Tara Cooksey is the parent of a current JRHS sophomore. She is excited for the opportunity to serve on the PTSO board again next year after being the hospitality chair this year.  She was previously involved with the ADCA and the Janney PTA whilst her son attended those schools. Tara works as a Client Experience Manager and spends her free time cooking, reading, playing tennis, knitting, and cheering for her beloved Clemson Tigers.

Sharon Carothers and her husband, Glenn Cocco, are parents to Riley, a freshman at Jackson-Reed High School. Riley attended Lafayette Elementary and Deal Middle School. As Sharon completes her one-year membership on the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Board, she would like to continue supporting DCPS and focus more time at JRHS. Sharon is Managing Director at Sensis and lives in Chevy Chase, DC.

Chris Heritage is the parent of a JRHS sophomore. Her DCPS adventure began last year when her family relocated to DC. She comes from a military family and has volunteered and worked in schools for the past 20-plus years. She has an administrative background and has held treasurer positions for several organizations, including serving as co-treasurer for the PTSO. Before that, she was the treasurer at MacArthur Middle School in Ft. Meade, MD, and the treasurer forthe  Meade Booster Club at Meade High School. Chris and her family live in the Mt Vernon neighborhood.

Vivienne Azarcon has lived in multiple DMV neighborhoods —Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Adams-Morgan, and Tenleytown (as well as Springfield and Bethesda!). She was born in Iowa but spent her formative years in the Philippines. Both of Vivienne’s kids have attended DCPS all the way through; she and her husband, Jamie Koppersmith, have a rising senior at JRHS, and a college junior who also went to Janney, Deal, and Walls. At Janney, Vivienne was co-editor of the PTA newsletter and a room parent. She currently works on development for a nonprofit arts organization. Vivienne and Jamie share co-parenting duties for a talkative Samoyed.

Amy Hall has served in several PTSO roles over the years while her three children (’17,’21, and ’26) attended the school. She particularly enjoyed getting to know the Jackson-Reed community while on the board and helping promote all of the fabulous activities that go on both inside and outside of the school walls. This will be her last term on the board, as her son will be graduating next year.

Lisa Jordan has served the PTSO this past year as a Class of 2027 parent representative. Her son Jordan is a rising 11th grader at JRHS. Jordan attended elementary and middle school at Oyster Adams, where his sister India is a rising 8th grader who plans to attend JRHS. Lisa grew up in India, Bangladesh, and Egypt, and moved to DC after college. She is a writer, editor, and yoga teacher. Her husband, Nick Woodfield, is an employment lawyer.

Maurice (Mo) Sawyer and his wife Moniqua are proud parents of a junior at JRHS. Their daughter Campbell previously attended Deal Middle School and Shepherd Elementary School. Their son Reese is a Class of 2024 graduate of JRHS. Maurice found joining the PTSO Board to be a rewarding experience. It allowed him to act as a catalyst for revitalizing Jackson-Reed gear. He has volunteered with all the schools his children have attended and is excited and energized to support the PTSO in their fundraising goals!

Susan Pultz is the mother of a rising senior at Jackson-Reed. She served on the PTSO last year as a fundraising co-chair and the year before as a parent representative for the Class of 2026. Susan works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the Chief of Regulatory Programs in the Office of Habitat Conservation. She believes strongly in public education and that everyone must pitch in, as they’re able, to make our schools the best they can be for our children and our community.

Melissa Gragert is mama to a 10th grader and an incoming 9th grader at Jackson-Reed. She has been active the last decade in multiple PTO roles at Mann ES and Hardy MS. When not parenting, Melissa is a psychotherapist in private practice who specializes in trauma and addiction. She is excited to get to know the JRHS community and be of service. Melissa has spent 20 years in DC, which has been an incredible home for her family, who lives in Spring Valley.

Daniel Okonkwo and his wife, Lauren, along with Candice Landolina, are parents to a rising freshman at JRHS. Their son, Miles, attended Deal for middle school and EL Haynes and Friends Community School for elementary. Daniel has been involved with the ADCA at Deal for the last three years and is looking forward to supporting the school community at JRHS. Professionally, Daniel is an attorney with a background in nonprofit management, policy, and advocacy. He currently works in corporate responsibility at JPMorgan Chase where he leads their strategy in the Mid-Atlantic. Daniel loves working with young people and uses some of his spare time to coach basketball. Daniel and his family, including two more future Tigers, live in Shepherd Park.

Danielle Burwell has a son who is currently a Junior at JRHS, and a daughter who is in 8th grade at Alice Deal Middle School. Danielle has volunteered extensively in her community with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., through her membership with Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and with the ADCA at Deal. Professionally, she is a speech-language pathologist who has spent most of her career helping to improve the communication and feeding skills of school-aged children, infants, and toddlers. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, family trips to Martha’s Vineyard, and walking the family’s dog, Shadow. Family, community, and education are extremely important to Danielle, and she looks forward to serving the JRHS community through the PTSO.

Hillary DeNigro is the parent of a rising senior and a 2024 grad. Her children previously attended Deal and Janney, and she has been a neighbor to the high school in Tenleytown for over two decades. She has served as the PTSO representative to the LSAT for the last three years, working to inform and coordinate the efforts of each group. She also assisted as an 11th-grade parent representative this year. Professionally, she is an attorney and Deputy Bureau Chief at a federal agency where she provides consultative, advisory, and management services on a variety of highly specialized and technical matters.

Amy Hall has served in several PTSO roles over the years while her three children (’17, ’21, and ’26) attended the school. She particularly enjoyed getting to know the Jackson-Reed community while on the board and helping promote all of the fabulous activities that go on both inside and outside of the school walls. This will be her last term on the board, as her son will be graduating next year.