BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KYMBER LOVETT-MENKITI, BOARD CHAIR

Kymber Lovett-Menkiti is the Co-Owner and President of Keller Williams Capital Properties (KWCP), a brokerage with nine offices across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. She is also the Regional Director of Keller Williams for the Maryland / DC (MDC) Region where she oversees 4,500+agents. Kymber also served as the 2020 President of the DC Association of Realtors and currently serves as the Broker Liaison for the National Association of Realtors.

She is the board chair for the CPMG Foundation and a board member of Crittenton Services and StepAfrika. She was also appointed by the Mayor of Washington, DC to serve on the District of Columbia Arts Commission.

Prior to her roles within KWCP and the Keller Williams MDC Region, Kymber was the President of Sales for The Menkiti Group. Throughout her time with the company, she built a dedicated and passionate team of real estate professionals who assist the clients of The Menkiti Group in meeting their real estate goals. Under Kymber’s leadership, the MG Residential Sales Team assisted over 1,000 first-time homebuyers and brokered the sales of over $1B in residential real estate. The MG Residential Sales Team has been recognized internationally as being among the Top 50 teams within the Keller Williams franchise as measured by sales volume.

As one of the best and brightest young business leaders in the greater Washington, DC region, Kymber was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 Honoree and a 2021, 2022 Real Estate Newsmaker by RISMedia.

Kymber is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and James Madison University and currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and four sons.

Aaron Myers, BOARD Secretary 

has served on Crittenton’s Board of Directors for 7+ years.  Mr. Myers is an international touring Jazz artist based in Washington DC, activist and entrepreneur. Originally from Goodlow, Texas. Mr. Myers is a veteran of the United States Army where he’s certified as a Radio Telecommunications Specialist, and an alumnus of Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. His political experience ranges from a mayoral run in Corsicana, Texas, Field Organizer for the Obama-Biden Campaign for Change, policy analysist, and political adviser to candidates and office holders. Mr. Myers is also a skilled volunteer coordinator, event manager, public speaker, and an experienced music instructor. While in Washington DC he previously served as National Director of the nonprofit Global Family Program and is the Minister of Music of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, a position he’s held for 12 years.    A jazz and soul musician, Mr. Myers is currently the Resident Artist at Mr. Henry’s Restaurant and Eaton DC.  From a point of service, Mr. Myers is the founding Chair of the Board of Directors for the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation and serves on the Board of Governors with the Recording Academy DC Chapter. Currently, he serves as Vice-Chair of the NAACP DC-Branch LGBTQIA Committee along with being a member of the board of directors for CTE Vision Foundation and Covenant Full Potential Development Center.  Mr. Myers’ activism has been recognized by the Jazz Journalist Association and he’s been twice awarded a WAMMIE Award for his activism and service in Washington DC. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shayna Thompson, Board treasurer

Shayna is a Director in Guidehouse’s National Security Segment, who is driven by leading diverse teams, strengthening relationships (both internal and external), and delivering high quality solutions, in an effort to foster a stronger financial reporting and operational environment. Shayna has 12 years of experience and is responsible for leading various high-profile and strategic initiatives, related to grants management, financial management, risk management, project management, and technical accounting support services, for clients across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with a specific focus on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accounts. Prior to joining the FEMA and the USCIS teams, Shayna supported several clients across PwC’s Public Sector Advisory Practice (i.e., CBP, FBI, GSA, etc.) and PwC’s Commercial Assurance Practice. Shayna holds a BS in Business Administration, concentration in Accounting, and an MBA, concentration in Accounting, from Hampton University. Shayna is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), Certified Internal Control Auditor (CICA), Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LSSYB), and Project Management Professional (PMP).

 

Antonio Tijerino

Antonio Tijerino is the President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, an organization that identifies, inspires, prepares, and positions Latino leaders in the classroom, community, and workforce. He has also served as the director of public relations in the communications department for the Fannie Mae Foundation, a manager for corporate communications and spokesperson for Nike, and an account supervisor for the Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolf public relations firms in Washington. Mr. Tijerino earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. Mr. Tijerino is serving his third term on the Crittenton Board and serves on the Board’s communications task force and the governance committee.

 

Bryan Tramont

Bryan is widely recognized as one of the nation’s top media and communications lawyers. A relentless advocate, Bryan is sought after by clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to innovative startups for his exceptional understanding of spectrum management, transactions and strategic advocacy before multiple regulatory agencies. His commitment to excellence brings both loyal clients and leading industry honors. Bryan’s years as Chief of Staff at the Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Michael Powell, along with his earlier work at the agency and beyond, give him a profound understanding of the often complex legal, political and regulatory environments where his clients operate. His keen instincts for achieving results have been honed at the center of the industry. In addition to his role as Managing Partner, Bryan also leads the strategy and implementation of WBK’s award-winning communications, media and technology team, and directs client management and development. Bryan lives by the pay it forward ethos, a philosophy he’s helped to infuse throughout WBK. He gives generously of his time and talents to support the community. Whether as a speaker, educator or thought-leader, Bryan is always focused on helping others succeed and encouraging the next generation to thrive. He is serving his third term on the Crittenton Board and sixth term as Crittenton’s Celebration Event Co-Chair.

