Our Team

Jo Pamphile

Jo combined her undergraduate major in psychology and minor in business to earn a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology & Development from Columbia University. Her career objective was to help non-profit, youth-serving organizations fulfill their missions. When asked what her ideal job would be, Jo said working for a foundation.

She ultimately found that ideal job when, in 2006, she joined the T. Howard Foundation where she is President & CEO. She brought her special event fundraising knowledge, program development experience, organizational and leadership skills and love of young people to the Foundation.

Along with a committed Board of Directors and a dedicated team, Jo has been able to develop a mission-driven organization that raises nearly $1.5 million per year to provide paid internships, professional development, career opportunities and an alumni network to hundreds of diverse and underrepresented college students eager to enter the world of media and entertainment.

She believes that the Foundation’s success is measured by the students and alumni who are achieving their career goals as a result of their relationship with THF and its partner companies.

Sarah Giannakopoulos

Sarah is honored and excited to join the T. Howard Foundation as the Vice President of Operations and Development. Sarah has always had a passion for the non-profit and higher education fields and has subsequently spent the majority of her career in these areas. Most notably, Sarah was the Director of Operations at a non-profit in Washington, D.C. that specialized in the accreditation of human research protection programs.

Prior to joing THF, Sarah spent 4 1/2 years at CNN in Washington, D.C. While she loved the pace and intensity that came with working in the media, her heart was pulling her back to non-profit work. Sarah is ready to contribute to the continued success and evolution of the T. Howard Foundation using her operations skills and the media industry experience she gained while at CNN.

Sarah holds a double bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French from Susquehanna University and a Master’s Degree in Humanities from Towson University. Her greatest loves are her family, books and traveling.

LaShika Howard

With a deep understanding of the skills and experiences required to succeed in today’s workforce, LaShika is committed to equipping young professionals with key tools and resources.

LaShika holds a Master’s in Human Resources and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She’s spent most of her career helping professionals evaluate and achieve their career aspirations, as well as helping business leaders attract and secure the best talent for their hiring needs.

LaShika joined THF as a certified HR professional with more than 14 years of expertise in executive recruitment, talent pipeline development and building relationships with senior leaders. She has been instrumental in expanding the alumni network, increasing the number of full-time hires in the media industry and developing and managing three new initiatives.

Raphael Richard Jr.

Raphael’s commitment to the overall success of college students led him to the role as Program Manager, Internship Program at the T. Howard Foundation. After serving years as a higher education professional, focusing on multicultural affairs and diversity education, he looks forward to using those skills to continue to diversify the Foundation’s talent pool.

Raphael’s passion for effecting change through storytelling and diversity education was previously shared with students at Columbia University as Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs and the University of Alabama at Birmingham as Coordinator of Multicultural and Diversity Programs. Additionally, he models and mentors global citizenship practices to an international network of college students as a Senior Fellow in the Melton Foundation.

Raphael holds a M.S. in Higher Education from Syracuse University, where he also served as a Diversity Education Specialist and a B.A. in Urban Studies and Public Policy from Dillard University.

Raphael is delighted to work with THF interns and partners and share his experience in student leadership development, diversity and inclusion and curriculum development.

Natashia Dorsey

Natashia has always been a girl about the community. She was born in Chicago and raised in Baltimore, and graduated from the University of Baltimore in 2018. Natashia has worked as a media consultant for local and east coast-based fashion companies. She brings years of corporate relations and luxury hospitality experience to her new role. She looks forward to working to help implement diversity within media and executing the T. Howard Foundation’s missions and goals with precision and expertise.

Ashley McDonald

In her role as Assistant Manager of Career and Alumni Services, Ashley will help connect the Foundation’s pool of emerging and diverse professionals to a network of resources and services designed to help them accomplish their career goals. She plans to leverage her existing project management experience as she joins THF’s Career & Alumni Services team.

Armed with several years of relationship management, marketing and event-planning experience as a membership professional for various non-profit associations in the higher education and arts and culture sectors, Ashley is excited to be a part of T. Howard Foundation’s Career & Alumni Services team.

Shayne Miller-Westfield

Shayne, native of Pass Christian, Mississippi, is a Senior Coordinator on the Internship Program team. He received his BA in Mass Communications, with a specialization in Public Relations, from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has since gained an array of experience in public relations and communications. Shayne is excited to bring his diverse experience to T. Howard Foundation, where he looks forward to assisting students with professional development and leadership goals.

Sahara Selby

Sahara is excited to bring her unique background and experience to the Foundation, THF interns, and THF partners. She began her career at Bank of America in Charlotte, NC, where she took part in diversity recruiting efforts for undergraduate programs and internships. Sahara’s mentorship and professional immersion with local colleges and universities only heightened Sahara’s growing passion to work directly with students. This personal commitment to supporting diversity efforts and mentorship programs, both in and out of the workplace, drew her to the T. Howard Foundation. Sahara earned a B.S. in Marketing from North Carolina A&T State University.

Edina Varsa

Formerly Director of Administration with the Foundation, Edina is now working with THF as a consultant in PR & Communications. This role involves website maintenance for the Internship Program, Career & Alumni Services, and the Diversity Awards Dinner. Her role also includes developing Diversity Awards Dinner newsflashes and developing the silent auction as well as editing marketing materials for the Internship Program, Career & Alumni Services and Diversity Partners programs, and Administration.

Douglas Vo

In his role as a Senior Coordinator, Douglas connects with THF’s diverse body of students and works to provide them with opportunities to further their career goals. As an alumnus of the University of Maryland, College Park, Douglas graduated in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Entrepreneurship Technology. During his undergraduate career, he was a Hillman Entrepreneurship Scholar, where he gained firsthand experience with business development and leadership. He was able to apply his leadership expertise to a 10-year career in retail management and a period of working in government contracting. Douglas believes in the value of paying it forward and helping younger generations become leaders in their own right, so he is excited to apply his skills and passions to the work of the T. Howard Foundation.

Jarí Watson

A graduate of Cornell University’s Interdisciplinary Studies program, Jarí Watson explored several colleges to unlock the entrepreneurial spirit and organizational potential of under-served, under-utilized, and under-sourced groups. He is excited to bring his talents and awareness to the team at the T. Howard Foundation as Program Coordinator, Internship Program.

As a coordinator of summer college programs, assistant to university directors, manager of residential buildings, and leader of multiple community-centered organizations, Jarí developed his passion for community enrichment.

He is happy to advance his passion – servicing the initiatives of the T. Howard Foundation, and seeks to help realize the aspirations of interns, and empower the passions of his colleagues in the process.

The T. Howard Foundation signals an important step in creating unity and fair representation, in addition to the improvement of diversity in media and entertainment. Jarí is honored to serve, improve, and represent.

Janice Wilkins

Janice has gained experience in the nonprofit sector through program and data management. She is excited to leverage that experience with her training and recruitment position with the Foundation. Janice received her BA in Writing and Rhetoric, with a concentration in community engagement and digital communications, from Syracuse University, and is now pursuing her MS in Youth Development Leadership.