Montgomery Moving Forward (MMF) was founded as an initiative of Nonprofit Montgomery in 2012. Over the past 10 years, we’ve leveraged the collective impact model to mobilize leaders from across sectors to solve our biggest problems together.
On March 30, 2022, MMF held its kickoff anniversary event. This virtual event featured guest speaker Senator Chris Van Hollen, leaders who helped start MMF, and keynote speaker Carol Thompson Cole, president & CEO of Venture Philanthropy Partners+Raise DC.
Watch the video of the event, or scroll down for more information on our speakers.
Agenda & Speakers
This event is part of MMF’s 10th Anniversary.
Opening & Welcome
Event Emcee
Jackie DeCarlo
Chief Executive Officer, Manna Food Center
President, Nonprofit Montgomery Board of Directors
Jackie DeCarlo, CEO, Manna Food Center / Board Chair, Nonprofit Montgomery
Jackie DeCarlo’s professional background is in education and not-for-profit management, and she has promoted economic and social justice within communities around the United States, in Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Originally an elementary school teacher, Jackie became involved in international programming at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), developing USCRI’s first overseas direct service programs in Croatia and Rwanda. Jackie directed an AmeriCorps program focused on pesticide safety for farmworkers in a dozen states and worked for eight years at Catholic Relief Services, leading its Fair Trade program expansion in the United States and supporting anti-hunger work in Ghana, India, Madagascar, Nicaragua, and the West Bank.
Currently serving as Manna Food Center’s Chief Executive Officer, Jackie is responsible for the strategic development of the largest community-based organization in Montgomery County Maryland working towards “Food for All.” She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Nonprofit Montgomery and is a member of Montgomery County Food Council Policy Committee.
In March 2018, Jackie received the international Women Stop Hunger award from Sodexo in Paris, France, in recognition of her record of successful social entrepreneurship and the innovations launched with her team at Manna. Jackie was awarded a scholarship to attend the Harvard Business School’s July 2016 Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program, one of the highlights of her commitment to lifelong learning. In November 2020, Jackie was named by the Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs and she was named Community Builder of the Year, May 2021 by the Montgomery County Literacy Council.
In addition to obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia, Jackie earned her Master of Science from University of Maryland Global Campus. Jackie’s ongoing commitment to economic justice and responsible consumption is nurtured through her place of worship, the Bethesda Friends (Quaker) Meeting and her volunteer service on the Board of Fairtrade America. Jackie and her spouse, Kristen Moe, a Captain in the Public Health Service, live in Kensington Heights, MD. In her free time Jackie enjoys yoga, gardening, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Tiffany Jones, Program Director/Owner, Precious Moments Family Childcare
Tiffany Jones is a sought after early childhood educator and mentor to fellow family childcare providers and parents alike. Tiffany was the recently selected as the Maryland Community Action Agency Parent of the Year for 2015 as well as the Montgomery County Head Start Parent of the Year for 2015 where she was elected as the Chairperson of the Montgomery County Parent Policy Council.
Tiffany is currently the Chairperson of the Montgomery County Community Action Board, where she is a representative for the Montgomery County Head Start Parent Policy Council, where she volunteers her time and talents to support early childhood education initiatives and encourages parents to become active in their child(ren’s) education. As an appointed Community Action Board (CAB) member, Tiffany advocates for low-income families (and individuals) so that they gain useful skills, access to education and employment opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency. In July 2016, Tiffany was chosen by The Century Foundation to be a representative to speak at a Capitol Hill briefing on important initiatives for families of young children. Leading, teaching and facilitating are her passions and she strives to incorporate it into each one of her endeavors.
In addition to her professional achievements, Tiffany Jones also participates in a wide variety of volunteer services including being appointed the Outreach Coordinator for II Mainstream a 501c3 non-profit organization that helps newly released ex-offenders transition back into the mainstream of society.
Tiffany earned her Associates of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland in May 2015. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland in May 2017. Tiffany is a mother to three lovely children: Noah Jones (15), Xavier Jones (11) and Sophia Jones (10), who are her greatest joys and her driving force to succeed.
