Meet the Team

Paula Manion is the Founder and Chair of Our Stomping Ground – Inclusive Communities.  She is a strong and passionate leader of the mission to create affordable, inclusive communities and meaningful lives for adults with disabilities. Paula’s belief is that the greatest barriers adults with disabilities face are not their disability–they are the barriers to housing, employment and meaningful social experiences.  When not wearing her ‘Our Stomping Ground‘ superhero’ outfit, she serves the community as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Primary Care Mental Health Specialist with a special focus on advocacy and care of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and mental health issues.  She and her husband reside in Northern VA where they have raised their three children, the oldest of whom has autism.

Mike Keppler comes to OSG as a strategic advisor to the organization and board to assist in implementing the strategic plan and fund development.   Mike is a former Marriott executive, a prior Chair and Board leader with Melwood, and has supported and advised other non-profits providing day programs and employment services.   Mike and Patti, his wife, have lived in Fairfax, VA with their three children, Ross, Christian and Graciela, since 1990.  Their oldest son is a person with autism.   Mike coaches Challenger baseball with Fairfax Little League for special needs individuals ages 5 to 30.  Mike and Patti have established a ministry for adults with special needs called “Love is All You Need” at St Stephens Church in Burke that is focused on being part of a church family and providing community activities including supporting a food bank, hosting dances, and learning to kayak.

Carl joins the board as treasurer with 30 years of experience in financial and organizational management.  Retiring from a Fortune 100 company, Carl and his wife Jeanine settled in Northern Virginia 20 years ago.  In retirement, Carl has been involved in establishing, leading, and supporting numerous non-profit organizations serving the needs of diverse communities in Northern Virginia.  He also has been heavily involved in rebuilding initiatives following hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.

Fredda brings 25+ years of global brand strategy and marketing to Our Stomping Ground, having spent the better part of her life living and working in Europe before returning to the states 2.5 years ago, where she is the Founder & Chief Nut of her own strategic marketing consultancy, Gingernut Thinking. As a mom to two rather awesome (human) children and one furry one, Fredda feels strongly that OSG found her at just the right time in her life vs the other way round. It’s simple really: her younger son is on the spectrum and down the line, may very well need the type of support and access that OSG provides. Who wouldn’t want to get involved with a cause that can help make a child’s life better? 

Donna has served as a community organizer in Arlington for the past two decades.  She is active in autism advocacy, LGBTQ teen supports, and tutoring for at risk students.  Donna and her husband Robert have three children, their youngest Emma, a non-speaking autistic, lives with her friends in Our Stomping Ground’s first community, Gilliam Place in Arlington.  Donna manages our programming and is instrumental with her outreach in sharing the mission and the importance of making community.  Her passion is in developing and sustaining inclusive settings and ensuring  the well being for adults of all abilities. 

Jacqui is a Board Member and one of the Founding Directors of Our Stomping Ground and a Principal at Deloitte Consulting.  She and her husband, David have two sons – Henry and Luther. Henry was identified as autistic at the age of four, after he started preschool and it was noticed that his communication and social skills were less developed than the other children his age. Since that time, Ms. Winters has been active in school advocacy and ensuring her kids are included in classroom and extracurricular activities. Both of her boys are very active in theatre and music, including school musicals and a local rock band. Jacqui has been a management consultant since 2001, serving clients in the Government. Prior to her experience in consulting, Ms. Winters led non-profit management for a healthcare services provider in rural Northwest Colorado. At Deloitte, Jacqui leads Deloitte’s Change Strategy & Analytics practice where she helps leaders to systematically influence their organization to perform better and to achieve their goals. She has a B.A. in English from Lenoir-Rhyne College and an M.B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Stephanie Cohen is a digital strategist with expertise in e-commerce, content creation and marketing. She worked for AOL for more than 13 years and then went on to work for several small companies overseeing their e-commerce site and marketing efforts. She helped City Center NOVA get their website and e-mail marketing launched, and worked on the 2.0 version of the website. Stephanie lives in Vienna, VA, with her husband, daughter (who is on the spectrum) and two furry felines.

Ty Ford is an outgoing, open-minded, and independent individual who is always eager to help others. He moved into The Arden in January 2023 and graduated from Pulley Career Center in June 2023. Since February 2024, Ty has been working as a housekeeper at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, demonstrating his strong work ethic and responsibility.

In addition to his professional work, Ty is an active volunteer at the Alexandria Food Bank. In his free time, he enjoys working out, playing computer games, and playing on his in-home arcade. Ty also loves traveling on the metro to meet friends and watch sports games on TV.

Ty comes from a loving family with one sister, five brothers, and a supportive mother. His diverse interests and dedication to his community make him a valued member of our organization.

After beginning her career in retail as a buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue and a merchandise manager for The Limited Stores, Deb was promoted to “full-time mom” of Emma and Sage. She spent many hours volunteering in the classroom, at church, and in the community, and supporting the athletic endeavors and extracurricular activities of her family.

Deb loves all things green. She volunteers at Founders Park in Alexandria and organizes maintenance of the common area plants and trees for her neighborhood HOA. You may find her digging in the dirt, researching and installing native plants, or coordinating tasks for a group of helpful gardeners. She loves to be outside walking, hiking, biking with husband Ron, and enjoying the flora and fauna of our local, regional, and national parks.

About ten years ago Deb started working part-time at the same pediatric practice as Paula Manion. It was through this connection that Deb discovered OSG. And then was delightfully re-united with Donna Budway with whom she had volunteered doing school service projects years ago!

