Our Team

Bill Basl, a White House appointee, served as the Director of AmeriCorps State and National at the Corporation for National and Community Service from 2012-16. Bill began his national service career as a VISTA volunteer in 1970, helping migrant farm workers in Washington establish their own businesses. In 1983, Bill founded the Washington Service Corps, the first statewide youth service initiative in the nation designed to address priority local education and human service needs. Basl also founded the nation's first veterans' corps in 2010 and is noted for establishing a collaborative regional network to provide AmeriCorps training across the Pacific Northwest. In 1993 he was called upon by the Governor to create the WA Commission for National and Community Service. He provided a vision for service and volunteerism serving in this capacity as a staff person to three Washington Governors from 1993 until his White House appointment in 2012. He is a past chair and board member of the American Association of State Service Commissions and was selected by the White House as a Champion of Change – Service Innovator in 2011. 

Ayce spent 25 years in broadcasting and journalism in Turkey and now serves as a Virginia Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Wellbeing Specialist at George Mason University. She holds a MA in Conflict Resolution and Peace Journalism from Dokuz Eylul University, a certificate in mediation from George Mason University and recently completed a program in Negotiation and Leadership from Harvard Law School Executive Education. She is a member of the DC Rotary Club and has been an active Rotarian for over 30  years. She is also a Communication Chair on the Board of Directors at Virginia Mediation Network. 

Jason Hatch is a retired Army officer and former diplomat in sub-Saharan Africa. He served 24 years in the military and held many leadership positions, commanding a Company in a Tank Battalion for the invasion of Iraq and subsequently serving as a military attaché for eight years in various African countries.  Upon retirement, he founded a consulting group and focused on human trafficking, disaster resilience, and international development.  

He has earned multiple degrees and certificates (Indiana University - Bloomington, the University of Wyoming, Georgetown University, and MIT). Jason is a proud AmeriCorps alum, having completed his service year with Virginia State Parks in 2018.  His commitment to service continues as a member of the National Alumni Chapter Steering Committee for the Service Year Alliance.

Arjun Mandadi is a current senior at a public high school in Sammamish, Washington, who strives to start a career in politics. Elected as the student body president, he oversees 70+ clubs and school events, implements service opportunities, and works closely with city and community officials for the general safety of the student population. Involved in scouting, he led a troop of over 100 scouts out of COVID-19 and now holds the Eagle Scout rank. 

Alongside being a leader, Arjun cares deeply about issues present in his community such as homelessness. On the weekends he volunteers his time to build tiny homes to help alleviate homelessness. Arjun plans to lead a life of service for the betterment of society. He is honored to be a part of the youth engagement committee within NMCFS and cherishes stories of service.

Bob Ness, principal of Ness Consulting, has worked internationally for 30 years with a focus on strategic planning, creativity, innovation, executive development, conflict transformation, and organization development. Bob has done leadership development with US State Department sponsored groups, directed international conferences, and directed or hosted official delegations from many countries.

Bob has deep roots in working with volunteer service programs, including all federal programs (VISTA, Peace Corps, etc.) Bob co-founded of the Global Leadership Forum and is a former Board Chair of Leadership Tomorrow. Trained as a counseling psychologist, Bob has also studied sociology, negotiations, and leadership education. Bob is currently a Trustee of the Peg and Rick Young Foundation.

Denise has served an over 40 year career with the Washington Informer. Denise is the chair of Washington Informer Charities and the President of MDDC Press Association. Denise holds a JD in Communications Law and a BA in Communications from Howard University. 

Steve currently works with Cultural Tourism DC and comes to the NMCFS DC Advisory Council with a wealth of experience in leading the creation of the American Red Cross Museum. He is the founder of the nonprofit Leaders in Fundraising and worked as a retail consultant and in commercial theater throughout his career. He holds a BS in Business Management from American International College and completed an Executive Leadership Program in Organizational Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Annette is a dedicated public servant with over 13 years of experience in strategic planning, program management, administrative management and human resource management in the federal government with the United States Agency for International Development and four years as an educator in both the public school system and private school setting. She has also served as an independent consultant for nonprofit organizations and as a volunteer instructor teaching adult learners English as a Second Language and Civics.  

