Our Team

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DC LISC Local Advisory Committee

DC LISC Staff
Ramon Jacobson, Senior Program Officer
Dawnn Leary, Program Officer
Martin Mellett, Senior Program Officer
Michelle Bowman Mengel, Program Officer
Oramenta F. Newsome, Executive Director

Ramon Jacobson (rjacobson@lisc.org), Senior Program Officer, joined LISC in 1998. Ramon's focus is on providing predevelopment, construction, and permanent financing for affordable housing and community facilities. His primary responsibilities include real estate underwriting, loan administration, and helping nonprofit community organizations structure deals that benefit their neighborhoods. He holds a BA from Harvard University and a Masters degree from the Yale School of Management.

Dawnn Leary (dleary@lisc.org), Program Officer, joined LISC in November 2009.  Dawnn is responsible for the coordination and implementation of sustainable communities in Ivy City and Congress Heights.  Additionally, she is responsible for research, design and public policy analysis of potential public policy work beyond housing including: early childhood learning and after school activities; food nutrition and wellness; income asset building and wellness and health activities in homes.  She facilitates training and information sessions for nonprofit and other partners and staffs the Local Advisory Committee.   Prior to joining LISC, Dawnn worked for the HSC Foundation, East of the River Community Development Corporation and the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management.  She received her Bachelors of Human Development & Psychoeducational Studies from Howard University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

Martin Mellett (mmellett@lisc.org),Senior Program Officer joined LISC in 1996. Martin manages all aspects of the Community Development Support Collaborative a multi-year funders collaborative and project of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers administered by LISC. Responsibilities include fundraising, grantmaking and management, technical assistance, and training and internships; management of Steering Committee and Sub-Committees, program evaluation and advocacy/education; ongoing technical assistance and guidance to nonprofit leadership.

Under a LISC contract with the Office of Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Martin also administers the grant review process for the Neighborhood Investment Fund - Predevelopment Grant Program. Prior to LISC, Martin worked as the manager of a grants program with the Archdiocese of Washington and also served as a partner in a small law firm specializing in matters of immigration law. Martin has a law degree from Antioch Law School and is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Martin has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Michelle Bowman Mengel (mmengel@lisc.org), Program Officer, joined LISC in April 2003. Michelle manages all grant making activities and provides technical assistance to nonprofit organizations on a variety of topics. She also helps manage LISC's targeted neighborhood efforts in the Parklands and Congress Heights, green building initiatives, and all communications - including quarterly newsletters, website development, tours and presentations. Prior to joining LISC, Michelle worked for the Fannie Mae Foundation, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and USA Today. She holds Business and Music degrees from Taylor University and a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Oramenta F. Newsome (onewsome@lisc.org), is Executive Director of the Washington, DC office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).   Ms. Newsome has been working in the field of neighborhood revitalization and community development for over 20 years.

Prior to joining LISC, Ms. Newsome worked as a Program Director for the Enterprise Foundation; City Planner and Homeless Services Coordinator for the City of Fort Worth Texas, and Planner for Cobb County, Georgia. She has traveledextensively across the United States, writing funding proposals and providing technical assistance to small and mid-size towns.

She was a Fannie Mae Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives.She is a graduate of Leadership Washington, a member of the Class of 1999. Mayor Williams selected Ms. Newsome to receive the Mayor’s Quality Partner Award as one of the City’s Caring for Children Champions. She also served as member of the District of Columbia’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force.

Ms. Newsome serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Healthy Housing, Open Door Housing Fund and the Advisory Board for the DC Fiscal Policy nstitute. Ms. Newsome lectures to undergraduate and graduate classes as well as conducts training in the field of community development and neighborhood revitalization. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Public Administration from Auburn University and a Masters of Science in Community Development and Planning from Georgia State University.