Board Documents
Board of Trustees
Season Roberts, Chair
Virginia Beach
Season Roberts is a native of Virginia Beach, VA. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University in Communications, a minor in Political Science; and attended George Washington University for graduate studies in Political Management. As a Public Relations and Community Engagement consultant, Season provides strategy and implementation solutions to government, private, non-profit, and individual clients in the areas of digital marketing, brand awareness, corporate communications, and engagement.
From 2012-2021, Season served as the Executive Director of Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). As the Executive Director of Virginia Beach CASA, Season led the organization in providing volunteer advocates for child victims of abuse and neglect. Under her leadership, Virginia Beach CASA increased the number of volunteers serving, increased the number of children being served, and increased Virginia Beach CASA’s visibility within the community. In 2015 Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads honored Season with the esteemed Champions for Children Award.
Before Virginia Beach CASA, Season also served as the Director of Volunteer Services at Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia (2010-2012), Hampton Road’s Area Agency on Aging; and before that, the Development Operations Manager at The King’s Daughters, founders of Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) from 2002 – 2012; where she managed over 1,000 volunteers in their efforts to raise funds, friends, and awareness for CHKD. Currently, Season is active in her local community and church. She sits on several local and state non-profit boards and committees. Season resides in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and daughter.
Abigail Wescott, Vice Chair
Richmond
Abigail R. Wescott is the Managing Director of External Affairs for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Gubernatorial Appointee to the Board of Trustees for the Family and Children’s Trust Fund of Virginia, Vice Chair of the Marymount Alumni Board, and Adjunct Professor at Marymount University. Abigail is a Virginian native and first-generation college graduate and received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Marymount University, where she played lacrosse. She went on to receive her Master’s in Business Administration from DeSales University.
Before moving to Richmond and starting her career at VEDP, Abigail served as Chief Operating Officer at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. While residing in Southwest Virginia, she developed a love and passion for that area and its people, leading her to be involved in several initiatives across that region of the Commonwealth, ranging from youth programs to economic development.
When not working, you can find Abigail trying a new recipe, watching football or basketball, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.
Tyler Hart, Treasurer
Richmond
Dr. J. Tyler Hart currently serves as the President & CEO of Commonwealth Autism (CA), a non-profit whose mission is to innovate, operate, and model services that support diversity, equity, and community inclusion for Virginians with autism. CA envisions an inclusive Virginia where all people have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of their community and realize their full potential. . Before accepting the CEO role, Dr. Hart served as Provost, overseeing all student facing functions at the College inclusive of Enrollment Services, Student Support and Academics at Richard Bland College (RBC) of William & Mary
As an executive leader who has earned recognition throughout the region as a strategic thinker and an innovative problem-solver, Dr. Hart has overseen a number of major initiatives, including planning and implementation of the RBC’s strategic plan (RBC-19) that redefined and refocused the mission and vision along three critical areas: (1) enrollment, (2) programs and delivery, and (3) operations and resources. As project manager for the Exceptional Student Experience (ESE@RBC) program, Dr. Hart led a team that successfully implemented a predictive analytical tool, using business intelligence along with a case management approach. This model program pairs students with a Learner Mentor who guide them from orientation to graduation as a single point of contact to positively impact student retention and graduation.
Dr. Hart holds a Ph.D. in Leadership from Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia, where his research focused on entrepreneurial practices in community colleges. He has a M.B.A. from Averett University in Danville Virginia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Longwood University in Farmville Virginia. He and his wife, Mali, love to spend time outdoors with their three daughters (Ruby, 9; Maizy, 7, and Tilly, 5).
Tiffany Garner, Secretary
Woodbridge
Tiffany Garner currently serves as the Federal Policy Advocate for Children & Health at Futures Without Violence based in Washington, DC. Within her position, she is focused on working with Congress to pass legislation to prevent further violence against women and children including firearm violence, maternal health and child welfare. She works with national partners and coalitions to advocate for funding to support violence prevention programs that focus on healing families impacted by trauma and violence. She also works with national partners to protect healthcare funding including Medicaid, SNAP and WIC for survivors of violence and their children.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communication and Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and completed her Masters of Public Administration from Old Dominion University in Fall 2020. She currently serves as the co-chair for the Health & Social Policies Task Force with Women in Government Relations.
