Since 2005, Jodi Grant has been Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance, a non-profit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs.

In America today, 15.1 million children take care of themselves after the school day ends, including almost four million middle school students in grades six to eight.  Just 8.4 million children are in afterschool programs, but the parents of another 18 million children say their kids would participate if a program were available.  The Afterschool Alliance seeks to educate the public, the media and policy makers about the enormous potential of quality afterschool programs and how programs across the country are inspiring children and creating opportunities for them to succeed academically, socially and professionally.  The Afterschool Alliance serves as a national voice for afterschool and provides resources and materials to more than 26,000 afterschool programs.  It organizes national and local afterschool events, including the organization’s signature event, Lights On Afterschool; conducts research on the need and support for afterschool; creates tools for afterschool practitioners; and connects afterschool leaders to national, state and local opinion leaders.

As Executive Director, Grant oversees all aspects of the Afterschool Alliance’s work – setting its goals and strategies for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, working with the field to help programs tap into federal funding streams, and supervising research to help national, state and local afterschool advocates and providers support, create and expand quality afterschool programs.

Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance, Grant served as Director of Work and Family Programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families.  In that position, she worked to protect and expand the Family & Medical Leave Act, and was a member of the team that successfully defended the law before the U.S. Supreme Court.  Prior to that, she worked on Capitol Hill as General Counsel to the Senate Budget Committee and as Staff Director for a Senate Committee.  Her legislative accomplishments include expanded support for the child tax credit, the Child Health Insurance Program, and class size reduction.  She also served as liaison to the National Governors’ Association, where she worked closely with Republican and Democratic governors.

Grant graduated from Yale University with honors in 1990 and was elected senior class president.  She received her law degree from Harvard University, where she was elected class president (first marshall).  As a student, she volunteered at an afterschool program. She currently serves as: a Trustee of the America’s Promise Alliance, an Advisory Board Member of Time Warner Cable’s “Connect a Million Minds” campaign, and as Co-Chair of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry’s Student Development Advisory Committee.  Grant, her husband and two children live in Bethesda, Maryland.  Grant is an avid cyclist.

Chris D'Agostino , Research Associate

Before joining the Afterschool Alliance full time in July 2009, Chris worked for a year as the organization’s Policy and Research Intern. Now, as Research Associate, Chris works with the Policy and Research Director to coordinate annual research activities, design surveys on pressing afterschool issues and represent the Afterschool Alliance at coalition meetings, events and briefings. Through this effort, Chris aids in building connections with policymakers and the public by communicating research findings that detail the need for and great successes of afterschool programs. Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude from George Washington University in May 2009 with a BA in Political Science. He currently resides in Washington, DC and is eager to continue the fight to ensure that all children have access to a safe and educational environment during the afterschool hours.

Diana Delfin, Policy & Research Fellow

As the Policy and Research Fellow for Afterschool Alliance, Diana Delfin works to collect and analyze information on current policy initiatives and issues in the field of afterschool. She collaborates closely with both the Vice President of Policy & Research and Field Outreach Coordinator on issues advancing afterschool programs for all. Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance in January 2010, Diana attended graduate school to better understand factors affecting the youth experience during out-of-school time. In her thesis she analyzed the distribution of afterschool programs across Chicago using ArcGIS and studied the ease of access to such critical assets in underserved communities. Diana has also served numerous afterschool programs in various capacities throughout the country, including San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Diana holds a BA in Social Ecology from the University of California - Irvine. She also graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago with an MA in Education with emphasis in the Sociology of Education.

Shaun Gray , Project Associate

Shaun Gray joined the Afterschool Alliance in February of 2003 as the Administrative Assistant.  Bringing with her over 6 years of administrative experience, Shaun has taken on a key role in the Afterschool Alliance team.  Working closely with the Vice President of Policy and Research and the Director of Finance and Administration, she has taken on duties connected with local and state coalition building, accounts payable/receivable as well as preparing arrangements for annual conferences and meetings.  Shaun also provides assistance to the Vice President of External Affairs, Vice President of Partnerships and Executive Director with various projects and fundraisers.  Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance, Shaun served as the Meetings and Executive Assistant of a national trade association, American Beverage Licensees.  She planned much of the association's conferences and meetings and assisted the Director of Communications with newsletter updates, the Membership Coordinator with invoices and member dues and the Executive Director with correspondences to the Board of Directors.

