Posted in About Us.
The Blue Ribbon Project is led by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who keep every program moving forward in service to children affected by abuse and neglect, and children and youth in foster care, throughout Maryland. Drawing on diverse professional backgrounds and lived experience, they coordinate day-to-day operations, guide long-term planning, and keep every initiative trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and grounded in compassion for the children and families we serve.
Staff & Executive Team
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Taylor Pyles
Chief Executive Officer
Taylor Pyles is the Founder and CEO of The Blue Ribbon Project. An adult survivor of child abuse and someone who grew up in foster care, Taylor founded the organization in 2012, first focused on supporting adult survivors of childhood trauma and the long-term effects they carry. As the work grew, he expanded its mission to also serve children and youth in foster care. He previously served as a violent crimes detective with the Annapolis Police Department, work that deepened his commitment to protecting children. What he witnessed on the job, combined with what he had lived through himself, convinced him that children moving through crisis need advocates who understand their world from the inside. His lived experience shapes every program, policy, and decision at The Blue Ribbon Project, grounding the organization in compassion and a survivor-centered mission.
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Laura Edwards
Chief Operating Officer
Laura's bio is coming soon!
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Board of Directors
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Marj Cahn Sparer
President
Marj Cahn Sparer spent her 33-year professional career in the field of Health Services Research, retiring in 2006 as the first Head of the National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. She then spent 15 years as a volunteer with Anne Arundel County Court Appointed Special Advocates. Marj has been a member of The Blue Ribbon Project's Leadership Team since 2021 and joined the Board in 2024. She holds a BA in English and Math (University of Maryland, 1973) and an MA in Health Policy and Planning (George Washington University, 1981). Marj also serves as Chair of The Blue Ribbon Bash Committee.
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Tracy Madera
Secretary
Tracy Madera is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who serves as the Recruitment and Retention Specialist in the Resource Homes unit at the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services, where she recruits, trains, and supports foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Her work includes managing budgets, organizing events, helping shape local policies and procedures, and leading a statewide group called Grassroots Recruiters that has had impact at the state level. Tracy has been with Social Services since 2017 and in her current role since 2021, previously serving as an in-home worker focused on family preservation. She earned her Master's in Social Work from Salisbury University in 2017 and has built her career in child welfare, with a passion for working alongside families and children in need. Tracy joined the Board of Directors in 2024.
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Kristin Zurowski
Treasurer
Kristin is an attorney, mediator, and CPA. She practices business/corporate and tax law, and mediates civil and family law matters. Prior to beginning the practice of law, she served as an accountant in roles including finance and operations director at a private equity firm; controller of a law firm and two joint venture start-up entities, internal audit manager of a publicly traded real estate operator and developer, senior project accountant of a regional commercial and residential property management company, manager at a public accounting firm, and as a benefits administrator at a law firm and private equity firm.
Prior to volunteering with The Blue Ribbon Project, Kristin served as Treasurer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for 11 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from George Mason University, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
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Dr. Margaret Tseng Oh
Director
Dr. Margaret Oh is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at MU, where she has been teaching since 2004 and contributes to the study of U.S. government and politics with a particular focus on presidential unilateral powers such as executive orders, recess appointments, and pardons. Her scholarly work includes the book The Politics of Impeachment, which examines how executives have misused power, and she brings a strong commitment to experiential learning by involving students in community-engaged projects that connect classroom theory with real-world civic issues. Margaret joined The Blue Ribbon Project's leadership team in 2018 and has a strong commitment to underserved communities. She holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Georgetown University.
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Beverly Nash
Director
Beverly Nash is a retired lawyer, mediator and judge with an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a Law Degree from George Washington University School of Law. Since her retirement in 2016, Beverly has become a dedicated community volunteer whose service spans education, the arts, women's recovery, and beyond. Since 2014, she has volunteered with Project Linus, serving as the local chapter chair for over 4 years. Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. She has tutored second graders through STAIR since 2016, serving as a co-site coordinator, and has worked with adult learners through the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council since 2019 — most recently helping two students earn their GED and high school diplomas. Beverly serves on the Board of Chrysalis Houses, Inc., a recovery facility for women and their children, where she also volunteers her time teaching crocheting. She is a board member of the Annapolis Opera Guild and supports its events and outreach efforts. A longtime volunteer in the local arts community, Beverly ushers and bartends for the Annapolis Film Festival, Annapolis Summer Garden Theater, and the Classic Theatre of Maryland, where she has also served on the board. Since 2008, she has been a member of Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, having chaired its Governance and Education Committees and assisted with its Grants Liaison Committee. Beverly previously volunteered as a mediator and facilitator with the Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center and continues to support its mission. For the past three years, she has sailed as First Mate with Sails of Hope Chesapeake, offering restorative sails to individuals navigating cancer. Beverly brings this same spirit of compassionate service to her role with The Blue Ribbon Project as a donor via her work with Project Linus. Beverly joined the Board in 2025.
