Advisory Council

In addition to our Board of Directors, we are excited to have a great group of school administrators, DMV independent school parents, and others as part of our Advisory Council. Like our Board, this team helps our organization with our strategy and run our various programs and events. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Tom at tom@connectdmv.org.

Jacob Aladejobi

Jacob Aladejobi currently serves as a VP in Technology Operations at JP Morgan Chase, where he provides strategy and support to the Global Technology department while participating in student recruitment, interviewing & speaking engagements at partner universities and organizations.

Prior to JP Morgan Chase, Jacob was a student and employee at Howard University. As an IT Supervisor for Desktop Operations, he led a team of engineers providing support across the campus and Tech Liaison for executives in the University. He spearheaded multiple campus-wide projects, bringing transformation and impact.   

Jacob earned his B.S in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and obtained his MBA with a concentration in Information Systems from Howard University. He also serves on advisory boards for organizations in DC, providing workforce development strategies and coaching to underserved communities. Jacob has a passion for people and impacting the next generation. He resides in Washington DC with his family.

Madison Dias

Madison Dias graduated from Jackson-Reed, formerly Woodrow Wilson, High School in 2022 where she maintained a 4.4 GPA. She was awarded the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (SJT) Presidential Scholarship in 2021, earning a full-ride merit-based award to attend George Washington University. Currently, she is in her Freshman year within the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences majoring in Geography and minoring in GIS. She wishes to pursue global equity. Her interests include social justice and equity, mycology, botany, and community service. Her past leadership experience includes being the News Editor of The Jackson-Reed Beacon where she also created a DEI framework for the newspaper staff. She also participated in CONNECTdmv’s Projects for Change, where she crafted a composting program for local schools. She is currently on the TedxFoggyBottom Experience team, where she networks with local non-profit organizations to obtain partnerships for the annual TedxFoggyBottom event.

Sharon Eblaghie Bahador

Sharon Eblaghie Bahador is an educator driven by a belief in the transformative effect of service-learning, and is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion at school and at work. Her dedication to the development of young people is reflected in her past work as Board Member at the Parents Council of Washington, her current role at Virtues Matter and her experience as a mentor to youth.

Sharon holds a B.Sc and B.Ed in Science and Education and has a M.Sc. in Urban Teacher Leadership. She currently serves as an Adjunct Instructor at American University, where she encourages her students to actively engage in social action and community service.

Delonte Egwuatu

Delonte Egwuatu (he/him) currently serves as the inaugural Chief Engagement & Inclusion Officer at Beaver Country Day School. He was previously the Assistant Director of DEI and Upper School Spanish teacher at The Pennington School (NJ). Prior to moving to New Jersey, he taught in the Lower and Middle School as a Spanish and Humanities teacher and English teacher at his alma mater, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (MD). He also served as an advisor, Middle School, and Head Varsity Tennis Coach. In addition to teaching, Delonte is also dedicated to equipping Black and Brown students with the skills to unlock and harness their intellectual and creative genius in order to extend empathy and innovate for positive social change. He started the Black Alumni Collective (BAC), a grass-roots alumni advocacy organization, that works to model reconciliation, ensure racial equity, and enrich the experience of Black St. Andrew’s students and alumni through fellowship, advocacy, and mentorship. Delonte is also the Director of HackBAC, BAC’s signature event, a social justice hackathon sitting at the intersection of diversity, equity and belonging, social entrepreneurship, and design thinking inspires and cultivates genius in young leaders of color. Delonte is a graduate of Morehouse College.

Stephen Wicker

Stephen Wicker has been an independent school educator in the DMV for forty years. Steve began his journey at Sheridan School as a physical education instructor, soon after becoming the athletic director at Georgetown Day School. At GDS he also coached soccer, basketball, and baseball, where his focus was to develop a well-rounded student athlete who excelled academically and socially, as well as athletically. Steve was also involved in collegiate athletics, coaching basketball at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. After ten years of working with student athletes he transitioned into classroom teaching, becoming a high school English instructor at Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, Maryland and then at Bishop O’Connell high school in Arlington. Currently, Steve is an English faculty member at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia. It has been his passion to assist young people find the meaningful truths in the world through literature study and to help them discover their own passions to enjoy and use to serve others.

DR. JAMILA MARCUS

Dr. Jamila Marcus Potter is a co-owner and practicing pediatrician at Silver Spring Pediatrics (SSP), where she serves as the primary care pediatrician to children aged newborn to late adolescence. She works collaboratively with families to prevent illness and injury and identify developmental and mental health disorders.

