Raolat Abdulai MD, MMSc
Global Clinical Lead, Sanofi
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Raolat Abdulai MD, MMSc
Global Clinical Lead, Sanofi
Respiratory Cluster in the Immunology & Inflammation Therapeutic Area at Sanofi. In her role, she serves as the clinical strategic lead on projects with a focus of bringing transformational medicines to patients with severe immune-driven diseases. In addition to her role in drug development, she works to advance the Sanofi digital health initiatives. In 2019, she was a featured paneled at the first ever MassBio Digital Health Impact conference. Her particular area of interest is building a platform for digital health equity to ensure that the technological evolution of clinical trials leads to improved diversity in research and better health outcomes.
Dr. Abdulai immigrated to the United States at the age of five and grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She attended medical school at nearby Howard University College of Medicine. She decided to pursue a career in medicine due to her own experience of growing up uninsured and watching loved ones suffer from untreated medical conditions. She was so impacted by these experiences that, while in medical school, Dr. Abdulai co-founded a free clinic to provide holistic quality care to the uninsured and underinsured local population. In 2009, Dr. Abdulai was featured in O! Oprah Magazine as one of 80 inspirational women entrepreneurs from around the country. She was invited to the White House for President Obama’s Innovative Programs Summit which highlighted impactful social entrepreneurship programs across the country. The New Freedman's Clinic continues to serve patients today. After medical school, she completed internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and her Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship training at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. During her fellowship she earned a Masters of Medical Science in Biomedical Informatics from Harvard Medical School. She is triple board certified and continues to practice by volunteering at a Boston-based community health center where she treats patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dr. Abdulai is a member of the American Thoracic Society and has served on the Health Equity and Diversity Committee. Her passions include increasing access to clinical trials for women and people of color. Her personal project focusing on this area, TrialUp!, was chosen for the Harvard iLab Venture Incubation Program in 2016-17. In her free time, Dr. Abdulai enjoys mentoring young scientists, traveling, cooking for friends, and yoga.
Shaylene Acosta
Business Development Specialist
Shaylene is a Business Development Specialist on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. She supports the implementation, refinement, and creation of Business Development systems and structures as well as project managing various BD scopes of work, conducting research, CRM/database management, and supporting proposal planning, drafting, and editing. Prior to Mi, Shaylene worked for 10+ years in higher ed serving in a variety of administrative and management capacities across her institutions. She believes strongly that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are catalysts to education reform and has been proactively involved in related work. Some notable experiences include co-chairing her institution’s Leading for Change team as part of the Higher Ed Diversity Consortium of the same name and getting Safe Zone Trained. Shaylene earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bellevue University in Bellevue, NE and her MBA from Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, MA.
Julie Alexander
Senior Content Director, AP English
Julie Alexander joins our AP team as the Sr. Content Director for AP English. Before jumping into the world of education, Julie spent nearly 20 years in corporate executive roles helping brands like Coca-Cola, Disney, and Dunkin’ understand why consumers behave the way they do. She has taught in secondary, collegiate, and corporate settings and received the 2016 Mass Insight Partners in Excellence Teacher Award for her work in AP Language at Fitchburg High School. Julie earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Business Administration from UCLA and a master’s degree in teaching from Northeastern University. She loves spending time with her husband of nearly 25 years and their daughter who is currently at The Ohio State University, as well as her family and friends living in Ohio, New York, Missouri, and her home state of California. She is a big fan of collegiate basketball, The New York Times Mini Crossword, Jeopardy!, hot lattes, reading, puns, and naps.
Patti Azzara
Content Director, AP English
Patti has 36 years of teaching experience at both the middle and high school levels. She introduced the AP Language and Composition course to Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Connecticut. Patti served for the past five years as the Director of English Services for Project Opening Doors, the former Connecticut National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) affiliate. Patti holds a M.A. for Equivalency in Education from Fairfield University and B.A. degrees in English and Education from the College of White Plains (now Pace University).
Mike Bergeron
Accounting Clerk
Mike Bergeron brings his 25 years of accounting experience to Mi as the Accounting Specialist on our Finance & Accounting Team. He has spent most of his career at nonprofit organizations, including a previous 4-year tenure at Mass Insight. Prior to his return to the Mi team, Mike worked as an Office Manager and managed Accounts Payable for Boston Harbor Now.
Susan Biggs
Content Specialist, AP Chemistry
Susan Biggs has been teaching chemistry since 1981, currently teaching at Westborough High School, in Westborough MA, where she teaches AP and Honors chemistry. Susan became a reader for the first time in 2012, and has enjoyed going ever since. Since 2013, Susan has been teaching both one and two day workshops for the College Board, and various summer institutes. Currently Susan is the chemistry consultant for Mass Insight. Susan was awarded the 2009 Grinspoon Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2012 she and was selected as the Mass Math Science Initiative Science Teacher of the Year and the Connecticut Valley Section of ACS High School Teacher of the Year. Susan holds a B.A. in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Saint Josephs.
Anna Braet
Engagement Director
Anna is an Engagement Director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Anna has led systems-level work to help district partners in Aurora, CO and Austin, TX design and implement Transformation Zones as a strategy for school and district improvement. In this capacity, Anna has supported Zone and district leaders with identifying and securing the necessary conditions and autonomies for schools to improve and establishing systems and structures to manage Zone performance. In recent projects, Anna has conducted comprehensive needs assessments at state, district, and school levels, facilitated root cause analyses and improvement planning, and helped develop systems for monitoring and improving performance. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Anna supported multiple state education agencies to maximize funding for special education programs with Public Consulting Group. She also brings experience in root cause analysis and research. Anna began her career in education as an Education Pioneers Analyst Fellow in 2015, conducting extensive policy research and analysis to secure waivers from state, district, and bargaining agreement policies for a group of district innovation schools in Colorado. She graduated from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business with a B.S. in business administration.
Cassandra Brentley, Ed.D.
Engagement Manager
Dr. Cassandra Brentley is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Dr. Brentley supports school district reinvention work that aims to create more equitable learning environments through systems change. She learned early in life how the field of education had the ability to change lives. What she did not realize at the time was how that knowledge would lead to her life’s work as a disruptor in the space. As her career progressed in education, she was stunned to come face to face with the immensely inequitable system, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society. She became determined to help people achieve the proficiency required to transform their current situation and improve their lives. As the Director of Special Projects with the Center for Urban Education (University of Pittsburgh), Dr. Brentley explored the intersections of mentoring, tutoring, and artificial intelligence educational technology as a key member of a research practice partnership. Prior to that role she served as an administrator at an innovative start-up high school where students engaged in real-world project-based learning, including a comprehensive internship program. She is inspired by African American liberatory education and the work of educators who have fought for freedom and liberation in education in radical ways, such as Paulo Freire and Bob Moses. Cassandra’s ultimate career goal is to lead work that transforms K-12 schools, providing more equitable learning spaces that cultivate skills that will prepare students for life in the 21st century and acknowledge their humanity while providing a joyful learning experience.