 

Caroline Van Wie

As Vice President of Federal Regulatory, Caroline Van Wie is responsible for supporting AT&T’s wireline policy interests before federal regulatory authorities, including the Federal Communications Commission. Caroline most recently was Assistant Vice President of Federal Regulatory and concurrently served as Chief of Staff to Joan Marsh, Executive VP – Federal Regulatory Relations, from 2017-2020. Prior to joining AT&T, Caroline was a Telecommunications Associate at Wiley Rein LLP.  Before attending law school, Caroline served as Deputy National Finance Director for Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) and Scheduler for Congressman John B. Larson (D-CT). Caroline graduated from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.  She received her J.D. with honors from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as Senior Programs & Development Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. Caroline was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and now resides in Washington, DC with her husband, two young sons, and cocker spaniel.

 

Celeste James

Celeste James, Executive Director of Community Health for Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, leads Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health Department, which engages in program development and implementation, grantmaking, and public policy advocacy to create conditions for health and well-being in Kaiser Permanente communities, with a commitment to health, racial, and economic equity. Celeste’s career spans 30 years in the health and media industry, including leading corporate communications for USA TODAY/Gannett Co., Inc., U.S. News & World Report magazine, and NPR (National Public Radio). Celeste also serves as a Commissioner on the Maryland State Governor’s Community Health Resources Commission, as co-chair of Washington Regional Food Funders, a collaborative of funders dedicated to improving our regional food system and a Board Member of Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers. Celeste is a graduate of Cleveland State University. She relaxes with great cuisine, music and laughter.  Ms. James is serving her first term on the Crittenton board.

 

 

 

Jeanine Poltronieri

Jeanine is a senior-level executive and Harvard-trained lawyer with extensive public policy experience. Currently the Deputy Chief in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division of the Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau, she’s also held positions in the private sector, most recently as General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal and Policy Affairs at the Internet Association. Prior to that role, she held positions at AT&T, Motorola, the FCC, and Squire Patton Boggs.  She has a strong record as a team leader and mentor; she’s known for motivating and training staff, especially junior-level women, so that they can achieve new levels of success. Jeanine is passionate about using technology for social good and has served on the Board of the CTIA Wireless Foundation and as a mentor for Year Up, which provides skills-based training to young adults. She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham University, where she majored in English. 

 

Kathleen Abernathy

Kathleen Abernathy is the Special Counsel to Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, has built an extraordinary career pioneering new ground for women while leading by example. From the first moment she was introduced to Crittenton, she immediately became a champion for the organization and our critical work helping teen girls overcome a breadth of challenges. She has also helped new college graduates to invest their talent, energy, and training in public service through the John Gardner Fellowship Association. Furthermore, she’s provided her leadership to build child advocacy coalitions as a board member of the organization Children Now. Professionally, Ms. Abernathy recently returned to Wilkinson Barker Knauer, bringing years of top-level government and corporate experience. She was elected to the Board of Directors of Frontier Communications as an independent director in 2006, following her term as a Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission from 2001 to 2005. In 2010, she joined Frontier as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Regulatory and Governmental Affairs. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors of ISO New England since 2012. Prior to her term as an FCC Commissioner, Ms. Abernathy worked for a number of different telecommunications companies and law firms. Ms. Abernathy received her B.A. magna cum laude from Marquette University and her J.D. from Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, where she was a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Federal Communications Bar Association, of which she is a Past-President, and has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and The Columbus School of Law. She is serving her first term on the Crittenton Board.

 

 

Tori O’neal

Tori is a passionate and strategic leader of O’Neal Social Impact, an organizational development practice including executive coaching. She brings over three decades of successful executive leadership experience to foundations and nonprofit organizations prioritizing racial equity and social justice in carrying out their missions. Partial list of clients include: The Hewlett Foundation, Fetzer Institute (national funder), Faith in Action (an international organizing federation), People’s Action (national organizing federation), and the League of Women Voters (national office). In 2000, she launched O’Neal Consulting, a social impact practice, in her native California. Her clients included nonprofit organizations and an 11-member funder collaborative focused on health. In 2005, she relocated to the Washington DC area, where her consulting practice expanded to include women’s funds, reproductive rights organizations, foundation national affinity groups, and an 8-member funder collaborative focused on Prince George’s County. Tori accepted a senior leadership position with the Center for Community Change (now Community Change) in 2009, where she served for seven years as Director of Institutional Advancement. She then transitioned to Demos in 2015, a national think tank led by Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can …, where Tori served for four years as Vice President of External Affairs over both strategic communications and resource mobilization, as well as anchored the organization’s Washington DC office. She also served as the Chief of External Affairs over civic engagement, communications, and development at the national office of the NAACP during the pivotal year of 2020, when the organization’s resources and national external positioning rose exponentially. She is a co-author of Winning Grants, Step by Step, 5th Edition (Wiley Press, 2019), and author of the 4th Edition (Wiley Press, 2013), contributing author to Nonprofit 101 (also Wiley Press, 2019 and 2014), and is a proud mom to two beautiful sons, both of whom are currently attending college.