Board of Directors and Advisors
Our Board of Directors and Advisors brings a wealth of expertise, experience, and dedication to this mission. They work hard to ensure that Sunshine Projects continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve, furthering our vision of a more inclusive and empowered community.
Board of Directors
Elma Galimba
For many years, Elma dedicated herself to understanding the special needs community. She discovered that children with intellectual disabilities, given the opportunity, can inspire personal growth, fostering greater empathy and love without boundaries among individuals. After years of active engagement with various organizations and their programs, Elma made the significant decision to establish her own initiative. Sunshine Projects was explicitly designed to cater to the increasing number of young adults needing more engaging and purposeful day activities. Elma has carefully selected educators who share her vision and are known to the community. She aspires to build a community of compassionate individuals dedicated to serving those who need it the most: children with special needs. Elma extends her heartfelt thanks to the Lovegrove family for entrusting her with the care of their precious daughter and, in turn, connecting her with the broader community, one filled with kind, loving, pure, sweet, innocent, and highly talented children.
Jon Yune
Jon, born in Seoul, South Korea, worked for many years in finance, both domestically and internationally, and may have been the brightest soul in any room he stepped into, but made others feel they shined brighter.
Before passing, Jon used his expertise in business and technology to provide enriching programs to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sunshine Projects was born in December 2019 alongside his business partner, Elma Galimba. Although COVID hit shortly after, Jon successfully created an advanced virtual platform offering theater, dance, art, and social programs to keep The Sunshines engaged and connected. Members logged in from across the country, from Boston to Hawaii. Jon (54) of Bethesda, Md., precipitously passed away on October 8, 2023.
Delaney Dunigan
Delaney has been a participant at Sunshine Projects since its opening, where she enjoys fitness activities, community outings, educational classes, and working in the Sunshine Projects Barkery.
A dedicated self-advocate, Delaney has spoken at schools, churches, community events, and advocacy programs, including the Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County, Best Buddies, the Race for Respect, and on Capitol Hill with the National Down Syndrome Society.
She has participated in Special Olympics, Joy of Motion/Devenio Dance, GIGS Givers, and Best Buddies. Delaney also proudly held her first paid job at Bitty & Beau's Coffee in Georgetown.
Delaney lives in Kensington, Maryland, and graduated from Walter Johnson High School's Learning for Independence program in 2020. She is known for her warm personality, love of dancing and singing, and her commitment to staying connected with family and friends.
Rachel Pisani
Rachel Pisani is a seasoned executive and strategist with over two decades of experience leading organizations from early-stage startups to publicly traded companies. She has a proven track record of driving rapid growth, including tripling organizational performance, guiding successful mergers and acquisitions, and building scalable systems that deliver long-term results. In addition to her corporate leadership, Rachel is a strong advocate for several nonprofit organizations fighting for children’s rights and family values. She is also a recognized voice in media, regularly featured on Fox News and seen on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox. As a member of the Sunshine Projects Board of Directors, she contributes strategic vision, operational expertise, and a commitment to empowering communities.
Michael Hetchkop
Michael Hetchkop is the Treasurer of Sunshine Projects Foundation and is a member of the Borad of Directors. He is Licensed CPA with a BA in Accounting from the University of Albany and holds an MBA in Finance From NYU. He is also a Professor at the Georgetown University Master of Real Estate Program. He is currently a Principal at Cresa LLC, a commercial real estate brokerage company.
Michael is also the proud father of three girls and his youngest Jessica is a regular member of Sunshine Projects and enjoys both the day program and the many online programs as well.
Genevieve “Ginger” Houston-Ludlam, Ph.D.
Ginger received her doctorate in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2016. She is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore. Prior to entering academia, Ginger started and owned a small Software Engineering company, Frontier Technologies, Inc., which she owned for 30 years. Ginger has a daughter with Down Syndrome and is active in advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the State and National levels. In addition to Sunshine Projects, she is a Board member of the Self-Directed Advocacy Network of Maryland and is a working member of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition of Maryland.
John Finbarr Fleming
John retired from the CIA in March 2020 as Assistant Director for Korea after 31 years of service. He is currently Senior Vice President for Strategic Affairs at Acuity International. John has been a passionate supporter of Sunshine Projects since its inception. His daughter Gabrielle has been an avid Sunshine participant for the same period of time. John hopes to help grow SP to realize its full potential.
Emily Halm
Emily Halm studied Hospitality Management at the University of South Carolina beforebeginning her career as a Federal IT recruiter. While she gained valuable experience in thecorporate world, her true dream had always been to work with individuals with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities. Growing up with her triplet brother, who has autism, Emilyexperienced firsthand the challenges and joys of navigating life alongside someone with IDD.Sunshine Projects became the perfect place for her to channel that lifelong passion. Today,Emily serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors while also working full-time as SunshineProjects’ Community Relations Director. In this role, she leads fundraising efforts, communitypartnerships, and advocacy for the organization’s mission. Her personal and professionaljourney reflects her deep commitment to ensuring that her brother and others like him haveopportunities to live fuller, more meaningful lives.
Board of Advisors
Alyssa Lovegrove
Alyssa Lovegrove is a professor of entrepreneurship at Georgetown University and the academic director of the Georgetown Pivot Program, a business and entrepreneurship certificate program for individuals with prior criminal convictions. Prior to this, she was the founder and CEO of New Venture Mentors. Previously, Lovegrove was executive director and strategic advisor of the London Children’s Museum and, before that, co-founder of Great Little Trading Company. Earlier in her career, she was senior engagement manager at McKinsey & Company and assistant vice president at Bankers Trust Company in New York. Lovegrove is an advisor to BroadFutures, which provides internship opportunities to learning-disabled young adults, and Dog Tag Bakery, an entrepreneurship-based transition program for disabled veterans.
Stephanie Renzi
Stephanie received her J.D. from The American University Washington College of Law, where she served as a Dean’s Fellow and the Senior Articles Editor of the Law Review. Upon graduation, she joined Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., where she practiced Government Contracts Litigation for her entire career. She and her husband, Tony are the proud parents of three sons, one of whom has participated in Sunshine Projects from its inception. For over 20 years, she actively supported her children’s schools by chairing many committees and events and serving on the Executive Committee of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Day School Parent Board. Stephanie and her family have been actively involved as participants, volunteers, and unified partners in BCC Baseball, Special Olympics Maryland, and Best Buddies Maryland. She is honored to join the Board of Sunshine Projects as it builds upon its mission of enriching the lives of young adults with developmental disabilities.
Wyatt Copeland
Wyatt Copeland serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Sunshine Projects, bringing financial expertise and a strong commitment to the organization's mission. With a background in hospitality management and experience in finance, education, coaching, and personal training, Wyatt offers a diverse perspective to the leadership team.
Inspired by his sister with Down syndrome and his work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), Wyatt is passionate about promoting inclusion and creating meaningful opportunities for others. As the founder of a virtual personal training company, he values growth, learning, and helping people achieve their goals. Outside of work, Wyatt enjoys sports, entrepreneurship, and spending time staying active.
Erica Rapier
Erica spent a thirty year career in international development. During that time, she worked for the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the European Union. She has lived and worked in several countries in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe spearheading successful projects, improving operational efficiencies, and advancing strategic objectives in various sectors. The mother of a son on the autism spectrum, Erica served on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Experiential Education Initiative Advisory Community Council for Persons with Disabilities, and was on the District of Columbia Department of Disability Services HCBS Advisory Board. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of her Cathedral Heights, Washington DC Co-op. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Erica received a Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in Economics from Howard University and a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from American University.