Who We Are

Sean Hinkle

Chief Operating Officer

Sean Hinkle serves as Chief Operating Officer for DC SCORES where he supports and leads the administrative and operational strategy and functions of the organization. He brings more than 16 years of experience in the sport for development and out-of-school time sector to his role, having previously held positions at the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Grassroots Soccer, Ragball International, and America SCORES. Sean strongly believes in the power of teamwork to build community and has lent his expertise to numerous, global sport-for-good initiatives such as Play Proud and Switch the Pitch. Sean holds numerous professional certifications in nonprofit management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. At UVA, he was also a four-year member and captain of the varsity men’s soccer team.

Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer

Tierra Stewart serves as Chief Program Officer at DC SCORES where she develops strategy, leads innovation, and is primarily responsible for the highest-quality program implementation and expansion. Tierra, a 40 under 40 Excellence in Leadership Honoree, brings 12+ years of experience in youth development, program design, community organizing, and non-profit work to DC SCORES. She is also a Transformative Justice Facilitator and Anti-Racist Political Scientist and Analyst featured in publications in over 25 countries.

As a dedicated public servant, Tierra believes society can only thrive when it has invested resources in the youth and has provided them with opportunities to realize their potential and dreams. She has engaged thousands of youth and families across D.C. and nationally in her programs, and is determined to continue to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

Tony Francavilla

Chief Development Officer

Tony Francavilla is the Chief Development Officer at DC SCORES. He brings nearly 15 years of experience fundraising for youth-serving nonprofits in DC, including at the SEED Foundation and Life Pieces to Masterpieces. Tony spent several years as a donor, volunteer, and fanboy of DC SCORES before officially joining the team, and he can still hardly believe that an organization exists in his city that combines all the most important elements of his own childhood. He lives in Riggs Park with his wife Zabrina — whom he met playing soccer through District Sports — and their dog Dexter. He is a very proud supporter of AC Milan!

Charity Blackwell

Chief of Culture and Arts

Charity Blackwell is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, spoken word artist, host, emcee, and poetry specialist who has spent several years contributing to the arts scene in DC and across national platforms. She is a Trinity University graduate, where she received her B.A and M.A, for Communications. She also received her certificate for Executive Leadership for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Georgetown University. She is the Chief of Culture and Arts at the arts and sports nonprofit DC SCORES and the D.O.P.E (Director of Poetry Events) at the well-renowned DC arts cultural hub, Busboys and Poets. Since her early college days, Charity’s natural stage presence and charm have led her to many hosting opportunities, including events such as the Poetry SLAMS Poetry OUT LOUD National competition, Busboys and Poets, and many more. She has performed her original work on national and international networks and platforms such as BBC News, TEDxTysons, MLB, NBA, DC UNITED, Nike, the Woman’s Sports Foundation, MLS, The Lincoln Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Hirshhorn Museum, Dock 5, and numerous others.

Brian “Mogul” Anderson

Corporate Partnerships Officer

Brian is the Corporate Partnerships Officer at DC SCORES. He originally hails from Baltimore, MD, and graduated from Baltimore City College before attending Salisbury University. He studied International Relations and Communications for his undergraduate degree and Conflict Analysis and Negotiations for his master’s. Throughout his career, he has traveled to more than 25 countries and has worked on youth sports development projects at a grassroots level, from Peace Players International in Cyprus in 2015 to government-level projects at UNESCO in Paris in 2020. His passion for youth sports brought him to DC SCORES, initially in a Program Coordinator and data management role.

Matt Berner

Director of Individual Giving

Matt Berner is the Director of Individual Giving at DC SCORES. Matt joined DC SCORES after spending nearly a decade in ticket sales and previously worked for the NWSL clubs in Boston, New York, and most recently with the Washington Spirit. A graduate of Major League Soccer’s National Sales Center in Blaine, Minnesota, Matt brings his love of soccer and relationship building to DC SCORES. In his free time, Matt enjoys reading, camping, attending concerts, and playing soccer! He is excited to serve the soccer and poetry communities of D.C. and watch the growth of our poet-athletes!

Zarea Boyde

Program Coordinator

Zarea Boyde is a DC-based writer and aspiring educator who works closely with youth and activism groups in her community. Zarea’s passion for poetry was sparked when she joined DC SCORES aged 7 years old. She continued with DC SCORES through the organization’s enhanced writing program, Youth W.O.R.D. Project. Before moving onto her full-time role as Program Coordinator of creative writing and arts, Zarea served as one of DC SCORES’ summer camp staff members.

