Dana Brinson, Chair

Dana, founder of Consulting Betwixt, partners with organizations and individuals who are navigating transitional periods such as leadership transitions, strategic visioning and the dying process.  She began working with Boomerang when she was a Program Officer at Oak Foundation’s Learning Differences Programme where she managed a portfolio of grants funding direct service delivery, teacher training, advocacy and research that support the academic and social development of youth with learning differences. She came to Oak after more than five years with Public Impact, an education research and consulting firm based in Chapel Hill where she led project teams focused on educational philanthropy; vulnerable, underserved and special student populations; school turnarounds; and charter schools. Prior to consulting, she served as a social worker managing the cases of hard-to-place foster children and as a special educator at a public school serving Boston-area teens with behavioral, emotional and learning challenges. Dana holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a certificate in non-profit management from Duke University and is a trained facilitator through Roger Schwarz and Associates.

Tina Clossick

Tina has 20-plus years of experience working in the Triangle business community. As a Development and Marketing Consultant she helps area businesses translate their visions into action. Her passion is for helping small- and mid-size businesses whose missions are rooted in social impact. She is the co-founder and former director of Kidzu Children’s Museum. She is responsible for driving the conception and development of this educational resource for families in the community. Through her leadership and advocacy, the 2006 startup museum grew from a small nonprofit into a sustainable mid-sized organization. She is a native of the Chapel Hill area and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication. She went on to complete her certification in Professional in Human Resources from the HRCI; Nonprofit Management and Human Resources Management from Duke University.

Valerie Hausman, Secretary

Valerie assumed the role of Associate Dean, Global Executive Education in 2012 at The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. In this position, Valerie manages Fuqua’s portfolio of non-degree executive programs. Additionally, Valerie manages Fuqua’s relationship with Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, which involves providing strategic advisory services to assist NU in developing a top tier business school in Central Asia. From 2008-2011, Valerie served as Assistant Dean, Global Business Development, coordinating Fuqua’s global strategy, working closely with teams in Europe, Russia, India, China and the Middle East. Previously, Valerie served as the Associate Director for Executive Health Sector Management (HSM) Programs at Fuqua (2005-2008). Prior to joining Fuqua, Valerie worked with Deloitte Consulting’s San Francisco health care practice where she focused on hospital and managed care operations consulting. After relocating to North Carolina in 1997, Valerie spent several years working in MBA admissions at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School before returning to consulting with Navigant Consulting’s health care strategy practice. Valerie’s experience prior to and during her MBA program included positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Prudential Property Company and Goldman Sachs. Valerie has a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband and has two children, Andrew and Justin.

Isabel Geffner, past Board Chair

Isabel has been involved with Boomerang since its inception in 2006 when she was the Executive Director of The Community Backyard, a non-profit organization she helped to found in Orange and Chatham counties that looked at gaps in services and funding for programs for adolescents. Together with other visionary leaders across the counties, she helped to establish Boomerang, originally housed at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, and she has been actively involved as advisor, mentor, donor, and friend ever since. Since her association with The Community Backyard, Isabel has held leadership positions focused on grant writing, administration, marketing, communications, curriculum development and implementation at a variety of organizations including the School of Education at UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke Integrative Medicine, and Judea Reform Congregation. She is actively involved in social justice work, and has had roles with many organizations including Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Citizen Soldier Support Program, and the Diversity Committee at Duke School.

Lisi Martinez Lotz

Lisi Martinez Lotz is the Director of Planning and Innovation for the North Carolina Health Education Centers (NC AHEC). She provides analytical and strategic planning and program leadership to support the work of the organization. Lisi monitors NC AHEC’s strategic plan and its implementation to ensure that all AHEC programs are aligned and activities are conducted in a timely manner to achieve intended outcomes. Before NC AHEC, Lisi was at the Duke Cancer Network, where she collaborated with community health affiliate partners to improve clinical care, research, and system-based practices. Lisi has over 15 years of professional experience in academic and nonprofit sectors and brings skillsets in development, strategic planning, and partnership building acquired while working with public health organizations, including the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Vaccine Ambassadors. Lisi is also passionate about social justice issues, including equal access to health care and education, women’s rights, and immigrant rights. Her experience includes advocating for the Latinx community, domestic violence survivors, and international access to health care measures. A longtime resident of Chapel Hill, Lisi received her doctorate in Latin American History and Gender from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mark McDaniel

Mark McDaniel recently joined Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago as a Policy Fellow where he will lead efforts in North Carolina to implement the new federal law, Families First.  He brings over 27 years of diverse experience within the nonprofit, public and philanthropic sectors and most recently as Principal of his own consulting firm, Inclusive Innovations LLC.  As a Senior Research Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he spent the previous 12 years advising, designing and implementing applied research projects in education, housing, community economic development, systems reform and philanthropic initiatives intended to improve the socio-economic outcomes of low & moderate- income households and their communities.  Mark spent close to a decade working in philanthropy, managing a diverse portfolio of projects, some of which continue to have national impact.  At the Annie E Casey Foundation, he managed the Foundation’s national technical assistance strategy in family economic success.  He also led formative planning and design efforts that launched neighborhood based employment/benefit access/financial capability centers that were eventually implemented in over sixty organizations across 20 cities.  Over his career, Mark has served on a diversity of boards, committees, working groups that advanced agendas in early childhood and youth development, education, philanthropy and community development.

Ion Vincent Outterbridge, Vice Chair

Ion has twenty years of experience in higher education and continues to be a strong advocate for students. He is the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UNC Chapel Hill.  He was the formal Director of College and Career Readiness for Nash Community College and formal Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services at Martin Community College. He has worked as the Assistant Dean of Students, the Director of Greek Life, Assistant Director of Admissions for Multicultural Recruitment at East Carolina University, and Associate Director of Admissions at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (Greensboro, NC). He continues to support initiatives to educate society on the importance and appreciation of different levels of diversity, especially pertaining to race relations. He lives with his wife, Angela, and is a stepdad to Joshua, Johnathan and Erika. Ion has a MA in Adult Education from East Carolina University.

David Rousso, Treasurer

David is executive producer of Docking Port Productions, and has extensive experience working in the non-profit, public and private sectors. A serial entrepreneur, David has a proven history of team motivation and leadership in IT and consulting.  An amateur astronomer, David enjoys cooking, painting, politics and adventure travel! David has an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Phyllis Joyner

Phyllis Joyner joined the Boomerang Board of Directors in August 2021.  Phyllis has dedicated her career to implementing sound strategies and collaborative partnership designed to improve the life outcomes of children and supporting parents across Durham County, focusing her work on increasing educational outcomes for students of color.  Phyllis has served as the Program Manager for the NC Emergency Management/Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Director for the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), Operation Breakthrough.  Currently, Phyllis serves as an Educational Specialist/Events Coordinator for the Marian C. Cheek Jackson Center, facilitating workshops and learning opportunities to increase youth knowledge of Black American history.

Through this work, Phyllis worked collaboratively with Durham Public Schools for 10 years to increase student graduation rates, and spearheaded a collaborative project between Durham Public Schools and local churches to create an educational program for Black males.  She also organized the first summer online program of its kind in Durham County to increase graduation rates for high school dropouts, justice involved youth, academically struggling students, and emotionally challenged students.  This effort was begun with the support of the City of Durham Mayor, Durham Public Schools Superintendent, Juvenile judges and local school principals.  In recognition of this work, Phyllis was appointed board member for Public School Forum for North Carolina, an educational think tank comprised of business and corporate leaders, community and faith-based organizations, major state corporate funders, retired educational leaders and state political representatives.