NEW YORK CITY CHARTER SCHOOL CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Inclusive Education Specialist
Alexandra (Ali) Apfel is an Inclusive Education Specialist, who partners with schools to share her experience in school leadership, pedagogical expertise, and passion for supporting students with disabilities. Her support includes leading the Collaborative's Leadership Cohorts for Special Populations, and general professional development in the form of school visits, workshop and training facilitation, and technical assistance. Prior to joining the Collaborative, Ali worked as a Special and General Education Teacher, a Director of Student Services, an Assistant Principal, and a Principal. Regardless of the role, her purpose in education has always centered on creating inclusive and accessible educational environments for students, staff and families. Ali holds a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University, earned her M.S. in Early Childhood Special Education as a Teach For America corps member from Hunter College, and completed her principal training through the KIPP School Leadership Programs.
Alexandra Apfel is part of Collaborative for Inclusive Education
Job Titles:
- Director of the Public Policy Program at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute
BASIL A. SMIKLE, JR., Basil Smikle Associates
Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. is a Distinguished Lecturer and Director of the Public Policy Program at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. He also lectures at Columbia University in the School of International and Public Affairs and Teachers College. With over 15 years in higher education and 25 years of a career dedicated to public service, Basil regularly shares insights on electoral politics, governance, and public policy on national media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg TV.
He holds a PhD in Politics and Education and an MPA from Columbia University and received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. Previously, Basil served as the Distinguished Lecturer of Politics and Public Policy at the City University of New York's School of Labor and Urban Studies. He was appointed by former Governor David Paterson to serve as the Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party during the 2016 presidential cycle where he was the "second highest ranking Democrat" in the State.
Basil worked closely with elected officials and community leaders to manage electoral and fundraising strategies for the State. He recruited candidates for political office and worked closely with the Democratic National Committee to create grassroots mobilization programs and act as a Party surrogate. Under Basil's leadership, Democrats flipped county legislatures, and county-wide seats - laying the foundation for returning the State Senate to full Democratic control in 2018 and flipping three Congressional seats. He received awards from the Governor and Comptroller of New York State for his commitment to public service and education equity.
Job Titles:
- President of the Carson Family Charitable Trust
- President, Carson Family Charitable Trust
Cecily M. Carson is president of the Carson Family Charitable Trust. She is also a trustee of The Museum of Arts and Design, Fisher House Foundation and the Excellence Girls and Excellence Boys Charter Schools of Bedford-Stuyvesant; chair of the Robin Hood Foundation's Leadership Council; and a member of the President's Leadership Council at Dartmouth College, the Advisory Board for Columbia School of Business's Social Enterprise Program and the NY Public Library's Library Council
Ms. Carson is a native New Yorker who graduated from Dartmouth College in 1995. She majored in Government, minored in Film and has a certificate in Women's Studies. She spent two years at Andrew Edson & Associates, Inc., a corporate and financial public and investor relations firm in New York. She then studied for two years in the Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) Jewelry Design program and started an independent jewelry design business called, CMC Jewelry Designs, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive
Christina provides critical, high level support to the CEO and is accountable for maximizing the current impact and future growth of the Charter Center and its staff. She brings to the position an extensive background in nonprofit management. Before joining the Charter Center, Christina was Vice President of External Relations at Civic Builders, where she raised more than $15 million to support the development of charter school facilities. She also served in leadership roles at the Union Square Partnership, the Greenwich-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and several performing arts venues. Christina is a graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Christina Brown is part of Executive Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- General Counsel and VP of Legal Policy
Corey provides general legal counsel to the Charter Center and provides guidance to the sector on local, state and federal laws and regulations affecting NYC charter schools. Corey also advises on legal strategies supporting the Charter Center's strategic objectives as well as overseeing the collection and analysis of data. Before joining the Charter Center, Corey was Assistant Counsel to the New York State Gaming Commission, where she advised on the state-wide casino selection process and helped create the regulatory framework in New York State. Corey was also a litigation associate for the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where she represented a broad range of corporate clients. Prior to law school, Corey was a middle school special education teacher in the Bronx for the NYC DOE. Corey is a graduate of New College of Florida, holds a M.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Lehman College, and is a graduate of the New York University Law School.
