Staff

Executive Director:

Danielle Manalansan

danielle@sidebysidelaurel.org
202-710-5555

Danielle majored in education at Towson University and taught grades K-6 in elementary schools for 21 years, 17 of those at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel.  She also spent four years at John H. Bayne Elementary in Capitol Heights. She joined Side by Side as assistant director in 2018, and became executive director in July 2020. She is currently participating in an intensive three-year nonprofit capacity-building program with Venture Philanthropy Partners and Fair Chance. Aside from teaching, she enjoys reading poetry, watching movies and cheering on both of her sons’ baseball teams. “I am thrilled to be able to bring my knowledge of the classroom and the dynamics of educating children to the Side by Side organization. I am excited to learn about the inner workings of a successful nonprofit while providing the needed academic support that so many of our area families need.”

Development Director:

Open

sidebyside@sidebysidelaurel.org
202-710-5555

Program Assistant: Virginia Burke

virginia@sidebysidelaurel.org
340-244-7090

Virginia earned a B.A. degree in sociology from Morgan State University, and has pursued graduate studies at Wesley Theological Seminary and the University of Southern California. She was executive director of the Family Day Care Career Program for the city of New York, which trained parents to be home day-care providers. She later worked at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Training Center, where she trained federal employees. She then started her own consulting company, System Services and Training, where she designed and carried out training of government and private-sector employees. She is a member of First United Methodist Church of Laurel, where she is head of the nursery program. She also performs with the Burke Family Gospel Singers, comprised of members of her extended family. “The thing that attracts me to this work of Side by Side is making a positive difference in the lives of people I meet and work with.”

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

MBA, MS, CMP-HC, DEAMBA, MS, CMP-HC, DES

Associate Director, Annual Conference

Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology (APIC)

Elreatha has spent the past 20 years in the non-profit sector. Prior to that, Elreatha began her career in the hospitality industry. Elreatha is currently the associate director, annual conference with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). In her role Elreatha is responsible for managing program content and session planning logistics for the associations’ annual conference. 

Elreatha received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from South Carolina State University. She holds a dual masters degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Elreatha earned a masters in management with a concentration in non-profit and association management and went on to pursue an MBA.   

“I support Side by Side as a board member to ensure that families of elementary school-aged children  are provided with the necessary resources to succeed during the academic year. “  

Secretary: Elreatha Woodard

elreatha@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.