Francesca
Pellegrino, President and Founder, has 25 years administrative experience in the diplomatic community in Washington, D.C. She is married with one son, who inspired her to create CCSE and become an advocate for children and youth with disabilities. Mrs. Pellegrino has been an active member of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C. since 1984 where she created the disAbilities Ministry - now a model for Catholic churches around the nation. She now serves on its Executive Committee. Mrs. Pellegrino also serves on the Archdiocese of Washington’s Disabilities Constituent Advisory Committee, Catholic University’s Early Childhood/ Special Education Advisory Council and on Montgomery County’s Commission on People with Disabilities. She has also served on the Board of Directors of a local performing arts organization. Mrs. Pellegrino is a native of Rome, Italy, but spent most of her formative years in England, where she attended the Polytechnic of Central London (UK). She is fluent in English, Italian and French.
Frank
Pellegrino, Vice President, is a Software IT Architect with
IBM. Mr. Pellegrino a 25 year resident of Montgomery County, MD. has
served on many non-profit organizations’ Boards of Directors. He brings
a wealth of experience to CCSE both through his non-profit experience
as well as through his professional management and sales background.
Mr. Pellegrino holds a B.S. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He enjoys playing the cello with several community orchestras. He is
married to Francesca Pellegrino and is also an active member of the
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.
Patrick Murphy, Treasurer, is a Special Advisor to CFM Partners, Inc., a governance, risk and compliance firm in Washington, DC. Previously, Mr. Murphy served as CFM’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for eight years where he was responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day operations. During this time, he led the design and development of the company’s Internet-based learning management system and assisted in its funding efforts. Mr. Murphy stepped down as the company’s COO in 2006 to enter the seminary for the Archdiocese of Washington. He spent four years in the seminary studying philosophy and theology at The Catholic University of America.
Prior to CFM, Mr. Murphy was an associate with the law firm of Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. where he represented financial institutions with loan workout and creditor rights issues. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Murphy worked for both First American Bancshares and First American Bank, NA. At First American Bancshares, Mr. Murphy completed an extensive bank-management training program where he was trained in all aspects of corporate and retail banking. After completion of the program, Mr. Murphy moved to First American Bank, NA, where he worked as a commercial real estate loan officer.
Kathleen Wach, Secretary, grew up
in Washington DC where she attended Catholic elementary school and Visitation
high school. She received a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and
served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps before receiving a law degree from
Georgetown University Law School. Kathleen currently serves as the Pro
Bono Counsel for Miller & Chevalier Chartered. Prior to her current
position, Kathleen represented clients as a staff attorney for the Legal
Aid Society of the District of Columbia and was a Westwood Fellow at
the Neighborhood Legal Services Program. She also previously worked
as an attorney in the Legal Division of the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the D.C. Circuit. Kathleen is co-chair for the Judicial Conference of
the DC Circuit’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services.
Kathleen met her husband, Peter Ellsworth, when both
were volunteers at Catholic Charities’ Mt. Carmel House Women’s
Shelter, where they later served on the Board of Advisors. Kathleen
has five children, two of whom have significant learning disabilities
and have required support throughout their education. Kathleen and her
family are parishioners at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown, and all
of the children attend Catholic schools.
Mary
Brogan, Director, Director, serves as the liaison to the CCSE
Parent Representatives. Mary holds a B.A. from Boston College and an
M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Maryland. She has
taught Special Ed in both Fairfax and Montgomery Counties and presently
serves on the Office of Youth Ministry/CYO Board of Directors for the
Archdiocese of Washington. Mary and her husband, Steve, have six children
and are members of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Silver Spring.
Carin
Collins, Director, grew up in the Washington area where she
attended Georgetown Visitation and then received her B.A. from The University
of Maryland. She worked for The Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation for 10
years. Carin is married to Steve Collins and is the mother of 4 children.
She also serves on the Board of Trustees at Mater Dei school.
Andrew Fois is presently Managing
Director of the National Crime Prevention Council, a non-profit organization
dedicated to preventing crime across the nation. In that capacity Mr.
Fois manages federal crime prevention grant programs, communications,
outreach, government relations, constituency services, development,
licensing and a wide variety of legal matters. He has also served as
an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Chief Counsel of the
Crime Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives and Assistant
Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. He has been in private
practice as a partner at the Venable law firm and as a sole practitioner.
He has been an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center
and the Washington College of Law at American University, has published
widely, is a frequent public speaker and has made countless media appearances.
Mr. Fois has been a member of the Shrine of the Blessed
Sacrament parish for 15 years and was a founding member of the Disabilities
Ministry and currently serves on its Executive Committee. He also acts
as a lector and Eucharistic Minister and has served on the Parish Council
and Parish Commission. Mr. Fois was a member and Chair of the D.C. Coalition
against Drugs and Violence.
He holds a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.A.
from the University of Essex in the U.K. and a J.D. from the Georgetown
University Law Center. Mr. Fois lives in Washington, D.C. and is married
with two children, Andrew and Thomas.
