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
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.
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.
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
Glynda Brown is a Washington, D.C. transplant who has worked tirelessly to help local organizations achieve their goals across ever-changing regulatory and customer landscapes. She has consulted with non-profit organizations on finance, strategy and organizational development and has always valued the importance of giving her time and efforts to working with organizations that seek to increase economic equity and parity for all people.
Glynda is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Public Private Strategies and is a highly accomplished executive with more than 15 years of professional experience. During her early career, she led strategic, technical, and product sales teams with JPMorgan Chase, Citi Private Bank, and Wachovia Capital Markets.
She sits on the board of Whitman Walker Health System and works towards their mission to provide culturally-affirming care and to serve populations with limited access to high-quality medical care. Glynda joined the Board of Chamber Dance Project in January 2025. She will blend her passion for ballet which began during her time as a volunteer at the San Francisco Ballet with her desire to maximize the impact and mission of the organization. She serves as co-chair of the Development Committee.
Glynda holds a BS in Computer Science and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School in New York
Diane Coburn Bruning and Board President, Mary McGrane. Photo:Love Life Images
Deborah Downey is a graduate of University of South Carolina Law School and began her career in Washington, D.C. 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 D.C. 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, D.C. 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.
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, D.C. 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.
Debbi is a Retired Finance Executive for international not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the D.C. 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.
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 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.
Annette Polan is known internationally as a portrait artist. She has photographed and painted the official portraits of leaders of industry and government including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former West Virginia Governor Gaston Caperton, Edward Villella for the Miami City Ballet, and Lord Baltimore for Kiplin Hall in Great Britain among many others. Her work is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. as well as other museums and private collections around the world.
Annette is a Professor Emerita from the Corcoran College of Art, where she was Chair of the Painting Department, and of Design at George Washington University. She graduated with a B.A. in Art History from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia with
additional studies at the Corcoran College of Art and the École du Louvre and the Tyler School of Art.
Annette has taught and lectured on her work and contemporary American portraiture in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad. She is a participant in the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassy Program.
She organized Faces of the Fallen, an exhibition of portraits by American artists to honor the servicemen and women who died in Afghanistan and Iraq in the war for which she was awarded the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Outstanding Public Service Award.
She has served on the on the Board of the Washington Project for the Arts. She is currently on the Board of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, Chamber Dance Project and UnitingUs. Her love of dance began as a ballet student when she was a child. Annette joined the Board of Chamber Dance Project in 2023.
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, D.C.’s best-kept secret.
Troy has been a board member since 2021.
Header Photo: Julia Erickson and Francesca Dugarte in Prufrock. Photo by Eduarto Patino. NYC.
© 2025
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 D.C. 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 D.C., 20005
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