MEET THE TEAM

Staff

Christina Fenton, Co-Executive Director (Interim)

christina@brooklandvillage.org / 202-658-5958

Prior to joining GBIV, Christina Fenton was the Assistant Director of Program Operations at the School of Public Health at the George Washington University. There she managed events and programs for adult learners. Before moving to DC, Christina lived in Austin, TX, and worked at the University of Texas at Austin. During her time in Austin, she ran enrichment programs for seniors in connection with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Christina is a lifelong learner who loves plants, thrifting, and adventuring with her family. She moved to Brookland in 2014 with her husband and together they have two daughters and a sweet pup.

Nadia Mercer, Co-Executive Director (Interim)

nadia@brooklandvillage.org / 202-658-5958

Prior to joining the Greater Brookland Intergenerational Village in April 2022, Nadia spent a decade with the Friends of the National Arboretum in many roles, from Garden Manager, to Program Director, to Director of Institutional Relations. She has experience in volunteer management, program management, and development. Nadia has called Brookland home since 2009.

Kinyofu Mlimwengu, Community Organizer

Kinyofu@brooklandvillage.org | 202-750-3601

Kinyofu has been inspiring generations of resilience from wombs to classrooms for over twenty years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Community and Human Services and Master’s Degree in Education. Combined with her roles as a birthworker, parent educator, coach, workshop facilitator, author, and public and private school teacher she is in a perfectly unique position to fully advocate for families.

Board of Directors

Bessie Watts, Board President

Bessie is currently a Director at a private equity firm where she manages an External Directors program and is responsible for leveraging executive relationships strategically to advance the broader firm's strategy. Prior to, Bessie worked as a Director at CARE USA serving as the Operational Lead and Chief of Staff to the Innovation team and Chief Innovation Officer. Bessie is a graduate of Spelman College and Georgetown’s Master’s in Foreign Service Program. Although a DC native, Bessie was raised in Durham, NC. Since college, she has spent her professional years in New York City, Atlanta, and DC.

Lindsay Jordan, Board Treasurer

Ms. Jordan, an accounting and finance professional, has been living in DC since 2002. After a decade of working in the restaurant and hotel industry for brands such as the Ritz-Carlton, Ms. Jordan merged her exceptional client service and hospitality skills into a professional services career at EY. Since 2014, Ms. Jordan has served as a technical accounting and financial reporting advisor. She has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2015. Ms. Jordan is also co-owner and co-founder of Gravitas, Baker’s Daughter, and Michele’s restaurants and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.

Jodi Narde, Board Secretary

Jodi Narde is currently the Director of Editorial and Publications at New America, where she partners with researchers and policy experts to connect their work to broader audiences. Jodi has over fifteen years of experience in strategic communications work across global nonprofits, academic publishers, and think tanks. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree in nonprofit management from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She lives in Brookland with her partner. 

Sharon White, At-Large Board Member

Sharon was born and raised in southeast Washington, DC, where she worked diligently in her community. Her hard work enabled her to win a DC Federation of Civic Associations Youth trophy - featured in the Afro-American Newspaper. After moving away for 35 years, serving her community was at the forefront of her mind, so she moved back to DC. She then volunteered at So Others Might Eat, Food and Friends and AARP Experience Corps to teach reading fluency to elementary school aged children. Sharon has a Master of Arts degree in Education and Human Development from GW University. She retired following a 37 year career in teaching various subjects to pre-school through college aged students around the DMV. Sharon has a passion for community engagements, especially when it pertains to seasoned citizens. Sharon is on the GBIV Program Committee.

Laura Worby, At-Large Board Member

Laura has lived in DC since 1979 and in Brookland since 1990. She is a retired family nurse practitioner and is currently working part-time as a forensic nurse examiner. She has served on several boards in the past, including for a non-profit medical clinic, a daycare center, a peace and justice organization, and the nurse practitioner Association of DC. She is also an active member of Brookland’s Huddle for the Future, a group of activist women working on a wide range of local and national issues. Laura is the chair of the GBIV Program committee.

Joan Stahl, At-Large Board Member

Joan has lived in DC for more than 25 years. She holds an MA from University of Maryland and an MLS from Rutgers University. Currently working as Director, Research and Instruction, University Libraries, The Catholic University of America, she has also served as Head Librarian, George Washington's Mount Vernon and Head, Slide + Photo Archives, Smithsonian American Art Museum, among other positions. She is a volunteer at the U.S. National Arboretum and the Humane Rescue Alliance and chair of the GBIV Membership Committee.

Jason Alcorn, At-Large Board Member

Jason is Vice President of Growth Investments at the American Journalism Project, the first venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. In his role, he leads a portfolio of investments in nonprofit newsrooms across the country, partnering with civic leaders to rebuild local news and strengthen communities. Before helping to launch AJP, Jason was an award-winning investigative journalist and led his own strategic consulting practice. A Brookland resident since 2019, he has spent his career working to make civic life more accessible and inspired. Beyond his professional work, he helped start a neighborhood soccer game in 2021 that still brings neighbors together weekly, co-organizes an annual block party, and is a proud supporter of the PTA at Elsie Whitlow Stokes, where his children attend the Spanish immersion program.

Danielle Schmutz, At-Large Board Member

Danielle is the Executive Director of Beacon House, a Ward 5 nonprofit with more than 30 years of history providing education, athletics, and mentoring programs for children and youth. She has been connected to Beacon House since 2014, first serving as Director of Programs and Operations before returning as Executive Director in 2024. Danielle also held leadership roles at Surgo Ventures and Surgo Health, organizations dedicated to using data and innovation to address major health challenges. She earned her BS in Sociology and Child Development from Central Michigan University and her MSW in Management and Policy from the University of Michigan. A Brookland resident, Danielle is passionate about place-based work that strengthens communities and creates pathways for people to thrive. Outside of work, she enjoys making pottery and spending time outdoors with her husband and their dog, Pearl.