Annette has a Master's in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University, a Bachelor's in International Relations and Spanish from Colgate University, and a postgraduate professional teaching license.  She is passionate about service in all its forms and excited to be part of an initiative focused on celebrating and inspiring service.

Glenn is the Chief Advancement Officer at the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation, prior to this role he served as the President and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).

Prior to joining the NPCA, Glenn enjoyed an illustrious 18-year career with ACDI/VOCA, most recently leading the establishment and substantial growth of ACDI/VOCA’s worldwide Community Stabilization and Development practice area as Managing Director. He also served as Country Representative and Chief of Party on several major USAID-funded projects throughout Central and South America. His work has taken him to over 65 countries and enabled his near-native Spanish language fluency.

Glenn launched his career by serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala from 1988 to 1991. He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious University of Missouri Faculty-Alumni Award.

Two decades of international assignments have placed Jennifer throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. She has worked in the U.S. Department of State and on Capitol Hill as a senior advisor to U.S government officials and high-level presidential envoys.

More recently, Jen founded a graduate program at the University of Washington and launched a multi-million dollar public-private initiative harnessing global connectivity to build relationships between young people in the U.S., Middle East and North Africa. She serves on the advisory council of the Stevens Initiative and as an affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies. Jen is currently a Director at The Tembo Group, a social impact advisory firm.

Jennifer Kilmer has served as the director of the Washington State Historical Society since 2011. In this position she oversees the Washington State History Museum and the Society's Research Center in Tacoma, in addition to the statewide programs of the Society. Prior to this position she served as the Executive Director of the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor for eight years where she oversaw the construction of a new waterfront facility. Jennifer began her nonprofit career at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation as a grants manager. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College,
and a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. She is an active member of the American Association of State and Local History and served on their governing council for several years, and currently serves on the advisory council of the Milgard Women’s Initiative at the Milgard Business School, University of Washington – Tacoma.

Linda is the Former Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region and now serves as Special Advisor for the Bipartisan Leadership Project (BLP) that equips public servants and a new generation of leaders with fundamental skills necessary to work collaboratively for the common good. She leads the BLP’s partnership with the Political Leadership Academy at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. She also leads the community Working Group assisting Fairfax County Public Schools in creating the John Lewis Leadership Program to prepare young people for public service and leadership roles. Linda serves as Executive Mentor for the Global Good Fund, a member of the International Women’s Forum-DC, Institute for Sustainable Development board and on the Innovative Peacebuilding International board. Linda received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is a graduate of the FBI Citizens’ Academy and Partners in Organizational Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  

Patricia Ochs is currently the Program Manager for Congress to Campus at the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC). She was previously in the Air Force Reserves as a Health Services Manager, the Marketing and Communications Lead for two rural hospitals in Eastern Iowa, the Founder of ‘Sergeant Sender’, a personalized care package service for US troops overseas, and a Senate Intern on Capitol Hill. She also volunteered for the Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, St. Luke’s Hospital, Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

Patricia graduated summa cum laude with a Master’s in Strategic Leadership from Mount Mercy University. She is passionate about leaving the world in a better place through public service and being a role model to her two little girls, Mia and Sophia.

Ashley Sawyer is a recent graduate from The London School of Economics & Political Science with an MSc in Development Studies; she also holds a BA in International Studies from the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies.

Her academic expertise concerns international development and human rights, but she is also deeply interested in poverty alleviation, diplomacy, women’s empowerment and overall empowerment projects that assist marginalized communities. She seeks to have a life-long career dedicated to international affairs and service.

