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Community Corner

UCM New Board of Directors for 2014

UCM Announces 2014 Board for 45th Anniversary Year

United Community Ministries (UCM),, Alexandria VA, elected new officers and five new Directors at its annual meeting in December. Officers elected for 2014 are:  Christiane Gigi Hyland, Esq., President; Charles King, Vice President; Joseph S. Conti, Treasurer; and Bruce Engelmann, Secretary. Joining the UCM Board are:  Rear Admiral Moira Flanders, USN (Ret.), Janet Heddesheimer, Matthew Lopez, Andrew Reinsdorf, and Leah Tenorio.

The new Board Members are joining as two others retire from service:  2013 President Elaine D. Kolish and Stephen Hayes.

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"I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve UCM and our community as President during 2014, UCM's 45th anniversary year," says Hyland. "We are grateful for past President Elaine Kolish’s leadership, particularly during a challenging but productive year that included the government shutdown and continued demand for our services."

"UCM’s dedicated staff works tirelessly to fulfill its mission to provide those in need a helping hand,” she continues. "UCM’s programs help children, adults, and families achieve self-sufficiency. We are fortunate and grateful that we live among caring community members who open their hearts and share their resources to help people who are struggling. UCM continues to need the community’s support, and I would like to ask all my friends and neighbors in the Mount Vernon area to join me in supporting UCM in 2014. We have so many opportunities to participate."

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"At the heart of community is caring and concern, people helping people. UCM's services provide a vital connection between people in need and people who are committed to helping them grow and thrive," says UCM Executive Director Shirley Marshall. "Volunteers are at the core of UCM's work and success. It is a privilege to serve with such a dedicated Board of Directors, both past and present. We are deeply grateful for their volunteer service and leadership to ensure that our low-income neighbors have the resources and the paths to achieve stability and success."

A brief biography follows for each of the new officers and new Directors:

Christiane Gigi Hyland, Esq. is Board President and has been a board member since December 2012. She is currently Executive Director at National Credit Union Foundation. Previously she served as a Board member of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the independent federal regulator for the nation’s credit unions. She was NCUA’s representative on the Board of Directors at NeighborWorks® America, one of the country’s preeminent leaders in affordable housing and community development, where she served as Chairman during her tenure. Prior to NCUA, Hyland's career spanned fourteen years serving the credit union community as an executive, attorney and advocate. She was also a Managing Partner of the family law firm, Hyland and Hyland. A graduate of the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in comparative literature, Hyland earned her J.D. from George Mason University School of Law and an Advanced Diploma in International Law from McGeorge School of Law. Hyland and her husband Chris Revere live in the Wessynton neighborhood in Alexandria.

Charles King is Vice President and has served on the UCM Board since 2011. He is an acknowledged authority on regulatory economics with more than 40 years experience in economic consulting in the transportation, utility, and telecommunications sectors. King is a founder of the firm now known as Snavely King Majoros & Associates, Inc., where he serves as President Emeritus. A graduate of Washington and Lee University with a B.A. in Economics, King earned his M.A. in Government Economic Policy from The George Washington University. King and his wife Lee live in the Hollin Hills neighborhood of Alexandria.

Joseph S. Conti is Treasurer and has served on the UCM Board since December 2012. He is a retired senior banking executive, retiring in 1992 as a Senior Vice President with Bankers Trust Company after a 23 year tenure.  In retirement he has served as a financial services consultant primarily to the Polish American Enterprise Fund (PAEF) in Poland, as well as other clients in Poland and Russia. Conti has served as a board member and officer at several organizations in both New York and the greater DC metro area.  He is a member of the Emeritus Board of the Children’s Law Center in Washington DC and of the Alumni Board of Doorways for Women and Families in Arlington VA. A graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.S. in business management, Conti earned his M.B.A. from the Bernard Baruch College of the City University of New York. Conti and his wife Dorothy live in The Manors at Mount Vernon in Alexandria.

Bruce Engelmann is Secretary and most recently served as UCM Board Treasurer. He has served on the UCM Board since 2009 as well as a prior term. Engelmann is a Certified Public Accountant operating his tax and accounting practice serving small businesses and individuals. He served on the board of Highland Park Pool for ten years, including as President for four years, and on the board of Florence Overlook Homeowners Association for eight years. He has been very involved in his children’s school activities and coaching their recreational sport teams. He earned his Masters in Accountancy from Virginia Tech. Engelmann and his wife Beth live in the Florence Overlook neighborhood in Alexandria.

The new members of the UCM Board of Directors are:

Rear Admiral Moira Flanders, USN (Ret.), served as an active duty US Navy Officer from 1978 to her retirement in 2012. Her last active duty position was Director of the Inter-American Defense College at Fort McNair. She is now a senior staff member on the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission and serves as a member of US Rep. Gerry Connolly's Service Academy Advisory Board for the US Naval Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. Her career includes extensive senior executive experience in developing and leading centers of excellence with special emphasis on recruiting, training and education, as well as pay, compensation and career management for US Department of Defense civilian and uniformed members. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Biology, Flanders earned her M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. She is a graduate of Fort Hunt High School and lives in the Wellington neighborhood of Alexandria with Beowulf, her Bernese Mountain Dog.

Janet C. Heddesheimer retired in December 2013 from The George Washington University as counseling professor emerita. During her 40 year tenure, she served in many academic and administrative roles including teaching numerous graduate counseling classes, serving one term as a department chair, and 24 years in dean roles as assistant and associate dean, academic associate dean, senior associate dean and twice acting dean. She is a licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Virginia and a National Certified Counselor. A graduate of Coe College with a B.A. in English, she earned both her M.A. in Counseling and Guidance and her Ph.D. in Counselor Education at The Ohio State University. Heddesheimer and her husband Jon live in the Mason Hill neighborhood of Alexandria.

Matthew Lopez is a Captain II EMS Supervisor with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, where he has worked since 1995. He has also served as a Battalion Representative with the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, IAFF Local 2068 for the past ten years. A graduate of Saint Michael's College with a B.A. in American Studies, Lopez earned his M.S. in Labor Studies from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He and his wife Patricia live in the Winter Forest neighborhood of Springfield.

Andrew Reinsdorf is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for DIRECTV. He is the Board Chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association. Prior to joining DIRECTV in 2005, Reinsdorf held senior government affairs positions with the National Association of Broadcasters. He earned his B.A. in Politics from Ithaca College. Andrew is a parishioner at St. Louis Catholic Church.  He and his wife Meredith live in the Hollin Glen neighborhood of Alexandria.

Leah Tenorio is Director of Hispanic Ministry at Good Shepherd Catholic Church where she has served since 1999. She was a founding member of the Board of Directors at Progreso Hispano (Progreso Literacy and Citizenship Center) and served on its Board for 10 years, most recently as President. In both these roles, Tenorio collaborated with many community improvement efforts to help immigrant families overcome challenges and improve the quality of their lives. She earned her B.A. in International Relations from Trinity College. Tenorio and her husband Ricardo live in the Riverside Estates neighborhood of Alexandria.

United Community Ministries (UCM) provides the vital connection between people in need and the people committed to helping them thrive.  Services include:

  • Immediate Help.  For families and individuals in crisis, UCM provides food, financial aid, and counseling.
  • Education and Employment.  Services such as job training and coaching, full-day early care and learning, ESL and citizenship classes, and parental education help people achieve stability.
  • Community Engagement.  UCM’s neighborhood centers, with after-school programs and leadership training, engage youth and families in broader social networks for success.

Last fiscal year, thanks to generous community support, UCM provided life-changing assistance to 4,392 families in south Fairfax County.

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