Shannon Babe-Thomas
Executive Director
sbabethomas@communitybridges-md.org
Office: (301) 585-7155 ext. 108
Shannon Babe-Thomas has served as Executive Director of Community Bridges since 2016, leading the organization through nearly a decade of transformational growth. Under her leadership, Community Bridges has more than doubled its revenue, tripled the number of girls served, and built the organization’s first invested reserves—ensuring long-term sustainability and impact. Shannon brings over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, previously directing Membership Initiatives at the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, the largest council in the country, where she oversaw key strategic partnerships and equity-focused initiatives.
Shannon is a 2023 graduate of the Stanford Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders and the recipient of the David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award, recognizing her as one of the region’s most dynamic changemakers.
A committed civic leader, Shannon serves on the boards of Nonprofit Montgomery, Committee for Montgomery, and Montgomery Women. She is President of the Rotary Club of Downtown Silver Spring, past Board President of Small Savers Child Development Center, and a 2018 graduate of Leadership Montgomery’s Core Class. She also served on the transition team for Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.
Shannon holds a B.S. in Communications from Towson University and lives in Bethesda with her husband and children.
Isabel Argoti
Deputy Director of Programs
iargoti@communitybridges-md.org
Isabel Argoti is a first-generation professional with proud roots from Ecuador. Isabel holds a strong passion for developing youth programs, helping first-generation students, advocating for women and girls, and continuing her local involvement in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she grew up. Previously, Isabel worked at the National Park Service and U.S. Department of Interior managing the Every Kid in a Park program. She established the Career Mentoring Initiative at Collegiate Directions Inc. She credits much of her leadership to her community involvements including helping form the LADYS-CVILLE mentorship program, serving as a team LEAD for the Hispanic College Institute, and her various roles at Sigma Lambda Upsilon (SLU) Sorority. Currently, Isabel serves on the Montgomery County Commission for Women, is a Board Member for AMP Global Youth, and is Vice President for FlanCake by Gaby, a family-run business. Isabel graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Architecture and earned her Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University. In her free time, Isabel enjoys spending time with her family and pups, traveling, and splurging on iced coffee!
Jane De Angeli
College Access and Success Director
jdeangeli@communitybridges-md.org
Jane De Angeli serves as Director of the Community Bridges’ College Access and Success Program, supporting seniors in the college and financial aid applications process, as well as facilitating internship applications for qualified juniors, seniors, and alumnae. Jane previously has served as College Access Advisor for three years with Community Bridges. Jane also supports Community Bridges alumnae intending to help them succeed in getting not to but through college. Before this role, Jane has held a variety of youth nonprofit roles over a 15 year span, with the last five in college access. Previously Jane was a senior manager for Accenture and served as quality program manager, supervising two successful software capability evaluations, as well as a technical manager, responsible for team supervision, client support, deliverable creation and technical program management for system platform migrations. Jane earned an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a BA in English from Cornell University. Jane participated in Leadership Montgomery’s SLM Program in 2020. Professional Memberships: NCAN, NACAC, PCACAC and Associate Membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).
Dèjá Taylor
High School Program Manager
dtaylor@communitybridges-md.org
Dèjá is a graduate from The Pennsylvania State University where she studied Political Science with double minors in Spanish and Women’s Studies. She then went on to get her Masters of Public Policy degree from the same university. She was born in Washington, D.C. but was raised in Prince George’s County. Being raised in such a diverse county is what led her to work for public service organizations. She always knew she wanted to work in the public service sector to make a positive impact on people’s lives and their futures. In her downtime, she likes to watch tv shows, movies and play Animal Crossing on her Switch.
Shelley Sams
Mentor and High School Program Manager
ssams@communitybridges-md.org
Shelley first joined Community Bridges as a volunteer mentor and now serves as Mentor and High School Program Manager, designing programs that support students through critical developmental transitions. She believes deeply in the transformative power of connection – bridging participants, caring mentors, and community.
She brings extensive experience developing curricula across the US, Malawi, and Tanzania, including literacy-through-arts and SEL programming for incarcerated and out-of-school youth, and serving as interim Department Head of English at Mwenge University, where she taught African Literature and pedagogy.
A North Carolina native, Shelley holds master’s degrees from Columbia University’s Teachers College (Comparative and International Education) and Michigan State University (Higher Education and Adult Education), and a B.A. from North Carolina State University. She serves as a docent at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC and enjoys cycling, forest wandering, crafting, and traveling far and wide with family.
