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New American Dream Staff
Lisa Wise, Executive Director
M.A., B.FA., B.A., University of Arizona. Lisa has over a decade of experience in both traditional community-based outreach and the use of cutting-edge social networking techniques to galvanize participation in political and social movements. Prior to joining New American Dream in January of 2007, Lisa served as vice president of Genetic Alliance, a national health care advocacy organization in Washington, DC where she oversaw federal grant programs, organizational development and strategic planning as well as staffing and fundraising. Lisa also spent five years as national field manager for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she developed strategies for large-scale activist mobilization and led affiliate strategic planning and organizational development efforts.
In addition to her health and environmental advocacy, Lisa is co-founder of Pan Left Productions, a not-for-profit media company in Tucson, Arizona designed to give members of the community access to media-making technology. Pan Left will celebrate 15 years of video activism in 2008. She has also worked as a financial planner and an adjunct professor of political economy and media arts. She lives in Columbia Heights with her partner and family of fur friends, including Lucy Wise, the official director of canine affairs at New Dream.
 Monique Tilford, Deputy Director
B.A., George Washington University. Monique has nearly twenty years of experience in non-profit management and fundraising, having served previously as the executive director for Wild Earth in Vermont and the executive director of Carrying Capacity Network in Washington, DC. Monique has worked since 1991 to promote the best-selling book Your Money or Your Life and is now playing a lead role in helping to write and edit the updated version which will be released by Viking Penguin in the fall of 2009. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, The Washington Post and many other leading news sources and serves as an advisory board member for Vermont Earth Institute and Population Media Center. Monique joined New Dream in early 1999 to direct our organization’s fundraising efforts, and served in 2006 as our acting executive director. She is married to colleague Dave Tilford with whom she's had two daughters, Elli and Bella.
Franca Brilliant, Senior Development Director
BS, Yale College; MIA, Columbia University. Franca's professional life has run the gamut, from counting fossil rodent teeth for the Smithsonian Institution to researching U.S. government elections assistance in Mali, West Africa. After working on international development issues for many years, Franca decided to focus her attention closer to home and began a second career in fundraising. She joined New American Dream in 2002, where she initially focussed on foundation fundraising, and now oversees all of New Dream's development activities. Franca's international experience continues to influence her understanding of how much stuff is really necessary for a good life. Franca is married to Seth Grimes, a computer consultant and local activist in Takoma Park, Maryland, and has two boys, Raphael and Ezra.
Pamela Garfield, Development Officer
BA, Vassar College. Pamela studied environmental organizing in college, spending her summers directing fundraising offices for the Sierra Club. From there she joined democracy organizations Common Cause and Dēmos, working on issues of campaign finance reform, voting rights, and economic opportunity. Most recently, Pamela helped establish Tabby’s Place: A Cat Sanctuary, Inc., which provides refuge to cats in hopeless situations. As the sanctuary’s Development Director, Pamela built the organization’s fundraising program.
 Courtney Godwin, Fellow
Courtney earned her BA in Psychology and Criminology/Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has organized three annual campus Earth Day celebrations and bolstered UMD recycling. She helped create and run the University's "Don't Waste, Donate" program. She is an avid collector of Mid-Century Modern furniture and loves badminton. Courtney joined the Center in August 2007 as the Responsible Purchasing Fellow.
 Kurt Hoffmann, Fellow
Kurt earned his BA in Environmental Studies from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. He was a founding member of the college’s Environmental Responsibility Task Force and an active participant in student environmental groups on campus. Before coming to the New Dream, He worked as a facilitator of small group and individual therapy sessions in several inpatient psychiatric facilities in the northeast. When he isn’t at work, Kurt sings with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, D.C. He can be found wandering the halls of the Smithsonian museums, or attending concerts of the great works of music history.
 Matt Kittell, Research Director, Responsible Purchasing Network
M.A., University of Maryland; B.S., University of Wisconsin. Matt has over seven years of experience working on environmental and energy issues. While earning his Masters in Public Management, Matt served as Special Assistant to the Executive Director at the Center for Clean Air Policy where he worked on air, climate, energy, and transportation policy on local, state, national, and international levels. Matt then continued his work in promoting green business, energy efficiency and other green economy topics at Co-op America and joined the Responsible Purchasing Network team in 2006 to design and administer our clean vehicles and energy programs. He now directs research for RPN purchasing guides and consulting.
Alicia Leake, Administrative Assistant
Currently a Business Administration major at the University of the District of Columbia. Alicia has worked for many companies such as Riggs Bank, U-Haul, and United Planning Organization. For the past five years, she was employed by First Potomac Investments as the office administrator.
 Michele Levy, Fellow
Michele joined New Dream in December 2007 as the Climate Change Fellow. After graduating from Dickinson College with a B.A. in Women’s Studies and Middle Eastern Studies, Michele completed a Fulbright scholarship researching gender issues in Israel’s Ethiopian community. She was inspired to work on issues of sustainability and consumption during an internship at Co-op America, and is excited to be part of New Dream’s outreach efforts. Outside of work, Michele enjoys yoga, planning travel adventures that may never materialize, and the great outdoors.