Marguerite
Kirst, Director, is Vice President of Marketing for the USO. A communications and marketing veteran, she heads up integrated marketing strategy and initiatives for this international nonprofit that supports America’s troops and their families. Prior to joining the USO, Marguerite served as vice president for constituent relations for the Autism Society of America and as deputy director of communications and research at IFES, an international non-profit dedicated to building democracies. She has experience with international marketing and business development with Price Waterhouse, the American Bankers Association, and the New York Institute of Finance. Marguerite has an MA from Johns Hopkins and a BA from Trinity College.
A native of Southern California, Marguerite is the mother of two children, an 11-year-old son with autism and a 13-year-old daughter with “empathy,” and is a parishioner at St. Bartholomew’s parish in Bethesda. She has served on the Woods Academy Parent Teacher Organization, volunteers with the Children’s Chorus of Washington, several auction committees, and was a parent/advocate member of the Special Needs Continuous Improvement Team of the Montgomery County Board of Education.
Fernand
A. Lavallee, Director, is a partner resident in the Washington,
D.C. offices of DLA Piper LLP US. Mr. Lavallee’s law practice
focuses on government contracts law and litigation. He is a frequent
lecturer on topics of interest to federal government contractors. He
holds an A.B. from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the College
of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law. He currently serves
on the Board of Directors for the Alumni Association of the College
of William and Mary Law School; and has served on the Board of Directors
of Mary of Nazareth Roman Catholic Elementary School in Darnestown,
Maryland. Mr. Lavallee and his wife, Lisa, have three children. They
are members of Mother Seton Parish in Germantown, Maryland.
Mr. Murphy received his B.S. in Finance from the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro and his J.D. from Catholic University
of America, Columbus School of Law.
Lucy
Nolan, Director, serves as the Board of Directors Liaison to
the CCSE Professional Advisory Board. Mrs. Nolan is a.Pediatric Physical
Therapist, holds a B.S. in Child Psychology and a B.S. in Physical Therapy.
She is a graduate of the University of Florida. Ms. Nolan has over twenty
five years experience in Physical Therapy. Her career began at Fairfax
Hospital, she then worked in a private, physical therapist owned and
run, practice and subsequently she was the Director of Therapy at a
Rehabilitation Facility. For the past seventeen years she has worked
for the Montgomery County Public Schools. She works with children who
have all types of neurological and physical concerns. Ms. Nolan has
consulted with both the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Easter Seals
Society in the past. Ms. Nolan is married, has three children and is
an active member at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac.
Maria
Leonard Olsen, Director, earned a J.D. from the University
of Virginia School of Law, and a B.S. from Boston College. She grew
up in the Washington area and graduated from Holy Redeemer School and
The Academy of the Holy Cross. Maria began her career with the law firm
of Dow Lohnes, where she practiced corporate and tax litigation, and
earned the D.C. Bar’s Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year Award.
During this time, she served on the board of the Alzheimer’s Association
of Greater Washington for six years. In 1993, she joined the Clinton
Administration’s Justice Department, where she worked on civil
justice issues, as well as the formulation of the government’s
first pro bono policy and program. Since having two children, she has
served on the Pastoral Council of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament,
where she is a Eucharistic Minister and sodalist, and has led a Renew
prayer group for the past eight years. Maria also led the first M.O.M.S.
group in the parish, and remains active in that program. Currently,
she and her husband serve as foster parents to newborn babies awaiting
adoption via the Barker Foundation. She also volunteers in her children’s
schools (Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and St. Albans), writes
for Bethesda Magazine and provides pro bono representation to victims
of domestic violence via the D.C. Bar’s Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Marianne Rhoda, Director, is a resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland, and a graduate of the University of Maryland and the Art Institute of Atlanta. While at the University of Maryland she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and was a White House intern for Esther Peterson, Consumer Advisor to President Carter. Upon graduation from the University of Maryland, Marianne joined the ranks of IBM sales executives in one of the most respected marketing training programs in the industry. Upon completion of the IBM program, she was assigned to the Department of the Treasury account where she provided Information Systems solutions. She excelled to the top ranks within IBM by achieving the honor of Hundred Percent Club member for eight consecutive years. Subsequent positions with GE Information Systems as a program manager for tax systems led her back to IBM as a senior re-hire after taking time off to spend with her two children, Spencer and Hilary, currently 24 and 23 years old. Spencer attended Mater Dei School and is a graduate of Georgetown Prep and University of Pennsylvania. Hilary attended St Jane de Chantal and is a graduate of the Academy of the Holy Cross.
Marianne is currently the Vice President of HRH Group Inc a management company she started in 2005 to manage Hilary’s career. In Marianne’s capacity as an HRH Group Inc Vice President, the company is involved in international endeavors, as well as charitable events/donations. These include New Yorkers for Children, the Metropolitan Museum of Art MET Ball, and CancerCare, which helps the families of those fighting cancer. Additionally, Marianne runs the business of HRH Group Inc by managing and overseeing the collaborative efforts between the International Management Group (IMG), and the HRH Group team consisting of legal, accounting and public relations/publicity.
