Ricard McBride (Chair)
Wayne Rauch
Shaun English
Mark Sullivan
Staff Liaisons: Jennifer Rosser
Financial Consultant: Steve Dorman w/Washington Financial

Charter

Oversee the financial reporting process to ensure the balance, transparency, and integrity of published financial information; review and report on the effectiveness of the Club's internal financial controls and risk management system; monitor the independent audit process, including recommending the appointment and assessing the performance of the external auditor; and oversee the Club's process for monitoring compliance with laws and regulations affecting financial reporting and its code of conduct.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Advise the Board of Governors on our response to the results of the 2024 Audit and our communications to the membership
• Focus on risk profile and develop checklist of key items and associated timeline throughout the year
• Identify past and present recommendations and best practices that should be implemented
• Provide recommendations throughout the year that will help position the Club for a successful audit at the end of 2025

BOG Audit Committee composed of Board of Governors

Pam Rypkema, Chair 
Joe Cattaneo
Erik Olstein                         

Audit Advisory Group composed of Club members

Elliot Antokas, Lead
Dr. Sophie Christman
Stephen Downs, Staff Liaison 

Charter

To provide advice to the University Club staff on how communications can be used to improve engagement with the membership. The committee will also provide advice on external marketing materials, within the marketing and advertising limitations of a 501 c7 private club, including print, web-based, and social media content.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Working with the Communications Director, help guide the Club’s overall messaging strategy while utilizing data to review the effectiveness of current Club communications products and mediums, including the UClub news, Athletic news, public website, marketing materials and social media.
• Support the Communications Director to scrub social media to remove outdated information about the Club, especially previous leadership, and set up clear processes for administering UClub posts, maintenance.
• Continue to educate other committees and club leaders on best practices related to event promotion and messaging to ensure the broader membership is receiving relevant information through a variety of channels and platforms.
• Work with management to support key strategic priorities over the next year, including but not limited to recruitment and retention, member engagement, promoting outside events, etc.

Communications Committee

Jessamyn Sarmiento, Chair
Cassidy Herrold, Vice Chair
Billy Rielly, Board Advisor
Fabian Milburn
Kevin Brown
Susan Valaskovic
Sarah Castillo, Staff Liaison
Noni Marshall, Staff Liaison

Charter

To extend the Club’s activities into the local community; to support the needs of under-served people; and to enhance our community partnerships.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Continue to support active relationships with community organizations
• Expand committee activities with new organizations, in accordance with committee criteria
• Work with the Foundation and University Club staff to ensure that the events and volunteer opportunities are well-publicized

 

Community Affairs Committee

Eric Fisher, Chair
Shawn Sheehy, Vice Chair
Leslie Ellis, Board Advisor
Joe Cattaneo, Assistant Treasurer, Board Advisor
Kim Baker
BJ Carter
Yoko Lawless
Rhonda Lees
Denise Lew
Andrea Merryshow
Rabia Muhammad
Pranay Raman
James Short
Debra Thornton
Maria Jaramillo, Staff Liaison

Charter

To monitor matters involving the Club’s overall financial interests and to advise the Board of Governors on all matters affecting the Club’s financial well-being; to recommend and monitor fiscal policies; to study and report the Club’s financial trends to the Board of Governors; to review the annual budget for presentation to the Board; to monitor and report adherence/deviations to approved forecasts; to review cash flows for both capital and operating needs and to recommend priorities for major cash outlays.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Focus on routine oversight of 2025 budget versus actuals (and trends/variances), capital and other cash on hand (MPF, Foundation contributions), and status of the Line of Credit.
• Develop cashflow analysis and realistic forecast for remainder of 2025 and determine plan for repaying Foundation bridge loan.
• Focus on increasing revenues from membership, overnight rooms, and events while creating cost efficiencies that do not impact member experience.
• To improve oversight, establish improved financial dashboard for Board and develop quarterly high-level report for membership; implement Jonas a soon as possible.
• Support the Director of Finance in documenting internal controls and the financial policies of the Club.

