Board

Adam Weinstein

Chair

Mr. Weinstein is a Managing Director and Head of Firm Operations at New Mountain Capital. Mr. Weinstein is involved in a wide range of educational and other philanthropic causes.  He is a founding board member of Great Oaks.

Susan Mustokoff Akselrad

Secretary

Former Chief Employment Counsel, Solvay USA. Retired as of February 2016, Ms. Akselrad is now focused on contributing her skills to philanthropic causes, primarily in the area of education and assisting the homeless, and serves as the founding Board Chair of Great Oaks – New York City.

Mike Brown

Treasurer

Mr. Brown is our Board Treasurer and is the Managing Director at Journey Strategic Wealth Partners.

Derrick Diggs

Mr. Diggs is the Vice President and Director of Business Development of Diggs Construction. Mr. Diggs has a wealth of experience in real estate development and construction. He earned both an MBA and Law Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and he is a LEED Accredited Professional.

David Drewes

David is partner in the Real Estate Department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP; Chambers USA (2019) ranks David among the leading individuals practicing in the area of Real Estate; In 2015, David was named a Law360 “MVP” in Real Estate.

Odd Eiken

Mr. Eiken is the founder NordicEd AB, a K-12 school operator and education services provider focused on emerging economies. He has been involved in K12 ventures in Europe, Asia, Africa and the U.S and has been advisor to several Governments and institutions on Education Policies. He was the State Secretary of Education in the Government of Sweden in the 1990:ies and has also an extensive background from executive positions in media and financial industries.

Liliana Polo-McKenna, Ed.L.D.

Liliana is the Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), one of NYC’s leading youth workforce organizations; she was previously Vice President of School Support at the NYC Leadership Academy.

Peggy Shaughnessy

Ms. Shaughnessy is the head of Global Office Operations with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), an American multinational investment firm. Ms. Shaughnessy previously served as a Managing Director with Goldman Sachs.

Maureen Sherry

After twelve years on Wall Street, Maureen Sherry—formerly, the youngest Managing Director at Bear Stearns and a Cornell graduate—switched gears to earn an MFA  at Columbia University. Her first book, Walls Within Walls has been awarded several prizes and she was named one of the Best New Voices by the American Library Association. Her first novel for adults, Opening Belle, is a national bestseller and is currently being made into a major motion picture.

Susan Stroud

Senior Fellow at the Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service at George Washington University. Previously Susan was Director of the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, Director of Campus Compact, and one of the founders of AmeriCorps.

Michael T. Duffy

President

Mr. Duffy is the President of the Great Oaks Foundation. Mr. Duffy previously served as the Director of the Charter School Office for the NYC Department of Education and was a founding board member of the Match Charter Public School in Boston, MA.