Adriana Gómez Schellhaas

Executive Director

A Mexican-American born and raised in the border town of El Paso, Texas, Adriana began volunteering with Casa Chirilagua as an interpreter and mentor in 2011, then joined the staff in 2012. As Executive Director she helps bridge the gap between our families, students, staff, volunteers, churches and school partners. She holds a Bachelors in Theater Arts.

Daniela Jennings

Leadership Pipeline Director

Dani, a true third-culture kid (parents from Colombia and Argentina) hails from Quito, Ecuador where she was the Director of Short-Term Teams & Interns for Misión Mundo Juvenil. Her passion is to empower local leadership and advocate for the marginalized. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Exercise Science and Youth Ministry from North Park University and a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Jon Paramore

Development Director

Rebeca Gore

Director of Youth Leadership

Rebeca grew up in DC and has a passion for youth, ministry, and community development. She brings her experiences as a teacher, AmeriCorp and Peace Corps member to the table along with a love for the Latino community. She holds a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Public Health and Hispanic Studies from the College of William and Mary.

Kate Denson

Director of Volunteer Engagement

Kate is a long-time friend of Casa going back to the prayer meetings of 2007 that led to the founders moving into Chirilagua.  She’s worked as a campus minister with InterVarsity since 2007 leading the DC Justice Program. Casa Chirilagua has been one of InterVarsity’s key partners since 2009. Serving within Casa alongside people she’s labored with for years is a profound honor. She’s married to JR Denson, a DC native and together they have one son Alexander who’s in public school in DC. 

Lauren Wallace

Business Manager

Lauren lived in New Orleans, LA for 20 years before relocating back to Arlington, VA with her husband and family. She joined our staff part time in May 2019 bringing years of experience as a controller for several small family owned companies. She holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors degree in Accounting.

Katherine Posada Membreno

Local Leader

Katherine was a volunteer at Casa Chirilagua before she became a Local Leader. She was the first in her family to graduate high school and was born and raised in the Chirilagua community. She is thrilled to be able to work with Casa to support the community. Katherine loves working with children and she is passionate about child development and educating children for the better good through Christ. In her church she is a Sunday school teacher and participates in her youth group choir. 

Mily Palma

Local Leader

A first-generation Salvadorean-American, Mily was raised and has lived in the Chirilagua community her entire life. Mily was part of Casa Chirilagua’s Casa to College and Bible Study programs for two year. A recent high school grad, Mily is enthusiastic about jumping right into the organization’s mission as a Local Leader supporting Kids Club. She is joyful about what lies ahead as she develops relationships with kids and their families to see the neighborhood transformed by Christ.

Fredy Hernandez

Board Chair

Economist, US Coast Guard

Adriana Gómez Schellhaas

President

Executive Director, Casa Chirilagua

Campbell Vogel

Development Committee Chair

Fundraising and Development Consultant

Ryan Wismer

Vice Chair

Security Director, Chemonics International

Kristopher Klaich

Board Member

Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

Connor Smith

Finance Committee Chair

Engineer, Clark Construction Group, LLC