Staff

Michael T. Duffy

President

Michael oversees the strategic direction for the Great Oaks Foundation and its network of schools. Prior to establishing the Great Oaks Foundation, Michael held several leadership positions including serving as the Director of the New York City Department of Education’s Charter School Office. Michael has long been a champion of education, formerly serving as the executive director of City on a Hill Charter Public School and as a founding trustee and board Chair of the MATCH Charter High School, both located in Boston, MA.

Under his leadership, the Great Oaks Network has grown to include four public charter schools in the Northeast. He has created advanced education and professional development partnerships with NYU Steinhardt and the Relay Graduate School of Education, and facilitated the completion of Teacher’s Village, a $149MM redevelopment project that encompasses charter schools, teacher and fellowship housing and retail space, in Newark, NJ. Additionally, he has expanded the expertise at the Foundation to increase services and programs delivered to Great Oaks students, families and schools. Currently, Michael is working on implementing new initiatives that will expand Great Oaks’ work and service in the communities where our schools are located. Additionally, he is developing strategies to strengthen the organization’s use of data to support and improve outcomes and expansion throughout the Great Oaks network.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. While a resident of Massachusetts, Michael was twice a candidate for public office. He has authored several articles and is currently an adjunct Associate Professor of Public Administration at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Policy, and he serves on the Vestry of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.

Josh Thomases

Executive Vice President

Vanessa Ceas

Chief Talent Officer

Vanessa oversees the talent & recruitment team and is responsible for all HR matters across the school network. She has extensive experience working with both district and charter school finances, and she is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University.

Lauren Perkins

Chief Operating Officer

Benjamin Chan

Chief Financial Officer

Ben has a broad background in the private sector, from strategy consulting at Price Waterhouse to turning around the family business in international sourcing, and most recently as an entrepreneur who started a women’s specialty clothing business from the ground up. Ben has his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University.

Tony Shaw

Chief Program Officer

Megan Benay

Senior National Director of Data Systems & Strategy

Mike Allen

Recruitment Associate

Elie Bilmes

Director of Program Development

Tamur Cajoux

Director of Finance

Hector Calderón

National Director of Teacher Development

Deborah Dagiau

Director of Human Resources

Kendra Giardiniere

National Director of Teacher Residency

J’Koi Hailstock

Talent & Recruitment Associate

Riley Hasson

Talent & Recruitment Manager

Riley supports Fellowship recruitment efforts across the Great Oaks network. Prior to this role, she completed two years of service at Great Oaks Bridgeport as an ELA Fellow and a Corps Leader. She graduated from the University of Connecticut where she studied Political Science and Urban and Community Studies.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Fellowship experience, please email Riley at [email protected].

CJ Ingersoll

Talent & Recruitment Manager

CJ is responsible for attracting, interviewing, and coordinating interviews with candidates for the Great Oaks Fellowship. He is a graduate of Washington University and volunteers his time as a coach and mentor with Harlem RBI.

Brianne Kelly

Deputy Director of Development

Brianne Kelly manages, writes, and researches grant opportunities at Great Oaks Foundation. In order to successfully do this, she collaborates with all departments across Great Oaks Foundation and works directly with school leadership to discover and seize opportunities that would further enrich opportunities for students, the local communities, and professional development. Brianne graduated from University at Buffalo with a dual BA in English and Legal Studies and after years of work experience, she graduated from Teachers College with an MA in International Education Development where she researched and completed Economic Development Capstone and Monitoring & Evaluation Plan for organizations in Kenya and Malawi, respectively. She has also interned with the International Rescue Committee in New York City, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco as a Youth Asset Builder (2014-2016). Other work experience includes Program Development and Academic Enrichment in the foundations for Columbia University: Double Discovery Center, and the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce: The Chamber Foundation, Inc. These opportunities enriched her understanding of Educational Equity, and has driven her path to the Great Oaks Foundation.

Shereen Khaled

National Deputy Director of AmeriCorps Experience & Compliance

Tiffany Kwong

Deputy Director of AmeriCorps Compliance & Operations

Tiffany works with our AmeriCorps partners across the Great Oaks Fellows network to ensure AmeriCorps Compliance throughout each program. Previously, Tiffany spent two years (2017-18, 2018-19) as the AmeriCorps Compliance and Operations Manager at Great Oaks – NYC. Before that, Tiffany served there as an AmeriCorps Fellow in 2015-16 and as a Corps Lead in 2016-17.

Jonah Liebert

Jonah’s interest in and passion for educational improvement emerged in college, where he studied education and democratic participation and served as an assistant teacher in a school that endeavored to prepare its historically underserved students for civic life and gainful employment. As a graduate student, adjunct faculty member, and academic researcher at Columbia Teachers College, Jonah studied, taught about, and researched the strengths and weaknesses of school choice policies, with a focus on their potential to improve student achievement and civic engagement for all students. With an intense curiosity, passion for research and large data, and desire to make a difference in kids’ lives, Jonah joined the NYC Department of Education central office, where he led data analysis and research across several teams. His work inspired citywide task management dashboards for principals, as well as a committee headed by the chancellor’s office to streamline the administrative tasks assigned to DOE schools and principals.

As the Deputy Director of Data Analysis & Research Design, Jonah leads Great Oaks Foundation data analysis efforts and designs the research that will be conducted as part of our continuous improvement process. This entails managing external evaluations of the Great Oaks fellowship program and designing qualitative and quantitative studies to understand when, why, and how our pilot programs work to improve student learning and well-being.

Khadija Marks

Director of AmeriCorps, CT Region Programs

Frances Scarlen Martinez

Deputy Director of Fellow Learning & Development

Scarlen Martinez is the Deputy Director of Fellow Learning and Development at the Great Oaks Foundation. In her role she supports the learning and development of fellows across the GreatOaks network through targeted professional development. She is also an author of diverse children’s books, mother and career educator committed to uplifting the voices and needs of underserved communities. Scarlen is also an education advocate and supports marginalized groups of people navigate the American education system by educating them on their rights and supporting them with obtaining free resources.

Lori Morillo

Finance Manager

Darius Rose

Associate Director of Staff Recruitment

Darius supports the recruitment of teachers for the Great Oaks network. Prior to this role, he was a 4th grade ICT Lead Teacher for Success Academy Charter School Network. Darius graduated from Syracuse University where he studied Physical Education and Sport Management and also studied Athletic Administration at Springfield College for his graduate fellowship.

If you are interested in learning more about open teaching positions, please email Darius at [email protected].

Davika Sookdeo

Accounts Payable Specialist

Daniel Torres

Deputy Director of Data Systems & Strategy

Pablo Vega

Finance Manager

Christy Venable

Director of Federal Grants

Pasha Zandieh

Director of Program Improvement and Research