Foundation Personnel

Amy Marasco Newton, President

Amy Marasco Newton currently serves as the President of the Newton Marasco Foundation and is responsible for the daily operations of the foundation. She is an executive management consultant with nearly 30 years experience providing business and organizational consulting services to government agencies, public and private sector companies, and nonprofit organizations. Her expertise lies in environmental programs, education and outreach and affordable housing.

Ms. Marasco Newton was the co-founder, with her husband Dave Newton, of the Marasco Newton Group (MNG), a $50M environmental consulting firm with over 350 employees. Together they created the operating principles of a truly participatory company; a firm that provided extraordinary service to its customers, reached out to its community in need, and empowered and rewarded its employees fairly and ethically. During her tenure, Ms. Newton managed $80 million, multiyear federal government contracts. She coordinated the delivery of over one million hours of consulting services to EPA programs and delivered 275 assignments. EPA contracts and program offices recognized her regularly for managing a high volume of work and consistently delivering high quality consulting services.

In addition to her duties as CEO, including directly managing high profile projects, she led multiple management studies, facilitated executive strategic planning retreats and coached clients on innovative organizational initiatives. Ms. Newton led an array of management improvement and organizational studies that resulted in more efficient and effective government programs including assisting senior government executives to define and implement quality management practices, thereby creating highly successful management operations.

Ms. Newton currently serves as a Board Member of Sanford Cohen and Associates and The Cadmus Group. She also served on the board for Project Performance Corporation; Executive Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia; on the board for Habitat for Humanity of Loudoun County, Virginia; on the Whittaker Foundation; and as a Board Member of the Marasco Newton Group Board of Directors.

Ms. Newton holds a Masters degree in environmental planning from Colorado State University and a Bachelors degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Emily Walton, Director of Development

emilylavaun@gmail.com

Emily has over a decade of professional business development experience ranging from Communications Management to Nonprofit Administration. She has successfully served as the Program Manager of Communications for the third largest charity in the United States, Gifts In Kind International; as well as Director of Development for two nonprofit organizations.

Emily has raised millions of dollars in support of nonprofits while meeting budget guidelines. Her focus on growing a diverse constituent base for organizations has doubled returns. She has managed volunteer teams of more than 100 people, implemented large fund raising events, and chaired committees of philanthropic community leaders to support such efforts. A career highlight was the management of the nation’s largest Caribbean Fine Art Exhibit. Strategic planning considering an organization’s entire operation is key in Emily’s development approach and has brought increased visibility in all of her ventures.

Emily’s core competencies include: board relations; programmatic and operational funding implementation; successful grant and proposal writing and management; community outreach programs; campaigns increasing stakeholder involvement; and innovative and comprehensive streamlining solutions.

Jenny Newton Schmidt, National Director of Programs

jenny@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Jenny Newton Schmidt is currently serving as the Newton Marasco Foundation’s National Director of Programs, responsible for coordinating and implementing national and regional program activities across the foundation. Ms. Schmidt spent 15 years as an information technology consultant, working for the Marasco Newton Group and then SRA, International. She spent her consulting career managing IT projects for the federal government. Her experience covers the full spectrum of a system lifecycle, from requirements definition to ongoing operations and maintenance. For nearly a decade, she managed the operations and maintenance of a system used by the Environmental Protection Agency to support the Superfund cleanup program.

Ms. Schmidt attended the University of Virginia where she received both her Bachelors in History and a Masters in Teaching.

Linda Davis, Director of Outreach and Events

davisdesigngroup@gmail.com

Linda Davis is serving as NMF’s Director of Outreach and Events. She is also President of Davis Design Group, a consulting specialist in business development, nonprofit branding and fundraising. As President of Davis Design Group, Linda focuses her professional experience towards the nonprofit field, working with NMF on donor strategy and relations, as well as fundraising and corporate partnerships.

Linda began her career in the hospitality industry with Sheraton Hotels in Washington, as well as the Stouffer Corporation. Prior to Davis Design Group, she owned and operated Company’s Coming, Special Events and Catering, a special event consultant firm with a full-service catering arm specializing in high-end corporate retreats and themed events. In 1994, Linda pursued a life-long dream and opened The Wild Orchid, a restaurant focused on serving fresh local seafood, meats and produce. The Wild Orchid was the first restaurant in Annapolis to change its menu seasonally and design its dishes around regional cuisine. While acting as Executive Chef and President of the special event arm, and running the day-to-day operation of the restaurant, she continued to develop a successful business strategy for her nonprofit clientele.

Linda studied business management at The University of Maryland and Anne Arundel Community College, and pursued her culinary certification at L’Academie de Cuisine.

Amie Ware, Project Manager

amie@awaremarketing.com

Amie Ware has over 15 years of professional marketing and outreach experience. Her recent writing, research, and program development contributions to Hillsboro Community Association and Citizens for a Safe Route 9 have made her a resource in local environmental issues. Managing Federal contracts valued at $14 Million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as preparing strategic plans for Virginia’s Department of Mental Health in response to 9/11 have given her great capacity to run multi-faceted outreach programs. An avid volunteer, Ms. Ware is skilled in volunteer management and sensitive to projects such as environmental stewardship efforts that have diverse views requiring thoughtful and personal outreach. She has a great balance of professional project management skills and love for the local environment and community that will make this effort a success.

Ms. Ware is a successful Cum Laude graduate from Towson State University.

Jeanne Brown, National Communications Manager

jbrown@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Jeanne Brown is serving as our National Communications Manager, supporting our communications needs by working on our web site, writing press releases, and developing communications materials. She also supports our programs and provides administrative assistance.

Jeanne has extensive communications and marketing experience, working for American Mobile Satellite Corporation, the American Consulting Engineers Council, and the American Red Cross. She has developed media campaigns, developed and implemented marketing strategies, managed investor relations, and developed varied communications materials.

Jeanne received her B.S. in Mass Communication from Towson University. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three kids.