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Mary is a long-time resident of the Washington area and has spent the majority of her career in government and private sector positions focused on health care issues. She served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate and as Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her responsibilities included numerous issues ranging from Medicare, health reform, to intellectual property and food safety. After a dozen years on Capitol Hill, Mary moved on to senior positions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. She retired a number of years ago from Genzyme Corporation where she served as a corporate officer and Senior Vice President for Government Affairs.
Mary holds a J.D. from Catholic University, an M.A. from Drew University, and a B.A. from Muhlenberg College. Mary is a long-time fan of ballet and is an avid reader, traveler, and loves to cook. Mary has been a board member since 2021.
Mary with New Works Fund Members. Photo: Love Life Photography
Board members Susan Vallon, and Joy Treutel with former board member at
opening night party. Photo: Tanya Green Photography
Joy is a manager at KPMG LLP. Her specialties include audit and advisory services, focusing on the Federal government. She has been in public accounting for more than seven years and has experience with a wide variety of clients. Joy’s passion for the arts began at a young age, with her first art class in middle school. She continued developing her love of art by learning more through theater classes and attending plays and musicals. Living in Washington, D.C., she enjoys visiting local art museums and exploring their permanent and temporary exhibits. Joy brings a love for the arts and accounting experience to the board and Chamber Dance Project.
Joy has been a board member since 2017.
Diane Coburn Bruning and Board President, Mary McGrane. Photo:Love Life Images
Debbi is a Retired Finance Executive for international not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the DC Metropolitan area. She has worked with the German Marshall Fund and Project HOPE as their CFO, Treasurer, and as a Member of their Executive Communities. She has also worked for Marriot International as a VP Financial Analyst, VP Retirement Benefits, and Senior Living Director. Debbi was a Certified Public Accountant and chose to become inactive upon retirement. She holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska and a B.S. from Baker University.
Debbi has had a long-term interest in the arts, including Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Washington Ballet, 1st Stage, Master Chorale of Washington, and Washington Chorus; she supports primarily as a member, attending special events, and some volunteering. She is an active participant with Master Chorale and Washington Chorus as a singer. She is a volunteer Board member of VA United Methodist Pensions, Inc. Debbi is an active community volunteer through church and other local programs. Current areas include food distribution, church choir, membership in human resources and strategic planning committees, and prison ministry.
Debbi has been a board member since 2021.
Susan Vallon has operated her own interior-design business in Washington since 1976. She has designed hundreds of residences, as well as the headquarters of the National Pharmaceutical Council, the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at the National Institutes of Health, and numerous law offices.
Susan has been an active member of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee and in 2017 was co-chair of its annual Craft Show, the most prestigious such event in the nation. She and her husband are members of the Smithsonian Legacy Society, with a special interest in the Hirshhorn Museum. Susan was also a board member of the Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) and Faces of the Fallen, a tribute at Arlington National Cemetery to U.S. soldiers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq. Susan was captivated by contemporary dance in the mid-1970s and has been a season-ticket subscriber since that time. She was formerly a member of the Women’s Committee of The Washington Ballet.
She is also a painter, specializing in pastels, a yoga practitioner, and an accomplished cook. Since 1987 she has been married to Andrew Beyer, a former Washington Post sports columnist and author of books on horse racing, They have traveled extensively together, usually with a focus on art. They have explored galleries in many parts of the world—including Vietnam, Argentina and Australia—to acquire works for their home in Northwest Washington.
Susan has been a board member since 2019.
Board Members Mary McGrane, Yolanda McMillian, Diane Coburn Bruning, and Susan Vallon at ON THE EDGE afterparty. Photo: Tanya Greene photography
Deborah Downey is a graduate of University of South Carolina Law School and began her career in Washington DC. She worked at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law as well as the FERC to work in the regulation and litigation of natural gas law. Deborah and her husband Bruce have raised their family in the DC area with a long-standing appreciation of the fine arts. As a family, the Downeys remain active in attending theatre, ballet, concerts, and museums, both in Washington DC and in New York City. Deborah’s lifelong learning in the arts, her devotion to family, and her career in the legal sector have helped define her role on the Board as an advocate for community engagement to underserved populations by Chamber Dance Project. Deborah is a founding member of our Board in Washington and founded the New Works Fund to support our new works.
Ann Gilbert loves the arts. For over 20 years she was a board member of the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD. She is a council member of Theater J at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center in the District, and in December she will be the honoree at their Gala. She has a degree in Arts Management from American University. As a member of the Cosmos Club, she is in charge of the monthly French group meetings which feature French speakers. Ann attends concerts, ballet performances and plays. For several years, she attended Chamber Dance Project performances and is an enthusiast. She looks forward to serving on the board and introducing friends to our work.
Ann has been a board member since 2023.
