Board Member Profiles

Yolanda Alcorta – Ward 5

Ms. Alcorta has nearly forty years of experience in the museum, educational, and non-profit sectors. She is the founder of Alcorta Connections, a bilingual consulting firm to the non-profit community specializing in arts and cultural issues. Ms. Alcorta received a B.A. in Biology from Russell Sage College, an M.A. in Teaching-Museum Education from George Washington University, and an M.S. in Biology from The University of Michigan.

Lea-Ann Bigelow – Ward 1

Ms. Bigelow has a background in Economics and Art History which she received through her education at The University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, and Indiana University. Professionally she has worked in several art galleries and museums as well as investment and consulting firms. Current she is the Senior Budget Analyst for the National Gallery of Art.

Kanya Bennett, Esq. – Ward 7

Ms. Bennett is a lawyer and current Associate Director of Programs at the American Constitution Society. Bennett organizes debates and dialogue around relevant constitutional, legal, and policy issues. Previously, Bennett has served as Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and was a Fellow at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She received her B.A. from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Robert Bremner – Ward 3

Mr. Bremner received his education from Yale University and Harvard University. He has worked in the field of Finance for over 20 years and has served on the board for the Dayton Contemporary Art Gallery and the Associate Board of the Dayton Art Institute. He has also written two published books and is currently working on his third.

Juanita "Busy Bee" Britton – Ward 8

Ms. Britton, a Detroit native and long time resident of Washington’s historic Anacostia, is a hands-on mentor for area youth and passionate about elevating the interest and image of her neighbors and community. Steadfastly, Ms. Britton has refused to abandon Southeast where she has resided for 13 years. A well known fixture in the nation’s capital, she is the force behind the BZB Gift & Art Show, The Largest African American Department Store on the East Coast. Ms. Britton received a Masters in Public Affairs from Howard University, in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Brittnay Buckner – Ward 7

Mrs. Buckner is committed to improving public education in the District of Columbia. She serves as the new Coordinator of Teacher Recognition and Engagement for DC Public Schools in the Office of the Chancellor. She is a former elementary school teacher and received her master’s degree in Arts In Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2007. Mrs. Buckner is an active lover of the arts; she has over nine years experience as a jazz vocalist and song writer and she continues to write creatively.

Megan Cosby – Ward 6

Ms. Cosby is an attorney specializing in entertainment, media, and technology law. She is also the founder of Polichicks Online: The "It" Girl’s Guide to Politics, which is a political news website for women that dishes just enough to get by at a cocktail party. She has also been a consultant for Strategy LLC where she worked for newspapers, corporations, and mayoral campaigns. Ms. Cosby earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and psychology from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Southern California.

Chris Galloway - Ward 4

Mr. Galloway is a bank regulator at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and has held diverse positions in the public and private financial sectors. Galloway graduated from the University of Virginia and received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Finance and International Business. Galloway's expertise is in risk management, securitization, due diligence, corporate finance, treasury, capital markets, and auditing.

Bradford C. Grant - Ward 5

Mr. Grant is the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Science and the Director of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University. He is the former Chairperson and Endowed University Professor of Architecture in the Department of Architecture at Hampton University, Hampton, VA and has extensive experience in housing and community design. Grant received a Master’s degree in Architecture with a focus on social and cultural factors from the University of California at Berkeley.

VV Harrison - Ward 2

Ms. Harrison worked in New York for Payson & Trask a venture capital firm, and for Henry Dreyfuss an industrial design firm. She then moved to Washington to join the staff of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. In addition to working on the Hill and at the White House, she has authored two non-fiction books and is presently at work on a novel. Harrison received her education from The Convent of the Sacred Heart in Philadelphia, PA.

Greg Jefferson – Ward 4

Mr. Jefferson currently serves as one of the legislative representatives in the AFL-CIO’s Legislation Department where his duties include lobbying Congress on the congressional budget, taxes, financial regulatory reform, bankruptcy, tort reform, and workforce development. Prior to his position at the AFL-CIO, Mr. Jefferson worked in a variety of governmental and juridical positions providing him with a wellspring of diverse and practical experience. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and received a B.A. from the University of Virginia. Mr. Jefferson resides in Ward 4 with his wife and three children ages 10, 8, and 6.