Klu Clougherty

Director of Site Management and Evaluation

Klu grew up playing soccer in Massachusetts and continued to play through her college club team at American University, where she earned a B.A in both Public Health and Sociology. During her undergraduate degree, she worked for a local nonprofit as a health and nutrition educator for their afterschool and summer leadership program.

In her current position, Klu oversees site management and evaluation of program data. She also holds a D license from the United States Soccer Federation and coaches soccer for a local club. She is currently pursuing an MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a Bloomberg Fellow.

Saede Eifrig

Associate Manager, Programs

As an Associate Manager for Programs for DC SCORES, Saede helps facilitate major programming events, liaises with coaches to ensure the provision of quality equipment and programming, and manages Boots From Pros: a project in partnership with Ashley Hatch of the Washington Spirit. Saede grew up playing soccer in the United States and Germany and captained the women’s soccer team at Haverford College, where she earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Arabic. She has a passion for using sport for social change, sparked by her experiences working with refugees. In her free time, she coaches youth soccer and supports the Washington Spirit. She loves engaging with the passion and hard work DC SCORES poet-athletes showcase through soccer and poetry.

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez

Director, Creative Writing & Arts

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez is a poet, teaching artist, host, and community organizer with extensive experience working in the non-profit and education sectors. She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an M.A. in Public Management with a focus on Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Maryland. As a poet, her work has been featured in various publications and she is the author of two poetry collections. She was recently featured on MSNBC’s “Leguizamo Does America.” Tatiana currently serves as the Director, Creative Writing & Arts at DC SCORES, where she ensures poet-athletes are able to explore their poetry and performance skills to further their own self-discovery and well-being.

José Granados

Program Coordinator

José serves as an Program Coordinator at DC SCORES. He was born in California but has called Washington, DC, home since he was 3 years old. Before joining the DC SCORES office staff, José was a soccer and writing coach for the DC SCORES elementary school team at Capital City Public Charter School for more than 6 years. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is a huge soccer fan. His favorite teams are Real Madrid and D.C. United. One of his hobbies is collecting soccer jerseys. He currently has a collection of 90 shirts and is always looking to add more!

Ronald Granados

Program Fellow

Ronald is an Up2Us Fellow on the Programs team at DC SCORES. Born in California but raised in DC, Ronald is excited to support neighborhood teams across his home city through his work with SCORES. Ronald’s mother is from El Salvador and his father from Guatemala, so he is fluent in Spanish. At DC SCORES, Ronald ensures that coaches receive all the equipment they need for training, gamedays, and major events. He also serves as a coach for the Capital City Public Charter School DC SCORES elementary team. In his free time, Ronald enjoys exploring different areas of the DMV and is always looking for new recommendations for festivals and restaurants in the area.

Jason Gross

Senior Director of Programs, Soccer and Operations

Jason serves as the Senior Program Director of Soccer and Operations at DC SCORES, where he ensures high-quality programming across all program segments. He brings more than 16 years of experience as an NCAA men’s and women’s soccer coach, academy and sporting director, and educator with DC Public Schools to his role.

A native Washingtonian, Jason strongly believes in the importance of DC SCORES programming and strives to make sure that DC SCORES poet-athletes are more prepared to be successful in life as a result of their time in our program. For Jason, every day at DC SCORES is an opportunity to positively impact a life, and he can’t think of a better reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Margot Locker

Community Engagement Manager

Margot Locker is the Community Engagement Manager at DC SCORES. She has spent her career in education, most recently working at DC Public Schools central office. Margot is a DC native who is passionate about implementing holistic approaches to youth development. She is excited to engage with DC communities and partners through her work at DC SCORES!

Mairead MacRae

Senior Director of Communications

Mairead is the Senior Director of Communications at DC SCORES, where she leads content strategy for the organization’s communications platforms. Before joining DC SCORES, she held communications roles at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Master of Science in Foreign Service program, and at the international youth nonprofit Mary’s Meals. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and History from the University of Glasgow and an M.A. in African Studies from Yale University. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Mairead is grateful for the opportunity to serve her adopted DC community through DC SCORES. In her free time, she enjoys playing recreational soccer, hiking, and trying to learn more than three chords on her guitar.

