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.

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.

Edina Varsa

Formerly Director of Administration, Edina is now working with the Foundation 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.