fbpx

Uniting Students, Education, and Communities

Meet Our Staff

Wendy Samet, Executive Director
Contact Wendy
Wendy has worked in the non-profit sector for almost 30 years, starting her professional life as a painting conservator. In 1996, Wendy led the multi-racial, economically diverse coalition that established Midtown Academy. She was a key participant in developing the program and structure that led to Midtown’s emergence as one of Baltimore’s most successful and sought-after public charter schools.

In 2003, Wendy became Vice President of the Goldsmith Family Foundation. Over ten years, she restructured and branded the Foundation’s giving program, which donates up to $1,000,000 annually to education programs for underserved youth in Baltimore City. She worked with the board on strategic planning, providing professional development for board members, increasing their engagement, and honing the Foundation’s grant-making program.

Wendy became Executive Director of Middle Grades Partnership in September of 2013.
Wendy attended Hampshire College and received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. She did graduate work in Art History and Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and received an MS in Art Conservation from the Winterthur Museum/ the University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation where she later taught. Wendy continues to be a professional painting conservator and is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation. She has worked at the Walters Art Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution where she was in charge of the conservation of Whistler’s Peacock Room.
Stephanie Felton, Director of Development
Contact Stephanie

Stephanie Felton joined Middle Grades Partnership on October 1, 2014, as Director of Development. Stephanie comes from Gilman School where she was Director of Development Services. Stephanie spent 17 years in the Development Office at Gilman handling Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Database Administration, and administrative duties of all fundraising and event planning aspects of their office. Stephanie stepped into the Director of Annual Giving position partway through her last year, while handing Database Administration, and was able to complete the fiscal year $140,000 over budget, raising over $2.3 million dollars (She attributes much of her success to the relationships she has built). Stephanie has experience working with the Board of Trustees as well as managing a 31 member Alumni Board

Stephanie graduated from Shepherd College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. She lives in Ruxton with her husband Johnny and two daughters, Madison and Olivia.

Renee Samuels, Communications Manager, and Digital Content Creator
Contact Renee

Renee Samuels is the Middle Grades Partnerships Communications Manager and Digital Content Creator. Prior to joining Middle Grades Partnership, Ms. Samuels worked in the administrations of Mayors Sheila Dixon and Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as a Special Assistant working with arts, culture, and tourism programs and Director of International Affairs — overseeing the Sister Cities program. She began her professional career as a television reporter in Western Maryland and later as a gubernatorial speechwriter. Renee lives in Baltimore City with her husband Jordan and toddler.

Anita Walia, Office Manager
Contact Anita

After graduating from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Anita Walia has lived and worked in many different cities around the country. Over 10 years ago, she moved from San Francisco to settle in the Bolton Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. Anita brings a wide range of employment experience to her work at MGP. She has clerked in the Federal 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote, produced, and anchored a news program at a start-up cable TV station. In Baltimore, Anita has worked in Immigration Law and served on the Midtown Community Benefits District Board. In addition to working for MGP part-time, Anita manages her historic rental property and raises her two daughters. Anita loves to travel and has been to Europe, India, China, and Iceland.

Scroll to Top