In 2022, SOME’s Board of Directors will focus on the implementation and performance monitoring of SOME’s FY22-26 Strategic Plan
New 2022 SOME board members and officers from left to right: Armando Bonilla, Jason Géno, Evelyn Miller, Louis Buell, Michelle Russo
WASHINGTON, DC—On January 5th, So Others Might Eat (SOME), an interfaith, community-based service organization that serves individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness in the District, announced the retirement of its distinguished Board Chair, along with the addition of four new board members, a new Chair of SOME’S Board of Directors, as well as a new Chair of its Nominating, Governance and Human Resources Committee.
SOME Board Chair Sister Mary Bader Retires
Long-time, distinguished Board member Sister Mary Bader, CEO of the St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth, and Families, recently announced her retirement as Chair of SOME’s Board of Directors, responding to the call of her religious order (Daughters of Charity) to take on more duties and responsibilities, which involve more frequent travel.
The SOME community extends its deepest and heartfelt thanks to Sister Mary for her decade of service. She served as SOME’s Chair during a pivotal time, a time of significant growth in SOME’s housing portfolio, along with its supportive services and clinical programs, all of which continued uninterrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For many years, Sister Mary has been a steadying, inspiring, and affirming leader for SOME, our ‘North Star’ in many important respects,” said SOME President and CEO Ralph Boyd. “We are pleased that she will become an honorary Member Emeritus of SOME’s Board of Directors.”
New Officers for SOME Board of Directors
Concurrently, SOME also announced the ascension of new officers to its Board of Directors. “In their new leadership roles as Board Chair and Nominating, Governance, and Human Resources Chair respectively, Jason Geno and Mary Miller will add significantly to the quality of the SOME’s Boards’ engagement, oversight, and deliberations,” said President and CEO Ralph Boyd.
He added, “Jason has a unique background and wealth of experience that we will draw from as we continue to innovate and build on SOME’s vision and strategy moving forward. Similarly, Mary has displayed exemplary leadership as a member of the SOME Board, as well as in her leadership role at the Edison Electric Institute. We are honored that she has seen fit to be so deeply engaged in SOME’s mission to end poverty and homelessness.”
Board Members recently elected as officers of the SOME Board of Directors include:
Jason Géno, Founder and Managing Principal of Human Capital Initiatives, LLC (HCi) is the new Chairperson of the SOME Board of Directors.
Jason Géno has more than 25 years of human resources, technology, and strategic management experience, specializing in human capital development, business process improvement, legal and regulatory compliance, and technology integration. HCi has been recognized as one of the first management consulting firms in the country to successfully advise clients on workforce strategies relating to the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD). Géno has provided advisory services to a wide range of governmental agencies, corporations, professional service firms, and nonprofits.
He has successfully helped clients maximize their return on employee investment, increase the effectiveness of their operational procedures, and minimize their exposure to liability and operational risk. He has recently worked with some of the country’s leading housing authorities to improve operational efficiencies and implement cost-saving procedures through process improvements, effective utilization of technology and staffing resources, and performance-based compensation plans. He focuses on creating successful operational and administrative process structures, which complement the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. Géno has served as a member of the SOME Board of Directors since 2006, and most recently as the Chair of SOME’s Nominating, Governance and Human Resources Committee.
Mary Miller, (retired) Chief Administrative Officer, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), serves as the new Chair of SOME’s Nominating, Governance and Human Resources Committee.
As the former Chief Administrative Officer, Mary Miller played a key leadership role in the work of EEI, an association of investor-owned electric companies whose members generate and distribute approximately three-quarters of the nation’s electricity. EEI membership includes a growing list of affiliate members representing utilities worldwide. She also served as the President of the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a nonprofit consortium of electric, natural gas, and nuclear utilities and their associations. Prior to joining EEI, Miller was Vice President of Human Resources for the American Gas Association (AGA). She also was the special assistant to the CEO. Miller previously served as a member of SOME’s Corporate Advisory Board and has been a member of SOME’s governing Board since 2019.
New SOME Board Members
“Board members are selected based on their experience, expertise, sound judgment, and commitment to helping people and families experiencing poverty and homelessness,” said President and CEO Ralph Boyd, “We are fortunate to have Armando O. Bonilla, Louis Buell, Evelyn Tollinche Miller, and Michelle Russo bringing their individual and collective experience and insights to our Board. Their expertise in risk management, technology, finance, governance, communications, and service delivery is critical to the best execution of our mission.”
Newly-elected board members include:
Armando O. Bonilla, Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims
In 2021, Judge Bonilla was nominated by President Biden—and subsequently confirmed by the U.S. Senate—to serve as a judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. At the time of his nomination, Bonilla was the Vice President, Ethics and Investigations, for Capital One’s Office of Ethics, Corporate Investigations, and Governance. During his tenure at Capital One, he formed the Ethics Office while also co-authoring Capital One’s Code of Conduct. From 1994 through 2018, Bonilla also served with distinction in several senior executive roles at the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Associate General Counsel for the U.S. Marshals Service, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General of the United States. Bonilla is a recipient of the 2011 U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.
Louis Buell, Director, Software Engineering, Capital One Financial Corp
Louis Buell is a dynamic and innovative leader in software engineering, leading his team to ensure the stability of technology systems across the company. He advises executives on long-term strategy and vision with a particular focus on enhancing the customer experience. Before coming to Capital One, Buell served as Vice President, Application Infrastructure, at Goldman Sachs; and before that, he was the Application Development Manager for Capital Markets at Fannie Mae.
Evelyn Tollinche Miller, Deputy Chief Counsel, National Geographic Partners, The Walt Disney Company
Evelyn Tollinche Miller oversees all legal functions for NGP Television and Magazine, while also serving as primary legal counsel for National Geographic senior management. In this capacity, she partners closely with Disney’s legal teams supporting NGP’s other businesses. Miller also is the principal liaison for legal affairs for the National Geographic Society. During her impressive legal career, Miller has served as Senior Counsel at Viacom Media Networks, and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in Chicago, receiving the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award three years in a row while an attorney at the firm of Arnold Porter Kaye Scholer. Miller’s volunteer activities also include serving on SOME’s Corporate Advisory Board and as Pro bono Counsel for Kids in Need of Defense.
Michelle Russo, Chief Communications Officer, US Chamber of Commerce
Michelle Russo joined the US Chamber of Commerce in 2019 as its first Chief Communications Officer. During her tenure at the Chamber, Russo has helped transform and modernize its communications function, working diligently to develop strategies that constructively frame public debate on key issues, elevating issues important to the business community, and enhancing the Chamber’s value for its members. Prior to joining the Chamber, Russo served as Executive Vice President of Global Communications for Discovery, Inc. She also has served on SOME’s Corporate Advisory Board, playing a meaningful role in supporting SOME’s Gala and special events, helping raise critical unrestricted capital for the organization, and providing advice and counsel to SOME’s senior leadership team.
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About SOME
SOME provides material aid and comfort to our neighbors in the District, helping them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through programs and services that save lives, improve lives and help transform lives of individuals and families, their communities and the systems and structures that affect them. Learn more about SOME’s leadership and Board of Directors at SOME.org/About/Mission/Leadership.