Executive Director
Robert M. Ponichtera
Dr. Robert M. Ponichtera oversees the organization's day-to-day operations, devoting his time to creating a network of partners, generating publicity, and cultivating donors. Ponichtera has more than a decade of experience working for nonprofit organizations, guiding program direction and fundraising activities. Before founding Liberty's Promise, Ponichtera worked at Freedom House and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he wrote grants, coordinated program activities, and conducted research. Ponichtera earned a Ph.D. in East European History from Yale University in 1995 and has taught at Yale, Quinnipiac College, and Albertus Magnus College. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of history at George Mason University. A native English speaker, Dr. Ponichtera is fluent in Polish. He and his wife, Renata, reside in Alexandria, Virginia with their son, Anthony.
Dr. Ponichtera can be reached at rponichtera@libertyspromise.org.
Program Officers
Allison Bouley
Program Officer, Fairfax County
Allison Bouley is responsible for the implementation of the internshipand civic education programs in Fairfax County, VA. Ms. Bouley grew up inFairfax County and attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg,VA where she earned a Bachelor degree in Social Work and a minor inreligion. Upon completing her degree, Ms. Bouley spent three years as afull-time volunteer with Brethren Volunteer Service. She worked as aCase Manager at a transitional housing shelter in Fremont, CA and thenmoved to Belfast, Northern Ireland where she spent two years workingwith children and young people at a cross community center on a "peaceline" in West Belfast.
Ms. Bouley can be reached at abouley@libertyspromise.org.
Pamela Daley
Program Officer, Alexandria City, Virginia
Pamela Daley is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education program in Alexandria City, Virginia. She holds a Master of International Development focused on non-governmental organizations and civil society from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to completing her master, she served with Literacy*AmeriCorps, tutoring and teaching ESOL and life skills to immigrant and refugee populations in Dayton, OH. She has lived in Spain and Ecuador. While in Ecuador, she lived and worked in a rural, indigenous community helping local teachers improve their teaching methods and materials. Ms. Daley obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Wright State University in Dayton, OH. A native English speaker, Ms. Daley is fluent in Spanish.
Ms. Daley can be reached at pdaley@libertyspromise.org.
Julien Labiche
Program Officer, Montgomery County, Maryland
Julien Labiche is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education programs in Montgomery County, specifically in Gaithersburg and at John F. Kennedy High School (Silver Spring). Mr. Labiche was born in the rural town of Mende in central France. After high school, his interest in foreign languages and humanities led him to pursue studies in English. He studied at Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, where he obtained a degree in English Studies, and another one in French as a Second Language. He studied abroad for one year at Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH, where he happily immersed himself in American culture. Upon returning to France, Mr. Labiche earned certification to teach English as a Second Language. For the next three years, he taught at various public schools in the south of France. He then decided to move to the United States, where he got married. He taught high school French in Virginia, and eventually moved to the Washington DC area, teaching French in a language institute before joining Liberty's Promise. A native French speaker, Mr. Labiche is fluent in English.
Mr. Labiche can be reached at jlabiche@libertyspromise.org.
Austin Morris
Program Officer, Montgomery County, Maryland
Austin Morris is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education programs in Montgomery County, specifically in Downtown Silver Spring and Wheaton High School. Ms. Morris returns to Liberty's Promise after serving with the organization for eight months as an intern in 2008. During her internship, she worked directly with immigrant youth in Montgomery County on our internship and civics programs. Ms. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA). At Dickinson, she had the opportunity to live in community service housing that deepened the campus-community relationship with a focus on connecting the immigrant population of Carlisle to the Dickinson community. She has experience working with at risk youth as she completed a semester of service learning at the Carlisle School for children with emotional disorders. Ms. Morris has also worked as an administrative assistant in the Office of Student Affairs at the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Morris can be reached at amorris@libertyspromise.org.
