Board Leadership
Stef C (SHE/HER)
President
Stefanie is a New York native who cheered through high school in addition to a few years of competitive cheer. She moved to the DMV area after graduating from NYU with a degree in Construction Management and currently works on construction sites with a general contractor. She recently competed with teammates at the annual Sin City sporting event in Las Vegas in the group stunt division, a part of the self-titled “Chaotic Emos” group. Previously serving numerous positions on the board, Stefanie is excited to help Cheer DC grow and to continue to give back to the community now returning as President.
MANUEL M (HE/THEY)
Vice President
Manuel (Manny) has been a part of the Cheer DC family for several years and is excited to take on this role for Season 9. They are originally from Georgia but call DC home now, and teaches in a local DC school. Manny is active in the DC Drag community, leading the annual Mx. Cheer DC, and was crowned as Mx. Latinx Pride for the 2024 Pride Season. Follow @_mariconcarne on Instagram to check out one of their shows. Manny is a proud dog dad with a very supportive and goofy pitbull named Papas, or potato, or Papachon… etc.
Gabby E. (She/her)
Secretary
Originally from sweet home Alabama, Gabby made the move to Washington, DC for school—and 12+ years later, she’s still here and proudly calls it home! After missing her cheer days at American University, she jumped back into the sport by joining Cheer DC in Season 6. Now as secretary, Gabby is excited to keep supporting the team and showing up for the local LGBTQIA+ community!
MAYOWA O (SHE/HER)
Treasurer
Mayowa has always loved the art of dance and music and is so excited to use cheerleading to support a mission she cares about deeply. A longtime member of Cheer DC, Mayowa is also a key member of the Cheer DC pom team. She also competed with teammates at the annual Sin City sporting event in Las Vegas in the group stunt division, a part of the self-titled “Chaotic Emos” group. A DMV native, she now works as an engineer and uses her experiences to support STEAM education in the region.
Sam c (SHE/HER)
Director of Fundraising
Originally from Virginia, Sam has been involved in cheerleading since childhood. After moving to D.C. and earning a Master’s in Public Policy, she has focused her work on advocacy with a strong commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. As Director of Fundraising, Sam leads efforts to support the team’s mission to uplift and give back while fostering inclusion and pride across the D.C. area.
EMILY C (SHE/HER)
Director of Communications
Emily has cheered all her life and was SO excited to join a community that represents her and supports causes important to her. A Nevada native, she now considers DC home. She has degrees in criminology, counseling, and public policy. She enjoys spending hours scrolling on social media and as such is excited to put her doom scrolling hobby to use in this position. She recently competed with teammates at the annual Sin City sporting event in Las Vegas in the group stunt division, a part of the self-titled “Chaotic Emos” group. Emily works in politics but considers dog mom her favorite role.
Lori I (SHE/They)
Director of Membership
Lori is a lifelong cheerleader originally from Long Island, NY. She now lives in DC with her wife and their two goofy puppies. Lori is a former middle school cheerleading coach, an amateur woodworker, and the subject of Daytime Emmy-nominated documentary “Bean.” She has been with Cheer DC since 2019, and she cares deeply about supporting its members and mission.
Lori generally uses she/her or they/them pronouns, except when she’s in drag.
ERICA M (SHE/THEY)
Director of Community Engagement
Erica is originally from Chicago but has been living in DC for 8 years. Having no family in the area, she joined Cheer DC in Season 7 and has loved it ever since. Erica is a full-time counseling student. She is a member of the Phi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., further embodying her commitment to serving communities in the DC area.
HAYLEY D (SHE/HER)
Director of Events
Hayley has a PhD in Molecular Oncology and currently works at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Bioinformatics and Computational Science Directorate. Hayley formerly cheered at the University of Pennsylvania, and is honored to continue supporting Cheer DC in this role. Hayley is also currently on the Board for the Pride Cheerleading Association (PCA).
Kiona O. (She/Her)
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Kiona Owens is a seasoned DEIA practitioner with over 15 years of experience leading organizational change across government, international affairs, and the creative economy. Her work centers on dismantling systemic structural barriers, implementing sustainable change management strategies, and fostering respectful, inclusive, and safe environments. As Director of DEIA for Cheer DC, Kiona brings a systems-thinking approach to institutional accountability and culture-building.
Juli W (SHE/HER)
Pride Cheerleading Association (PCA) Delegate
Juli has lived and cheered all around the world, coaching high school level teams in Germany and recently joining coaching staff at a local DMV high school. She has been a part of the team for two seasons and is excited to represent Cheer DC this year as PCA delegate!
When not voluncheering, she loves reading romance, being a foodie, traveling, and listening to BTS!
Coaching Staff
NEIKA S (SHE/HER)
Head Coach
Neika and her family relocated to DC from Italy, where she coached competitive high school cheer. An incredibly talented photographer and dedicated fitness buff, Neika has also started student teaching, adding one more item to her long list of successes. Her passion for fitness and detail have been great assets to the Coaching Staff at Cheer DC.
