Staff
Sarah Kim
Executive Director
Sarah joined the Neighborhood Resource Center in 2011 with more than 20 years of non-profit experience under her belt. Before coming to the NRC, she oversaw capital campaigns at the Science Museum of Virginia, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, and the James River Association. Sarah has also traveled the country promoting civics education programs for high school students. She graduated from the College of William & Mary with degrees in Psychology and Art History.
Sarah’s favorite things to do include: spending time with her kids (13 & 15) and husband Steve, traveling, and discovering new places and kinds of food. She also enjoys the outdoors and loves working in her yard, running, and walking with friends. Contact Sarah»
Penelope Ferris
Programs Director
In her role as Programs Director, Penny wears many hats. She supervises the job support center, works one-on-one with youth, develops and oversees programs, and recruits and supervises volunteers and interns. She earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. Penny particularly loves working with kids in the garden, showing them how vegetables and fruits grow, and teaching them about nutrition and ecology. Her passion is to work with youth and improve youth health education. Contact Penny»
Salome Fernando
Montessori Preschool Director & Lead Teacher
Salome Fernando is the program director and lead teacher of the NRC Montessori Preschool. Salome is certified by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to teach 3-6 year old children. She received her training from the Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training Center in Sri Lanka. She also has Early Childhood Education teaching units from the University of California Los Angeles.
She moved to Virginia in January 2007 and started working at the NRC soon after. Before her move to Virginia, Salome worked as the lead teacher at Little Wonders Montessori in Los Angeles for five years, and as lead teacher at the Meher Montessori in Pasadena CA for one year. She is very dedicated to continuing the excellent work that we have envisioned for the NRC Montessori Preschool. Contact Salome »
Ashley Chappell
Assistant Montessori Preschool Teacher
Ashley was introduced to the Montessori method at the Old Town Montessori School in her native Alexandria and moved to Richmond in 2007 to join the NRC Montessori team. Her training includes course work in Primary instruction at the Virginia Center for Montessori Studies, and growing up with three sisters has also uniquely prepared her for life in the classroom. Ashley has loved watching the preschool evolve from its original half-day schedule to a bona fide full-day Montessori program.
In her spare time, she enjoys such outdoor pursuits as hiking, canoeing, backpacking, and rock climbing.
Contact Ashley »
Shannon Meade
Office Manager
Shannon graduated from Virginia State University in 2007 with a B.A. in Mass Communications. Following graduation, she worked with various non-profits in their communications and development departments. In 2008, Shannon started volunteering at the NRC as a general helper, tutor, and Girl Scout leader. She absolutely loved the experience, and in January 2011, Shannon was asked to join the staff.
In her role as Office Manager, Shannon is responsible for making sure the front office and all its operations are running smoothly. She also has the pleasure of greeting every community member in the center each day. When she is not at the NRC, Shannon enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and enjoying a great day outside.
Contact Shannon »
Jason Sawyer
Community Organizer
Jason Sawyer is the Neighborhood Resource Center’s Community Organizer, and has been working at the NRC since Sept. of 2010. He is a PhD candidate and Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. His diverse experience includes a Policy Fellowship in grassroots organizing, policy analysis, and social advocacy with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Before entering social work he taught English abroad, spent time in Chicago and in Richmond working in various regional theatres, and worked as a theatre teacher at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia. His areas of interest include community organization practice, social justice, music, and theatre. When not organizing or studying, he enjoys traveling, biking, running, and playing both guitar and the didgeridoo. Community work is his passion, and he is grateful for everyday he gets to spend working with the people of Greater Fulton. Contact Jason »
Blue Clements
Food Program Director
Communications Manager
Blue graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009 with a BFA in sculpture. After finishing school she was looking for part time work that would allow her to finish a tiny straw bale house she had been building by hand, and chance had it that the NRC was looking for an after school cooking teacher. The job was a perfect match for Blue’s interest in health, wellness, and natural foods, and her background in childcare and education.