Dr. Carolina Buitrago
Director, Program & Strategy
As Director, Program & Strategy, Carolina Buitrago leads Mass Insight’s work on the development of networked improvement initiatives supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, she uses principles from Improvement Science and systems thinking to guide the formation and development of local and national networks of schools and districts to increase college readiness for Black, Latinx, and low-income students. Carolina has over 25 years of experience in education, which combine mixed-methods research on school improvement and teacher effectiveness, data analytics and innovation in survey design, program evaluation of school-based and national initiatives, policy development and implementation, and counseling. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Carolina was a Senior Research Analyst at Tripod Education Partners where she led the Tripod-Teach for All Chile initiative, a school improvement project of Chilean secondary schools. Carolina co-led the program evaluation of the Head Start’s National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement at the Harvard Family Research Project, and oversaw all aspects of the Kindergarten Development grants, a $28 million state initiative to support the implementation of high quality full-day kindergarten in Massachusetts, at DESE. She holds Doctorate and Masters degrees in education both from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Jenna Bullock
Managing Director, School Improvement
Jenna Bullock is a Managing Director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. She manages departmental functions and collectively brings strategy to life by refining teamwide approaches and empowering thriving teams and individuals. While at Mi, Jenna has supported partners across the country at the state, district, and school level; including supporting CSI schools in Pennsylvania, establishing instructional coaching systems in Indiana, conducting diagnostics in Colorado and Texas, and facilitating strategic planning in Connecticut. She has worked in education for over a decade including time with Teach for America Twin Cities where she coached teachers to accelerate academic gains and pioneered an innovative PLC model to accelerate teacher growth. She previously was a biology teacher at a high-poverty school in North Carolina, leading her students to achieve a 100% pass rate on the state ECA and the third-highest mean scores in the state for all schools. Jenna graduated from Bethel University, earned a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University, and is currently engaged in an Education Policy Fellowship.
Jamie Cameron
Engagement Manager
Jamie Cameron is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. He is currently engaged in school improvement work with Allentown School District. In this capacity, he is supporting the implementation of robust instructional coaching and effective leadership practices. Jamie is from London, England and currently resides in Minneapolis, MN. Jamie most recently served as Principal of KIPP North Star Primary School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In that capacity he led work to significantly increase student and staff retention, reduce out of class disciplinary action by over 85% and to re-found the school using a community-centered approach. Prior to this, Jamie served as an Assistant Principal and teacher at KIPP Destiny in Dallas, Texas, and spent several years teaching in Detroit Michigan. In 2013, Jamie was a national semi finalist for the Sue Lehmann excellence in teaching award. He completed his Masters in Educational Leadership from Southern Methodist University in 2016.
Leslie Chang, Ed.D.
Chief People Officer
Leslie Chang is Mass Insight's first ever Chief People Officer (CPO). In this capacity, she leads the sustained growth of Mi’s people and culture, inclusive of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She oversees the Office of People and Culture, Human Resources, and serves as an advisor to staff DEI-related matters, with a focus on bringing underrepresented voices to the table. As CPO, Leslie applies principles of equity driven leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion, systems thinking, organizational leadership, and executive coaching and development. Prior to taking on the role of CPO, Leslie was a Managing Director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team, supporting managers impacting at the school level and larger systems infrastructure to improve district strategy and school level effectiveness. Leslie brings over two decades of experience in high performing K-12 schools and organizational leadership having served as CEO, Chief Schools Officer, Superintendent, principal, and teacher in underserved communities. During her executive leadership, Leslie founded an urban teacher residency program dedicated to diversifying the teacher workforce by increasing the representation of teachers of color in urban schools. Dr. Chang has led the design and strategic planning for new school and non-profit development, organizational systems, instructional leadership, and stakeholder engagement efforts amplifying the voices of underserved communities in Los Angeles, Ca. Additionally, Dr. Chang serves as lecturer at Loyola Marymount University teaching aspiring administrators in the areas of equity and instructional leadership. Leslie holds a BA in Sociology, and M.S in Education from Mount St. Mary’s University and her EdD in Educational Leadership and Change from Fielding Graduate University. Leslie’s doctoral research focused on Developing Latinx Parents as Leaders which became a codified model disseminated across the organization she led and presented the impact at the national level.
Wesley Chin
Director, AP Operations
Wes is Mass Insight’s Director of Program Operations for both the AP STEM & English Program and the AP Sustaining Partnership Program. He oversees the day-to-day management and coordination of the AP Operations Team and is responsible for the development and management of policies, procedures, and systems that are key to the successful implementation of both AP programs which annually support 90+ high schools, 600+ teachers, and 10,000+ students. Wes joined Mass Insight in 2008 as a Project Coordinator working on various initiatives across the organization, which included serving as a logistical lead for Mass Insight Global Partnership’s US-China-India Innovation Partnerships Conference, the Program Lead for the Mass Insight School Turnaround Group's State Development Network, and the Program Lead for the Advanced Cyber Security Center (now a self-governing entity headquartered at The MITRE Corporation). Wes holds a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from Boston University.
Robbie Curry
Engagement Director
Robbie Curry is an Engagement Director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement team and manages a portfolio of engagements across the country. Currently, this includes a partnership with the Indiana Department of Education designed to support LEAs with strategic planning and a particular focus on sustainable ESSER investment. In addition, Robbie is supporting an equity audit with a large Texas district. Robbie has extensive knowledge and expertise in K-12 school organizations having served in multiple roles as a teacher, principal, network leader, and state education official. At the school level, Robbie has been a teacher, Director of Special Education, and school principal. At the charter network level, Robbie led a network of schools as Chief Academic Officer and with the Illinois State Charter Commission, Robbie served as Director of Portfolio Performance where he oversaw authorizing processes, led the development of an annual strategic planning framework for commission-authorized schools and worked to improve systems for planning and resource distribution. Robbie holds a BA from Pitzer College and an MS in Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education. In 2019, he completed the inaugural Elevate Fellowship, a partnership of Teach For America and University of Chicago Booth School of Business and in 2020, he completed the Surge Fellowship with The Surge Institute.
Jeffrey Davis, CPA
Audit Partner, EY
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Jeffrey Davis, CPA
Audit Partner, EY
Jeff Davis is an audit partner with EY. He has 15 years of experience in financial services with a focus on the asset management industry. He has spent 18 months in Melbourne, Australia where he assisted clients with the transition from Australian GAAP to International Financial Reporting Standards.
Jeff serves on the Board of Directors of Breakthrough Greater Boston. He attended Villanova University, graduating with a B.S. in Accounting and a B.S.B.A in Finance. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Dessy Dimova, Ph.D.
Content Director, AP Biology
Dessy Dimova has been teaching science and the College and High school level for more than 17 years. In addition to teaching students, she has been working with teachers, helping them refine their practice, and as a CLR (culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy) Coach. As a HS teacher, she has been an equity leader and advocate for the AP program, continuously striving to increase enrollment and provide support for traditionally underrepresented groups of students. She has been a College Board Consultant for Achieving Equity in AP and for AP Biology since 2020. She is a Table Leader at the AP Reading and a member of the content development team for the AP Biology exam. Dessy holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Cornell University and a Principal/Supervisor of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction Certificate for the State of NJ.
Michael Dinger
Senior Program Manager, AP Operations
Michael previously worked as a jewelry designer and personal stylist in New York City. Michael used his strong background with design and logistics to support the College Success Program with teacher trainings, data management and analysis, and systems development. Michael holds a B.A. in psychology from the New School for Social Research.
Emily Dodge
Project Coordinator
Emily Dodge is the Project Coordinator for the AP Operations team and the Research & Impact team. Her work includes implementing a new AP supports participation platform and data collection for on-going monitoring and evaluation of Mi’s Advanced Placement and School Improvement programs. Prior to joining Mi, Emily was a teacher at Ad Prima Charter School where she was also part of the administrative data team and curriculum leadership team. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Environmental Science from Allegheny College and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Gary Evee, Chairman
CEO, Evee Security Consulting Group
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Gary Evee, Chairman
CEO, Evee Security Consulting Group
Expert in Cyber Security, Gary Evee co-founded Evee Security Consulting Group, LLC in 2018, and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Gary has 11+ years of experience in enterprise security. He is a former IBM executive with more than two decades of experience addressing complex business challenges across the company’s global business. His tenure boasts many achievements including a consistent and proven track record of successfully managing, and scaling, new enterprises. Under his leadership IBM Security recognized the largest cloud revenue signing for a financial services security solution.