Aaron Jenkins – Ward 7

Mr. Jenkins is a native Washingtonian who has a great appreciation for the city, its unique culture and important history. He is actively involved in the community, volunteering in literacy programs and scholarship selection committees that directly benefit students in the Washington metropolitan area. He has worked as a legislative analyst for then Councilmember Adrian Fenty and is currently a legislative aide for United States Senator John Kerry. Mr. Jankins received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Williams College.

Lynn C. Jennings, PhD. – Ward 4

Dr. Jennings, with ten years of combined experience in college teaching and program management, strives to support initiatives that further the humanities in Washington, D.C. communities. Currently, Dr. Jennings serves as the Senior Programs Manager of Leadership Education and Scholarship Programs for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She has taught classes in English at myriad institutions of higher education in addition to instructing high school students. Dr. Jennings received a B.A. in English from Spelman College and her Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Marlene Hunt Moss – Ward 4

Ms. Moss received a BFA from the Leonard Davis Center for the performing Arts of the City University of New York. She served as Director of Marketing, East Coast, for the National Captioning Institute and served on the Board of Directors for Young Audiences of the District of Columbia.

Moses "DJ" Nunez – Ward 1

Mr. Nunez has a background in construction, architecture, and community relations. He has worked with Montage Inc., International Builders Inc., and United Planning Organization. He is currently serving as an At-large Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) member for the Chief of police as well as a commissioner for the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA). He has also worked on with several organizations in Washington, D.C. dedicated to community development, and is currently the Lead Safe Washington-Site Inspection Coordinator for the Department of Housing and Community Development. Mr. Nunez resides in Ward 1.

David Rowland – Ward 1

David Rowland is an experienced finance professional currently working for Fannie Mae as a Business Manager communicating performance metrics for the Making Home Affordable program. Prior to this, he worked for Fannie Mae in their Low Income Housing Tax Credit division, helping to evaluate and report on the performance of the portfolio and the Fannie Mae Foundation managing the accounting operations, including payment of their approximately $50 million annual grant cycle. He has lived in the DC area with his partner, Dr. Arthur Shaffer, for 12 years - 5 years in the Van Ness neighborhood, 6 years in Bethesda and since August 2009, in Adams Morgan (Ward 2). He holds a BS degree from Cal Poly-Pomona and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

Marianne Scott - Ward 4

Ms. Scott has an outstanding record of diplomatic service, non-profit leadership, and innovative international exchange and program development. She is currently a federal contractor serving as a senior advisor in the Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. Scott has served as executive director of Our Voices Together and the Daniel Pearl Foundation and worked as a senior advisor to the Peter C. Alderman Foundation.  She spent 16 years with USIA and the Department of State as a Foreign Service officer in Nairobi, Mexico City, Guatemala City, and Washington, D.C. She is the author of the book “A Citizen’s Guide to Global Economic Policymaking”, published by The League of Women Voters Education Fund.  She has been a resident of Washington, D.C. since age 4, except when she was living overseas or studying International Relations at Stanford University.

Marjan Shallal - Ward 1

Ms. Shallal is a political activist and wife of local businessman Andy Shallal, with whom she owns the Busboys & Poets restaurants in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. A critic of U.S. and Iranian policy she recently traveled to Iran where she and her husband met with government officials, and human rights and women’s rights activists.

Kimberly Springle  -  Ward 5

Ms. Springle serves as the Executive Director for the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, where she develops programs and enrichment activities in partnership with many humanities organizations throughout Washington, DC. Springle is a graduate of the College of Charleston in South Carolina where she majored in History and minored in African American Studies. She received a Masters in History and Museum Studies from the SUNY Oneonta, Cooperstown Graduate Program.

Christine M. Warnke, Ph.D. - Ward 2

Dr. Warnke represents clients on legislative and regulatory matters before the United States Congress, the White House, and various departments and independent agencies of the executive branch in the United States. She also represents national and multinational corporations, trade associations, and coalitions. Warnke has spearheaded several initiatives that have both domestic and international implications, particularly in the areas of health, human rights, and women’s issues. In 1998 the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recognized Warnke as one of Washington D.C.’s finest professionals.