Nelly Moreno Shenk

Executive Director

nshenk@skylineliteracy.org

Nelly was born in El Salvador, came to the United States in 2002, and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2006. She is married and has two grown children, Daniel and Sara. She has a degree in economics and an MBA from El Salvador. Nelly has been working for Skyline Literacy since 2008. She has 28+ years of non-profit experience in her country as well as the United States. Nelly learned English when she came to the USA as an adult, so she knows that learning another language in adulthood is difficult, but achievable if you have the motivation! Her family has been her biggest motivation. Nelly is a member and co-founder of several community efforts to improve services for the immigrant community, including the Welcoming Harrisonburg Council and the Salvadoran Committee (COSPU). Nelly is passionate about leadership, organization and teamwork.

Gil fernandez

tutor manager

gfernandez@skylineliteracy.org

Kwestan Abdalrahman

Outreach Coordinator & Program AssiStant

kabdalrahman@skylineliteracy.org

Born in Kurdistan, Iraq, Kwestan immigrated to the USA in 2022. She has a four year Bachelor's degree in Biology from Salahaddin-Erbil University. Over the past nine years, she has honed her skills in Laboratory Technology, HR, and Administration, creating a diverse professional background. Beyond work, she finds joy in traveling and shopping.

Maria Pichler

Program Manager

mpichler@skylineliteracy.org

Maria Pichler joined the Skyline Literacy team with a strong background in language education. Born in Germany, she moved to the US in 2005 and has called the Shenandoah Valley her home since 2009. Maria has a Master's degree in English Literature and Linguistics and Italian Philology. She's always been passionate about learning languages and exploring different cultures.

Before coming to Skyline Literacy, Maria worked for language learning companies Rosetta Stone and Duolingo. Wanting to have a more direct impact in her community, she started volunteering as an English teacher with Skyline Literacy in 2017. Her commitment to helping others learn led her to become a program manager at Skyline, where she now plays a key role in developing educational programs.

Outside of work, Maria likes hiking and traveling with her husband and two sons.  She also enjoys playing the piano, painting, reading, and learning Spanish.

Melissa Booth

Communcation Specialist

mbooth@skylineliteracy.org

Melissa Booth, a native of Pennsylvania, got involved with Skyline Literacy during an undergraduate school internship in the summer of 2019. She joined the team and manages Skyline’s social media, website, fundraiser campaigns and marketing efforts. She graduated from Waynesburg University with a B.A. in Internation Cultural Studies, History, and Spanish. She is married and is the mother of one daughter. She enjoys board games, music, gardening, reading, spending time with friends.

Virginia Showalter

Family Literacy Program Manager

vshowalter@skylineliteracy.org

A native of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia appreciates the ways that the Harrisonburg community continues to become more diverse each year. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a degree in Elementary Education and minors in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Spanish. Her professional experience has been varied, from teaching English to adult learners in numerous settings to working as an immigration paralegal to being a case manager with migrant farmworkers. She is married and is the mother of three daughters. Growing a garden and cooking/preserving food are priorities for Virginia and her family, as well as playing board games and frequently visiting the library for good books.

JOSSIMAR DIAZ-CASTRO

DIGITAL LITERACY INSTRUCTOR

jdcastro@skylineliteracy.org

A native of Mexico City, Jossi immigrated with his mother and baby sister to the United States at the age of 12. A graduate from Harrisonburg High School and Eastern Mennonite University he has a bachelor's degree in theology. Jossi has been a local community leader for immigrant rights. He is also a professional chef with experience in various food industry settings. In recent years Jossi opted for a career change into the field of education and along with teaching digital literacy for Skyline he is currently a teacher assistant at Smithland Elementary School. In his free time Jossi writes non-fiction as well as fiction and is a music lover.  

