Mary Ellen Ardouny
President & CEO
Mary Ellen Ardouny has been a long-time champion for youth. Ardouny came to The Corps Network in March of 2008 as Director of Government Relations. She was promoted to Vice President of External Affairs in 2011 and then Interim CEO in May of 2012, prior to being selected as President and CEO in October of 2012. During her tenure, Service and Conservation Corps have become better known programs to lawmakers and policymakers throughout the federal government. Legislation that would expand and bolster youth programs including Service and Conservation Corps has been routinely introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Under Ardouny’s leadership, in 2010 more than $63 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects were granted to Service and Conservation Corps throughout the country by 15 federal agencies. These projects provided youth with jobs and service opportunities while connecting them to public lands including national parks and forests. More recently, Ardouny has served as a member of the federal advisory committee tasked with providing recommendations to federal land management agencies on how to implement a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps.
In addition to her productive time at The Corps Network, she has ten years of Capitol Hill experience, including two years on the House Committee on Education and Labor handling postsecondary education, training, and life-long learning programs. She also worked for Representatives Matthew G. Martinez (D-CA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). Before joining The Corps Network, Mary Ellen was Vice President of Government Relations at the Education Finance Council, the national trade association for nonprofit and state based student loan providers. Prior to that, she spent two years as the Assistant to the President of the University of Montana.
Contact Mary Ellen Ardouny
Nicole Aiken
Executive Assistant
Nicole Aiken joined The Corps Network in October 2011. As Executive Assistant, Nicole provides administrative support to the President/ CEO and Chief Operating Officer. Her duties include managing calendars and workload, compiling materials for meetings, and routing information among the Management Team. Nicole also provides general office support for The Corps Network's Washington, DC office.
Nicole received her undergraduate degree in Communications from Howard University and her masters degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development at Trinity Washington University.
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Carolyn Benard
Grants & Agreements Manager
Carolyn manages grants and agreements for The Corps Network. Previously at The Corps Network Carolyn worked as the Grants Compliance Manager of the Conservation Corps of Greater New Orleans. In this role Carolyn was responsible for managing the data and evaluation side of the program as well as providing training and technical assistance to subgrantees regarding corps member management and support, grants compliance, performance measurement and data collection, and program development.
Carolyn has worked in the nonprofit and government sector for a cumulative 15 years in the fields of youth development, violence and drug prevention, and service learning. She has been involved in national service in a variety of capacities for ten years as a member, supervisor, grant monitor, and trainer.
Carolyn has a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology and participated in a service-learning semester abroad in Jamaica as a teacher and student. Immediately prior to joining to The Corps Network originally, Carolyn worked for the Washington Service Corps (WSC) for nearly four years as a Program Coordinator supporting Corps across the state as well as the WSC Civic Engagement initiative. Prior to the WSC, Carolyn worked as an AmeriCorps Team Supervisor for three years in the Human Needs sector. Before supervising the team, Carolyn served as an AmeriCorps member on the team in 1999-2000, as a Volunteer Coordinator for a senior nutrition program in Washington State.
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Joe Gersen
Director of Government Relations, Public Lands Service Coalition
As Director of Government Relations for the Public Lands Service Coalition, Joe will work with The Corps Network (TCN), the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC), and other members of the PLSC to design and implement a strategic plan for meeting the policy and advocacy goals of Conservation Corps. Having a focus on environmental stewardship, resource conservation, and public lands-related policy and programs, he will work with the House and Senate Committees on Natural Resources and Interior Appropriations and work to build and grow relationships with the relevant federal agencies within the Departments of Interior and Agriculture.
