Board of Directors

Ben is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Cineworld Group, the world’s second largest theater circuit. Cineworld Group operates nearly 700 theaters across the UK, Europe, Israel, and the United States under brands including Regal, Cineworld, Cinema City, Picturehouse, and Planet. As CHRO, Ben is responsible for leading the company’s HR strategy, design and implementation globally across all aspects of the function.

Previously, Ben led HR for CNN (Cable News Network). Prior to that role, he led HR for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Studios division, the group that consists of the company’s content-focused teams including Warner Bros. Pictures Group, HBO, Warner Bros. Television Group, DC, and the Max streaming service. He was responsible for developing and executing talent strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization. He also led the Production HR team responsible for HR support of 50,000+ production workers across hundreds of global Warner Bros. Discovery TV and film productions.

Ben led People Development and Organizational Effectiveness for WarnerMedia with responsibilities for global executive, organizational, and employee development, strategic workforce planning, performance management, and the company’s HR efforts surrounding culture, engagement, and employee experience.

Prior to that, Ben was Senior Vice President of Talent Management and HR Strategy for Turner Broadcasting. In that capacity, Ben was responsible for the development and execution of enterprise-wide HR strategy. He led all HR specialist functions for the company, including people development, talent acquisition, diversity, total rewards, culture and engagement, corporate responsibility, government affairs, global mobility, and HR technology and operations.

Ben also served as the Human Resources Director for Turner Sports and Turner Content Distribution where he worked as a business partner focused on strategic client consultation. Prior to that, as Director of Workplace Initiatives, he was responsible for supporting CNN Worldwide in the areas of employee engagement, diversity, development, and communications.

Ben joined Turner in 2003 as an administrative coordinator in CNN’s Washington, DC Bureau, and relocated to Atlanta in 2008 to manage business administration across multiple regions.

Prior to his work for Turner, Ben served as a finance director for a US Congressional campaign in North Carolina. From 1999-2002, he taught English literature at Charlotte Country Day School, and was awarded the school’s distinguished instructor award in 2002.

Ben earned a BA in English literature from Dartmouth College that included study at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and Université de Lyon in France. He traveled extensively throughout Europe before beginning his career.

In addition to his responsibilities at Warner Bros. Discovery, Ben currently serves as chair of the board of directors for Eckerd Connects. He is the past chair of the Theatrical Outfit board of trustees and past chair of the Ron Clark Academy board of trustees. Additionally, he is a past board member of the High Museum of Art, the Woodruff Arts Center Education Council and the Emma Bowen Foundation.

David was appointed Vice President for University Advancement at Carnegie Mellon University in February 2025. He is responsible for furthering the goals of the university, its schools and colleges, and its global campuses and locations. David partners with academic and administrative leaders across CMU to advance philanthropy and build partnerships with diverse Carnegie Mellon communities, including volunteers, university alumni, parents, friends, charitable foundations, and corporate donors.

David is an energetic leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing development strategies for organizations working on national and global scales. Known for his collaborative and strategic approach, he has consistently driven successful campaigns, exceeded fundraising targets and strengthened engagement across a variety of constituencies.

He joined CMU from Howard University, where he served as the senior vice president for development and alumni relations. He previously served in a number of global management roles, including chief development officer at the National Geographic Society, and held significant advancement positions at Safe Kids Worldwide, United Cerebral Palsy of America and the consulting firm Odell, Simms & Associates, Inc.

David earned an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.

Brian has partnered with numerous Boards and non-profit businesses, beginning with his time at McKinsey & Company and continuing through his current role as President of Omni-channel, Digital and Social Media Solutions. This has included time working on or with the Boards of eBay Enterprise, JCPenney and Eckler’s Automotive, among others.

Brian recently served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board for Eckler’s Automotive. While there he returned the company to profitability and transformed business operations as part of moving them to the cloud in preparation for sale from PE leader Ares Capital to award winning automotive ecommerce leader Turn5.

Brian served as Global Chief Digital Officer, Toys“R”Us, Inc.  He provided leadership for the company’s $1.2B+ ecommerce business and omni-channel capabilities that allow consumers to make use of multiple channels for purchasing and order fulfillment.  He also led company efforts to drive innovation by identifying new ways to use technology to engage customers. Brian served at the Home Shopping Network as Executive Vice President, Digital Commerce & Advanced Services.  In this role he led the $700M ecommerce business advanced services Innovation group where he launched a mobile commerce business and scaled the patented technology to purchase products via TV remote control, to over 50 million homes.

