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Staff Members
Catherine Barnett (Vice President). Ms. Barnett is the Vice President of Project Enterprise and for the past eight years has served as a Branch Manager overseeing Centers in Harlem and the Bronx. Previously, she was a Center Manager responsible for recruiting, training and providing ongoing technical assistance to PE's member entrepreneurs. She has also worked extensively in individual development with Project Enterprise. Ms. Barnett has eight years of experience in marketing and corporate communications. While earning her MBA she designed marketing research plans for several minority and women-owned businesses. Previously, Ms. Barnett was a volunteer with the Sisters Lending Circle program of the Central Brooklyn Partnership, helping the program develop and implement a curriculum, identify necessary financial and community resources, and facilitate weekly meetings of low-income women entrepreneurs in Brooklyn, NY. She is fluent in Spanish and French and holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Marcus Browne (Financial/Program Assoicate) joined Project Enterprise in September 2009. He currently is a first year fellow of Public Allies New York. Prior to joining PE, Marcus went to Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, where he received a Bachelors of Science in Financial Information Analysis & Economics. While at Clarkson he participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters and was the treasurer for the university fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, for 2 years.
Althea Burton(Center Manager) joined Project Enterprise in October,2004. She has an extensive Retail and management background. Althea owned 2 retail stores in the Harlem area for over 10 years, and managed The Body Shop Harlem for over 4 years. She was responsible for building the stores community grant program, and giving 5% of the stores revenue to area non-profit organizations. Althea graduated from the Laboretory Institute of Merchandising in N.Y.C. with a degree in Retail Merchandising. Yvonne Carr (Finance Assistant) joined PE in June 2007 as a member of RESERVE. She assists the Director of Finance with accounts payable and loan payment. Prior to coming to PE, she had an extensive career as a comptroller with the United Nations for many years. She also has a background in education and taught middle-school. Yvonne received a BA in Business from Baruch College. Ronald De La Cruz (Member Services and Outreach Coordinator) joined Project Enterprise in September 2008. He is an alum and second year fellow of Public Allies New York. Before joining PE, Ronald was a Youth Organizer in the community of Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. He worked with high school youth on issues that affected the school and teens education. He currently is enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and is studying Liberal Arts. Beth Dunphe (Director of Development) joined Project Enterprise in the fall of 2001 and is responsible for the stewardship and cultivation of PE's corporate, foundation, bank and government donors. Ms. Dunphe also oversees volunteer and staff recruitment and manages the Americorps VISTA program. Ms. Dunphe coordinates PE's programmatic impact assessment to better track donor and organizational information. She came to PE with two years of program management and development experience with the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition in western Maine where she managed a community health program. Ms. Dunphe graduated from Colby College with a BA in Economics and Environmental Policy and studied environmental management in Queensland, Australia. She recently completed a Masters in Public Administration with a Finance concentration, at New York University and serves on the board of the IMPACT Coalition. Janaye Ingram (Development Associate) joined Project Enterprise in March 2007. She is responsible for maintaining development systems, assisting with cultivation of and communication with potential donors and assisting with events. Most recently she served as Development and Events Coordinator under the AmeriCorps VISTA program. She has a BA in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University and recently graduated from Milano, The New School for Management and Urban Policy, with a MS in Nonprofit Management. Kyle Elizabeth Irwin (Center Manager) joined Project Enterprise in November 2008. Kyle comes to PE with an eclectic background in finance, grass roots international development, and experience working in education. After working as a portfolio analyst in the mortgage servicing rights industry Ms. Irwin decided to take the unconventional route and joined the Peace Corps in Panama. There she worked as a community economic development volunteer, organizing and forming a women’s artisan cooperative in an indigenous community. Kyle also has experience working as a substitute teacher and leader for Visions Service Adventures in the Dominican Republic. She is fluent in Spanish, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with concentrations in Finance and Management. Helen Morgan Tomlinson (Program and Outreach Coordinator) joined PE in October 2007 as a member of RESERVE. She is the receptionist and first contact all clients have with PE, she coordinates outreach in Harlem. Helen recently retired from three decades of service as an administrative assistant for Verizon. She has a Master of Teacher Education from Hunter College and teaches English as a Second Language classes in the evenings.
Vertraille Palmore-Polo (Director of Finance) joined Project Enterprise in June 2002. She is responsible for financial management, reporting and accounting for the organization, and is focusing on improving PE's fiscal systems. Ms. Palmore-Polo most recently assisted in the start-up of her family's business Compound Music Inc. in Queens, NY. As the Business Manager, she helped to develop the strategic and marketing plan for the business, as well as automated their accounting systems. Prior to her entrepreneurial experience, Ms. Palmore-Polo was responsible for grants management at an area university and worked for three years in financial services. She holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton and a Master's of Public Administration from New York University.
Mel Washington is Executive Director of Project Enterprise, a microfinance organization dedicated to providing New Yorkers with training, support and capital to launch and grow their businesses. He has vast experience in the corporate and non-profit arenas, having held executive level positions in Finance, Operations, and Strategy & Planning with top tier firms including AT&T, Salomon Brothers, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank, and nonprofit organizations Human Rights First and most recently, EastWest Institute. Mr. Washington has been actively involved with non-profits throughout his career, and has served on the Boards of several organizations in the New York City Area. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Hale House, an organization providing services to children and families in New York City. He has previously served on the Boards of The Children’s Village, where he was Chairman for five years, the Council of Family and Child Care Agencies, and the American Red Cross of Greater New York. In addition, Mr. Washington was the Co-Founder of the Association of Black Business Students at NYU. Mr. Washington holds an MBA from NYU, a BS from Howard University and has completed the Administration Executive Education Program at Wharton School of Business.
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