Corey Callahan is part of Policy & Advocacy
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Financial Manager
- Member of the Executive Team
Debra is responsible for the financial and accounting functions at the Charter Center. She brings over 20 years of accounting experience, including financial management positions at nonprofit organizations Black Veterans for Social Justice and Women's City Club of NY. Debra is a certified public accountant and has a BS in accounting from Syracuse University.
Debra Cameron is part of Finance
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration
- Member of the Executive Team
- Director of Administration / Administration
Edith is responsible for managing the organization's daily office operations, human resources and employee relations. Before joining the Charter Center, Edith served for 16 years as the Director of Finance for the Institute of Literacy Studies at Lehman College, where she also graduated with a Degree in Accounting.
Edith Litt is part of Administration
Job Titles:
- Chief Program Officer, Robin Hood Foundation
- Managing Director of Education at the Robin Hood Foundation
Emary Aronson is the Managing Director of Education at the Robin Hood Foundation. She is also the managing director of the Robin Hood Relief Fund, a $65 million fund dedicated to addressing the needs of those affected by September 11.
Before joining Robin Hood, Emary was the Director of Education Initiatives at the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce. In this role, she helped develop a $29 million education reform program as well as manage a youth employment program and a school principal management training program.
Prior to her work with the New York City Partnership, Emary taught history and economics at the college level.
Emary holds a BA in History from Smith College, an MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics, an MPPM from the Yale School of Management, and a PhD in History from the University of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Director of Government Affairs
Erik monitors federal, state and local actions affecting charter schools. Prior to joining the Charter Center, Erik was the Director of City Legislation for the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Legislative Director to Council Member Diana Reyna, Campaign Manager to former Council Member Melinda Katz in her race for Comptroller, and Director of Candidate Services at the Campaign Finance Board and Director of Lobbying and Grassroots Organizing for Common Cause/NY. He also founded "Enlightened Markets," a not-for-profit organization that identified market solutions to lift the working poor out of poverty. Erik has a bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and has more than fifteen years of government, advocacy, politics and communications experience.
Erik Joerss is part of Policy & Advocacy
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Member of the Executive Team
- Coordinator / Marketing & Communications
Erin coordinates the Charter Center's program marketing, brand management and online communications. Erin brings more than six years of experience to the role. Prior to joining the Charter Center, she worked as a content developer and marketing specialist for several NYC-based corporations and founded a satirical crowdfunding website. Erin holds a B.A. in English from Binghamton University and an M.A. in Corporate Communication from Baruch College.
Erin McLaughlin is part of Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- President of Harlem Children 's Zone
Geoffrey Canada, President of Harlem Children's Zone, is renowned around the world for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem, and as a thought leader and passionate advocate for education reform after having worked with the Harlem Children's Zone for more than 30 years.
Having worked with the Harlem Children's Zone for more than 30 years, Geoffrey Canada is renowned around the world for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem, and as a thought leader and passionate advocate for education reform.
From 1990 to 2014, Mr. Canada served as the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Harlem Children's Zone, which The New York Times called "one of the most ambitious social-policy experiments of our time." In 2011, Mr. Canada was named to the TIME 100 list of most influential people in the world and, in March 2014, was named one of Fortune's 50 greatest leaders in the world. As of July 1, 2014, Mr. Canada stepped down as CEO, handing the reins to COO Anne Williams-Isom. He continues to serve as President of the HCZ and Promise Academy Boards.