He was most recently a cyber security executive within the IBM Security Division, where he was responsible for the sales force strategy and go--‐to--‐market for IBM’s mobile and financial services cyber security solutions. Prior to this role, Gary was the Chief of Staff for the General Manager of IBM Security, helping to lead the business and technical strategy for IBM’s strategic imperative IBM Security grew to be the #1 enterprise security provider (~$2B revenue).
In his current role he is responsible for the strategy, vision and company direction of Evee Security Consulting Group. He is manically focused on facilitating the company’s activity in consulting, sales, marketing, alliances and growth. Being able to provide clear insight into navigating the complex information security threat landscape is a priority for Gary. Over the past year, he has also acted as a Cyber Security advisor to a number of Higher Education institutions including Boston College, Bridgewater State University and Johnson C. Smith. Gary Evee serves as a Board of Director for Dedham Savings Bank.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, travelling, playing golf and is an avid Boston sports fan. Gary Evee grew up in Boston MA and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University, in Hampton Virginia.
Cecilia M. Frerotte, CPA
Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.
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Cecilia M. Frerotte, CPA
Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.
Cecilia is a Principal in Wolf's Commercial Audit Group and has over ten years of experience in public accounting delivering audit services. She has worked with a variety of organizations including start-ups, service businesses, software developers, medical device companies, distributors, franchises, and not-for-profits. Cecilia has also worked in industry at a large foreign-owned biopharmaceutical company which lends a unique perspective to her client relationships having been responsible for financial and benefit plan reporting in that environment.
Cecilia's experience includes providing internal control and accounting guidance to start-ups, family-owned and closely-held businesses throughout New England. She is a member of Wolf's Technology Services Team, which provides guidance on accounting for complex debt, equity and revenue transactions to our technology clients.
Cecilia lives in Brookline, MA with her son. She delights in listening to NPR podcasts and spending time exploring the city and taking road trips with her son.
Katie Friend
Engagement Manager
Katie Friend is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Katie primarily supports our partners in Evansville, Indiana. Katie supports districts in developing equitable central office practices, school management, chief executive coaching, district-level and school-level needs assessment diagnostics, and strategic planning processes. She also helps lead Mass Insight’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work on Mi’s DEI Team and is part of Mi’s Leadership Team. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Katie worked with Teach for America Mississippi Delta for twelve years, where she managed multiple teams specializing in teacher recruitment, certification, instructional curriculum design, executive leadership and coaching, diversity and inclusion training, and new teacher development models. She got her start in education teaching kindergarten in rural Arkansas. She graduated from Furman University with a B.A. in Art and Art History.
Beth Gamse, Ed.D.
Consultant, Gamse Partnership
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Beth Gamse, Ed.D.
Consultant, Gamse Partnership
Dr. Beth Gamse is an experienced education evaluation leader with broad research and education policy expertise. She has designed and conducted studies with designs that range from mixed quantitative and qualitative methods to random assignment to regression discontinuity to large‐scale descriptive survey‐based efforts of federal, state, and local educational initiatives. She has led studies for federal and state agencies, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations; her studies have examined implementation and impact of initiatives to smooth college and career transitions, improve afterschool and expanded learning programming, implement policy changes in teacher preparation and evaluation, and launch research-practice partnerships. Her recent work includes consulting with nonprofits and foundations about evaluation strategy and design. She collaborates effectively with evaluation stakeholders to determine evaluation goals, refine study design and metrics as needed, and determine how to present results most usefully. She has an Ed.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Ernesto Gonzalez Jr.
Senior Business Systems Analyst, RA Capital
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Ernesto Gonzalez Jr.
Senior Business Systems Analyst, RA Capital
Ernesto Gonzalez has over 20 years of experience delivering technology solutions to top-tier brokerage and investment management firms. He currently serves as Senior Business Systems Analyst at RA Capital, reporting to the CTO and responsible for delivery of the Data Platform as well as other technology initiatives.
Prior to joining RA Capital, Ernesto was VP in Product Management at Charles River Development. Ernesto held management positions at Bain Capital, Wellington Management, Fidelity Capital Markets, and J.P. Morgan. Ernesto was also an independent consultant delivering enterprise data warehouse solutions for financial services firms including MFS Investment Management and State Street Global Exchange.
Throughout Ernesto's career he has focused on Latino initiatives and community outreach. He was selected to participate in the Latinos for Education Board Fellowship program which helps place Latino professionals on the governing boards of schools and education non-profit organizations. Ernesto has also participated in mentorship and career enrichment events for Boston High School students, with organizations such as Sociedad Latina and Hyde Square Task Force. Ernesto also worked to improve diversity and inclusion in the investment management sector through recruiting events with ALPFA.
Ernesto holds a Master's degree in Urban Planning from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in History from UMass Amherst.
Ernesto enjoys being a father of two and spends his free time practicing Krav Maga.
Sally Guadagno
Managing Director, AP STEM & English
Sally is an experienced English teacher, with more than 30 years of teaching experience at both the high school and college levels. She introduced the AP Language and Composition course to Marshfield High School and has served as the district representative to the Academic Assembly of the College Board. Sally started her time at Mass Insight as Director of English Services, a position she still holds in addition to her work as Managing Director of the AP STEM and English program. In these capacities, Sally supports high school administrators and educators to increase AP program enrollment and qualifying exam scores. Sally is also a Visiting Instructor of Education at Wheaton College. Sally holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English Teaching from Merrimack College and the University of Massachusetts Boston, respectively. She completed her post graduate studies in Educational Leadership at Bridgewater State College.
Ariel Henriquez
Project Coordinator
Ariel Henriquez is a project coordinator on Mass Insight's School Improvement team. They come to Mass Insight with a decade of experience in nonprofit work, five of those as an elementary school Special Education teacher. They have a passion for social impact, DEI, and mobilizing healthy and efficient communication across cross-functional teams. They are born and raised in New York City. In their spare time, they enjoy design, ceramics, baking bread, playing with their hairless cat named Gollum, and cycling on the Peloton. Their lifelong love for horror movies has led them to co-create the ultimate horror film website.
Jesus Hernandez
Content Specialist, AP Physics
Jesus Hernandez has taught physics at The Manhattan Center for Science and Math HS in New York City and at Lawrence High School in Massachusetts during the last twenty-two years. He was a member of the AP- Physics C Test Development Committee from 2010 to 2017 and he is an AP Physics consultant since 2004. Mr. Hernandez serves as a Table leader for the AP Physics Reading. Mr. Hernandez authored one of the Course Planning and Pacing Guides for AP Physics 2. He is also a Master teacher at the Math For America organization. Mr. Hernandez has been trained to facilitate Pre AP Science and the Creating a Learner Centered Classroom workshops. He also has been coaching new AP Consultants and AP physics teachers. Mr. Hernandez was an advisory board member of the Physics for the 21st Century program produced by the Science Media Group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He was a Finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science teaching in 2005 and he was selected as the 2011 MIT Inspirational Teacher Award. Mr. Hernandez was trained as a Material Scientist and co-wrote three scientific publications.
Brandi Hester Harrell
Consultant
Brandi Hester Harrell serves as a consultant for Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. As an educator of 15 years, she has been committed to community change in and outside the classroom. Using a transformative approach to ensure teachers and students have the necessary tools and feedback to ensure personal change. Throughout her career, she has been able to work throughout the spectrum of K-12 and higher education creating pathways to support students of color. Supporting over 2,000 students over the course of her career, those seeds have become the driving force for her active community change.
