Dylan Johnson-Ricks serves as NAME’s ‍ ‍lead, playing a key role in strengthening our operations, supporting family communication, and ensuring that our systems run smoothly as we continue to grow. He joins NAME with a rich background in student support, customer service, and team leadership, bringing a steady and compassionate presence to our work.

Dylan currently works as a Paraprofessional in PA where he supports classroom instruction, facilitates small-group learning, provides individualized academic assistance, and helps implement IEP accommodations for students with diverse learning needs. His experience in behavioral support, supervision, and student engagement reflects the patience and structure that families value when partnering with NAME.

Before entering education, Dylan gained extensive frontline leadership experience in roles with organizations such as Rutter’s, Hardee’s, Walmart, and The Country Club of York. Across these positions, he built strengths in communication, organization, problem-solving, and customer care, skills that now support NAME’s growing administrative and programmatic needs.

At NAME, Dylan supports:
• Family intake, communication, and scheduling
• Organization of internal documents and digital systems
• Tutoring and advocacy program logistics
• Grant preparation and administrative coordination
‍

Howard McMillan serves as NAME’s Grant Writer and Strategic Research Lead, bringing more than seven years of professional writing, research, and editorial experience to NAME’s mission of strengthening access, advocacy, and inclusion for families across Maryland. With a background in federal service, creative writing, and technical analysis, Howard’s work ensures that NAME’s grant applications, proposals, and organizational documents are clear, compelling, and rooted in the lived realities of the communities we serve. His expertise spans technical writing, complex problem-solving, data analysis, narrative storytelling, and the development of organizational materials that support compliance, clarity, and strategic planning.

In his current role in the federal government, Howard coaches teams in research methods, problem-solving, regulatory compliance, and investigative review tax law and advocacy. He is responsible for analyzing large volumes of technical and procedural information, developing instructional documentation, leading training, and ensuring accuracy and quality across high-stakes federal workflow systems. These strengths directly inform his role at NAME, where precision and clarity are essential in grant writing and nonprofit development.

Howard supports NAME through:
• Grant writing, research, and proposal development
• Drafting organizational narratives, project descriptions, and impact statements
• Reviewing budgets, compliance documents, and supplemental materials
• Maintaining NAME’s grants calendar and ensuring strong submissions under fiscal sponsorship
• Analyzing data and translating complex information into accessible, funder-ready formats
• Supporting strategic planning as NAME transitions into full nonprofit status

Our Family Ambassadors are parents and caregivers who have walked this journey with us and now partner with NAME to support, encourage, and inform other families.

Sharon and her family have been part of the NAME community since 2023. During that time, they have navigated IEP meetings, academic interventions, and big transitions with steady advocacy and courage. Their student has made enormous progress academically and emotionally, and this family has been a consistent, vocal supporter of our work.

As a Family Ambassador, Sharon helps:

•Welcome new families into the NAME community

•Share her lived experience navigating special education systems

Her family’s story reflects what we believe is possible when trusted information, intentional advocacy, and community support come together. We are honored to have them as part of the NAME leadership family.