Board of Directors

OUR TEAM

Steven C. Cassell

Founder, President and Board Member

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Steven C. Cassell is the Founder and President of The Jake Cassell Fund. Steve founded the organization to honor Jake’s life by sharing his mission of love and empathy to special children and young adults who struggle with autism and other special needs. Steven is a real estate professional who serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Washington, DC-based developer Four Points, LLC and in that capacity has overseen more than a billion dollars of construction and development in the greater Washington, DC area. More importantly, Steve is the father of a special needs child and through that experience has experienced the beauty, innocence, unique perspective and promise that special needs children and young adults provide to their families and communities. Mr. Cassell holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Jennifer J. Cassell

Director of Marketing and Board Member

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Jennifer Cassell is the Founder and creative force behind Cassell Communications. Her agency's expertise spans a wide range of communication mediums, design, branding, collateral, and web development. Jennifer's dedication to delivering outstanding results has earned her the trust and loyalty of a diverse clientele, ranging from startups to established corporations. Outside of her professional pursuits, Jennifer is passionate about giving back to those in need. She ran Project Honduran Child for ten years, allowing over 160 students to attend schools in underserved mountain communities. She currently supports Sunshine Projects, an organization that offers in-house day programming and an online community that serves young adults with learning challenges.

Gerry Dorros

Board Member

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Gerry is a dedicated husband and father of two beautiful children. His oldest, Sarah, is 25 and has autism. Gerry and his wife, Arielle, have spent the last 20+ years navigating the special needs systems in the DMV area and are grateful to the parents that came before and provided much needed support. Gerry is now focused on returning the favor and helping those in the community who are in need.

Gerry is a Managing Director at Sagewind Capital LLC and is based in the Washington, DC region. He has over 20 years of experience investing in and helping to grow companies in the government services and technology space. He was Vice President, Corporate Development at Anteon International for four years where he was responsible for the company’s M&A program. Upon the sale of Anteon to General Dynamics in 2006, Gerry became a founder and Senior Vice President of CoVant Management Inc., a private equity firm focused primarily on the government contracting sector. Prior to joining Anteon, Gerry was an investment banker for over 10 years, including as a Managing Director at Bear, Stearns & Co.

In addition to the Jake Cassell Fund, Gerry sits on the board of The Neighborhood of Maryland, which focuses on providing options for housing and community for young adults with special needs. Gerry previously sat on the board of Integrated Living Opportunities.

Gerry holds a BS in Industrial Economics from Union College and an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Michael O'Hanlon

Board Member

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Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy and budgets, the use of military force, and American national security policy. He directs the Strobe Talbott Center on Security, Strategy and Technology, and is the inaugural holder of the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy. He co-directs the Africa Security Initiative as well. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia and Georgetown universities, and a member of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board; he was also a member of the External Advisory Board at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011-2012. O’Hanlon and his wife Cathy have two daughters, one of whom, was diagnosed with autism in 2004 continues to live with her parents in Bethesda. Together, she and her dad created a club for young adults with autism called Friends on the Move who get together monthly for an outings that typically include an educational activity, hiking, a good meal, and community bonding. O’Hanlon has also held several events at Brookings on autism awareness, policy, and hope.

Michael Schecter

Board Member

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Michael Schecter is an Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Morgan Properties, one of the largest owner/operators of Apartments in the United States. He is one of the key executives involved in its growth strategy, which has helped it to triple in size over the last 15 years. Prior to Morgan Properties, he was in the hotel industry, including working at Marriott International, Inc., and was one of the founders of a Bethesda-based hotel REIT that he eventually helped take public. In his spare time, Mike has been an adult uniformed leader with Scouting America for over 20 years, including being a Cub Master, a Scout Master, and is currently the leader of an annual winter camporee that attracts over 1,000 scouts from Montgomery County, Maryland. Mike had the honor of being Jacob Cassell's Cub Master, Scout Master and Eagle Advisor.

Roger D. Winston

Board Member

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Roger D. Winston the Team Leader in the DC office of the Real Estate Group and also leads the firm's Mixed-Use, Condominium, and Multifamily Development Team at Ballard Spahr. He has practiced real estate law in the Washington, D.C., region for more than 40 years, and has played a key role in bringing numerous significant projects and transactions to fruition both in the region and nationally. Roger has advised and represented many industry-leading developers, investors, and lenders on major projects and transactions in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and throughout the United States.

We need your help.

We need your help to make a difference in the lives of individuals with special needs. Please consider donating to our special needs organization today. Your generosity will help us provide vital resources and support to those who need it most. Together, we can create a brighter future for all. Click the donate button now to make a difference.

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