She holds a BS in Inclusive Education, M. Ed in Curriculum and Educational Policy, and recently graduated with a second master’s in Educational Leadership from University of Roehampton in London. As a life-learner, she is currently on a full scholarship pressuring a PHD in education. Her revolutionary approach to change continues through policy advocacy allowing countless legislators in Colorado and Pennsylvania to reform the recruitment and retention of teachers of color. Her community describes her as a woman of many gifts: educator, policy junkie, author, advocate, and social change disruptor. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her partner and children. Travel has always been her truest therapy, traveling to over 30 countries.
Kamau Hixon
Principal, Comvest Partners
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Kamau Hixon
Principal, Comvest Partners
Kamau is a Principal for Comvest Partners, responsible for originating, structuring, and managing investments for Comvest’s direct lending strategy. Kamau is focused on transactions in the Northeast and Canada, where he works closely with client management teams, intermediaries, and private equity funds to structure and execute transactions. Prior to joining Comvest, Kamau spent nine years at Prudential Private Capital, where he was a Vice President in Corporate Finance, leading a team responsible for private placement and mezzanine investments. Prior to Prudential Private Capital, Kamau worked in several credit and finance focused roles including restructuring advisory at Gordian Group, asset backed securitization at UBS, and media and telecom investment banking at Credit Suisse.
Kamau received an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Morehouse College. Kamau lives in New York City with his two small children.
Chris Horan
Founder and Managing Partner, Horan Communications
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Chris Horan
Founder and Managing Partner, Horan Communications
Chris Horan has more than 25 years of experience in communications, political and policy advocacy, and education.
As the founder and managing partner of Horan Communications, Chris provides coaching and consulting services in strategic communications to school districts, public agencies, non-profits and emerging businesses. He brings expertise in message development, communications assessment and planning, media relations, crisis communications, policy development and execution, and integrated on-line and social media strategy.
Chris previously served as the first Chief Communications Officer for the Boston Public Schools, designing and executing the launch of an award-winning communications strategy for the largest public school district in New England, aligning media, public relations, branding, marketing and technology strategies to advance public opinion, policy and funding in support of education reform and improved academic outcomes. Operating in the fifth largest media market in the country, Chris crafted low-cost, high-impact strategies and built a network of partnerships to leverage targeted messages to increase exposure and positive coverage about the work of the district. As a result of his success, Chris has served as a consultant and coach to Superintendents and other district leaders across the country in strategic communications to advance academic and operational priorities.
Chris’ unique perspective is deeply grounded in the education, nonprofit and public sectors. A former Chief of Staff for Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, Chris has extensive experience in the design and application of national education policy. He is a veteran of numerous political campaigns and served as Director of Speechwriting for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. As a Board member and former Board chair for several community non-profits, Chris has led several rebranding initiatives and has launched community service projects to promote volunteerism, literacy, civic engagement, and leadership development.
An accomplished writer and editor, Chris received a BA from Princeton University and an MFA from Emerson College. He has been cited as among Boston’s future leaders and has taught at Tufts University and Emerson College. Chris is often sought as a speaker and presenter on the concept and practice of using communications to increase visibility and promote social impact and outcomes.
Isaiah Houtman
Content Specialist, AP Computer Science
Isaiah has spent the past 18 years teaching AP Computer Science and Mathematics while coaching track & field at New Bedford High School (NBHS). He has taught more than a dozen different computer science and math classes ranging from Algebra 1 to the newer AP Computer Science Principles. Isaiah has been a part of the Mass Insight family for 7 years. He has been a Lead Teacher and a presenter for AP Computer Science A as well as AP Computer Science Principles at Student Study Sessions. He is also the CSA presenter for Mass Insight’s 2-day Professional Development courses. Additionally, Isaiah serves as a member of the AP Action Community focused on increasing AP enrollment for systemically marginalized students and students of color. Most recently, Isaiah has joined the team as Content Specialist for Computer Science. Always looking for ways to improve his community, he actively participates in various local organizations. This involvement features the Board of Directors for Dennison Memorial Community Center, a local non-profit organization that provides afterschool and summer services to underprivileged students. He is extremely proud of his teaching and coaching career thus far, especially of those graduates who attribute their successes to their experiences with him at NBHS.
Ashley James-Menos
Senior Accountant
Ashley James-Menos is the Senior Accountant on the Mass Insight’s Finance & Accounting team. In this role, she provides her extensive accounting knowledge and high-level accounting support in the areas of general ledger reconciliations, financial analysis, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, audit, financial reporting, month-end, quarter-end, and year-end reporting. She brings over 10 years of experience in the for profit and nonprofit sector. Ashley is very passionate about accounting and enjoys supporting the day-to-day accounting operations at Mass Insight.
Rob Jentsch
Chief Program & Strategy Officer
As Chief Program & Strategy Officer, Rob oversees the work of our full national portfolio of partner engagements. From 2016 through 2021, Rob played an evolving leadership role on our school improvement team where he supported the design and delivery of services to partner schools, districts, and state education agencies across the country. During this time, the size of the team, the number of partnerships, and the overall investment from partners in Mass Insight school improvement services all tripled. Along the way, Rob headed efforts to glean and publish learnings from the field, including in our roadmap to school improvement planning, our instructional coaching framework, and in creating resources for state education agencies to use in collaboratively monitoring the progress of CSI schools. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Rob held roles with TNTP, KIPP, and Teach For America. He started his career in rural North Carolina as a high school teacher where he founded an AP program and served as department chair and baseball coach. Rob holds an Executive MBA from the University of Maryland and a BA from Macalester College.
Dr. Yueming Jia
Senior Researcher
Yueming is a senior researcher on Mass Insight’s Research & Impact team, working on studies examining the impact and effectiveness of our programs. She has over 15 years of research and program evaluation experience leading and conducting large-scale impact and implementation evaluation studies. She has worked on numerous projects funded by Investing in Innovation (i3) of the Department of Education, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, Save for the Children, and Lily Foundation. She also had two years of work experience in a large urban school district as a data scientist/strategist. Yueming holds a Ph.D. in Education from Texas A&M University.
Lakeala Jones
Engagement Manager
Lakeala Jones is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team providing support for 47 CSI schools in Philadelphia. In this capacity she supports stakeholder strategic implementation of school improvement plans. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Lakeala worked in education for nineteen years including time as a Chief Transformation Officer, Chief Academic Officer and Administrator where she established trusting relationships to improve the overall performance of schools by implementing cutting edge talent management practices, streamlined data analysis processes, and individualized professional development techniques to accelerate student achievement and build stakeholder capacity. She got her start in education working within underserved Washington, D.C. communities. Lakeala holds a B.S. in finance from Johnson C. Smith University, a M.A.T in education from American University, and a M.A.S in administration from Trinity University. Lakeala is a firm believer that all students can learn, and she has spent her career working diligently to ensure equity for all students.
Francis J. Kelly III
President & CEO, CEOVIEW Branding LLC
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Francis J. Kelly III
President & CEO, CEOVIEW Branding LLC
Fran Kelly is a graduate of Amherst College and The Harvard Business School, and a forty year veteran in the field of branding, advertising, and integrated marketing. Fran is currently President & CEO of CEOVIEW Branding LLC.
From 1994-2014, Fran helped build and lead Arnold Worldwide, one of the nation's top advertising firms, serving in the roles of CMO, President, CEO, and Vice Chairman. Arnold's Drivers Wanted campaign for VW and Truth anti-smoking campaign for The American Legacy Foundation both won industry recognition as the most admired campaign in the world. Well known Arnold success stories include VW, Volvo, Titleist, Truth, Ocean Spray, Jack Daniel's, New Balance, Hershey, Reese's, Progressive Insurance, and Fidelity Investments.
Fran began his career in marketing on Madison Avenue in 1978 at Young & Rubicam, working on iconic American brands like Jell-O, Johnson & Johnson, and Certs. He left Y&R in 1981 to attend Harvard Business School where he received his MBA in 1983. Upon graduation he co-authored the book What They Really Do Teach You at the Harvard Business School.