Tiffany is native to North Carolina where she spent over seven years as a domestic violence counselor for children exposed to intimate partner violence as well as a manager for an innovative youthful offenders’ program, focusing on teens who perpetrate aggressive and violent behaviors within dating relationships. She has continuously worked nationally with law enforcement, researchers, public officials and community partners across the country on advocacy initiatives as well as public funding support focused on the implementation of innovative community-based strategies for reducing and preventing violence and crime within vulnerable communities.
Cindy Han
McLean
From 2017-2022, Cindy served as the Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington’s Board of Directors Chairperson. This non-profit is dedicated to providing mental health services for low-income immigrant families primarily in and around Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia area. Prior to her work at the Family Counseling Center, she was nominated by former President George H.W. Bush to be Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Tribunal and assumed Chairmanship of the agency in December 1991. Cindy also spent time at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in a variety of positions and was a columnist for an Omaha, Nebraska newspaper. She now resides in McLean, VA and has three children and five grandchildren.
Cherie Short
Nichele Carver
Henrico
Nichele Carver is the Principal at NJC Strategic Planning and Consulting, LLC. She brings over 27 years of experience in the homeless services field, with a deep commitment to equity and systems transformation.
Nichele led Virginia’s homeless services system through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring access to safe shelter for people experiencing homelessness during statewide stay-at-home orders. Under her leadership, Virginia decreased overall homelessness by 34% and became the first state to functionally end veteran homelessness.
She previously served as the co-chair of the Council of State Community Development Agencies’ national homeless committee and is a nationally recognized speaker on racial equity. Her work is grounded in the belief that those with lived expertise must be centered in decision-making.
Nichele was named one of the Virginia housing field’s top 40 under 40 and most recently served as the Senior Regional Advisor for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, supporting New York, New Jersey, and New England.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia State University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Amy Greear
Dr. Amy Greear serves as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Mountain Empire Community College and Executive Director of the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation. She also contributes her time to several volunteer roles with organizations in Southwest Virginia. Her and her husband Burke, a Virginia State Parks Historic Preservation Specialist, live in Big Stone Gap, Virginia and have a 24 year old daughter who is a labor and delivery nurse.
Maria Salgado
Maria Salgado currently serves as Chief of Staff to Delegate Paul Krizek in the Virginia General Assembly. She previously worked as Deputy Legislative Assistant and Scheduler for former Delegate Danica Roem. With eight years of legislative experience, Maria has developed a strong background in a wide range of policy areas. She has contributed to the passage of critical legislation and budget amendments supporting at-risk communities, including initiatives related to tenant rights and housing stability in manufactured home parks, problem gambling treatment and prevention, wage theft protections, caps on wage garnishment, sex trafficking response, and expanding access to affordable school meals. As a staffer to a Subcommittee Chair on the House Appropriations Committee, Maria also brings a deep understanding of the Commonwealth’s budget process. While in college, she interned on Capitol Hill for Congressman Dan Kildee and in Washington, D.C., for Invisible Children, an international nonprofit focused on ending violent conflict and promoting stability in Central Africa. There, she supported efforts rooted in local leadership to serve some of the world’s most vulnerable and isolated communities. A proud Richmond native and first-generation college graduate, Maria earned her Bachelor’s degree in Government and International Politics from George Mason University. She currently lives in Richmond with her husband and their two cats.
Ian M. Danielsen, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Associate Professor Ian Danielsen began serving as a faculty instructor in Longwood University’s Social Work Program in 2016. He earned his Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992. He then worked for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice for nearly ten years in an intensive treatment program for sexually reactive youths. He then worked for almost four years as a Clinician for a private agency providing residential treatment services for sexually reactive adolescent boys in foster care.
