Leadership

Deborah Shore

Executive Director and Founder

As founder and executive director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Deborah Shore has led groundbreaking work in youth and family service development in the District of Columbia. Her vision for empowering at-risk and homeless youth through a competency-based approach to counseling and supportive services has been enhanced through the recruitment and training of an exceptional staff and the development of strong management systems to ensure that SBY’s work meets the highest standards of quality and cost-effectiveness. Ms. Shore has received several awards for her leadership in the nonprofit sector.  In 2012, she was given the prestigious Champions of Change Award from the White House for her ongoing work in preventing youth homelessness. In 2014, Shore was inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame in recognition of her historic contributions to civic and community development in the nation’s capital. Washingtonian Magazine also cited Shore’s leadership by designating her as a 2016 Washingtonian of the Year.

Eddy Ameen

Chief of Community Programs

Eddy Ameen, PhD, serves as the Chief of Community Programs, overseeing the leadership and direction of the Sasha Bruce teams and initiatives promoting health, lifeskills, workforce, and education for DC area youth and families. He has a BA in Psychology from Northwestern University, a MA in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College, a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami, and he completed his psychology internship in the DC Superior Court’s juvenile division. Dr. Ameen spent 8 years at the American Psychological Association, where in his latest role he oversaw the organization’s graduate student and early career unit, representing 40,000 emerging leaders in psychology in policy matters, conducting social-justice oriented research, and creating programs and resources to advance professional development. He was a 2015-2021 board member (and three-term chair) of StandUp for Kids, a national homeless youth organization which provides street outreach, housing support, and other youth services in 18 cities across the US. For 3 years, he was also executive director of its Miami chapter.

Dr. Ameen formerly chaired a LGBTQ youth advocacy coalition which successfully changed D.C. laws and policies to ban conversion therapy in minors, improve K-12 health education standards, require suicide prevention training of school personnel, and require cultural competency training of all licensed healthcare providers. He also co-facilitated the District’s first community-driven plan to end youth homelessness. As a volunteer, he conducts psychological evaluations for asylum seekers, serves as a court appointed special advocate for a child in foster care, and organizes mutual aid efforts in DC’s Ward 4 where he lives with his partner.

Jill Nelson

Chief of Finance and Operations

Prior to joining Sasha Bruce in 2020, Ms. Nelson was the Chief Financial Officer of Education Week, the nation’s premier publication about K-12 education; a mission-driven non-profit.  During her 15 year tenure, she was an integral member of the senior leadership team that transformed Ed Week from a traditional print publisher to a very entrepreneurial digital media organization.  In her role, she oversaw finance, accounting, and investments, and helped shepherd the launch of several new products, including EdWeek Market Brief, Education Week’s business intelligence service.  

Prior to Education Week, she was the Vice President of Finance and Administration at a technology start-up, which developed training simulators for medical procedures.  She played a key role in raising $10 million in private equity, corporate, and bank financing, and participated in successful merger negotiations with Immersion Corp, a publicly held company.

Donnell Potts

Chief of Programs

Donnell Potts was promoted to Chief of Programs in 2019.  Prior to this role, Potts directed the Sasha Bruce House emergency shelter.  He began his career in human services in 2004 as a teacher in the family home program at Boys Town.  Along with his wife, they cared for more than 80 troubled youth. In 2012, Potts was promoted to Director of Residential Services at Boys Town.  He spearheaded a collaboration with court social services and established the “Cool House” program in the District.  During his career, Potts has received multiple accolades including Most Outstanding Youth Advocate in D.C. from the Consortium of Child Welfare in 2008, the P.G. County Outstanding Advocate, 2015, and Youth Advocate of the Year 2016, from Men of Change.

Danny Rico

Director of Development and External Relations

As Director of Development and External Relations, Rico oversees the organization’s fundraising and communications efforts. Mr. Rico has more than ten years of experience working in the civil rights, education, healthcare, and social justice sectors where he has brought together caring philanthropists looking to make a difference in the lives of others in their community. He is committed to working with donors to help them meet their philanthropic goals, while supporting our efforts to end youth homelessness. Rico lives in Adams Morgan in DC, and is a proud Hoya with a BS and MA from Georgetown University.