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Founder and Executive Director, Space of Her Own, Inc.
Linda Odell
Crime Prevention Manager, City of Alexandria
linda@spaceofherown.org
Over 20 years ago, Linda envisioned the concept for SOHO and co-created the first program in partnership with The Art League. She founded the nonprofit Space of Her Own, Inc. in 2011.
Throughout her career, Linda has served vulnerable and court-involved youth and families. She has been employed by the City of Alexandria for 22 years, overseeing a team of therapists, social workers, program coordinators, and project managers with Alexandria’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Service Unit, developing programs that meet needs of youth and families. She is founding member of the Alexandria Mentoring Partnership, and has initiated a variety of mentoring, parenting, shoplifting, gang, substance use and other prevention programs and services. Her most recent endeavor is the creation of Mentor University: A Free College for Caring Adults.
Raised in Lancaster PA, Linda launched her professional career in Boulder, Colorado as AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at a youth shelter, and subsequently a teacher for youth with emotional and behavior issues, and manager with a state-wide residential treatment provider for juvenile offenders. A decade later, she moved to Costa Rica where she was a guidance counselor at an international school; there, she developed service-learning projects to meet needs of native communities, including the Cabécar people, an indigenous group of the remote Talamanca region.
Linda earned her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from University of Pittsburgh and her M.A. in Special Education from University of Northern Colorado. She did post-graduate work in language and literacy at University of CO and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Executive Management Program.
Every year, Linda looks forward to inspiring new volunteers to join Space of Her Own, supporting continuous organization evaluation and enhancements, and most importantly, witnessing the transformation of girls’ lives.
For her work with SOHO, Linda has been recognized as a Living Legend of Alexandria and has received awards from Virginia Juvenile Justice Association, NAACP Alexandria Branch, Alexandria Commission for Women, and Alexandria City Public Schools.
President
Andrea Denny
Environmental Analyst, US Environmental Protection Agency
SOHO Mentor since 2006
andrea.denny@spaceofherown.org
Andrea Denny has been a volunteer with SOHO since 2006, mentoring two girls and participating in three space transformations. She has also participated in strategic planning and helped organize events and fundraisers for SOHO and joined the SOHO Board as Treasurer in November 2013. Andrea became interested in SOHO as a creative outlet and opportunity to support young women, and has stayed involved after being inspired by the dedication of SOHO volunteers and the potential of the program to be a model for other communities.
Outside of SOHO, Andrea is an environmental analyst with the US Environmental Protection Agency, supporting local governments with energy and climate change policy. Andrea has an honors B.S. in Chemistry and a M.S. in Geography, both from Penn State. She has lived in Alexandria, VA since 2005 and has two children.
Vice President + Creative Director
Cynthia Chin
Design Patent Examiner, United States Patent and Trademark Office
SOHO Mentor since 2008
cynthia.chin@spaceofherown.org
Cynthia Chin began her work with the SOHO program during the 2008-2009 school year. She has been involved in community service throughout her life, and was excited to find a program like SOHO that offered the unique combination of working with kids, the arts, and giving back to the local community. Cynthia initially volunteered as a mentor to Ashley, who she still meets with on a regular basis. Ashley has since grown from a quiet 9-year-old to a lively and confident young woman, and her transformation has inspired Cynthia to continue volunteering with the program. Cynthia’s greatest desire is to see the program blossom, and decided to become a board member in 2012 to play a larger role in SOHO’s development.
Cynthia is a native of the Washington, D.C. area. Born in Alexandria and raised in Fairfax County, she now lives and works in Old Town Alexandria. Cynthia earned her B.A. with a double major in Digital Arts and Media Studies from the University of Virginia. After graduating U.Va, she worked as an Interactive Graphic Designer for the Department of HHS’ Office on Women’s Health (womenshealth.gov) and their sister site (girlshealth.gov) aimed at promoting healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. Cynthia currently works as a Design Patent Examiner for the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
For her work with SOHO, Cynthia has been awarded 2019 Mentor of the Year by Mentor Virginia, 2021 The Joan White Volunteer Service Award from Volunteer Alexandra and 2021 Alexandria’s Chamber of Commerce 40 under 40.
