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The Corps Network's Staff
Sally T. Prouty
President/CEO
Sally has 30 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors as well as in volunteer non-profit positions at the local, state, national and international levels. She has worked extensively in health care, as a Registered Nurse and as an administrator, supervisor, and teacher in medical settings.
Immediately before her appointment at The Corps Network in 2002, Sally served four years as Deputy Director Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and seven years as Director of the Ohio Civilian Conservation Corps (OCCC), a division of ODNR, operating two residential and six non-residential programs statewide.
Under Sally’s leadership, OCCC enrolled both middle class young men and women in a traditional Conservation Corps model and also unemployed young adults in a program focused on conservation based service-learning and youth development. In 2000, the Department of Labor recognized OCCC as one of ten effective youth initiatives in the nation, and in 2002 the Annie E. Casey Foundation recognized OCCC as “one of the premier youth programs in the nation” for effectively serving youth exiting the juvenile justice system.
Currently, Sally is co-chair of the national Campaign for Youth. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Youth Employment Coalition.
Contact Sally T. Prouty.
Marty O’Brien
Vice President/COO
At The Corps Network, Marty oversees project management, budget and administration, government relations, communications, fund development and marketing, strategic planning and serves as liaison to the Board of Directors.
Marty has been with The Corps Network since 1993 and has worked in government relations, technical assistance, event planning and project management prior to assuming his current position.
Before joining The Corps Network, Marty served on the Washington staff of U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger of Minnesota. He holds degrees from Saint John’s University (MN) and The George Washington University.
Marty currently serves on the Disaster Protocol Committee advising the Office of Emergency Management at the Corporation for National and Community Service. He also serves on two local community boards of directors.
Contact Marty O'Brien.
Nancy Siegal
Director of Finance and Administration
As the Director of Finance and Administration for The Corps Network, Nancy’s activities include, but are not limited to budget and finance (including all grants awarded to The Corps Network), general office administration, meeting planning, and human resource functions.
Nancy has over 30 years of Washington association experience and has built a network of financial, human resource, and hotel resources within the community. Prior to joining to The Corps Network, Nancy served as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration at the Association of Academic Health Centers. Nancy is a graduate of Lesley University and holds a Masters degree from Central Connecticut State University.
She most recently served on the Board of Directors of the Finance and Administrative Roundtable, an organization comprised of over 200 Washington area nonprofit organizations and the vendor companies who service the non-profit financial and administrative markets.
Contact Nancy Siegal.
Leslie Wilkoff
Senior Project Director
As Senior Project Director at The Corps Network, Leslie leads The Corps Network’s Corps Respond program, AmeriCorps Education Award Program and AmeriProCorps for Corps staff. Leslie also manages The Corps Network’s Health Insurance Plan for Corpsmembers and AmeriCorps members.
Leslie began with the Human Environment Center in 1984 and transitioned to The Corps Network when it was created in 1985. Leslie is an expert in Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) grants management. In her capacity at The Corps Network, Leslie has planned numerous conferences, wrote and edited a quarterly newsletter and directed member services.
In the past eight years Leslie has emerged as one of the leaders of the Education Award Program serving on numerous working groups for CNCS. Leslie also provides training to subsites for the CNCS’ Web-based Reporting System (WBRS).
Contact Leslie Wilkoff.
Judy Karasik
Development Director
As The Corps Network’s Director of Development, Judy is charged with cultivating foundation, corporate, and individual support, directing grants writing, and providing strategic thinking and writing support for marketing The Corps Network and the Corps community.
Judy has consulted to and designed and delivered trainings for nonprofits, educational institutions, and governmental organizations on issues including fundraising and organizational development.
In national service, her clients have included State Commissions, as well as Community HealthCorps and YouthBuild. She is the author of studies for nonprofits and foundations and has written widely on national service, beginning with a 1990 study for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on young people working in the public interest and continuing with work including opinion pieces in The New York Times and Chronicle of Philanthropy. During the start-up for AmeriCorps, she served as Senior Training Officer at the Corporation for National and Community Service; later she returned to launch the State Administrative Standards project.
