Meet Our Team
Executive Director: Stephanie Gilmore
director@sidebysidelaurel.org
202-710-5555
Stephanie Gilmore is a native Washingtonian who has over 25 years of work experience in education and coaching. During her teen years , Ms. Gilmore worked Summers at many local schools and recreation centers in the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. She attended Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland and earned an athletic scholarship to Old Dominion University.
Gilmore has since worked in public and private educational institutions in the District of Columbia Maryland and Virginia. Throughout her career in education, she has worked as an instructor, coach, trainer, Career and Technology Student Organization Advisor (FBLA, DECA TSA), Technology Department Head and Director of Technology (Consortium of Catholic Academies: Archdiocese of Washington and Seton Keough High School: Archdiocese of Baltimore).
Program Assistant: Kristian Carlye
Meet Our Board
President: Elda Molina
Elda is administrative secretary to the supervisor of the Transition Services Unit in Montgomery County Public Schools. She graduated from Huntington Park High School in California and earned more than 200 credits at California State University Los Angeles. Her introduction to Side by Side through her pastor was “love at first sight,” as she always has had a passion to help families and community. Elda was a leader in creating “La Guía para Padres” at Laurel Elementary School with a group of Hispanic moms. Also, she has been emcee of Side by Side’s former Family Academy, provided translation during parent-teacher conference night at some schools, and did some home visits as a follow-up to Great Start workshop evenings. She loves the fact that Side by Side is a powerful tool to change the lives of young students and their parents.
shalomelda@gmail.com
Vice President: Bob Mignon
Robert “Bob” Mignon graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1972 with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Advertising. The Mignon family has lived in the Laurel community since 1992. Bob’s business career began in 1972 with General Foods Corp., spending nine years in various capacities. He then went to work for Kraft Food Service, rising to the position of general manager of distribution centers in Florida and Seattle, Wash. In 1994 Bob implemented his lifelong dream of owning his own business and purchased a Minuteman Press franchise in Beltsville. In 2003 he opened a second Minuteman Press on Main Street in Laurel. In 2017 Bob sold his Minuteman Press franchise and is now retired and spending more time with his grandchildren. Bob is currently president of the Laurel Board of Trade, and board member of the Laurel Lions Club, Laurel Historical Society and Side by Side.
robertmignon0649@gmail.com
Renee Cort-Wallace
Renee is a professional school counselor and department chair at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel. She has been an educator in Prince George’s County Public Schools for 28 years. She is a graduate of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a minor in Fine Arts and History. Her master’s in Guidance and Counseling was from Bowie State University. She also has supervised an after- school program sponsored by Southern Management and an English- as-a-Second-Language summer school program after earning an Administration certification from McDaniel College. Additionally, she has done individual counseling for county high school students. She is a mother of two daughters and is a widow.
renee.cort@pgcps.org
Nancy Rico Uribe
Nancy was born in Mexico. She earned a college degree in administration, with a certification in teaching English, at the University of Morelia in Mexico. She moved to the United States in 2009 to pursue opportunities for herself and her daughter, Michelle. Nancy currently works as a dispatcher for a construction company, and coaches volleyball in a Howard County youth league. She attended Side by Side workshops when Michelle was attending Laurel Elementary School, and joined a team of parents that Side by Side assembled to write a “Hispanic Parents’ Guide.” She was elected to Side by Side’s Board of Directors in 2012 and has served as its president. She plays a particularly crucial role in Side by Side’s work with Spanish-speaking families.
ricco_un@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Grace McKitty
I love children and I’m always interested in how their minds develop and what they learn at the early stages in their lives.
I decided to be a part of Side By Side, because I want to give back to my community using my accounting and analytical skills to encourage and support the parents of young children to impact the next generation by being active in the educational growth of their children.
In my spare time, l enjoy reading stories to children, baking and listening to music.
chanan2me@hotmail.com
Jane Hanfman | jane.hanfman@gmail.com
Jane has taught for a combined 30 years in both private preschool and public elementary schools in Prince George’s County Maryland. She is a proud graduate of Prince George’s County schools herself, having graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Arts degree in Human Development. Her graduate school area of focus was conflict resolution and this shaped her belief that a child’s “village”—home, school, faith, and social circles, all serve critical roles in shaping that child’s road to success as an adult. Internships with the Prince George’s County Circuit Court (court ordered custody mediation with parents of children of “separated” families) and the Maryland State Department of Education (mediation to proactively resolve issues arising in implementation of educational plans for children with special needs) strengthened her belief that when true partnerships exist between home and school, optimal success for each and every child can be achieved. As a retired teacher and one of the founding members of Side by Side, rejoining the Board gives her great opportunities to put her faith into action and continue to support the children, families and schools in Laurel.
Nattrina Barnes | nattrina@sidebysidelaurel.org
Nattrina Barnes is a resident of Laurel Maryland for 16 years. Was the PTO President at Deerfield Run Elementary School during school 2009-2012 for 2 years. Before becoming PTO president, she was the fundraiser committee chairperson. Her engagement with the parents and administrator brought together a school project for the school playground through Kaboom sponsored by Walt Disney. Mother of two young men. She has been an advocate for her sons and the children in her community. She has been serving the school community since her sons were in Head start. She believes every child needs to have the opportunity to succeed in the classroom by removing any obstacles. She volunteers as a coordinator at the Lifehouse Food Pantry, while also being elected as treasurer for Food Pantry. Nattrina is active and very involved with the women’s ministry “Flourish†at her church. She was elected to Side by Side’s Board of Directors in 2021 and has been serving as the chair of the External Affairs Committee and taking the lead for the Side by Side Annual Fundraiser/Silent Auction. She plays a particularly crucial role in Side by Side’s work with fundraisers and partnerships in the Laurel community.
