Midtown Headquarters

Dorothy Moulthrop is the Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides afterschool, summer, student travel, and family programs to thousands of K-12 scholars in Northeast Ohio and across the state. She provides the vision and strategy that guide ODA’s network of campuses and oversees the Center for Out-of-School Advancement, a specialized team who supports over 200 afterschool programs across the state and indirectly impacts over 40,000 students.

Dr. Moulthrop earned her doctoral degree in education policy and leadership at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on the intersection of policy and practice in educational excellence and equity. She is an adjunct professor at Cleveland State University where she teaches classes for the Center for Educational Leadership. Dorothy previously worked as an education consultant, enabling schools, districts, institutions, and educational leaders to succeed at the highest levels. Prior roles include Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development at Hawken School, and English teacher at Shaker Heights High School and San Lorenzo High School in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her BA from Northwestern University in Comparative Literature and Italian, and a MA from Ursuline College.

Dorothy is active in the local community and serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of Beaumont School, her alma mater, in Cleveland Heights. Dr. Moulthrop and her husband, Dan, have three children who keep them on their toes: Nico (17), Elisa (15), and Gabriel (13). They live in Shaker Heights and spend most of their time cooking, eating, and vying for the attention of Lulu, their pandemic puppy.

Lola Gomez joined Open Doors Academy in September 2019 as Chief People & Culture Officer. Ms. Gomez previously managed talent development, diversity, and compensation for the National Inventors Hall of Fame in North Canton, Ohio. Prior to that, she spent five years at Off Bound Adventures – a company in her native Colombia providing experiential learning opportunities for students – leading the Finance and Human Resource functions.

Lola received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from CESA in Bogotá, Colombia in 2008 and  a Master’s in Positive Organizational Development and Change from Case Western Reserve University.

Lola is very excited to have the opportunity to support the mission of Open Doors Academy by giving team members the tools and support they need to make a difference in each of the lives of ODA’s scholars.

Anima Donkor joined Open Doors Academy in September 2020. She has served as an in-person Program Coordinator at Citizen’s Academy Southeast in the Breakthrough system before managing Euclid District programs. Today, she serves as Director of Programs supporting all school districts. Anima received her Master’s degree in International Studies from The Ohio University.

Before working at ODA, Ms. Anima was an instructor at The Ohio University for two years. She also worked with summer camps (Blueprint Summer Programs and Envision) as an education lead/advisor. Both her work at The Ohio University and summer camps around the country reinforced her passion for education and educational research, particularly among minoritized populations. Ms. Anima has also served as an advisor and cultural consultant for the Office of Multicultural Students Access and Retention Center (OMSAR) and Ohio Valley International Council (OVIC), all at The Ohio University.

Ms. Anima is passionate about education issues and in her spare time, she spends time reading and researching. Ms. Anima also loves to cook and dance.

Meghan Richards joined ODA as the Senior Director of Advancement in 2023.  Meg’s work experience until now has been in the private sector where she built a well-rounded foundation in the manufacturing industry holding positions with increasing scope and responsibility in operations, sales, and customer service. Since Meg has long had an interest in children’s literacy, she was excited to enter the nonprofit arena and become part of the ODA team.

Meg moved to the Cleveland area for college and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of Akron.  Her work opportunities have also taken her to Kansas and New Mexico.  Her and her husband’s return to Ohio in 2018 has proven to be a wonderful experience for their three children: Raziel (20), Gavin (18) and Digamo (17). After much enjoyment of watching their children compete in various sports and grow into adulthood, Meg is excited to spend more time traveling and volunteering.

Always an avid reader, Meg’s biggest passion is making sure that every child has access to books in their home. Over the past 25 years, she has volunteered with various organizations in three different states to provide books for children.

Dan Sehlhorst joined ODA in 2020. He has worked with education and advocacy nonprofits since he was a freshman in high school, when he co-founded a tennis program for youth in his hometown. Since then, he has worked in program management, development, and operations roles for organizations in Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, and now Cleveland.

Dan is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he studied political science and economics with a certificate in public service.

When Dan is not on the job, you might find him on a hiking trail, a soccer pitch, or a tennis court. Otherwise, he is likely at home cooking with one hand and reading a book in another!

“Be the kind of person who not only understands the injustices of this life, but is also willing to do something about them.” -Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, 1986

Brandon Sheil joined the Open Doors Academy team in 2011 and currently serves as the Director of People & Operations. His passion for youth enrichment and education began during a year of service with City Year Cleveland, where he saw firsthand the power of meaningful programming and personal mentorship in young people’s lives.

For over a decade, Brandon has dedicated his career to nonprofit organizations focused on eliminating barriers to education, combating food insecurity, and addressing housing instability. He is a committed advocate for education reform and supports organizations that provide essential resources to underserved communities.

Brandon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications and a Master’s in Nonprofit Administration, both from John Carroll University.

A lifelong resident of Cleveland Heights, Brandon still calls the area home. In his free time, he enjoys home improvement projects, following political commentary, and spending quality time with family and friends.