In 1983, Fran left Harvard but stayed in Boston, joining Humphrey Browning MacDougall. In 1989, Fran moved to one of America's most creative shops, Leonard Monahan in Providence, RI. Teaming with creative partner David Lubars, LML was renamed Leonard Manahan Lubars & Kelly. Over five years, Fran helped LML&K attract and win over a dozen high profile new accounts while also winning numerous prestigious regional and national creative awards. During this time Fran also served as president of the Boston Ad Club.
In January of 1994, Fran joined Arnold as Chief Marketing Officer where he helped the agency shape its successful Brand Essence strategic philosophy. In 1995 he helped develop the now famous "Drivers Wanted." campaign for VW. Fran became President of Arnold in 2001, was named CEO in early 2006 and became Vice Chairman in 2010.
In March 2014, Fran launched his consulting firm, CEOVIEW Branding LLC. CEOVIEW's mission is to help growth oriented CEOs better understand the high ROI of superior branding and to help them develop the most powerful brand vision and direction for their unique enterprise. CEOVIEW specializes in working with passionate CEOs of interesting brands across categories and at different budget levels. CEOVIEW Branding has helped 40+ interesting organizations improve their brand building over the past 5 years.
When not working, Fran is an avid golfer and proud father of adult twins. He is a member of the Boston Ad Club Hall of Fame and co-author of a second book, The Breakaway Brand.
Samantha Kennedy
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Samantha is the Marketing & Communications Specialist on Mass Insight’s team, where she manages Mass Insight's social media channels, blog, and website. Prior to joining Mass Insight as an intern, she managed social media for several small businesses. Samantha also taught middle school Democracy and Advocacy through Generation Citizen. Samantha holds a B.F.A. from Emerson College.
Anil Khurana
Executive Director, Baratta Center for Global Business
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Anil Khurana
Executive Director, Baratta Center for Global Business
Dr. Anil Khurana is Executive Director of the Baratta Center for Global Business, a think tank focused on the future of globalization and global business, and a Research Professor of Strategy at Georgetown University. He is also a retired PwC Partner, who, till recently, was the Global Managing Partner for the $7.5B, 25,000-strong global industrials BU (incl. manufacturing, aerospace, auto, engineering, digital and sustainability). Anil has had a successful 30+ year global career working with senior executives, private equity investors, and government leaders across the world and across industries. His expertise is in strategy, investing, operations, go-to-market, innovation, M&A, digitization and sustainability. He has a track record delivering outcomes in industry, government, academics, private equity, venture capital, start-ups, and consulting.
He is currently a board director of O3Smart (a manufacturing software company HQ in Zurich), board member with the Obeikan Investment Group (large industrial conglomerate HQ in Riyadh), board member of Iris DX (a Michigan based biotech company), Chairman of Amal Alliance based in NYC (global non-profit focused on education for disenfranchised children incl. refugee children), Board Member of Mass Insight (a US-based education non-profit), and Chairman of The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) Advanced Manufacturing Special Interest Group. In the past, he has been a Board Member of TiE, and several private companies, incl. PRTM, which was acquired by PwC in 2011.
Anil received his MS, MBA, and Ph.D. (Business) from the University of Michigan, and BS (Engineering) and MA/BA (Economics) from India. He is BoD certified, completed INSEAD’s Board Directors’ program, and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD, US). He has written and been cited in leading journals such as Sloan (SMR) and strategy+business, and has received multiple awards, incl. “2021 Consultant of the Year”.
Anil and his wife live in Boston and Dubai, and have two accomplished daughters. Anil enjoys art, sports, travel, writing, mentoring, and championing and supporting important causes – especially sustainability, education, children’s causes, homelessness, poverty, and equity.
Nardos Kidane
Senior Manager, Accounting & Finance
Nardos oversees the Finance and Accounting operations at Mass Insight. She brings 20 years of experience working in both the private and public sector. Prior to joining Mass insight, she held a tax manager position at State Street Corporation. Nardos graduated summa cum laude with a B.S in Management Information Systems from UMASS Boston and earned a Master of Science in Finance from Brandeis University.
Katherine Kilday
Director, Human Resources
As HR Director, Katherine manages HR systems, talent acquisition, development, and retention while grounded in Mass Insight’s DEI values. Most recently, she co-led the revisioning of Mass Insight’s recruitment & selection efforts and compensation work centered in equity. These initiatives contributed to significant growth and increased diversification of our team. She has worked in human resource roles for over 18 years across a variety of industries, including technology, professional services, and education. Katherine holds a B.S. in Management from Keene State College.
Marie Kunthara
Engagement Director
Marie Kunthara is an Engagement Director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Marie currently supports partners in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to increase equitable outcomes for all students. She focuses on implementing individualized school improvement plans through needs assessments, planning, and continuous improvement strategies. She leads ongoing project management with her portfolio of a dozen-plus schools across multiple in-district networks. Prior to Mass Insight, Marie served in a variety of leadership roles as Teacher-Leader, Assistant Principal, and Principal in both urban and rural K-12 Texas schools. Across her 15+ years in education, she has led initiatives around equity, instructional coaching, professional development, assessment, culture-building, and operations management. Marie’s passion for education began as a third grade inclusion teacher in Miami, Florida. Marie holds an M.B.A. from Rice University and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in History.
Mimi Letourneau
Senior Content Director, Mathematics
Mimi has been a teacher for more 25 years. She taught AP Statistics for 15 years at New Bedford High School and has been a reader of the AP Statistics exam for 11 years. She also been a Saturday Study Session presenter for three years. She has a B.S. in math from the UMass Amherst, as well as many additional credits and experience in mentoring teachers.
Sean Lewis
Engagement Manager
Sean Lewis is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team, where he supports schools in the Philadelphia City School System. Before joining Mass Insight, he served as an administrator in Denver Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools, and Aurora Public Schools. Sean has also worked as a School Improvement Consultant with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sean was responsible for supporting district initiatives and state mandates to help Cincinnati Public Schools achieve and grow. Sean is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.
Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Susan Follett Lusi has worked in both urban and suburban settings, and in practice, policy, and research, during her over 30-year career. Since 2016, she has served as the President & CEO of Mass Insight Education & Research (Mi). Sue has led efforts to strategically grow Mi’s school improvement services and diversify its board and staff. Under Sue’s leadership, Mass Insight has strengthened its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and serving systemically marginalized students and families. Forty-five percent of Mi’s Board and staff identify as BIPOC. Mi currently serves 15 partner sites, including more than 9,000 schools, and 5,500,000 students nationwide.
Prior to joining Mass Insight, she served as Superintendent of Schools in Providence, R.I. She was credited with increasing student achievement and opportunity, leading to improved graduation rates, and reading proficiency scores, particularly among English Language Learners.
Sue was a champion for Providence students and families. To enhance the college and career readiness of Providence students, she and her team increased Advanced Placement, Career and Technical Education, and dual credit offerings in all high schools, as well as established partnerships with institutions of higher education. Sue also collaborated with the Providence School Board and Providence Teachers’ Union to develop board policy and teacher contract language supporting increased school autonomy.
Sue previously served as Superintendent of Schools in Portsmouth, R.I., Chief of Staff for Providence Schools, and Assistant Commissioner for the Rhode Island Department of Education. She started her career at Brown University working for the Coalition of Essential Schools and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, as well as serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Taubman Center for Public Policy.
