Mini Conference 2025 Presenter Information

LVCA 2025 Mini Conference presenters

Learn more about our 2025 Mini Conference presenters. We hope you will join us on Saturday, June 28 at Monticello High School.

Alyson Ball

Alyson Ball volunteers with the IRC in Charlottesville, Virginia where she resides. She has studied global migrations, US immigration history and law, and current US immigration policies for over 8 years – and gives fact-based presentations in Arizona and Virginia to inform the general public.

Ali Buchanan, Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, LVCA, and Thomas Jefferson Adult Career Education (TJACE)

Ali is the Communications and Assistance Specialist at the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, supporting the team with technical and developmental assistance and communications. In addition to her work at the VALRC, she teaches ESL 2 at TJACE, tutors adult English Language Learners at Speak! Language Center, and has been a volunteer with LVCA for over five years. A former French teacher, her love of language and education led her to earn her M.Ed. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She is happy to present on behalf of the VALRC to fellow volunteers of LVCA.

Sara Geres

Sara has been with Blue Ridge Literacy since 2015. She brings her expertise in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and experience teaching in the United States and abroad to develop sustainable language programs to adults in our area.

Charlotte Harmon, LVCA and TJACE

Charlotte has always had a love for words and language. She studied classics at UVA and then lived in Turkey for two years teaching English. When she moved back to the U.S., she starting volunteering with LVCA, Cville Tulips and then started teaching at TJACE.

Catherine McCall, LVCA

Catherine serves as the Citizenship Coordinator for Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle. In that role, she spearheads our group citizenship classes and provides support and materials to tutors and their students working toward citizenship. Catherine previously served as a coordinator for Social Studies Education at the University of Maryland, as a trainer and curriculum designer for a civic education nonprofit, and as a social studies teacher. She volunteered as an English teacher in Mexico, and as a citizenship teacher in the DC area and with LVCA. She holds a BA from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Education from the University of Maryland. Outside of work, Catherine enjoys spending time with her family and cheering for UVA basketball.

Marjan Omranian, CVille Tulips

Marjan Omranian is the co-founder and co-director of Cville Tulips. She holds a Master of Education from the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the lived experiences of Afghan women and refugee education. Marjan has worked with Afghan refugees in Charlottesville, Tehran, and remotely in Afghanistan. She also serves as a Community Partnership Liaison with the UVA Equity Center.

Steven Reid, LVCA

Steven serves as the Program Manager for Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle. He joined LVCA from the Nashua Adult Learning Center in Nashua, New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Adult Education, where he served as the College Transitions Mentor. While in New Hampshire, Steven worked with students in both the Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages programs. Before moving to New Hampshire, Steven taught English in Slovakia and Theatre, Speech and Debate in Texas. He holds a BS from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading, cooking and the arts.

Kendall Repass, International Rescue Committee, Charlottesville

Kendall joined the IRC in Charlottesville as Deputy Director in September 2022. He has over 20 years senior management experience overseeing a diverse range of programming ranging from Ebola recovery, HIV prevention, care and support, refugee operations, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and local partner capacity building funded by USAID, BPRM, USAID/BHA and private philanthropies and foundations. He got his start in international development and humanitarian work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal from 1994-1997. During his 17-year tenure with the American Red Cross he served in several leadership roles in Washington and abroad in Tanzania, West Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia. He formerly worked with Population Services International in the US and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has a BA in sociology/anthropology from Carleton College and received his master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Ahoo Salem, PhD, Blue Ridge Literacy

Dr. Ahoo Salem is the Executive Director of Blue Ridge Literacy (BRL), a non-profit organization housed in the Roanoke Main Library Building that offers adult literacy services to adults in the Roanoke Valley. As a sociologist with a passion for integration initiatives, Ahoo is especially interested in how differential access to resources shapes and impacts everyday life experiences for immigrants in different host settings. Ahoo currently serves on the Emergency Management Equity Working Group (EMEWG), which ensures that emergency management programs address the needs of vulnerable populations. She previously served on the Virginia Office of New Americans Advisory Board (2020-2024), where she co-led efforts to support the linguistic and cultural integration of New Americans in Virginia. Originally from Iran, Ahoo holds a PhD in sociology from Universita Degli Studi di Milano (Milan University) in Milan, Italy.

Brooke Sims, Virginia Career Works, Charlottesville Center

Brookes M. Sims, M.Ed., is the One-Stop Center Manager with Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and Virginia Career Works. With over five years of experience at Goodwill, she manages the day-to-day operations of the region’s comprehensive workforce center, serving six localities: Albemarle, the City of Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Fluvanna. In her role, she coordinates hiring events, career readiness workshops, and community partnerships that connect job seekers with meaningful employment opportunities. Brookes also assists case managers with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program, supporting participants through training and career development services. In addition, she co-partners with the City of Charlottesville’s Office of Economic Development on the Ready to Work program, expanding access to employment pathways. With a background in education and a passion for workforce development, Brookes is committed to building inclusive, collaborative, and impactful career services across the region.

Rebecca Thomas, LVCA and TJACE

Rebecca Thomas is the communications coordinator for LVCA and teaches adult ESOL at TJACE. She previously taught writing at the University of Virginia and West Virginia University and holds bachelor's degrees in screenwriting and creative writing from Chapman University and an MFA in creative writing from West Virginia University. Her writing has been featured in nationally-recognized literary journals and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. In her free time, she can be found wrangling her two children around town.

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