In the years since, Blue has grown into new roles at the center (and the straw house has been finished). She is currently the Food Program Director and Communications Manager, overseeing the kitchen during the day and teaching cooking classes to kids in the afternoons, while maintaining the website and doing some design work here and there. In her free time, Blue enjoys being outside, reading, building, and trying new recipes. Contact Blue »
Lafayette Harris
Kitchen Manager
Lafayette came into the center for the first time in the summer of 2010. She had a fax that she needed to send, and a friend had told her to walk over to the old post office. Her fax was sent that day, and the NRC gained an invaluable resource. Lafayette started volunteering with the center by handing out fliers for the Greater Fulton’s Future initiative, assisting with after school cooking classes, and at the Run to the River fundraiser, she won an award for volunteer MVP. When a position opened in the NRC’s preschool that December, Lafayette joined the staff. She brought with her a degree in Audio Engineering from Touro college, a certificate from Manhattan Bowery Culinary Corporation in culinary training, and a certificate in building maintenance.
Kyle Dosier
Recording Studio Manager
Kyle is a writer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who has been playing music since he was young. He plays and performs regularly with Richmond’s Gamelan Raga Kusuma, an Indonesian percussion ensemble, writes poetry, and plays the banjo, performing old-time, ballad, and blues music.
Kyle started volunteering with the NRC’s Young Writer’s Recording Studio in August 2010, and was hired as a Creative Writing Coach in October 2010. In 2011, he became the Recording Studio Manager. He runs a weekly writing workshop with young people at the NRC, and schedules recording sessions with individual artists. He arranges performances for young artists throughout the year, and encourages those artists to share their amazing songs, stories, poems, raps and other works of art with friends, families, neighbors, and the world. Contact Kyle »
Jess Norris
After School Art Teacher
Jess received her BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009. She has been painting and teaching art in Richmond for three years and became a part of the NRC family in 2011. In her role as Art Teacher, Jess encourages the NRC youth to develop new creative skills while exploring their identity in the Fulton community. When she’s not painting Jess enjoys long walks through Church Hill with her dog Lola. Contact Jess »
Andrew Alli
After-School Gardening Teacher
Andrew joined the NRC in beginning of 2012, bringing with him a wealth of experience and passion to the garden. Food growing became a hobby of his when he was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. While earning his degree in Environmental Studies, he established the Student Gardening Club. The club was designed to showcase all of the benefits that food gardens can provide. During his time as club president, the club acquired a large plot of land where members grew a variety of vegetables and herbs. Because of their continuously increasing crop yield, the club was able to sell produce at a Byrd House Market. Andrew is excited to get his hands dirty in the NRC garden, and share his excitement with his students.
When Andrew is not in the NRC garden, you can find him playing harmonica on his front porch, or riding his bicycle around Richmond. Contact Andrew »
Karen Duncan Pullen
Ashley Oaks After-School Program Assistant
Karen is a science teacher for Charles City Middle School, with a background in science and education. She graduated with a B.S. in biology from JMU and an M.S. in biology from VCU. She has a passion for amphibians, and before becoming a full time educator she spent her time researching how diseases impact amphibian populations in central Virginia and how pollution associated with urban areas can factor into the prevalence of these diseases.
Karen started with the NRC in August of 2011 and has greatly enjoyed her work since. Her job is to assist with the daily duties involved with the Ashley Oaks Tutoring program, including tutoring children, training volunteers, and any other tasks that go along with keeping the program running smoothly.
Charles Skelly
Tae Kwon Do Instructor
Charles Skelly, a black belt and longtime volunteer, has been teaching NRC kids and adults martial arts skills for several years. During his time at the center, he has seen his students increase their self-confidence and self-discipline, improve their physical conditioning and develop a real sense of accomplishment. We are grateful for the “sweat equity” Charles has invested in the NRC.