 Lucy, Director of Canine Affairs
Lucy defends the New American Dream mission, provides companionship, builds morale, and spearheads staff support initiatives. Lucy has a strong background in building support systems in small organizational settings. Lucy majored in group dynamics and graduated at the top of her class from the school of cute. She has a "go get it" kind of attitude and readily stakes out her professional territory as "lead" team builder. Lucy enjoys long walks, power lunches and stuffed animals. She lives with her mom in NW Washington, DC
Chris O'Brien, Responsible Purchasing Network Director
M.S., Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute; B.A., Penn State. With two degrees focusing on science, technology and society, Chris' motivating interest is in using the power of the marketplace to create a more just and sustainable society. He has twelve years of experience working to promote corporate responsibility and has served as Director of both the Co-op America Business Network and the Fair Trade Federation. In 2006, Chris authored an award-winning book on corporate responsibility and sustainability in the brewing industry. He is now working on a book about justice and sustainability in the global coffee trade. He has also lived, worked and traveled extensively in Africa. Chris has played a lead role in developing and expanding the Responsible Purchasing Network to become a nationally recognized and rapidly growing membership organization.
 Mary Peters, Communication and Marketing Manager
BA, St. Norbert College. Mary joined the staff of The Center for a New American Dream in January 2007. Prior to RPN, Mary was the manager of education and certification marketing at The Association for Operations Management (APICS); was a founding staff member of Vernacular Press, an independent publishing company in New York; she volunteered as an AmeriCorps*VISTA for a year at Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP); and worked with Clean Wisconsin, formerly The Wisconsin Environmental Decade.
 Hanaa Rifaey, Senior Field Manager
M.A., George Washington University; B.A., Whitman College. Prior to coming on board with New Dream, Hanaa worked to build capacity in patient advocacy organizations at Genetic Alliance in Washington, DC. Before that, Hanaa served on the legislative staff of Senator Maria Cantwell and conducted outreach to Arab and Muslim constituents. Hanaa has also worked on post-9/11 educational outreach for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. In her spare time, Hanaa enjoys running in circles with her dog and serving on the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington's Young Professional's Board.
Tim Sanchez, Senior Marketing and Communications Director
Tim comes to us with a successful track record in conceptualizing, developing, and implementing marketing and PR strategies for corporate and product branding. Prior to New Dream, Tim helped launched a development firm in Montana, Urban Mountain Development LLC, that was committed to transforming new and historical downtown buildings into mixed-use residential and prime retail structures, to reducing urban sprawl, and to incorporating environmental consciousness into urban growth. Tim has written for and worked with major newspapers and magazines, has held creative writing and development positions in film, and has developed television projects for both mainstream cable and public television. He directs marketing campaigns and media relations for New American Dream.
 Seán Sheehan, Special Projects Director
B.A., American University (magna cum laude). Former associate, TV-Free America. Seán has worn many hats during his eleven years of employment with New Dream, including overseeing the creation and explosive growth of our New Dream Community and directing several of our public education, advocacy, and grassroots initiatives. He co-founded the Montpelier Energy Team and Alternative Gifts of Greater Washington, and serves on the boards of the Simplicity Forum and Take Back Your Time. In 2008, he will play a key role in implementing our Carbon Conscious Communities (C3) program.
 Mary Jo Snavely, Program Coordinator
In 2006 Mary Jo earned a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she worked on projects that combined environmental protection and business management, including a Santa Barbara County organic waste management business proposal. Her experience includes leading an industrial ecology course, organizing the 2006 UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference, and interning for a green products retailer. Mary Jo joined New Dream in 2006 as the Responsible Purchasing Fellow.
Kacey Thompson, Development Associate
Kacey earned her BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She comes to New American Dream after working as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in the mountains of rural Virginia. There she learned about many aspects of non-profit organizing and deepened her commitment to the virtues of living simply and making a difference.
In her free time Kacey enjoys running, collecting recipes, and being a tourist in the nation’s capital.
 Dave Tilford, Senior Writer
B.A., University of Louisville; JD, Pepperdine University School of Law (cum laude); L.L.M., University of Washington. Dave previously worked as a corporate attorney in downtown Los Angeles and as a national park ranger in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Dave has worked with New Dream since 1998 in a variety of capacities, most recently co-directing the organization’s Conscious Consumer Marketplace program and writing the Responsible Purchasing Network newsletter.
Samantha Stallybrass, Director of Administration and Finance
Prior to making her dream of working with New Dream a reality, Samantha was most recently employed for eight years at the Baltimore Museum of Art where she served as the director of visitor services. Her early nonprofit career spans well beyond her role at the BMA and includes a position as director of education for STAGE (The Society for Theatrical Artists Guidance and Enhancement), and a variety of management positions with Planned Parenthood of Dallas and Northeast Texas. She holds a Post-graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Johns Hopkins University, a MS In Human Resources from Amber University, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. Born in the UK and raised in Texas, Samantha enjoys wearing cowboys boots in the rain and fog and eating bland food smothered in
bar-b-que sauce. She lives in Severna Park, Maryland with her better half, Tom Rhatigan, and a couple of adorable furry "children."
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