Gabriela Moreno Reyes

Data Specialist & Student Liaison

gmoreno@skylineliteracy.org

Gabriela (Gabby) was born in Houston, Texas, but moved to Alexandria, Virginia at the age of 3. Currently a student at James Madison University (JMU), she is double majoring in International Affairs and Spanish and is graduating this May 2024. Having grown up in the immigrant community and seeing the struggles immigrants face on a day-to-day basis, Gabby has developed a deep passion for helping out the immigrant community as best she can. She was enrolled in an Immigration & Refugee Law class at JMU for the Spring Semester of 2023 to learn more about the process immigrants and refugees go through, she was previously a Legal Intern at Church World Service in Harrisonburg serving the local community by assisting clients in applying for work permits (I-765), residencies (I-485), and citizenship (N-400), as well as translating legal documents. Other classes Gabby has enrolled in include Latin American Politics, Intercultural Communication, Ethics in International Conflict, and Human Security. She hopes to continue making an impact in the community through her role as Student Liaison and Data Specialist, and is excited to remain in the Harrisonburg Community she fell deeply in love with.

Rev. Stan Farthing

President

Rev. Stan Farthing is the pastor of the Zetta Presbyterian Church in rural Augusta County. He is also the co-owner, with his wife Candace, of LDA Creations / Silver Lake Workshops, which operates in the historic, restored Silver Lake Mill in Dayton, VA. The company decorates ceramics, glass, wood and other materials for customers such as Mount Vernon and Monticello, as well as businesses, nonprofits and congregations. He and Candace live in Dayton with their two Scotties.

Kaystyle Madden, M.E.D.

Vice President

Kaystyle Madden is a Shenandoah Valley native. She began as a volunteer tutor at Skyline Literacy in 2012, which encouraged her to return to school for a Master’s in Adult & Higher Education. During her graduate studies she came back to Skyline to complete her internship. Kaystyle taught ESL at Lord Fairfax Community College for several years before joining Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board where she currently works as the Employer Network Director. Her passion for life-long learning and workforce development also led her to volunteer as a mentor with American Corporate Partners where she assisted veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce. Her self-described superpower is encouraging others to never stop learning!

Janet Garber Loker RN PhD

Secretary

Janet is a native of Rockingham County who received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Eastern Mennonite University. After graduation Janet spent 8 years as a Public Health Nurse in the Richmond City area working with populations that included African Americans and Native Americans. After receiving a master's degree in Public Health Nursing from the University of Virginia she worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Western State Hospital. Janet created the nurses' role during the development of the Free Clinic in Harrisonburg. She then earned a PhD at George Mason University and spent 20 years as a Professor of Nursing at Eastern Mennonite University. During this time Janet 's main focus was with mental health issues as she taught psychiatric nursing. At EMU she was also Director of the RN to BSN program and helped to develop the RN to BSN program at EMU's branch campus in Lancaster PA.

In the past 5 years Janet has been on the executive board of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham NAACP serving as community liaison. Janet is also on the Community Advisory Committee to the Chief of Police of the Harrisonburg Police Department. Within the last two years she has served on the board of the Welcoming Harrisonburg Council and Skyline Literacy. Janet is compassionate regarding the needs of individuals new to our country. She volunteers for Meals on Wheels and the backpack food program in Rockingham County Public Schools. Janet is very enthusiastic about the role that Skyline Literacy has adopted addressing the issues of homelessness, hunger, and chronic poverty. She is honored to be a part of this incredible organization.

Sam nickels, Ph.d

Treasurer

Sam Nickels recently retired from 35 years in the nonprofit sector as a case manager in human service organizations. He also did fundraising, grant writing, and executive leadership. He's lived in Washington DC, Florida, and 5 years in El Salvador before coming to Harrisonburg in 2001. Currently he supports nonprofits like Skyline Literacy, works on property management and housing development for very low income persons with histories of homelessness, and testifies in asylum cases as a country conditions expert on the mental health system in Central American countries. He plays the french horn and piano, and is a trained 200-hour yoga instructor. He's trying to figure out how to cut down on sweets; if you know a secret, please share it with him!

Thomas Craig

Thomas Craig was born in London, England. He grew up in Rome where his American mother taught art history and his Irish father worked as a script writer. Thomas received a BA in History from Princeton University, an MA in Secondary Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Teaching Certificate in Social studies 7-12 from New York State. For the past four decades he has been a school administrator and teacher of History and Economics in international schools in Western Europe, East Asia and southern Africa. He has worked extensively with students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Thomas is semi-retired and enjoys travelling, hiking, cooking, reading and the tranquility of living in his log home in Massanutten, McGaheysville, Virginia.

