Board of Directors | Former Board Members | Committee Chairs
Advisory Board | Founding Families | Staff
is an account manager with NCSDO, a strategic marketing firm that works exclusively with institutions of higher education, located in downtown Baltimore. Judy grew up in a suburb of Washington, DC before coming to Baltimore in 1991 to attend Johns Hopkins University and never left. After finishing both undergraduate and graduate work at JHU, Judy served her alma mater in the Offices of Admissions, Alumni Relations, and Development before joining NCSDO in 2000. Outside of work, Judy is an active volunteer within the Otterbein Community Association, the moderator of the Federal Hill Parents Club, and a member of the JHU Alumni Council, the Walters Art Gallery Family Advisory Committee, the Pratt Contemporaries, the Friends of Enoch Pratt Light Street Branch, and the GraceCity/Grace Fellowship Church leadership team. Judy and her husband Brendan live in Otterbein and enjoy living, working, and raising their two young daughters, Sophie and Karis, in the city. Karis attends the Baltimore Montessori School in Locust Point and Sophie attends public school Pre-K at Federal Hill Preparatory. Judy is president of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. She can be reached at judy@dbfam.org.
is an attorney at Jacobs & Dembert, P.A., a small firm located in downtown Baltimore where her practice focuses on business law. Maria received a B.A. in public policy, with a minor in computer science, from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Upon returning to her home state of Connecticut, she spent the next several years working for Sikorsky Aircraft as a software programmer, while simultaneously studying for her law degree at the University of Connecticut. Maria and her husband Vince chose to relocate to Baltimore in 1998 in conjunction with the start of Maria’s legal career, after searching for a vibrant, friendly, urban environment where Maria could preferably walk to work. They found just what they were looking for in the Otterbein neighborhood. Maria and Vince are parents to Ella and Peter, two school-aged children who both attend public city schools, one at The Green School of Baltimore, a public charter school, and the other at Federal Hill Preparatory School, an elementary/middle school. Maria has been an active participant in FHP’s PTO since 2006 and currently serves as a member of its School Family Council and Chair of its Grounds Committee. Maria is vice president of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. She can be reached at maria@dbfam.org.
received her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Maryland, College Park where she was a Banneker/Key Scholar. Shanaysha was raised in St. Mary's County and is a product of Maryland public schools. She previously taught English literature in public and private high schools in Baltimore County and politics at the college level at UMBC and Hood College. Currently, Shanaysha is an assistant professor at a university in Washington, D.C. She and her spouse Edward, a Baltimore native, have resided in Patterson Park since 2002 and have three children: Maya, Sydney, and Edward. They are proud parents at Hampstead Hill Academy of the Baltimore City Public School System. She and her family have found a wonderful and rich community of neighbors, friends, and urbanites in southeast Baltimore. Shanaysha formerly served as the founding treasurer and chair of the finance committee of the Patterson Park Public Charter School. She is a member of the American Political Science Association and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. Shanaysha serves as the treasurer of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. She can be reached at shanaysha@dbfam.org.
is a project manager for Greater Baltimore AHC, a nonprofit developer that works to preserve quality affordable housing in Baltimore City. She holds an undergraduate degree in international studies, with a concentration in business, from the University of Evansville and a master's degree in international affairs, with a concentration in international political economy, from Florida State University. Allison and her husband Jay moved to Baltimore in 2003 and bought a house in Ridgely's Delight near Camden Yards. They welcomed their daughter, Gracie Alma, in 2006. In addition to her work at GBAHC, Allison is active in the Ridgely's Delight Community Association, serving as secretary of the board and formerly as vice president of communications and editor of the Ridgely's Record. She also serves on the George Washington Elementary Community Council. Allison served as the chair of the outreach committee of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance from 2007-2009 during which time she successfully initiated and chaired the Adopt-A-Family program. She currently serves as the secretary of the board of directors and can be reached at allison@dbfam.org.
