(Bethesda, MD – February 23, 2026) — KABOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to ending playspace inequity, announced the appointment of two new board members whose histories with the organization span its 30-year evolution: Timothy M. Fesenmyer, a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, and Marion Mollegen McFadden, Vice President of Disaster Recovery at IEM.
Both appointments represent a homecoming of sorts. Fesenmyer returns to KABOOM!’s board after previously serving from 2010 to 2018 and providing nearly two decades of pro bono legal counsel. McFadden’s connection to KABOOM! began in the 1990s, when she organized a community-led playground build with Darell Hammond who ultimately founded the organization 30 years ago.
Fesenmyer brings sophisticated legal expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and complex transactions across industries including private equity, healthcare, and professional services. His experience in advising boards and executive leadership on strategic decisions positions him to support KABOOM! as the organization scales its public private partnerships and strengthens its business model around sustainable systems change.
McFadden’s career has been defined by improving how the nation supports communities when they need it most. As former principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), she transformed HUD’s disaster grant program, resulting in dozens of policy changes shaped by the voices of disaster-impacted communities themselves. Her expertise in leveraging federal funds, building community resilience, and creating policy pathways will be instrumental as KABOOM! works to ensure playspaces are integrated into municipal planning and disaster recovery and preparedness strategies.
Since 1996, KABOOM! has brought partners together to build momentum around a movement to ensure kids can experience the joy and benefits of having amazing places to play. Through the years, the organization has evolved their mission to end playspace inequity, addressing the unique challenges communities face. Fesenmyer and McFadden join the board in KABOOM!’s 30th year as the organization deepens its focus on expanding capacity to improve the physical and mental health of kids, build public private partnerships, enhance how it leverages data, and expand how KABOOM! creates greener and more sustainable playspaces for kids. Their expertise will support these focus areas as the organization leverages this moment to drive new funding opportunities to support the playspace equity mission and lead brand activations and thought leadership to continue to build awareness of KABOOM! to fuel future work.
“We’re not just welcoming two exceptional leaders to our board, we’re continuing trusted relationships that began long before today,” said Lynn Ross, KABOOM! Board Chair. “Timothy’s decades of partnership with us and Marion’s roots in community-led work with KABOOM! founder Darell Hammond remind us that the strongest relationships aren’t transactional; they’re built over time, grounded in shared values, and focused on what communities tell us they need. We welcome these leaders as KABOOM! is at a pivotal point in accelerating the mission that will ensure kids can reach their greatest potential.”
“Timothy and Marion represent the best of what board leadership should be — deep expertise combined with genuine commitment to the communities we work alongside,” said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!. “They both understand that achieving playspace equity requires changing systems and shifting policies that have systemically prevented communities from access to high quality playspaces. Their guidance will be invaluable as we work with cities, policymakers, and the communities who know best what their kids need to thrive.”