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Deborah Corley
Director
Deborah Corley retired in May 2026 from a thirty-nine-year career as an attorney for children in foster care. She spent the majority of her legal career at Maryland Legal Aid. She valued her work as an advocate for children. She enjoyed working with her colleagues at the Department of Social Services, CASA, and other agencies providing services to foster children. She forged meaningful connections with her colleagues in all areas, recognizing that in the field of child welfare, working as a team for youth in foster care is the best way to help them achieve their goals. She was grateful for her years at Maryland Legal Aid, fulfilling her career goal of using her legal education to help people in need. She looks forward to continuing her commitment to helping those in need by serving on the Board of the Blue Ribbon Project. This is her first opportunity to serve in this capacity for a non-profit, and she is honored to be associated with Blue Ribbon.
Deborah is a long-time Annapolitan. She raised her four children in the area and is now the proud grandmother of twin boys, also living in Annapolis.
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Sherie Coates
Director
With 15 years of experience in education, Sherie Coates is deeply committed to helping children thrive academically and personally. As a Reading Specialist with DCPS, she focuses on strengthening literacy skills and building student confidence. Sherie also owned and operated a summer camp for five years, creating a safe and enriching environment for youth development. A member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa and a foster parent to a 9-year-old, Sherie's work is grounded in advocacy, compassion, and a strong belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. She was elected to the Board in 2025.
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Sabrina Klohr
Director
Sabrina Klohr is a tax and financial leader with over 18 years of experience spanning both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She serves as Senior Director, Tax & Compliance at Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., where she leads the organization’s tax function as its first in-house tax leader. In this role, she provides strategic guidance across a complex network of entities, ensuring best practices in tax compliance, reporting, and financial stewardship in support of Enterprise’s mission to expand affordable housing nationwide.
Sabrina is a Maryland Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Stevenson University and a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Baltimore. Deeply committed to community engagement, Sabrina is an active nonprofit leader and volunteer. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for The Blue Ribbon Project, she also serves on the Board of Directors for Charting Careers, an organization dedicated to empowering students to achieve personal and professional success. She is also a sustaining member of the Junior League of Annapolis, where she previously served as Treasurer, and a former member of the Junior League of Baltimore. Sabrina’s leadership and service have been recognized with several honors, including being named one of The Daily Record’s Maryland Leading Women Under 40 (2024), receiving the Junior League of Annapolis Jennifer Summers Barrett Award (2023–2024), and being recognized as the Junior League of Baltimore’s Outstanding New Member of the Year (2016–2017). She is passionate about strengthening nonprofits through effective financial management and leveraging her expertise to create lasting community impact.
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Program Leads
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Stacey Boone
Hand to Hold Program Director/Volunteer Coordinator
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Corie Jones
Program Lead, Backpacks of Love & Mirah's Closet
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Linda Rohrbaugh
Foster Friends
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Taylor Pazienza
Aging Up Not Out, A Hand to Hold, Respite Nights & Foster Parent Meetings
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Pat Keffer
Aging Up Not Out & A Hand to Hold
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Erica Wormley
Aging Up Not Out & A Hand to Hold
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JoAnne Bennett
Community Outreach
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Paige Supko
Grants & Fundraising
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Leigh Mariassy
External Volunteer Group Trainer & Open House Committee Chair
Leadership Team
Beyond our staff and board, The Blue Ribbon Project is powered by a committed Leadership Team of volunteers who give their time, skill, and heart to the children and families we serve. They roll up their sleeves alongside community volunteers, sorting donations, building Backpacks of Love, supporting events, and strengthening partnerships with child welfare agencies and local organizations. Their commitment is entirely volunteer-driven and tireless. Together, they embody our belief that a small group of caring people can change the trajectory of a child’s life and build a safer, more supportive community for all. Because this team grows and changes throughout the year, we celebrate their collective impact here rather than a fixed roster, and we are grateful to every volunteer who steps forward to help.
Read more …Our Leadership Team
