ECYP Professional Staff
Kathleen St. Villier Hill, Executive Director
Kathleen St. Villier Hill is the Executive Director of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program, a joint collaboration between the Baltimore Jewish Council and the late Congressman Elijah Cummings. Kathleen is responsible for managing all aspects of the two-year fellowship program in which teens develop skills that help them become leaders who promote inter-ethnic, racial and religious understanding. Prior to joining the Baltimore Jewish Council, Kathleen spent nine years at For Love of Children (FLOC) in Washington, DC. While at FLOC, Kathleen managed a college access and success program for 200 students and helped FLOC enhance program offerings for middle school, high school and postsecondary students. Kathleen received a Bachelor’s degree in Women Studies and History from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master’s degree in Community Education and Leadership from Stevenson University.
Liza Koh, Program Director
Liza Koh is the Program Director of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program, a collaboration between the Baltimore Jewish Council and the late Congressman Elijah Cummings. Liza is responsible for recruiting, training and supporting ECYP fellows as well as supporting ECYP’s effort to engage program alumni. The two-year fellowship program helps teens develop skills to become leaders who promote inter-ethnic, racial and religious understanding. Prior to joining the Baltimore Jewish Council, Liza worked as a school counselor at Jemicy Upper School in Owings Mills, Maryland. Jemicy is a school that educates students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences. While at Jemicy, Liza oversaw the Senior Internship Program, organized the annual Career Day, and coordinated the community service program for 200+ students. Liza holds a Bachelor of Art in Psychology with a minor in Business from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and a Master of Art and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology from Towson University.
Karla Press Porter, Program Coordinator
Karla Press-Porter is the Program Coordinator for the Elijah Cummings Youth Program. Karla is responsible for supporting the planning, coordinating and implementation of ECYP’s youth fellowship. Prior to joining as Program Coordinator, Karla was ECYP’s program intern for two years. Karla graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and holds a B.S. in Biology and a minor in American Studies and Public Humanities. Karla is excited about continuing her work with ECYP and shares that she “loves coming in to work with the students, it is so fulfilling, and it inspires me to continue to be an advocate for myself and the communities we come from”.
Howard Libit, Executive Director, Baltimore Jewish Council
Howard Libit is the Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council. Prior to joining the Council, Howard served as the Chief of Public Affairs and Director of Strategic Planning and Policy in the Mayor’s Office for the City of Baltimore, overseeing the communications efforts for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the agencies of city government. For almost six years, Howard was Chief Operating Officer at Kearney O’Doherty Public Affairs, where he developed and implemented successful and award-winning communications strategies for Fortune 500 and non-profit clients on some of Maryland’s highest-profile political issues. Howard also spent 15 years as a reporter and editor at the Baltimore Sun, starting as a suburban education reporter and writing about such other topics as state government, politics and the environment. He served as the newspaper’s City Editor for nearly three years. In his position as assistant managing editor for news, he directed award-winning local, national, foreign, business, and investigative coverage for print and online, supervising a team of 15 editors and 50 reporters. Howard grew up in Highland Park, Ill., and is a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in political science.
