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The Schimel Lode: Collaborating to Help People and Nonprofit Organizations Thrive

The Schimel Lode: Collaborating to Help People and Nonprofit Organizations Thrive

Who We Are

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.

– Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore

Meet Our Board

Marie-Ange Binagwaho was raised in Burundi and Kenya and has roots in Rwanda; she has had the privilege of working and traveling in over 20 countries in the last 19 years working in international development.  Marie-Ange’s work with development communities of practice and her focus on supporting sustainable and locally appropriate programs has given her the opportunity to work overseas with community based, non-profit and international organizations.  In the US her work has focused on migrant and refugee communities. Marie-Ange is currently the Executive Director of Solar Household Energy, Inc.(SHE, Inc.) a non-profit dedicated to promoting solar cooking to improve lives and relieve stress on the environment, in Africa, Asia and Latin America where over 70% of the population relies on biomass to cook their meals.

Marie-Ange received a B.S. in Physics from Duquesne University and a Masters in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

Jean Kornfeld, JD, is interested in supporting non-profit organizations that wish to develop the internal dynamics and leadership necessary to reach their goals.   After more than 20 years as a labor negotiator, advocate, and arbitrator, Jean’s interest turned to the practice of organizational development as a deeper and more sustainable way for groups to achieve their goals.  Dispute resolution, both as an advocate and neutral, has been a uniting thread in Jean’s career.  Initially, the goal was to prevail or find a just solution.  However, in the context of organizational development, dispute resolution provides a window into the vision, values and underlying dynamics of the organization.  This understanding can motivate the interested parties to build a more effective organization.

Jean received her JD from Rutgers University and is admitted to the Pennsylania, New Jersey, and District of Columbia Bars.  She worked with the National Education Association as a negotiator, arbitrator, organizational development consultant, and has trained staff in the above skills.  She has worked with K-12 teachers, school service personnel, and has headed the division for higher education faculty.  She was appointed by the Mayor first as an arbitrator with the District of Columbia Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration and then as the Board’s Chair.  Her Board skills were also developed with 20 years experience as a member of the NEA’s pension plan Board of Trustees.  Jean holds a certificate in organizational development from NTL. Her thinking and practices have been heavily influenced by the work of Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Edgar Schein and the masters who influenced them.

Nancy Rawles has wide and deep experience in the management of people and organizational development. After thirty years, she remains committed and creative about solving problems, developing opportunities, and transcending gaps between individual needs and organizational goals. Nancy uses collaborative processes to do this, along with building and leading teams with diverse approaches to work. During her career, Nancy has headed human resource functions in financial institutions, software development, and not-for-profits, and worked as an external consultant. As an association executive, she has played a key role with both members and staff in areas such as strategic planning, board effectiveness, leadership development, and change management. Nancy received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Ohio Wesleyan University and her graduate degree in Higher Education from George Washington University. She is a member of the American Society for Association Executives, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the International Association of Facilitators.

Ruth M. Schimel, Ph.D., assists individuals, groups, and organizations to realize their strengths through consulting, speaking, and writing. In her work as a diplomat, professor, and management consultant, she focused on human resources. In 1983, Ruth launched her career and life management consulting practice. The ideas and processes from her dissertation on how people discover their capacity for courage enrich her work.

Ruth has three long-term goals:

Ruth has a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and M. A. and Ph.D. from George Washington University with focus on Public Management, Personnel and Workforce Development, Gerontology and Behavioral Science.

Jeanne Svikhart is our resident cultural anthropologist who has a knack for figuring out an organization's cultural identity. She enjoys being a catalyst to help people and organizations develop, grow, solve problems, and find their creativity. She has a broad background of more than 35 years in addressing recruitment, professional development, retention, and evaluation issues in both the public and private sectors. She is an experienced interviewer (more than 2000 interviews), manager, facilitator, public speaker, trainer, and consultant. Jeanne received her B.A. in English from George Washington University, was the first Director of Law Placement at GWU, first Director of Recruitment and Professional Development for a large law firm in Washington, D.C., and a principal in a management consulting firm for 15 years. She now enjoys contributing and applying her skills in the public sector.

JW Wohlever’s passion is to positively influence both individuals and organizations through his experience and leadership. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and veteran, JW served as an officer in the US Army until 1988. After military service, his career has focused on consulting with large and small business organizations, providing expertise in executive management, sales and marketing. JW’s background includes industrial and retail sales in Fortune 500’s, profit and loss responsibilities in residential home construction and banking, as well as primary operational duties with small service sector firms.

Away from work, JW Wohlever has a strong faith and love of nature. He has sought venues to serve the community through Rotary and by establishing a local chapter of SCORE through the Small Business Administration. JW is working with the Blue Ridge Community and Technical College to create a sales and marketing curriculum as a professor. He supports the local Humane Society and has rescued many animals.

Advisory Board Members

Shari Garmise, Ph.D., has more than 13 years of applied and academic research experience in economic development in multiple countries. Prior to assuming her role as Assistant Professor at Cleveland State University at the Levin College of Urban Affairs, Shari held the position of Vice President for Research for the Council of Urban Economic Development, and managed her own economic development consulting business. Her specialization is workforce development and technology-led development. She has completed a book on workforce development, entitled People and the Competitive Advantage of Place: Building a Workforce for the 21st Century, published by M.E. Sharpe.

Amy Swauger became director of Teachers & Writers Collaborative, a New York City writers-in-the-school program, in 2005. She previously was executive director of the National Academy of Education, an honorary society of education researchers, and of Washington Independent Writers, a professional association of freelance writers and editors in Washington, D.C. Amy worked for many years at the American Association of University Women, where she directed the membership association and legal fund. She began her career at the Women's Campaign Fund, where she provided fundraising and technical assistance to progressive women candidates for public office. In addition to serving as an advisor to the Schimel Lode, Amy is the public member on the international certification board for CFRE International, the credentialing agency for professional fundraisers, and she was a two-term president of the DC Rape Crisis Center.

Zeke Mekonnen is originally from Ethiopia, and lived and worked in Cuba and Spain before settling in the United States more than 18 years ago. He has extensive experience in industrial and commerical mechanical plant operations, including being chief engineer for a large retail complex. Zeke is a licensed plant-operating engineer in the District of Columbia and a licensed general contractor in the state of Virginia. An independent learner, he taught himself several different computer software applications, especially in the designing and engineering fields. He has done hardware and network installations and configurations. Zeke loves to train people to develop skills such as his, and to help them in any way he can.