CAROL MCDONALD
FOUNDER + CEO
@dctwiterati 

Carol is a seasoned activist, change-maker and communications professional based in Washington, DC.

With over 20 years of experience working in and for communities of color, Carol has excelled in leading campaigns rooted in electoral politics, race equity and building inclusive organizations and public narratives. She was the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, a department she created in 2011 that focuses on African American and Latino community engagement.  She is now a partner at 76 Words, a firm that turns campaign strategies into television, radio and online communications to elect Democrats and support progressive causes.

ANGÉLIQUE ROCHÉ EXECUTIVE AMERITAS + CHIEF STORYTELLER @AngeliqueRoche

Angélique Roché, is an attorney, professional host, moderator, voiceover artist, journalist, and content creator. As a writer and photographer, Angélique has contributed to NBC News, Black Girl Nerds, Syfy Wire, Marvel.com, Nerdist, and Rewire News. Prior to working as a full-time consultant, Angélique created communications infrastructures and crafted narratives for organizations and various issue campaigns. Most recently, she was the VP for External Affairs at the Ms. Foundation for Women. In addition, she has provided strategic storytelling, influencer engagement, branding, and infrastructure consulting local, state and national organizations and campaigns both nationally and in New York, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, California, Virginia, and Benin, Africa. She has a BA in Mass Communications from Southern University and A & M College, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center and a Legal Letters Masters from The George Washington Law School.

JAMIL HAMILTON CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Jamil has a wealth of diverse professional and management experience. Beginning his career as an architectural designer, later transitioning into the fields of management, finance and hospitality, with time spent as a real estate securities analyst, more than a decade as a program manager for the Department of Defense, and more recently, in the capital construction division of the District of Columbia Department of General Services. Before joining the Meridian Solutions team, he was involved in cultural curation for the Langham Group, a multinational hospitality brand. Jamil holds a bachelor of architecture from Howard University and a MS in Real Estate Finance from New York University. He is also a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University and the Berklee College of Music.

ERICA JACKSON
VICE PRESIDENT

Erica is a Black and Mexican Woman from Chicago, IL and has been an effective educator for 8 years, serving as a mentor, teacher and school administrator in Tennessee, Chicago and D.C. She was also the Manager of College Programs for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and led the efforts of The Gathering Spot’s expansion as Membership Director. 

Erica is currently a PhD student with a focus in Business Psychology. She is also focusing on her 2021 children's book launch for black and latinx kids and her mentorship program anticipated to launch in 2022.

Although no longer in the classroom, Erica speaks at Universities about classroom management, culturally relevant teaching and is an avid community member and creative in Washington, DC. She is Co-Founder of the annual H-street 5K in Washington, DC, sits on the board for a K-12 school in SE, as the academic chairperson and is the Cultural curator for Rock Creek Social Club.

JADYN PETTERSON-RAE
VICE PRESIDENT

Jadyn Petterson-Rae is an artist, digital strategist, and communications professional specializing in grassroots organizational amplification and visual storytelling. Before joining the Meridian Solutions team, Jadyn served as the Communications Coordinator at the Ms. Foundation for Women where she focused on brand strategy, external communications, messaging, and public relations. 

As an undergraduate, Jadyn began working at the intersection of feminism, storytelling, and reproductive health as an intern in Arts and Entertainment in Communications at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Jadyn founded the “one-in-five project”, a photo installation that aimed to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault through photography. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a major in Sociology modified with Women and Gender Studies and a minor in Neuroscience.

FERNANDA FERRELL-ZABALA
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

Born in Quito, Ecuador and living as a queer undocumented person in The United States helped shape Fernanda’s passion for fighting injustice and promoting equity. 

Her experience spans from virtual event production and logistics to strategic planning and implementation. Fernanda has previously worked with prominent clients like The Movement for Black Lives and State Voices. Prior to joining the world of advocacy, Fernanda spent over 15 years as an Aerospace Engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and brings with her a unique approach to problem solving. Fernanda has always believed that knowledge is the most powerful tool and has volunteered with many organizations to teach and inspire Black and Brown girls in STEAM related fields.

Fernanda calls Washington DC home where she lives, works, and marches for progressive causes along with her wife Angela and their four kids.

SAVONNA WARD
CREATIVE MANAGER
Insta @ Wardwonder_7

Savonna Ward has been a part of the Meridian Solutions team since October 2019. She is a transplant from the Kansas City, MO area, and moved to Washington, D.C. to study political science and psychology at Trinity Washington University in 2016.  In late spring of 2018, Savonna jump started her career at a political fundraising consulting firm for a year and half.  Planning a host of events for U.S. Senators and House Representatives; this is where she fell in love with event planning.  

Savonna has a deep passion for creative arts, writing and music, especially where they intersect human rights advocacy. During her time at Trinity Washington University she was a published writer for  Huffington Post college editors.  She is a 7 year activist for Black Lives Matter. As well as DREAMer’s Alliance , the lgbtqia+, suicide prevention & mental health  and womens rights issues.  

In her free time you can catch Savonna creating playlist’ and DJing mixes and working on a number of other creative content projects, or cuddling with her dog.