Jennie (she/her) leads the CityWorks DC team as an experienced educational leader. She founded and led the acclaimed E.L. Haynes Public Charter School. Niles built myriad programs focused on improving urban education beyond the school’s own walls, including cross-sector initiatives to build a teacher pipeline, race and equity seminars, and ongoing professional development for teachers. After her twelve year tenure, she served as DC’s Deputy Mayor for Education for three years overseeing DC Public Schools, the Office of the Superintendent of Education, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the DC Public Library, and the University of the District of Columbia. CityWorks DC was the outcome of her research and design project as a Senior Fellow based at CityBridge Education.

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Noemi (she/her) oversees the implementation of the CareerWise DC youth apprenticeship program in partnership with DC schools and employers. Before joining CityWorks DC in 2019, she worked with CareerWise Colorado to develop a strong foundation for a youth apprenticeship system in six school districts across the state. Noemi previously managed a national effort to galvanize college students across 61 campuses to address food insecurity and food waste during her time at DC Central Kitchen. Noemi began her career at Operation HOPE where she helped pilot a youth entrepreneurship training program at her home high school and managed a financial literacy program in Denver. Outside of work, Noemi is a certified yoga instructor and can be found planning her next trip, hanging out on the nearest body of water, or trying new recipes.

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Erick (he/him) is the Associate of Enterprise Operations at CityWorks DC. In this role, Erick assists in the financial operations of the company by coding expenses and maintaining the cleanliness of data. He attended E.L. Haynes, a school founded by Jennie Niles, and managed to graduate as the High School Valedictorian of his class in 2017. Following this, Erick would go on to get an Associate degree in General Studies at Montgomery College, and a Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Erick is a massive soccer fan, and he is always keeping track of the results from his favorite team, FC Barcelona. Aside from this, he loves to play video games and spend time with his friends and family.

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Tyshonna (she/her) manages our engagement and support with youth apprentices before, during, and even after their apprenticeship experience. As a Manager of Apprentice Recruitment and Support on the CareerWise DC team, she is responsible for the development of strong, empowering, and understanding relationships with student apprentices and strong connections with educational institutions, employers, and community partners. With 10 years of HR experience, Ty has demonstrated expertise in a wide range of disciplines, including shaping and supporting organizational culture, employee engagement, strategic implementation of policy and compliance, data management, workforce planning, and fostering productive, healthy and whole work environments. Ty previously served as a CareerWise DC apprentice supervisor during her time with our partner-employer Enlightened. Outside of work, Ty is actively engaged with impacting the world through her local church, traveling the oceans on jet skis, sharing life changing messages, loving her family, and continuously becoming a greater richer version of herself.

Lateefah (she/her) leads the launch and expansion of programs that enable youth and young adults to have the work experience, social capital, and credentials needed to compete for family-sustaining jobs in our region. Lateefah previously managed over 30 Career and Technical Education programs serving 8,000 students for Prince George’s County Public Schools, including its Registered Apprenticeship Program. Lateefah is personally and professionally committed to supporting youth and young adults on their journey to discover how they want to contribute to the world and providing them with access to the educational and employment opportunities to achieve their dreams. Lateefah cultivates joy in her life by spending time with her family, horseback riding, and hiking.

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Jerelle (she/her) manages employer partnerships for CareerWise DC, including onboarding new employers and designing and implementing our strategy for ongoing employer and supervisor engagement. As an experienced career coach and CityWorks DC team member, she also supports apprentices. Jerelle played a key role in the creation, implementation, and scale of CityWorks DC’s Embark career coaching model, which has since been embedded in our CareerWise program and in partner programs. Prior to joining CityWorks DC, Jerelle was the Senior Coordinator of Equitable Workforce Development at Americans for the Arts, where she was a champion for equity in arts leadership through workforce development initiatives focused on talent recruitment, retention and improvement of policies and practices that create opportunities for under-represented identities in the nonprofit field. She worked closely with pre-entry and emerging professionals as the program coordinator for the Diversity in Arts Leadership internship program. Jerelle is passionate about strengthening and supporting youth and emerging professionals by way of curated professional development programs and skill-building workshops to successfully equip and prepare the next generation of workforce professionals. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts Management from American University (Washington, D.C.) and a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies and Art History from Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO). Jerelle enjoys exploring the hidden gems of D.C., visiting museums, and is a proud self-proclaimed foodie. 

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Willa (she/her) is the Manager of Education Partnerships and Alumni Experience on the CareerWise DC team. In this role, she manages our apprentice recruitment and applicant support process while building lasting connections with educational institutions, employers, and community partners. At the core of her role, she guides youth apprentices through every stage of their journeys—before, during, and after their apprenticeships. She has more than a decade of experience in education and youth development, having worked with DC public, charter, and private school students. Her career has included teaching, curriculum development, directing a year-round internship program, and leading initiatives that support post-secondary access and success. A proud DC native and DCPS alum, Willa attributes her own educational and professional achievements to the encouragement of a strong community network, and she is deeply committed to providing that same support to the next generation of DC students. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, yoga, attending live music events, and spending time with her husband, son, and their new puppy.

Aurora (she/her) leads operations for CityWorks DC, including finance, communications, people, and organizational learning, supervises the CareerWise DC program team, and supports the president & CEO with development and strategic planning. Aurora most recently served as chief of staff at Two Rivers Public Charter School, where she led the network’s response to COVID, managed enrollment, recruitment, data, external relations and communications, served as interim executive director, and designed and implemented Two Rivers’ strategic planning process, which yielded a three-year plan launching in Fall 2024. Before joining Two Rivers, Aurora served as director of strategic initiatives and senior advisor for educational equity in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) in Washington, DC, during CityWorks DC President & CEO Jennie Niles' tenure as deputy mayor. From 2010 to 2015, Aurora served as counsel and senior advisor to the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education. She also completed details at the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and the Senate HELP Committee on behalf of ranking Senator Patty Murray. Aurora received her bachelor's in psychology-neuroscience-philosophy, master's in social work, and juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. She earned a master's in educational leadership from the Broad Residency in Urban Education. In her free time, Aurora enjoys listening to podcasts, spending time outdoors, and occasionally finding time for her passion for painting. Her favorite time is spent relaxing with her husband and daughter.