 

Finance Committee

Mike Jacobson, Treasurer and Chair
Amit Mukherjee, Vice Chair
P.J. Soto
Mark Martinkov
Bret Strogen 
Richard Feuring 
Julia Creighton 
Stephen Downs, Staff Liason 

Charter

To promote fellowship, fitness and fun through athletic and sporting endeavors for Club members including, among others, squash fitness, swimming, lacrosse and golf activities; to support the Golf Subcommittee; to assist management in properly maintaining and improving the Club’s athletic facilities, services and equipment; to plan and conduct intra- and inter-club athletic and sporting events and competition; to select deserving recipients of the Thomas G. Corcoran Award; and to conduct an Annual Athletes Award Dinner to honor and recognize the personal athletic achievements of Club members.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Select the recipient of the Thomas G. Corcoran Award and work with the Committee’s staff liaison and Club staff to plan the award event.
• Coordinate with the Committee’s staff liaison and Club staff to plan and execute the Annual Athletes Award Dinner.
• Engage members through fitness and wellness programs to support the retention of existing members.
• Continue to encourage committee members to recruit new members.
• Work with the committee’s staff liaison to plan events far enough in advance to provide adequate time for promotion and to increase participation where possible. Coordinate with the Squash Committee to ensure activities and events are deconflicted to optimize member participation.

Fitness & Wellness Committee

Jenifer Williams, Chair
Rafael Espinal, Vice Chair
Vince Desiderio, Board Advisor
Jeff Cross
Ana Irene Delgado
Sara Fornaciari
Roderick Johnson
Franciso Martin-Rayo
Christian Martine
Evan Platt
Eliot Rubenzahl
Leighton Watson
Dahhia Johnson, Staff Liaison

Charter

To represent the varied dining and beverage interests of the members by providing feedback to management regarding menu choices and presentation, beverage selection, and service quality.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Support further operations expansion and provide strategic recommendations on how to best differentiate our venues to reach multiple constituencies, from the high-end foodies to long-time members to our younger members who are more price-sensitive.
• Support the Executive Chef and food & Beverage Director by helping them understand the varied constituencies at the University Club.
• Continue to maintain the quality events that the Food & Beverage Committee is known for, including the “taste your wine” events, support of wine dinners with vendors who are in the area, and the standard events, such as New Year’s Eve and the Chef‘s Table.

 

Food and Beverage Committee

Lyle Kellman, Chair
Cynthia Morton, Vice Chair
Barbara Roberts, Board Advisor
Timothy Champney
Eric Dembinski
Thomas Rege
Leighton Watson
Rob O'Keefe
Diana Jeffery
Ittie, Rehani
Vera Ruser
Cecil Wallace
Limi Chan, Staff Liaison

Charter

To conduct regular and periodic reviews of the Club’s organizational and governance documents and to help the Board of Governors ensure that these documents comply with current laws, regulations and best practices; to draft and propose revisions to the organizational and governance documents as may be needed from time to time; and to assist the Club and the Board in interpreting the language of organizational and governance documents, so as to clarify any areas of potential misunderstanding.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Review member categories in the bylaws to both clarify and modernize them, especially in the area of non-residents and diplomatic corps
• Collaborate with the House Committee to review the House Rules, especially to address areas that might need to be added or clarified, e.g., is a member responsible for the behavior of a guest?
• Review the current election process for both the Board of Governors and Board of Admissions to consider whether further bylaw changes are needed

 

Governance Committee

Billy Rielly, Secretary and Chair
Ranjana Mukherjee, Vice Chair
Marilyn Cruz 
Lisa Anne Taylor 
Matthew Elkin 
Vijayakumar Raj, Staff Liaison

Charter

To consider the placement, hanging or display of objects within the Clubhouse. To review House Rules and recommend changes to the Board of Governors; to investigate violations of the House Rules and member conduct and report to the Executive Committee; to assess the condition of the Clubhouse and its contents and report to management any recommended changes; to assist management in the planning and monitoring of Clubhouse renovation or construction projects and to provide recommendations to the Board of Governors.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Facilities team will recommend minor upgrades to the House to contribute to improved member experience and support the GM/COO’s initiatives in this area
• Upgrades to the Taft Dining Room will be explored
• Rules team will support potential revisions to the House Rules based on the Governance Committee’s work on the Board Policy Manual and proposed Bylaw changes
• Rules team will support staff by developing initiatives for a continuous education campaign on dress code

 

House Committee

Chris D’Arcy, Chair of Executive Committee and Chair, House Committee
Rachel Barnett, Vice Chair, Facilities
Eddie Engles, Vice Chair, Rules Subcommittee
Jonathan Black 
Winston Bowman 
Aaron Butler 
CeeCee L. Evans
Naveen Meemanage & Pedro Ruiz, Staff Liaisons