Sue is the author of The Role of State Departments of Education in Complex School Reform (Teachers College Press, 1997). She holds a B.A. in Economics and a M.A. in Teaching Social Studies from Brown University, and a M.P.P. and Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D., Ex Officio
President & CEO, Mass Insight Education & Research
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Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D., Ex Officio
President & CEO, Mass Insight Education & Research
Susan Follett Lusi has worked in both urban and suburban settings, and in practice, policy, and research, during her over 30-year career. Since 2016, she has served as the President & CEO of Mass Insight Education & Research (Mi). Sue has led efforts to strategically grow Mi’s school improvement services and diversify its board and staff. Under Sue’s leadership, Mass Insight has strengthened its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and serving systemically marginalized students and families. Forty-five percent of Mi’s Board and staff identify as BIPOC. Mi currently serves 15 partner sites, including more than 9,000 schools, and 5,500,000 students nationwide.
Prior to joining Mass Insight, she served as Superintendent of Schools in Providence, R.I. She was credited with increasing student achievement and opportunity, leading to improved graduation rates, and reading proficiency scores, particularly among English Language Learners.
Sue was a champion for Providence students and families. To enhance the college and career readiness of Providence students, she and her team increased Advanced Placement, Career and Technical Education, and dual credit offerings in all high schools, as well as established partnerships with institutions of higher education. Sue also collaborated with the Providence School Board and Providence Teachers’ Union to develop board policy and teacher contract language supporting increased school autonomy.
Sue previously served as Superintendent of Schools in Portsmouth, R.I., Chief of Staff for Providence Schools, and Assistant Commissioner for the Rhode Island Department of Education. She started her career at Brown University working for the Coalition of Essential Schools and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, as well as serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Taubman Center for Public Policy.
Sue is the author of The Role of State Departments of Education in Complex School Reform (Teachers College Press, 1997). She holds a B.A. in Economics and a M.A. in Teaching Social Studies from Brown University, and a M.P.P. and Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Alia McCants, Vice Chair
Sr. Director of ESG, Social Impact, Peloton
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Alia McCants, Vice Chair
Sr. Director of ESG, Social Impact, Peloton
Alia McCants is an avid runner, womanist, and proud nerd. As the Senior Director of Social Impact at Peloton, Alia designs and implements a strategy to leverage Peloton's resources to disrupt systemic inequities. This work builds on Alia's background addressing those same inequities through education, including through her long careers at Relay Graduate School of Education and the Match School. She is a proud alumna of Spelman College ('04) and Columbia Business School ('13), and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Alia is originally from San José, California. She currently resides in White Plains, New York with her husband and twin children, who attend their local elementary school.
Coco McKeown
Senior Manager, Program Operations
Coco (she/they) is a Senior Manager of Program Operations on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. In this capacity she supports logistics, operations, project management, and communications for the Gates-funded Advanced Placement (AP) Action Community and for our national portfolio of partner schools and districts. She also helps manage internal strategic efforts for the School Improvement Team. Coco brings significant experience in the areas of operations, partnership management, and program development and evaluation. She has held leadership roles in organizations including iMentor, Teach For America, and College Possible, and has a deep, long-held commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Coco earned a Master of Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University.
Emma Milliken
Project Coordinator
Emma Milliken is a project coordinator on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Emma worked at a charter school in Saugus, MA teaching 8th grade English for 5 years and taught in Jerusalem before that. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from North Central University located in Minneapolis, MN.
Peter Morton
Director, Advancement
Peter has spent the last 6+ years in the nonprofit industry as the VP, Corporate Development for Autism Speaks. Peter managed a team of 5 responsible for $10m in annual revenue working with a variety of brands including TJ Maxx, Home Depot, Philips Lighting, MassMutual, Quest Diagnostics, GameStop, and SunTrust. Peter specializes in developing multi-faceted partnerships combining the interests of all involved to deliver the highest impact and best results. Prior to working in the nonprofit industry, Peter spent 20+ years in the sports marketing and cable advertising industry as a sales manager with his most recent role at the New England Sports Network managing a team of 7 and an annual budget of $30m.
Abdul Razak Musah
Engagement Manager
Abdul Razak Musah serves as an Engagement Manager for Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. In this role, he supports school improvement for a group of high schools in Philadelphia. Prior to Mass Insight, he served as Director of Academics and Dean of Instruction at YES Prep Charter Schools. Abdul got his start in education as a high school Math teacher and an instructional excellence coach at Houston Independent School District as a member of Teach for America. He was responsible for managing a team of instructional leaders to support teachers through coaching, feedback and observation, building instructional systems, developing and implementing campus-wide instructional vision, and using professional development to help the campus achieve its academic goals. Abdul holds a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Lamar University and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Math and Physics with minor in Economics from Arcadia University.
Paula A. Nassif
Global Partner Program Senior Strategy Consultant, Wolters Kluwer Health
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Paula A. Nassif
Global Partner Program Senior Strategy Consultant, Wolters Kluwer Health
Paula is the Global Partner Program Senior Strategy Consultant at Wolters Kluwer Health, where she forwards the company's mission to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare worldwide. Paula is passionate about being involved in non-profit organizations where she utilizes her skills and leadership to give back to the community and help others succeed in their careers. Paula previously served on the board of ALPFA Boston, and currently serves as an advisor to the New England Association for Colombian Children (NEACOL).
Beginning her professional career in Boston, Paula worked for a leading hedge fund and several software companies in various sales, client service, and marketing roles. Paula has given speeches on the topics of Online Personal Branding and Social Media for various organizations such as the Boston Business Journal and ALPFA Boston.
Paula is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor degree in Communications and Minor in Marketing. At the University of New Hampshire, she was president of the largest student organization on the campus, the Diversity Support Coalition.
Scott Nickles
Senior Content Director, AP Science
Scott joins us after 14 years as a high school science educator, having taught AP biology, AP chemistry, marine biology, environmental science, and biotechnology. In his undergraduate work at Georgia State University, he studied lobster communication. Scott earned his B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior before moving on to Southern New Hampshire University for an M.A. in Education concentration in Technology Integration. He received his M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Saint Joseph.
Jill Norton
Education Consultant, Clark Street Consulting
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Jill Norton
Education Consultant, Clark Street Consulting
Jill most recently worked as director of education policy at Abt Associates, where she led projects for the Massachusetts Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Early Education and Care. Prior to that she worked at the state’s Executive Office of Education as a senior policy adviser in the Patrick administration. There, she helped establish and oversee a $3 million grant program supporting summer enrichment programs for English learners in gateway cities, supported the creation of a first-in-the-nation social innovation fund for adult education, and developed programs for career pathways for middle and high school students. When the Baker administration came in, she was one of a handful of staff in the Executive Office of Education who were kept on. She helped lead a project that compared Massachusetts’ assessments and made recommendations to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which ultimately led to its decision to revise MCAS and replace PARCC.
Prior to joining state government, Jill was the Executive Director of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy from 2008-2012. During her tenure, the organization grew through funding and staff, doubled the research and events output, and led statewide research on topics like building 21st-century skills, revising state assessments, reforming school discipline policies, and identifying best practices in special education and for English learners.
Prior to the Rennie Center, Jill was the Director of Professional Development for the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), where she worked with educators throughout the six New England states to develop targeted professional development for K-12 teachers and administrators. Prior to NESDEC, Jill managed the customer service department for Tom Snyder Productions, an educational software publisher.
Jill received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Michigan State University, where she spent an additional year completing a full year internship and graduate courses in Teaching Curriculum. She also attended the National Center for Montessori Education-New England and earned her Primary Teaching Certificate. Jill earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University where she focused on Education Policy and Management. She has been a public school teacher in Michigan and Massachusetts.
Sae Park
Project Coordinator
Sae Park is a Project Coordinator on Mass Insight’s School Improvement team. Currently, Sae supports schools and partners working in Comprehensive Support and Improvement for Allentown School District in Pennsylvania. She is also engaged with the management of internal strategic initiatives and operational planning through cross-team collaboration. Formerly, Sae developed and managed K-12 standardized testing with Cambium Learning Group and American Institutes for Research, working with content experts and state education agencies to ensure equitable and accessible content and implementation for a variety of student assessments. Sae graduated from Vanderbilt University.
