Many Hands is governed by a working board of up to 15 regular members. Board members are appointed for three-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms. Board members who have served two three-year terms are eligible for re-election after a hiatus of one year. The immediate past president may be elected to serve an additional one-year term without a hiatus, bringing the maximum number of board members to 16.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to put your time, talent, and treasure to work, consider service on the Many Hands board.  For more information about board responsibilities and qualifications, please click here. We welcome expressions of interest on a rolling basis throughout the year. In addition, we conduct an open call for self-nominations early in the calendar year.

In recruiting board members, Many Hands seeks to reflect the diversity of the membership while meeting the organization’s need for specific skills. Please contact us at nominating@manyhandsdc.org with any questions about board service or the recruitment process.

Elizabeth Whitmore
Elizabeth WhitmorePresident
Elizabeth joined Jackson Partners in 1999 and leads the acquisition of service and technology companies in diverse industries, including healthcare, legal services, and…

…software. Elizabeth also makes direct venture investments and participates as a limited partner in several private equity, mezzanine, and venture firms. Prior to joining Jackson Partners, Elizabeth worked in nonprofit management and fundraising at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Claudette Christian
Claudette ChristianVice President
Claudette, now a Senior Counsel at Hogan Lovells, was Partner in Charge of the firm’s Brazil offices until her retirement as a partner in mid-2019. Prior to her five years…

…starting up and supervising the Brazil offices, Claudette served as co-chair of the firm’s Global Board and was an active partner in the firm’s Corporate and Finance practices. Claudette has been active in mentoring women attorneys and college students. She resides in the Forest Hills DC neighborhood with her husband and two cats.

 

Ann Gouldin Kay
Ann Gouldin KayTreasurer
Ann has worked as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s, the Spiegel Catalog, and the National Geographic catalog and website. She currently serves as treasurer on the…

… board of Horizons Greater Washington and is an active volunteer and supporter of several other DC-based organizations that provide educational and mentoring opportunities to children in underserved communities. She has also served on and chaired several committees at Norwood School and Sidwell Friends School.

Katie Rosenthal
Katie RosenthalSecretary
Katie Rosenthal is an attorney with a professional background in investments, community development, and organizational operations. Now a full time mother of three, …

…software. Elizabeth also makes direct venture investments and participates as a limited partner in several private equity, mezzanine, and venture firms. Prior to joining Jackson Partners, Elizabeth worked in nonprofit management and fundraising at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Deborah Arrindell
Deborah Arrindell
Deborah Arrindell is Vice President of Health Policy for the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) and heads ASHA’s Washington, DC office. She has more than…

…30 years of experience in public policy, including work for women’s economic justice, reproductive and sexual health, and employment and training at organizations including the Home Care Aide Association of America, the American Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters, and Wider Opportunities for Women.

Deborah is past Chair of the Board of Advocates for Youth and serves on the board of the Center for Health and Gender Equity. Previously, she held leadership roles with the Partnership to End Cervical Cancer, Global Campaign for Microbicides, and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. She is a member of the Trojan Sexual Health Advisory Council and served on the sexual health editorial board of CosmoGirl! magazine.

Joy Bates Boyle
Joy Bates Boyle
Joy Bates Boyle has spent more than 40 years helping organizations tell their stories, build partnerships, and create positive social change. During her career, she held leadership roles …

at the Case Foundation and FleishmanHillard, taught graduate students at Georgetown University, and worked with nonprofit, corporate, and government clients across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She also founded a communications consultancy that helped nonprofit organizations clarify and advance their missions through strategic communications.

A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Joy began her career on Capitol Hill and is proud to bring her communications expertise and passion for social justice to Many Hands DC.

Jacqueline Carney
Jacqueline Carney
Jacqueline earned her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in 1992 and has built a diverse career spanning public accounting, private industry, software, …

…support women to slow down through connecting to movement, rest, and play in the outdoors. She also is the DC Manager of Strategic Partnerships for Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps. A graduate of University of Miami (BA) and Teachers College (MA), she serves on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. In 2023, Ellen was selected as a DEI Advocate at the Power Up! Philanos conference and in 2024, she was selected as one of five Wild Gift Fellows.