Guest Speaker
Tiffany Jones
Program Director/Owner, Precious Moments Family Childcare
introduces
U.S. Senator
Chris Van Hollen
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen
Elected to the United States Senate by the people of Maryland in November 2016, Chris Van Hollen is committed to fighting every day to ensure that our state and our country live up to their full promise of equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity.
Senator Van Hollen believes that every child deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams and benefit from a quality education, and that anyone willing to work hard should be able to find a good job. That’s why his top priorities include creating more and better jobs, strengthening small businesses, and increasing educational and job training opportunities for individuals of all ages and in every community.
Senator Van Hollen started his time in public service as a member of the Maryland State Legislature, where he became known as a tenacious advocate for everyday Marylanders and someone who was unafraid to take on powerful special interests on behalf of working people. In 2002, he was elected to represent Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. In the House of Representatives, he served as a member of the Democratic leadership and was elected by his colleagues to be the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and protect vital interests like Social Security and Medicare.
A tireless fighter for the people of Maryland, Senator Van Hollen has also become known for working hard to find common sense solutions to difficult national issues. In January 2015, he released a comprehensive plan to address the problem of growing inequality in America and provide a blueprint for building an economy that works for everyone, a goal that he will continue to fight for in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Van Hollen is proud to have worked successfully with members of both parties to pass bipartisan legislation whenever possible on issues of common concern, including expanding medical research, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, fighting childhood cancer, and passing the ABLE Act to assist families with children with disabilities.
Chris Van Hollen is a graduate of Swarthmore College, the John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy at Harvard University, and Georgetown University Law Center where he attended night school. He and his wife, Katherine Wilkens, are the proud parents of three children, Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander.
Mike Knapp, Chief Executive Officer, SkillSmart, Inc.
Mike Knapp is the CEO and Co-Founder of SkillSmart. SkillSmart was founded first to use software to create a pipeline of skilled workers that matched the needs of local and regional employers. Building upon the theme of growing strong communities, SkillSmart expanded its software offerings to help measure and demonstrate the economic impact that projects and employers have on communities, particularly by providing opportunities for local and minority businesses and underserved residents. SkillSmart’s software now supports some of the nation’s largest infrastructure and development projects.
With more than 30 years of experience in technology, public policy and local government, Mike has served two terms on the County Council of Montgomery County, MD, and was elected Council President, which gives him first-hand insight into importance of how creating and demonstrating economic opportunity can stimulate the economy and grow communities.
Before founding SkillSmart, Mike founded Orion Ventures, managed business development at Celera Genomics, the National Center for Genome Resources, and The Institute for Genomic Research, and served as legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Peter V. Domenici of New Mexico.
A graduate of The College of William and Mary, and a former officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, Mike furthers his passion for public service by serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Montgomery College, as Vice-Chair of the Board of Advisors of the Universities at Shady Grove, and as a member of the Leadership Group of Montgomery Moving Forward and as a member of the board of the Healthcare Initiative Foundation and Identity, Inc.
A Stroll Down Memory Lane:
How it All Started
Mike Knapp
Chief Executive Officer, SkillSmart, Inc.
interviews
Hope Gleicher
Chief Strategy Officer, Identity, Inc.
Hope Gleicher, Chief Strategy Officer, Identity, Inc.
In pursuit of a just, equitable and inclusive society, Hope has devoted her entire career to social change primarily as an entrepreneurial nonprofit organizational founder and leader. Since 2016, she has been honored to serve as the Chief Strategy Officer at Identity whose mission is to create opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth to realize their highest potential and thrive.
Under her leadership of Nonprofit Montgomery (2009 – 2015), Montgomery Moving Forward was launched. Previously, she led Trellis Fund, Washington Grantmakers and Health Care for the Homeless Maryland, and was Deputy Director of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National School Based Health Care Program.
Hope has contributed to several academic journals and was the lead author and/or director of several publications, including a 2008 study on troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan returning to the Greater Washington region; Beyond Charity: Recognizing Return on Investment; Beyond Charity: Nonprofit Business in Montgomery County, Maryland; and Beyond Dollars: Investing in Big Change.
She is a member of the National Board of Compass and served on the Board of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, the Employment Justice Center, Committee for Montgomery and Avodah, and was a long-time hospice volunteer.
Hope earned a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College and Master of Social Work and Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota.