Marcia Parrilla, Ph.D.
Researcher
Marcia Parrilla is a researcher on Mass Insight’s Research & Impact Team. Previously, Marcia was an analyst on Mi's School Improvement Team, where she analyzed data from the Aldine Project and created data profiles. She brings with her three years of applied research experience from Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Maryland. In her role, she analyzed school accountability data, collected data for program evaluations for board reports, and drafted shared accountability reports. In 2008, Marcia received her Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College, and her doctorate in cognitive psychology from Howard University. Her research focused on the impact of parental education and racial socialization contributed to college students’ academic resiliency.
Sarah Fierberg Phillips, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Managing Director, Research & Impact
Sarah Phillips is Mass Insight’s internal evaluator and leads studies examining the impact and effectiveness of our programs. Before joining the Mass Insight team, Sarah worked as the Vice President of Research at Tripod Education Partners where she developed a host of survey offerings and conducted numerous studies on issues such as school climate, student engagement, teacher effectiveness, and racial disproportionality. Sarah’s scholarship has been published in academic journals like The Urban Review and Social Work Research, and the social and emotional competency survey she developed for Tripod is featured in CASEL’s well-respected SEL Assessment Guide. Sarah’s research is informed by nearly a decade of experience as an educator and social worker. She was Service Director at City Year Rhode Island, a Community Organizing Liaison at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and a founding staff member of Quilombo, one of Oakland, CA’s first community schools. In addition, Sarah taught middle school in the Oakland Public Schools and high school in Alameda County’s juvenile hall. She holds a doctorate in Social Policy from Brandeis University, a master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and B.A. in U.S. History from Brown University.
Margery Piercey, CPA, CGMA
CFO/COO
As CFO/COO, Margery oversees finance and accounting, human resources, development, and IT. Prior to joining Mass Insight in this capacity in June 2018, Margery was a Mass Insight Board member for eight years over the course of which she chaired both the Finance & Audit and Governance & Nominating Committees.
Margery has spent the majority of her career in public accounting serving a diverse portfolio of public and private-company clients and not-for-profit organizations. She held many leadership roles in public accounting, most recently serving as Partner-in-Charge of a national firm’s Boston office and a member of that firm’s Executive Committee. During a six-year hiatus from public accounting, Margery worked in industry responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting and cash management with a global public manufacturing company and in the start-up environment.
Margery has lent her experience as a financial expert and business leader to a variety of organizations. She is a past Board member of the Association of International Professional Accountants and the American Institute of CPAs. She is also a past Board Chair of both the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and the United Way of Tri-County. Margery is an active member of the Accounting Department Advisory Council of UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. Margery and her husband are long-time champions of equity and diversity initiatives, including long-term financial commitments to Mass Insight and the Careers in Accounting & Management Professions program of the Isenberg School.
Sam Pipp
Senior Manager, Development Operations & CRM
Sam has spent his career in the nonprofit field, specializing in both funding and program development. His primary areas of professional focus are educational equity and organizational partnership building. He is currently on the board of directors for the DREAM Program, an organization that provides mentoring opportunities to students living in affordable housing communities. He received his bachelor’s degree from New York University and an M.B.A. from UMass Amherst.
Priya Ravindran
HR Coordinator
Priya is a Human Resources professional with 5+ years of progressive experience in private sectors. She holds M.B.A in Human Resources Management. Skilled in administration and action planning she incorporates experiential learning techniques in her work and helps people in identifying their purpose through career and entrepreneurial exploration. She strongly believes an HR should always connect with the people.
Carol Relph
Administrative & Events Manager
Carol provides advanced administrative support for Mass Insight's President and CEO, and manages event planning and special projects across the organization. Prior to joining Mass Insight in 2009, Carol was a corporate event planner for more than 25 years.
John Schneider
Managing Director, Policy & Advocacy
John is an accomplished leader in expanding educational and economic opportunity with more than 30 years of experience working with government, nonprofit, and public policy organizations. He is currently Mass Insight’s Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy responsible for Mi’s federal and state advocacy and government relations programs.
Previously John served as the executive vice president to the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC) where he led the organization’s groundbreaking Gateway Cities policy initiative, and the New Skills for a New Economy Campaign, MassINC’s workforce development advocacy program. He served as research director to the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, and played a key staff role in the passage and implementation of the landmark Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. John has also worked to support charter school start-ups and regional collaborative economic development strategies. He began his professional career as a teacher in an alternative high school working with out-of-school youth in Chicago and Boston.
Active in community affairs, John serves on the board of directors of the National Parents Union, a national network of parent organizations and grassroots activists working to improve the quality of life for children across the United States and define the education conversation. He also assists with the annual Massachusetts Civic Learning Week and facilitates workshops for students and adults on faith formation and social justice.
John, who lives in Lowell, MA, has three adult children and five grandchildren.
Dr. Julie Shepherd
Engagement Director
Dr. Julie K. Shepherd is an engagement director on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team supporting schools, districts, and states nationwide. Her most recent portfolio of engagements includes district equity audits and district and school diagnostics. Julie supports internal business development efforts, talent growth and development of School Improvement team members, and the development of equity- and inclusion-focused frameworks, tools, and processes. She has also facilitated root cause analyses, school improvement and district strategic planning processes, and supported transformation zones, school-level development of instructional systems and practices, and community school alliance efforts. Julie has worked in education for over 20 years, including teaching 4th-8th grade mathematics in Illinois, Georgia, and Sweden, and working for Iowa Testing Programs while in graduate school. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Illinois State University and an M.A. in Educational Measurement and Statistics, an Ed.S. in School Curriculum and Assessment Policy, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies from the University of Iowa.
Jamil Siddiqui
Content Specialist, AP Calculus
Jamil Siddiqui has spent the last 25 years teaching mathematics at East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School. Over the course of his career, Jamil has taught classes across the department; however, he specializes in teaching Advanced Placement Calculus. He believes that anyone is capable of succeeding if they are willing to work hard and give their best effort, and he encourages students with varying abilities to be successful in his class. He tells his students their thought process, their effort, and their ability to communicate their ideas are far more important than the final answers they are trying to find. Jamil firmly believes all students can be successful by working hard, improving, and not being afraid to try.
When speaking with Jamil, one can immediately sense his love for mathematics. His advice to teachers has been, "You have to love something. You love your subject, or you have to love your students." He can often be found after school and on weekends providing extra help to students who may be struggling. These experiences encouraged 15 of his former students to be mathematics teachers.
Outside of school, Jamil has worked closely with Mass Insight Education as a mathematics lead teacher since 2012, and has served as a College Board consultant for AP calculus since 2014. In 2019 he was selected as the Massachusetts State Teacher of the Year. Jamil is a 2020 inductee to the National Teacher Hall of Fame. Jamil received his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Boston University and then earned master's degrees in teaching and pure mathematics, also from Boston University.
Keith Starr
Consultant
Keith is a Consultant on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. Keith is currently supporting partners in Evansville, Indiana by planning and operationalizing changes to their alternative schools in order to meet the unique needs of students and their families. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Keith worked over the last decade as an assistant principal and then co-school leader of KIPP Pride High School in Gaston, NC. During that time, he worked alongside his staff to ensure that 100% of each of the senior classes earned acceptance to at least one four-year university, helping to change the narrative of what is possible in rural, public education. He also helped to lead the increase in access to AP courses at the high school for all students, ensuring that they were participating in a truly college-preparatory program. Keith began his career in education as a high school science teacher in rural eastern NC and later founded the AP Physics program at the KIPP school he would later lead. Keith holds a M. Ed. from National Louis University and a B.S. in Physics from Denison University.