Katie Egger Makris

Senior Development Director of Operations and Events

Katie is the Senior Development Director of Operations & Events. She brings over 15 years of event and fundraising expertise as an independent consultant, and prior to that with The American Red Cross, Ford’s Theatre, and the National MS Society. Katie is passionate about building fundraising systems and event processes to create the best experiences for DC SCORES’ poet-athletes, donors, and partners. Originally from Burke, VA, she has called DC home since 2005, when she graduated from Michigan State University. She spends her free time with her husband, two sons, dog, and cat, and competes in triathlons regionally.

Josselin Possian

Associate Manager, Programs

Josselin Possian was born along the Ivory Coast of West Africa and moved to the USA in 2006. The DC SCORES alumnus started his journey at SCORES in 2007 as a poet-athlete at Lincoln Middle School, where he experienced the inaugural DC SCORES Jamboree and was a poetry slam champion. In 2012, he was among two players selected to represent the USA in the Nike The Chance Competition, playing soccer throughout Europe, including in France, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Josselin is currently playing his third season as a professional midfielder for the Maryland Bobcats.

DC SCORES is home to him, and Josselin is grateful to be granted the opportunity to give back to youth in the community and show them that everything is possible with effort, dedication, patience, and most importantly faith.

Danny Sheerin

Senior Manager, Programs

Danny joined DC SCORES in 2019 to pursue a career he was passionate about. Prior to DC SCORES, he studied Supply Chain Management and Information Systems at Penn State University, where he played goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team. In his current role, Danny’s primary focuses are middle school programming and fostering relationships between schools and their corporate sponsors. Danny is originally from College Park, MD and loves the DC area. Danny’s favorite part of his work is being in an after-school setting with the poet-athletes and coaches, and his favorite DC SCORES events are the Fall Poetry Slams.

Will Sutton

Program Director for Leagues

Will is Program Director for Leagues at DC SCORES. He is a native of Washington, DC, and graduated from Wesley College in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. While at Wesley, Will was recognized for his leadership on and off the soccer and was appointed captain of the men’s soccer team. Since college, Will has worked with numerous youth soccer programs and continues to play in men’s and co-ed leagues around the area. Will is in his 7th year with DC SCORES and his expertise in soccer and youth programs is what continues to drive him to be a part of the DC SCORES team.

Megan Testen

Senior Development Manager, Grants

Megan serves as the Senior Development Manager, Grants at DC SCORES where she manages the organizations grant prospecting, writing, cultivation and reporting. Megan grew up playing soccer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and has grown passionate about using sport as a tool for youth empowerment through her previous work with Goals for Girls. Megan attended George Washington University where she studied Human Services & Social Justice and received her Master’s of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management.

Keith Tucker

Program Specialist, Soccer

Keith Tucker coached his alma mater, Howard University, for 26 seasons through 2007, including taking an undefeated Bison team to the 1988 NCAA championship game and being named national coach of the year. Howard’s premier player under Tucker’s tutelage was Shaka Hislop, who played 14 seasons in the English Premier League prior to starring for Trinidad and Tobago in the 2006 World Cup. Tucker was also the head coach of the Bermuda National Team, and in 2011 decided to join DC SCORES to help enable D.C. kids to reach their full potential on and off the field.

As a former college soccer coach, Tucker knows the importance of development not just physically, but socially and academically as well. He knows the amount of untapped talent that lives in the city and works every day to help identify and develop that talent so kids can succeed at the highest levels.

With DC SCORES, Tucker also coaches the coaches, ensuring that the kids that are a part of the program get high-quality soccer training for free.

AJ Waugh

Multimedia Communications Manager

AJ Waugh is a multidisciplinary visual creative primarily focused on photography, video production, and graphic design. He serves as the Multimedia Communications Manager for DC SCORES. AJ graduated from Virginia State University with a B.A. in Mass Communications and has worked in the multimedia space since 2017. He has photographed over 100 concerts and live events, with works featured in the Black Box Gallery. He has also produced videos, graphics, and virtual events for local businesses, nonprofits, and the Combined Federal Campaign. DC SCORES gives AJ the opportunity to bring together his passions for sports, media, and youth empowerment

Jane Wong

Development Coordinator

Jane Wong is a passionate changemaker and Development Coordinator, Community Engagement and Operations, at DC SCORES. Before joining the team full-time, she worked as a programs specialist and communications & development intern for DC SCORES. They are currently an Honor student at the University of Maryland, College Park, studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and pursuing a minor in Nonprofit Leadership and Social Innovation. Jane believes in the power of collective action and is excited to further her involvement with the DC SCORES community.