of Diversity and Supplier Diversity at Pepco Holdings, Inc. In addition to having a keen eye toward building diverse workforces, Dorsey brings more than 25 years experience as a corporate attorney to the organization. She is completing her first year on the board.
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Christina Eaglin
Director
Christina Eaglin, of Montgomery County, Maryland operates My Marriage Proposal, LLC, a special event planning firm. Previously, she directed interactive communications for Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and brings more than 20 years of experience in broadcast advertising and marketing. She is entering her third year on the board.
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Shelly Gardeniers
Director
Shelly Gardeniers of Anne Arundel County, MD, brings more than 16 years of strategy development and management experience, most recently in the staffing industry with Randstad, NV, previously with Royal Ahold and Sara Lee International in the Netherlands, and Rabobank International in London. In addition to her consulting work, Shelly is also a member of the Board of Directors of Transitional Housing Corporation in Washington, DC, and the Alumni Council for Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in New York. She is completing her first year on the board.
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Marlon Griffith, JD
Director
Marlon Griffith is a partner in the Washington, DC law firm of Griffith & Wheat, PLLC. The New York native is former chief of the Trial Division for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS). Prior to PDS, Griffith was a senior trial attorney in Brooklyn, New York. Griffith focuses on criminal defense, employment and complex civil litigation, as well as professional responsibility matters in local, state, federal courts and administrative agencies. Griffith is a board member of the Abrahamson Foundation, current Leadership Prince George’s member, and a black belt in tae kwon do. He lives in Prince George’s County with his wife and two children. He is midway through his second year on the board.
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Reginald M. Harris
Director
Reggie Harris owns Reggie Harris Insurance and Financial Services, a State Farm agency, of Oxon Hill, Maryland. He modestly says he’s been “fairly successful” in his field, and joined the Board for the opportunity to give back to the community, “because I like to help people.” He is entering his sixth year on the board.
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Mike Keppler, MBA
Director
Mike Keppler, of Fairfax County, Virginia is a senior executive with Marriott International and brings 25 years of experience in technology use and implementation. He is entering his third year on the board.
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Frank A. Nicolai, MPA
Director
Frank Nicolai, of Prince George’s County, Maryland is a co-founder of American Management Systems (AMS), a $1 billion consulting and systems integration firm where he served as an executive officer and director from 1970-2002. From 2003-2010, Nicolai served as a member of Melwood’s board, and chaired the Audit, Finance and CEO Search committees, as well as the Strategy Task Force. He is also a board member of numerous other non-profit organizations.
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Brenda Sheaffer
Director
Brenda Sheaffer works for Melwood as a custodian at the New Executive Office Building, a secure federal facility in downtown, Washington, DC. She now lives on her own, but her severe learning disability made it difficult to compete in the job market before she joined Melwood in 1993. She is a talented public speaker and part of the AbilityOne Speakers Bureau. She is often requested to talk about how Melwood’s “umbrella of support” and AbilityOne enabled her to live independently and stop receiving government benefits. She is completing her second year on the board.
Executive Team
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Dana B. Stebbins, MSW JD
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Dana Brewington Stebbins, MSW, Esq., of Mitchellville, Maryland was appointed Interim CEO of Melwood on January 26, 2012. Ms. Stebbins is an attorney with an advanced degree in human behavior and more than 25 years of experience providing strategic advice in community and economic development activities that accounts for and accommodates the professional, social, and cultural uniquenesses of the firm’s clients and their business relationships. Additionally, she develops and implements successful strategies for affecting legislative and executive policy and action at the local, state and national levels of government. Previous employment includes Partner, Wilkes Artis P.C., Senior Counsel to the Chairman, United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Business; Special Assistant to the Associate Administrator, US Small Business Administration; Special Assistant to the Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and Judicial Clerk to the Honorable William C. Pryor.
Ms. Stebbins is a graduate of Howard University, holding BA and Master’s Degrees in psychiatric social work and a J.D. with honors from Howard University School of Law. She is also a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington, and has published numerous articles on public policy issues, and is a frequent lecturer at university and professional conferences on economic development and procurement strategies.
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Jonathon Rondeau, MA CPRP
Chief Program Officer
Jonathon Rondeau is the Chief Program Officer, responsible for Melwood’s program services helping people live, work, and play in the most inclusive environment. Prior to joining Melwood, Rondeau worked at The League for People with Disabilities where he oversaw recreational and support programs. He is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Charles County (LaPlata), the Arc of Maryland Board of Directors, the Human Services Coalition of Prince George’s County Board of Directors and Leadership Southern Maryland Class of 2011. He is the Past-President of the American Camp Association Chesapeake Section. Jonathon holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from the College of Notre Dame, an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Disability Studies from Springfield College and is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional through the National Park and Recreation Association.
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Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth, MA CHES
Chief Development Officer
Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth, of Washington, DC, is Chief Development Officer, with strategic oversight of donor stewardship, corporate marketing and communication. She joins Melwood from Children’s National Medical Center, where she managed several high-margin service line marketing objectives and advertising campaigns. Previously, she served as director of advancement at the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, executive director of American Cancer Society’s National Capital Region; group manager and senior vice president at Ketchum Public Relations, vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations and Walls Communications; and director of education and communications at the Whitman Walker Clinic. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Greater Washington, holds a master’s degree in community health education from Trinity University, and earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Howard University.
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Matthew T. Scassero
Chief Contracts Officer
Matt Scassero, of Leonardtown, Maryland is Chief Contracts Officer, with responsibility for services to government customers. In June 2009, he retired as Vice Commander for Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division at Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS) after a 27-year naval career that saw him deployed around the world on six of the seven seas, and to 25 countries on five continents. Scassero is a board member for Leadership Southern Maryland and the Center for Children, a Southern Maryland nonprofit which provides mental health care to children in need. Scassero is also a Leadership Maryland graduate, and a 1982 graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
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Lorenzo Hester, PhD
Senior Director, Human Resources
Lorenzo Hester is Senior Director of Human Resources, with responsibility for recruitment, employee and labor relations, benefits, compensation administration and training and development for Melwood employees. Dr. Hester brings more than 25 years of experience as a Human Resource professional, and more than 15 years experience in leadership positions in private industry, and public and non-profit sectors. Previously, Hester served as HR Director for Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, as well as HR Executive for the City of Baltimore Public Works Department; Strategic Human Resource Business Partner for Smith and Nephew, Inc, and as a human resources manager for American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, DC. Dr. Hester also served as a professor of business administration at Bowie State University, teaching courses in organizational theory and behavior, human resource management and business strategy. Dr. Hester holds a bachelor's degree in Finance, with an MBA and PhD in Business Administration.
