Since he was a teenager, Hamilton has been working with non-profit organizations and in group homes, working hands on to connect youth to housing or other specific needs, teaching youth about healthy relationships and self care, and as a researcher. As someone with lived experience in and out of the foster care system, his goal is to be the bridge that connects younger youth who may seem standoffish with adults willing to build stronger connections and have them understand there are opportunities they can benefit from during and after aging out of the system. Hamilton wants to be a voice for the voiceless and then teach them how to do the same for themselves and others.

Benjamin M. Willis, a prominent lawyer in the tax industry, has had a remarkable journey marked by resilience, triumph, and professional excellence. Born into the foster care system as Benjamin Shryock in Providence, Rhode Island, Ben navigated through night-to-night placements and various high schools and got his GED at 15, facing adversity with determination as a ward of the state into adulthood. Supported by RI's DCYF scholarship money, state grants, and the crucial assistance of his group home Whitmarsh House, he embarked on a transformative journey. Ben earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Rhode Island, a J.D. with a specialization in Tax Law from New England Law | Boston, and an LL.M. in Taxation at Boston University School of Law.

Professionally, Ben has made substantial contributions to the tax field. As a corporate tax expert and Director at the Washington Tax Council of Baker Tilly, he continues to excel in his role. His earlier experiences include a tenure at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C., and significant roles such as an attorney-adviser in the Treasury Office of Tax Policy, senior technical adviser in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, Senior Corporate Tax counsel for the Senate Finance Committee, and Chief of the FDIC's Tax Section. Ben is also known for his prolific work at Tax Notes, where he wrote over 100 articles and hosted the column "Willis Weighs In." His insights and expertise in the tax landscape led him to become a contributing editor for Tax Notes and host the show "Willis Weighs In" on the Tax Analysts YouTube page.  He is also an adjunct tax professor at Villanova's Graduate Tax Program.

Ben's journey from foster care to professional success serves as an inspiration, emphasizing the transformative power of education, support, and resilience.  He is the proud father of a kindergartener.  Advocating passionately for programs like Whitmarsh, Ben hopes to make a meaningful impact on the lives of teenagers and young adults in foster care through his contributions to DCFYI.  

When I moved to DC in fall 2017, I began the valuable but often lengthy process of building a community in a new city.  Above all, I sought authenticity, intention, kinship, dedication, and passion, with the hope that I would find all of these things while contributing to a cause I cared about.  Rather than having to build this community on my own, however, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon DCFYI, an organization whose members—teens and adults alike—embody each of these characteristics and more.
 
I cannot overstate the value of this program or the respect I have for the teens and adults who contribute to it.  Each day, I am grateful for the opportunity to meet individuals who are at once resilient, compassionate, and willing to find a reason to laugh, and to be a mentor to a teen who teaches me something new every time we are together.  If nothing else, I leave each event humbled from having lost yet another game to a competitive teen and enlightened from having learned some new slang that the “kids these days” are using.  It’s been a brick (did I use that right?!) since I found this much joy in one place, and I am so glad to be a part of it.

Tanya is the Chief People Officer for a national nonprofit that focuses on creating pathways for economic mobility in under-resourced communities. With academic training in both business and nonprofit management and over 12 years of professional experience in Human Resources leadership, Tanya has developed a deep working knowledge and command of talent strategy and organizational effectiveness. As CPO, Tanya supports the organization's priorities of building a people-centered, high-impact team and enhancing the employee experience through strategic human resources management, talent development, people operations, and employee relations. 

Tanya believes deeply in the power of people and community. In both her professional and personal life, she seeks out opportunities to witness individuals, amplify their voices, and advocate for their humanity. Tanya attributes much of her profound commitment to connection-building to her own lived experience as a foster child. Tanya's intimate understanding of the necessity of community and the presence of caring adults in the lives of foster teens led her to DCFYI. 

In addition to a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a minor in Nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida, she is also a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resource Management. Tanya is an activist and a creative who enjoys and is energized by all art forms. She describes herself as a "part-time poet," a writer, a vocalist, and a champion for justice and community. 

Marcela has been volunteering with DCFYI since 2019 and joined the board in 2023, serving on the Fundraising and Communications Committees. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at the University of Florida, Go Gators! Marcela transitioned out of clinical care into the field of biotechnology working with rare disease therapy development, currently at Ascendis Pharma. Outside of work and DCFYI, she stays busy with family and friends, pets, and plants.

Lindsay started volunteering with DC FYI as the co-chair of their fundraising committee and joined the Board of Directors in 2024. Professionally, Lindsay leads the Clark and Van Wye Group at Compass, a top-producing real estate team in the Washington DC area that is known for excellent service to their clients and support for their community. Lindsay has won various awards, including Best of Washingtonian, a Top Individual Agent and Top Team at Compass, and GCAAR Recognition Awards.

Prior to becoming a full-time Realtor®, Lindsay had a successful career in public policy working on economic development, housing, and tax policy issues at the Brookings Institution, at DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and in the office of the District’s Chief Financial Officer. Lindsay is passionate about ensuring all young people have the support they need to grow and thrive. She was drawn to DC FYI because of the meaningful impact they have on the lives of teens in foster care. Lindsay lives in Washington DC with her husband and four children.

Schylar hails from Montana and currently lives in Washington, DC. He has a Master's in Public Administration. Schylar is the Administrator for the Population Health and Innovation Division at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. He also continues his work as a founding co-chair of the Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign, which strives to eliminate discrimination in child welfare based on sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, and faith.

Schylar is a skilled and results-driven director with over 15 years of progressive experience in strategy, development, and nonprofit management. He has substantial experience working on child welfare, mental health, domestic safety net, and healthcare policy. He brings 11 years of lived foster care experience to the Board.

Kevin joined the Board in 2021.

Kevin is a Senior Associate on the Investment Team at Grain Management, a leading private investment firm that focuses on communications infrastructure and technology companies. Prior to joining Grain, Kevin was an analyst at Wells Fargo in the Energy & Power group where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. Kevin joined Wells Fargo from Resource Land Holdings, a natural resource-based and real asset private equity fund based in Denver, CO.

Kevin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Caleb is a Senior Manager at Accenture Federal Services LLC and has more than ten years of experience supporting internal Finance, HR and IT functions. In addition to a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the College of William & Mary, he is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). He currently lives with his wife, Angela Williams, in Silver Spring, MD. In addition to attending DCFYI program events, Caleb has also supported the work of the Executive Director and the Finance Committee since 2019.

Michele has been a volunteer with DCFYI over several years and joined the Board in 2018. Throughout most of her adulthood, Michele has volunteered with community and youth organizations driven by the example set by her family and the proverb “to whom much has been given, much will be required.”

Professionally, Michele worked in federal judicial administration for more than 20 years. She began her legal career in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama where she was law clerk to Chief Magistrate Judge John L. Carroll, and also clerked for U.S. District Judge W. Harold Albritton when he was appointed to the court. Having the privilege of early retirement from her federal judiciary position, Michele now works in the Senate Office at the University of Maryland. Michele is licensed to practice law in the state of New York. She graduated from Brooklyn Law School as a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow and received her undergraduate degree from Fordham University.