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Our Leadership
Kenton Sovine
Current Executive Director
Kenton Sovine is CHEER's new Executive Director. Kent graduated from Purdue University in Lafayette, IN, with a degree in Atmospheric Sciences Meteorology and has a graduate degree in History from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Before accepting this position, he was the founding CEO of a multi-million dollar and thriving landscape business in Woodbridge, Virginia. He served in that capacity for 28 years before deciding to sell off the business and retire. Kent is also local to Silver Spring, MD, highly active in the community, and has been on the board of several organizational and local charities.
Bruce Baker
Former Executive Director
Bruce L. Baker is co-founder and Executive Director of Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER). Bruce has led CHEER’s efforts to facilitate a community strategic plan, conduct research on community housing and health conditions, and facilitate community improvement actions to address community priorities through collaborations and partnerships.
Vanesa Pinto
Empowerment and Leadership Development Program Director
Vanesa is the organizer of all CHEER programming involving community building and networks of support in Long Branch. Before finding her passion in community organizing, Vanesa was an accountant in Bolivia. She is proud to have been that profession and equally proud to have left it behind as she credits her initial career path as the trigger motivating her to leave Bolivia and find her passion in the United States.
Our Community Outreach Team

Karla Castro
Lead Community Health Worker

Dolores Badillo
Community Health Worker

Anthea Levy
Community Health Worker

Jenifer Alvarez
Community Health Worker

Azeb Kidane
Community Health Worker
Our Empowerment & Leadership Development Team

Enku Taye
Community Outreach Specialist

Lisa Büttner
Neighborhood Gardening Program Director

Ray Nosbaum
Special Projects Coordinator
Our Board

Mary Jacksteit
President Professional Mediator, Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

Kathy Porter
Treasurer Consultant, Former Mayor of Takoma Park

Howard Kohn
Board Member Public Relations Consultant
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