Charis Keitelman
Charis Keitelman
Charis was a commercial real estate lawyer in Washington, DC for 20 years, serving as a partner at Rudnick Wolfe Piper & Marbury (now DLA Piper), before finishing her…

… she has served on numerous non-profit boards in the DC area and currently devotes her time as an active volunteer and leader in the parent organizations serving her children’s schools. She is also an advisor and board member to a STEM focused non-profit run by two women who are students at MCPS high schools. Originally from Massachusetts, she and her family reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Susan Liss
Susan Liss
Susan has lived in the Washington, DC area since 1975. She is a retired public interest lawyer who worked for a number of policy and advocacy nonprofits,…

… focusing on constitutional rights, women’s rights, women’s health, civil rights, voting, and the independence of the judiciary. She was a political appointee at the Department of Justice and the White House and has volunteered on a number of political campaigns. She has worked on a number of pro bono projects for the DC Bar, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, DLA Piper’s New Perimeter Project, Tzedek DC, Adas Israel Congregation, Georgetown Day School, and other area nonprofits.

Martha Marmo-Fernandes
Martha Marmo-Fernandes
Martha Marmo-Fernandes is the founder and president of Rowen Concrete, Inc., a
Maryland-based construction company recognized for its commitment to quality …

…of Dartmouth College for eight years, representing the college on transactional matters. Previously, she was engaged in private practice at several law firms, most recently as a partner in the Washington, DC office of Hogan Lovells, where for 17 years she represented public and private companies, governmental agencies, and nonprofit educational and other institutions in a broad range of areas. Lori chairs the Advisory Board of Millions of Conversations, a nonprofit organization devoted to bringing Americans together, and is a K-4 reading tutor for the District of Columbia public school system through the DC chapter of Reading Partners. She is also a member of the Board of Governors of St. Columba’s Nursery School, Washington, DC.

Virginia Pommer
Virginia Pommer
Virginia Pommer is an attorney with a background in public interest and special
education law. A long time member of Many Hands, she joins the Board having …

… been a volunteer, Committee member, Committee Chair and Grants Committee member. During her years raising her three now adult children she was an active volunteer at their schools and various other charitable organizations. She and her husband live in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Rita Shapiro
Rita Shapiro
Rita is a consultant with more than 30 years of management experience working for renowned arts and other nonprofit organizations. She served from 2001 to…

… 2016 as Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center, where she spearheaded various community initiatives including the “In Your Neighborhood” program and the Sound Health program. Previous positions include Operations Manager for The Cleveland Orchestra and development officer for the Boston Symphony. She also served as Interim Executive Director of the Catalogue for Philanthropy of Washington, DC (now Spur Local); and as Interim Executive Director of The Washington Chorus.

Rita is a member and past President of the DC chapter of the International Women’s Forum, a networking organization of women executives from diverse professional backgrounds.

Lori Sostowski
Lori Sostowski
Lori Sostowski practiced law for over 40 years, focusing on business matters. Immediately prior to her retirement, she served as Associate General Counsel…

…of Dartmouth College for eight years, representing the college on transactional matters. Previously, she was engaged in private practice at several law firms, most recently as a partner in the Washington, DC office of Hogan Lovells, where for 17 years she represented public and private companies, governmental agencies, and nonprofit educational and other institutions in a broad range of areas. Lori chairs the Advisory Board of Millions of Conversations, a nonprofit organization devoted to bringing Americans together, and is a K-4 reading tutor for the District of Columbia public school system through the DC chapter of Reading Partners. She is also a member of the Board of Governors of St. Columba’s Nursery School, Washington, DC.

Cindy van den Beemt
Cindy van den Beemt
Cindy is the founder and president of Capital Fundraising Group, a consulting firm that provides comprehensive strategic planning and management services to …

… nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. She also serves as an Account Executive with vChief, offering fractional executive support to help organizations strengthen their capacity.

With over 30 years of leadership experience, Cindy partners with leaders in the nonprofit and education sectors to advance fundraising, capacity building, and overall operational management. Her core strengths include strategic planning, project management, and building relationships and consensus.

Cindy currently serves on the board of the Heritage Humane Society Auxiliary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is a member of the William & Mary Society of 1918 steering committee.

Past Board Members

Sydney Bath*

Lynne Battle

Elizabeth Bausch

Susie Berenson*

Robin Berkley

Ana Collins*

Melissa Rose Dennis

Tracy Ganti

Wendy Lynn Gray

Regina Hall*

Ellen Kay

Mary Kwak

Leslie Lawley*

Noni Lindahl

Betsy Marmet*

Sandra McCoy

Jill Rosenbaum Meyer

Katy Moore

Karen Murrell

Lisa Opsahl

Jane Paul

Anna Gunnarsson Pfeiffer

Kim Quyen Pham

Tara Brennan Primis

Dianne Rudo

Madeleine Said*

Susan M. Sarver

Frazier Schulman

Nasim Shojaei

Julie Citren Smith

Chrissy Spigel

Margaret Vassilikos

Kathryn Zecca

* Founding Board member