Her professional life began in trade publishing, where she was the acquiring editor for novels by Louise Erdrich and Julius Lester, among others. She is the co-author with the graphic novelist Paul Karasik of the award-winning dual format memoir The Ride Together: A Brother and Sister’s Memoir of Autism in the Family.
Contact Judy Karasik.
Mary Ellen Ardouny
Director of Government Relations
In the role of Director of Government Relations, Mary Ellen directs all The Corps Network’s advocacy work, including work with Capitol Hill, Federal Agencies and grassroots outreach.
Mary Ellen has an expertise in government relations with a focus on the areas of education and workforce development.
Mary Ellen brings ten years of experience on Capitol Hill, including two years on the House Committee on Education and Labor handling post-secondary education, training, and life-long learning programs. During her time on the Hill, Mary Ellen worked for Representatives Matthew G. Martinez (D-CA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). Before joining The Corps Network, Mary Ellen was Vice President of Government Relations at the Education Finance Council, the national trade association for non-profit and state based student loan providers. Prior to that, she spent two years as the Assistant to the President of the University of Montana.
Contact Mary Ellen Ardouny.
Tanya Simpson
Grants and Projects Director
Tanya is the Grants and Projects Director and works on the Inclusive Crew Project, Excellence in Corps Operations (ECO), Civic Justice Corps, MLK Day of Service and other grants.
Tanya has been committed to transforming communities by serving with community-based, national and international organizations focused on strengthening access and opportunities for youth and families.
She has expertise in program design and implementation in the areas of youth development and workforce development. She also has expertise in volunteer engagement and organizational development.
Prior to joining The Corps Network, Tanya was a Development Associate with The Family Place, a Washington, DC community based organization offering family support services to recent immigrants from Central and South America. Tanya also served as a Project Manager with World Vision Laos, where she helped design a youth development program aimed at providing workforce training and supportive services to disadvantaged youth . Tanya has also worked with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), United Way for Southeast Michigan, and the Greater Lansing Urban League.
Tanya played a key role in the programmatic expansion efforts of World Vision Laos by authoring several successfully funded proposals on topics including HIV/AIDS awareness, food security, community based disaster management, unexploded ordinance (UXO) clearance, child sponsorship, and youth development.
Contact Tanya Simpson.
Reed Dickson
Project Director of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans
Reed is the director of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans(CCGNO), a program modeled after the Civic Justice Corps programs of the Corps Network. CCGNO takes a service-learning approach to workforce-development, and through its six programs, CCGNO will actively engage over 800 young adults, including court-involved participants, in the design and implementation of green restoration projects. Through this concentrated service experience, these AmeriCorps members will learn green-collar job skills while meeting the needs of their home communities. This regional program is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the Workforce Investment Boards of Greater New Orleans, JOB1 and the Louisiana Department of Labor.
Before joining The Corps Network, Reed was the director of the Peace Corps Fellows Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, a program committed to addressing educational equity and social justice through teacher education. As the flagship program for 45 Fellows/USA programs nationally, this urban teaching program continues to lead New York City in teacher retention and quality. Prior to his departure, the program was featured in Time Magazine. Before serving as director, Reed served as assistant director and coordinated the AmeriCorps Education Awards Program at Teachers College, overseeing its expansion into both teacher and principal training.
Reed has taught secondary English and Math in Indiana, New York City, and in Namibia where he was also a trainer of new Peace Corps Volunteers.
Contact Reed Dickson.
Candace Hollingsworth
Grants Fiscal Manager of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans
As the Grants Fiscal Manager of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans, Candace ensures all sites of the CCGNO meet financial requirements set by JOB1, the Department of Labor, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
As a Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Candace Hollingsworth brings expertise in federal grants management in the healthcare industry and public sector organizations including demonstrated skill in business process improvement, policy/procedure development and analysis, training curriculum development and delivery, and knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), OMB Circulars A]21, A]110, A-122 and A]133 and their application.