Mr. Canada grew up in the South Bronx in a poor, sometimes violent neighborhood. Despite his troubled surroundings, he achieved great academic success, receiving a bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College and a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. After graduating, Mr. Canada began his life's work helping children who, like himself, grew up in poor, distressed neighborhoods.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Executive
- Member of the Executive Team
James Merriman is one of the nation's foremost experts on charter school policy. Mr. Merriman is a leading voice and advocate for high quality, equitable charter schools and frequently speaks and writes about the actions that need to be taken to strengthen and expand charter schools within the New York City public school system. Mr. Merriman's op-eds, commentary and guest blogs have been featured in The New York Times, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, The Huffington Post, Gotham Schools and Eduwonk and he is a frequent guest on major TV and radio outlets on public education reform and policy. Before joining the Charter Center in 2007, he worked at the Walton Family Foundation where he helped develop and implement the foundation's grant making in the charter school sector. Mr. Merriman came to Walton after spending more than seven years at the Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York (SUNY-CSI), including five as its executive director. At SUNY-CSI, which is one of two state-wide authorizers of charter schools, Mr. Merriman helped create and design systems for authorization and oversight that promote the growth of a high quality charter school sector; then U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan singled out SUNY-CSI as a national model for this work. In 2012, Mr. Merriman was named a Pahara-Aspen Educational Fellow. He has served on the board of the National Charter Schools Institute and is currently a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, for which he has also served as a member of its advisory board.
Before entering the charter sector, Mr. Merriman was also a commercial litigator for the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York City. He is a graduate of Columbia College and New York University Law School.
James Merriman is part of Executive Team
Job Titles:
- Inclusive Education Specialist
Jeannine facilitates high quality and equitable experiences for all learners via professional development, school visits, and the providing of necessary resources. In addition to over 20 years of teaching experience in both general and special education, Jeannine most recently served as the Director of Student Support at Bronx Community Charter School. She obtained a Masters of Science in Special Education from Long Island College.
Jeannine King is part of Collaborative for Inclusive Education
Job Titles:
- MLL / ELL Specialist / Collaborative for Inclusive Education
Job Titles:
- Coordinator, School Supports and Development
Kimberly provides logistical and administrative support to the Charter Center's School Supports department, ensuring that NYC's charter schools have the resources and guidance they need for strong and sustainable operations. Before this role, Kimberly served as a Special Education Specialist at Success Academy Charter Schools. She has an M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College at Columbia University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College.
Kimberly Zambrano is part of School Supports
Job Titles:
- Manager, Office Administration / Administration
Luis is responsible for managing the Charter Center's front office support services, which include parent and school customer service, facility and tech administration, event coordination and departmental assistance. Luis has a background in graphic design, music, and worked for Details magazine for several years; before joining the Charter Center, he was the office manager for five years for the Robert Allen Group, a home furnishings design company.
Luis Zuluaga is part of Administration
Job Titles:
- President of New Visions for Public Schools
Mark Dunetz is President of New Visions for Public Schools, a role which he has held since 2016. He previously served as the organization's Vice President for School Support and Operations leading the organization's collaboration with the New York City Department of Education and the support of partner high schools.
Mark began his career as an English as a Second Language and Social Studies teacher in the New York City public schools. In 2008, Mark founded the Academy for Careers in Television and Film where he served as principal until 2013. The school remains one of the city's most academically successful and was the first to provide pathways for students from underrepresented communities into the full range of careers in New York City's television and film industry.
Mark holds a BA in US History from the University of California, Santa Cruz; an MA in Teaching Speakers of Other Languages from New York University; and a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in education policy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, the Collaborative for Inclusive Education
Melissa is an inclusion and equity advocate for historically underserved populations in NYC charter schools. As the Vice President, Inclusive Education, she works to ensure that schools have access to the essential supports, trainings, resources and technical assistance necessary to ensure the success of all of their students. Prior to joining the Collaborative, she worked as a French dual language teacher and an ESL teacher within the NYC DOE. During her time in the classroom, she strived to provide equity and access for all her students through culturally relevant pedagogy and research-based language supports. Melissa holds B.A.s from Trinity College (Hartford) in French, Spanish and English, earned her M.S. in TESOL as a Teach For America corps member from Fordham University, and her M.S. in Educational Leadership from Hunter College.