Marianne is a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament.
Patricia Staros, Director
Past Board Members
Paul
Nolan, Treasurer, is the Vice President Tax with McCormick
& Company, Inc. in Sparks, Md. Paul holds a J. D. from the University
of Virginia School of Law and a B.A. from Amherst College. He is a member
of the New York State and District of Columbia Bar Associations, and
has been a regular presenter at Global Tax Executive Conferences. He
is a parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac where he served as
Chairman of the Finance Committee from 2004 through 2007. Paul began
his career nearly 20 years ago in the Washington office of Davis Polk
& Wardwell. In 1994, Paul joined AT&T Corp. where he held several
positions of increasing responsibility in tax planning as well as mergers
& acquisitions before joining Host Marriott Corporation in 1998
as Vice President Tax and Tax Counsel. In 1999, Paul joined Concert
Communications, a joint venture owned by AT&T and British Telecommunications,
plc., as Vice President -Tax, Mergers & Acquisitions Finance, and
Decision Support. After the Concert joint venture unwind, Paul was named
Tax Vice President-Global Tax Operations for AT&T Corp, where he
remained until joining McCormick in 2006.
Andrea
W. McCarthy, Secretary, holds a B.A. from the State University
of NY at Stony Brook and a J.D. from The Catholic University of America.
She is a Senior Trial Counsel with the United States Department of Justice,
Civil Division. Mrs. McCarthy is married with 2 children and is a member
of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.
David K. Ficca, served as Treasurer
from Octoer 2004 until February 2007. He is Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of the Baltimore Life Insurance Company. He
is a licensed CPA (although not currently practicing) in Maryland and
a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
He is Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Mr. Ficca and his
wife are graduates of Georgetown University, Washington, DC, where David
majored in Accounting. They are parents to 4 boys and members of the
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Washington.
M.
Elizabeth Latimer, M.D., Director, holds a B.S in Biology from
Fairfield University and an M.D. from Tufts University, School of Medicine.
Dr. Latimer is a Board Certified Pediatrician and Child Neurologist.
She is in private practice in Bethesda, Md. and treats many children
with special needs such as Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Learning
Disabilities and ADHD. Her interest in the CCSE is in an advocacy role
for her many patients who are in need of such services. Dr. Latimer
is married and is a member of Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, Maryland.
Patrick
J. Caulfield, Director, is the President and co-owner of Coakley
& Williams Construction, Inc., a large commercial and institutional
contracting firm. Mr. Caulfield is an active member of a number of charitable
organizations, including serving as: Chairman of the Board, Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the National Capital Area; Board of Directors, Victory
Youth Centers, Inc.; Board of Advisors, St. Anselm’s Abbey School; Board
of Trustees, Connelly School of the Holy Child, and Board of Directors,
Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Foundation. He has also served in the
past as: Chairman of the Board, Associated Builders & Contractors
of Metropolitan Washington; National Board of Directors, Associated
Builders and Contractors, Inc.; Treasurer, ABC of Maryland; Member,
Prince George’s Community College Construction Education Advisory Board;
Member, Alumni Board of Governors, Georgetown Preparatory School; as
well as other professional boards.. Mr. Caulfield is married with 4
children and is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Maryland.
David
Kane, Officer, Director, Principal — Kane Real Estate
Services. Since founding Kane Real Estate Services (previously Atlantic
Real Estate) in 1999 David Kane’s exemplary career in commercial
real estate has been highlighted by numerous local and national high-profile
tenant transactions. During his 22 year career, Mr. Kane has proven
his expertise in finding undetected market opportunities in his work
with Fortune 500 companies, financial services firms, media organizations,
law firms and associations. Most notably, Mr. Kane has specialized in
representing firms with multiple locations around the country. The methods
and techniques required to hire, manage and coordinate brokers in multiple
cities and states host an array of hidden difficulty. These national
Real Estate efforts are an area in commercial Leasing and Sales that
Mr. Kane has much experience and expertise.
Mr. Kane attended Mount Saint Mary’s College
where he studied Business and Finance. He is married and has four children
and lives with his family in Potomac, Maryland. He is a member of Our
Lady of Mercy Parish where he serves on the Finance Council, and is
a member of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.
Ann
Kern, Director, is a Speech Language Therapist at Ivymount
School in Potomac, Maryland. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Denison
University and a M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Boston University.
Ann has over 15 years of experience working with students with developmental
disabilities. She has worked for Montgomery County Public Schools as
a Teacher of a self-contained class for Language Disabled students,
as a therapist in private practice, and currently as a Speech Therapist
in the Post High School program at Ivymount School.
Ann grew up in the Washington area and is a graduate
of Connelly School of the Holy Child. She is married and has three children.
Ann is an active member of Our Lady of Mercy school and parish in Potomac,
Maryland.