Blog Contributors

Andrew Davis

As a Consultant for BoardSource, Andrew Davis is an integral member of the consulting teams that work with BoardSource clients in conducting board assessments, managing consulting projects, and in assisting BoardSource senior governance consultants across the country. He also develops and customizes curriculum for clients of all sizes and mission areas. Since joining BoardSource, he has worked with and/or designed online learning modules for Spina Bifida Association, NeighborWorks America, and Urban Indian Health Services, among many others. Andy brings considerable governance expertise and a commitment to helping organizations and BoardSource leverage social media in meaningful ways. Prior to joining BoardSource, Andy served as Professional Development Coordinator for Quality Enhancement for Non-Profit Organizations (QENO), a joint partnership between the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the City of Wilmington, and area non-profits dedicated to increasing leadership knowledge and capacity in nonprofits throughout the region. In this role, Andy customized governance solutions and organized training programs for nonprofit boards and chief executives throughout Eastern North Carolina. 

Andy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s of Public Administration with a concentration in non-profit management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.  As an AmeriCorps veteran and long time nonprofit staff member, Andy has had the unique experience of working at nonprofit organizations nationwide including Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, Hawaii Food Bank of Honolulu, Palm Springs Unified School District and United Community Ministries of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  In these roles, Andy has served at every organizational level including staff and board member. 

Jessica Griffin, Resource Development Officer 

Jessica Griffin

As a Resource Development Officer for BoardSource, Jessica works collaboratively within the Strategic Development & Partnerships Team to build and sustain resource-generating relationships with corporate and foundation partners.  Prior to joining BoardSource, Jessica served as Corporate Relationships Manager for at the Capital Area Food Bank. She has also served in a variety of roles at other nonprofit organizations including the American Red Cross National Headquarters, the International Rescue Committee, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Hands on Atlanta. 

She currently serves as co-chair of the board of directors of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of DC (YNPNdc), a 501c3 dedicated to promoting a healthy, viable, and inclusive nonprofit sector that supports the growth, learning, and development of young professionals. YNPNdc is an all-volunteer organization that develops over 50 free or low-cost professional development and networking events each year.   Jessica is also an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and volunteers with the DC Chapter of AFP. 

Jessica obtained a Masters of Public Administration from the School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University in Washington, DC and also holds a B.A. in communication & rhetoric studies and sociology from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. 

Emily Heard, Consultant 

As a Consultant for BoardSource, Emily Heard is an integral member of the consulting teams that work with BoardSource clients in conducting board assessments, reviewing governance structures, and in addressing other governance needs. Since joining BoardSource, she has worked with the Smithsonian Institution, Independent Sector, Big Brothers Big Sisters, International Baccalaureate, and Tides Center, among many others. 

Emily brings extensive consulting experience and a commitment to education and the nonprofit sector to BoardSource. Prior to joining BoardSource, Emily served as Director of Education and Professional Services for the International Business Ethics Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness about business ethics. In this capacity, she designed training, revised codes of conduct, and provided other consulting services to multinational corporations. Emily also managed the development of the Institute’s publications and journal. Before joining the Institute, Emily worked at the Corporate Executive Board where she managed research projects on corporate strategy for senior executives at Fortune 500 firms. Emily has also served as a consultant for various think tanks. 

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and a Master of Arts in History from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Melissa Sines 

Melissa Sines

Melissa Sines is an Associate Consultant and Coordinator at D⁴ Consulting an independent consulting firm dedicated to providing nonprofits and corporations with high-end and long-term nonprofit governance, management and ethics services, as well as a full range of targeted training and facilitation opportunities in the form of customizable seminars, workshops, retreats, and keynote speeches. Melissa is a graduate of Hood College, Frederick, MD, and is currently pursuing her MPA at the University of Baltimore. She is also the President of Volunteer Frederick and serves as Chair of the Beer Garden Committee for In the Street/Light the Creek, a Frederick City street festival. A founding donor of the Frederick Giving Project, Melissa is passionate about giving back, organizing people and projects, and thinks she may have a disease called chronic volunteerism. 

David Sternberg, Senior Governance Consultant 

David Styers

David Styers serves as a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource.  In this position, David provides project management, consulting, and training services to major clients on governance and emerging trends and developments in the nonprofit sector.  David brings extensive nonprofit experience concentrated in training, consulting, and organizational development.  He advises clients such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Goodwill Industries, and the League of American Orchestras on ways to identify criteria and success measures of board initiatives of affiliates and to identify actionable steps to move agency boards toward the objectives in a strategic plan including measuring impact, obtaining diversity, and managing talent.  David trains extensively on a variety of topics such as the board’s roles and responsibilities, fundraising, shared leadership, and exceptional governance practices.Prior to joining BoardSource, David served as Senior Director at the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, where he led the work to build capacity and national partnerships for more than 360 affiliate volunteer centers across the country.  During his nearly eight years at Points of Light, David designed and conducted trainings at local, state, national, and international conferences and consulted with many nonprofits and associations across the country and around the world.  His areas of expertise include board and fund development, leadership and partnership development, outcomes measurement, strategic planning, and volunteer management. 

