CAREER DEVELOPMENT & DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

 Khady Kamara has more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience and is the current executive director for Second Stage Theatre in NYC. Second Stage Theatre is the only Broadway company exclusively devoted to living American writers Second Stage is dedicated to introducing the world to bold and diverse voices of American creativity. 

Kamara previously worked as the managing director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where she has worked for almost two decades. Kamara advocated for a focused lens on diversity, inclusion, and social justice awareness throughout her career, and strives to be an authentic voice as part of a cultural institution that is actively working to uphold these values.

While at Arena, Kamara helped with the opening of the Mead Center for American Theater and doubled the non-profit’s subscriber base.In addition to managing strategic planning efforts with the board of directors, a core focus of Kamara’s career is strengthening community relations and developing new audiences with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She also currently serves as adjunct faculty for the arts management program at George Mason University, EDI co-chair of the League of Resident Theaters, and is a member of the board of directors of Theatre Washington. Kamar earned a graduate degree in Business Administration with more than 20 years marketing and sales experience. A proven record of significantly increasing earned and contributed revenue streams, researching and launching new revenue streams. 

Melissa Schiller is an innovative philanthropic leader in the sports industry. As Senior Director, Social Responsibility at the NFL, she leverages the League’s platform to raise awareness, inspire engagement and make an impact throughout communities across the country. In this role, she oversees the League’s core community relations strategy and national partnerships. She also leads her team in developing and directing community impact plans and engagement events around the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and NFL Draft each year.

Outside of her position with the NFL, Melissa serves on the Associate Board of Covenant House New York, Advisory Panel for Beyond Sport, Pat Tillman Foundation Selection Committee and Athletes Fighting Cancer’s Board of Directors.

Melissa was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and in Spanish from Pennsylvania State University. In 2016, she earned an Executive Certificate in Sports Philanthropy from the George Washington University School of Business. She resides in New York City and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. Melissa was recently named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 List and received Penn State College of Liberal Arts inaugural “Outstanding Young Alumni Award” in 2019.

Mary Hart joined Dress for Success Palm Beaches as Executive Director in 2016, where she brings over 25 years of business and leadership experience to the role. She held various positions in the financial sector, rising to a Senior Vice President level. In 2007, Mary left the corporate world to open her own business which focused on sustainability. Prior to joining Dress for Success, Mary served as Executive Director of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County for four years where she focused on building relationships in the community and forming business partnerships to support the organization.  

Just prior to that, Mary served as Director of Student Services for Keiser University’s West Palm Beach Campus, where she worked directly with graduating students to help them enter the workforce, focusing on resume writing, interviewing skills, and professional dress. It was in this role that she initially connected with Dress for Success Palm Beaches, which provided business attire to these students, education-rich but cash-poor, as they ventured into the world of interviewing.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Mary lived in Lakewood, Ohio, for five years prior to relocating to Jupiter, Florida in 2010. Throughout her career, Mary has focused on building strong relationships by treating all persons with dignity and respect. Her volunteer efforts over the years have included working in food banks, working with the addicted population, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), both in Guatemala and the United States.