Brian served Circuit City as Senior Vice President, Multi-Channel.  In that capacity, he led the company’s $1.5B+ direct business including its digital commerce, call center and catalog channels.  Brian grew on-line sales penetration to 3X that of the largest competitor and delivered profitable growth by building one of the most powerful digital marketing engines in retail.  He joined Circuit City as Vice President and GM, Strategy, Business Development and Innovation.  While in this role, Brian managed 20 stores and created several new businesses with revenues ranging from $200M to $700M.  One of these initiatives set a new customer standard for buying on-line and picking up in store, which retailers still try to emulate today.  He also launched an in home services business that scaled to $200M in 2 years.

Brian was Director of Strategy and Implementation for Capital One Financial Corporation where he helped develop and implement the company’s strategic agenda.  Brian spent more than five years at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on the Consumer and Technology industries with an emphasis on omnichannel growth and business building.  Brian began his career at IBM where he held a variety of positions including Worldwide Operations Process Manager.

Brian holds an M.B.A. from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Michigan. He currently lives in Clearwater, FL with his wife Sandi and their three children.

Kim joined The Washington Center as the organization’s fourth President in October 2021. In 2022, the Board unanimously approved TWC’s new strategic plan, vision, and mission, which Kim is charged with executing to ensure the organization’s relevance and impact.

Passionate about workforce development and career-connected skills, Kim brings more than three decades of leadership experience in non-profit and higher education administration, joining TWC after serving most recently as the chief executive officer for the American Association of University Women (AAUW). In her tenure leading AAUW, a national non-profit advancing gender equity, she developed and implemented a comprehensive strategic plan to ensure the organization’s mission focus, bolstering AAUW’s actionable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, while enhancing financial sustainability and impact.

Prior to her work with AAUW, Kim served as the managing director for the Brookings Institution, an internationally recognized policy think tank. In that capacity, she strategically guided Brookings, providing vision and problem-solving skills while focusing on expansive partnerships, external relations, and advancement.  Her accomplishments at Brookings built on prior successful efforts as associate vice chancellor at the University of Denver and director of development at the University of North Florida. Kim has extensive experience working collaboratively in education as well as on capacity building for national and international non-profits.

Outside of her official roles, Kim has devoted her leadership skills in board roles on behalf of several professional and charitable organizations, including the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, 1455 Literary Arts, Association of Fundraising Professionals, DC Girls Baseball and BUILD Metro DC. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum of Washington DC, a global organization that represents women leaders in diverse fields. A dynamic and sought-after speaker, Kim has addressed several national conferences and conventions, and contributed to national media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today. Her thought leadership has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, The Hill and Fortune, among others.

Kim resides in Washington, D.C. with her daughter and husband, and is always up for a game of Scrabble.

Following a legal career of some twenty-five years, Joe served as president of the Eckerd Family Foundation working to promote systemic change in juvenile justice, foster care and educational initiatives throughout the United States. From its inception in 1998 until its closing in 2013, he led the foundation’s grantmaking activities that focused on transformational interventions yielding measurable, sustainable outcomes for youth at risk.

Joe holds a B.S. in economics from Union College and a Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University College of Law. He practiced civil trial law for 25 years in Tampa, Florida with the law firm of Shackleford, Farrior, Stallings & Evans, (now Gray, Robinson) serving on the board of directors and as president. He was designated a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has served as a consultant to the Juvenile Justice Task Force of Hillsborough County and on the national steering committee of the Youth Transition Funders Group, and the board of directors of the Connected By 25™ Initiative.

Other past community service includes Berkeley Preparatory School (board member and chair); Champions for Children (board member and chair); Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay (board of directors); Junior League of Tampa Advisory Board; Social Venture Partners (board of directors and president).  He currently serves as a board member of the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative. He is a member of Hillsborough County Bar Association and Sacred Heart Church in Tampa.

Caroline is an executive coach, facilitator, and organizational consultant specializing in complex organizational dynamics and complicated strategic narratives. As an advisor to senior leaders and teams across corporate and social impact sectors, her practice is grounded in empathy, inclusion, and efficiency; in other words, how we create space for individuals to show up with integrity and how we deploy our personal and collective resources to their highest and best use.

Caroline’s insights on leadership and organizational behavior stem from a career of learning from and advising senior executives and public officials around the world. From an early career at respected social impact organizations like Accion and the Omidyar Network, to serving as a Speechwriter and Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of State, to leading a statewide foundation for public education, she has worked with private and public sector leaders across the United States, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to her leadership consulting practice, Happy & Bennett, Caroline is also a co-founder of the Southern Equity Collective LLC (SEq), a majority Black-, female-owned, multi-racial firm specializing in inclusive leadership and equity-centered organizational transformation.

