Board of Directors
2023/24 Board of Directors
The Washington Ballet is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors which contributes significantly to the success of TWB through its oversight, fundraising, outreach, and expertise in many important areas of the organization’s operations.
2023/24 Board of Directors
Vice Chair
Luanne Adams came to Washington DC as an undergraduate theater major at The Catholic University. Her enthusiasm for the performing arts had been intensified by a Junior Year Abroad in …
Britt Whitesell Biles, recently served as General Counsel of the US Small Business Administration. Prior to joining the SBA, she was Special Assistant to the President and Associate White House …
Jamie L. Boucher is head of Skadden’s Financial Institutions Regulatory and Enforcement Group and the global anti-money laundering and sanctions practice. Her clients include U.S. and international banks, thrifts, mortgage …
Jane Rosenthal Cafritz, a Washington area native, is an interior designer, color consultant and the head of Jane R. Cafritz Antiques & Interiors. Jane graduated from Holton-Arms School and Skidmore …
Charles DeSantis jumps into action each day for three reasons: 1) family and friends, 2) the community in which he lives and works, and 3) those in the greatest need. …
Vice Chair
David DeSantis has been a Partner and Managing Broker at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty since 2007. Before joining TTR, David served in several senior roles in residential development, sales and …
Erin Drouin worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the Washington, DC office for the Global Health Policy & Advocacy team as a consultant and continued in that …
Chair
Jean-Marie Fernandez, Chair of the Board of Directors of The Washington Ballet, serves as the President of the Fernandez Foundation, a private foundation focused on the health and education of …
Emilia Newell Ferrara is a born and raised Washingtonian, an author, editor and teacher, and is an alumna of The Washington School of Ballet. Her tutelage began under Mary Day …
Cultural and commercial diplomacy are the hallmarks of Lauri’s career working at the Voice of America, the U.S. Information Agency, and serving as a Foreign Service Officer. A former Assistant …
Yolanda Friend is an outcome driven, Inclusion & Diversity executive at Accenture, a global professional services company operating in more than 200 cities across 49 countries with more than 735K …
James Gale is a seasoned professional at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), currently serving as Director of Project Finance and underwriting the financing of business investments worldwide. His primary …
Mike Goldstein has been a member of The Washington Ballet Board since the 1980s, and also serves, pro bono, as TWB’s General Counsel. Mike came to Washington in 1978 to …
Ryan Hayes is passionate about the arts and has been intimately involved in numerous arenas of the performing arts world. His wide breadth of professional experience in the corporate, non-profit, …
Maureen Hinman is the Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Silverado Policy Accelerator. Ms. Hinman, a leading policy expert on environmental industry, most recently served as Director for Environment and Natural …
Ashley Holbrook is Director of National Strategy & Engagement at Boeing where she represents the company through external engagement efforts and leads external veterans and environmental strategies. As Chief of …
Heather Hughes moved to Washington, DC, in 2007 to join the law school faculty at American University, where she teaches and publishes on legal aspects of property and commercial finance. …
Elizabeth Keeley is a Principal at Taconic Capital Advisors, an alternative investment firm based in New York. Betsy joined Taconic in August 2005 as Chief Compliance Officer and Associate General …
Dianne Keppler is an attorney with more than twenty years of experience in federal litigation, working both in government and private practice. She became a ballet enthusiast after her daughter …
Ms. Kim has a long history of supporting non-profit endeavors, and in particular, non-profits focused on broadening the reach of the Arts. She is currently a member of the Board …
Sara Lange is a mother of three living in Washington, DC and she has been involved with the Ballet for the better part of her life. She is a member …
Eric Jon Larsen serves as President of The Advisory Board Company, a best practices firm dedicated to improving the performance of health care organizations around the world. Eric has oversight …
Hanane Lemlih’s consulting practice is committed to providing investment advice that helps enable investors to make timely, well informed, and educated decisions. Our practice focuses on high net worth individuals, …
Eve Auchincloss Lilley is an educational diagnostician, administering psychological and educational evaluations to children and adults at Educational Assessment Associates. Eve began her career earning a Master’s degree working with …
Timothy R. Lowery is a Director with the global commercial real estate investment firm Hines and serves as the General Manager of the CityCenterDC project in Downtown Washington, D.C. Mr. …
Secretary
Joan began taking ballet as a child, and pursued it throughout her college life. She graduated from UCLA Law School and worked as a litigator at two large law firms …
Dorothy Pierce McSweeny is the Chair Emeritus of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, serving from 1996 to present and past Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. In …
Michelle Montes is an Assurance partner at EY with 23 years of experience in public accounting serving a variety of industries, currently focusing on real estate, hospitality and private equity. …
Dr. Michael Olding is Chief of Plastic Surgery at George Washington University and Director of the Cosmetic Surgery Center at the GWU Medical Faculty Associates. He is a board certified …
A financial strategist who helps investors achieve maximum double bottom line impact for their commercial real estate portfolios. With clients ranging from multinational corporations to family offices to faith-based institutions, …
Barbara Rothkopf returned to the board after 12 years of living in Easton, PA, where she served on the boards of various non-profits, including the Allentown Art Museum, Easton Hospital, …
Martha Schwieters, a native Washingtonian, holds a degree in English literature from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) and an M.A in Performing Arts: Dance from American University. She taught …
After a lifelong love of performing arts, Mary joined the CIA as a political analyst. While posted in France and Belgium, she studied ballet at the Salle Pleyel in Paris …
Jennifer Skalka Tulumello is a freelance journalist who has held staff writer positions with the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, National Journal Group and Concord (NH) Monitor. Her work has also …
David L. Vosvick II is the Vice President of Human Resources for Pepco Holdings and Exelon Utilities. Pepco Holdings, the parent company of Pepco, an electric utility serving Washington, D.C., …
Dena Wiggins is President and CEO of Natural Gas Supply Association. She joined the Natural Gas Supply Association in 2014, returning to her professional roots to represent natural gas producers …
Patricia Wu is managing director of C&M International, the international policy and regulatory affairs consulting affiliate of Crowell & Moring LLP. Prior to joining C&M International, Patricia was with The …
Treasurer
Lowell Yoder is currently a Sr. Group Manager for Greater Washington Commercial Banking Group at M&T Bank. Lowell is responsible for the overall management of the group including sales management, …
Distinguished Board Member Emerita