Our Staff
Michael joined Kramden Institute in August 2011 to lead the organization as it grows and expands in fulfilling its core mission from the Triangle region to across all of North Carolina. He relocated back to Cary after more than thirteen years living and working in Washington, DC as a campaign manager, fundraising and political consultant and, most recently, in international government relations. Michael received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.A. in Political Management from the George Washington University.
Michael Abensour
Executive Director
mabensour@kramden.org
Cari is charged with overseeing Kramden’s events, volunteers and Scholar Program. Kramden welcomed Cari to the team in February 2010. Following her undergraduate studies at Grand Valley State University, Cari served two years as an AmeriCorps member in the communities of Elkhart Indiana and Grand Rapids Michigan. Cari continued her education at Grand Valley State University receiving her Master of Education in 2009. Cari’s graduate and professional work offers valuable experience in the areas of volunteer management, program development and grant writing.
Cari DelMariani
Director of Programs
cdelmariani@kramden.org
Jason manages Kramden’s internal software and IT processes for the refurbishing process while supervising our warehouse operations and spearheading our Tech Equipment Program and Surplus Sales. Jason graduated in 2006 from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in computer science. Prior to joining Kramden, he worked in IT for a distribution company in Charleston and as an IT support specialist for Avery Engineering. Jason has spent his adult life volunteering with various non-profit organizations to stay busy and give back, including Habitat for Humanity, Charleston Crisis Ministries, and at Kramden Institute before joining the staff in 2013.
Jason Ricker
Director of Technical Operations
jricker@kramden.org
Marshall develops and leads classes and other educational initiatives at Kramden. He began volunteering at Kramden in 2013 and became a member of the management team soon after. He joined the staff in 2014 to coordinate Kramden’s educational programs. Marshall received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has worked with non-profits from the very start of his career as a website developer and project manager in Washington, DC. He brings his deep technical knowledge and a dedication to making technology inclusive and approachable to his work at Kramden.
Marshall Burkes
Technology Education Manager
mburkes@kramden.org
Kristina first joined Kramden in 2015 as Office Manager and in 2018 she transitioned to the role of Development Manager. Originally from Chicago, she graduated in 2008 with a BA in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to moving to North Carolina, she spent several years traveling and working within a variety of educational settings with children of all ages. Kristina assists in interpreting for Spanish-speaking families at Kramden and is responsible for grant writing and fundraising for the organization. She enjoys getting to know Kramden’s volunteers, recipients, and class participants and sharing their stories. 
Kristina Parks
Development Manager
kparks@kramden.org
Rocky is Kramden’s Lead Technician, with 30 years of experience in computer and device hardware, operating systems, and software. A long time volunteer, Rocky joined Kramden in 2015 and now leads our tech support and Surplus Sales programs, and supports the Director of Technical Operations in our Tech Equipment Partner program. Prior to joining Kramden, he was lead Desktop Support Technician For General Electric, and has also worked as a field service technician for his own private IT business, HP/Compaq, Wake County, and Equitrac. He loves being able to combine his love of IT with his strong desire to give back to the community.
Rocky Carr
Lead Technician
rcarr@kramden.org
Lile Stephens
Lead Technology Instructor
lstephens@kramden.org
Tom graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2014 with a degree in Media Studies and a concentration in Documentary and Television production. He was hired as a Master Control Operator out of school and eventually moved into the engineering side of broadcasting where he worked as a Broadcast Systems Specialist at ABC11 WTVD.
Tom Walters
Production Manager
twalters@kramden.org
Rachel graduated from the UNC-Asheville in 2018 and joined Kramden as Office Manager in May 2019. She majored in International Studies and was president of UNC-Asheville’s chapter of Sigma Iota Rho, a collegiate honor society for international studies. She also enjoyed studying abroad for a semester at the University of Sussex in 2016. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading science fiction, vintage shopping, and cooking with her friends.
Rachel Luce
Office Manager
rluce@kramden.org
Gloria Jaime graduated from the Instituto Tecnologico de Electronica y Comunicaciones, (Colombia) with an associate degree of Electronics and Communications Technology. Gloria’s experience started as a Radio Engineer with Alcatel and continued as a Radio Engineer Coordinator. She became a Testing Engineer, Network Support in Telecommunications for Shell-Colombia S.A, where she worked to audit and assure that everything in the delivery of the Nortel Unified Networks worked correctly. Gloria also graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, majoring in Electrical Engineering. Gloria is fluent in English and Spanish. Her volunteer experience consists of being a Classroom Assistant for Chinese as a Second Language at Cary Chinese School, North Carolina; as an Elementary Faith Formation Classroom Assistant at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (NC), and a Computer Technician at Kramden Institute (NC). Gloria completed a Google IT Support Professional Certificate at Coursera.
Gloria Jaime
Computer Technician
gjaime@kramden.org
Javier teaches Digital Literacy classes in both English and Spanish at Kramden. He has a passion for teaching and has instructed several office software classes at Wake Technical Community College starting in 2009. Javier enjoys both instructing and practicing in the field of computing and has worked since 2010 as IT Manager at Kohn-Ell Association Management Services.
He has benefited from a wide range of leadership experiences cultivated in the United States, Italy, and Colombia. His background in Electrical Engineering, originating from a Bachelor’s of Science from University of Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, has given him the know-how and confidence in approaching many cultural and technical challenges. Javier wishes to pass on his comfort and love of computing to all his students, and hopes to foster a greater sense of understanding and confidence with computers in the wider community.
Javier Herrera
Technology Instructor
jherrera@kramden.org
Robert graduated with a BA in English from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 1995. He earned his Associates Degree in Computer Technology and Networking in 2001 while living and working in Denver. Prior to joining Kramden, he worked for thirteen years for the State of North Carolina; two years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and eleven years at North Carolina State University. While at NCSU, Robert provided desktop support to staff members in a variety of departments across campus. Robert volunteered at Kramden before becoming a staff member in 2019.
Robert Spencer
Production Coordinator
rspencer@kramden.org
