Roopal Mehta Saran, Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, oversees strategic planning, management, and implementation of adult literacy and beginning-level ESOL programs. She previously served as the Director of Account Management at KaBOOM!, a non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play to the daily lives of all kids and as Senior Director of Community Development at First Book, a non-profit focused on children’s literacy. Before her move to the nonprofit sector, she worked as an attorney representing school districts and state Departments of Education. Roopal received her BA in English and MA in Education from Stanford University and her JD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Roopal served from 2014-2020 on the National Advisory Board of the Haas Center for Public Service, the hub for service at Stanford University that serves as a model for how universities prepare students to be of greater service to the public. She currently sits on the Board of Career Works – Northern and volunteers with the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital. She lives in Falls Church, VA with her husband and three children.
Thiezue James, IT Database Administrator, is a native Washingtonian. A Certified Salesforce Administrator, Thiezue attended NVCC and has former experience in health services. When she’s not in the office as a Salesforce Administrator for LCNV she loves yoga and urban farming in the District of Columbia.
Ashley King, Admissions Manager and Registrar, brings extensive experience in Adult Education and teaching to her multi-faceted role at LCNV and holds an M.Ed.in TESOL from Regent University and BAs from Virginia Commonwealth University. She coordinates student intake, registration, and assessments for all LCNV programs. Ashley is recognized as an outstanding trainer. For the past seven years, she has conducted numerous trainings for staff and volunteers on the standardized BEST Plus tests, with over 100 volunteers throughout the state graduating from her classes ready to assess English Language Learners’ (ELL) speaking and listening skills. Ashley grew up in Herndon, Virginia. Now in her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with friends and family, dancing, going to concerts, traveling, and art.
Michael Mahrer, Senior Director of Advancement, has over 25 years of experience in the fundraising and marketing field, managing fund development and strategy, donor relations, direct marketing, organizational communications, and administrative operations. He has spent the last 18 years working in the educational nonprofit sector. Michael has created and managed multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns that have won national awards and recognition. Michael currently serves on the Community Action Advisory Board (CAAB), which advises the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the needs, concerns and aspirations of low-income persons; and recommends policies that promote meaningful change. Michael is a graduate of Virginia Tech and has lived in Northern Virginia for the majority of his life.
Xavier Muñoz, Associate Director of
Academic Affairs for Teaching and Learning, is passionate Teaching adults and supporting teacher development. He holds an MA in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute, an SIT TESOL Certificate, and a BA from Stanford University. He served three years as an AmeriCorps member with LCNV teaching beginning-level, families learning and Destination Workforce classes. He taught ESOL in Nicaragua and tutor basic adult literacy in Tampa, Florida. In 2014, the White House recognized him as a César E. Chávez Champion of Change for his work with adult immigrants and refugees. He also received LCNV’s Mid Allen Ries award for exceptional contributions to advancing the organization. His professional interests are in teacher education, social responsibility, LESLLA, and NNEST issues. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, theatre, and spending time with his family and dog.
Academic Affairs for Teaching and Learning, is passionate Teaching adults and supporting teacher development. He holds an MA in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute, an SIT TESOL Certificate, and a BA from Stanford University. He served three years as an AmeriCorps member with LCNV teaching beginning-level, families learning and Destination Workforce classes. He taught ESOL in Nicaragua and tutor basic adult literacy in Tampa, Florida. In 2014, the White House recognized him as a César E. Chávez Champion of Change for his work with adult immigrants and refugees. He also received LCNV’s Mid Allen Ries award for exceptional contributions to advancing the organization. His professional interests are in teacher education, social responsibility, LESLLA, and NNEST issues. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, theatre, and spending time with his family and dog.
Soo H. Park, Instructional Design Manager, holds a Master of Education degree in Instructional Design, a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, and a Bachelors of Science in Commerce. She brings a decade of professional experience as an instructional designer and business consultant in the corporate world, as well as a wealth of English language teaching experience, including as a Lead Teacher for LCNV. Prior to assuming her current role, Soo served as a highly valued member of the AmeriCorps teaching team.
Nada Raja, Academic Program Assistant, is a Fulbright Alumna with an MA in TESOL from Saint Michael College, Colchester, VT.
She worked as a Teaching Assistant at Taiz University, Yemen, where she taught English Language and Literature courses to undergraduate students.
Prior to joining LCNV, she worked as an Online VESL Program Assistant at Columbia College VA. She has experience in TESOL, student management, Online learning via LMS, and ESL curricula and program development. Nada enjoys reading, walking, listening to music and dancing! She also enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Marizol Rojas, Office Administrator & Student Liaison , joins LCNV after graduating from Training Futures. She’s very excited to be part of the team and to work for an organization that provides educational advancement to the community. Marizol likes gardening, crafting, scary movies, and spending time with her husband and 3 children.
Amy Tristan, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, is a graduate of Colgate University with a degree in Social Psychology. Before coming to LCNV, she worked as a Preschool Ministry Director which involved recruiting, training, and leading a large team of volunteers. Prior to that, she was the Pro Bono Coordinator at a corporate law firm in DC that donated thousands of hours annually in the representation of nonprofit organizations and indigent individuals. Altogether she has over a decade of experience working with volunteers and serving communities in the DC area. She loves seeking out people who have particular interests, skills, and abilities and empowering them to use those abilities to meet the needs of others. In her free time, Amy enjoys running, playing volleyball, baking cupcakes, drinking good coffee and spending time with her husband and two young children.
Lisa Vaughn, Community and Donor Relations Manager, builds relationships that advance the mission of LCNV and that develop resources, opportunity, and equity for our learners. Lisa’s experience includes development and fundraising, grant-writing, program development, volunteer management, special event planning, service-learning, and leadership development. She has worked in a wide variety of settings across the country including developing programs for seniors aging in place in rural communities, advising student leaders running community service programs, training volunteers to work with low-income immigrant families, and volunteering with an international nonprofit supporting youth aging out of orphanages. She holds a degree in Social Work from Abilene Christian University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from University of North Texas. Lisa enjoys reading, traveling, and going on adventures with her husband and two children.
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