Ursula Helminski , Vice President, External Affairs

Ursula Helminski has worked with the Afterschool Alliance since its inception, and was part of its founding team.  She develops strategy and communications for the organization, and oversees public awareness initiatives such as the national Lights On Afterschool event and Afterschool for All, a campaign uniting high profile and grassroots voices from diverse sectors in support of afterschool.  Before coming to the Afterschool Alliance, she was a Senior Associate at the communications and organizing consulting firm Fowler Hoffman, where she worked on issue campaigns ranging from youth violence prevention to telecommunications, and advised foundations on their communications strategies.  She has served as editor of a trade journal covering policy in Washington, D.C., worked in cause related marketing at The Nature Conservancy and taught English in a Moscow public school.  Ursula has a B.A. in Political Science and English from Duke University.

Anita Krishnamurthi, Director of STEM Policy

Anita Krishnamurthi joined the Afterschool Alliance in June 2010 as Director of STEM Policy after serving as the John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow for the American Astronomical Society.  As STEM Policy Director, Anita is responsible for creating and advancing federal, state, and local opportunities and policies to expand resources and activities that provide students with access to a rich STEM curriculum in their afterschool programs.  Anita brings nearly a decade of experience in science education and outreach to a wide variety of audiences to this role.  Prior to her fellowship, she worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for six years, firstly as an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Program Planning Specialist at NASA-HQ, and then as Lead for EPO in the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.  Before joining NASA, Anita was a Program Officer at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. in the Office on Public Understanding of Science.  Anita's formal training is as an astrophysicist, receiving her PhD from The Ohio State University.  She conducted her postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  

Erik Peterson , Policy Director

Erik joined the Afterschool Alliance in July 2009 as Policy Director. In this position he coordinates and advances the Afterschool Alliance’s policy efforts at the federal level by helping develop policy goals and implementing strategies that advance afterschool programs for all.  Erik works to build and strengthen relationships with policy makers and allied organizations to increase public support and funding for afterschool programs. Prior to coming to the Afterschool Alliance Erik served as Director of Public Awareness in the Government Affairs Center of the School Nutrition Association (SNA) for almost nine years overseeing the spokesperson network, handling media relations, conducting award-winning awareness campaigns, managing the Political Action Committee and mobilizing members at the grassroots level to help achieve federal and state policy goals. Prior to working for SNA, he organized community gardens, nutrition classes and farmers markets in Central Texas as both a VISTA and staff for the Sustainable Food Center. Erik has authored manuals on starting community gardens and school community kitchens, in addition to writing several articles for School Nutrition magazine. He originally hails from Texas and received his Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas, as well as a Bachelor degree from Georgetown University. 

Jen Rinehart , Vice President, Policy & Research

Jen Rinehart joined the Afterschool Alliance in September 2002 and established the Afterschool Alliance's WashingtonD.C. office.  Jen takes a primary role in the Afterschool Alliance's coalition building, policy and research efforts, and serves as a spokesperson for the organization.  Recent projects include America After 3 PM: A Household Survey on Afterschool in America and Kids Deserve Better, a campaign to get voters and candidates thinking and talking about children's issues, particularly afterschool.  Jen also served as Interim Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance from December 2004 through June 2005.  Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance, Jen served for more than five years on the staff of the U.S. Department of Education; primarily as a Project Officer for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, the principal federal program supporting afterschool.  Jen has a B.A in Psychology with a minor in Elementary Education from Gettysburg College and a Masters degree in Human Development from the University of Maryland at College Park .  She currently serves on a number of advisory boards of organizations that share the Afterschool Alliance's vision of afterschool for all.

