Our Team

Joe Del Guercio served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation from 2016 to its sunset in 2025. With nearly two decades of experience in venture capital and private equity, Joe brought an investment perspective to his role. He led strategic direction for the Foundation and worked closely with grantees, staff and the Board of Directors to ensure alignment between the Foundation’s vision, grant-making and impact.  

Joe started his tenure at Clark Enterprises in 2004.  In addition to his role as CEO of the Foundation, Joe was Managing Director at CNF Investments, Mr. Clark’s private equity fund, as well as CEO of Clark Enterprises from 2020-2025, responsible for managing all investments across private equity, real estate and equity and fixed income as well as all family office operations. 

Joe lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree from Boston College. Joe sits on multiple public and private company boards and remains a venture partner at two DC based private equity funds.  Outside of the philanthropic work he led with the Foundation, he serves on the Investment Committee for the U.S. Soccer Foundation, is Head of the Investment Committee and a Trustee at Stevens Institute of Technology, serves on the board of the Sibley Hospital Foundation, and is actively involved with the National Youth Baseball Academy and Cycle for Survival.

Q: Do you have any projects or outcomes of which you are particularly proud?

A: I am proud of all the work we did at the Clark Foundation across engineering, veterans and the DC community.  However, as the son of Italian immigrants and a first-generation college student, our work with the Clark Scholars is incredibly important to me, especially when I get to see how proud the parents of the students are at graduation.  The hard work and desire to provide a better life for their children embodies what I saw with my own parents as well as what I know would have made Mr. Clark especially proud.

As Chief Operating Officer, Ashley provided oversight of the Foundation’s operations, grant administration, performance measurement and communications. She led the implementation of the Foundation’s grant management system and grantmaking processes, as well as the development of the Foundation’s performance measurement and communications strategies. 

Ashley has served in a variety of roles in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors over the past 20 years concentrating on issues related to food insecurity, youth homelessness, and education access.  Before joining the Clark Foundation, she worked in community relations at Wells Fargo where she focused on community engagement and corporate and foundation giving across the Mid-Atlantic. 

Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in history from Washington University in St. Louis, and master's degrees in business administration and public policy from University of Maryland, College Park.  She is a Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellow, and a graduate of the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility, an initiative of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers. 

Sarah joined the Foundation team in 2019 as Communications Manager. Named Director of Communications in 2022, she leads the Foundation’s design, planning, and implementation of the legacy and sunset communications strategies. Her public-facing projects include the Foundation’s archival website, a commemorative book for the Clark family, Foundation staff and grantee partners, and the Clark Foundation Legacy and Program Space at the University of Maryland (opening 2027).  

Before entering philanthropy, Sarah had extensive experience in project management, partnerships, and operations, most recently in the field of civic engagement. She served as Deputy Director of States at When We All Vote, a nonprofit group created by Michelle Obama to increase voter participation in every election.  

Sarah has worked in a variety of settings, from theatre program management at the University of Texas at Austin to floral design at Wollam Gardens, a 12-acre cut-flower farm. She serves on the board of the James N. Loehlin Memorial Fund, which supports students pursuing higher education and the arts. Sarah, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, lives in northern California with her family, dog, and beautiful, riotous garden.

Q: What have you learned in your role at the Foundation?  

A: This job has deepened my faith in humanity (really!). Being a part of a committed team, with a mission to carry out a generous family's legacy, with the most wonderful grantee partners has been the opportunity of a lifetime.  

Q: What are you most grateful for? 

A: I am most grateful for the sheer volume of things I learned over the years, and the incredible brain trust I was welcomed into. Both in terms of our small team and the non-profit leaders and students with whom we worked. 

Natalie joined the Foundation as the Director of Engineering Initiatives in 2018. She was named Director, Higher Education and Strategy in 2024. In this role, she managed the Foundation’s signature academic program, the A. James Clark Scholars Program, established at 11 campuses nationwide. Natalie also managed the Foundation’s multi-year investment of $219.5 million to the University of Maryland. In addition, she initiated investments to grantees that exposed students to STEM careers, provided institutions with tools and strategies to improve their policies and practices to best serve students, and encouraged education leaders in finding creative solutions to support students inside and outside of the classroom. 

Natalie previously served as the Director of External Relations in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park, where she focused on development, corporate and public relations, external outreach, and communications. Prior to that, Natalie worked in development at George Washington University, City Year Washington, DC, and student affairs at New York University. 

Natalie serves as an Advisory Board Member for the National Institute of Student Success at Georgia State and is a Trustee of the University of Virginia Engineering Foundation. Her other previous board leadership includes service on the board of Jubilee Jumpstart and as President for the Board of Directors for the Congressional Chorus, where she is also a singer and dancer. Natalie holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and business and a master's in public administration from New York University. She currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and daughter. 

Q: Do you have any projects or outcomes of which you are particularly proud?

A: I am particularly proud of the broader influence our scholarship programs have had—especially on students who were not directly funded by the Clark Foundation. Through strong relationships with our grantees, I held strategy sessions that not only resulted in policy changes and expanded resources for our own scholars, but also positively impacted students across partner engineering schools and, in some cases, the wider university. It’s especially meaningful to hear higher education leaders share how they have successfully advocated for broader student support using data and insights from our programs. Knowing that my work has created ripple effects beyond its initial scope is incredibly rewarding.

Danielle joined the Foundation in 2010 and most recently served as Director of DC Education Programs & Strategy, where she led strategic efforts to improve educational outcomes for students across Washington, DC. In this role, she collaborated with public and charter schools, nonprofit organizations, and local leaders to build academically rigorous and inspiring learning environments from elementary through high school. She also worked to expand access to post-secondary opportunities, supporting students through college completion and into meaningful careers.  