is a part-time nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a full-time "mom"to her infant son Charlie and their Catahoula leopard dog Blue. Sara and her husband came to Baltimore in 2005 so Sara could attend the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. They soon fell in love with the city and in 2006 bought a home in Patterson Park. Prior to entering the nursing field, Sara graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in government and politics. She worked for three years in resource development at the Alaska Wilderness League in Washington, DC. Currently, Sara and her husband are active in the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association and volunteer their time at various local charities. Sara served as the chair of the resource development committee of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance from 2007-2009 and currently serves on the board of directors.
is a grants analyst with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to working at USDA, Michele worked for the State of Maryland Department of Agriculture for eight years as the administrator of the Conservation Grants Program. Michele moved to Baltimore in 1999 from New Jersey, where she received a bachelor's degree in natural resource management from Rutgers University. She now resides in Canton with her husband Eric and daughter Marin. Marin attends the Baltimore Montessori in Locust Point where Michele is the moderator of the parents listserv. Michele served as the chair of the events committee of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance from 2007-2009 and currently serves on the board of directors.
has worked for financial institutions for 19 years and is currently an IT manager at Legg Mason, which is headquartered in downtown Baltimore. Joe grew up in New York, where he received a BA in math from the University of Buffalo and an MBA from Pace University. He has been a resident of Otterbein since 1999 and now lives with his wife Megan and their two young daughters, Natalie and Lillian. Natalie will soon start preschool downtown at Christ Lutheran. Joe was formerly a committee member for and continues to volunteer at the Baltimore chapter of the American Heart Association. Joe serves as the chair of the finance committee on the board of directors of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.
spent 10 years selling residential real estate for Coldwell Banker, primarily in Baltimore's downtown neighborhoods. Currently, she is at home with her two young children: Charlie, who attends Arts and Ideas Elementary, and Zoe, who attends nursery school in Federal Hill. Emily is a graduate of Bowdoin College and a native of Baltimore. She and her husband have lived downtown since 1996 and now reside in Little Italy, where she is active in the community and president of the Little Italy Parents Group. Emily served as the vice president of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance from 2007-2009 and currently serves as a member of its board of directors.
is a projects planner for Anne Arundel County's nonprofit housing and community development agency, where she administers federal, state, and local community development funds and works with other nonprofit organizations to improve communities. Prior to her current position, Erin served as a policy coordinator for children, youth, and family issues for the State of Maryland. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she moved to Baltimore to attend graduate school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she received her master’s degree in policy sciences with a concentration in urban policy. A resident of the city for nearly eight years, Erin and her husband Eric reside in Canton with their infant daughter Ava. Erin served as treasurer of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance from 2007-2009 and currently serves as a member of the board of directors.
has worked on issues of sustainable business, local living communities, renewable fuels, smart growth development, and the environment for more than 10 years in business, government, and the nonprofit sector. As the founder of three small businesses in the waste management, software development, and wireless services industries and the executive director of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance, an environmental nonprofit, Keith has committed himself to advancing the economic and environmental health in Baltimore's collection of diverse communities. Keith holds a BS from Texas Tech University and serves on the boards of the Preservation Society, Christ Church Inner Harbor Foundation, and Chesapeake Sustainability Foundation. Keith is also a member of the Commission on Sustainability for the City of Baltimore. He lives in Federal Hill with his wife and two young sons, Louis and Roscoe. Keith serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.
is a Baltimore native born into a tradition of public service. A former three-term Baltimore City Council member, Keiffer has worked to improve the quality of Baltimore’s schools and the safety of its streets. After graduating from Emory with a degree in political science, Keiffer went on to the District of Columbia School of Law, receiving his law degree in 1994. Outside of the classroom, he served as a White House intern during the Clinton administration and as a law clerk for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He later worked with the Maryland Public Defender’s Office and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In 1995, Keiffer returned to his alma mater, Boys’ Latin School, to teach United States, African-American, and Maryland history. That same year, he was elected to his first term on the Baltimore City Council. In 2000, Keiffer served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and was appointed chairman of Baltimore’s Human Services Commission. Two years later, he was re-elected to the city council, named to the Democratic State Central Committee and appointed second vice-chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. In 2002, Keiffer left Boys’ Latin to complete his own financial education with the A.G. Edwards brokerage firm, then with Harbor Bank. He is currently an officer of Small Business Banking at Wachovia Bank, specializing in nonprofit clients. Among his community activities are service on the boards of the Echo Hill Outdoor School, the Family Tree, Habitat for Humanity, and Boys’ Latin School. A lifelong parishioner at Sharp Street United Methodist Church, he lives in Bolton Hill with wife Nicole and their two young children, Jack and Kenna, where he is a member of the board of the neighborhood association. Keiffer serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.