Charter

To offer a supportive environment for the membership’s international intellectual pursuits and curiosities, and to provide engaging and insightful programming that enriches our diverse membership throughout every stage of life. To plan and host ambassadorial events and sponsor programs on international topics for members’ enjoyment and edification. To select deserving recipients of the Club’s Excellence in International Leadership Award.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Partner with Membership Team to develop the premiere Diplomatic Membership Program in Washington DC
• Plan groundbreaking and one-of-a-kind events, while bringing back/ continuing legacy events.
• Collaborate with committees such as Literature & Arts and Ionic for diverse, intellectually stimulating programs.
• Support a wide range of international topics: ambassadorial, business, defense, and cultural.
• Utilize in-person, and hybrid formats; partner with internal and external venues for varied engagement opportunities.
• Create a club within a club community for ambassadors by hosting key networking opportunities for the diplomatic core exclusively.

International Committee

Brandon Brown, Chair
Philip Bay, Vice Chair
Joanne Dunne, Board Advisor
Andrew Goodwin
Harvey Galper
Ryan Colley
Thomas Reich
Kate Jones
Robert Sweeney
Austin Lowe
Ana Irene Delgado 
Nikola Blassingame, Staff Liaison

Charter

To plan and host leadership events and sponsor programs that are of particular interest to women but will appeal to all members for their enrichment and intellectual growth, based on the University Club's four pillars.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Work with the committee’s staff liaison to plan events far enough in advance to provide adequate time for promotion and to increase participation where possible. Network and coordinate with other committees, like the International and Literature & Arts committees, to create a steady cadence of intellectually stimulating programming.
• Create intellectually stimulating programming that appeals to women and supports the Club’s member engagement efforts.

 

Ionic Committee

Denise Lew, Chair
CJ Woods, Vice Chair
Barbara Roberts, Board Advisor
Brittany Awan
Martha Clarke
Monique Hardy
Susanna Hinds
Andrea Merryshow
Panarat Rohleder
PJ Soto
Susan Valaskovic
Noni Marshall, Staff Liaison

Charter

To offer a supportive environment for the membership’s intellectual pursuits and curiosities within literature and the arts, and to provide engaging and insightful programming that enriches our diverse membership throughout every stage of life.  The Committee will endeavor to create a welcoming environment for members to pursue similar interests, to learn about and experience new things, and to build lasting relationships.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Work with the committee’s staff liaison to plan events far enough in advance to provide adequate time for promotion and to increase participation where possible. Network and coordinate with other committees, like the International and Ionic committees, to create a steady cadence of intellectually stimulating programming. 
• Support a diverse range of intellectual pursuits within literature and the arts.  Subject matter may include, but is not limited to, written or visual materials or the performing arts, and it may be focused on the more particular interests of members of different ages or stages of life, membership category, or topics of specialized historical or cultural significance.
• Be innovative and diverse with the delivery of programming.  Consider ways to leverage events at the Clubhouse through strategic internal collaboration and external venues, to leverage technology for virtual lectures and discussions, and to contribute written articles, poems, educational materials and reviews to the Club newsletters, website and library.

 

Literature & Arts Committee

Loraine Vitelozzi, Chair
Michael Holzer, Vice Chair
Pam Rypkema, Board Advisor
Charles Krewson
James Randall
Matthew McClellan
Patrick Swords
Martha Clarke
Barbara Angus
Katherine Gregg
Adriana Ceja
David Cleveland
Ranjana Mukherjee
Nikola Blassingame, Staff Liaison

Charter

To design and implement strategies to achieve the optimum level of membership through recruitment and advocacy. These strategies will address policies and programs to empower existing members to recruit new members and to attract new members through specific events and indirect marketing, to include the public website. The committee will monitor membership recruitment statistics and trends and provide input to the staff and the Board of Governors.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Leverage the existing programs, Corporate Membership Program, the Summer Guest Program, and Legacy Program to achieve membership growth
• Develop well-trained tour guides who can also support the Membership Department on a voluntary basis when needed
• During recruitment activities, emphasize the four pillars and our Club values

 

Membership Development Committee

Brianna Hogan, Chair
Mike Tongour, Vice Chair
Christopher D’Arcy, Board Advisor
Jamie Kassiotis
Susan Hirshberg
John Noble
Scoti Albrecht
Margaret Faso
Logan Yearsley
Mark Smith
Charlotte Perry
Tim Curry
Alexandra Johnson
Brian Lang
Javier Dutan
David An
Bryan Ardouny
Noni Marshall, Staff Liaison