Treasurer
Shannon Catlett
Vice President/Branch Manager John Marshall Bank
Shannon.Catlett@spaceofherown.org
Shannon began her career in banking as a Floating Teller during summers in college while perusing her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and History. She completed her degree in 2007; however, finding that she also had a head for numbers, she chose to remain in banking and went to work for an Alexandria based bank, Burke & Herbert. After 17 years there, she made the move to John Marshall Bank where she happily manages the Alexandria Branch while sourcing new business relationships and core deposits. Her strengths are building and maintaining strong customer connections, problem solving, and dedication.
While she is new to the SOHO Board and its mission, she has worked with organizations such as the Alexandria YMCA, Del Ray Business Association, Community Partners for Children, and the Carpenter’s Shelter to foster a balance between the role of corporate and community within the city of Alexandria.
Secretary
Courtney Dixon
Senior Contracts Consultant (Government Support Contractor)
SOHO Mentor since 2012
courtney.dixon@spaceofherown.org
Courtney began her journey as a SOHO mentor in 2012. During that time, she realized the difference SOHO made in the lives of the young ladies involved. Courtney’s passion for youth and desire to make an impact inspired her to become a board member for SOHO in 2014. As a board member, Courtney intends to help grow the incredible non-profit and expand its reach to young ladies in need.
Courtney Dixon has volunteered with youth for over 16 years. She has worked with many youth development programs including after-school tutoring, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and YoungLives – a program for teen moms. Courtney is a native of Chicago, IL and a graduate of Howard University with a B.B.A. in Marketing. She was a Captain in the US Air Force and spent four years on active duty. Courtney currently works as an Senior Contracts Consultant in the DC Metro Area.
Board Member at Large
Maggie Wigness
Computer Scientist, Army Research Laboratory
SOHO Mentor since 2016
Maggie.wigness@spaceofherown.org
Maggie started volunteering with SOHO as a mentor in 2016 as a way to engage in the Alexandria community. The mission of empowering young girls to create and build things to express their true selves drew her to SOHO. Maggie enjoyed building a meaningful relationship with her mentee Brianna during the SOHO program, which has allowed them to continue to share adventures, study, and laugh together. Maggie looks forward to continuing these adventures for years to come and is thankful to have such a great mentor/mentee relationship where they can learn and grow from one another.
Maggie grew up in Arizona and traveled all over for her college education. She started her studies at Cottey College, a women’s college, where she played basketball for two years. She graduated from Pacific University in 2010 with a BS in computer science. Her final stop was Colorado State University where she earned a PhD in computer science in 2015. She is now a researcher at the Army’s corporate research laboratory focusing on enhancing autonomous navigation. Maggie is a huge Washington Nationals and Washington Capitals fan, and loves to travel with family and snuggle with her dog Clementine.
Board Member at Large
Faith A. Boettger
Development Officer for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Foundation
Faith.Boettger@spaceofherown.org
Faith began her work with SOHO as a donor with the Business Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC) which first awarded a grant in 2016 to support SOHO’s development of STEM programming. Faith’s passion for philanthropy, education and community inspired her to join SOHO as a board member in 2021.
Faith is a leader in the community where she is a founding member and past chair for the Business Women’s Giving Circle; founder of Social4Good; and reviews grants for the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Community Investment Fund. Faith formerly served on the Finance Park Northern Virginia Advisory Council and was a founding member and past vice president for philanthropy for the Young Men’s Service League Vienna-Oakton.
Faith holds a BBA from Hofstra University and an MBA from Drexel University and resides in Vienna, Virginia with her family.
Board Member at Large
Renuka Bhaskar
Senior Researcher/Survey Statistician U.S. Census Bureau
SOHO Mentor since 2017
Renuka.Bhaskar@spaceofherown.org
Renuka began mentoring through SOHO during the 2017-2018 school year. She and her mentee immediately bonded over books and shared struggles in carpentry class and their relationship has continued to grow since then. Renuka has been active in the Alexandria community for many years. In addition to mentoring with SOHO, she has been a tutor with Wright to Read since 2014 during which time she has worked with two students. She is excited to join the SOHO board and find new ways to contribute to the program.
Renuka was born and raised in Massachusetts. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in geography and attended the Ohio State University where she earned an MA in geography. She is a senior researcher/survey statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau where she has worked since 2004. Renuka enjoys spending time with her family, travel, and daily walks with her dog Daisy.