Caroline’s work has been featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Economist, CNN.com, The USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Post & Courier, and The State Newspaper. She holds a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was a Zuckerman Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership, and a BA in International Relations, cum laude, from Tufts University.

Based in Atlanta, Caroline is proud to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, where she was raised. She was also a founding board member of Charleston Legal Access, a non-profit law firm serving low-income clients, and is a fellow with the Truman National Security Project and the British American Project.

Cheryl is a Vice President at George E. Warren LLC, a leading global player in petroleum trading and distribution. Since joining the company in 2006, she has played a pivotal role in overseeing Finance, Accounting, and Human Resources, leveraging her extensive knowledge to enhance organizational success.

Before joining George E. Warren, Cheryl served as the Director of Accounting at Big Sky Resort, a prominent destination in Montana known for its exceptional hospitality and expansive recreational offerings. In this role, Cheryl managed financial operations and implemented strategic initiatives to ensure fiscal integrity and operational efficiency. She began her distinguished career as a CPA at Arthur Andersen in Denver, Colorado, working in the Audit and Assurance division after completing her Master of Accountancy and Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Denver.

Cheryl is deeply committed to community service, contributing her skills to numerous non-profit boards including the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Riverside Children’s Theater. Her contributions to fundraising initiatives, strategic planning, and program development have consistently driven positive outcomes for the organizations she supports.

Currently residing in Vero Beach, Florida, Cheryl is always seeking new and exciting adventures to share with her family. She is passionate about empowering teens and young adults, believing in the transformative power of providing opportunities and support to help them succeed in their careers and lives.

Michael retired from PetSmart in 2023 after nine years as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Technology Officer. He has more than 20 years of information technology experience, previously serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Technology and Business Enablement at Hallmark Cards. PetSmart operates as a specialty retailer of products, services, and solutions for pets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. It is a subsidiary of Argos Holdings with revenues over $7 billion.

Michael began his career at Hallmark Cards, which publishes and sells greeting cards, gifts, and ornaments with revenues of $2.72 billion, as an End-User Technology Analyst in 1990 and has held positions of increasing responsibility, culminating with his promotion to Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in 2006 when he was also named a Corporate Officer. Prior to joining Hallmark Cards, he served as a Field Artillery Officer in the United States Army.

Michael is on the Board of Directors of Burlington Stores, Inc., a publicly traded retailer of branded apparel products in the United States with revenues of $8.8 billion. He also serves on the Board of Telecare Corp, a for-profit, family-owned business in the healthcare sector specializing in mental illness care in a region of California.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas.

Holly is the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, VA. As the leader of the 400-person team responsible for human capital, she focuses on supporting over 23,000 talented employees who serve our military members, veterans, and their families. Holly’s is a multi-faceted role encompassing the leadership of human capital strategy, human capital analytics, employee engagement, talent acquisition, learning and talent development, diversity, change and communications, compensation, benefits and wellness programs. She’s a dynamic, resourceful, and insightful executive who delivers business results through talent. Her expertise, passion, and strength of leadership contribute to Navy Federal’s continued recognition as a Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For® and as a much sought-after employer of choice.

Holly has over 30 years of industry experience leading Human Resources for major U.S. companies such as Ellucian, Deltek, and Capital One. Among her many and varied accomplishments include being named on 2020’s Most Inclusive HR Influencer List and 2016 “Trending 40” – The New Power Women of DC TECH. At Ellucian, she drove workforce transformation, hiring thousands of highly talented technology and leadership employees, and led an award-winning technology internship program. At Deltek, she steered the cultural alignment and implementation of new corporate values, positioning Deltek as an innovative and competitive employer, garnering major awards such as the International Association of Business Communicators’ Silver Inkwell Award for Change Management, Chief Learning Officer Gold Award for Global Learning, and Asia’s Best Employment Brand. At Capital One, she designed and implemented critical HR strategies, including a special corporate project aimed at enhancing diversity and advancement opportunities through the creation of new job and compensation structures.

Holly holds an MBA in Human Resources Management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Lehigh University.

In 2012, Holly won the Pete Kuchli Urban Empowerment Award from Year Up for her work supporting underprivileged youth with internships, coaching and career development. Holly serves on the Board of Eckerd Connects and is a member of the Nominating and External Relations committees.

Holly is an avid yoga practitioner and an active member of her church community. But most of all, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children on family trips.

Michael is a nationally respected social impact leader with decades of experience transforming systems, scaling opportunity, and uniting cross-sector partners to support youth, families, and communities.

As President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, Michael leads one of the country’s largest non-profits dedicated to workforce development, family support, and youth services. With over 2,000 employees and operations across 20 states and Washington, D.C., Eckerd Connects helps over 23,500 people each year gain the resources, skills, and support needed to thrive.

