Dr. James Kallusky has devoted his career to one core belief: when young people face chronic trauma and adversity without support, their futures can unravel in an instant, but with the right guidance, they can rise with resilience, purpose, and possibility. This conviction has shaped 35 years of work helping youth overcome hardship, stay connected to caring communities, and build pathways toward brighter futures.
James has served in nearly every role across the youth development ecosystem: community program leader, teacher, professor, author, government advisor, and nonprofit executive. He has worked directly with expelled students, teen parents, gang involved youth, and young people in the juvenile justice system. As an academic, he went on to create the nation’s first BA and MA degree programs in Sport and Community Development, and his book Youth Development and Physical Activity is used in universities around the world.
Before joining Fight For Children, James served as Chief Operating Officer at Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, where he helped guide the organization through a period of strategic growth and deeper national impact. He has also held senior roles as Deputy Director at the Clinton Foundation, Vice President of Strategy and Growth at Coach Across America, and as a tenured professor at California State University, Los Angeles.
Outside of work, James enjoys family time, motorsports, and gardening.
Shiree started her career in nonprofit fundraising in 1991 and previously held Development positions with New Futures, Beacon House, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, Easter Seals DC MD VA, National Jewish Health and others. The breadth of her experience includes strategic planning; development fund planning; major gifts; annual giving; foundation and corporate grants; corporate sponsorships; special events; Board recruitment and training; and development operations and systems.
She has lead dozens of workshops and education sessions including as a presenter at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conferences; Association of Fundraising Professionals chapters including DC, New Jersey, San Antonio, and Delaware.
Shiree previously served on the Boards of Montgomery Community Media, the East Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, DC Chapter. Shiree is an adjunct faculty member with The Fund Raising School within The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. In addition to an MBA, she holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management and is a Certified Meeting Planner.
Joseph Hooks serves as a Program Officer at Fight For Children, bringing more than a decade of experience in youth development, education, and sports-based programming. He is known for building strong partnerships across schools, families, nonprofits, and public agencies to deliver practical, youth-centered programs that strengthen leadership, wellness, and academic engagement.
Most recently, Joseph served as a contracted Program Director with the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services, overseeing youth development specialist at 5 Montgomery County Public Schools. He led teams providing evidence-based programming, therapeutic recreation, and coordinated supports for students and families in close collaboration with school and community partners.
In parallel, Joseph founded and led 480 Club and 480 Cares, initiatives rooted in the belief that community, education, and sport can unlock potential. He currently serves on the Tickets For Kids Regional Advisory Committee and has received multiple honors, including the DHHS Dr. MLK Peacemaker Award and Shepherd University Alumni Association’s Finest Under 40. Joseph is a graduate of Shepherd University, where he was a football letterman and team captain, majoring in Leisure Studies.
Liz Warnecki joined Fight For Children in June 1999 and currently serves as the organization’s Operations Manager. In this role, Ms. Warnecki is responsible for Fight For Children’s organizational operations, human resources and IT functions. In addition, she manages Fight For Children’s annual fundraising event, Fight Night.
Prior to joining Fight For Children, Ms. Warnecki worked as an associate with JLS consulting, overseeing a variety of desktop publishing, process mapping, and IT infrastructure development projects. She also has 15 years of customer-focused service management experience.
Ms. Warnecki has one grown son and lives in Virginia. In her free time, she enjoys attending a variety of concerts, entertaining at home and traveling with her two dogs.
Andrea Hernandez has over nineteen years of accounting knowledge and experience and manages the day-to-day finance administration and human capital of the organization. Andrea has spent most of her career in the non-profit sector as she believes that advocacy and education are key for successful non-profits and that charity starts at home. Ms. Hernandez has previously served as a Chief Financial Officer for a regional non-profit and spent eight years in public accounting where she traveled extensively in Latin America and Europe on various financial engagements. An advocate for youth sports, Andrea provides financial pro bono services to a local youth boxing organization.
A Maryland native, Andrea loves blue crabs and her pets. Andrea is fluent in Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland.
Marc is a DC-area native passionate about empowering local communities through youth sports. Marc received a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from American University before working with for-profit and non-profit clients as an assistant account manager with a DC-based public relations firm. Marc then moved to Spain, where he explored his passion for education as a 7th-12th grade English teaching assistant and learned to speak Spanish fluently. Upon returning to DC, Marc handled public relations and marketing for a local non-profit before joining Fight For Children to help launch the Early Access to Sports (EATS) program.
Marc believes sports can be an excellent way for youth to bond and compete while learning critical life lessons in teamwork, respect, and hard work. A competitive athlete as a youth, Marc now socially plays soccer, volleyball, and kickball.
Laura was born and raised in Colombia and considered herself a philanthropist always seeking social improvement in the world through communications. Ms. Chaparro is a publicist cum laude from Suffolk University and has a Master’s degree in international affairs, with a sub concentration in international communications from Boston University. With knowledge in public diplomacy, intercultural communications, and social change campaigns, Ms. Chaparro has experience in website management and social media strategy.
Laura moved to DC in search of personal and professional growth; she loves her culture and her country and is always looking for a way to show the positive side that Colombia has to offer. She enjoys reading and learning about new cultures; it is her greatest passion. In her spare time, Laura plays soccer and is a faithful follower of the Colombian national soccer team. Laura believes in sport as a means of re-socialization and helps for a more equitable world.