Prior to joining The Corps Network, Candace was a consultant to the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in change management for grant processes, a Senior Management Analyst at BearingPoint (McLean, VA) in the Public Services Grants Solutions Team and spent 3 years at Children’s Research Institute (Washington, DC) as a project coordinator in the central administration office for sponsored projects. She holds a Bachelors degree from Emory University and is pursuing a Masters degree in public policy with special emphasis on education, family and social policy at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University.
In previous engagements, Candace has helped government and government-related agencies transform grant-making processes by creating and implementing electronic tools to facilitate grants management at the sponsor level. In addition, Candace was responsible for systems improvements and policy revisions at Children’s Research Institute which allowed for the application and award of five grants totaling $18M in a three-month period and recovery of over $2M in unallocated expenses.
Candace is a member of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, National Grants Management Association, and the Society for Research Administrators.
Contact Candace Hollingsworth.
Carolyn Benard
Grants Compliance Officer of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans
In the role of Grants Compliance Officer for the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans (CCGNO), Carolyn ensures all sites of the CCGNO meet programmatic requirements set by JOB1, the Department of Labor, and the Corporation for National and Community Service by providing training and technical assistance.
Carolyn has worked in the nonprofit and government sector for the last 14 years in the fields of youth development, violence and drug prevention, and service learning. She has been involved in national service in a variety of capacities for the last nine years as a member, supervisor, grant monitor, and trainer.
Carolyn has a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and participated in a service-learning semester abroad in Jamaica as a teacher and student. Immediately prior to joining to The Corps Network, Carolyn worked for the Washington Service Corps (WSC) for nearly four years as a Program Coordinator supporting Corps across the state as well as the WSC Civic Engagement initiative. Prior to the WSC, Carolyn worked as an AmeriCorps Team Supervisor for three years in the Human Needs sector.
Carolyn developed Program Coordinator guides for the WSC that included one for Monitoring, Civic Engagement T/TA, and VISTA Leader Support. She was also responsible for the redesign of the Washington Reading Corps evaluation system and creation of an instructional guide in collaboration with state partners.
As an alumni of AmeriCorps, Carolyn received a leadership award from the Washington State Commission for National and Community Service Executive Director and the Director of Alums for National AmeriCorps Week last year.
Contact Carolyn Benard.
Gregory Rattler
Partnership Development Coordinator of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans
Greg's training is in the Public Health Education and Communication Field. Greg has worked in community, non-profit, and government sectors all in a manner of communications and education. Has also has training in the biological sciences.
Immediately before his appointment at The Corps Network, Greg served as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD) for seven months, coordinating publicity and outreach efforts as well as brand recognition, visibility, and development. He has also served as the Youth and Wellness Programs Coordinator for the Ashé Cultural Arts Center, coordinating the youth engagement and enrichment agenda in addition to the community and staff wellness agenda, where he gained experience working with VISTA. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Chemistry from Howard University in Washington, DC and a Master of Public Health Degree in Education and Communication from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Greg was responsible for the creation of the first detailed information brochure of the MHSD. He was instrumental in the development of the new corporate logo and its definition as well as developing, editing, and producing the first MHSD Newsletter.
Contact Gregory Rattler.
Tora Woodcox
Program Assistant of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans
Tora has academic training and professional level experience in the areas of Administration and Management. She has planned, solicited, and purchased both services and products, as well as performed and supervised clerical functions. She has a very good understand of accounting principles which were developed while serving as a book keeper. She has also conducted MIS to coordinate all the aforementioned tasks and services in a computer based modality.
Prior to joining the Corps Network, Tora worked as the Administrative Manager for Pyramid Construction Corportation. She was the Administrative Coordinator for LSU Health and Science Center and the Administrative Manager for NgNg Consulting and Training Firm. Tora earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from Lincoln University in Missouri and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. In addition, she received an HR Generalist Skills Certificate from Louisiana State University.
