Board of Directors
Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s board of directors is a diverse group of community leaders who work to ensure that The Women’s Foundation stays focused on the mission and heart of the organization. The board is committed to innovation, fiscal responsibility and growth. Board members serve three-year terms. Members can participate in one or more of the organization’s four board committees: audit, development, finance & investment, and governance.
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Rachel S. Kronowitz Board Chair Attorney Gilbert LLP Rachel Kronowitz is a founding partner and vice chair of Gilbert LLP. Prior to joining Gilbert, Rachel was a partner in the Complex Dispute Resolution Group at Dickstein Shapiro. Previously, she was affiliated with Covington & Burling. In addition to serving as chair of The Women’s Foundation board of directors, Rachel is a member of the Washington 100 leadership network. She is on the board of Equal Justice Works, is a trustee of the Jewish Council for the Aging and is an active participant of the Georgetown Day School Parent Service Association. |
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Carolyn S. Berkowitz Governance Committee President, Capital One Foundation and Vice President, Community Affairs, Capital One Carolyn is responsible for Capital One’s community relations, contributions and volunteerism. Prior to joining Capital One, Carolyn served as Senior Vice President for Community Mobilization for the America’s Promise Alliance and as Vice President of the Points of Light Foundation. She is also a member of the Washington 100. Carolyn lives in Burke, VA with her husband Alan. They have two children, Leslie and Josh. |
| Viki Betancourt The World Bank (retired) Prior to her retirement in 2012, Viki was the manager of the World Bank’s Community Outreach Program. She also served as the manager of the World Bank Community Connections Fund, a nonprofit organization designed to implement a workplace giving program and manage disaster relief efforts. Viki is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Greater Washington and served on its board for five years.She’s also a graduate of Stanford’s Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders and is the chair of the public education working group of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, a co-chair of the Collaborative for Education Organizing, and is on the Advisory Board of Perform Well. |
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Jennifer Cortner Group Account Director Discovery Communications Jennifer currently leads the Account Services team at Discovery Creative, the in-house advertising agency for Discovery Communications. Prior to working at Discovery, she was the co-owner and president of EFX Media, a media communications company specializing in video and interactive media. Jennifer is extremely active in the DC-area business and nonprofit communities. She is also on the board of the DC Ad club and is on the Advisory Board of Women in Film and Video, where she also served as president. |
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Audrey Bracey Deegan Audit Committee; Finance & Investment Committee Managing Director Hudson Chesapeake Prior to joining Hudson Chesapeake, Audrey headed the Washington, DC office of OMG. She has also worked collaboratively with leaders in global relief, arts education, volunteerism, community engagement and international development. She currently sits on the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Board of Visitors and the MSFS Program’s advisory board. She has been a board member of several national and global organizations that protect and advocate for women and girls. |
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Allison Dyer Chair, Finance & Investment Committee; Audit Committee Partner Deloitte & Touche LLP A partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP, Allison has worked at the accounting and consulting firm for 20 years. Prior to working at Deloitte & Touche, she was a financial systems manager at Cushman & Wakefield. Previously, she worked as asset manager for a portfolio of commercial mortgage loans and served as controller for Lennar Partners. Allison is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. |
| Samia Farouki Founder & President HII Finance Corporation Anna Flores is Vice President of Consumer and Community Affairs at American Express. Prior to her current position, Anna served as Director of Consumer Programs for the AARP Foundation. She was also Director of Consumer Services for the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. In addition, Ms. Flores is a former Executive Director of the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators.
In addition to serving on the board of The Women’s Foundation, Anna is also on the board of directors of the National Consumers League and Nueva Vida – A Support Network for Latinas with Cancer.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Anna received an undergraduate degree in communication from Canisius College. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband Daniel and their two sons.