is an attorney practicing environmental law at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. in downtown Baltimore. Evynn grew up in Baltimore, attended Baltimore City public schools, and after obtaining her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, went to law school in Baltimore, at University of Maryland School of Law. Evynn and her husband Kurt lived in Canton for eight years, had their son Jack in 2004, their daughter Amelia in 2006, and their third child Henry in 2009. The family recently moved to Roland Park. Jack attends kindergarten at Roland Park Elementary School. Evynn, with the support of her firm, has been providing probono legal services to the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance since early 2008, including assisting DBFA in obtaining its 501(c)(3) status. She currently serves as a member of the DBFA board of directors.
is a consultant with Computer Sciences Corporation and works in their Federal Consulting Practice, specializing in operations and strategic planning. He works with large federal agencies transforming their business strategies to take advantage of new information technology infrastructure. Prior to joining CSC, Kyle worked for 10 years with Prometric, Inc as an operations manager overseeing the quality and performance of a network of 3000 computer-based testing centers. Kyle has served two terms on the Board of Examiners for the Maryland Performance Excellence Awards, an organization promoting the Baldrige quality principles for Maryland businesses. Kyle grew up in a small town in East Texas and holds a BA in political science from Texas A&M University. After moving to Baltimore in 1999, he obtained an MBA from the University of Maryland. To take advantage of downtown living, Kyle joined several social sports and recreation leagues before meeting his wife Melissa during the inaugural season of the Kickball League of Baltimore. Kyle and Melissa currently reside in Canton with their young son Aron. Kyle serves as chair of the strategic planning committee on the board of directors of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.
is pursuing her PhD in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan and was transplanted to Baltimore’s Upper Fells Point for her husband’s residency at Johns Hopkins. Appropriately, her dissertation work focuses on women’s experience of urban space. Her other life’s work are daughters Lilian and Adeline, who, respectively, attend the public charter school Wolfe Street Academy and the Baltimore Montessori preschool. Rebecca holds an undergraduate degree in English from Brown University and a master’s degree in English from the University of Michigan. Previously, she worked in publishing for the University of Texas and the University of Michigan Press. Outside of her dissertation work, she is the facilitator of the SEBaltCityKids parent network. Past commitments include serving as the beautification chair of the Fells Prospect neighborhood association, the founder and chair of the Greater Fell’s Point Sanitation Coalition, a founding member of the Friends of Patterson Park Pool Committee, and a founder and board development chair for the Patterson Park Public Charter School. Rebecca is the founder of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance, served as the organization’s secretary from 2007-2009, and currently serves on its board of directors.
and her husband Thomas are the owners of aMuse Toys, a well-known specialty toy store with locations in Fells Point and Quarry Lake. They live in Fell’s Point with their son Sebastian, who attends Hampstead Hill Academy, a public charter school. Claudia is a native of Colombia, S.A., where she attended law school before returning to the United States in 2001. She is proficient in both English and Spanish, as is her son. Claudia is currently board president of the Fell’s Point Development Corporation, a Main Streets nonprofit organization supporting the revitalization of the Fell’s Point Business District. Claudia was also a founder of the Patterson Park Public Charter School, acting as the family relations liaison during its start-up phase and serving on the board of directors as chair of the advocacy committee. Her dedication to community involvement reaches over two dozen organizations through volunteer activities and financial contributions. She and her family are committed to enhancing the lives of families in the city of Baltimore through their business and personal endeavors. Claudia serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.