Contact Tora Woodcox.
Sarah Stankorb
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
As The Corps Network’s Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Sarah is responsible for crafting external messaging, development and design of all print and electronic publications, media outreach, the Annual Corps profile, and maintaining the website.
Sarah is an experienced educator and non-profit professional with a long history of community service. Her communications skills were cultivated in the non-profit arena where she has specialized in development and marketing. She additionally possesses a background as an educator of middle school-aged children and community college students.
Immediately before joining The Corps Network, Sarah worked as the Development Associate at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and also taught night courses in Philosophy at Lakeland Community College. In previous roles, she has served as a teacher, researcher and an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Maryland Conservation Corps.
As a volunteer, Sarah has also tutored children in Chicago Public Schools, worked with youth in a community family shelter, and taught English literacy skills to recent immigrants. Sarah holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Westminster College.
Contact Sarah Stankorb.
Stephanie Davison
Organizational Development Coordinator
Stephanie serves as the Organizational Development (OD) Coordinator for The Corps Network. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the OD Coordinator role, Stephanie served as the project liaison for the business planning process lead by the Bridgespan Group. Today, Stephanie’s primary responsibility is to coordinate and support the implementation of the three strategic priorities set through the business plan-- 1) Focus on Results Across the Network, 2) Strengthen Corps’ Health and Sustainability, and 3) Increase Opportunity: Grow the Network. In general, Stephanie’s work touches on all areas of The Corps Network’s programming. Stephanie also works on specific projects including board development and the new transportation guidebook, Conservation Corps and Transportation: Making the Connection.
During her tenure at The Corps Network, Stephanie has also served on the Government Relations and Communications teams. In these roles, some of her responsibilities included the annual survey of members, all print and web publications, and various government relations functions.
Before to joining The Corps Network, Stephanie’s work supported nonprofit, government, and higher education institutions, where she gained experience in volunteer and staff development, data collection and analysis, and organizational management. Immediately before joining The Corps Network, she worked for the General Services Administration in a variety of capacities. Stephanie also served as a Hall Director at Indiana University, where she mentored, trained, and supervised both staff and students.
Stephanie holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Politics from Mercyhurst College and a Master’s of Public Affairs with concentrations in Nonprofit Management and Policy Analysis from Indiana University- Bloomington.
Contact Stephanie Davison.
Sarah Kirschenbaum
Program and Projects Associate
In the role of Program and Projects Associate, Sarah’s projects include Excellence in Corps Operations (ECO), MLK Day of Service, Civic Justice Corps, and the Education Awards Program. Sarah has experience coordinating large-scale days of service and has a strong knowledge of volunteer recruitment and management.
Prior to joining The Corps Network, Sarah was a member of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps in Washington DC where she worked at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center. She was the Coordinator of Behrend Builders, a shelter repair program and worked to renovate and repair low-income housing, schools, shelters, and parks.
Sarah graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and had the opportunity to study abroad at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. While at the University of Michigan, Sarah was also an active member of Project Community, where she tutored at a local Ann Arbor elementary school. She also participated in Amirim where she spent her summer volunteering in Israel.
Contact Sarah Kirschenbaum.
Cynthia Montano
Financial Analyst
As the Financial Analyst at The Corps Network, Cynthia’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to budget and finance with a particular focus on the Gulf Coast Conservation Corps, general office administration, and meeting planning.
Prior to joining The Corps Network, Cynthia worked with the Metropolis Development Company for 3 years as Customer Service Director. In her role, Cynthia gained a strong understanding of the housing and loan processes. She gained an expertise on the expense portion of housing, such as, contractors expenses, construction contracts, and warranties. Cynthia also served four years in military. While in the service, Cynthia was stationed in Japan, worked on Fighter Aircrafts on land and on aircraft carriers and was among the first women to be integrated into a previously all-male force at the American base in Japan.
Cynthia has a Bachelor of Arts in Finance.
Contact Cynthia Montano.
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