Noreen Singh is a current senior at California State University, Stanislaus studying psychology, where she is focusing on child development and clinical psychology. She has been a part of Multiplying Good for over 7 years. She is also the NMCFS chair on Multiplying Good's Think Big Team. Her love and passion for service and volunteerism is illuminated in all aspects of her life. She is very passionate about education, mental health, diversity, and advocating equality for minority groups. She strives to empower and inspire others to make a change in their community and accomplish their goals and dreams no matter what may come. She is thrilled to join the NMCFS team!

Julie has over 15 years of experience in education and non-profit management, and has spent her career empowering change through the development and growth of innovative programs. She received her Masters in Education from Griffith University and Certificate in Change Management from Cornell University.

As Director of Programs with WE Charity, she partnered with educators, district leaders, state departments of education to implement the experiential service learning program in over 4000 schools across the west coast. She now serves as the Global Operations Director with Future of Fish. In her spare time, Julie consults for mission driven organizations supporting education, youth development and the environment.

Michael is a seasoned veteran with 38+ years in the nonprofit sector and currently serves as the US National Director for Boys and Young Men of Color with the YMCA. In 2019, Michael was awarded the YMCA of the USA Carlos Sanvee award for his work strengthening emerging young leaders. He received the Champions of Change award given by the Obama White House for his efforts in community building and global work in Senegal and Bangladesh.

Michael Lee began his media career in 1982 at KTVX 4 Utah, the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City.  Over the next 15 years he worked in various aspects of the production industry including, graphics, lighting, audio, cinematography, directing, producing and editing. 

He started his own video production business in 1997 establishing Fast Forward Productions.  He’s created broadcast shows, web videos, corporate image pieces, broadcast commercials, music videos and more.  Michael has worked on award winning campaigns for the National Ability Center, Boys & Girls Club, United Way of Salt Lake, Utah Food Bank, Utah Museum of Natural History, and many others.

Joel Meyers is the Director of Communications for Global Washington, a membership organization that supports over 150 nonprofits working across the globe. For over 18 years Joel was co-owner and director of Fuse IQ, a digital solutions company providing services to over 250 nonprofit organizations, locally, nationally and globally - including the United Nations Development Programme, UN Women, ACLU, United Way, Goodwill, The Art Institute of Chicago, University of Washington, and YWCA.

He is on the board of directors for Sahar | Education for Afghan Girls, and is co-founder and President of the Board for Basa Village Foundation USA, supporting rural villages in Nepal.  Joel is also on the Design School Advisory Board of Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

David Owens is recently retired from World Vision, a Christian international NGO working in nearly 100 countries around the globe. During his 12 years’ there, David served in various roles: Vice President of Corporate Engagement, Chief Development Officer and National Director for Institutional Foundation Partnerships. 

Prior to World Vision, David amassed a 27-year private sector career in marketing, advertising, and sales management with major corporations in the financial services, wireless telephony and advertising industries, David holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a BA in Classical Studies from Stanford University.  He and his wife recently relocated to Edmonds, WA to tag team on their fourth major remodeling adventure.

Donnie has recently retired from a long career with the YMCA, working closely with the DC community for 34 years. Beginning as the Aquatics Director, he has served in many roles including Membership Director and most recently the Director of Community Relations. Donnie attained his BS in Business Administration from American University and has been an active Rotarian since 2013, serving as co-chair of the DC-Rotary Club Peace Initiative Committee. 

Yasien Taher, is a current sophomore in a selective early-to-middle college program in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Passionate about giving back to his community and making a difference, Yasien is committed to multiple local service projects. As a member of the Ann Arbor Youth Council, he helps grant funds to nonprofits striving to initiate youth programs. He's also part of the Youth Collaboratory, a group dedicated to driving civic change across the nation.

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Being a Somali-American student, Yasien is proud of his heritage and committed to serving my community. In the future, he aspires to pursue a career in foreign service and international law, aiming to make a positive impact on a global scale. He's thrilled to join the NMCFS team and continue his journey of giving back and creating change.