Dr. Marcus began her career as a Pediatric Clinical Associate at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She served as a consultant to the Department of Education’s Office of School Health, promoting equitable access to learning environments for students with neurobiological disabilities. She was later recruited by the University of Virginia’s Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor. While living in New York, she worked with the New York City Juvenile Justice department, providing medical care for detained youth and implemented protocols to decrease health disparities.

Dr. Marcus graduated from Spelman College, received her Doctorate of Medicine from Howard University School of Medicine, and completed her pediatric internship and residency at Emory University and Johns Hopkins Medicine, respectively. She whole-heartedly values community-focused organizations, regularly investing efforts and finances into programs that create opportunities for children from inequitable systemic circumstances.

TANIA SHAND

Tania Shand is the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development
and has over 25 years of federal policy and legislative experience. Prior to her role at
HUD, she significantly contributed to the D.C. District Public Schools by ensuring
modernized school designs met high standards, including opening DCPS’; first Net-Zero ready, WELL certified school. She also served in legislative affairs for the D.C.
Department of General Services.

Mrs. Shand served as Director of Congressional, Legislative and Intergovernmental
Affairs for the Office of Personnel Management, where she was recognized by
President Obama for furthering the congressional and legislative goals of the agency.
She worked as a professional staff member on the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Civil Service and Agency Organization Subcommittee, and as
staff director for the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the
District of Columbia and was key to the passage of the Organ Donor Leave Act, The
Long-Term Care Security Act, and, legislation that reversed personnel and pay policies
that had a negative impact on a legislative agency and its employees.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Ms. Shand lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband
and two children. She is a grade parent at Holton-Arms School. Ms. Shand holds a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Policy Studies, and advanced degrees in Public
Administration, and Interior Architecture and Design.

Gaby Grebski

Gaby Grebski has worked at several DMV independent schools as a health and wellness counselor and cross country/track & field coach since 2003. She began as the upper school counselor, health teacher, and track coach at the Holton-Arms School, from 2003-2006. Gaby served in the same capacity at Sidwell Friends School for 10 years, from 2006-2016. Currently, Gaby is a school counselor and health educator at Georgetown Day School (GDS) and psychotherapist in private practice. Since August 2017, she has also been coaching cross country/track & field at St. John’s College High School. Gaby has been a faculty advisor/mentor and trip leader for LearnServe International, an organization that teaches high schoolers about the power of social entrepreneurship while serving on the boards of the Girls Gotta Run Foundation and Girls Health Ed, two nonprofit organizations invested in empowering young girls from under-resourced communities both in the U.S. and abroad.

Jessica Lawrence

Jessica Lawrence is an educational professional with over ten years of experience in education, ranging from classroom teaching, policy and advocacy, and administrative duties. Though her educational environments have shifted between public and charter school settings, her commitment to fostering academic excellence and prioritizing equity has always been the same. She started her career in South Florida and graduated with her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. After teaching in the classroom for about five years, she became interested in educational policymaking, which led her to Washington, DC. In 2019, she earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Transformation, focusing on Policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University. Now, as an administrator for DC Public Schools at Jackson-Reed high school (formerly Woodrow Wilson high school), she hopes to contribute her experience to achieve CONNECTdmv’s mission and become part of the DMV community committed to bridging the opportunity gap for students and families of color.

Mhambi Musonda

Mhambi Musonda is a second-year student at Montgomery College majoring in International Relations. During his tenure at MC, he has assumed various facets of leadership including the student newspaper and facilitating student-led dialogues around racial equity. His dedication to social justice extends beyond the classroom, from volunteering his time at legal clinics, food and voter registration drives, and more recently his work as a member of the Silver Spring Justice Coalition’s policy committee, Mhambi has learned how ordinary people can exercise extraordinary change. Mhambi’s commitment to being a “repairer of breaches,” fuels his desire to uplift people, communities, and institutions that have been historically disregarded.

Amanda Taylor

Dr. Amanda Taylor (she/hers) is a faculty member at the School of International Service at American University (AU), where her research and teaching focus on the intersection of culture, power, and education in domestic and international contexts. She is currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at AU, where she works to collaboratively implement the university’s plan for inclusive excellence. She began her career as a K-12 teacher in urban, rural, and international schools, and also served as the Director of Graduate Enrollment Management in SIS. Along with her supportive partner, Amanda is a proud mom of two active young sons.

Eric Washington

Eric Washington (he/him) is an educator who currently serves as a 6th grade English teacher and coach in the Uncommon Schools network. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Eric graduated from The Maret School in 2015, and went on to pursue his B.S. in Elementary Education at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In the fall of 2022, after spending two years working as an English teacher in DCPS, Eric decided to pursue his Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he earned his Principal/Assistant Principal certification. Eric is thrilled to be a part of the CONNECTdmv team and looks forward to supporting scholars of color at independent schools throughout the DMV.