LUciano Benjamin

Luciano is originally from Santa Clarita, California (Yep, same one as the show!) and has lived in Harrisonburg since 2017. He originally came to Harrisonburg to attend JMU, where he received a degree in Political Science with a minor in Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations. From the day he first moved here, he knew he would call Harrisonburg home. He received his BA in 2020 and an MA from VCU in 2023. He currently serves as the Vice President of C2 Integration, a government contracting firm, and as a commissioner with the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority. 

Laura Feichtinger-McGrath

Laura Feichtinger-McGrath relocated to the Shenandoah Valley in 1998 after several years living and working in Eastern Europe and Alaska. She earned a Master's Degree in Linguistics from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Ithaca College. She is presently the Director of English Learner Programs/Title III for Harrisonburg City Public Schools and has been with HPCS for over 20 years. She and her husband, Pat McGrath, have two boys, a cat and a dog. In her free time, she loves to escape into Young Adult Fiction.

Russell leary

Russell lives and works in Harrisonburg with his wife and 3 children. He is the co-CEO of On the Road Collaborative, a youth development organization founded in Harrisonburg in 2015. Russell spent 7 years living in Kiev, Ukraine, where he learned Russian and Ukrainian and first began to see himself primarily as a global citizen. After attending JMU, and spending 9 years as a classroom teacher, he served as Executive Director of NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center. In that time, he grew in his understanding of the needs of the immigrant community in the Valley. 

Rev. Melissa May

The Rev. Melissa May grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, fell in love with creative writing and theology, and discovered a call to ministry through volunteer work with the Iona Community in Scotland. She earned Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees at United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, PA before she engaged in initial work in congregational youth ministry. Her next adventure was serving as a curriculum developer and Bible Camp leader with On Eagle's Wings Ecumenical Ministries in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada. After a brief return to congregational ministry in Nome, Alaska, Melissa returned east, pursuing part-time pastoral work and trying out a long-held dream of teaching English to speakers of other languages. In addition to preaching at various churches in the central Shenandoah Valley, Melissa is now an instructor of adult English Language Learners at Eastern Mennonite University's Intensive English Program. When she has a bit of free time, she loves playing board games, teaming up for trivia nights, and going geocaching.

Esteban Nieto

Cynthia Prieto

Cynthia Prieto is honored to be invited to work with this amazing cause. She has just retired from 34 years as an educator, and literacy and language skills are near and dear to her heart. She is a bilingual, bicultural Hispanic American. Most of her adventures overseas have included trying to communicate with people in other languages. Communication always leads to laughter, learning and great memories. Moreover, speaking multiple languages opens doors for opportunities and growth. She hopes to bring to Skyline Literacy a passion for lifelong learning, a drive to help people make their lives better, easier, more vibrant. By helping members get their education and their citizenship, we are strengthening our community. It is a pleasure to serve on this Board.

Scott Richardson

Scott Richardson, Vice President of Residential Living, rejoined the VMRC team in September of 2020. Scott began his career in senior services at VMRC back in 2000 joining the team to run the just-opened Wellness Center. Since then, Scott has served in a variety of roles at communities located in Williamsburg VA, Pittsboro NC, and Charlotte NC. He holds the Certified Aging Services Professional credential along with certification from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. His current responsibilities include providing leadership and quality assurance for the four Residential Living facilities and the Dining Services team. Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Management from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Ontario, Canada. Scott’s hobbies include playing golf, tennis, running for fitness and hanging out with his wife Peggy and Labradoodle Oliver.

Steven Smith, J.D.

Steven Smith is an immigration attorney at Smith Immigration Law, PLC, Harrisonburg, Virginia. His focus is removal defense. He holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico and a J.D. from Western New England College School of Law. He has lived, worked, and studied in Chile and Nicaragua.

Dr. Laura Zarrugh, Ph.D.

Dr. Laura Zarrugh received her doctoral degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at JMU, Bridgewater College and BRCC, and conducted research on immigrants and refugees in Mexico, California, and Virginia. She has been a volunteer tutor and grant writer for Skyline Literacy for ten years. She is currently the president of the Harrisonburg branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).