Joe has over twelve years of experience in Washington DC at non-profit organizations, as well as in Congress and in the Executive branch. Before joining the Public Lands Service Coalition, Joe was the Public Policy Manager at America's Service Commissions, the national association for state service commissions, and focused on the oversight and appropriations process for national and community service programs. Prior to that, he worked in the office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service and for Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA). Joe has also spent time on both national and state wide political campaigns. Joe started his career as an AmeriCorps VISTA, developing an America Reads program in Valencia California. Joe has a Masters of Business Administration from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Joe lives in the Bloomingdale neighborhood in NW Washington DC with his wife and dog, and enjoys bicycling, hiking, and swimming.
Contact Joe Gersen
Lauren Hill
Director of Development
As Director of Development, Lauren works closely with the Vice President of External Affairs, President, Board of Directors, and other TCN staff to lead organizational fundraising efforts. Her primary goal is to research, pursue and secure corporate and foundation funding, as well as individual gifts.
Lauren brings over 7 years of nonprofit and local government experience. Prior to TCN, she was the Development Associate at the Poverty and Race Research Action Council; a D.C. based civil rights organization working on structural inequality issues.
Lauren holds a BA in both Political Science and Women’s Studies from Ohio State University- Go Buckeyes!
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Carol Huls
Member Relations Manager
As Member Relations Manager, Carol Huls manages the member database and keeps track of what Corps are doing around the country. Carol is the central point of contact for organizations looking for information on benefits (including the Health Insurance program), training and technical assistance, and connecting with Members of The Corps Network. She also plays a primary role in the coordination of the National Conference (an event which is definitely a team effort) and in arranging webinars and other training opportunities.
If you’re coming to visit DC, be sure to touch base with Carol for tips – she’s a Licensed Washington DC Tour Guide and a volunteer at the National Gallery of Art, and she tries to stay on top of the cultural activities going on in the city. Carol received her undergraduate degree in History and English from Calvin College and a Masters degree in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University.
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Byron Kline
National Program Director, Civic Justice Corps
Since January of 2008, Byron Kline served as the Co-Director of Reentry for the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. Prior to joining the Division, Byron was the Director of a Brooklyn based reentry initiative called the Developing Justice Program – a Project of the Fifth Avenue Committee.
Since 1992 Byron has worked in various capacities in criminal justice government agencies and community based organizations throughout NYC including the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, the Osborne Association and the NYC Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator. In 1999-2000 Byron served as a law clerk for the Honorable Betty J. Lester, Essex County Superior Court Criminal Judge in Newark, NJ.
Byron holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law – Newark. Additionally, Byron was an adjunct instructor at RIT during the Spring 2009 and 2010 semesters where he developed the curriculum for a course entitled Major Issues in Criminal Justice - Prison Reentry.
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Levi Novey
Communications Manager
As The Corps Network's Communications Manager, Levi is responsible for telling the incredible stories of Service and Conservation Corps nationwide.
Prior to joining the Corps Network, Levi worked for the U.S. National Park Service for 10 years as a park ranger, social science researcher, and science communication specialist for 20 different national parks.
He has received a master's degree in Conservation Social Sciences from the University of Idaho and a bachelor's degree in History from Tufts University.
In addition to having authored several guidebooks to U.S. national parks, he has written scholarly papers and over 200 articles as an environmental journalist while living abroad with his family in Peru. He has written for numerous publications and groups including The Huffington Post, Live Oak Media, and Greenopolis. He enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, photography, movies, visiting the parks and museums in the DC area, and spending time with his wife Alicia and daughter Coral.
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Emilie Rafal
Data Collection Systems Coordinator
Emilie Rafal joined The Corps Network in May 2012 as the Data Collection Systems Coordinator. In this role, Emilie is responsible for implementing and managing a data collection system that will allow individual Corps and TCN to track programmatic elements and outcomes.
Prior to joining The Corps Network, Emilie supported out of school time programming for middle school youth at Higher Achievement Baltimore, where she managed the data collection databases, supported development, and assisted with recruitment.
Emilie graduated from the College of William & Mary (Tribe Pride!) with a BA in both Psychology and Women’s Studies. Outside of the office, she enjoys taking her Corgi mix on hikes and cooking vegetarian feasts.
