Board of Directors

Michael Chavira

Board Chair

Michael is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Axiologic Solutions, a government services provider in the Intelligence Community. A graduate of the University of Wyoming with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he became a nuclear officer and then an intelligence officer in the United States Navy. Before starting Axiologic Solutions, he worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a systems engineer, where he was able to apply his system engineering skills to develop and integrate sensor systems for the US Army and our war fighters. Learning the value of a strong education during his military career, he continued his education and earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. Michael then went on to earn a Master’s in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia, followed by a Master’s in Finance from American University. Today, he is driven to create a challenging and fun, entrepreneurial work environment that balances a small company idea-driven culture with large company stability and growth. Over the last twelve years, Michael has worked to grow Axiologic Solutions from two employees to over 300 employees with approximately $100 million in revenue. Michael has recently been named to the board of Directors for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum in Cody, WY, and with City Kids in Washington, DC.

Michael currently resides in Maryland. When he’s not working, he enjoys his time with his growing family and often travels to his home state of Wyoming, where he enjoys sharing his passion for the outdoors with his family and friends. Michael also has a passion for fitness and has completed 6 Iron Man races and is anxious to start training for more triathlons.

Sarah Cryder

Executive Director and President

Sarah joined City Kids Wilderness Project in November 2017. She has extensive strategic business planning and project management background. Prior to joining City Kids, she worked with local and national charter and district schools, foundations, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit service providers with a mission focused on improving education and life outcomes for underserved children. Sarah has also consulted with the D.C. Public Schools to implement evidence-based mental health intervention pilot programs, research successful national pilot interventions, and evaluate program outcomes through data-driven metrics. Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

Griffin L. Davis, MD, MPH, MBA, FACEP

Dr. Griffin Davis is a board-certified emergency physician, a published researcher, and a national speaker on topics including emergency medicine, physician leadership, and healthcare administration. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and as a Senior Advisor at OptimaNova AI. Dr. Davis has held senior leadership roles across the region’s most prominent health systems, including Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Adventist HealthCare, Chief Clinical Officer at Holy Cross Health, and Director of Physician Quality at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates. He earned his MD and MPH from The Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, his MBA from the George Washington University School of Business, and his S.B. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Adele Fabrikant

With a career deeply rooted in public education and community engagement, Dr. Adele Tay Fabrikant joins our board with a wealth of experience and a commitment to serving her community. Adele’s journey began as a Teach For America corps member in the South Bronx, where she ignited her passion for educational equity. Since then, she has led transformative initiatives in educational leadership and youth engagement, including serving as the founding principal of a public transfer high school in Brooklyn, New York. For nearly 7 years, Adele led Teach For America’s D.C.

Now as the Executive Director at the Cahn Fellowship, Adele and her team provide advanced leadership development in large metropolitan areas to strong, talented school leaders to improve public education. Adele’s dedication to student-centered learning and community empowerment aligns perfectly with City Kids’ mission to provide enriching life and learning opportunities for DC youth. Her expertise in instructional design and school leadership will be invaluable as we continue to expand our programs and impact.

Lauren Lefebvre

Lauren Lefebvre is a Managing Director of Artemis and Counsel of CRE Legal Advisors, based in Washington, DC, where she joined the firm in July 2018. In her role, she advises on commercial real estate across a wide range of transaction types, including acquisitions, equity investments, joint ventures, and complex development projects. Prior to Artemis, Lauren was a senior associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where she counseled real estate lenders, property owners, developers, and investors on mixed-use, retail, office, hotel, and multifamily properties. Before law school, Lauren worked at the Children’s Defense Fund, an experience that shaped her commitment to organizations serving young people. She holds a BA from Emory University and a JD from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Tracey Lonstein

Tracy Lonstein is a Senior Manager at CBIZ, where she specializes in nonprofit accounting and advising. Tracy began her accounting career as a Staff Accountant at Raffa, P.C., briefly worked at Aronson LLC advising government contractors and nonprofit organizations, and then returned to Raffa-Marcum’s Nonprofit and Social Sector Group in 2018. Before transitioning to accounting, Tracy spent over a decade in nonprofit management, overseeing 40 organizations and advising Boards of Directors and organizations’ leadership on strategy and operations. In 2024, Marcum was acquired by CBIZ in November 2024, bringing Tracy’s deep nonprofit expertise to one of the country’s leading professional services firms. Tracy joined City Kids’ Board of Directors in January 2025.

Will Morrow

Bringing over 20 years of experience in operations management and financial analysis, Will Morrow is a seasoned leader with a deep commitment to youth development and outdoor education. Will’s diverse background, ranging from investment banking to the food and beverage industry as the CFO of Melvin Brewing Company for over eight years, provides a unique perspective that will contribute to the strategic growth of City Kids. Will has been a Wyoming resident for over a decade and is currently doing amazing work as the CFO of Vertical Harvest Farms to grow food in urban hydroponic farms while creating local jobs.

