Cameron Doolittle, President and CEO
Cameron is responsible for the overall operations of Jill’s House, including fundraising and building an outstanding customer experience. Prior to joining the Jill’s House team, Cameron used his entrepreneurial skills to successfully launch two businesses serving finance and legal executives and later led a management consulting firm’s operations turnaround. Cameron earned his J.D. and M.B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.A. at Stanford University. He has written op-eds for the Christian Post and FoxNews.com, has been quoted on Patheos.com and FoxNews.com, and has been interviewed on Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, and The Steve Harvey radio shows. He is a Restoration Anglican Church vestry member (North Arlington, VA) and past board member of Every Generation Ministries. Cameron and his wife make their home in Falls Church, VA with their four young children.
Mary O. Leidy, MSW, Vice President of Oxygen3
Mary came to her position at Jill’s House with over 25 years of experience in the field of Social Work. She is managing the programs and services offered for children and their parents through Jill’s House, including staff, contract employees and consultants. Her vast expertise in child and family services covers a wide population in need to include foster care and adoption, public- and private-sector mental health and family services, school guidance counseling, and medical social work through Capital Hospice of Northern Virginia. Mary managed a non-profit child placing agency in Virginia for eight years and opened a short-term (90 day) diagnostic residential facility for children ages 6-12. Her passion is to advocate for children and families in need to ensure that the quality of life of each individual is reaching its full potential.
Denise Daffron, Vice President of Advancement
Denise’s 20 years of marketing and fundraising experience in both the nonprofit and commercial sectors uniquely equips her to lead the Jill’s House marketing, communications, and fundraising team. Denise moved to the nonprofit world after an overwhelmingly successful career in marketing for national and international brands including Snapple, Chick-Fil-A, and Procter & Gamble, among others. As Senior Director of Corporate Relations at the American Heart Association (Greater Washington Region), Events Director with The American Red Cross (National Capital Region), and as a corporate development official with Special Olympics, she was responsible for building strong resourcing for high-profile organizations. She now lives out her passion for helping others as a key leader on the Jill’s House team.
Annie Aiello, Intake Coordinator
Originally from Granger, IN, Annie first put her bachelor’s degree in social work from Ball State University to work as a child care specialist with teenage girls who were emotionally disturbed. She joined the Jill’s House staff as a child care specialist before moving to the position of Intake Coordinator. She feels “truly fortunate to have had that special time with the children.” Annie works directly with families as they register with Jill’s House.
Michelle Carrera, Program Director
Michelle is responsible for planning all activities for the Jill’s House children. She also supervises the team of Jill’s House child care specialists and lifeguards, including the recruitment and hiring process. Michelle came to Jill’s House after serving at VISIONS Vacation Camp for the Blind (Spring Valley, NY), Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Department of Access Services Office of Eligibility. Michelle received her bachelor’s degree in recreation administration with a specialization in therapeutic recreation from University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. Michelle enjoys recreating in the outdoors, walking on the Mall, riding bikes and whitewater rafting. She attends Cherrydale Bible Church (Arlington, VA) and leads its 7-12th grade Friday night youth group with her husband, George.
Melanie Davis, LPC, Chief Administrative Officer
Melanie has a Master’s degree in counseling and has worked with children and families in crisis for the past 10 years. Through her work in foster care and through outpatient mental health/behavioral counseling, Melanie has had the opportunity to provide leadership, develop programs, and provide direct care to people in need. She has learned the importance of working with the family system as a whole to help guide them through challenging phases of life.
Susan DeMuth, M.D., Medical Director
Susan is a pediatrician serving children and their families, treating illness and promoting well-being. She earned her BA at Stanford University and her MD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Most recently she served military families at Fort Meade, MD. Previously she helped open the Arlington Pediatric Center, which treats children from families with low incomes. She has worked in academic and private practices. Susan is a volunteer teacher in Beautiful Blessings at McLean Bible Church, where she is a member. She is committed to optimizing growth and development in all children, including those with special needs, and to supporting their families.
Dana Hecht, Director of Family Relations
Dana, a former litigator, has been an active community and volunteer leader for many years. As Community Relations Coordinator for Jill’s House, she works with neighborhood associations, local corporations, public schools, police departments, townships, and city/county officials to ensure good communications and relationships are maintained for Jill’s House. Dana and her husband, Herb, live in Vienna and are the parents of four children (elementary through college age).
