Our Leadership Staff

Jamal Berry is the President and CEO of Educare DC, where he has demonstrated a relentless commitment to advancing early childhood education since he joined the organization in 2013 as an infant and toddler Mentor Teacher. Over the years, Mr. Berry has ascended through the ranks, serving as school director and vice president of programs, before taking on his current leadership role. His extensive experience in early childhood development and leadership has propelled Educare DC to achieve high-quality program ratings and accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Barbara Ledyard joined Educare DC in August 2020 as vice president of finance and administration. In this role she serves on the senior leadership team with direct responsibility for finance, human resources, procurement and compliance management. With 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration, Ms. Ledyard brings non-profit expertise in administering federal contracts, fiscal oversight, outcomes measurement, capacity building, operational processes, training and technical assistance. Her work has intentionally centered around anti-poverty programming and she is an advocate of two-generational approaches to reducing poverty. Prior to her current position, Ms. Ledyard served as senior program manager with the Housing and Homeless Division of Catholic Charites, ensuring fiscal, operational, and administrative program compliance of permanent supportive housing programs.  Prior to Catholic Charities, she served as project director at the Community Action Partnership providing fiscal oversight of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program which focused on housing homeless veterans and their families.  As part of this role, she also assisted with the coordination and provision of training and technical assistance to a national network of over 1,000 Community Action Agencies.  Ms. Ledyard also previously served as senior support manager with Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency where she ensured Head Start program compliance with Federal Performance Standards.  Her past experiences also include leading agency-wide initiatives centered on community needs assessments, program evaluations, racial equity, community collaborations, and strategic planning.  Ms. Ledyard earned both a Master of Science in Public Policy and Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Jackson State University, Jackson, MS.   

Ronnell Nathaniel joined Educare DC as our vice president of programs in December 2022. Previously, she served as vice president of early learning support and transitions for Acelero Learning and was instrumental in shaping the Perth Amboy, NJ site into a flagship center. In 2013, Ms. Nathaniel was promoted to director of education, supporting the program’s District Collaboration Centers. While working at Acelero Learning, she worked in diverse roles ranging from director of monitoring and compliance to interim co-executive director that provided her with a comprehensive perspective on Head Start programs. In 2015, Ms. Nathaniel transitioned to the Shine Implement Team as director of early learning support and transitions and was later promoted to the senior director of early learning support and transitions. That experience honed her belief that high-quality early childhood education is critical for every child. With Shine Early Learning, she assisted with several startups and mentored several Implement Partners to successfully CLASS reviews. Given her proven knowledge and expertise, Ms. Nathaniel was appointed as the vice president of early learning support and transitions. She has presented at National Head Start Association conferences and the Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) panel Preschool: From the Capital to the Classroom. Ms. Nathaniel was also the recipient of the City College of New York’s early childhood education program award for “Outstanding Professionalism and Leadership” and “Excellence in Early Childhood Education.” Ms. Nathaniel holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Delaware State University and a master’s degree in early childhood education from the City College of New York.

Richard Nduma joined Educare DC as the Finance Director in September 2022. He brings over 18 years of demonstrated experience in non-profit financial management, including auditing, internal controls, fiscal operations, and budget management.  In his current role, Richard oversees internal financial operations for the organization and plays a critical role in partnering with the Executive Leadership Team in strategic decision making. 

Prior to joining Educare DC, Richard worked as a Senior Project Finance Manager at World Learning where he was the financial point person for various Education and Exchange projects totaling over $40 million. Richard oversaw the comprehensive execution of financial awards from proposal development to closeout.  His duties also included developing fiscal policies and procedures for new programs, financial reporting to donors, budget preparation for new awards and modifications to existing awards.  Additionally, Richard was responsible for review of project expenditures to ensure compliance and led program audits.  He also supervised, trained, and guided various levels of finance staff. 

Prior to his position at World Learning, Richard served as Finance Director at Counterpart International, a USDA funded Food for Education project in his native country of Cameroon.  He also previously served as Project Accountant at Counterpart International, Accountant at Heifer International, and Senior auditor at Otis & Associates, PC, Certified Public Accountant & Management Consultants.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Buea and a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Strayer University. 

Swetha Gupta joined Educare DC as the Senior Director of Development in January 2025. She brings over 12 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, having led development efforts at organizations with budgets ranging from $1M to $80M. 

Prior to joining Educare DC, Ms. Gupta held key leadership roles in development where she shaped strategy and implemented multi-channel fundraising initiatives. Her work has
always been guided by a data-informed, relationship-centered approach aimed at building long-term donor engagement and increasing support for mission-driven work. Over the course of her career, she has contributed to the fundraising success of global, national, and local nonprofit organizations.

At Pratham USA, Ms. Gupta led fundraising and chapter engagement across both the Boston and Mid-Atlantic Chapters, where her leadership contributed to 36% and 59% growth, respectively. While serving as the National Director of Resource Development at Hostelling International USA (HI USA) and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Ms. Gupta oversaw the organization’s development strategy driving revenue growth and surpassing goals across direct mail, HI USA’s virtual fundraiser, and the end-of-year campaign. Her tenure at Junior Achievement of Georgia, Make-A-Wish Georgia, and United Way of Greater Atlanta provided valuable exposure to innovation, creative strategy, and best-in-class industry practices – experiences that continue to inform and shape her approach to development and nonprofit leadership.

Ms. Gupta is inspired by the belief that “what you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make” (Jane Goodall quote). She is passionate about advancing the work of mission-driven organizations through thoughtful, strategic fundraising.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government & International Studies and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

Georgia S. Thompson is the Senior Director of Professional Development for Educare, Washington DC. In this role, Georgia provides oversight for the professional development department and leads Educare DC’s internal and external training initiatives to ensure staff are trained and supported to offer high-quality comprehensive services to children and families. Georgia is also an adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia’s Community College helping to prepare Early Childhood Educators seeking to advance their knowledge and skills.

Prior to joining the Educare Washington DC team, Georgia served as Senior Program and Policy Analyst for Nemours Children’s Health in their National Office of Policy and Prevention in Washington, DC. At Nemours Children’s, Georgia supported initiatives aimed at improving health and wellness outcomes for young children ages birth through five and their families. Prior to joining Nemours Children’s, Georgia served as the Vice-President of Programs and Affiliate Network for the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI). In this role, Georgia led the Programs Department and supported the organization’s National Affiliate Network in nearly 30 communities across the country, equipping them to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based, culturally-relevant, and trauma-informed programming for children ages birth to eight and their families.  

Georgia has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) over 20 years, beginning as a preschool teacher and advancing to roles in public education, professional development and continuous quality improvement, project management, and higher education. Georgia is an experienced trainer and facilitator, having trained and presented on early childhood topics at the state, national, and international levels. In 2015, Georgia was recognized as one of South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Black Leaders. In 2016, she was awarded Florida State University’s “Notable Nole” Young Alumni Award and in 2022 was selected as one of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Ideas Health Fellows.

Georgia has contributed to publications such as The Atlantic, Kansas Child Magazine, and Current Opinions in Pediatrics. In 2022, Georgia released her own publication, a children’s book titled My Promise to You to promote social-emotional development in young children. Georgia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University where she majored in Child Development. Additionally, Georgia holds a Master of Science degree in Human Services with a focus on Family Systems and Support from Nova Southeastern University. Georgia is an advocate for high-quality education for all children, recognizing it all begins with a firm foundation in the early years.