Staff Photos & Profiles
Aeriel A. Anderson, M.Ed.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
As the most recent addition to the CMEA staff, Aeriel works directly with the Student of Color Alliance (SOCA), the Young Leaders in Education about Diversity (YLEAD) pre-orientation program, the Leaders in Education about Diversity (LEAD) peer education and dialogue facilitation program, and Hoya Saxa Weekend. Aeriel is a Midwest native who received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Education at the University of Maryland. New to both Washington D.C. and the Georgetown community, she loves meeting new people so feel free to stop by her office for a visit!
Charlene Brown-McKenzie, COL ’95, MSW, LICSW
DIRECTOR
Meyers Institute for College Preparation
With her wealth of programming and counseling
background as a clinical social worker, Ms.
McKenzie serves as the architect for building the relationships with students and their families through Georgetown pre-college program, the Meyers Institute for College Preparation. Through designing and implementing programs, hiring instructors, collaborating with community partners, and working with funders, she is responsible for sustaining MICP's mission: to prepare D.C. students for college and ensure that they are admitted, enrolled, and graduated. Ms. McKenzie, who joined CMEA in 1999, is a native of Jamaica and came to Georgetown as an undergraduate from Connecticut.
Vanessa Correa, M.S.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Vanessa recently returned to the college
environment, having spent time conducting research on the causes and potential solutions to crime. Prior to her criminal research, she worked at Cornell University in Ithaca and Southeastern University in Washington, DC, advising and monitoring student progress. Her primary responsibilities at Georgetown are advising and coordinating the Community Scholars Program, serving on various University committees and coordinating a new alumni mentoring program. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell and her Master of Science degree from The American University.
Charleta Mason
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Ms. Mason, a Virginian who joined the Center in 2005, handles all the payroll and financial transactions for the multitude of CMEA initiatives; she also helps out with administrative and logistical support for programs and activities sponsored by the office as well as by student groups.
Elizabeth Velez, M.A.
DIRECTOR
Community Scholars Program
English Professor Velez, an Alabama native, has been a mainstay of the Community Scholars Program for more than two decades. As Director, she sets the curriculum, recruits faculty, advises students and oversees the program, and also provides academic advising and support for other students through CMEA.
Dennis A. Williams, M.F.A.
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENTS
DIRECTOR
Professor Williams is responsible for all of the operations of CMEA and also supervises the Academic Resource Center. He is the author of two published novels and teaches in the English department. Born and raised in Upstate New York, he has been at Georgetown since 1997.
John C. Wright, Ph.D.
COUNSELOR
Dr. Wright is a licensed psychologist who is originally from New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and doctorate from Florida State University. He has an interest in developing culturally sensitive, community-based interventions and providing multicultural outreach services. He has a particular interest in issues effecting men of color on campus. He provides private counseling and consultative services to students at CMEA.