Michael has led organizational transformations across every level—from grassroots non-profits to a $1.3 billion federal agency. His commitment to service is deeply personal. Raised by teen parents in a caring, under-resourced community in Western Massachusetts, he found mentorship and possibility at his local Boys & Girls Club. At 16, he became a congressional intern, where he first saw how policy could be a lever for change. He later returned to work at the same Boys & Girls Club that shaped him, launching a career devoted to opening doors for underserved children and families.

Before joining Eckerd in June 2025, Michael served as CEO of AmeriCorps, overseeing $4 billion in assets and more than 200,000 service members annually in over 40,000 locations. He led the agency through a period of modernization and growth—expanding opportunity, strengthening member benefits, and launching new initiatives focused on youth mental health, conservation, and public health.

From 2017 to 2021,  he served in the White House and at the Obama Foundation, leading the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, supporting over 250 communities working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color, and underserved youth. Earlier, as Director of the Social Innovation Fund, he managed a $700 million public-private portfolio to scale evidence-based solutions nationwide. At the Case Foundation, he drove philanthropic efforts to advance civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility—partnering with both the Bush and Obama administrations on initiatives including the bipartisan JOBS Act.

After leaving the federal government, Michael founded a pro-social consulting firm working with organizations like Blue Meridian, Harlem Children’s Zone, Kapor Center and the state of Maryland on initiatives to reduce barriers and expand opportunity for underserved communities. Michael has served on the boards of Results for America, Venture Philanthropy Partners, Public Allies, Idealist.org, and Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement. His work has gained media attention on national media outlets such as CNN, The Hill, C-SPAN, and The Grio.

He is a graduate of Marymount University, holds honorary doctorates from the University of New Hampshire and American International College, and has been recognized as a TIME Climate 100 and Forbes BLK 50 honoree. Michael is also a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame inductee—the organization’s highest honor.

Michael leads Eckerd Connects with a clear mission: to unlock potential, expand opportunity, and transform systems so that every child, every family, and every community can thrive.

Paul formerly served as CoreSite Realty Corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer from September 2016 to December 2021 and as a CoreSite director since September 2010. Before joining CoreSite as President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul served as Chief Financial Officer of Biltmore Farms, LLC, a developer and operator of mixed-use master-planned communities, from 2003 to September 2016. Paul has previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Security Capital Group Incorporated, a publicly-traded real estate investment, development and operating company with extensive REIT engagement, as a director of the Charlotte, North Carolina branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and as a director of two publicly traded real estate companies, Regency Centers and Security Capital U.S Realty. Paul received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) with honors from Harvard Law School and a B.A. with high honors in Government from the University of Texas.

Amelia is currently an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, where she leads the Field Strategy Performance Management Team within the Wholesale Payments group.

J.P. Morgan Wholesale Payments (WPS) provides cash management, liquidity, commercial card, foreign exchange and escrow solutions to clients across the world. Teams are constantly innovating, using the latest technology and data analytics to deliver specialized solutions to help clients grow and streamline their businesses. The organization combines four lines of business: Merchant Services, Treasury Services, Commercial Card and Trade Finance to help clients manage working capital and increase operational efficiency.

The Field Strategy Performance Management Team sits within the Wholesale Payments Product Delivery Group (WPPD) and supports all WPS businesses. The Field Strategy Performance Management Team’s core objective is to manage the performance and ensure the success of client-facing employees (Business Development and Relationship Management). As a Business Management function, key responsibilities include managing Performance Scorecards & Goals, Incentive Compensation, Reporting & Analytics, Rewards & Controls/Governance.

Amelia is a management executive with over 20 years of experience in Sales Strategy, Marketing, Operations and Product Management. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Amelia worked at American Express as the Director of Marketing in the Global Merchant Services and the Global Commercial Card Groups. Before her time at American Express, Amelia was the Manager of Product Strategy and Development at Price Waterhouse Cooper’s (PWC) PRTM Management Consultants. Prior to PWC, Amelia worked for Texas Instruments as a Technical Sales Representative.

Amelia is a graduate of Howard University (BSEIE) and received her MBA from The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. Amelia is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Abyssinian Baptist Church, and she currently serves on the Board of the non-profit organization, SUS – Services for the Underserved, and the Board of Trustees for The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine. Amelia has been recognized with esteemed awards including the 2015 JPMorgan Commercial Card Crown Signature Award and the 2019 Harlem Y Black Achievers in Industry Award. Born and raised in Conway, South Carolina,  Amelia currently divides her time between New York City and San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.