Diego Uriburu, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Identity, Inc.
Diego Uriburu co-founded Identity in 1998 to help immigrant youth fleeing violence, natural disasters, and grinding poverty in Latin America. Today, in pursuit of a just, equitable and inclusive society, Identity creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth across Montgomery County to realize their highest potential and thrive.
Diego’s lifelong commitment to equity extends beyond his Executive Director duties. In 2019, under his leadership, Identity joined forces with the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP Parents’ Council to form the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence. He serves on the Boards of WorkSource Montgomery, the Montgomery County Positive Youth Development Initiative and the Meyer Foundation. Diego is a former co-chair and current member of Montgomery Moving Forward and the Latino Health Steering Committee.
In 2014, the White House selected him as a César E. Chávez Champion of Change. He was honored recently with the 2021 Roscoe R. Nix Leadership Award for extraordinary contributions to Montgomery County. Diego was born and raised in Argentina and holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires.
Keynote Address
Diego Uriburu
Executive Director & Co-Founder, Identity, Inc.
introduces
Keynote Speaker
Carol Thompson Cole
President & CEO, Venture Philanthropy Partners+Raise DC
Carol Thompson Cole, President & CEO, Venture Philanthropy Partners/Raise DC
Carol Thompson Cole has extensive executive management experience in the public and private sectors, including a strong history of leadership in the Greater Washington region’s philanthropy and nonprofit community and federal and local government. She has successfully partnered with cross-sector stakeholders, building networks in the region to tackle major social challenges, bringing the expertise, passion, and reach necessary to achieve life-changing results.
Born and raised in the region with deep roots in the community, Carol Thompson Cole began work at Venture Philanthropy Partners in 2003 and became President and CEO in 2007. Her education includes: BA, Smith College; master in public administration, Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York University; senior executive in the State and Local Government Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Her experience highlights include: Special advisor to President Clinton on the District of Columbia and Executive Director of the DC Inter-Agency Task Force, Executive Office of the President; Vice-President for Government and Environmental Affairs at RJR Nabisco; District of Columbia City Administrator; Deputy Mayor for Operations and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, District of Columbia.
Current board memberships include:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Honorary Member
Connected DMV, Trustee
Connecticut Opportunity Project, Advisory Group, Member
Economic Club of Washington, DC, Member
Federal City Council, Member
Friendship Public Charter School, Trustee
Hager Sharp, Director
International Women’s Forum, Washington, DC, Member
Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Regional Advisory Board, Member
Leadership Greater Washington, Alumni Member
Truist Greater Washington Regional Advisory Board, Member
Urban Institute, Lifetime Trustee
Washington Housing Conservancy Board of Civic Leaders, Member
Washington Regional Association of Grant Makers, Children, Youth and Families Working Group, Co-Chair
Wesley Theological Seminary, Governor
Shirley Brandman, Education Advocate
Shirley Brandman currently works as an education advocate in Montgomery County. She is Chair of the Board of Advisors for the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and a member of the Identity, Inc. Board of Directors as well as a strategic advisor to the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence.
Most recently, Shirley worked as the founding Executive Director for the National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development at the Aspen Institute. In 2014, Shirley completed two terms as an elected member of the Montgomery County Board of Education where she was twice selected to serve as President. Prior to her service on the Board of Education, Shirley worked as a special education consultant and master teacher for children with learning disabilities She also directed the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Washington College of Law.
Shirley began her career as an attorney representing children and youth in abuse/neglect and juvenile delinquency cases in Newark, New Jersey and she founded Cornell Law School’s first Child Advocacy Clinic. Shirley is a graduate of Yale Law School and Yale University and earned her Master’s Degree in Special Education from American University.
Tying it All Together & Looking Forward
MMF’s next issue & summary remarks from
Shirley Brandman
Education Advocate
Check out our timeline for highlights & milestones.
History & Milestones
Montgomery Moving Forward (MMF) was launched as an initiative of Nonprofit Montgomery in 2012. MMF offered a new approach to community problems using a Collective Impact Framework.
The first MMF Community Symposium, held on March 31, 2014, brought together leaders from across sectors for a conversation about workforce development in Montgomery County.
Call to Action: Fueling our Future with Skilled Workers and Good Jobs was released in October 2014 and was embraced by more than 100 leaders from across sectors.
