About the
Civic Fund

HyeSook Chung has worked to improve the lives of children and families through direct service, program management, philanthropy and advocacy for the past 23 years. She is a data and technology enthusiast whose innovative vision for data work for high-impact social outcomes has been highlighted at IMB Insight Data Conference, the list of Rockefeller Foundation’s Top 100 Innovative NGO’s, Unicef, The Classys, Amazon, The White House, and SXSW Education. Prior to her position at the Civic Fund, HyeSook served as the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services for the District of Columbia. She received a Master’s of Social Work from Boston University with a concentration in non-profit management. HyeSook is also a proud mother of two social activists!

Rachel Donegan is the Director of Partnerships with the Baltimore Civic Fund. She is a human services sector leader, with extensive experience in service design and implementation science bridging institutional practice and community-based supports. Rachel has most recently served as a founding member and Assistant Director for Promise Heights at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She co-wrote and managed $45M in public and private grants which resulted in the unit growing from two employees to over 50 team members who worked to improve the systems and outcomes affecting the lives of children and families in West Baltimore. Rachel holds a Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law and her undergraduate studies at Guilford College focused on sociology and criminal justice. Rachel lives near Belvedere Square with her niece and her big goofy dog.

Lea Ferguson is the Chief Operating Officer with the Baltimore Civic Fund. Lea has most recently served as the Chief of Policy & Partnerships with the Mayor's Office of Children & Family Success, leading development of special initiatives and supporting priorities of the Baltimore Children's Cabinet. Previously, Lea served as Vice President of Inspiration at Thread, where she was responsible for volunteer recruitment, fundraising to support the $5M+ organizational budget, annual student enrollment, development of budget and spending policies, and ongoing data, analytics, tech systems, and operations. Prior to joining Thread, Lea worked in the Office of the Chief of Staff for Baltimore City Public Schools where she assisted in the development and implementation of a wide variety of district reform priorities. Lea began her career in education as a high school social studies teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools. She holds a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from Johns Hopkins University. Her undergraduate studies were in political science is from the University of Southern California. Lea lives near Patterson Park with her husband, Bill Ferguson, and two children

Christina Gatto serves as Senior Partnership Manager at the Baltimore Civic Fund. Christina has worked in service of children and families throughout her career, through direct service, program development, fundraising, and philanthropy. Prior to joining the Civic Fund team, she served as a Partnership Manager at Family League where she provided grant support and focused on capacity building. She has also worked at the Maryland Food Bank where she helped design and implement collaborative efforts between pantries statewide. She is a proud Baltimore City resident and alumna of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Sociology. Not least of all, Christina is mom to a sweet and loving little boy.

Philip Smith (he/they) is a Partnership Manager with the Baltimore Civic Fund, as well as husband to an incredible woman and “poppa” to an inspiring child. Driven by a passion for service and social responsibility, Phil has leveraged his various privileges to advocate for the needs of others in every community he has lived. Most recently, Phil served as the Career Development Program Coordinator at B’More Clubhouse, where he worked tirelessly to create meaningful, and sustainable employment opportunities for members with diverse abilities. Prior to B’More Clubhouse, Phil served as a leader and mentor to individuals in the private sector while also working to create an antiviolence organization for male-identified DC residents. Originally from Central Pennsylvania, Phil grew up attending Orioles games in an effort to witness Ken Griffey, Jr. belt baseballs into the warehouse windows above the right field fence. Phil is a graduate of Penn State University who loves to read for fun, practice meditation, run absurdly long distances, and develop his “green thumb” in the garden. 

Emma Soukup is an accounting associate with the Baltimore Civic Fund. She is originally from Minnesota but moved to Baltimore a few years ago as an Americorps volunteer with the Friends of Patterson Park, and has since made Baltimore her home. Emma’s passions include being active in her community, youth development, and collaborating on shared goals to further develop herself and those around her both professionally and personally. Emma continues to work as a volunteer with several schools as well as a Volunteer Coordinator with the Friends of Patterson Park. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying out new hobbies, and spending time in Patterson Park.

Raven Thompson is the Grantmaking Manager at the Baltimore Civic Fund. Hailing from sunny southern California, Raven came to Baltimore for graduate school in 2011 and has been charmed ever since. She is a graduate of the Morgan State University’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. She comes to the Civic Fund after several years as an Economic Development Officer with the Baltimore Development Corporation. Raven is a planner, designer, and transit advocate with a passion for creating more vibrant, livable urban communities. In her free time, she reads with her book club and blogs about Baltimore’s best food and wine.

Semeka Lyles is the Director of Finance with the Baltimore Civic Fund. She is a long-term public servant dedicated to improving the fiscal capacity of non-profit and government agencies. Most recently, Semeka held the position of Senior Accountant with Ocean Conservancy, where she conducted reviews for financial reporting requirements and provided support to senior management and executive leadership. Semeka also led the accounting department at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, managing a budget of $4M. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from Strayer University. Her undergraduate studies were in Finance from Delaware State University. She lives in Baltimore City with her two boys, loves working out, and considers herself a major foodie.