Jennifer C. Niles 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 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 Carvajal 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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Lateefah 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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Prior to CityWorks DC, Kiara worked for the National Association for the Education of Young Children as a Program Assistant, where she worked closely with educational programs to ensure quality assurance. She also worked as a communications intern with Uptown Main Street, a nonprofit organization that promotes the revitalization of business corridors in Washington, DC. Kiara has completed internships at other organizations such as the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club. Kiara loves hanging out with family and friends and her favorite things to do are bowling and driving around in her Volkswagen Jetta on road trips.

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Jerelle Jenkins (she/her) is the Manager, Program Operations for Embark at CityWorks DC. Previously, 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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Richard manages postsecondary work in addition to all enterprise operations. Before joining CityWorks DC, Richard served as Executive Director for Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in Washington, DC and before that served as Chief of Operations and Policy at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School. In addition to his expertise in school leadership and operations, Richard also has significant experience navigating local and federal education policy. Richard served as the Director for the District of Columbia’s Race to the Top program and in 2016 represented charter schools nationally on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Richard began his career as a classroom teacher. Rich is a proud father of two DC public school students and loves to spend time with his family camping, hiking, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors.

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