Board of Directors
Executive Director: Eric Weaver
President: Charles B. Thornton
Secretary: Haywood G. Donerson
Treasurer: Myra Phifer Woods
NAARC Executive Director: Eric Weaver is an advocate, activist, and reentry specialist dedicated to helping individuals reintegrate into society and providing mentorship to those in need. With a passion for supporting others, Eric Weaver has built a team that works tirelessly on his behalf, engaging with communities and creating opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives.
Weaver's journey into this line of work stems from personal experiences. Having been previously incarcerated, Eric Weaver understands the challenges and barriers faced by individuals seeking to reintegrate after serving time. At the young age of 17, Eric Weaver found himself in jail, but he didn't let that define him. Despite the circumstances, Eric Weaver was always an honor student and recognized the value of education. However, he also realized that being intelligent wasn't enough to achieve certain goals, such as attracting romantic partners.
Seeking attention and validation from the community, Eric Weaver unfortunately got involved in selling drugs. It was during this time that he had a conversation with an older gentleman who saw his potential in math and provided him with chemistry books. This encounter inspired Eric Weaver to return to school. He took the GED and achieved one of the highest scores, allowing him to transfer to a facility with college courses. Driven by a genuine interest in learning, Eric Weaver obtained a degree while still incarcerated. Even in those challenging circumstances, he would encourage others to pursue their GED and started the Youth Movement.
After being released in 2009, Eric Weaver had a strong desire to make a positive impact. He began working with Peaceoholics, an organization that aimed to reduce violence. Soon, he was asked to teach GED classes and started pulling individuals off the streets to attend these classes. People recognized his dedication and suggested that he continue the Youth Movement in this new setting. While others assumed he had grants to support his efforts, Eric Weaver was initially funding the initiative out of his own pocket. It took a year or two before he secured any funding for his work.
Subsequently, Eric Weaver joined the DC government public employment services and served as the Deputy Director for their reentry center. His commitment to helping others led him to leave the Department of Corrections and focus on his passion full-time. In 2018, Eric Weaver founded a non-profit called The National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens (NAARC) and received his first grant of $100,000, which marked a turning point in his journey. Today, his organization has grown significantly, with a current funding level of $7 million and a team of over 100 dedicated individuals.
As a leader, Eric Weaver continues to make a substantial impact in the field of reentry and community advocacy. His work extends beyond simply providing resources and support; he serves as a source of motivation and inspiration for those seeking to turn their lives around. Having experienced personal tragedy, including the loss of his son to gun violence, Eric Weaver is determined to address the root causes and consequences of violence in his community.
Through his tireless efforts and unwavering dedication, Eric Weaver empowers individuals, fosters community engagement, and transforms lives. His journey from incarceration to becoming a respected leader in reentry and advocacy serves as a powerful example of resilience and the potential for personal growth and positive change.
Eric Weaver was born and raised in Washington, DC, and is a father of one daughter and a son now in heaven. He is a very proud and active grandfather of four grandchildren. He enjoys spending his time with his grandchildren and traveling the world.
NAARC Board President: Charles Thornton is today the Chairman of D.C’s Corrections Information Council where his deep District Roots and his hard-won path to success took him from the streets to prison and back to the streets again. After receiving early parole and a second release from incarceration, he was determined to turn his life around. Since then he is determined to ensure that organizations such as NAARC build the capacity to reach every individual released from incarceration has the opportunity to turn their life around. Treatment for substance abuse, safe and supportive housing, and an opportunity to build a career through hard work and determination. Charles married his high school sweetheart and has custody of his grandson.
Mr. Thornton and his wife have accumulated all of the material markers of personal and financial success including a substantial net worth. Today, and for the past eighteen years, he has had an active spiritual program with all of its associated gifts and blessings. Most importantly, he has maintained a verifiable, sustained commitment to the community, and to at-risk populations, ever mindfully of that spiritual axiom that states that “from those who have received much, much is expected.” Charles is an active member of the substantive abuse support networks and the community of faith-based and ex-offender organizations. He has been a D.C. Department of Correction volunteer since 1994. My real estate development company is a major provider of beds and housing facilities to non-profit social services organizations that address the needs of the homeless, families living with HIV/AIDS, at-risk youths, and low and moderate-income housing. All of these are the fruits of an informal, loose, collaborative, public-private partnership that provides temporary therapeutic housing, life support services, training, employment, and mentorship. And as a consequence, Mr. Thornton has been able to quietly, and without fanfare, return the same to the community sevenfold.
NAARC Board Secretary: Haywood G. Donerson is a seasoned Program Support Assistant with over 20 years of experience in the field of office administration and managing client-centric office operations. He is equipped with an exceptional ability to facilitate all aspects of internal and external communications, supporting the day-to-day administrative, financial, and operational functions by working collaboratively with leadership and colleagues at all levels. Prior to joining the NIH All of Us Research Program, Haywood worked for the Department of Employment Services (DOES)/DC Infrastructure Academy in Washington, DC. In that capacity, he provided expert customer service and support in developing employment programs, providing job seeker services, and evaluating client progress.
In other capacities, Haywood has served in the communications and administrative fields where he assisted with such campaigns as The Greater Washington Urban League and The Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. In 2008, he assisted with fundraising efforts for the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History in Washington, DC for their new contemporary exhibit. He also chaired the Communications committee for United Nations Week in 2009 and was Vice Chair of Communications for the United Nations Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC).
Haywood is a native Washingtonian who attended schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, where he learned how to work and collaborate with various cultures during his youth. He is also the proud father of a special needs son. Haywood believes “The only place to find success before work, is in the dictionary” and he proves that with the dedication he brings to each assignment. He has a passion to see his colleagues excel to their fullest potential and is always willing to help the team achieve the overall goals.
NAARC Board Treasurer: Myra Phifer Woods is a DC resident, and volunteer. After her 30-year career as a financial services consultant and transformation leader, Myra is assisting community-based organizations in the District in advocating and delivering services to individuals whose lives have been affected by the criminal legal system. She is committed to restorative and redemptive solutions for addressing harm and creating accountability. Her career took her to Bank of America where she spent 15 years in Charlotte NC. A change to consulting brought her expertise to clients through her role as a Senior Manager at KPMG Consulting in DC and New York City. RBC’s US subsidiary moved Myra to Raleigh as the Manager of RBC’s Shared Services team. As a Technology Transformation leader for PNC in Pittsburgh, Myra led large technology and process transformation programs. Myra grew up in a military family and is the oldest of the six children of Clifford J Phifer and Dorothy Przybylski. Col. Phifer’s military career took the family all over the US and in Germany. Myra’s education includes a BS in Finance and an MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. She’s a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Magna cum Laude. Currently, Myra uses her process engineering and leadership skills to support to a variety of DC based non-profit organizations. In return, Myra has a network of collaborators and advocates with whom she works to improve the lives of those who have been impacted by the carceral system.
Recent roles:
Community and Family Life Services as a mentor
As a Circle-Keeper in a variety of settings
ReThink Justice as the Reentry Committee co-chair
The National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens as a Board of Directors member and a volunteer and mentor
Interfaith Action for Human Rights as a pen pal
As a volunteer with the Jails and Justice Task Force