Board of Directors and Advisors

Fr. John was ordained in 1969 and received his master’s degree in Social Work from  The Catholic University of America. After serving his initial assignments as a social worker, he started Christ House, which provides meals, shelter, and crisis intervention to the poor and homeless in Alexandria, VA.

In 1978, Fr. McKenna, S.J., founder of SOME, invited Fr. John to become the Director of SOME. Under his leadership, SOME grew from a small soup kitchen with one employee and two volunteers to the comprehensive human services agency the organization is today.

Fr. John has often been recognized for his work at SOME, as Washingtonian of the Year, a Freedom Forum Free Spirit, an Olympic Torch Carrier, a Congressional Victory Against Hunger Award recipient, and recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Marymount University. Fr. John moved to an emeritus role in 2020 after 42 years of service to SOME.

Ralph Boyd, President and CEO, first became acquainted with the organization during his seven years as chairman, president and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation, Inc. From 2005 to 2012, he was responsible for the national capital region’s largest corporate philanthropic program, which included major financial support for SOME’s affordable housing and supportive services for low income and formerly homeless families. Prior to SOME, Boyd’s work at the Urban Land Institute focused on land use and real estate development, including the development of affordable housing. As CEO of the Massachusetts region of the American Red Cross, Boyd oversaw services for 6.7 million people in more than 350 cities and towns throughout the region, including: disaster preparation, response, casework, and recovery services, food services and nutrition programs in underserved and high need communities, services to armed forces, international services, biomedical (blood) services, and health and safety programs.

He has spent many years working in service of vulnerable and disadvantaged people, including as Assistant Attorney General of the United States heading the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; as a co-founding board member, chairman and interim president and CEO of Center City Public Charter Schools, a consortium of six academically rigorous public charter schools in high need Washington, D.C. communities; and as chairman of the NHP Foundation, a national nonprofit developer and owner of affordable housing with supportive services for vulnerable residents. Boyd is a graduate of Haverford College and the Harvard Law School.