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The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall policy and direction of the organization. They delegate responsibilities of the day to day operations to the Chief Executive Officer, approve the long range goals and the organizations budget. There are currently three self-advocates serving on the board to ensure a voice of those serviced, diagnosed with an intellectual disability, a developmental disability, autism, and down syndrome are heard and in keeping with our mission.
Ms. Scott is the Chief Executive Officer, Board Member and founder of My Own Place, Inc. She has over 38 years of experience supporting individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Prior to the establishment of My Own Place, Inc., Ms. Scott spent fifteen years working with The Arc of the District of Columbia as the Director of Residential Services. In 2003, the Board of Directors of The Arc of the District of Columbia made her dream come true and she was asked to begin the work of establishing a new organization to transfer and support the individuals currently receiving community living services from The Arc of DC.
A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Ms. Scott graduated from Henry Clay High School came to Washington, DC to attend Mt. Vernon College for Women and graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development.
Ms. Scott has two adult children (Christopher and Amanda) and three grandchildren. She has served as a Board Member and Residential Chair of the District of Columbia Coalition of Disability Service Providers. She has also served on the Board for the Friends of High Point High School for four years and has volunteered at Mt. Vernon College with various activities and volunteered at St. Marks School in Hyattsville, Maryland, St. Johns College High School in Washington, DC and High Point High School in Beltsville, MD. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, planning social activities and traveling to beaches near and far.
Ms. Joe is an attorney with more than 18 years of experience in corporate transactional, regulatory compliance and civil litigation matters. For the last 12 years, she has worked primarily as in- house counsel for private and public companies in the telecommunications, radio broadcast and healthcare industries. Currently, she is a Senior Business Attorney for the Corporation for Pubic Broadcasting. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Ms. Joe graduated high school from the Academy of the Holy Cross in 1981. She went on to attend Princeton University, graduating in 1986 with a B.A. degree in Sociology. Ms. Joe continued her studies at the Georgetown University Law Center, graduating in 1990 with a J.D. degree. In addition to her volunteer activities with My Own Place, Ms. Joe (along with her husband) is active in youth sports, coaching both recreation and AAU girls basketball teams for several years. Ms. Joe has been an active member of the Board of Directors of My Own Place since the spring of 2006, serving as a Board member and Vice President/Secretary. She was elected President of the Board in September 2008
Panchita Bello is Vice President and one of the founding members of the Board of Directors of My Own Place, Inc. transitioning from the Board of Directors for the ARC of the District of Columbia where she served for 28 years and was Chairperson of the Residential Services Committee. Panchita is a native of Washington, DC though she has lived in other parts of the US and also in Mexico and Ghana, West Africa during a career in training and development in the public and private sectors as well as in foreign service. For the last 30 years, Panchita has pursued her second career as an independent real estate broker and owner of Sherlocke Homes, licensed in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia and providing full brokerage services and consumer real estate education for first time homebuyers and rental property owners. Panchita participates in community service as a member of League of United Latin American Citizens, the American G I Forum and is an active volunteer collecting children's shoes for the Walk in My Shoes Global Project. She completed her Master of Science in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from George Washington University.
Pierre Boehler was until recently a life-long resident of the Washington, DC area. He currently lives in Marblehead, MA. His brother Paul has been with My Own Place since 2004 and shares the Bellevue Street house in Silver Spring with two other gentlemen. Growing up with Paul gave Pierre an acute awareness of the special needs of people with disabilities, as well as their potential when provided with the proper resources. Pierre received his BS in engineering from Cornell University and MS in engineering management from Catholic University in DC. He is the Subject Matter Expert for gas turbine technology for NRG Energy, with 40 years of experience in his field. NRG supplies electricity to the Texas grid and other grids around the country. As the corporate expert for his field, Pierre addresses “cradle to grave” issues from purchase and operation of new equipment through retirement. Pierre serves on the steering committee for the Combustion Turbine Operations Task Force and the ASME IGTI Electric Power committee. He has also volunteered in various capacities for the College Park Boys & Girls club.
Arlene is an African American female who joined the Board of Directors of My Own Place, Inc. in 2009. In 2001 Arlene moved to a two bedroom apartment with My Own Place, Inc. She fell in love in 2017 to Richard Price and was married on May 22, 2021. The two live in Beltsville, Maryland
Arlene enjoys completing word puzzles, hook rugs that she likes to sell. In her spare time likes to travel, dance, bowl, play basketball and play the slot machines!
Arlene currently works for Aramark at Georgetown University. She has held this job for over 25 years and has received several awards for excellence and years of service.
William moved into an apartment with My Own Place, Inc. on September 2, 1999 and joined the Board of Directors of My Own Place, Inc. in 2016.
William enjoys watching television, talking on the phone with his family and friends and navigating sites on the computer and traveling with his friends.
William stopped working in the food service/janitorial industry in 2012 and is not interested in working any longer.
Fred Williams is a management professional who is very skilled in leadership development within organizations. He spent majority of his professional career involved within youth development programs on the management level. He specializes in residential service delivery, educational training, competency management and mentoring/training for management personnel in the delivery of consistent and satisfactory customer services towards clients they serve. Mr. Williams has provided life skills counseling and employment career development to adults and youth. Mr. Williams is a Graduate of the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. He went on to further is education at Bowie State University in the field of Guidance Counseling. He has held many positions such as Counseling Manager, Director of Career Services, Deputy Director, Program Director, and Center Director for various programs. He is an inspirational presenter, who has the ability to connect with the audience and deliver results to both our clients we serve and professionals in need of leadership development skills or motivational tools to inspire both themselves and others to achieve their own personal and management goals.
Mr. Swinson was born on March 20, 1979, to Elaine and Charles Swinson in Washington DC.
Mr. Swinson attended Avalon and Oxon Hill Elementary, Junior High and High School in Fort Washington, MD. After graduating from High School, Mr. Swinson started vocational training at Capitol Hill Supportive Employment Program. He soon began working for CHIMES at Andrews Air Force Base and has been employed with this company for approximately 19 years. He is known as a hard working, dedicated employee.
Mr. Swinson, in his spare time, enjoys playing video games, bowling, driving Go Karts, going to clubs, playing basketball on several teams in the Metropolitan area and traveling the world.
Mr. Swinson is single and lives in College Park Maryland, where he has many friends and associates. He has been an active member of My Own Place Inc. Board of Directors since 2007.
Ms. Karen Marcelle is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of nursing experience. A native of the United Kingdom, she began her nursing career at the Suffolk College. Ms. Marcelle has travelled extensively throughout Europe, living in Spain and Italy, finally settling in the United States in 1997. Karen moved to the DC metro area in 1999. Ms. Marcelle received her Master’s Degree in Nurse Education from Chamberlain University. Karen served as the Director of Health Services for My Own Place for eight years. More recently, she has worked primarily in Community Health care and Public Health. Karen volunteers with several non-profit organizations that support the community. In her free time, Karen enjoys traveling and experimenting in the kitchen
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