Melissa Katz is part of Collaborative for Inclusive Education
Job Titles:
- Coordinator, Policy & Advocacy
Najee is responsible for providing logistical, outreach, and strategic support to the Policy & Advocacy team as they address matters affecting charter schools in New York City and throughout New York state. She is also responsible for preparing for and tracking the team's legislative efforts. Prior to joining the Charter Center, Najee spent nearly a decade managing the Emergency Food Assistance Program within New York City's Human Resource Administration. Najee received her Master of Public Administration from John Jay College, and also studied English and writing during her undergraduate time at Lehman College.
Najee Johnson is part of Policy & Advocacy
Olga is responsible for the Charter Center's accounting activities. She joined the Charter Center with 5 years of accounting experience, including previous nonprofit experience from The Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan. Olga holds a B.S. in Finance from Baruch College.
Olga Nechiporenko is part of Finance
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Project Coordinator
- Executive Project Coordinator / Administration
Pam serves as the right hand to the Charter Center's executive team and Board of Directors. She also supports the administrative and project implementation capacity of the Charter Center's various departments. She comes to us with 13 years of administrative and managerial experience in the legal and hospitality industries. Pam obtained her B.A. in Latino Studies from Lehman College, where she received the Presidential Scholar Award.
Pamela Ozoria is part of Administration
Job Titles:
- President and Chief Executive Officer of the Children 's Aid Society
- President and Chief Executive Officer, Children 's Aid Society
Phoebe Boyer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Children's Aid Society, one of the nation's largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies. She is the eleventh person and the first woman to lead Children's Aid since its founding in 1853.
Previously, Ms. Boyer served as Executive Director of the Tiger Foundation and Interim Executive Director of Robertson Foundation, where she was responsible for the overall management of both Foundations. Prior to joining Tiger, Ms. Boyer identified and secured private funds for The After-School Corporation (TASC), an organization established to enhance the quality and availability of after-school programming. Before joining TASC, Ms. Boyer was the Assistant Executive Director of Inwood House, a social service agency that works with pregnant and parenting teens. While there, she was responsible for the overall administration and financial management of the $6 million multi-service organization. She also has several years of experience in the public and private sectors.
Ms. Boyer received a Bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and a Masters in Business Administration from Columbia University. She is a board member at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, and a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute NewSchools Fellowship: Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education.
Ms. Boyer lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Data and Research Analyst, Policy & Advocacy
Richard spearheads the Charter Center's collection and analysis of charter school data and research in order to guide policy discussions, inform the public dialogue and support school leadership. Prior to joining the Charter Center, Richard had a long and productive career in the NYC Department of Education. Most recently, Richard served as Director of Strategic Planning and Accountability. He also previously served as Executive Director for ELL Data, Policy, and Compliance, and Regional Senior Assessment Coordinator. Richard started his career as an ESL teacher. Richard holds an M.S. in Educational Administration, and an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Richard Bellis is part of Policy & Advocacy
Job Titles:
- Director of School Supports and Development
As Director of School Supports and Development, Sherita guides new charters schools through the planning and start-up stages, and helps existing schools ensure operational excellence and sustainability by providing technical supports, professional development opportunities and best practice sharing. She and her team also seek to address sector-wide challenges and secure needed resources for NYC's charter schools. Sherita migrated from the financial services industry to the charter sector over 10 years ago. She has extensive experience in operations, serving previously as an operations manager, founding director of operations and, most recently, as chief operating officer for an NYC charter school.
Sherita Smith is part of School Supports
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, PAVE Charter School
- Founder and Executive Director of PAVE Academy Charter School
Spencer Robertson is the Founder and Executive Director of PAVE Academy Charter School in Red Hook. Before launching PAVE, Mr. Robertson worked at North Star Academy Charter School of Newark. Mr. Robertson completed the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, which provided him one year to study the highest performing public schools in America. His education career includes three years as a seventh and eighth graders language arts and Spanish teacher and co-founder of the school's running club. He then served as a program officer at the Tiger Foundation, supporting after-school programs and early child development initiatives throughout New York City.
Mr. Robertson holds an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, with a focus on the non-profit sector and an undergraduate degree from Duke University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and four children.