Monica Gray is the Chief Executive Officer for the YWCA National Capital Area. In that role, she oversees all development, operations, program activity, advocacy, and finance. Ms. Gray joined the YWCA National Capital Area in September of 2016 as Chief Operating Officer. She was named interim CEO in May of 2017 following the departure of the previous CEO, Tamara Smith. In June 2017, the YWCA NCA Board of Directors named her Chief Executive Officer for the YWCA NCA.

Prior to joining the YWCA NCA, Monica served as Chief Accountability Officer for The College Success Foundation. In this role, Monica was responsible for partnering with DC and Washington State team member to ensure program quality and fidelity, data-driven program monitoring and improvement, curriculum development and innovation, and student-serving staff support services (professional development) for all CSF sites. Monica joined College Success Foundation in November 2007, as Program Officer of the newly established organization. She distinguished herself as Director of Programs where she has designed and developed programs, managed program budgets and led many fundraising and development initiatives. She managed the $117 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that funded the College Success Foundation work in the District of Columbia.

Monica has significant experience in the fields of non-profit management and education. Prior to joining the College Success Foundation, Monica was Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Monica also served as Project Director, Federal Interagency Partnerships and Manager, Strategic Planning for Communities In Schools (CIS), the nation’s largest drop-out prevention program. In that role, she provided training and technical assistance for federally funded initiatives for more than 40 CIS sites around the country.

Education:

BSBA in Marketing, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

MBA in Finance and Marketing, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

Erin Whelan (she/her) is a creative and innovative strategist with nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, cultivating teams, program development and oversight, and community collaboration. She comes to SMYAL from LifeWorks, an organization that provides housing and services to thousands of youth each year based in Austin, Texas. She most recently served as the director of their $11.5 million Housing and Homeless Services program. Erin’s experience working in the Homeless Response System in Austin, as well as the National Movement to End Youth Homelessness provides her with a unique skill set for convening stakeholders, influencing leaders, and working with various partners to develop opportunities for impactful results.

Erin shows up in relationship to the work through her life experiences as a Taurus, licensed therapist, queer woman, mother and friend who loves red wine, to laugh until her sides hurt, travel, and time spent with chosen family.

Jannah Muhammad is a licensed master's level social worker with over ten years of diverse nonprofit experience, specializing in delivering trauma-informed services, youth engagement, and partnership building. With a master’s degree in social work, she brings a wealth of expertise in social development, project management, and stakeholder engagement.

In her current role as Development & Partnership Manager at SchoolTalk, Jannah leads the charge in developing and implementing effective fundraising and external partnership outreach strategies. Her skills extend to identifying, researching, and cultivating new donors and partners. Jannah excels in crafting compelling materials and submitting high-quality proposals, demonstrating an ability to facilitate successful collaborations. She currently works part-time as a group facilitator for domestic violence offenders.

Bilingual in French and equipped with a Master of Social Work with a Macro Global concentration from Boston College, Jannah combines her academic background with practical skills. She has successfully completed professional training in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL), gender integration, unconscious gender bias, and youth mental health first aid.

Jannah Muhammad is not only a dedicated social work professional but also a compassionate advocate committed to connecting marginalized populations to the resources they need to thrive. She is proud to be a former fellow of the Surge Institute for educational leaders of color, an alumna of the Catholic Relief Services International Development Fellowship, and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Benin '13-'16). In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, nurturing her growing collection of over 40+ plants, and spoiling my beloved Yorkie Kase and cat Kash.