Sam Alexander works on the Global Field Operations team at FIRST^®HQ. Sam is excited to support our Program Delivery Partners with the right tools and resources to provide outstanding FIRST^®experiences to their teams and communities. An alumnus, Sam has been involved with FIRST^®for more than 15 years & at FIRST^®HQ for nearly 7 years. Ask Sam about anything but he'll likely find a way to talk about his dog. Sam lives in Philadelphia.

Lori is the Sr Specialist in Education and Workforce Development in FIRST. She taught Career and Technical Education and Science for 15 years in Colorado with various courses in STEM and Agriculture. As a teacher, Lori shared her own passion for learning STEM with students coaching FIRSTRobotics teams, and mentoring students in Science Fair projects. Helping students connect their learning with careers has been a lifelong focus. Today she shares this same passion with the FIRSTorganization leading their STEM content and workforce development efforts at the national level.

Faith Bongiorno joinedFIRST in 2019. As a Senior Specialist in Professional Service, she provides implementation support and strategy, professional development support and development, and support for allFIRST^®Partner School Districts. Faith taught for 6 years and was a Senior Mentor for South Carolina. She is active in the FIRSTcommunityin South Carolina. She works remotely from Ridgeville, South Carolina, and spends most of her free time with her four kids, horses, and chickens on their small family farm.

Dr. Janell N. Catlin is the Vice President of Social Impact & Engagement at FIRST. She joined FIRST in October 2020 and brings over 25 years of experience as a global STEM education researcher, teacher educator, and champion of STEM education for all learners.Janell has led fundraising campaigns to lay the foundation for building out global STEM and Girls’ Education programs, and she has led STEM and Girls’ Education Initiatives throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Southeast Asia. In this capacity, she has structured the vision, design, and implementation for teacher and school leader professional development and leveraged partnerships to deepen the impact of STEM and Girls’ Education teaching and learning. Furthermore, she has led international STEM consultancies with federal agencies for a funded project in Indonesia, private American schools in China and Vietnam, and for the New York City Department of Education.Janell received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Science Education, and Masters in Pharmacology from Columbia University (New York, USA). She received her Bachelors in Biology from Bennett College (North Carolina, USA). Janell is extremely passionate about engagement for all learners in global STEM and Girls’ Education. In 2019, she co-authored a National Science Teaching Association position statement on Science Education. Janell has been awarded for her scholarship by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching and her alma mater, Bennett College.

Danny Diaz is the Senior Engineering Manager for FIRST Tech Challenge, he oversees the development and selection of software and hardware solutions forFIRST Tech Challenge robots. Danny coaches middle and high school FIRST Tech Challenge teams, volunteers at events, and is a firm believer in eating his own dog food…metaphorically, of course. We think.

Pete Diaz is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of FIRST, the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM through hands-on, PreK-12 classroom and afterschool robotics-based STEM programs. He joined FIRST in 2022 and is responsible for innovation and operations in information technology across the organization. He brings over 25 years of technology and leadership experience with a passion for solving business problems through the application of innovative technologies and processes. As CIO he is responsible for all aspects ofFIRST’s Technology organization, which includes solutions delivery, software development, project management, infrastructure, and process improvement. During his career, Pete has served in a variety of leadership and technology consulting roles at organizations such as Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), Berkshire Hathaway, Ryder, Carnival Cruise Lines, JM Family Enterprises, Castle Group and MasTec. Prior to moving into leadership positions, he served in several roles such as Help Desk Analyst, Business Analyst, System Administrator, Software Developer, Database Administrator, Technical Architect, and Solutions Architect. These collective experiences have provided a strong basis to drive technical transformations which allowed the organizations he has served to innovate, scale, and increase efficiency. Pete’s passion for the mission of FIRST started over 10 years ago as a mentor for his daughter’s FIRST LEGO League team. Over the years he has volunteered across all three FIRST programs, serving in roles such as coach, mentor, judge, FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA), and Dean’s List reviewer. He strongly believes in the mission and impacts of FIRST, having witnessed the amazing growth of children in FIRST, including his own daughters.

Collin is the Sr. Program Director forFIRST Robotics Competition. He's held several positions at FIRST, served as a volunteer for all programs, and has coached FRC and FLL teams.

Ben Grove is the Legislative Director at Thompson Coburn LLP, leveraging bipartisan connections to provide strategic counsel on legislative priorities. He has worked on FIRST's federal and state relations for over twelve years, spearheading initiatives such as edits to the CHIPS and Science Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, and the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act. Ben also serves on the board of the Victory Fund Campaign Board, the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition, and is president emeritus of Q Street, the professional association of LGBTQ lobbyists. In his free time, he loves to go hiking and experiment with new recipes.

JoAnn has been with FIRST and the FIRST Tech Challenge since 2007. She is inspired by the work she does and feels blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to interact with amazing students, volunteers, and peers at FIRST. In her spare time, she makes music, reads books, entertains her dog, Autumn, and spends time with her friends and her family.