Charter

The Nominating and Leadership Committee will identify and nurture current and future leaders within the University Club and nominate eligible members of the Club with a blend of expertise and skills required to fill available full and unexpired terms on the Club’s Board of Admissions (BOA) and Board of Governors (BOG), as provided in the Club’s bylaws.  The leadership development function of the committee will complement the committee’s role in the nomination process by helping to identify and develop a diverse pool of qualified talent.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

· The committee chair will collaborate with the President and Board of Governors during the process of selecting committee leadership and members for the 2025-2026 governance year.

· The committee will work closely with the Governance Committee to implement refinements to the nominating process.  And, as the first Nominating Committee with the additional responsibility of leadership development, help establish and validate the new process and procedures.

· Conduct a smooth and fair process for nominating well-qualified members to fill openings on the Board of Admissions and Board of Governors. 
 

Nominating and Leadership Committee

Lisa Stewart, Chair 
Jonathan Black
Olivia Dugan
Eddie Engles
Eric Fisher
Laura Davison Shepler
Robin Weaver

Charter

To encourage and facilitate the involvement of the Club’s younger membership with the Club and surrounding community through planning, sponsoring and organizing social, cultural, educational and networking events. To help support and contribute to the Employee Scholarship Fund through funds raised from such events. To promote the social and intellectual environment of the Club in a manner that will attract younger people to join and enjoy the Club.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Work with the committee’s staff liaison to plan events far enough in advance to provide adequate time for promotion, and to increase participation where possible. 
• Focus on PDS’s signature events throughout the year as a way to support the Club’s efforts to retain existing members.
• Continue to encourage committee members to recruit new members.

 

Proctor Dougherty Society Committee

Olivia Dugan, Chair
Daniel Kuhnlein, Vice Chair
Cindy Ziegler, Board Advisor
Alexandra Bryson
Nikhil Cheerharan
Meaghan Hogan
Austin Lowe
Mihiri Rajapaksa
Pranay Raman
Rachel Tripp
Nikola Blassingame, Staff Liaison

Charter

The Reciprocal Committee's mission is to recommend to the Board of Governors the standards and criteria other clubs must meet to gain and maintain reciprocity with The University Club of Washington, DC, to recommend to the Board potential reciprocal clubs, and to identify clubs with current reciprocal relationships that do not meet our standards for reciprocal use.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

 

• Continue to support retention by maintaining and growing our list of reciprocal clubs.
• Leverage non-resident members on the committee who travel extensively to help identify new potential reciprocal clubs and to report on current reciprocal clubs.
• Continue to encourage committee members to share their experiences through University Club publications.

 

Reciprocal Committee

Jeff Cross, Chair
Bryan Mabry, Vice Chair
Erik Olstein, Board Advisor
Isaiah Akin
Leland Carlson
Robert Domagala
Joel Hinzman
Jack Kelly
Frederik Kessner
Leonard Levie
Jeremy Skog
John Ruser
Robin Weaver
Caren Yusem
Sanaa Mehdi, Staff Liaison

Charter

Our mission is to encourage and popularize the game of Squash among members of varying skill levels. We aim to maintain an active Squash Ladder, organize exclusive member tournaments, and host US Squash Sanctioned events. Additionally, we strive to recruit new members and facilitate league play across all levels. We prioritize the upkeep and maintenance of our courts and squash facilities, while promoting camaraderie, good health, and sportsmanship among our members.

Key Objectives for 2025-2026 Governance Year:

• Work with the committee’s staff liaison to plan events far enough in advance to provide adequate time for promotion and to increase participation where possible. Coordinate closely with the Fitness & Wellness Committee to ensure activities and events are deconflicted to optimize member participation.
• Engage members through squash programs to support the retention of existing members
• Continue to encourage committee members to recruit new members
• Continue outside partnerships to expand the University Club program and gain external exposure

 

Squash Committee

Ahmar Abbas, Chair
Emily Black, Vice Chair
Vince Desiderio, Board Advisor
Rohan Bagli
Katie Coleman
Schuyler Cunningham
Chris Fitzpatrick
Zachary Hollandar
Matthew Lowinger
Mary Napier
John Ordway
Alex Quianzon
Abir Ray
Mike Tongour
John Harriss Staff Liaison