Sherri Dotson​, MS, MBA
Board Chair

Sherri Dotson a Senior Strategic Solutions Manager at the American Chemical Society. She earned her B.S. degree in Business Administration from Bowie State University, her Master of Science in Technology Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She brings a wealth of experience to LARS in strategic planning, project management, financial services, organizational leadership, relationship management, advocacy, and community service. Sherri is originally from Lubbock, Texas and has she has resided in Laurel for over twenty-five years.  

Ryan Washington
Vice Chair

​Ryan Washington brings vast experiences from his public service in the federal and state government, to the LARS Board.  He is the government affairs manager at the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA), where he advocates on behalf of his membership in the state legislature and county councils.  Ryan also works in Congressman David Trone’s office, fostering relationships with local elected officials, legislative staffers, and organizations in Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District.  He has a history of outreach with stakeholders in the community to address small business impacted by the pandemic and on issues that affect minority communities.  While working in the Maryland General Assembly, Ryan built relationships with state legislators and their staff to accomplish his Delegate’s legislative agenda.  He has developed strong relationships with stakeholders in Prince George’s County and provided testimony on numerous subjects including rent stabilization and landlord/tenant issues.  Ryan also brings a Masters in Public Administration to the LARS Board.

Robert Eplee, Jr.
Board Secretary

Robert E. (Gene) Eplee is a Research Scientist at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). He earned his BS in Physics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and his PhD in Planetary Sciences from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Gene has worked as a Satellite Instrument Calibration Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center since 1988. Since 1995 his efforts have focused on tracking carbon through the ocean ecosystem for the NASA Ocean Color Research Program. Gene has been involved in strategic planning and systems analysis, both professionally at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and as a volunteer with the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. His past board experience as Clerk of Session with the Laurel Presbyterian Church, has led him to want to personally continue the involvement of the church on the LARS board. In addition to all this, Gene also brings to the board his experiences in board governance, business planning, human resources, technology, and program development.

​James Hill
Board Member

James Hill has worked for 20 years in the field of communications and digital communications. Currently, he is the Director of Communications at Nonprofit VOTE and has worked previously with TVOne, BET, and the Washington Post. He received his master’s in communications from Georgetown University and his BA in journalism from Hampton University. Originally from Philadelphia, James has lived in Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, D.C. and now resides in Maryland.

Shannon R. Mouton, MA
​Board Member

​Since becoming a missionary at her church over 30 years ago, Shannon Mouton has continued to serve, in and out of season. She has given of her time and talents at various organizations throughout the DMV–Whitman-Walker Institute (formerly, Whitman-Walker Clinic), Food & Friends, Calvary Women’s Services, the Potter’s House–and gone on two medical mission trips to Kingston, Jamaica. Shannon has served on numerous non-profit boards, including Calvary Women’s Services, the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA, the IN Series and The George Washington Alumni Association. She was the founder of the Dr. Virginia M. Manning Missionary Society (Jerusalem AME Church, Clinton) and is currently a member of the Alice Marie Chapman Women’s Missionary Society (Ebenezer AME Church, Ft. Washington). Shannon’s professional experiences in the corporate, higher education and nonprofit sectors, have afforded her opportunities to build and strengthen communities, launch innovative programs and bridge generational, economic and racial divides. Shannon is a graduate of Mount Vernon College, now part of The George Washington University, and she is humbled to serve as the Executive Director of Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services.
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Kellian Tonetti
Board Treasurer

Kellian is a High School Special Education teacher in AACPS with 10 years of experience in the teaching field. She is also a licensed foster parent in Anne Arundel County. She became aware of the mission of LARS through her parish St. Nicholas. She has volunteered at St. Nicholas with outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness and other faith communities. She is excited to be part of the Board and continue finding solutions for her community and utilize her data management and analysis skills along with her abilities to organize. 

Viviana Westbrook
Board Member

​Viviana Westbrook has had a spirit of service and has been a leader in organizations since high school, where she started and co-led a volunteer group that provided music at hospitals and nursing homes.  She continued her service to her community while earning her BA at Oberlin College, by helping to bring a Comparative American Studies program to the school, serving as one of two student advisors in a committee comprised mainly of faculty members.  Viviana also singlehandedly raised money for a Hispanic Heritage Month at the college and brought in all the speakers, as well as a salsa band.  Her leadership skills continued to flourish as she co-created a bilingual newspaper at Oberlin.  During law school at Georgetown University, Viviana was part of various organizations that required strong leadership skills.  Viviana is currently a state and local advocacy attorney who has practiced as in-house counsel for a large, international organization for several years. Her work at Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) led to experience in not only law, but also public policy, advocacy, compliance and HR issues. Viviana is passionate about the work she does, as well as her volunteer projects, which include angel trees around the holidays, House of Ruth sponsor-a-family, and church drives that help low-income communities.\

Laura Yingling, MBA
Board Member

​Laura Yingling has a passion for helping others and has over the years (being from Laurel) volunteered with LARS several times. She recalls being aware from an early age of the role of the Laurel community in helping its vulnerable members survive crises.  As a result, Laura has a self-proclaimed “Passion for the mission of LARS and a love for my hometown”.  She brings to the LARS board, experience in leadership for nonprofit volunteers in various roles.  Laura has prior board membership experience from serving on the George Washington Women's Leadership Advisory Board, and as a Girl Scouts of Central MD Delegate.  Having earned a Masters degree in Business Administration, Laura currently works as an asset manager for a large commercial real estate company, Greenberg Gibbons.  Her experience includes property management, digital skills, marketing, financial management, and ESG (Environmental/Social/Governance) skills.  Laura is a proud “Terp”, a.k.a. Maryland Terrapin, because she is an alumnus of the University of Maryland system.