Our Team

Meet Our Board Members

NCAF is governed by an elected, volunteer Board of Directors composed of Executive Directors of Community Action Agencies, ten of whom represent one of the ten Community Action Regional Associations and an eleventh who is elected as an At-Large Member by NCAF membership.

Region I Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont
Sharon Scott-Chandler – Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. in Boston, MA 

Region II New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
Adrian Fassett, President – Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. in Patchogue, NY 

Region III District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia
Jim Wansacz – Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA in Scranton, PA

Region IV Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee
Belva Dorsey-Mott – Enrichment Services Program in Columbus, GA 

Region V Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin
Janice Warner, Treasurer – Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron, and Richland Counties, Inc. in Sandusky, OH

Region VI Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
Bill Powell, Jr. – South Plains Community Action, Inc. in Levelland, TX

Region VII Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Darin Preis – Central Missouri Community Action in Columbia, MO

Region VIII Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming
Jennifer Godfrey – Utah Community Action in Salt Lake City, UT

Region IX Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Trust Territories
Robert Piper – Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc. in Honolulu, HI

Region X Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
Danielle Garbe Reser – Blue Mountain Action Council in Walla Walla, WA

At Large Elected nationally by NCAF members
Harold Rice, Jr – CEDA in Chicago, IL

Meet Our Staff

DAVID BRADLEY
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
davidbradley@ncaf.org

For more than 30 years, David Bradley has been one of Washington’s leading advocates on behalf of low-income programs. In 1981, David helped found the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF). As a private non-profit organization funded solely by non-governmental contributions, NCAF represents funding and policy interests of the nation’s 1000 Community Action Agencies before Congress and the Executive Branch. David currently acts as NCAF's Chief Executive Officer.

In this role at NCAF, David was the primary architect of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). Besides the CSBG, David’s legislative activities include the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Head Start and job training programs.

In an age in which partisan gridlock is too often the norm, David has shown an uncanny ability to make poverty issues a concern to both parties. After facing elimination in the 1995 House Republicans’ Contract with America, David was able to work with key House Republican leaders to ensure CSBG funding procured the largest percentage increase received of any domestic program in FY 1997. In his role at NCAF, David has also helped power CAPLAW, a legal resource center for the Community Action Agencies (CAA) network and CAPPAC, a Political Action Committee.

In addition, David Bradley has helped foster a unique partnership between the private sector and the CAA network. His work with Exxon-Mobil provided first hand job training to thousands of workers. His development of a graduate program in Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University has allowed numerous students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree affordably.

Prior to joining NCAF, David worked in Congressional Affairs at the Small Business Administration under President Jimmy Carter.  He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from George Washington University. In 1987, he was a Senior Executive Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.

He and his wife Nancy reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia. David’s passion for politics and poverty is matched by his interest in reading and baseball. David is part owner of a number of minor league baseball teams including the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies; the Bowie Baysox and the Frederick Keys, both in the Orioles System; and the Biloxi Shuckers the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A franchise.

David’s mentor, Sargent Shriver, perhaps described David’s advocacy best when he wrote “no one has done more to keep the War on Poverty fresh in the hearts and minds of individuals than David Bradley.”

TARA CLARK
Chief of Staff
taraclark@ncaf.org

Tara has been with NCAF since 2013. As NCAF’s Chief of Staff, Tara helps David manage all of NCAF’s operations and activities. Originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Tara received her Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University's James Madison College, with a major in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. In 2008, she organized for Schauer for Congress (MI-07). After the successful campaign, she continued her career in Cong. Mark Schauer's District Office predominately working with the veteran, immigrant and labor communities on relevant issues. Prior to joining NCAF, Tara received a Master of Public Policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, at the University of Virginia, during which time she worked in New Orleans, LA as a consultant for Good Work Network, a nonprofit that seeks to expand the local economy by building minority and women owned businesses. In 2012, The Virginia Policy Review published Tara’s policy paper “Detroit’s Empowerment Zone: Evaluation of Success.”

Tara resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, Pete, and 2 children, Booker and Charlie. She enjoys spending time with her kids, playing hockey, learning French, reading and cooking.

MARAH BURT
Special Assistant to the CEO
marahburt@ncaf.org

Serving as the executive assistant to the CEO, Marah provides administrative support to David including managing his schedule, handling communication and facilitating smooth functioning of daily operations. Born in Massachusetts, she moved to Arlington V.A. to attend Marymount University where she received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Politics with a minor in International Relations. Marah was first an intern and student assistant for NCAF and after graduating joined the team full-time as Executive Assistant to the CEO. She currently lives in D.C. with a pet bunny where she enjoys reading, traveling, nature and spending time with friends and family.

RUHNA KHAN
Community Action Program Liaison
ruhnakhan@ncaf.org

As the Community Action Program Liaison, Ruhna is responsible for maintaining communication between the network and NCAF. Previously, she was an intern and student assistant for NCAF, and after graduating, joined the staff full-time in May 2022. Ruhna graduated from Marymount University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science. She currently lives in Ashburn, Virginia with her family. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.

CARLA VERKOREN
Operations Manager
carla@ncaf.org

Carla Verkoren, born in the Netherlands, joined NCAF in March 2014. As Operations Manager, she is responsible for all of NCAF’s operational activities. She is also NCAF’s main fundraising contact, in which capacity she remains in close contact with the network for everything from invoices for the NCAF CAPFacts subscriptions to CAP-PAC events. Carla has a bachelors degree in Office Management and has over 15 years of experience in supportive functions in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Carla lives in Fairfax, Virginia with her husband and two girls. She enjoys cooking Indonesian food and collecting Japanese woodblock prints.