Staff
Mike Di Marco »
Executive Director
Mike is a seasoned nonprofit professional who has devoted his career to helping youth from families with low incomes overcome the opportunity gap.
Valentina Gabrielli »
Program Director
Valentina comes to the Program Director role with 12 years of teaching experience in both public and independent school settings.
Meghan Gray »
Swim Director
Meghan's lifelong passion for swimming (competitively or otherwise) led her to a career in aquatics in 2017.
Laura Gallego »
Program Recruiter
Born in Colombia, Laura Gallego has dedicated the last 17 years to working with children and families in the United States. Since 2000, she has made Washington, D.C. her home and has spent the last 15 years as the Director of an Early Childhood Program in the area, where she has developed a passion for nurturing young minds and supporting families.
Currently, Laura serves as a Program Recruiter at Horizons Greater Washington, assisting families with the enrollment process and ensuring they have access to the resources they need. Her extensive experience working with families from diverse backgrounds allows her to connect with them and make a positive impact in the community.
Outside of her professional life, Laura enjoys traveling and cherishing moments with her family and friends, further enriching her perspective and approach to her work.
Mark McKaye »
Saturday Academy and St. Patrick's Site Director
Mark is an educator with a passion for global learning. He has worked on education projects in Nicaragua and Malawi and holds a master’s degree in teaching from Central Connecticut State University. Currently, he teaches middle school social studies in PG County, where he fosters curiosity and critical thinking in his students.
Chris Velasquez »
Program Associate
Chris is an undergraduate student at UDC majoring in Elementary Education. Working with kids for over four years sparked his passion for teaching. Currently serving in the Program Associate position, Chris strives to continue learning more from the fantastic teachers and first-hand experience working with parents and students of diverse backgrounds, encouraging students to find their voice and succeed academically and beyond.
Kristine Franklin »
Kristine moved to Washington DC in 2014 for graduate school where she earned a Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Kristine currently works as the 10th - 12th grade school counselor at National Cathedral School. Before working at National Cathedral School, Kristine spent 6 years at The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing. During her time there she worked primarily as a grief and trauma therapist, providing individual and group therapy services to students at DC public and public charter schools.
Kristine is excited to join the Horizons Greater Washington team as Director of Counseling. She believes that everyone deserves access to high-quality low-barrier mental health services. Her approach to counseling centers families as the experts of their own lived experiences, and she partners with them to identify coping skills and strategies to support their child's overall wellbeing. Kristine prioritizes building trust and safety with students which allows them the capacity to challenge themselves to try new things and grow.
Outside of work, Kristine enjoys time outdoors, photography, and trying new recipes.
Eli Harel »
Eli Harel holds 10 years of increasing responsibility leading non-profit finance and operations in the domestic, international, military and higher education spheres. She most recently served as Director of Finance & Business Services at Global Impact overseeing fiscally sponsored finance and accounting services and as Director of Finance and Operations at the Henry Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine under the umbrella of the Uniformed Services University overseeing business development, financial systems and organizational operations. Prior to this role, Eli served as Director of Operations at the Urban Institute and as Director of Global Finance, Operations & Administration at Save the Children Federation. In both roles, she grew, led and oversaw all financial, operational and administrative functions. Eli graduated from Rutgers University with a Master in Public Administration and from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in International Relations and Foreign Languages. She is fluent in Hebrew and Spanish with professional competency in German and French and has extensive international cultural exposure due to living in and traveling to over 30 countries.