Dana Hobbs is the Program Senior Manager for FIRST Robotics Competition at FIRST Headquarters. She has spent more than 11 years with FIRST HQ in various leadership roles and has served in her current position for the past three years. Before joining FIRST, Dana spent 32 years with Chrysler Corporation in Vehicle Development Engineering, specializing in NVH and EMC.Dana has been involved with FIRST since 1996, mentoring FRC Teams 33 and 34, serving 13 years as the FLL Partner for Alabama, and later helping expand FIRST programs across Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. She also serves on the Alabama Governor’s STEM Council, supporting statewide STEM education and workforce development."

Ashley Johnson is an experienced leader and non-profit manager with over 12 years of experience in the FIRST^®Volunteer Resources Department. Ashley is currently the Director of Volunteer Resources at FIRST. With an unwavering commitment to empowering and supporting volunteers, Ashley is excited to be leading the new Mentor Development Initiative. Over the past decade with FIRST^®HQ, she led the teams supporting the FIRST^®Senior Mentor Program, the VISTA Program, and the more recent AmeriCorps Program as well as other key volunteer initiatives. With 20+ years of experience working in non-profits and volunteer management, Ashley draws upon her extensive background to drive strategies focused on enhancing the FIRST^®volunteer experience and growing FIRST. Before FIRST, she worked in leadership roles for various non-profit organizations to include Special Olympics New Hampshire and the American Cancer Society.Originally from Austin, Texas, she now resides in Manchester, New Hampshire with her husband Tom, 6-year-old son Austin, and chocolate labrador puppy Buddy. When she is not working with FIRST, she is an active volunteer in her community spending time with various youth-serving programs. Most weekends Ashley enjoys spending time with her local running groups and attending various sporting events and activities with her family.

Alexander Mitchell, VP, LEGO Education, US Anders Hamilton Heidemann, Head of Global Marketing

Lowri Walton, Partnership Manager Troels Dyrhman, Head of Partnership Management Camilla Bottke, Head of Brand Partnerships Chris Summers, Sr Program Manager Anders Hamilton Heidemann, Head of Global Marketing Felix Obschonka, Head of Engineering

Perla Lopez Freed is the Senior Manager, Youth Protection. Perla brings a wealth of experience in developing and implementing policies that ensure safe environments for children within youth-serving organizations. With a background in project management and leadership roles in child protection initiatives at organizations like the YMCA and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, Perla is dedicated to enhancing youth protection processes, training, and policies at FIRST.

Dan has been with FIRSTfor almost 15 years, starting as a Partner Development Manager with FIRSTLEGO League and since 2019, a Field Development Manager with Global Field Operations.Prior to joining FIRST, he was a FIRSTLEGO League partner in Michigan, where he currently resides. Dan loves vacationing in northern Michigan and spends the winter curling.

Naomi Mancuso is the Director of Operations Support at FIRST, overseeing the “small but mighty” front-line customer support team. Naomi has been with FIRST since 2009 and for the last 16 years she has been running the day-to-day operations for the group, she is also the point of contact for a number of projects within the organization. Naomi is based in New Hampshire, was raised a Jersey Girl and is a native Spanish speaker.

Lisa Marie Mooney joined FIRST in 2022. As a Program Function Manager, she focuses on volunteer systems and volunteer retention. Lisa is a Certified Volunteer Administrator. She works remote from Germantown, Maryland with her two cats supervising her tasks.

"Chris Moore is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the global nonprofit FIRST , a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through hands-on, PreK-12 classroom and afterschool STEM programs. He joined FIRST in 2021, bringing extensive executive leadership, advocacy and field engagement experience, as well as a passion for building programs that serve youth, families and communities.For the past 25 years, Chris has driven considerable growth in both corporate and nonprofit organizations, serving in executive leadership roles, most recently as CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, a youth sports training and content development organization. Chris was a leading voice and advocate for positive youth development and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and opportunities made available to kids through sports.Prior to that, he served as CEO of United States Youth Soccer Association, the largest youth sport organization in the country. In this role, Chris increased youth participation in recreational and competitive soccer programs nationwide, while helping to transform the lives of 3 million youth, high school and collegiate athletes annually.Before that, Chris was President and Chief Operating Officer of GENYOUTH, a youth empowerment organization dedicated to creating healthier school communities nationwide. While at GENYOUTH, Chris partnered with the National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC) to inspire a generation of kids to exercise for 60 minutes per day and consume nutrient-dense meals through GENYOUTH’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, the largest in-school health and wellness program in the U.S. To carry out the mission of GENYOUTH, Chris convened leaders in government, corporate, nonprofits, schools and health organizations, resulting in a nationwide movement to improve the health and well-being of America’s youth. While there, Chris led GENYOUTH’s partnership with the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, to promote her signature initiative, “Let’s Move,” aimed at achieving healthier kids and active school environments.As the leader of two prominent youth sport organizations, Chris served as an Aspen Institute “Project Play” Champion and was recognized by the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, as a National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) Champion, along with other thought-leading organizations, to develop a federal roadmap with actionable strategies to increase participation in youth sports.Chris is a native Chicagoan, but currently resides in North Dallas, Texas, with his wife of 21 years, and two teenage sons. He earned a B.A. in International Relations from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill., and earned an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business."