In addition to her programmatic leadership, Danielle has held key operational roles within philanthropy overseeing internal systems that promote strategic alignment, effective grantmaking, and operational excellence. She brings a deep understanding of nonprofit ecosystems and a commitment to maximizing the impact of philanthropic investments.   

Before joining the Foundation, Danielle worked with CityBridge Foundation and the Advisory Board Company. She holds a bachelor's degree from Miami University.

Jennifer Houston joined the Foundation in 2018 as Operations and Grants Manager. She was named Director of Events and Legacy Investments in 2023. In her role, Jennifer oversaw the Foundation’s internal and external events and supported the Foundation’s significant legacy giving portfolio. 

Prior to joining the Foundation, Jennifer served for nine years as Vice President of Special Projects and Events at Innovative Philanthropy, a philanthropic consulting firm in New York City. In addition to grantmaking, she has proven experience of working with high-profile nonprofit clients on foundation management, fundraising, and event planning.  

Jennifer holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and daughter. 

Chris was with the Clark organization for 18 years and held a variety of positions, having served as Office Manager, Special Assistant to the CEO, Executive Assistant to the Board Chair and overseeing IT services for Clark Enterprises. In 2022, Chris joined the Foundation team where she assisted with administrative and programmatic duties. Chris also spent two years at Clark Construction where she worked in their IT department as the IT Fulfillment Manager.  

Chris is a lifetime resident of Maryland where she raised her two sons and spends much of her free time volunteering with various organizations and her church. 

As Operations Director, Andrew managed the Foundation’s financial operations and grant administration processes while supporting the design and development of the Foundation’s evaluation strategies and supported the planning and implementation of the Foundation’s sunset communications projects.  

Andrew has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, previously working on programs that supported youth development, education, and international diplomacy. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as Grant Accountant at Meridian International Center, where he helped implement U.S. Department of State-sponsored professional exchange programs.  

Andrew holds a bachelor's degree in history and anthropology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He received a master's degree in public management from University of Maryland, College Park, where he was also a TIAA Nonprofit Leadership Fellow with the Do Good Institute, providing grants, workshops and strategic support for undergraduate students who create innovative solutions to address social issues. 

Mike is a former Marine, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and has served in a variety of operational roles within the intelligence community. After working in private industry, he transitioned to the non-profit field to serve veterans. Before joining the Foundation in 2017, Mike worked at Points of Light where he spearheaded the organization’s efforts to serve veterans and their families. He then transitioned to Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization that utilizes veterans, first-responders, and civilians as its volunteer base, where he oversaw the activities of the Eastern United States. 

In his free time, Mike raises money for charities by participating in ultra-endurance challenges. Mike and his family live in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Ryan Palmer was Director of DC Community Initiatives at the Clark Foundation from 2018 until 2022. While at the Foundation, she led the design, development, execution, and management of the Parent-Child Health Initiative, which coupled over $100 million in funding with intentional coalition-building to improve outcomes for pregnant and birthing people, their children, and their families in DC. She also developed a portfolio focused on nonprofit capacity building, providing thought partnership and over $50 million in multi-year funding to support strengthened infrastructure and sustainability for community-based organizations in DC.  

A recovering attorney and former nonprofit fundraiser, Ryan held roles across the nonprofit, business, and government sectors prior to joining Clark. Since leaving the Foundation, Ryan served as executive director at a DC-based family foundation. She now runs a consulting practice, RavensLight Pathways, where she supports philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and their leaders seeking to overcome strategic inertia, deploy capital, and deepen their impact. 

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. She is a member of the 11th Street Bridge Park Advisory Board and Leadership Greater Washington’s Class of 2022. A Washington, DC, native and proud graduate of DC Public Schools, Ryan currently lives in North Bethesda, Maryland, with her cat and her Doberman. 

Elle joined the Foundation in 2021 as an Operations Analyst and was promoted to Operations Associate in 2023. In this role, she collaborated closely with the operations team to oversee communications projects, coordinate internal and external events, and support the execution of legacy giving investments.  

Elle previously worked in development for Washington Nationals Philanthropies and the Institute for Justice. She also spent time working for Reclaim Childhood, a nonprofit in Amman, Jordan which creates athletic opportunities for refugee and local girls in Jordan.     

Born and raised in Maryland, Elle earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Maryland and remains a proud Maryland resident. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School and is actively involved in the Baltimore community. Elle currently lives in Baltimore with her husband and their two dogs. 

Q: Do you have any projects or outcomes of which you are particularly proud?

A: During my time at the Clark Foundation, I learned how rare and meaningful it was to work for an organization so deeply rooted in its founders’ values—where those values shaped not only the work we funded, but also the way we treated one another each day.

I was proud to contribute to an organization that viewed grantees as true partners and approached philanthropy with humility, curiosity, and trust. And perhaps most importantly, I left with a lasting understanding of what it means to responsibly spend down—prioritizing capacity-building investments that strengthened organizations for the long term.

Joan managed and oversaw the archival process for the Foundation and assisted the Operations team in communication efforts and legacy projects. She joined the Foundation in 2023 as its Archives and Communications Fellow and became the Communications and Archives Associate in 2023. 

Joan has worked for over seven years in the nonprofit sector, collaborating with development and operation teams. Her previous experience includes clinical research and grant program development and management for the Patient Access Network Foundation and library services at Evidera (Thermo Fisher Scientific) as an intern for the medical library team. 

Joan is a digital archivist and a licensed pharmacist. She received her Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) degree from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with a concentration in digital curation and her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from Shenandoah University.