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Capri St. Vil
National Education Coordinator
Capri brings over 25 years of experience in education. Her career in education began in Adult Basic Education in New York. She has also taught at the high school level in Brooklyn, NY. She was a member of the Humanities/Social Science department at Seattle Central Community College. She served in an administrative capacity and as a Core Faculty member at Antioch University in Seattle. Prior to joining the Corps Network, she was an Education Program Manager with FEGS, Education and Youth Services Department.
She has her MA from NYU in Educational Communications and Instructional Design as well as her BFA.
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Nancy Siegal
Director of Finance and Administration
As the Director of Finance and Administration for The Corps Network, Nancy's activities include, but are not limited to budget and finance (including all grants awarded to The Corps Network), general office administration, meeting planning, and human resource functions.
Nancy has over 30 years of Washington association experience and has built a network of financial, human resource, and hotel resources within the community. Prior to joining to The Corps Network, Nancy served as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration at the Association of Academic Health Centers. Nancy is a graduate of Lesley University and holds a Masters degree from Central Connecticut State University.
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Hannah Traverse
Communications Assistant
As the Communications Assistant, Hannah writes and develops digital and print material concerning Opportunity Youth: the estimated 6.7 million young Americans who are neither in school nor employed. Hannah helps share content about these young men and women – including those with success stories thanks to youth programs like Corps – using various social media tools.
Hannah received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While in college, Hannah volunteered in DC Public Schools through the DC Reads Program and Prime Movers. She also spent a semester interning with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and spent over a year interning and writing for Street Sense; a DC-based newspaper that focuses on raising awareness about homelessness.
In her spare time, Hannah volunteers at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Her favorite activities include drawing, cooking and bike riding.
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Leslie Wilkoff
Director of AmeriCorps Programs
As Director of AmeriCorps Programs, Leslie leads The Corps Network's AmeriCorps Education Award Program (EAP) and assists with the Civic Justice Corps and Clean Energy Service Corps. She ensures compliance and provides technical assistance to subgrantees in these Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) AmeriCorps grants.
Throughout her tenure Leslie has developed a cache of tools for national service and youth development programs and has emerged as one of the leaders of the EAP serving on numerous working groups for CNCS. She also provides training to subgrantees for the eGrants Portal on-line member management system. In addition, she helped develop and manages The Corps Network's Health Insurance Plan for Corpsmembers and AmeriCorps members.
Leslie began with the Human Environment Center in 1984 and transitioned to The Corps Network when it was created in 1985. Since she began, Leslie has planned numerous conferences, designed and edited a quarterly newsletter and directed member services.
Contact Leslie Wilkoff
Tyler Wilson
Director of Government Relations
As Director of Government Relations for The Corps Network, Tyler focuses on developing and advocating legislative and policy initiatives for the Corps Network; providing analysis and tracking of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies; and working with advocacy organizations here in DC on improving the outlook for youth development issues. He’ll also be focusing on raising Corps’ federal profile, improving government relations operations, and developing new Corps initiatives on education and workforce development, among others.
As a native Iowan, Tyler has always had a love of politics and policy and volunteered on political campaigns and organizations in college. He has 8 years of experience working for a Member of Congress from the state of Iowa and on Congressional and Presidential campaigns. For 6 years working in Congress, he managed and advised the Congressman on a wide-range of issues including agriculture, education, energy and environment, financial services, housing, labor and workforce, and transportation/infrastructure.
He also worked with the House Education and Labor Committee and managed disaster recovery issues through the worst natural disaster in the state’s history. Additionally he has drafted policy, legislation, and amendments related to education, energy and the environment, workforce, natural disasters, and transportation among many others. He also has experience working on communications and press-related projects.
Tyler lives with his wife and dog in DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. He enjoys reading, music, movies, exercising, and all types of outdoor recreation. He has a BA in both Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, IA - Go Hawks!
