Our Board of Directors
The Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County, MD Board of Directors is made up of leaders in their fields who advocate for improved education and, most importantly, prevention of child abuse. Through their leadership, guidance, and support, we strive to end the cycle of child abuse.
Charlie Regan
President
Mr. Regan is the founder of Derwood Partners, a management consulting firm in the Washington DC area. A former senior vice president at the National Geographic Society, he has extensive experience in business development, strategic partnerships and leading strategy development teams. He has successfully launched a number of businesses in education, publishing, and multi-media. Mr. Regan is a founding member of The Tree House CAC board, previously serving as the vice president.
Samantha Bender
vice President
Dr. Bender is a local psychologist with a private practice in Bethesda, MD. She earned her undergraduate degree from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Bender spent the first half of her career at the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children in Rockville, MD, working with children who were abused, neglected, or at risk for abuse or neglect and their families in the outpatient clinic as well as in both the Therapeutic Nursery Program and the Therapeutic School Program, as well as participating in forensic evaluations to inform child placement decisions. In her private practice, in addition to providing child, adolescent, and family therapy and comprehensive psychological testing to a much broader range of clients, Dr. Bender continues to evaluate children and/or their parents to help Child Welfare Services plan for and provide appropriate services to the children and families. Ms. Bender also served on the Citizens’ Review Board for Children in Montgomery County, an organization that reviews cases of children in out-of-home placement and monitors child welfare programs, making recommendations. Dr. Bender is a founding member of the Board of Trustees of The Tree House CAC and has served on the Board since October 2016, continuing her longstanding commitment to keep all children and adolescents safe from abuse and neglect.
Arlene Hale
Treasurer
Judith Phillips
SECRETARY
Erika Dickstein
Ms. Dickstein is a strategic marketing expert and the owner of Spring Insight Marketing, LLC, a digital agency specializing in building websites and creating and executing marketing plans for small businesses seeking to break through the noise online. With decades of marketing experience, including for such companies as America Online (AOL), The Walt Disney Company, and The Graduate Management Admission Council, Ms. Dickstein brings an intelligent and pragmatic approach to online communications. When not thinking brilliant marketing thoughts, Ms. Dickstein lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and two daughters. Ms. Dickstein is delighted to be working with the dedicated and hardworking team at The Tree House CAC to help protect vulnerable children in Montgomery County.
Joyce Gardner
Ms. Gardner is a long-time realtor in the DMV with 15 years of non-profit experience for several different Montgomery County organizations. Her previous career was in adult education when she was the founder and past director of Howard University’s Language Institute. In short, her background, experience, and passion has been dedicated to service, education, and networking. Ms. Gardner wants to bring her skill set and commitment to The Tree House CAC and its critically important mission.
Nichole Jenkins
Ms. Jenkins is a senior attorney at the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). She received her JD from Howard University School of Law and her BA from the University of Texas at Austin. In her role at SIGTARP, the federal law enforcement agency that targets financial institution crime, and other waste, fraud, and abuse in the Troubled Asset Relief Program, she provides legal advice and counsel to the Special Inspector General and other management officials on a range of matters including employment, criminal, disclosure, and ethics law, and represents SIGTARP in administrative proceedings and Federal court.
Ms. Jenkins served as the first President of The Tree House CAC Board of Directors as The Tree House CAC transitioned to a 501(c)(3). She also served as a community member to the Tree House Assessment Center for several years. Her service to the community also includes former Manager, Contribution Accountability, for the Armstead-Barnhill Foundation for Sickle Cell Anemia.
Sheena Saydam
Ms. Saydam was named DC Metropolitan Area’s “99 Agents You Want on Your Side” by Washingtonian Magazine in 2015 and 2016; and a Keller Williams “Top Producer” four years in a row from 2015-2018. In 2015, she was recognized as the #1 highest producer at Keller Williams for the DC Metro Region. Ms. Saydam is passionate about providing each and every client with service more extraordinary than they’ve received anywhere – across all service industries. Her main focus at SPG is to ensure this passion is carried out as our mission.
Ms. Saydam is a Certified Broker Price Opinion Resource Specialist and earned her Master of Public Policy, with Advanced Training Certification in Conflict Management at the Center for International Development & Conflict Management at George Mason University. She graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a Bachelor’s degree in Government & Politics.
As an Army brat, Ms. Saydam moved eight times throughout the United States and Europe before turning fourteen. Prior to real estate, she managed grassroots lobbying efforts at The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She loves baking chocolate chip cookies and jumps rope whenever possible.
Bridget Shea
Cali Tamarkin
Ms. Tamarkin has spent her career championing children with a variety of “special needs”. She was a Special Educator in New York City and Connecticut, and most recently for Montgomery County Public Schools, MD. Her Masters in School Counseling has enabled her to broaden her effectiveness in interacting with all children. As a volunteer, she supports children and their families in Hospice, and as a Wish Granter for the Make a Wish Foundation. She believes the opportunity to contribute to The Tree House CAC with its exceptional population is a welcome and natural extension of her life’s work.
