Bread for the City’s senior staff are experts in their fields. The following staff are available for media interviews:
George A. Jones became Executive Director of Bread for the City (BFC) on January 2, 1996. He is responsible for managing all administrative, financial, and programmatic aspects of the organization. Mr. Jones has led Bread for the City's growth from a $1.2 million operation in 1996 to a $4.8 million operation in 2008. This growth included overseeing the development of a new center in Southeast DC in 2002, as well as the upcoming 11,000 s.f. expansion of BFC’s Northwest Center, starting in 2009.
From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Jones served as Chairman of the Board of the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA), a non-profit which advocates for the expansion of healthcare access and reduction of healthcare disparities among low-income DC residents. He currently serves as the DCPCA's Vice Chairman, serves on the Center for Nonprofit Advancement Board, is a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Food and Nutrition, and is a volunteer at Brightwood Elementary School.
Before coming to Bread for the City, Mr. Jones worked for Chrysalis, a Los Angeles, CA organization working to help homeless adults secure employment. Mr. Jones holds a B.A. in Psychology from Norfolk State University, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Since 1991, Dr. Abramson has provided direction and management on all aspects of Bread for the City's medical program. She manages the recruitment of medical volunteers; cultivates relationships with medical schools to establish residency programs; oversees and coordinates the development and operation of medical clinics; and conducts patient examinations and referrals. Dr. Abramson also serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at George Washington University Medical Center, and holds a M.D. from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois.
Ms. Brown joined the Social Services program in October 2002 after serving as the program director at the Mellwood House for Women and Children. Throughout her twenty-year career she has focused on child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment. Ms. Brown holds an M.A. in Human Development/Child & Family Studies from Syracuse University and is a certified addictions counselor.
Ms. Knight joined the Social Services program in 2000 as a social worker and became the director in 2002. In that capacity, Ms. Knight supervises and coordinates staff, volunteers, and student counselors and case workers; coordinates client intakes, applications for public assistance, and case management; establishes and maintains relationships with community partner agencies; and conducts counseling and case management with individual clients. Ms. Knight received her M.S.W. with a Concentration in Clinical Practice from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Nathan became Finance Director in August 2006. Prior to that time, she worked in public accounting for 18 years, including 7 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers (formerly Coopers & Lybrand). Karen received her BBA in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, and her Master's degree in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University. She is licensed as a CPA in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Mr. Pringle has worked at Bread for the City since 1992. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the food and clothing programs, including soliciting food and clothing donations, coordinating pick-ups, keeping inventory, supervising volunteers, and coordinating distribution. Under his tenure, the Food Program alone has grown from serving 800 households annually to more than 11,000 households.
Ms. Sanford became the Deputy Director of Bread for the City in February 1999. She is responsible for day-to-day operations including administrative and program oversight for both centers. Before becoming Deputy Director, Ms. Sanford was the Bread for the City’s Legal Clinic Director since 1993, and under her direction the clinic received the 1998 Fredrick B. Abramson Award. She holds a J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law, and in 2005 received the Jerrold Scoutt Prize in recognition of her long-standing commitment to civil legal services.
Ms. Valentine was BFC's Grants & Gifts Officer before becoming Development Director in 2006. Prior to joining BFC, she worked with Emmaus Services for the Aging and the Mental Health Association of Rochester. Ms. Valentine holds a B.A. in Communication from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY.
Mr. Vergeer joined Bread for the City as a staff attorney in 1994. In December 2000 he left to join the National Housing Law Project, and in September 2002 he returned to BFC to run the new SE Legal Clinic. As the Legal Clinic Director of both centers, he coordinates the clinic's daily operations; recruits, trains, and supervises new attorneys, paralegals, and law student volunteers; assigns referral cases; reviews cases and provides substantive legal backup. Mr. Vergeer also maintains his own caseload and engages in public advocacy activities and community education on issues of critical importance to clients. Mr. Vergeer holds a J.D. from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in D.C., Maryland, and California.
To arrange interviews with any of the above Bread for the City staff, please contact Greg Bloom, 202.386.7609.
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