Board Members Debbi Iwig, Sheila Stampfli, Yolanda McMillIian, Susan Vallon, Troy Riemer, Guy Williams, and Mary McGrane at ON THE EDGE afterparty. Photo: Tanya Greene photography
Arlene Fleming – Bio for Chamber Dance Project Website
Arlene Fleming is fascinated by dance, especially its modern and experimental forms, as well as folk dance as an expression of traditional cultural behavior and values throughout the world. Dance is a universal language, tapping into emotions with the potential to stimulate aesthetic
sensitivity, empathy and cultural appreciation. With degrees in history, culture, archaeology and communication, Arlene worked in museum
curation and exhibit planning at the Smithsonian Institution and the New York State Museum. She has lectured on archaeology and excavated in Turkey and Italy. At the National Endowment for the Humanities she served as director for project and program evaluation. For three
decades, she advised on policies and strategies for protection and stewardship of material and expressive culture at national and international organizations including UNESCO, the World Bank, the U.S. National Park Service and Department of Defense. Arlene’s volunteer activities have included membership on the Fulbright committee in
Morocco, and on boards of the United Nations International School, the U.S. Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the International Women’s Forum, and Inwood House in New York City. She participates in organizing the Student Peace Awards of Fairfax
County, Virginia, and is a member of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee and the Cosmos Club of Washington D.C.
Sara Froelich has had an extensive career in Washington as a lobbyist and executive for global health care companies and national trade associations. Currently, she is the Vice President of Government Relations and Policy for Akebia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company based in Boston. Previously, she has led government relations for organizations such as Genzyme Corporation, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, and the American Health Care Association. She has been involved in major federal policy developments in the areas of health care, research, tax, and trade.
Sara started her career on Capitol Hill, and served as legislative staff in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. She was recently appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Commonwealth Renal Disease Council.
Sara is a resident of McLean, Virginia and has been a lifelong supporter of ballet and the performing arts. She joined the board in 2024.
Troy is the founder of Red Clay Creative, a team of creative professionals that excels at creating beautiful websites. He’s passionate about helping people and businesses achieve their dreams of success, and has worked with hundreds of businesses to deliver value to their customers. He works to understand the user needs and brings a unique perspective to each project, ensuring that solutions are always customer-focused. Troy believes that hard work, communication, and integrity are integral to any relationship and strives to help businesses with those core values at his foundation.
He originally worked with Chamber Dance Project as their Marketing and Design Director and transitioned to the board at the end of 2021. On the board, Troy will continue building the marketing strategy for CDP so that we are no longer Washington DC’s best-kept secret.
Troy has been a board member since 2021.
Sheila Stampfli is the former President of Courtesy Associates, an international meeting, exhibit and special events firm. As President she led a team of 40 best in class senior professionals including conference and event managers. support technicians, and Courtesy Travel Service agents. Under competitive contracts with major professional organizations and government agencies, the firm produced thousands of meetings throughout the world – gatherings that ranged from a few to 15,000 participants- while maintaining profitability even during two recessions.
Sheila has long volunteered in the economic and cultural life of Washington DC. She is currently serving on the Board of Trustees of Arena Stage, is a member of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, and working on the SWC Craft Show in the Fall of 2023, and is a member of the Cosmos Club. She was previously active in the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and co–founded their Cultural committee, and was the first woman to chair Destination DC, the economic institution creating revenue for the DC Metropolitan area.
Sheila is a long–time supporter of the arts – theatre, opera, ballet and museums worldwide. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
Sheila joined the board in 2023.
Guy Morgan Williams is the president and founding principal of DCA Landscape Architects, Inc.
His firm, based in Georgetown, was founded in 1983. Guy has been practicing for more than 35 years, and in addition to design is recognized for his technical expertise and leadership capabilities in carrying a project from conception to completion. His projects range from high-end residential and urban and suburban gardens to large-scale master planning for estates, farms and escapes, to embassies, commercial, academic, and public endeavors. As well as working in the Washington metropolitan area, Guy has projects spanning from Maine to the Caribbean to the West Coast and abroad. His award-winning work has been featured in hundreds of publications and books. Many of his projects are the result of successful collaborative efforts with other design professionals, artists, and craftspersons.
Guy received his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Pennsylvania State University and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Guy is a patron of the arts and education, recognizing that as a child, his early exposure to music and the arts and the natural world by his family taught him to “see,” opened up a world of possibilities for his direction in life, and fueled his passion for creative problem solving. Family and friends, art and travel, painting, drawing, and learning are what he enjoys most.
Guy has been a board member since 2020.
Board Members Guy Williams and Troy Reimer with Members. Photo Love Life Photography.
Header Photo: Julia Erickson and Francesca Dugarte in Prufrock
Photo by Eduarto Patino.NYC
Copyright © 2024 Chamber Dance Project. All rights reserved.
Chamber Dance Project is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law and most appreciated. Federal Tax ID 13-4109515. Chamber Dance Project is a Resident Company at BalletNova. Chamber Dance Project is supported by The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Diane Coburn Bruning, Artistic Director | Sally McLain, Principal Musician
info@chamberdance.org | (202) 499-2297
700 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC, 20005
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