He began serving as the Director of the Greater Richmond SCAN Children’s Advocacy Center in June of 2006. Serving also as an adjunct faculty instructor for the VCU School of Social Work from 2009 to 2016, Ian has coordinated several important projects including earning Accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance, forming new multidisciplinary child abuse teams, and engaging in statewide legislative advocacy efforts. Ian was honored to be a 2011 recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, a 2012 awardee of the Commonwealth of Virginia Governor’s Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and a 2021 Awardee of the Virginia Attorney General’s “Unsung Hero Award” for victim advocacy. He also serves on the Virginia Bar Association’s Commission on the Needs of Children and the Families Forward Legislative Council.
Photo Credit: Courtney Vogel of Longwood University
Joseph M. Van Name, CFP®, AIFA®
Joseph M. Van Name, CFP®, AIFA®, is an accomplished financial advisor, fiduciary, and community leader with decades of professional and nonprofit experience. As President and owner of Advisors Financial Inc., a respected independent planning firm headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, Joe has overseen the firm’s operations, strategic growth, and regulatory compliance since joining in 2001 and assuming ownership in 2007. In his capacity as President and Chief Compliance Officer, he supervises all client engagements and leads AFI’s planning team, delivering tailored, tax-optimized strategies for individuals, families, business owners, and foundations.
Joe’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Business Management from Washington College and a Financial Planning Certificate from Georgetown University. Professionally, he is designated as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® (AIFA®), and maintains the Series 65 registration. He has been repeatedly recognized for professional excellence, including routinely being named a Top Financial Adviser by Washingtonian Magazine and a Top Financial Professional by Northern Virginia Magazine.
Joe’s commitment to service extends beyond his firm to prominent leadership roles in legacy fraternal and nonprofit organizations. He currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees for the Odd Fellows Temple in Washington, DC; Trustee (former President) of the Masonic Foundation of the District of Columbia; Former Trustee of the Grand Lodge of DC; and Chairman of the MESH Charities Investment Committee. In these positions, Joe provides financial stewardship, investment oversight, and strategic direction for multi-generational charitable assets. He is directly involved in the fiscal management of endowments that fund elder care, ensuring high-quality services for seniors, as well as robust scholarship programs that expand educational opportunities for youth. His leadership ensures the prudent, sustainable allocation of resources to support programming and services for children, older adults, and families in need.
A Pennsylvania native and longtime Alexandria, VA resident, Joe is widely respected for his integrity, fiduciary expertise, and unwavering dedication to advancing both financial and community well-being.
Carl Ayers – Designee for VDSS Commissioner
Carl Ayers is the Deputy Commissioner of Human Services for the Virginia Department of Social Services. He rejoined the Department after 2 ½ years with Casey Family Programs (CFP) as a Sr. Director of Strategic Consulting. In his current role, he oversees the Division of Family Services, the Division of Benefit Program, Local Engagement and Support, Training and Continuous Quality Improvement. In his previous role with CFP, he supported work around transforming and improving the child welfare systems with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, PA and Philadelphia County, PA as well as the state of New Mexico. Immediately prior to joining CFP, Carl served as the Director of the Division of Family Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2020. This Division was responsible for the supervision of the Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption, Prevention Services, Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance and Title IV-E programs for Virginia. Prior to joining the Virginia Department of Social Services, Carl held a number of positions with local departments of social services. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Floyd County Department of Social Services from 2004-2014. He was an active member of the Virginia League of Social Service Executives including serving four-terms on the executive committee and two-terms as President before joining the Virginia Department of Social Services. Overall, Carl has nearly 25 years’ experience in local and state government.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has held numerous leadership positions at the local, state and national levels. These leadership roles included chairing the Interagency Partnership to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness for the Commonwealth of Virginia and served on the Executive Committee for the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators. He led Virginia’s implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and he led Virginia’s Three Branch Initiative to reduce child fatalities as well as Virginia’s statewide study involving Substance Exposed Infants with a focus on how Virginia can improve its response to children and families impacted by Substance Abuse. He currently serves as a board member for the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). Carl holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Radford University and is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute as well as the Commonwealth Management Institute.