Over the last few months, the Dream Project is honored to have onboarded four new board members. We couldn’t be prouder to have such a wonderful group of leaders and we look forward to the impact they’ll make in our community this year.
Nancy McEldowney
Ambassador Nancy McEldowney is a diplomat and an educator. She has worked on US foreign policy including global migration issues for over three decades. Most recently, she was National Security Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris from January 2021 until April 2022. Prior to this, Ambassador McEldowney served as the Deputy Director of the Biden-Harris Transition Team for the US Department of State and was a foreign policy advisor to the Biden Campaign. From 2017-2020, Ambassador McEldowney was a Distinguished Professor of Practice and Director of the Master of Science of Foreign Service program at Georgetown University. During her tenure as a career diplomat with the Department of State, she served as Ambassador to Bulgaria and Deputy Chief of Mission in both Turkey and Azerbaijan. She was also Director of the Foreign Service Institute, Senior Vice President of the National Defense University, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the European Bureau, and Director of European Affairs at the National Security Council. Her commendations include the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Bulgarian Medal of Honor, the State Department’s Superior Honor Award, and the Sinclair Linguistic Award. She holds an undergraduate degree from New College and graduate degrees from Columbia University and the National Defense University. She lives in Arlington County with her husband and two daughters.
Julius “JD” Spain, Sr.
Julius D. (J.D.) Spain, Sr. is a proud Arlingtonian and a lifelong public servant. In 1990, he began a 26-year career in the US Marine Corps, retiring in 2016 after 26 years of honorable service. J.D. believes in equality for all, and regardless of a person’s socio-economic background, everyone must feel that they have an equal shot at reaching their dreams. As a Veteran, change agent, and community activist, J.D. believes in the power of collaboration, honesty, humility, and trust. J.D. believes that the economy should work for everyone, that healthcare is a right, and that our diversity is our greatest strength and most common thread that can, and should, bring us all back together. J.D. gained valuable leadership experience working on a diplomatic assignment with NATO Brussels Belgium for four years, served as U.S. Senate Congressional Fellow, a senior Pentagon legislative advisor, and a former federal investigator. In addition, he has devoted himself to building up Arlington and ensuring everyone in our community has a voice. For over a decade, he served in institutions that are the bedrock of our County, such as PTAs, neighborhood associations, commissions, and the oldest civil rights organization in America, the NAACP. J.D. is a Gold Life member of the NAACP and recently completed a second two-year term on December 31, 2022 as the President of the NAACP Arlington Branch with over 1000 members, where he tirelessly led a team of volunteers. J.D. is eager to continue to serve the people of Arlington. He has a vision for our community, the experience to lead, and the drive to fight for our shared values. Professionally, JD is a senior consultant working for a consultancy in McLean, VA dedicated to powering a future-ready, high-performing government, drawing from expertise in digital and analytic solutions, logistics, and management advisory services. In addition, he is a member of George Mason University, President’s Innovation Council, and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance -Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council. J.D. has received numerous awards and recognition over the past several years, which can be viewed here: https://www.jdforarlington.com/accomplishments. J.D. is married to the former Adriana Contreras, also a veteran, and they recently celebrated 30 years of marriage and are blessed with three wonderful children (and a grandchild!). They reside in the Penrose Community of Arlington.
Meg Tuccillo
Meg Tuccillo retired from Arlington Public Schools after serving as the Assistant Super- intendent for Administrative Services for seventeen years. Before that time, she was the principal of Abingdon and Tuckahoe elementary schools. Meg has been involved with PathForward (formerly A-SPAN) since 1992 and has served as Chair of the Board, Chair of the Development Committee, and Co-Chair of A-SPAN’s Streets to Stability Capital Campaign. She is currently Chair of its Emeritus Council and Chair of its 30th Anniversary event. In addition to her commitment to PathForward, Meg is also Chair of the Arlington Community Foundation Workforce Development Committee, a member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Development Committee, a founding member of The Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families, and member of the Partnership Foundation and The Second Chance Advisory Board. She has served as President of the Arlington Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Currently, she serves as its Program Vice-President and Co-VP for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the Virginia State Board of AAUW.
Bryan Viera
Bryan Viera is a former Dream Project Scholar and recent graduate from Marymount University with a B.S. in Information Technology and a minor in Computer Science. Born and raised in El Salvador in a low-income household, he set out to achieve his dream of attaining access to higher education in 2016. Determined to achieve what seemed impossible and break many barriers, Bryan became the first person in his family to attend and graduate from college. Through his years living in the U.S., he has been involved in various student committees and organizations in High School and College that advocated for underrepresented community members. Bryan has been involved with the organization since 2019, and he’s currently a co-chair of the Dream Project Student Leadership Council, where he helps to organize and lead advocacy and lobbying events.
Welcome to the team, and we are so grateful for your leadership. The expertise and passion you each bring to our mission are invaluable. You join a Board full of experts in their fields, brilliant thinkers, compassionate mentors, and longtime supporters of the Dream Project. Together, we will deliver education equity to immigrant students in Virginia.
