Senior Management Team

President & CEO – Karen R. Hughes

Karen Hughes serves as Campagna Center President and CEO. Karen came to The Campagna Center after serving for six years as the Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Remarkably credentialed with a career dedicated to quality education for children, Karen possesses a strong background in early childhood and quality early childhood programming, an entrepreneurial spirit, and strong business-related skills.

Prior to her position at NAEYC, Karen owned and directed an NAEYC Accredited early childhood program for children age birth through five. She is a well-known, nationally recognized speaker specializing in leadership, membership, strategic thinking and planning, change management, and customer service. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Baylor University and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Management from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Karen and her husband are members of First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and reside in Accokeek, Maryland.

           
    Chief Finance Officer -
Raj Kapur

As The Campagna Center’s Chief Financial officer, Raj Kapur brings more than twenty years of accounting practice experience in the non-profit sector. Professionally, he aims to drive non-profit ventures to the next level and regards doing so as a continuous effort, through constantly measuring success in tangible ways, setting standards and implementing efficiencies wherever possible to streamline operations while maintaining top-notch delivery of core services. Raj holds responsibility for all day-to-day financial matters for the Campagna Center including internal and external audits, budgets and overseeing accounts payable and receivable. He holds an MBA from Dowling College in Long Island, New York and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Senior Director of Human Resources --
Neil Sawyer

Neil Sawyer has more than 17 years of human resources experience in a diverse background of organizations, with 10 years spent working in non-profits. Neil's undergraduate degree came from Longwood University and his Masters in HR Management from Marymount University. He is certified as a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR). He has served as President of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management and has also chaired their marketing committee. At The Campagna Center, Neil manages all aspects of Human Resources including recruitment, benefits, employee relations and development.

Executive Office Coordinator -
Justin Wright

Justin joined The Campagna Center as the Executive Office Coordinator in November, 2009. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 2003 with a degree in Secondary Education, and proceeded to teach high school mathematics and computer science for four years thereafter. Moving to Washington, DC, Justin took a position with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in their Development Department where he worked for the membership program and later took a position in corporate relations. Justin has served communities through positions in daycare, tutoring, and volunteering, and is now a high school mentor in the Washington, DC area.

Justin's position at The Campagna Center provides support to the executive team in areas such as membership, development, board governance, IT, events, and data management. Justin currently resides in Washington, DC.

Facilities Manager – James Lender

James has been with The Campagna Center for more than 21 years. As the Facilities Manager, he manages the physical integrity and general maintenance of The Campagna Center’s property, grounds, and vehicles. He analyzes project maintenance needs and coordinates service and repair contracts for the various systems and pieces of equipment. James also works closely with volunteers, and Campagna Center staff, advising them on special event-related logistics.                     

Cluster 1 Director – Chrystal-Starr Brown

Chrystal brings more than 22 years of early childhood experience to her role as Director of Cluster 1. In her role, Chrystal oversees the day-to-day operations of the Patrick Henry, John Adams, NOVA, and Samuel Tucker Head Start sites. Chrystal joined The Campagna Center in March 2007. She holds a BA from Southeastern University.

Cluster 2 Director --
Natasha Martens

Curriculum Coordinator -
Shelley Keith

Senior Director of Early Childhood Programs/Family Support Services –
Joy Vithespongse Trejo, MA, MFT

Joy brings 15 years experience providing child and family focused psychotherapy and involvement in non-profit organizations serving at-risk children and families to her role as Senior Director of Family Support Services. Within those 15 years, she has ten years of experience as clinical supervisor or director of child-focused therapy and case management-based programs. Joy supervises the planning, development, and implementation of all family support and community services for the families enrolled in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Joy supervises and monitors all family support services staff and works with them to ensure quality services to all children and families in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Joy holds a BS in Psychology from Tulane University and an MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. She is a licensed California Marriage and Family Therapist.                     

Director of Marketing & Communications
- Bethany Nguyen

With more than five years of experience in marketing, writing, and media relations, Bethany is responsible for implementing The Center’s unified marketing and branding strategy, overseeing content development of all marketing collateral, and representing the organization with the media. She also manages direct mail and publications production and schedules and works with program partners to coordinate marketing and communications strategies. Bethany holds a BA and an MA in Professional Writing with a minor in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.

    
Senior Director of Out-of-School-Time Programs
– Karla Kelley 

Karla holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Psychology as well as a Masters of Science degree in Recreation and Parks Administration from Western Illinois University. She brings 18 years of experience in recreation, starting her career as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist before moving into positions in community recreation. As the Senior Director of Out-of-School Time Programs, she is responsible for the overall management, administration, and leadership for all Campagna Center Out-of-School Time Programs, including Campagna Kids. 

Campagna Kids Program Manager for Quality Assurance–
Davy Fearon, Jr.

Bringing nearly 10 years of childcare experience, Davy ensures that the quality of the Campagna Kids program meets the needs of young children at different ages and developmental levels and promotes the inclusion of children with special needs. Recipient of the 2004 Cleveland City Schools Character Education Award, Davy holds a BA in Business Administration from Lee University.