President and CEO

Jennifer C. Niles leads the CityWorks DC team as an experienced educational leader. She founded and led the acclaimed E.L. Haynes Public Charter School. Niles built myriad programs focused on improving urban education beyond the school’s own walls, including cross-sector initiatives to build a teacher pipeline, race and equity seminars, and ongoing professional development for teachers. After her twelve year tenure, she served as DC’s Deputy Mayor for Education for three years overseeing DC Public Schools, the Office of the Superintendent of Education, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the DC Public Library, and the University of the District of Columbia. CityWorks DC was the outcome of her research and design project as a Senior Fellow based at CityBridge Education.
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Director, Program & Partnerships

Noemi oversees the implementation of the CareerWise DC youth apprenticeship program in partnership with DC schools and employers. Before joining CityWorks DC in 2019, she worked with CareerWise Colorado to develop a strong foundation for a youth apprenticeship system in six school districts across the state. Noemi previously managed a national effort to galvanize college students across 61 campuses to address food insecurity and food waste during her time at DC Central Kitchen. Noemi began her career at Operation HOPE where she helped pilot a youth entrepreneurship training program at her home high school and managed a financial literacy program in Denver. Outside of work, Noemi is a certified yoga instructor and can be found planning her next trip, hanging out on the nearest body of water, or trying new recipes.
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Vice President, Strategic Initiatives

Dr. Erin Bibo oversees CityWorks DC's efforts to implement system change that will establish, scale, and sustain opportunities for DC’s youth of color to be prepared for, hired into, and successful in the region’s good jobs. Previously, she served as Deputy Chief of College and Career Programs at DC Public Schools, at which Alumni Success, Career Education, College Preparedness Programming, Postsecondary Planning, and JROTC were part of her portfolio. Dr. Bibo has also worked as Director of Policy and Planning for Postsecondary and Career Education for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the District’s State Education Agency, and as Assistant Director of Degree Programs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Bibo earned her Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park, her Master’s in Education Policy from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and her Bachelor's degree from Stonehill College. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and their three school-aged children.

Associate, Enterprise Operations

Erick Carvajal is the Associate of Enterprise Operations at CityWorks DC. In this role, Erick assists in the financial operations of the company by coding expenses and maintaining the cleanliness of data. He attended E.L. Haynes, a school founded by Jennie Niles, and managed to graduate as the High School Valedictorian of his class in 2017. Following this, Erick would go on to get an Associate degree in General Studies at Montgomery College, and a Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Erick is a massive soccer fan, and he is always keeping track of the results from his favorite team, FC Barcelona. Aside from this, he loves to play video games and spend time with his friends and family.
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Vice President, Innovation

Lateefah leads the launch and expansion of programs that enable youth and young adults to have the work experience, social capital, and credentials needed to compete for family-sustaining jobs in our region. Lateefah previously managed over 30 Career and Technical Education programs serving 8,000 students for Prince George’s County Public Schools, including its Registered Apprenticeship Program. Lateefah is personally and professionally committed to supporting youth and young adults on their journey to discover how they want to contribute to the world and providing them with access to the educational and employment opportunities to achieve their dreams. Lateefah cultivates joy in her life by spending time with her family, horseback riding, and hiking.
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Senior Manager, Program & Partnerships

Jerelle Jenkins (she/her) is the Senior Manager of Program & Partnerships at CityWorks DC. Previously, Jerelle was the Senior Coordinator of Equitable Workforce Development at Americans for the Arts, where she was a champion for equity in arts leadership through workforce development initiatives focused on talent recruitment, retention and improvement of policies and practices that create opportunities for under-represented identities in the nonprofit field. She worked closely with pre-entry and emerging professionals as the program coordinator for the Diversity in Arts Leadership internship program. Jerelle is passionate about strengthening and supporting youth and emerging professionals by way of curated professional development programs and skill-building workshops to successfully equip and prepare the next generation of workforce professionals. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts Management from American University (Washington, D.C.) and a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies and Art History from Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO). Jerelle enjoys exploring the hidden gems of D.C., visiting museums, and is a proud self-proclaimed foodie.
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Chief of Staff

Aurora most recently served as chief of staff at Two Rivers Public Charter School, a school network committed to providing students with real-world learning opportunities and nurturing its diverse student body to become lifelong, active participants in their education, develop a sense of self and community, and become responsible and compassionate members of society. Before joining Two Rivers, Aurora served as director of strategic initiatives and senior advisor for educational equity in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) in Washington, DC, during CityWorks DC President & CEO Jennie Niles' tenure as deputy mayor. From 2010 to 2015, Aurora served as counsel and senior advisor to the US Department of Education (ED) chief of staff under Secretary Arne Duncan. She also spent time at the White House Domestic Policy Council. She worked for the Senate HELP Committee on behalf of Ranking Member Patty Murray to authorize the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. Aurora received her bachelor's in psychology-neuroscience-philosophy, master's in social work, and juris doctorate in law from Washington University in St. Louis. She earned a master's in educational leadership from the Broad Residency in Urban Education, Yale School of Management. In her free time, Aurora enjoys listening to podcasts, spending time outdoors, and occasionally finding time for her passion for painting. Her favorite time is relaxing with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Quinn.