Courtney Fookes
Middle School Program Manager
cfookes@communitybridges-md.org
Courtney was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. She loves getting to know others around her and helping people as much as she can. Courtney played competitive softball where she learned she loved to connect with people and to work with others. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Towson University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Family Studies. Her previous work experiences include volunteering and babysitting in her community. Through these experiences she learned that she loved to help provide any support she can for people that need it. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, hanging out with her family and friends, and cuddling with her cat Monty.
Meron Aga
Elementary School Program Manager
maga@communitybridges-md.org
Meron Aga is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a degree in Government and Politics with a concentration in International Relations, as well as a second degree in Public Policy. Throughout her time in school and beyond, she has gained a wide range of leadership experience in politics, public service, and community advocacy. She has worked at both the federal and local levels, interning with the U.S. House of Representatives and later with the Montgomery County Council, where she learned firsthand the importance of policy, representation, and community-centered decision-making. Meron is deeply passionate about creating change at the local level and helping uplift underrepresented voices.
As a former CB girl herself, Meron understands the value of having strong support systems and resources for young people in Montgomery County. Now, she hopes to give back by empowering the next generation of girls to step confidently into their futures. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, going on long walks or catching up on shows.
Katie Manyin
Education and Elementary School Program Specialist
kmanyin@communitybridges-md.org
Cathariya Chanthaboun
Development and Operations Consultant
cchanthaboun@communitybridges-md.org
(240) 863-3802 ext. 103
Cathariya is a first-generation college graduate from Towson University with a B.S in Sociology and a minor in Mass Communication. Born and raised in Montgomery County, she has witnessed firsthand the inequity of education based on socioeconomic status. She strongly believes that with the right resources and support, every girl can become strong leaders and agents of change in the community. With internship and volunteer experience at Maryland CASA, Rosemary Hills Lacrosse and the Nonprofit Village, she is passionate about serving individuals in the community. Cathariya first joined Community Bridges in 2017 through its Mentor Program. She enjoys playing with her dog, traveling, and finding new places to eat.
Hannah Olinger
AmeriCorps VISTA Mentor Program Specialist
holinger@communitybridges-md.org
Hannah Olinger is a first-generation college graduate from Central Appalachia. She holds two Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs, along with a minor in Women’s Studies, from East Tennessee State University. She recently completed a Master of Arts in International Relations at American University’s School of International Service. Hannah served as an AmeriCorps Hunger Relief VISTA in 2019-20 where she coordinated the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. After service, she moved to Washington, D.C. and entered federal civilian service as a Program Analyst and Contracting Specialist in the U.S. General Services Administration. Amid federal layoffs and political climate, Hannah felt called to return to non-profit work, specifically supporting Girls’ and Women’s leadership, education, and empowerment. She loves writing and research, reading nonfiction, and is an avid cyclist and fan of Le Tour de France Femmes. Hannah also volunteers with Girls in Gear DC, City Kitties, and World Beyond War.
Meklit Amare
Maryland Service Year, High School Specialist
mamare@communitybridges-md.org
Meklit Amare is a first-generation Ethiopian-American and recent graduate of Villanova University, where she earned degrees in Political Science and Africana Studies. Meklit previously served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion senator at Villanova, interned at Public Citizen on civil justice initiatives, and worked at Sisters Incorporated, a domestic abuse shelter in South Africa.
Currently, Meklit is a Maryland Service Year Fellow with Community Bridges, where she is eager to empower girls and young women to lead boldly in their communities. She is committed to equity, service, and amplifying underrepresented voices. Her journey and work is driven by a passion for inclusivity and advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with loved ones.
Grace Walsh
Maryland Service Year, Middle School Specialist
gwalsh@communitybridges-md.org
Grace is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a minor in Emergency and Disaster Health Systems. She brings leadership and organizational experience from her roles as Assistant Overnight Camp Director at YMCA Camp Cory and New Member Education Director for Phi Mu at UMBC. A long-time resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, Grace has a deep appreciation for the Montgomery County community. She is excited to contribute her skills and passion to the team at Community Bridges and is committed to supporting and empowering the next generation of community leaders. Grace joins two other team members as Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Members, where in addition to her work at Community Bridges she will be participating in training and additional service through the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation. Outside of her work with Community Bridges, Grace is a volunteer EMT in Prince George’s County.
Karen Gordillo
Maryland Service Year, Parent Engagement Specialist
kgordillo@communitybridges-md.org
Karen Gordillo recently graduated from high school in Argentina, where she earned the recognition of Abanderada Provincial (title similar to salutatorian). Through many hardships, she became a first-generation student in the U.S, an experience that has made her understand both the challenges and opportunities that education brings. With previous experience in a variety of environments, she has learned that, ultimately, the foundation to progress is to continue on studying while also having a great support system. She loves art and in her free time she crochets, draws and enjoys watching a good movie.