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
As Kramden’s Director of Development, Eric is responsible for leading our development and marketing efforts, from grant writing and general fundraising to working with our sponsors on developing new partnerships. Eric joined Kramden’s team in May 2013 as a Development Associate. Prior to that, he worked for the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress at Duke University as part of a team focused on developing training programs for evidence-based treatments for childhood trauma. Eric graduated from the University of Miami, FL in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, Eric spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in Boston, MA with Cradles to Crayons.
Eric Vreeland
Director of Development
evreeland@kramden.org
Rocky is Kramden’s Production Coordinator and supports the Director of Technical Operations in our Tech Equipment Partner program as well as with surplus sales. Rocky was a longtime volunteer at Kramden, helping out with laptop refurbishing.
Rocky Carr
Production Coordinator
rcarr@kramden.org
Kristina graduated in 2008 with a BA in Spanish from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Originally from Chicago, Kristina has spent the past several years traveling and working within a variety of educational settings with children of different ages and backgrounds. In 2010 she completed two consecutive AmeriCorps terms in Alaska where she volunteered as a Team Leader for youth trail crew, and served as a Children’s Advocate at a local women’s shelter in Juneau. Kristina has since relocated to North Carolina and is excited to bring her experience in education and knowledge of Spanish to the Kramden team!
Kristina Parks
Office Manager
kparks@kramden.org
Lile develops and teaches Digital Literacy and Digital Creativity curriculum for Kramden. He began teaching digital imaging classes as part of an art residency in Durham in the 2014 and became an official staff member in 2015. Originally from Arkansas, Lile received his MFA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014 where he specialized in installation and new media art. An advocate for open source software and DIY technology, his work at Kramden fulfills the social mandate for his professional art practice. Lile’s work can be found at www.lilestephens.com
Lile Stephens
Lead Technology Instructor
lstephens@kramden.org
Glenn Thomas
Warehouse Coordinator
gthomas@kramden.org
Bill teaches Digital Literacy and Tech Trailblazers for Kramden. As a teacher he has worked with children and adults. In the past he taught illustration classes at CCA and the Academy of Art in San Francisco and currently teaches painting classes for Durham Arts Council and teaches as a substitute for Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools. In 2014 and 1015 he spent his summers teaching 3D game design for Youth Digital. Bill is a painter and printmaker, has worked as an illustrator and comic book artist. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in both national and international galleries. To see some of his work, go to www.koeb.com.
Bill Koeb
Technology Instructor
bkoeb@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