Ramya Sankar, Research Assistant

Ramya joined the Afterschool Alliance in April 2011. As a Research Assistant, Ramya works with the STEM Policy Director to advance the research efforts of the Alliance focusing on STEM in afterschool. She has been actively involved in STEM outreach in all the communities she has lived in to get youth excited about the possibilities of math, science, and engineering! She strongly believes in the power of collaboration and creativity that is in abundance in the afterschool time. Prior to joining the Alliance she worked with youth in the Galena Park community to better engage them in environmental health advocacy. She is originally from Texas and received her Bachelors from the University of Texas and a Masters in Technology Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Trevor Sparks, Development Associate/Grant Writer

As Development Associate/Grant Writer for the Afterschool Alliance, Trevor works to cultivate, develop and manage the organization’s partnerships.  By researching and interacting with potential partners at the local, state, and federal levels, Trevor helps to build the Alliance’s capacity to advocate on behalf of afterschool programs and the children they serve.  Prior to joining the Alliance in August 2011, Trevor served in the U.S. Air Force for six years.  After his honorable discharge in 2007, he worked to assist military veterans pursue their federal educational benefits while attending college.  Trevor graduated in 2011 from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science.  

Ed Spitzberg, Vice President, Development

Ed Spitzberg joined the Afterschool Alliance in February 2011, where he works with supporters of the afterschool field to provide the resources that the Afterschool Alliance needs to advance its mission.  Ed came to the Afterschool Alliance from Sitar Arts Center, an award-winning afterschool program in Washington, D.C., where as Executive Director he led the organization through growth in number of young people served, local and national recognition including the National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award, and fundraising.  Prior to Sitar, he was Development Director at Arena Stage, the nation’s oldest regional nonprofit theater, and also was a product manager for Internet companies including Walt Disney Internet Group and Comedy World.  Ed has taught the arts in afterschool programs for over a decade and is a performing artist himself, having created The Eddie Lounge Show in both San Francisco and the first two Capital Fringe Festivals in Washington, D.C.  Ed has a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Anderson School at UCLA.  As a former leader of an afterschool program, Ed knows firsthand the challenges afterschool programs face and the benefits they provide our country’s youth and brings his passion for the field to the Afterschool Alliance.

Alexis Steines, Field Outreach Associate

As Field Outreach Associate, Alexis Steines serves as the liaison between the Afterschool Alliance and its growing network of afterschool providers. She keeps the field up-to-date on the ever-changing afterschool policy landscape and mobilizes them to affect the development of afterschool-related public policy.  Alexis joined the Afterschool Alliance in June 2011 after spending 5 years with the School Nutrition Association, primarily as the Public Affairs Associate.  In that position, she monitored federal and state legislation, including the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, served as liaison to several allied organizations, and assisted in managing media relations for the Association.  Alexis holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from George Washington University. 

Sarah Simpson, Associate

Sarah joined the Afterschool Alliance in February 2011, where she works to increase the Afterschool Alliance’s online presence and advance the organization’s mission by coordinating social media campaigns and communications.  She is currently working toward a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University.  Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance, Sarah worked throughout the country as a grassroots political organizer establishing local advocacy and small-donor fundraising campaigns for various non-profit organizations, including Save the Children Federation.  Sarah has a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a focus in broadcast and new media.

Kamila Thigpen, Associate
 

Kamila Thigpen joined the Afterschool Alliance in August 2011 as an Associate. In this role, Kamila provides support for the annual afterschool initiatives, Lights on Afterschool and the Afterschool for All Challenge. Working in a communications and outreach capacity, she serves as a point-of-contact for the national network of afterschool partners involved in these initiatives. She also brings with her several years of marketing experience, most recently with Ogilvy & Mather. Kamila came to the Afterschool Alliance after deciding to switch careers and pursue a Masters in Education Policy from The George Washington University. Her passion for afterschool stemmed from her volunteer experience with Interstages, a DC-based youth development program for which she currently serves on the Board of Directors. She is excited to now advocate for many more afterschool programs across the country, and to be able to merge her personal interests with her professional career.