LEAP ACADEMY UNIVERSITY CHARTER SCHOOL - Key Persons


Amir Ayres

Job Titles:
  • ELA Supervisor

Angiana Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Vice Principal 9 - 12

Bette Mengesha

Job Titles:
  • HR Business Partner at American Water Works Company
Bette Mengesha is HR Business Partner at American Water Works Company. She brings extensive and varied experiences in areas of human resources, talent acquisition and cultivation and personnel policy development and compliance.

Beverly Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant to the SBA

Brenda Ortiz

Job Titles:
  • Business Specialist at the Community Leadership Center
Ms. Ortiz is a Business Specialist at the Community Leadership Center- Rutgers University-Camden, where she manages all fiscal and grant transactions. She is the proud parent of four LEAP students. She serves on the schools' Parent Affairs and Finance Committees.

Cal Maradonna

Job Titles:
  • Director of off Campus Programs at Rutgers University School of Business Camden
Cal Maradonna is Director of Off Campus Programs at Rutgers University School of Business Camden. Cal has been part of Rutgers University for over 49 years. He formally worked as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students for the Camden Campus. Cal also served as Vice President of Alumni Relations for Rutgers University. For the past 23 years Cal has taught in the Rutgers School of Business and presently manages the International Study Program for the School of Business.

Charles Benito

Job Titles:
  • District Assessment Coordinator

Christine Skalka

Job Titles:
  • ELA Supervisor K - 8

Clara McCauley

Job Titles:
  • Enfermera Práctica Licenciada

Dennis Rivera

Job Titles:
  • Chief of Safety and Security

Diana Crespo

Job Titles:
  • Director of Enrollment

Dr. Anthony M. Lowman

Job Titles:
  • Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rowan University
Dr. Anthony M. Lowman is Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rowan University, where he provides academic and financial oversight of all undergraduate and graduate academic programs and the hiring of faculty, librarians, professional staff and other personnel in collaboration with the Deans of the Colleges of Business, Communication and Creative Arts, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Performing Arts, Science and Mathematics, School of Health Professions, the School of Earth and Environment and the Honors College. He is a longtime leader in higher education, globally recognized innovator in biomedical engineering and prolific entrepreneur.

Dr. Damiso Josey

Job Titles:
  • Instructional Principal 6 - 8

Dr. Dawn Fichera

Job Titles:
  • Chief of STEAM

Dr. Kamika Dixon

Job Titles:
  • Vice Principal

Dr. Kwanza Cogdell

Job Titles:
  • Principal 9 - 12

Dr. Mathew Closter

Job Titles:
  • Senior Consultant With Equal Measure
Dr. Mathew Closter is a Senior Consultant with Equal Measure. In his role, he serves as a core team member for the partnership on the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub, a national initiative to broaden participation of underserved youth in STEM education and careers. He also lends his expertise to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in its P-16 and Equitable Futures initiatives, as well as in the evaluation of the Scattergood Foundation's RISE Partnership, which helps nonprofit organizations strengthen their impact over the course of a three-year program.

Dr. Michael Palis

Job Titles:
  • Professor of Computer Science at Rutgers University - Camden
Dr. Palis is Professor of Computer Science at Rutgers University-Camden. He is an internationally renowned researcher in parallel and distributed computing and design and analysis of algorithms.

Dr. Velmina Rivera

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Chief Medical Officer / School Medical Director

Dr. Yosmeriz Roman

Job Titles:
  • Assistant
Dr. Yosmeriz Roman is Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at the University of Cincinnati. Prior to this appointment, she served a Director of Admissions and Enrollment at Rutgers University -Camden. She is an experienced enrollment professional with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry.

Ermis Serje

Job Titles:
  • District Office Manager

Gloria Bonilla-Santiago

Job Titles:
  • Rutgers Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor
Dr. Santiago is Rutgers Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, where she also directs the Community Leadership Center, a service and research center dedicated to the revitalization of urban communities through education, leadership and community development. She led the efforts to establish LEAP Academy and is a staunch supporter of quality educational options for all children. Dr. Santiago has also written a book titled, "The Miracle on Cooper Street: Lessons from an Inner City." It is available on Amazon or other major book retailers.

Grace Begley

Job Titles:
  • Enrollment Specialist

Hector Nieves

Hector Nieves is a local Camden businessman and serves as Board Secretary and Chair of the Parent Affairs Committee of the Board. He is also a member of the Finance Committee of the Board and a proud parent of three LEAP alumni, who have gone to build successful careers.

Jacqueline DePrince

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager - Wellness Center

Jasmin Rivera

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager

Jessica Rojas

Job Titles:
  • Food Manager Metz

Jozian Molina

Job Titles:
  • Chief Academic Officer
  • Member of the Leadership Team

Lorna Quintana

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager
  • Coordinator of Parental Engagement, Recruitment and Retention

Margaret Manthe

Job Titles:
  • Senior Credit Officer at Republic Bank
Margaret Manthe is Senior Credit Officer at Republic Bank responsible for executing the Bank's credit and risk policies in the areas of commercial, consumer and residential lending. She actively participates in a consultative role with relationship managers in implementing and interpreting credit policy through discussions of financial strength and credit worthiness, credit structure, transaction approvals, corrective action and exceptions to policy.

Margo Venable

Job Titles:
  • Executive
Ms. Venable is the Executive Dean of School, Community, and Workforce Training Programs at Camden County College . She is responsible for strategic planning and budgeting for the Division of School, Community and Workforce Training Programs and oversees the Camden Campus for the college. She provides oversight for the development and delivery of community service programs in Camden City including ABE, GED, ESL and other courses and services tailored for targeted populations in Camden City. In addition, she provides continuous improvement/assessment of all Workforce Development and Training, High School Partnership Programs, and Camden City campus operations, initiatives, and strategic plans.

Maria Cruz

Job Titles:
  • Director of Parent Engagement Center

Matthew Steen

Job Titles:
  • Math Supervisor K - 12

Michele Pastorello

Job Titles:
  • Executive Chef Metz

Nancy Torres

Job Titles:
  • Vice Principal K - 5

Nicole Kessler

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Chief of Teaching & Learning

Omar Samaniego

Mr. Samaniego graduated Rutgers University-Camden in May of 2017 with a Bachelor's degree, majoring in both Economics and Political Science. He is currently employed at Cigna as an Underwriting Senior Associate. Prior to joining Cigna, he worked as a Contract Specialist at the Defense Logistics Agency in Northeast Philadelphia.

Rafael Miranda

Job Titles:
  • Director Fabrication Lab

Rosa Ovalles-Vargas

Job Titles:
  • Director of Transportation

Samantha Rodriguez

Job Titles:
  • Principal K - 5

Stephanie Weaver-Rogers

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • Chief Operation Officer / Lead Person

Steve Pierre-Jacques

Job Titles:
  • Director, Information Technology

Sylvia Hunt


Tamika Rice

Job Titles:
  • Director of Climate and Culture

Tanisha Baynard

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager

Theodore W. Johnson Jr.

Job Titles:
  • Director of College Access

Tugba Hoguet

Job Titles:
  • Director of ESL and Special Services

Vanessa Reyes

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager

Wanda Garcia

Job Titles:
  • News

Yahaira Perez

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager