President

Tom McHugh

Cushman & Wakefield, Senior Director

Tom McHugh is the Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield. Hailing from Charlestown, Rhode Island, Tom attended University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate degree and continued to George Washington University to earn his MBA. Tom played lacrosse for three years in college, and afterwards he founded and played for the Alexandria Lacrosse Club. He later founded the Alexandria Lacrosse Club for youth lacrosse.

Tom is currently the President of the board, and has been a member since 2003. Tom became a part of the WINNERS board because he saw the game he loved was having an impact on underserved kids and wanted to further the cause. Tom has found his time at WINNERS truly rewarding, as he has been able to give back and improve the lives of all WINNERS participants.

Treasurer

Pete Darke

Citibank, Senior Vice President

Peter Darke is the Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Citi Wealth Management. Peter is from Virginia, where he attended Lake Braddock Secondary School. He went on to continue his education at Virginia Tech. He has been involved with Springfield Youth Lacrosse as a coach and director.

Peter is passionate about using the game to help teach kids life lessons. He believes that team sports, in any form, helps kids throughout their life. As he watched our founder take the game to kids, right here in our area, who had never picked up a stick, their thrill and love of the game got him hooked. Peter has been a member of the WINNERS board for the past several years.

Secretary

Doug McLearn

Lincoln Property Company, Senior Vice President & Managing Director

Doug McLearn grew up playing lacrosse in grade school and Westminster high school in Connecticut. He attended college at Franklin Marshall for his undergraduate degree in Lancaster, PA where he played varsity squash, captained the college rugby club and assumed several leadership roles in other on-campus organizations. Since moving to Washington, DC in 1992, he has worked in the commercial real estate leasing services business and is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Leasing with Lincoln Property Company in Northern Virginia (1995-present). Lincoln Property Company is a national full service commercial real estate firm based in Dallas, TX. Doug is also an avid participant in US Masters Swimming and open water and marathon swimming since 2013. Commencing in the fall of 2020, he will begin ALTS training to become involved in the US Masters Teach Adults To Swim program. Doug joined the WINNERS board in March of 2020.

Founder

Bruce Baschuk

J Street Companies, President

Bruce began lacrosse as a senior in high school at Trinity Pawling in New York and has stayed involved in the game ever since. When he ended his playing career, he served as an assistant coach at Gonzaga for three years, before starting and coaching a youth team within the MYLA league. In 2000, Bruce organized a varsity program at Archbishop Carroll High School in the District, where he went on to coach from 2000 to 2005. Some current board members were members of those teams that he coached! At the same time he established a program at ACHS, he created the non-profit WINNERS Lacrosse with the objective to bring the game to boys and girls in the urban core through clinics and team play to mentor youth through the sport.

Bruce also co-founded the BRIDGE Lacrosse program, which brought similar programs to WINNERS together from around the country under the US Lacrosse banner and served as their representative on the US Lacrosse Youth Council for three years.

Bruce is the founder and chairman and chairman of the J Street Companies, a full-service commercial real estate enterprise.

Board Member

Caulley Deringer

Transwestern, Senior Vice President

Mr. Caulley Deringer is the Executive Vice President for Transwestern. Caulley grew up in Chestertown, MD and attended high school in Virginia at Episcopal High School. After high school, Caulley went on to study at Washington and Lee University and earned his MBA at Georgetown University.

Caulley has been playing lacrosse since college, and also played several years of club. He has coached both boys and girls lacrosse for the Alexandria Lacrosse Club for the past 15 years and at Ft. Hunt for two. Caulley became involved with WINNERS because he loves the game and giving back to the children in the DC community. Caulley remains active in the lacrosse world through his three children, who are all playing youth lacrosse and have dad as their coach! Caulley has been a member of the WINNERS board for the past three years.

Board Member

J.D. Englehart

In-Q-Tel, Program Manager

J.D. is a Program Manager at In-Q-Tel, the strategic technology investor of the U.S. intelligence community. Born and raised in the Baltimore area, J.D. grew up playing lacrosse from an early age and later attended Washington & Lee University, where he was a four year lacrosse letter-winner and team captain in his final season. Since living in DC, he has been an active player for the DC Lacrosse Club, and also founded and coached the George Washington University club men's lacrosse program for six years.

J.D. first got involved with WINNERS in 2013, and joined the board in 2020. He was drawn to the mission of WINNERS because of the positive impact playing organized team sports had on his development, especially in the areas of accountability, resilience, and leadership. He thinks every DC kid should have the same opportunities to play lacrosse he had!

Board Member

Patrick O’Meara

Rappaport, Brokerage Representative

Patrick O’Meara is a brokerage representative at Rappaport. Pat is a Virginia native, attending Robinson Secondary School. After graduation, Pat decided to go to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to complete his undergraduate work. Introduced to lacrosse later, Pat began playing in high school and continued playing throughout his college career.

Pat is a recently new member of the board, joining less than a year ago. However, he has always wanted to get involved, and is very enthusiastic to finally have the opportunity. He credits lacrosse to putting him where he is, and wants to make sure others can gain as much as he did from the game.

Board Member

Brian Rodgers

Capital City Nurses, Chief Operating Officer

Brian Rodgers is the Chief Operating Officer for Capital City Nurses. Brian grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and studied at Cornell University. He has been involved in lacrosse since he was young, playing club, high school, and throughout college. Brian continued his involvement in the game through coaching at the youth, high school, collegiate, and international levels.

Brian has been a board member for almost three years. He feels that it’s important for the next generation of kids to learn and play the game, and everything that entails with team aspect, pride, competition, heritage, etc. Brian and his wife, Tasha live in Bethesda, Maryland with their two children (Ryan 6 and Finn 9) and Yellow Labrador, Sky.

Board Member

Leon Bournes

Bourne 2 Fly Fitness, Personal Trainer

Leon D. Bournes is a proud husband, father, native Washingtonian, and lacrosse enthusiast. Leon is also the owner and fitness director of Bourne 2 Fly LLC.  

Leon was introduced to the game of lacrosse in 2000 as freshman at Archbishop Carroll high school, the inaugural men’s lacrosse season. With the help of family and mentors, Leon earned his BA from Lynchburg College and walked on and competed on the men’s lacrosse team. Upon graduation, Leon was able to give back to ACHS program as an assistant coach for 2 seasons.  

Lacrosse has opened many doors for Leon and he wants to teach the game and the life lessons associated with it to the next generation. As a WINNERS board member for the past two years, Leon is able to marry his passion for the DC community and lacrosse.

Board Member

Steve Linehan

Fair Square Financial, LLC, Chief Financial Officer

Steve Linehan is Chief Financial Officer of Fair Square Financial, LLC, a finance company start-up focused on issuing credit cards to near prime customers. In 2015, Steve retired as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of Capital One Financial Corporation, a $300 billion diversified financial services company. He served as Capital One's EVP and Treasurer for twelve years.

Steve joined Capital One in 1997 after eight years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation where he held various positions in the Division of Resolutions and the Division of Insurance rising to the level of Associate Director.  Prior to the FDIC, he worked in various financial institutions ranging in size from community banks to global money center banks, mostly in the area of interest rate risk management.

An active volunteer in the community, Steve has served on the LAYC Board of Directors since 2006 and more recently stepped onto the LAYC Chairman’s Council. Steve received his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland.

Board Member

Pat McArdle

Georgetown University, Assistant to the Athletic Director

Patrick J. McArdle has worked for Georgetown University since 1981. He currently serves as Executive Director of Athletic Relations. He is a student of athletic history at Georgetown and is the unofficial archivist and historian for the Department. In recent years, he helped to produce very successful commemorative events for men's basketball, football, women's and men's rowing, men's lacrosse, and men's soccer. In addition to managing the Athletic Hall of Fame, Pat is the sport administrator for men's and women's swimming and diving and for men's and women's rowing.

In 1972, Pat graduated with a degree in classics from Georgetown where he captained the varsity lacrosse team. Pat has been a member of the board since the inception of WINNERS in 2000.

Board Member

Andrew O’Neill

O'Neill Realty Advisors, LLC, Principal Broker

Andrew O’Neill is the founder and principal broker of O’Neill Realty Advisors, LLC. As a 5th generation Washingtonian, Andrew has seen complex, wide ranging business environments, over which time he has experienced numerous market conditions and adjustments. Andrew has been active within the real estate industry since 1992. Since 1995, Andrew has been focused on commercial and residential transaction based real estate. He has completed acquisition and disposition, including leasing and investment sales, transactions of value in excess of $400 million in several states, including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. In addition, Andrew consults with clients on an ongoing basis regarding efficient operations and effective growth and change strategies and management.

Andrew has completed his course work in a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he holds a B.A. from Loyola University in Baltimore.

Board Member

Brendan Owen

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, Chief Leasing Officer

Brendan Owen is the Chairman of Asset Services at Newmark. Although Brendan is from Skaneateles, NY, he attended Georgetown University for his undergraduate studies and remained in DC. While at Georgetown, he played on the men’s lacrosse team and served as the team captain in 1988.

Brendan has been a board member for ten years, after hearing all of the great opportunities founder Bruce Baschuk was creating for DC youth. Brendan has three sons, Aidan, Colin, and Luke, and wife, Delphine.

Board Member

Dennis Perkins

Civitas Commercial Real Estate, Principal

Dennis Perkins is in his first year as a member of the WINNERS board. He is currently a managing principal at Civitas Commercial Real Estate Services. Dennis is originally from Detroit, Michigan but attended Florida A&M University as well as New York University.

All three of Dennis’s children play lacrosse, and have participated in WINNERS programs. Dennis has seen a number of colleagues who have played lacrosse gain invaluable exposure to an exciting team sport and opportunities that may not have been available to them otherwise. He would like to help expose kids who have the aptitude, interest, and diverse backgrounds to the sport, as well as expose schools that have strong lacrosse traditions to mentoring and teaching the game to organically grow the sport.

Board Member

Mark Shaheen

Fairmont Consulting Group, Senior Director

Mark Shaheen is a Senior Director at Fairmont Consulting Group. He attended Georgetown University as an undergrad, and Gonzaga High School in DC prior to that. Mark played lacrosse growing up, was a member of the team at Gonzaga. He stayed involved in the sport through his four children who have all played the game, along with coaching various boys and girls youth programs.

Mark joined the WINNERS board because he believe that all kids should have the opportunity to play sports (especially lacrosse) on well coached teams. He believes that WINNERS does an outstanding job of providing this opportunity to young people to learn the sport and grow into young adults. Mark has been on the WINNERS board for three years.

Board Member

Chase Stock

Chesapeake Partners, Analyst

Chase is currently a hedge fund analyst at Chesapeake Partners. Chase was an All-State and All-American lacrosse player for the Potomac School in Alexandria, Virginia. Chase continued playing lacrosse in college, for Duke University, and continued his academic pursuits attending The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania for his MBA.

Chase is very familiar with WINNERS, as he played with Executive Director Matt Breslin at Duke. Chase has been a WINNERS board member for the past two years.

Board Member

Robert White

D.C. Councilmember At-Large

Robert White is currently the Director of Community Outreach for the DC Office of the US Attorney General. Robert is a local product, graduating from Archbishop Carroll high school where he served as the team captain for its inaugural season. After graduation, Robert continued his education at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Oxford University, American University, and Washington College of Law.

Robert became a part of the WINNERS family in 2013 because he loves the idea of urban kids getting access to non-traditional sports. He also recognizes the importance organized sports for development of boys and girls by learning skills such as leadership and teamwork that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Board President

Carol Jolly

Retired Law Enforcement

Carol Jolly is a retired law enforcement officer. During her career, she served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, an Investigator for the 13th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, and as the Drug Evaluation and Classification Coordinator for the State of Florida.

Carol met and married Lew Jolly, retired United States Air Force officer and current Chief Operating Officer of Celestar Corporation, in 1987. Carol and Lew have four children. The youngest child, Jordan, was an avid lacrosse player, making Carol and Lew lacrosse parents for more than 10 years. Sadly, Jordan passed away unexpectedly on August 31, 2019. To honor Jordan’s memory, Carol and Lew reached out to WINNERS DC to bring the program to Tampa. Carol appreciated the mission of WINNERS, as it provides a positive impact on the children of the areas she served as a Deputy Sheriff.

Board Member

Brian Lemon

National Lacrosse League (NLL), Executive Vice President of Lacrosse Operations

Brian Lemon has worked for the National Lacrosse League for the last 19 years in the Lacrosse Operations Department overseeing all aspects of the game. During his tenure in the League office, as Executive Vice President of Lacrosse Operations, he has led League committees to implement game rule changes to improve player safety standards, and overall better game flow and an entertaining product. He has expanded the opportunities for players, coaches and officials by working with amateur lacrosse leagues in a strategic manner to facilitate future prospects to be in the National Lacrosse League with an expansion of player combines and officiating training and coaching seminars.

Before accepting his role in the National Lacrosse League, Lemon played eight years in the League for the Baltimore Thunder, Detroit Turbos and Rochester Knighthawks winning the Champions’ Cup in 1991 with the Detroit Turbos. Lemon spent 12 years teaching and coaching high school athletes in Brampton, Ontario.

In his spare time, Brian founded FishHawk Coyotes Youth Lacrosse program in the Tampa, Florida area in 2009 which focuses on player development and skill acquisition for youth boys and girls from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Lemon holds a Masters Degree in Athletic Administration from Western Maryland College, Westminster, Maryland. He is married to Nancy and has one son Jake, who plays college lacrosse at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

Board Member

Rick Giunta

Cushman & Wakefield, Transaction Manager

Rick Giunta is a Transaction Manager at Cushman & Wakefield as part of Global Corporate Services team, which manages the real estate portfolio for dozens of accounts. Prior to entering the real estate sector, Rick worked for Steelcase as a workplace strategy consultant, assisting clients leverage their real estate to positively impact culture, their brand, and key strategic initiatives.   

Originally from Swampscott, Massachusetts, Rick graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Active in variety of sports in high school and intramurals in college he has an appreciation for the life lessons kids can learn from participation on team sports. 

While in middle school, his son was introduced to lacrosse as part of P.E. class. He watched how passion for this ‘new’ sport provided focus, drive, perseverance through trials , and confidence. Seeing the need for officials with the growth of lacrosse in the southeast, he decided to get involved in the game as the ‘third’ team on the field. He has been officiating youth, high school, and adult men’s league games for 12-plus years. 

When Rick heard of WINNERS, he was immediately drawn to its mission and committed to supporting WINNERS Tampa in any capacity to give back to a game that provided so much for his family. Rick likes the idea of urban kids getting access to non-traditional sports. Rick is committed to assisting boys and girls reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible men and woman.

Board Secretary

Madeline Lewis Soviero

10X Lacrosse, Executive Director

Maddie started coaching lacrosse in Florida in 2017, after a lifetime of playing the sport growing up in Maryland. 

She is currently the Executive Director of 10X Lacrosse which manages lacrosse events, camps, and clinics around the Southeast; Palms Lacrosse Club; and the South Tampa Sticks Youth Girls Lacrosse Program. She also managed & grew the Coyotes Youth Lacrosse Boys and Girls Program from 2017-2021. Maddie is also the Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach for Berkeley Preparatory School.

Her husband Dan Soviero is the CEO & Founder of Signature Lacrosse, which she helps with as the Compliance Officer & Programming & Events Manager. 

In addition to operating lacrosse events & programs, and Signature Lacrosse, Maddie has been around the world, from Panama, to Costa Rica, to Hong Kong growing the game of lacrosse through introductory clinics, fundraising, and coaches development.

Board Member

Gregory Celestan

Celestar Corporation, Chief Executive Officer

Gregory Celestan is the Chief Executive Officer of Celestar Corporation, a defense consulting company specializing in intelligence support. Celestan earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Russian Area Studies from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Celestan’s community commitments include serving on the board of the Bank of Tampa and the Tampa General Hospital Board. Celestan also serves on the Board of Trustees at Hillsborough Community College. He is a past chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the governor-appointed boards of Port Tampa Bay, Space Florida, and Enterprise Florida.  

Greg played intramural lacrosse at West Point and helped his team win the Brigade Championship as Attack during his Junior Year.