Ramya has had a varied career working in the education policy field all over the globe (in the U.S., Africa, Europe and Asia), with NGOs, governments, UN agencies and other international organizations. Currently, she is Senior Education Specialist and Thematic Lead for Teaching and Learning at the Global Partnership for Education, a multi-stakeholder partnership and fund supporting education in the developing world. Ramya is motivated by a desire to connect the rich humanities landscape of our city, including international perspectives, with education and youth programming. She is parent to a DCPS 3rd grader and is currently a member of the DCPS Parent Advisory Board.
Maceo Thomas
Maceo Thomas is an advocate in the local creative community with over 10 years of experience in programming and event planning. Receiving his Masters in Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Thomas has applied his instincts for public service to creating opportunities for artists in Washington, DC. Working with musicians and painters alike, Mr. Thomas has created various programs including a monthly art exhibit and music festival, garnering the recognition of The Community Foundation with the Linowes Award in 2011.
Evelyn Boyd Simmons
Evelyn Boyd Simmons is a senior executive with broad and varied experience with Fortune 100 companies, federal and civic governments, nonprofits and entrepreneurial ventures. A committed civic leader, Ms. Simmons has been an active parent and community leader on education and school issues. She is a past President of the Logan Circle Community Association, having previously been awarded the organization’s Community Improvement Award. Ms. Simmons is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. She is a certified Partnership Broker and Parent Leadership Training Institute Facilitator and an alum of the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellow program at Harvard Business School and Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD).
Malgorzata (MJ) Rymsza-Pawlowska
MJ Rymsza-Pawlowska is Associate Professor of History at American University, where she researches and teaches U.S. cultural history and public history theory and practice. MJ is also very active in DC’s history community, collaborating with a number of local organizations on research initiatives and public programming–she loves seeing how history and the humanities can help people– both natives and newcomers—connect with the city and with each other in new ways. MJ grew up in Ward 5 and now lives with her husband in Ward 3.
Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu
Alison Johnson
Alison lives in Glover Park and can be found wandering the wooded trails with her dog, Winston, when not traveling for her role as Associate Vice President of Content and Program Strategy at the National Multifamily Housing Council. At NMHC, Alison partners with business executives, researchers, and industry advocates to implement and maintain industry knowledge programs in a variety of subject matters, including corporate citizenship, leadership, market trends, technology and innovation, and housing affordability. The starting point for Alison’s professional role began in her early academic career, studying Political and Economic Philosophy at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. Through her continued studies and interactions about the history, thoughts and culture that make up the record of our modern community, she has learned the practical application humanities have in everyday life. The humanities give voice to how we make sense of the world. And the humanities belong to us all.
Kemry Hughes
Kemry Hughes is the Program Analyst/Outreach Coordinator at Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, DC Department of Employment Services. Kemry serves as a Vice President of MYLI Alumni Association, Board Member of Humanities DC., and is an At-Large Committeeman for the DC Democratic State Committee (DCDSC), Ward 8 Democrat Executive Committee Member, and on the Executive Committee of the DCDSC Black Caucus, and 3rd Vice of American Federation of Government Employee’s (AFGE 1000) Union. He lives in the Fairlawn Community and is the father of a 15-year-old Son. I love that Humanities raises our thoughts & attention about art & history. I enjoy finding time to crank to DC’s indigenous music and exploring the sites of the city with my Son.
Cole Fiala
Cole Fiala is a connector of people and dots with expertise in cross-cultural collaboration, relationship building, and project management. He is currently looking toward 2026 and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States while cultivating federal and international partnerships for the America250 Foundation. His previous work spans more than 50 countries, first with U.S. Department of State public diplomacy programs at Meridian International Center and, more recently, with National Geographic traveling exhibitions. On the local level, he enjoys serving on the Board of HumanitiesDC and volunteering with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Cole earned his MA in Museum Studies from Marist College and the Instituto Lorenzo de’ Medici and his BA in Art History and International Studies from Loyola University Chicago. He can often be found taking his dog on long walks, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and traveling with his husband to destinations near and far.