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.
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.
Christy Ramos
Elementary and Family Program Manager
cramos@communitybridges-md.org
Christy Ramos recently graduated from Trinity Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in fine arts. As a first-generation college graduate, she is very passionate about leadership, education, and helping others. During her time at Trinity, she served as Green Class President, where she strengthened her leadership, communication, and advocacy skills while representing her classmates. Growing up in a low-income household with a single mother, Christy learned the value of perseverance, community, and believing in yourself even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
Christy is happy to join the Community Bridges team and give back to the organization that played a meaningful role in her own journey. As a former CB participant, she is excited to give back by helping the new participants with support, building confidence, recognizing their potential, and encouraging their pursuit of educational and personal goals. She hopes to make the same positive impact on others that CB has made in her life.
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.
Sofia Martinez
Mentor Program Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA
smartinez@communitybridges-md.org
Sofia is a recent graduate from Northwestern University where she received a B.A. in Music. Sofia wanted to complete her year of service in Montgomery County to learn effective, sustainable ways of helping students achieve. Having lived in rural Appalachia, eastern New Mexico, and Prince George’s County during her youth, she feels passionate about creating welcoming environments for all students– regardless of their identities, backgrounds, and interests. In their free time, Sofia enjoys learning languages, spending time outdoors, reading short stories, and writing music.