The Fishing School

Leo joined TFS in September of 2007, following over 25 years of senior executive experience with local, national, and international nonprofit organizations. During his time with TFS, the organization has more than doubled the number of students served and nearly tripled its operating budget. Immediately prior to joining TFS, he served as Deputy Executive Director of Membership Mobilization for Amnesty International USA. He was a member of the organization’s senior management team that was responsible for guiding its work and managing a $45 million budget. He provided direct leadership to several national business units focused on youth membership development, advocacy, public education, volunteer recruitment, training, and membership mobilization. His responsibilities also included leading national field operations and national program development in support of the organization’s 700,000 members and over 1,700 student and local chapters. Earlier in his career he served as a founding Deputy Director of the Doug Williams Foundation where he created and managed five city-wide youth programs that reached several thousand students in DC public schools. Leo received a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Howard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Radio and Television from Grambling State University where he was a member of the famed Tiger football team coached by the legendary educator Eddie Robinson.

Devyn joined The Fishing School in July of 2021. Devyn brings more than a decade of professional experience that includes social work and program development. After working closely with vulnerable populations at several education and youth development organizations in her early career, Devyn began her practice as a Senior Case Manager with Sasha Bruce Youthworks following the completion of her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work from San Diego State University in 2018. Recently, she served as the Director of Programs at FAIR Girls, an anti-human trafficking organization in Washington, DC. At The Fishing School, Devyn will leverage her expertise to support program management, program analysis and evaluation, grant writing, staff development, and community organizing. Devyn has always been passionate about advocating in the Black community and building programs that eliminate the barriers to success many marginalized populations face. She is the founder of the Black Female Advisory Board (BFAB) – a non-profit organization that utilizes cultural education to bring awareness to the experiences of Black women. Devyn is a native of San Diego, California and moved to Washington DC in 2018 to pursue her Ph.D. in Social Work at Howard University. In her free time, Devyn enjoys spending time with her family and cycling around the DMV.       

Christopher, who commonly goes by Topher, joined TFS in October of 2019. His professional experience includes seven years of nonprofit work supporting both fundraising/development and program implementation. As Senior Program Manager at Playworks of Greater Washington, DC, Topher was responsible for executing their year-round events calendar, stewarding high-level corporate partnerships, and securing multi-year funding to expand into new partner schools through OSSE grants. In addition to strategic planning and fundraising to promote the program mission, Topher expanded Playworks’ program offerings into new markets while leading the management of current partnerships with a focus on delivering high-quality services. Topher also serves as Vice President with the American Latvian Youth Association, leading their volunteer board in strategic planning to better serve their members’ needs. This blend of cross-functional knowledge and expertise provides The Fishing School a great lens to support and elevate the work we do. Topher is passionate about youth development, community engagement, and nonprofit management; he received his Bachelor of Arts in International Service from American University, and is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Topher loves living in Washington, DC, and can often be found enjoying the museums, cycling, or cheering on the Wizards!

Porsha joined The Fishing School in May of 2015 and brings to TFS a broad set of experiences from her time teaching abroad, in high risk areas, and with adjudicated youth and adult learners. With over a decade of classroom experience, she has had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of students and student needs, and she is passionate about continuing to strive to improve outcomes for students from underserved and underrepresented communities. In her program management work, Porsha has designed, coordinated, and implemented more than a dozen co-curricular and experiential learning programs, using institutional data and engaging student advocates. Porsha holds a PhD from the University of Maryland and Masters degrees from Columbia University Teacher’s College (Applied Linguistics) and Mercy College (Urban Education).

Sierra joined TFS in November of 2019. Sierra’s professional experience includes providing leadership, daily operation of sites, and outreach which includes school visits, community group meetings, partnerships, and planning special events. Previously, Sierra served as a Director at Kids Adventures where she managed all aspects of the center, completed administrative duties, was in charge of child and staff safety, and established programs, activities, and services that prepare youth for success. Sierra also served as director and other positions during her time at the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore. Sierra is passionate about helping children reach their full potential. Sierra received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore and her bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent studies from Bowie State University. At the University of Baltimore, Sierra is a member of Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Travis joined The Fishing School in May of 2021. Travis brings four years of non-profit fundraising and programmatic execution to the TFS Development Team. He began his fundraising career managing the direct mail program for an international animal welfare non-profit before taking another position developing the fundraising program for a professional association of psychologists. Travis also possesses a strong background of program execution and event planning, including organizing convention events, managing program grants, and developing training programs. Travis is passionate about equal and fair representation in science, and is excited to support the mission of The Fishing School. Travis attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (his hometown) where he received Bachelor’s Degrees in Microbiology, Political Science, and Russian Studies. He is currently enrolled in Marymount University’s MBA program.

Emonie joins TFS as our first Parent Engagement Manager. She started with The Fishing School in July 2021. Her charge is to more formally build out the work we have done over the years to empower parents to actively engage in helping their children meet learning and life objectives. Emonie is relocating from Pennsylvania where she currently serves as In-Home County Caseworker for Berks County Children and Youth Services. She previously served as Director of School Age Child Care/Summer Programming with the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. Emonie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from Susquehanna University and a Master of Public Administration from West Chester University.

Devonta joined TFS in June 2021. Devonta’s professional experience includes nonprofit fundraising strategy, including events, individual and major donor stewardship, campaign development, and more. He has worked in the nonprofit sector for over five years. Previously, Devonta served as the Development Coordinator for the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta where he developed annual campaign strategies to support the Y’s $4.4M annual campaign goal. He also managed organization-wide special events and other smaller projects related to development operations. Devonta has an affinity for community and social service organizations that provide communities in need with tools and resources for success. He studied Public Policy and Nonprofit Management at Georgia State University.

Sasha joined The Fishing School in August of 2021. Sasha has worked in several operations and administrative roles throughout her career, building professional expertise in several critical functions including bookkeeping and accounting, expense reporting, document management and event planning. Previously, Sasha served as the Operations Coordinator for BASIS DC Public Charter School, where, outside of her role, she started the BDC Dance Team and served as their Coach. She also served as the Office Manager for Seraaj Family Homes, Inc, a foster care agency in MD. Sasha enjoys working with mission-driven organizations focused on improving the lives of children and helping them meet their full potential. She is actively involved with Outreach Christian Center’s Dance Ministry and has served as the dance teacher for children ages 3-8 years old for 12 years. Sasha studied Political Science at Towson University.

Ashley joined TFS in December of 2015. Her professional experience includes child care, culinary services, and administrative work. Previously she served as Lead Afterschool Instructor at The Fishing School at Turner Elementary. Ashley has also served as School-Age Teacher at Antioch Childcare Center, where she conducted daily activities for children in a safe environment, including learning activities and art projects. In this role, Ashley prepared the educational materials required to implement the daily lesson plans. Ashley is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Prince George’s Community College. Ashley is passionate about youth empowerment.