Intern
Kate Bartlett
Kate just moved to the DC area having graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Comparative Arts. At Washington University, she volunteered in various St. Louis Public Schools, including two years with Urban Future, tutoring and mentoring middle school youth in an after-school program. She also organized a group of fellow students to tutor in the classroom of a Teach for America corps member. She has studied abroad in Italy and at the University of Oxford. A native English speaker, Kate is fluent in written Italian and proficient in spoken Italian, and hopes to pick up Spanish.
Program Officer, Fairfax County
Allison Bouley is responsible for the implementation of the internshipand civic education programs in Fairfax County, VA. Ms. Bouley grew up inFairfax County and attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg,VA where she earned a Bachelor degree in Social Work and a minor inreligion. Upon completing her degree, Ms. Bouley spent three years as afull-time volunteer with Brethren Volunteer Service. She worked as aCase Manager at a transitional housing shelter in Fremont, CA and thenmoved to Belfast, Northern Ireland where she spent two years workingwith children and young people at a cross community center on a "peaceline" in West Belfast.
Ms. Bouley can be reached at abouley@libertyspromise.org.
Pamela Daley
Program Officer, Alexandria City, Virginia
Pamela Daley is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education program in Alexandria City, Virginia. She holds a Master of International Development focused on non-governmental organizations and civil society from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to completing her master, she served with Literacy*AmeriCorps, tutoring and teaching ESOL and life skills to immigrant and refugee populations in Dayton, OH. She has lived in Spain and Ecuador. While in Ecuador, she lived and worked in a rural, indigenous community helping local teachers improve their teaching methods and materials. Ms. Daley obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Wright State University in Dayton, OH. A native English speaker, Ms. Daley is fluent in Spanish.
Ms. Daley can be reached at pdaley@libertyspromise.org.
Julien Labiche
Program Officer, Montgomery County, Maryland
Julien Labiche is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education programs in Montgomery County, specifically in Gaithersburg and at John F. Kennedy High School (Silver Spring). Mr. Labiche was born in the rural town of Mende in central France. After high school, his interest in foreign languages and humanities led him to pursue studies in English. He studied at Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, where he obtained a degree in English Studies, and another one in French as a Second Language. He studied abroad for one year at Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH, where he happily immersed himself in American culture. Upon returning to France, Mr. Labiche earned certification to teach English as a Second Language. For the next three years, he taught at various public schools in the south of France. He then decided to move to the United States, where he got married. He taught high school French in Virginia, and eventually moved to the Washington DC area, teaching French in a language institute before joining Liberty's Promise. A native French speaker, Mr. Labiche is fluent in English.
Mr. Labiche can be reached at jlabiche@libertyspromise.org.
Austin Morris
Program Officer, Montgomery County, Maryland
Austin Morris is responsible for the implementation of the internship and civic education programs in Montgomery County, specifically in Downtown Silver Spring and Wheaton High School. Ms. Morris returns to Liberty's Promise after serving with the organization for eight months as an intern in 2008. During her internship, she worked directly with immigrant youth in Montgomery County on our internship and civics programs. Ms. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA). At Dickinson, she had the opportunity to live in community service housing that deepened the campus-community relationship with a focus on connecting the immigrant population of Carlisle to the Dickinson community. She has experience working with at risk youth as she completed a semester of service learning at the Carlisle School for children with emotional disorders. Ms. Morris has also worked as an administrative assistant in the Office of Student Affairs at the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Morris can be reached at amorris@libertyspromise.org.
Intern
Kate Bartlett
Kate just moved to the DC area having graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Comparative Arts. At Washington University, she volunteered in various St. Louis Public Schools, including two years with Urban Future, tutoring and mentoring middle school youth in an after-school program. She also organized a group of fellow students to tutor in the classroom of a Teach for America corps member. She has studied abroad in Italy and at the University of Oxford. A native English speaker, Kate is fluent in written Italian and proficient in spoken Italian, and hopes to pick up Spanish.
Ms. Bartlett can be reached at kbartlett@libertyspromise.org
