NCAC Board of Directors
We wish to thank these community members who are donating their time and energy to further the mission of the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center.
Positions are:
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Dr. Osman Kivrak, President of the Board
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Kaprece James, Vice President
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Carma Hogue, Secretary
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Jen Mannino, Treasurer
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Carrie Buswell, Public Relations
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LaToya Brassel, Academic Events Coordinator
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Desirae Williams, Fundraising Coordinator
Dr. Osman Kivrak, President
Musician in Residence and viola teacher at American University, Dr. Kivrak is the new director of the Charles County Youth Orchestra which has recently been in the spotlight for presenting successful programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A native of Turkey, Dr. Kivrak moved permanently to U.S. in the early 80's and has been active as a performer, composer, teacher, and recording artist. Dr. Kivrak is the proud father of two (grown up) homeschooled children.
Kaprece James, Vice President
Kaprece James, MPA has been working with nonprofit organizations professionally and as a volunteer for 25 years. She has experience writing micro and macro grants for all size organizations and has been writing for over 15 years as a volunteer, employee, and for my own nonprofit. Over the last three years, she has helped secure over $5 million in grants.
Carma Hogue, Secretary
Carma Hogue is a Kentuckian turned Marylander. She was born and raised in Owensboro, KY. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in math from Kentucky Wesleyan College and a Masters degree in Statistics from the University of Kentucky. Growing up in Western Kentucky at that time, with only one sibling and summer heat and humidity that was unbearable, allowed for a lot of unplanned time. The empty time was filled with reading, writing, drawing house plans, playing the piano and clarinet, and of course, math. After the Kentucky era came 41 years at the Census Bureau as a mathematical statistician. Her final position there was Director of Research and Methodology for Economic Programs (i.e. research to improve the economic indicators and the censuses of businesses and governments). In retirement, she is still having new experiences and meeting new people in her church volunteer work and work to help the homeless. Although she has lived in Maryland for two-thirds of her life, she doesn't eat crabs, just recently bought Old Bay, and still bleeds blue during March Madness. In a way, she is back home as many of her family lines landed in Southern Maryland in the 1600s and left to establish Catholic settlements in Kentucky in the late 1700s. She is looking forward to this next adventure with the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center.
Jen Mannino, Treasurer
Jennifer Mannino grew up in San Diego, CA and has since moved around the country having the opportunity to experience different communities with her husband’s military career. Landing in Southern Maryland, she is excited to be part of this outstanding organization. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California, as well as her CPA license. She has been a financial statement auditor with KPMG, opining on financial statements of companies large and small, public and private. She was then the business integrations accounting manager for Petco Animal Supplies, focusing on acquisition and integration accounting in addition to financial reporting and compliance requirements. Choosing to homeschool her children, Jennifer took a step back from the corporate accounting arena to help run her family’s real estate business and educate her children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trips with her family, and on the rare occurrence, riding horses and utilizing her pilot license to fly planes.
Carrie Buswell, Public Relations
Carrie grew up in a rural New England town and settled down in Charles County, Maryland after getting married in 1999. With degrees in Biology and Engineering, she has 20 years of experience in research and project management in the environmental field. As the mom of a school-aged child, she served multiple years as president of the Parent Teacher Organization and currently volunteers with her family as raptor caretakers at the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Center. Her son Jeremy, a rising 9th grader, has taken piano lessons with Georgia Bonney and trumpet lessons with Philip Bonney. She has witnessed firsthand the progression of what began as Ms Georgia’s Musical Beginnings to the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, and is excited to be involved in the continued growth and outreach of this welcoming creative place.
LaToya Brassell, Academic Events Coordinator
LaToya Brassell is a seeker of knowledge and truth. She has a desire to help people live to their fullest potential. She earned a master's degree in Practical Theology from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA. She has worked with diverse populations in her roles as chaplain, youth minister, academic advisor and health and spirituality consultant. She has been a homeschool educator for the last five years. She utilizes ancient wisdom, history, and vetted resources to develop her curriculum. She believes the desire for learning is wired into the human spirit. If we nurture that desire when children are young, they will be lifelong scholars.
Piper Scott
After receiving my BA in Comparative Area Studies from Duke University I served as a rural health care agent with Peace Corps in Senegal. I completed my MA in African and African-American Studies at Ohio State University, where I also worked as a study abroad instructor in Senegal and South Africa. Following graduate school, I worked as an instructor with Where There Be Dragons, leading students on backpacking trips throughout West Africa. After I moved to Waldorf and my daughter was born in 2011, I became a stay-at-home, homeschooling parent, but also found time to volunteer with several local non-profits. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Our Place Waldorf Soup Kitchen, serve as Vice-President of the Figure Skating Club of Southern Maryland, volunteer as a Girl Scout troop leader, and my daughter and I routinely care for homeless kitties as volunteers with Rescue Angels of Southern Maryland. In my free time, I enjoy camping and hiking with my family, traveling to national parks, and combing beaches for treasures.
Desirae Williams, Fundraising Coordinator
I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. I graduated from Towson University in 2002 with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Management. I began my banking career with SecurityPlus FCU (formerly SSA Baltimore FCU) in 2003. Then I realized that I wanted to learn more about banking and I enjoyed what I did so I took the next step to join a community bank, currently Fulton Bank. I stayed with Fulton Bank for 14 years where I learned how to develop and assist small business owners with managing their cash flow and growing their business. I developed a network of resources so that I can assist small business owners with various parts of their business. In 2016, I moved to Accokeek, MD and then joined BB&T in 2019. I would say that the fine arts is what I consider my foundation. I studied music since I was 7 years old. I played the clarinet and saxophone every year while attending school. I even graduated from Baltimore School for the Arts where I spent half of every day studying music theory, soprano and alto saxophone. When I graduated from high school, I then minored in music at Towson and studied jazz voice. I have a passion for the fine arts that I don’t think will ever go away.
In my spare time, I am an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star which is non-profit charitable organization. I currently serve in various roles including treasurer/secretary. We are actively involved in community service projects to raise funds for scholarship initiatives, feeding the homeless, Veteran assistance, and so much more!
As you can see I enjoy working in the community and working with fine arts so I am definitely looking forward to how I can help Neighborhood Creative Arts Center move towards bringing fine arts to the forefront of our community!
Philip Bonney
Mr. Philip has performed with his horn throughout the world, as a soloist, orchestral player and recording artist. He was trained by the great masters of horn while earning his Bachelor’s of Music at Indiana University, his Masters of Music at the University of Southern California, and his advanced studies at the Conservatory of Music in Vienna, Austria. He has concertized throughout Austria, China, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia and Croatia and performed with numerous large ensembles including the Utah Symphony, the Tacoma Symphony, and the Vienna Hochschule Orchestra. Philip’s soundtrack recordings include “Cool Runnings” and “The Nightmare before Christmas”.
Since then, Philip has earned Master’s degrees in Geophysics and African Studies at Yale University. He has served as a Foreign Area officer in Sub-Saharan Africa and now works with the Coast Guard.