Prior to joining Points of Light, David helped establish the Catherine French Group, an independent consulting firm specializing in executive search and recruitment with nonprofit boards and executives of symphony orchestras and other music and arts organizations.  David also served as the lead staff for governance services at the League of American Orchestras. 

David serves on several boards, including as President of Volunteer Alexandria and as Vice Chair of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration.  He is a summa cum laude graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Religion from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is a Certified Pew Partnership for Civic Change Leadership Trainer and Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute Trainer.  

Anna Tegen, Membership Coordinator  

Anna Tegen

Anna is currently the Membership Coordinator at BoardSource, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service. There, her interest in nonprofit work turned into a passion and commitment to developing a career in the nonprofit sector. She is excited to serve the sector through her work on the YNPNdc Board, by applying her passion, skills and institutional knowledge of nonprofit governance.  

Anna developed an interest in the nonprofit sector during her time as a marketing major at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Amongst other things, Anna was active in student life, held a leadership position in the Orientation Program, and completed a two-year internship at a D.C. nonprofit. With a strong focus on community and service, Catholic University was a catalyst for Anna’s increasing interest in the D.C. community.  

Born in South Carolina to German scientists and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Anna also pursues her interests in international development and diplomacy. She currently resides in Southeast D.C. where she can be found running up Capitol Hill and tending to her unsuccessful tomato garden.  

Alexis S. Terry  

Alexis S. Terry

Alexis Terry is currently director of diversity and inclusion at ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. She was previously the Project Manager of the Diversity and Next Gen Initiative at BoardSource, a multiyear program designed to reach and prepare diverse, next generation leaders for board service. Alexis Terry joined BoardSource as a Consulting and Training Associate in April 2005 and then served as a Client Manager in Business Development where she cultivated and managed relationships with nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and colleges and universities.  

Prior to BoardSource, Alexis served as Service-Learning and Recruitment AmeriCorps Member and as co-Chair of the Serve DC’s National InterCorps Council board. In both roles, Alexis led the development and implementation of a regional outreach plan to recruit and prepare diverse undergraduate students to become AmeriCorps members. She also organized professional development programs for new AmeriCorps members.  

Alexis graduated from Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and is certified in Nonprofit Management.  She is a Steering Committee Member of the Next Generation Leadership Forum with American Humanics and serves on an Advisory Committee for What Works: Developing Successful Multigenerational Leaders, a research agenda led by Idealist.org and Building Movement Project.  

Isabel Varnado, Consulting and Training Project Coordinator

Isabel Varnado is the consulting and training project coordinator at BoardSource, where she helps inspire board service and manage the organization’s client-based projects. Prior to joining BoardSource, she was an intern for a small international consulting firm working in the areas of sustainability and the empowerment of women.

Isabel is a board member of Disaster Volunteers of Ghana, an international 501 (c) 3 organization that provides support to children and women in villages throughout Ghana.  She became involved with the organization after volunteering in the village of Tanyigbe in 2009. While there, she helped build a school and fell in love with the local children. Isabel also volunteers with D.C. Reads by tutoring children and reading at local events.

Isabel obtained a bachelor’s degree in global affairs and writing from the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida, where she was active in her sorority, student government, and volunteer projects. She is currently working on a master’s degree in international conflict management from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Isabel resides in the District’s Columbia Heights neighborhood. There you may catch her teaching yoga or preparing for her next volunteer trip — this time to Nepal.

Vernetta Walker, Director of Consulting  

Vernetta Walker

Vernetta Walker, JD, is director of consulting and a senior governance consultant for BoardSource. Vernetta frequently delivers training to a variety of nonprofit organizations, and works with sophisticated organizations in addressing governance issues. Clients include Independent Sector, YMCA, NeighborWorks, Habitat for Humanity, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Fieldstone Alliance, and Concordia University System, among others. As director of consulting for BoardSource, Vernetta provides project management, consulting, and training services to clients on governance, emerging trends, and developments in the nonprofit sector.  

Vernetta brings a broad depth of knowledge to BoardSource, having served as director of consulting and contract training and associate general counsel for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations. Her expertise includes working with newly formed to complex organizations in the areas of board governance, nonprofit legal compliance, organizational structure, and nonprofit advocacy.  

Prior to joining the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, Vernetta was foundation advocacy counsel for the Alliance for Justice and trained boards of directors and staff from foundations and nonprofits across the country on federal tax laws pertaining to lobbying, election-related activities, and advocacy. She also was a contributing author for Investing in Change: A Funder’s Guide to Supporting Advocacy, an Alliance for Justice publication (2004).  

Vernetta practiced law in Orlando, FL, for several years and served as a grant program director for five years at the Florida Bar Foundation. She also has served on several boards, including Planned Parenthood and Lynx (Orlando’s regional transportation authority). She received her J.D. from Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, MO, and her bachelor of arts from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. She is admitted to the Florida and Maryland state bars.