Samia is the founder and president of HII Finance Corporation. She originates and oversees the investment company’s diverse portfolio and leads numerous U.S. corporations in their growth across national and international markets, with a particular interest in women-owned businesses. Over the past 33 years she has focused her creative energy on serving the missions of numerous educational and cultural institutions. She was instrumental in forming the vision and strategy for the Lab School of Washington and is currently a member of the board of trustees for Vital Voices, Teach for America (DC region), the King Hussein Foundation, the King Hussein Cancer Center, the World Conference on Religions for Peace, and she serves on the board of governors of the Arab American Institute. She and her husband, A. Huda Farouki, currently co-chair the International Committee for the Arts of the Kennedy Center and the Middle East Programs at the Aspen Institute. |
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Anna Flores Vice President, Consumer & Community Affairs American Express Prior to her current position at American Express, Anna served as Director of Consumer Programs for the AARP Foundation. She was also Director of Consumer Services for the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. Anna is also a former Executive Director of the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. In addition to serving on the board of The Women’s Foundation, Anna is also on the board of directors of the National Consumers League and Nueva Vida – A Support Network for Latinas with Cancer. A native of Buffalo, New York, Anna received an undergraduate degree in communication from Canisius College. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband Daniel and their two sons. |
| Robert T. Grimm, Jr. Director The Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland at College Park Prior to leading the recently created Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, Bob served as director of research and policy development and senior counselor to the CEO at the Corporation for National and Community Service. At the Corporation he played a key leadership role in the passage and implementation of the Kennedy Serve America Act. A graduate of Monmouth College, Bob also holds a Ph.D. in history and an MA in nonprofit management and philanthropy from Indiana University. He has researched and written about topics including nonprofit management, public policy and charitable behaviors. A native of Iowa, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife Laura and five-year-old daughter Astrid. |
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Cathy Isaacson Chair, Governance Committee Retired Attorney & Philanthropist ———————————————————————————————— Before returning to her hometown of Washington in 2003, Cathy worked as an attorney in private practice in Boston and New York. In addition to her work with The Women’s Foundation board of directors, Cathy is also a member of the Washington 100 and has served on the board of Maret School, and is a member of the Fellows’ Advisory Board and Washington Programming Committee of the Aspen Institute. She is also a member of the Bezos Scholars Selection Committee. Cathy received a B.A. from Smith College and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law. |
| Debbi Jarvis PEPCO Holdings Debbi is the vice president of Corporate Citizenship and Social Responsibility for PEPCO Holdings. A former anchor and reporter for NBC4 in Washington, she joined PEPCO Holdings in 2004. She has served as the company’s face and voice in radio and television commercials and she develops strategies around corporate goodwill in the communities served by the company. Debbi also serves on the board of the DC Police Foundation, the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County, the International Association of Business Communicators – DC Metro, and Leadership Montgomery. She recently served as chair for the United Way National Capital Area campaign and has volunteered as an emcee for dozens of charitable events. |
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Julie Jensen Finance & Investment Committee Jenesis Group Julie serves as COO of The Jenesis Group based in Irving, Texas. This private family foundation brings innovation and an entrepreneurial philosophy to philanthropy. She is also the co-founder of The Chasdrew Fund, which provides pro bono technical assistance to charities that are associated with disadvantaged youth. Julie is a member of The Women’s Foundation’s Washington 100 leadership network. She received a B.A. in biology from Grinnell College as well as a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. |
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Beth Johnson Development Committee President RP3 Agency Beth is the co-founder and owner of RP3 Agency, a collective of forward-thinkers with a long track record of solving tough marketing challenges. Prior to starting the advertising agency, Beth was an executive vice president at Rosenthal Partners. |
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Kim Natovitz Audit Committee President The Natovitz Group Kim owns her own insurance agency which specializes in disability, life and long-term care insurance. Prior to establishing her own firm, Kim was a life insurance and pension specialist with Safeco Life Insurance Company. She has been a guest lecturer for the Baltimore County Commission on Aging and Georgetown University Law School. Kim has also conducted programs for consumer groups such as the Arthritis Foundation and local chapters of the AARP. Kim serves on the board of Eaglebank. She is also a member of the Washington 100. |
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Alex P. Orfinger Chair, Development Committee Publisher Washington Business Journal Alex is the publisher of Washington Business Journal. The weekly journal and its accompanying website remain the primary sources of local business in greater Washington. Alex is active in the local business community and has a long history of service to community boards. He currently serves on the boards of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the United Way of the National Capital Region. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine, Business Person of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Greater Washington’s Regional Leadership Award in recognition of his efforts to bring the region together. |
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Julie L. Rogers Governance Committee President & CEO Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation Julie leads The Meyer Foundation, an organization nationally recognized for its programs that strengthen the leadership and management of its grantees and for a deep commitment to strengthening philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. A leader in national and regional philanthropy, Julie works to find innovative and collaborative ways to support The Meyer Foundation’s grantees and meet community needs. She founded the Washington AIDS Partnership and was the founding chair of Washington Grantmakers. Before joining The Meyer Foundation in 1986, Julie served as staff director of the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Human Services and taught in the Montgomery County public school system. |
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Sonal Shah Development Committee Former Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the White House Office on Social Innovation and Civic Participation Sonal recently stepped down from her position as deputy assistant to the President and director of the White House Office on Social Innovation and Civic Participation. She also served on President Obama’s transition team overseeing the Technology, Innovation, Government Reform working group. Before joining the White House, Sonal led Google’s global development initiatives for its philanthropy initiative Google.org. Prior to Google, she served as vice president at Goldman Sachs, Inc., where she developed and implemented the firm’s environmental strategy. At the same time, she co-founded a nonprofit, Indicorps, which offers fellowships for Indian-Americans to work on development projects in India. |
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Barbara Strom Thompson Child Development Specialist Barbara is in private practice in the greater Washington area. She has broad experience in the child advocacy, early childhood and parent education fields. For the last 20 years, she has conducted work site seminars and consulted with parents and schools on children’s learning and behavior. She is the founder and director of the Parent Encouragement Program’s Friendship Camp, which promotes leadership and social skills. Barbara has served on boards and parents associations from the preschool to upper school levels. She is also a founding member of the Ohio University Women in Philanthropy Initiative. Her involvement with The Women’s Foundation has included memberships in the Rainmakers Giving Circle and the Washington 100 leadership network. |