Deb’s daughter, Emma, has been enjoying OSG events and activities since 2023, and OSG has made a huge difference in Emma’s life. Deb was honored to be asked to serve as secretary, and hopes to contribute to the success of this incredible organization.

Joe led the effort to organize Our Stomping Ground into a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a Board of Directors, by-laws, and committees. He works with the Board to ensure OSG accomplishes long-term priorities and overall mission. In particular, Joe seeks to change how the public perceives adults with disabilities, that “different” has a vital place in our neighborhoods. Joe’s previous experience includes military aviation, military assistance programs with US allies, and defense acquisition programs.

Margot Greenlee is thrilled to be the new Executive Director of Our Stomping Ground. She comes to OSG after a 25-year career making dance accessible for people of all ages and abilities. She believes that dancing together is one of the best ways to practice the physical and social skills we need in everyday life. As the Founder/Director of BodyWise Dance, she led program for diverse partners: The US Department of Education, the National Academy of Sciences, DC Public Schools, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MVLE, and The Kennedy Center, among others.

She holds a BA from Kenyon College and an MFA from the Ohio State University. She lives in Washington DC with her two teenagers and two cats.

Claude coordinates Our Stomping Ground’s event programming and community outreach. As a neurodivergent individual with a background in public health, she has both lived and learned the impact of inclusive communities on individual and population well-being. Claude is now pursuing graduate studies at the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a focus on clinical behavioral health. Claude also enjoys watching historical dramas, hosting a queer book club, attending live shows, and sharing delicious South Indian cuisine with her family.

Josue (Ho-Sway) joins Our Stomping Ground as our first Community Builder. Josue assists by being at our properties and supporting our adults while also assisting with OSG events. Prior to joining OSG, Josue held a number of positions that were all focused on helping others including refugees who were preparing their applications for legal entry into the United States, homeless men, substitute teaching, coaching high school rugby, and assisting people in affordable housing. When he’s not saving the world, Josue can be found at concerts, art exhibits, riding his bike, eating way too much KBBQ, and roaming his hometown of Washington DC.

Anna supports Our Stomping Ground as our fourth staff member and second community builder. Her role bears a strong resemblance to the work Josue does but comes with more jokes and candy. Anna moved to Northern Virginia from Denver, Colorado, and left behind her former career in the adult beverage industry. She earned two bachelor’s degrees from Metropolitan State University of Denver, one in Marketing with beverage management and the second in Clinical Psychology. Her knack for people, coupled with her four core values (love, kindness, empathy and self compassion), make her poised to flourish in our community. Daily joy is brought to her by her spouse, Mike, and their two cats, Pawl Simon and Art Garfunkle. When not at a community event, Anna will likely be cooking gourmet meals, learning new things, or laughing with friends. If you need any hot-goss on new sewing techniques, she is in the know.

When Joy first learned of Our Stomping Ground and it’s mission she became bound and
determined to be a part of it and she was elated to join the team as a community
builder. As the mother of two autistic sons, Joy is deeply committed to advocating for
inclusive and supportive environments. Her advocacy work is complemented by her
active involvement in local PTA/PTOs, where she volunteers her time and expertise to
enhance educational opportunities for all children.

Joy is a seasoned event planner with over two decades of experience in orchestrating
memorable and impactful events. For the past 10 years, she has also been a dedicated
special education advocate, leveraging her extensive knowledge and personal
experiences to support and empower families navigating the complexities of special
education.

A long-time resident of the DC Metro area, Joy brings a wealth of connections and a
strong sense of community support to her endeavors. She enjoys playing Dungeons &
Dragons, paddle boarding, creative writing, and staying active as a fitness enthusiast.
Her diverse interests and unwavering dedication make her a valuable asset to any
community-oriented initiative.

Christi Nichols has recently joined OSG as a volunteer to organize fundraising opportunities and event planning.  She has experience in advertising and public relations and has also worked in the development office at the Lab School of Washington for many years.  Christi and her husband, Bob, have raised 3 children, 2 daughters and a son, Baxter, who was diagnosed with a learning difference and attended the Lab School of Washington from kindergarten through graduating High School. He will be graduating College this year thanks to the extended “community” of support and advocacy that we experienced as a family.  Christi is excited to continue that extension of  support and enrich the inclusive communities of OSG!

Scotch and Rosie Perdue are new to the Our Stomping Grounds team along with their adult daughter Maggie. They are a Navy family who moved around quite a bit over the last 30 years, but Rosie retired from the Navy Nurse Corps this past spring, and Scotch will retire from the Judge Advocate General’s Corps next spring. They all three plan to settle in the local area and are looking forward to being active with Our Stomping Ground in myriad ways including helping to plan meetings and events to help young adults develop independence and engage socially.

Having been bitten by the photography bug during a family trip when she was in high school, Elaine enjoys taking photos of a variety of subjects. Combining her love of travel and photography, she has taken photos at a family wedding in India, strived to capture that perfect image of a Hawaiian sunset, and documented a wintertime trip to Vermont. Elaine is also busy taking photos closer to home; notably, she takes photos for her church and a couple of nonprofit organizations and is delighted to have the opportunity to photograph the members, team, and volunteers of Our Stomping Ground. Elaine is an analyst with a legislative branch agency.

Kris joined our organization in the Fall of 2019.  With a career in healthcare spanning over 40 years, she has served both the Navy and the community as a nurse and  Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.  She is a close friend and colleague of Paula Manion.  Kris believes strongly in the mission of Our Stomping Ground. She serves as Secretary on the Executive Board and assists the team in research and development associated with programming for OSG members.  She is an outstanding team member, always willing to help out wherever needed.