Sue is a native Washingtonian. She grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, moved to Northern Virginia for 15 years and has been a current resident in Washington DC for over 21 years. Sue received both an undergraduate and graduate degree from George Mason University (GMU) and maintains certifications as a Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), and Project Management Professional (PMP). She is the Chief Executive Officer for Susan Fitzgerald & Associates, Inc. providing information technology management consulting services for over 16 years, and previously held senior contracting and material management leadership positions at GMU, Prince William County Public Schools and the District of Columbia.

Sue and her husband (Gary) have one daughter who brought them to the love of horses and animals; their family includes 4 dogs, 3 cats and several horses. They were introduced to Sprout through their daughter’s horseback riding passion and were overjoyed by the magic of possibilities and celebrations for all participants. Watching each rider at the barn or a Sprout horse show work to attain personal accomplishments with a light in their heart is such an overwhelming blessing. We are grateful for the many gifts the Sprout leadership, staff, volunteers and students share with the community.

A native of Long Island, NY, Saskia moved to the Northern Virginia area as a teen and her love of horses truly bloomed as she started riding lessons in local Aldie. After attending The University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University where she received a bachelor and master’s degree in Violin Performance, Saskia returned to the NOVA area, where she currently rides and shows.

As a violinist from the age of four, Saskia performs with many orchestras and groups in the VA, MD and DC area and also holds a full-time position at the Library of Congress. Saskia started volunteering at Sprout in December of 2013 and instantly knew Sprout was going to hold a special place in her heart. She then joined the Board of Directors in December 2014 and is dedicated to promoting and sharing the mission of Sprout within with the Northern Virginia community. Sprout makes the “impossible”, possible. The students at Sprout bring her much joy and she loves seeing the students improve every week in their lessons. She and her husband currently reside in Reston, with their dog, Hank the Tank.

Jim Jensen is a native Washingtonian having grown up in the Vienna/Great Falls/McLean area. Jim is the Vice President of SaaS Technology & Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Ultimate Software and has contributed to it’s being named by Forbes as one of the top 25 companies to work for three years in a row. He has been with Ultimate for over 19 years and previously held the role of Chief Information Officer as well as roles in Sales and Development. Jim studied at Southern Wesleyan University and Clemson University. Jim, his wife Miriam and their seven children have lived in Ashburn, VA for the past 9 years. He and Miriam have a special place in their hearts for and focus their volunteer time and support on organizations dedicated to individuals with special needs.