Sheila Joy, Director of Advancement
Sheila brings 30 years of marketing communications and business development experience to Jill’s House, having worked with global brands such as DOW Chemical and Bombardier. She has also provided strategic marketing direction for the National Arthritis Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and institutions of higher learning including Columbia University, George Washington University, and the University of Alabama. Sheila became a Jill’s House employee in July of 2012; however she has provided pro-bono services since early 2011, and has been an integral part of marketing communications and brand development for Jill’s House since that time. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Sheila now lives in Reston and is the single mother of two college-age children.
Tranitra Joyner, Weekend Supervisor
Tranitra joined Jill’s House in October of 2010 as a Childcare Specialist and became the Weekend Supervisor in May 2011. She has an extensive background working with children with special needs in various capacities with the Navy and Marine’s Exceptional Family Member Respite Care Program, Fairfax County Therapeutic Recreation Services, and Fairfax Counties Public Schools Before/After Care SACC Program. Tranitra feels very blessed to be able to work with children with special needs and their families at Jill’s House.
Althea Katona, Advancement Coordinator
Althea saw firsthand the need for nonprofit advocacy and development when she was involved in the music and the arts programs as a student at Chantilly High School (VA). After earning bachelor’s degrees in arts administration and music technology from Bellarmine University, she joined the Kentucky Opera Association development staff, assisting with fundraising initiatives and events. Althea is grateful for the opportunity to join the Jill’s House team, which has allowed her to move closer to family and to use her skills to advance this very special nonprofit.
Jessica Oakley, Intake Coordinator and Child Care Specialist
Jessica joined the Jill’s House team in August 2010 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Her passion for serving children with special needs evolved throughout college when she served with Young Life Capernaum (a ministry for children and young adults with disabilities) and Special Olympics. She is thrilled to be a part of our team and continues to be a vital part of our organization as she works to serve the families of Jill’s House, both by working with families upon intake and hands-on with the children.
Andrea Perdomo, Weekday Program Supervisor
Andrea started her Jill’s House career as a childcare specialist. She is from Maryland and is pursuing a degree in International Relations through the American Military University as well as a minor in Arabic. Have studied for two years at Liberty University, she was actively involved in the Student Leadership program. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Andrea has been a faithful translator for a fast-growing bilingual congregation in Germantown, Maryland (Centro Cristiano Internacional). Andrea has a deep passion for working with children with disabilities and draws from her own personal experience with her younger brother who has an intellectual disability.
Sara Potter, Volunteer Program Coordinator
Sara, a University of Akron graduate, started at Jill’s House January of 2011 as a Childcare Specialist, where she used her background in health sciences and human services. Working with the children, she got to know the volunteers and grew to have a passion for serving them as well as the children. In October of 2012, Sara took the role of Volunteer Program Coordinator. She is grateful to work with so many wonderful volunteers who are willing to give up their time to be with these children and to serve the families in such unique ways.
Megan Reynolds, Web Development
Megan helped launch the Jill’s House website in 2010 and served as the webmaster, developing Jill’s House online Facebook community along the way. A sophomore at Harvard University, Megan first became connected with Jill’s House when she was growing up and was a part of the McLean Bible Church family. Because Megan has a cousin who was born deaf, her life experiences have fostered a passion for helping children with special needs.
Scott Sweatman, Operations Director
Scott started working with Jill’s House in August 2009 when he took a job as a Senior Accountant at McLean Bible Church. Scott’s main responsibility while working at the church was the accounting for Jill’s House and he did so through May 2012. In September 2012, Scott joined the Jill’s House staff as Operations Manager and then became the Operations Director in March 2013. Prior to working with Jill’s House, Scott was a senior auditor (primarily focusing on non-profits) for 2 public accounting firms for 4 years. He earned his B.S.B.A. at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Scott lives in Reston, Virginia with his wife Katie
Christine Walls, Director of Distributed Programs
Christine is fulfilling her passion for serving others by working as initally as an Intake Coordinator and Child Care Specialist, and now as the Weekday Program Supervisor. She comes to Jill’s House after working at her aunt’s respite center near Boston, Massachusetts, summer camps for the disabled and the Special Olympics in the DC area, situations that have provided her with extensive experience in working with children with special needs. Christine graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Gender Studies.
