Terri Dean joined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a political appointee in January 2023 and served as the Chief of Staff of the Mid-Atlantic Region until January 20, 2025 when President Biden’s term ended. Prior to her tenure at the EPA, Terri was a non-profit and a corporate executive. She is presently happily retired.
Terri enjoyed a 31-year career at Verizon before retiring as the senior vice president of global communications. Over the course of her career, she held positions of increasing responsibility acquiring expertise in finance, marketing, sales, customer service operations, philanthropy, corporate communications, and process/quality management. Her accomplishments as a leader and mentor at Verizon earned her the distinction of having a business case written about her by the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.
After a four-year retirement from Verizon and a consulting engagement with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, Terri became its Chief Membership Officer. During her tenure, she led the reversal of membership decline by developing sustainable growth strategies resulting in the Eastern Pennsylvania Council’s membership in the elite “Top Ten Councils” in the country.
Terri is a past member of the Executive Leadership Council, an invitation-only organization of the most senior African American executives in corporate America. She served as the Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Lincoln University, is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Chatham University and previously chaired the Board of Visitors of the Divinity School at Duke University. Terri also served as the inaugural Chair of the School of Business Advisory Council at Norfolk State University where she conceived the need for and oversaw the development of a business ethics curriculum. She presently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Ron Brown Scholar Program.
Terri is a graduate of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is the mother of two daughters and a son-in-law, and grandmother to her granddaughter. She is an avid world traveler and resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she is an active member of The Northeasterners, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Incorporated.
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Cal LaRoche, a brilliant and dedicated advisor and champion of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, who left us on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.
Born in New York in January 1946, Cal graduated from Central State University in Ohio, where he joined the Eta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His career spanned decades of leadership and innovation, beginning at the National Security Agency and continuing through key roles at IBM, SkyTel Communications, and The Orkand Corporation.
A visionary entrepreneur, Cal later co-founded DC Ventures and Associates.
His commitment to service was unwavering. Cal chaired the Boards of Trustees at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and Norwood School and served with distinction for 15 years on the Advisory Board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. His leadership extended to the Beta Mu, Boulé Foundation Board, where he served as Chair, and to Patients For Affordable Drugs, where he was a founding board member and Treasurer.
An avid golfer and advocate for equity in the sport, Cal co-founded the Pro-Duffer/Carter Foundation Scholarship to promote diversity in golf. A long-time member of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he was as passionate about creating opportunity as he was about the game itself.
Cal’s legacy is carried on by his beloved family: his mother, Lucille “Gloria” David; his wife, Esperanza, and their sons, CJ and Ethan; his former wife, Cheryl LaRoche; their daughters, Gina LaRoche, Renee LaRoche-Morris, and Danielle LaRoche; six grandchildren; and his siblings. His wisdom, warmth, and unwavering belief in the potential of young people will remain an enduring part of the Ron Brown Scholar community.
We are forever grateful for Cal’s enduring support, leadership, and love. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, generosity, and deep humanity. He will be deeply missed.
