Meet our leadership
Board of Directors
Anne Eigeman has been tutoring with Northstar for the past three academic years and values the opportunity to work with students weekly to support learning and skill development. As a former high school social studies teacher, she welcomes ongoing opportunities to think creatively about ways to introduce students to academic concepts and to observe the joy that frequently fills a school building. She is a nonprofit consultant focusing on communications and fundraising and brings experience highlighting and contextualizing the importance of education programs for funders and the general public. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in History from Lawrence University, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from New York University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.
Reilly-Ann Frank began volunteering with Northstar in 2012, joined the board of directors in 2017, and became Vice Chair of the executive board in 2022. She stays involved because of a deep belief in the power of education to expand opportunities and a passion for building strong, mission-driven organizations. Professionally, Reilly-Ann specializes in leadership development, organizational strategy, and guiding teams through growth and change. She also consults for small companies, helping them become more efficient. She lives near the U Street Corridor, loves traveling around the world, and when home, enjoys mixing exercise and exploration by walking everywhere and discovering what’s new around town.
Alex Karmazin first began volunteering with Northstar as a tutor in 2023. He is the Finance & Operations Director at Enverra Partners, a global project development firm, and its wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary, Enverra Capital. In this dual role, Alex is responsible for financial strategy, operational oversight, and the execution of complex, multi-billion-dollar international projects. He also leads supervisory and compliance functions for Enverra Capital. Before joining Enverra, Alex held leadership roles as Strategic Finance Director at Dwellwell Analytics and Director of Finance & Operations at VEDA Data Solutions. A proud first-generation American, Alex is committed to advancing underrepresented communities in the technology sector and remains passionate about driving inclusive innovation in finance and beyond.
Elspeth Grasso began volunteering with Northstar in 2022 as a tutor and now serves on the board. Having experienced three school systems—growing up in Vermont, teaching in New Orleans, and working as a data specialist for DC Public Schools—she believes that high-quality education is a fundamental right for every student. She is currently pursuing an M.S.Ed. in Education Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she earned an M.S.Ed. from Johns Hopkins and dual undergraduate degrees in Biomedical Engineering (B.Eng.) and Art History (B.A.) from the University of Delaware. Elspeth lives in Chadds Ford, PA; outside of work and volunteering, she enjoys running, hiking with her dogs, reading, and hunting for great coffee.
Kathy Pettit started tutoring with the organizational predecessor to Northstar in the late 1990s and then shifted to board roles - currently serving as Treasurer and helping with human resources. She stays involved since Northstar is a very concrete way for her to personally contribute to helping children from low-income families in our community (and creating a path for the volunteers to give back too). Professionally, she is a researcher at the Urban Institute, focusing on housing, neighborhood development, and local use of data for improving communities. She lives in Eastern Market with her husband and dog and loves going to museums in DC.
Heidi Thompson has volunteered with Northstar for over 20 years, first as a tutor and now as a board member. This has provided an outlet for combining her past experience working for nonprofits with her desire to support kids and their communities. She believes in the positive effect that each relationship can have on the tutor, student and the broader community. She resides in Alexandria with her husband and enjoys being outdoors and exploring places near and far.
Noel Titus has a passion for bringing enrichment to inner city youth. Noel emigrated to the United States as a child from Jamaica, where his family settled in the Bronx, N.Y. In his youth he attended an after-school tutoring program and went on to become a tutor later in life. Noel achieved his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and his MBA at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. Noel hopes to bring insights from his experience in the construction industry to supporting Northstar's continued growth and impact. His lived experience has demonstrated that a quality education is the conduit for changing one's life circumstances. When not working, Noel enjoys discovering music from an eclectic grouping of genres as well as getting outside for walks or golfing.