Growing up on a ranch, Will developed a profound appreciation for nature and its transformative power in shaping young lives. His passion for City Kids’ mission stems from his belief in the importance of experiential outdoor education in fostering resilience and leadership skills among youth.

Margaret Rietano

Margaret Rietano’s game is fostering relationships, a skill that has shaped everything she does. A lifelong runner and outdoor enthusiast, Margaret raised her four children in Washington, DC, and has long been passionate about connecting people, especially young people, to the natural world. Witnessing the stress and pressure prevalent in DC’s type-A community, she founded The Elements DC in 2007, an organization offering transformative, active, outdoor experiences for both youth and adults, now operating under the name Grown Outdoors. Through the Woodland Access Initiative, an Elements program she created, Margaret has supported nonprofit partnerships to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to safely experience the benefits of time in nature. She is also a Retreat Leader for Run Wild Retreats, leading women-only, mindfully designed running and wellness experiences around the world. Margaret brings to City Kids both a deep belief in the power of the outdoors and a personal commitment to expanding access to it.

Mary Speyer

Mary Speyer has been involved in political fundraising for more than twenty years and has worked on various campaigns, operated her own business, and participated in grassroots lobbying efforts. Mary has experience in fundraising, project development, event planning, and marketing. Her most recent activities include extensive travel to Tanzania, where she and her daughter co-founded a non-profit organization to build schools, promote early childhood educational programs, and support infrastructure projects in rural villages throughout Arusha, Tanzania.

She has also been involved in major fundraising endeavors for The Sidwell Friends School. She currently serves on the boards of various organizations based in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She oversees the philanthropic activities of the Alexander C. and Tillie S. Speyer Foundation, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is an avid hiker, marathoner, and outdoor enthusiast. Ms. Speyer resides in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with her husband, Jim Speyer, and their three children.

Whitney Tome

Whitney Tome has worked with fishermen, environmentalists, advocates, political strategists, government employees, and thought leaders to develop the approach and solutions needed for the problem. Combining her facilitation skills, knowledge of environmental issues, and understanding of people, Whitney is able to walk into any room, ask the right questions, develop a strategy in the moment, and leave everyone with action items and tasks.

Whitney is currently a principal at the Raben Group, and previously served as the director of diversity and inclusion at the National Parks Conservation Association, where she led, defined, and crafted metrics and measures for the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Whitney has advised complex ocean stakeholder processes as a Program Manager and Mediator at the Meridian Institute including facilitating public meetings for regional ocean planning bodies that included state, federal, and tribal partners.

Whitney earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Middlebury College and a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law. She also won the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) International Mediation Competition in Paris, France.

Dhivya Venkataraman

Dhivya is a Portfolio Manager for Education Grantmaking at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. She supports the Equity by Design portfolio, focused on promoting equity in schools. Dhivya brings over ten years of experience in supporting education and social impact organizations to address their most pressing strategy and talent challenges.

Before joining the Foundation, Dhivya worked as an independent education consultant for two years and was an Associate Partner on Bellwether Education Partners’ Strategic and Talent Advising teams for five years. Dhivya worked with a range of education organizations, including nonprofit organizations, school districts, charter management organizations, networks, and foundations, strengthening efforts to improve outcomes for underserved students in the United States. Prior to Bellwether, Dhivya worked at IBM Global Business Solutions in its public-sector division. Dhivya advised federal clients, such as the Navy and EPA, on improving their core operations and financial management systems. In addition, Dhivya worked in international development, assisting governments with initiatives in economic development, health care, and education.

Dhivya holds master’s degrees in public policy and business administration from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University. She is an alumna of the Education Pioneers Graduate School Fellowship.

Emeritus Board

Advisory Board – DC

The Advisory Board is made up of talented professionals who share an interest in youth development, philanthropy, and the outdoors. They participate in outreach and fundraising, provide expertise and counsel on areas of personal and professional expertise, and have the opportunity to volunteer and participate in City Kids programming. The Advisory Board is an exciting way to network and connect with others in the DC region who are committed to supporting extraordinary opportunities for DC youth. If you would like to learn more or apply to be on the Advisory Board, please contact Dan Ebert, Director of Development and Communications, at dan@citykidsdc.org.

Grace Benson

Sam Claypool

Jennifer Fish

Melissa Pewett | Co-Chair

Kelly Russo

Poulam Saha

Kendall Simmonds

Rob Stackhouse

Sophia Stone

Michael Wurzbacher | Co-Chair