In October 2015, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett announced an initiative to overhaul workforce development in the county, and the County Council approved legislation designating WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. as the County’s first single, readily identifiable structure to lead, elevate and coordinate a comprehensive system of workforce development.
This MMF Symposium, held on November 17, 2016, brought leaders together to begin a cross-sector conversation about ECE, which had emerged as MMF’s second issue area.
In 2017, MMF held a series of Learning Gatherings focused on ECE, bringing together leaders from across sectors to hear from experts and share ideas. Topics included:
March 29: Building a Stronger ECE System
May 19: Engaging the Whole Community in Early Care and Education
September 7: Exploring Cost, Quality, Availability and the Needs of Dual Language Learners
November 8: Acting Collectively for Early Care and Education
On May 12, 2017, MMF organized concurrent site visits to multiple ECE programs. Small groups of community leaders observed programs across the county, then gathered to share their observations with the full group in a conversation moderated by Tamara Halle, co-director of early childhood research at Child Trends.
MMF issued its Call to Action for Early Care and Education in January 2018, following more than a year of extensive research and community outreach.
This MMF Symposium, held on March 7, 2018, highlighted the recently released Call to Action for ECE.
This MMF Symposium, held on March 28, 2019, continued to advance a cross-sector conversation around ECE, including how to achieve the goals and outcomes set forth in MMF’s 2018 Call to Action for ECE.
MMF Director Sharon Friedman was awarded with the first Ike Leggett Award for Advocacy at the Linkages to Learning Recognition Ceremony on June 12, 2019.
ECEToolkit.org is a resource for employers and parents in Montgomery County. MMF developed the Toolkit with a team of local employers and child care experts.
MMF convened the ECE Workforce Advocacy Coalition in April 2020 to advance the needs and priorities of the ECE workforce, which had been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coalition includes 50+ individual and organizational cross-sector representatives from DC, Virginia, and Maryland and has been leading county, state, and federally-focused advocacy for the survival, recovery, and resilience of the ECE workforce.
MMF received a $75,000 grant from the Montgomery County Council to develop and present recommendations for a public-private ECE coordinating entity, representing a significant move forward for such a proposal in the county.
The ECE Coordinating Entity Town Hall was designed to get broad-based stakeholder input on MMF’s proposal to the Montgomery County Council for a public-private ECE Coordinating Entity. Participants included child care providers, parents, nonprofit, philanthropic, and educational institutions, and county government (including Montgomery County Public Schools). Video of Oct. 28, 2020 Town Hall
MMF’s 2020 Community Symposium – held virtually for the first time – took place over three consecutive weeks on November 5, 12, and 19 and had over 290 attendees. The Symposium continued to advance our cross-sector conversation about Early Care and Education (ECE). During the event, DHHS’s Community Action Agency announced a pilot of The Basics in Montgomery County that would be incubated by MMF in 2021.
In January 2021, MMF submitted detailed recommendations regarding formation of a public-private Early Care and Education (ECE) Coordinating Entity for Montgomery County, and subsequently presented the proposal to the Montgomery County Council during a live hearing. Visit the Entity Project web page.
MMF and the Early Care and Education Workforce Advocacy Coalition led a number of state-level advocacy efforts during the 2021 Maryland General Assembly Session. Notable results included working closely to inform Delegate Jared Solomon’s proposed Child Care Provider Act and influencing the Governor’s $60 Million Pandemic Relief Grant Program for Child Care Providers. This marked the first time that MMF focused intensely at the state level leading to strong results.
In January 2021, MMF began a 6-month incubation of a pilot of The Basics in Montgomery County, working in partnership with DHHS’s Community Action Agency and the Early Childhood Coordinating Council (ECCC). The pilot is focused in the 20877 zip code and the goal is to build awareness of the 5 Basics principles among Head Start families and community partners. Learn more about the pilot.
On February 15, 2022, the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously in favor of Bill 42-21, landmark legislation to establish an Early Care and Education (ECE) Coordinating Entity in the county.
Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice were the lead sponsors of the bill, and all other Councilmembers were cosponsors. Read the press release.
Thank You & Closing
Event Emcee
Jackie DeCarlo
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