Rachel is the Sr. Program Director for FIRST Tech Challenge and is an active volunteer in both FTC and FRC programs and mentor of both FTC and FRC teams

Tammy Pankey joined FIRSTin 2018. As the Director of Education, she focuses on providing learning direction for content and trainings to equip adult and student learners to be successful in FIRSTprograms. She is a former K-12 STEM educator and worked in the STEM education industry for many years before joining FIRST. She works remotely from Virginia Beach, VA.

Kimberley works in Research & Evaluation as part of the Data Analytics & Business Intelligence team and has worked for FIRST for almost 12 years. Her background at FIRST includes: data analytics, Salesforce administrator, Certified Tableau Data Analyst, and previously development data manager. Kimberley has a graduate certificate in Data Science and an MA in Computer Resources & Information Management. Her data analytics focus areas include: youth, volunteers, coach/mentors, alumni, education & individual donors. Kimberley is also a FIRST alumna, event volunteer, coach of FLL Explore Team 14923 The Little Dippers and has just completed her 10th season as a mentor of FRC Team 238. In whatever spare time is leftover, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her two pitbulls and exploring the Star Wars universe.

Chris Rake is the Chief Operating Officer of FIRST

Vinnie Rodino serves as the Senior Director of School Engagement and Education at FIRST, where he works closely with school districts, educators, state education agencies, FIRST^®program staff, and delivery partners to create and implement educational strategies, content, curricula, and professional development programs. His efforts focus on increasing access to the FIRST® experience for students worldwide. Vinnie has experience as a FIRST^®LEGO League coach and as a mentor for FIRST^®Robotics team 782, the Kilowatts. Prior to his role at FIRST, he led teams in advanced industries such as high-speed optical communications, flight and guidance control systems, garment and apparel, and ultra-high-energy fiber lasers

Will Saxe joined FIRST in 2024 as Vice President of Risk Management & General Counsel, bringing a broad spectrum of experience as in-house counsel and strategic leadership skills to helpFIRST manage and mitigate a wide variety of legal risks, including data privacy, cyber security, youth protection, and contracts.Prior to FIRST, Will served as Assistant General Counsel & Director of Risk Management at Colby College, where he played a pivotal role in advising on corporate compliance, 501(c)(3) governance, privacy, litigation, and policy development. He launched Colby’s first Enterprise Risk Management program in 2023 and oversaw the College’s entire insurance portfolio, among many other responsibilities. Will has also worked as a Staff Attorney at Northern Light Health/Mercy Hospital and an Associate in the Employment & Litigation Practice Groups at Pierce Atwood, LLP.Will holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Boston College Law School, a Master of Education in Administration from Boston College's Lynch School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Sociology from Occidental College. He lives in Maine with his wife and two teenage sons.

Kristi has been with FIRST for 11 years as the Director of Corporate Relations and Field Development Strategy, and in the past year has expanded to supporting Global Field Operations in growing FIRST internationally. She's deeply committed to expanding resources and access for youth around the world.

Brenda works in Research & Evaluation as a Senior Manager of Data Analytics & Business Intelligence. She has worked for FIRST for over 17 years. Her background at FIRST includes: executive reporting and data analytics, Certified Tableau Data Analyst, and previously a business analyst supporting all HQ departments for IT requirements and testing. Her data analytics focus areas include executive reporting, program team & class pack registration, finance analytics, school engagement analytics, and event analytics. She enjoys time with her family at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire as well as spending time with her two miniature Australian shepherds.

Kim is the Sr. Program Director for FIRST LEGO League and has been with FIRST LEGO League for 14 seasons. In addition to leading the annual challenge development team for the 3 divisions, she is representing the program evolution, accessibility, and program-specific support for PDPs alongside our colleagues at LEGO Education.

Sarah works in Research & Evaluation as the Senior Manager of Evaluation. She has worked for FIRST for over 10 years. From conducting end of season surveys, visiting classrooms and teams to observe FIRST programs, and overseeing external evaluation projects, Sarah collects data to help improve FIRST programs. Prior to FIRST, she received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of New Hampshire. During her academic work, Sarah was a research assistant for the Social Work Department at UNH and interned at the state office for the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families. Sarah lives in Concord, NH with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys reading, traveling, and fun weekend activities with her girls including leading a Girl Scout troop.