Carmen G. Thomas-Browne Ph.D.
Engagement Manager
Carmen G. Thomas-Browne, Ph.D. is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience in field. She is a former Math Specialist on the Pennsylvania Comprehensive School Improvement team in she which provided support and guidance on improving the teaching and learning of mathematics to building and district leaders for twenty-four Pennsylvania schools. Carmen has experience as a middle and high school mathematics teacher and a mathematics teacher educator. She also supervised numerous preservice teachers in their student teaching experiences. Her research interests are in equitable practices in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Carmen served as an evaluation team member on the National Science Foundation funded project titled, Designing for Equity by Thinking In and About Mathematics (DEbT-M). In this work, she co-authored an instrumented titled, The Assessment of Beliefs and Practices of Teaching Mathematics to African-American Students. Carmen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, a Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Instructional Management and Leadership.
Kristen Thompson
Project Coordinator
Kristen Thompson is a Project Coordinator on Mass Insight’s School Improvement team. Kristen supports the coordination and execution of special projects and events, the development of external communications, and the management of internal team priorities. Kristen is former educator who taught high school English and History in Boston Public Schools. She is passionate about data driven project management, strategic planning, collaboration, and solution development, while maintaining a deep commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. Kristen has her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education.
Shelley Vail-Smith, Ed.D.
Engagement Manager
Shelley Vail-Smith is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team, where she supports schools in the Philadelphia City School System. Prior to joining Mass Insight, she has worked to improve literacy in Alabama through a variety of roles, including serving as advisor to the Alabama State Legislature and State Board of Education. She is also the host of the Alabama Literacy Network’s podcast. Shelley has worked in education for 30 years including rural, suburban, and urban schools. She has served as assistant superintendent in two districts, principal, assistant principal, adjunct professor, and teacher. Shelley is a graduate of Samford University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Alejandro Vazquez Martinez
Project Coordinator
Alejandro Vazquez Martinez is a Project Coordinator on Mass Insight’s School Improvement team. Prior to joining the team, Alejandro was a high school math teacher in the city of Houston. His interest in education reform has been long standing since his days as a student in a large urban school district in Texas. His experience ranges from the public to private sector having interned at educational organizations like The Brookings Institution, Breakthrough Collaborative, and Arnold Ventures. Alejandro graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis. In his free time, you can find Alejandro watching baseball — Go Astros!
Francina G. Victoria
Engagement Manager
Francina is an Engagement Manager on Mass Insight's School Improvement team supporting states, districts, and schools across the country. In this capacity she conducts district and school reviews, reports on key findings, and supports partners in identifying high-leverage and sustainable solutions. Currently, Francina supports partnerships with Kansas City Public Schools and Framingham Public Schools. Prior to Mass Insight, Francina was the Manager of Pipeline & Diversity Programs for Boston Public Schools, overseeing the development and implementation of sustainable programs for diverse aspiring educators in and around the Boston area. These programs recruited, cultivated, and helped retain diverse individuals seeking teacher training and licensure. Francina has also served as the program manager for the Boston Public Schools Teaching Fellowship in collaboration with TNTP, and as an operations manager with Lawrence Public Schools. Francina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Masters of Arts in Economic and Social Development of Regions, both from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Artemus Werts
Consultant
Artemus Werts is a Consultant on Mass Insight’s School Improvement Team. He currently supports equity audit work in Massachusetts. Prior to joining Mass Insight, Artemus served as school leader in Trenton, NJ, was a director for data and high school math teacher in Baltimore, MD, and completed a Fulbright fellowship in South Korea. Artemus is passionate about empowering people to understand their strengths, their thinking, and their actions, so that they can have a positive impact on the people around them. Artemus holds a bachelor’s degree in history and Africana studies from Rutgers University and a master’s in education from Johns Hopkins University.
Bryan Woodard
Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, State Street Corporation
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Bryan Woodard
Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, State Street Corporation
R. Bryan Woodard is Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel with responsibility for managing the legal affairs of all bank products offered by State Street Corporation, including Institutional Services, Global Markets, Alpha, Global Credit Finance and Global Treasury. In this role, Mr. Woodard oversees a global team of attorneys located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific supporting custody, middle office, trading and investment platforms and capital markets businesses, including equities, foreign exchange and securities lending. Mr. Woodard is the Chair of New Business and Product Review Approval Committee, and is a member of the Asset and Liability Committee, Trading and Market Risk Committee and Fiduciary Risk Committee. Prior to joining State Street, Mr. Woodard was a senior associate with Ropes & Gray, a preeminent global law firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, where he represented private equity funds and public companies in connection with debt and equity securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions, and advised public clients on a wide range of securities law compliance and governance issues. Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Mr. Woodard was an officer in the United States Air Force. Mr. Woodard holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the United States Air Force Academy and his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Boston College Law School, where he was also an editor of the Boston College Law Review. Mr. Woodard is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He is also a former executive committee member of the Financial Markets Lawyers Group sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Dr. Destiny Shantell Woodbury
Consultant
Dr. Destiny Shantell Woodbury is a consultant on Mass Insight's School Improvement Team. She will be working on an equity audit with Aldine ISD and school improvement support with Allentown School District. In this capacity, she conducts district and school reviews, reports on key findings, and supports partners in identifying high-leverage and sustainable solutions. She is from Providence, Rhode Island, lives in Houston, TX, is in her 15th year in education, and is also a Doctoral Student at Vanderbilt University. Destiny has been a middle school science teacher, grade level chair, department chair, instructional coach, instructional specialist, and school leader. As a School Leader, she reduced the suspension incident rate from 44% to 15%. In 2015, her students were ranked #1 out of all KIPP middle schools across the nation on the NWEA MAP Assessment and generated the highest student achievement in fifth-grade science in school history by over 25%: 94% of students met their typical growth goals, 89% of students met their tiered growth targets and grew an average of 3.51 years. She holds a Bachelor in Science in Chemistry, Bachelor in Arts in Chemistry, and Bachelor is Arts in Secondary Education with four minors in Physics, Math, Spanish, and Leadership Studies from the University of Rhode Island, a Masters in Education from National-Louis University, and a Doctorate in Education in Leadership and Learning Organizations from Vanderbilt University. She was a professional athlete who trained for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in the 400 meters.
Ed Wren
Content Specialist, AP Environmental Science
After a two-year graduate stint working with fish endocrinology in Antarctica and Maine, I realized that a career in research science was not for me. What has become my 18 year classroom teaching career appeared in my life first in the form of fifth and sixth grade science in a private school in New York City. Those years showed me I had found a calling. My need for more advanced science moved me on to 11 years of NYC Public High School, teaching a range of sciences from Freshman Research to Chemistry. 9 years of teaching AP Environmental Science has been, by far, the most rewarding and exciting teaching I have ever done. It has not necessarily brought me the daily hysterical laughter I would get from teaching 5th and 6th grade, but teaching this course showed me how thoughtful, and deeply committed to their learning, students can be. Every day I saw what it looked like for kids to be excited about their learning. Granted my enthusiasm and some jumping around like a lunatic helped. So, I still love doing experiments and reading about all the exciting environmental research being done, especially if it involves marine conservation, but I would now prefer to use the experiments and research as tools to help students connect to learning about the environment.
Careers and Internships
Mass Insight’s expert team of school improvement and content professionals works with schools, districts, and states to implement proven school improvement strategies that focus on the seven elements of our Theory of Action. By focusing on system transformation and student academic success, we help schools dramatically improve and, importantly, student learning increase. At Mi, we are committed to changing lives and changing schools across the country.
How to Apply
Mi is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to maintaining a nondiscriminatory work environment. Mi does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.
We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply for any open position for which they feel qualified. We believe that we have a responsibility to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and talented staff.