Cyril Crocker joins FoRIA Board of Directors
WASHINGTON (May 30, 2013) – The Friends of Rhode Island Avenue NE (FoRIA) welcomes a prominent community member to the group’s Board of Directors. Cyril Crocker, a commercial real estate agent and long-time Brookland resident, has been an active member of FoRIA in the Business & Economic Development committee. “We are thrilled to have Cyril join the Board of FoRIA,” said Daniella Gibbs Leger, FoRIA Vice Chair. “He not only brings years of experience to the table, he also cares deeply about the Rhode Island Avenue NE corridor and is a great advocate for our businesses and residents.” In addition to his commercial real estate expertise, Crocker brings experience from his 7-year tenure with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. During that time, he participated on several large projects, including the Home Depot and Giant Food Store development on Rhode Island Avenue. He is a former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, and holds certifications in both economic and housing development finance. The tenure for Crocker will begin immediately. FoRIA Board members are responsible for guiding the organization’s mission and assisting in its growth and...
Read MoreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2012 Contact: Kyle Todd 202-525-7286 WASHINGTON (October 11, 2012) – The Friends of Rhode Island Avenue NE (FoRIA) has added two additional prominent community members to the group’s Board of Directors. Angela Brock, co-owner of Rita’s Water Ice, and Darryl Maxwell, an attorney for DC Bar, will fill the two remaining seats on the Board. “We are thrilled to have these two outstanding individuals join our board,” said FoRIA Vice-Chair Daniella Gibbs Léger. “Angela and Darryl both bring years of valuable experience and passion to the table, and we look forward to working with them to further our mission of revitalizing Rhode Island Avenue.” Angela Brock, a native of the District, has a background in business marketing and management. After a successful career in the field of Government and Corporate Procurement, and over 25 years in real estate sales, she and her sister opened Rita’s Water Ice in 2005. Rita’s has quickly become an institution on Rhode Island Avenue NE, and it is a social hub for neighbors gathering to enjoy the signature frozen treats. Brock is also on the Board of Directors for H.O.P.E., Inc., a non-profit organization that supports housing for the homeless, and she is an active member of the First Baptist Church of North Brentwood. Darryl Maxwell has been a resident of the District since 2003, and is the Managing Attorney for the DC Bar Pro Bono Program’s Community Economic Development Project. This project provides pro bono counsel to community-based nonprofits, disadvantaged small businesses, low income tenant associations, and limited equity co-ops. The tenure for both Brock and Maxwell will begin immediately. FoRIA Board members are responsible for guiding the organization’s mission and assisting in its growth and structure. FoRIA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, developing, and enhancing Rhode Island Avenue NE as a culturally, socially, and economically vibrant community in Washington D.C. For more information about FoRIA, please visit...
Read MoreFoRIA Announces New Board Member, New Vice Chair
The Friends of Rhode Island Avenue NE (FoRIA) have added another prominent community member to the group’s Board of Directors, and have elevated an existing Board member to the position of Vice Chair. Reuben J. Hameed, an architectural design and construction professional, sustainable architecture advocate and historic preservationist, joins the Board of Directors. Daniella Gibbs Léger, a current FoRIA Board member, has been unanimously elected to the position of Vice Chair. “I’m excited to assume this new role with FoRIA, working with our board Chair James Holloway,” said Gibbs Léger. “We are also excited to have Woodridge resident Reuben Hameed join the board. His expertise and love of this community are a great addition to FoRIA. This promises to be an exiting year as we all work towards helping Rhode Island Ave realize it’s true potential as a Great Street.” Rueben Hameed has lived in Washington DC for over 10 years in many diverse neighborhoods, including Capitol Hill and Southwest Waterfront, and now lives in the Woodridge area of NE Washington DC. He has been an active participant in the community for many years, including a seat on the Board of Directors of Penn East Inc., and as an active member of the Capital Hill Restoration Society. He has also served as an Advisory Committee member to the Pennsylvania Avenue SE Corridor Land Development Plan approved by the DC City Council, and was appointed by the DC City Council to the DC Public School Modernization Advisory Committee. Hameed’s tenure will begin immediately, and Gibbs Léger will complete the remainder of her term in her new role. FoRIA Board members are responsible for guiding the organization’s mission and assisting in its growth and structure. FoRIA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, developing, and enhancing Rhode Island Avenue NE as a culturally, socially, and economically vibrant community in Washington D.C. For more information about FoRIA, please visit...
Read MoreFriends of Rhode Island Ave NE Names New Board Members
WASHINGTON (July 31, 2012) – The Friends of Rhode Island Ave (FoRIA) have appointed three prominent community members to serve on the group’s board. Peter Shapiro, founder and director of the Chesapeake Center for Public Leadership and a former At-Large candidate for Council; Timothy Flanagan, Executive Director of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund; and Karla Butler, a defense analyst and editor of Hello! Neighbor, were elected by the Board to join the group last week. “FoRIA is growing faster than any of us expected,” said James Holloway, Chair of the FoRIA Board. “and, bringing in Peter, Tim, and Karla’s experience and enthusiasm for our community will help us keep up with our mission.” The new board members will begin their tenure immediately and serve a two year term. FoRIA Board Members are responsible for guiding the organization’s mission and assisting in its growth and structure. Peter Shapiro is the founder and director of the Chesapeake Center for Public Leadership in Washington, DC as well as the founder and former director of the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership’s Rawlings Center for Public Leadership at the University of Maryland. In 2012, Peter was a candidate for At-Large Council of the District of Columbia. Currently, he chairs the legislative committee for the Ward 4 Democrats and is a Board Member of DC Advocates for the Arts, and Sustainable Community Initiatives. Timothy Flanagan is the Executive Director of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc (WACIF) and is a Ward 5 resident. Mr. Flanagan serves on the Board of Directors for Joy of Motion Dance Center in Northeast DC. He is an advisory council member for the DC Bar Pro Bono Program as well as the DC Small Business Development Center Network. Karla Butler is a Ward 5 resident in the Woodridge community of Washington, DC and works as an analyst for a not-for-profit government consulting company in McLean, VA, supporting the Department of Defense. As a community activist, Karla has served as a campaign volunteer for newly elected Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie and also created a community newsletter, Hello! Neighbor, to education residents on emerging and current events in Ward 5 and promote dialogue among residents in the Langdon...
Read MoreFriends of Rhode Island Ave Elect New Leadership
WASHINGTON (June 22, 2012) – The Friends of Rhode Island Ave (FoRIA) elected a new president earlier this month. Kyle Todd was elected unanimously by the group’s Board of Directors to replace outgoing president Stephanie Liotta Atkinson. The position leads a new but growing citizens group in Ward 5. “This organization would not exist today if it were not for Stephanie,” said James Holloway, Chair of the FoRIA Board. “I am proud of her accomplishments as president, and I am excited to have Kyle step in to ensure our efforts don’t skip a beat.” The FoRIA Board immediately held an emergency meeting in early June which Todd, an active member and committee chair of the group, was elected as president. Todd was serving as Streetscape Committee chair and has been instrumental in the group’s structure and exposure over recent months. Todd will finish out Liotta Atkinson’s term, which runs through August...
Read More
