Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees2023-10-19T03:15:38+00:00

Boston Day and Evening Academy Board of Trustees

Dre Woodberry – The Possible Zone2023-10-03T17:44:02+00:00

Born and raised in Boston, Dre Woodberry is a class of ‘07 BDEA alumnus.  Before graduating from BDEA, Dre was experiencing homelessness which inspired him to use this as a topic for his capstone project and the short film “What it’s Like to be Homeless in Massachusetts” to shed light on the experience of others dealing with homelessness. Dre was presented the Best Youth Filmmaker award at the Roxbury Film Festival in 2007. Shortly after, he received the James Baldwin Scholarship — a full scholarship at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA where he earned his bachelor’s degree.

In 2020, Dre joined the Iota Chi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and currently serves as the chapter’s vice president. He has received three awards in two years of being a member which makes him the first and youngest member to receive multiple awards on the chapter and district level in such a short period of time in the district’s 100-year history. These awards include the chapter and district’s Superior Service awards and this year’s Omega Man of the Year award.

Currently, he is Director of Family Engagement at The Possible Zone. With over 15 years of experience in youth, family, and community engagement, he has also served as a Youth Development Specialist for the Boston Public Health Commission, Teen Director for the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club of Roxbury, and Admissions Director for Boston Green Academy. Because of his love for technology, he has also started a tech education program for the elderly with the Iota Chi Chapter. More recently, Dre has worked closely with another Hampshire College alumnus to create a technology drive for the Omo Child Home in Jinka, Ethiopia. They have collected over 120 devices for the school and organization, and they have traveled there to personally meet and connect with the students, staff members, and local tribal leaders.

Jonathan (Jon) Barry – Audax Private Debt2023-05-23T22:35:16+00:00

With over 15 years in the alternative asset management sector, Jon is currently a Manager of Portfolio Reporting at Audax Private Debt, specializing in analytics, fundraising support, and portfolio metrics. Despite a recent relocation to Salem, MA, Jon still feels a great attachment to the Boston community, having lived there for 20 years. Jon’s years in Boston began at Northeastern University, where he received his BS in Business Administration, Finance & Insurance Management, and Management.

Jon became connected to Boston Day and Evening Academy when his wife was employed at the school. Over the years, Jon has been inspired by the BDEA’s mission to meet the needs of students who have not been adequately served elsewhere in the district and is eager to support the school as a Board member so that BDEA can continue to carry out its critical work in the community.

Tyron Boswell, Physical Education Teacher2023-01-17T01:41:21+00:00

Boswell has joined BDEA as the Physical Education Teacher now spearheading the BDEA Athletic Department after previously working at BDEA as a Community Field Coordinator. Between these two roles, Boswell worked as a Social Worker, and a Division I Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach at the University of Rhode Island, reaching the NCAA tournament twice. Boswell holds a B.S. in Communication from Northeastern University and an M.Ed. from the University of Rhode Island.

Email Boswell: tboswell2@bostonpublicschools.org

Salesia Hughes-Hibbert – Parent of BDEA Alumnus2023-10-03T17:46:36+00:00

Salesia Hughes-Hibbert, affectionately known as C.C., is a native of Boston, Massachusetts.  A graduate of Cambridge College with a Bachelors in Juvenile Justice, a master’s in counseling psychology and a certificate of advanced graduate studies in Marriage & Family Therapy. Currently, Salesia is the Vice President for Behavioral Health Services for Children’s Services of Roxbury and has a private practice as an independent licensed Mental Health Counselor. Salesia has over 20 years in the mental health field.

Outside of her work life, Salesia is an active member of the Parent Council at Boston Day & Evening Academy, volunteers on a consistent basis for Edward Brooke Charter school and Little Leaders Prep School. Salesia is also very involved in her Sorority Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Chi Eta Zeta Chapter.

Norma Suárez Quiles – Parent of BDEA Alumnus2023-10-03T17:47:10+00:00

Norma Suárez Quiles has been involved in her children’s education for thirty-two years since her oldest started at a Boston Public School. Her youngest is a BDEA student and she has been involved in Parent Council, parent groups, family meetings, fundraising, and other special events within the school. Norma’s involvement in her children’s education has given her personal resources that serve a purpose within the school, becoming aligned with the same goal: to form and transform the lives of the students.

Norma’s experience as an early child educator and administrator has given her the sensibility to place the needs, worries, questions, and difficulties of the parents and students as a priority in her work field, to guide them in the best direction possible where they can blossom with their own knowledge, talents and skills. Her desire to become a part of the Board of Trustees comes from her gratitude towards BDEA and the dedication from the school staff involved in her son’s education and his well-being.

Alisa Hunter – Tenacity2023-10-03T17:53:09+00:00

Alisa Hunter, MS currently serves as the Chief of Pathway to Post-Secondary Success at Tenacity. Before joining Tenacity, Alisa worked for Wediko Children’s Services (merged with The Home for Little Wanderers in April 2020) for over ten years, where she last served as a Program Director. As a proud native of Boston, she has devoted her career to the service of its youth and families. Alisa has over a decade of experience working in the field of human services for state agencies and local nonprofit organizations. Her breath of experience includes direct service; training and capacity building; and program development and management. Alisa is a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and seeks to bring this lens to her professional and personal endeavors.

Jumaane Kendrick – MissionSAFE2021-10-19T13:39:19+00:00

Jumaane Kendrick is the Director of Programs and Partnerships of MissionSAFE – a community diversion program created to divert youth from the school to prison pipeline and the Founder of Beyond The Block Youth Solutions Inc. a nonprofit youth entrepreneurship and mentorship organization that engages young people to be both accountable for their actions and capable of finding their abilities to make change and find success in their lives. He has earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration at Lasell College in Newton, MA and an undergrad degree in Business Management at Bays State College of Boston.

In addition, Jumaane was a gang interrupter with Ten Point Coalition mediating battles between rival gangs, and a Coordinator at The Violence Intervention Advocacy Program who provides support and resources to all gunshot and stab wound victims who enter Boston Medical Center’s Emergency room providing trauma response support and resources to help survivors recover emotional, mentally, and physically to live healthy lives.

Jumaane is described as an “exemplar of forgiveness” and is the definition of resiliency and overcoming adversity from being a high school drop out, ex-offender, ex-gang leader, and a survivor of street violence. Today Jumaane has successfully transitioned from the “streets to the boardroom” and decided that his life wasn’t going to end on the sidewalk or in a life prison sentence. Jumaane committed to preserving the lives of his friends and himself, but with a lack of opportunity in his neighborhood, while childhood friends dying daily he set out to put in end to preventing himself and others from losing anymore friends to street violence Jumaane started Lasell Denim & Co. a clothing and production company in remembrance of his friend Terrance Lasell Jacobs who was killed in 2009. Jumaane’s focuses were to occupying his friend’s time and provide a safe place to be to prevent further retaliation or incarceration. Through his efforts several of his friends created their own companies, went off to college, found career paths, or have left the streets in the past.

Lisa Laguerre – Northeastern University2021-10-19T13:35:56+00:00

Lisa Laguerre is the Associate Director of Community Relations for the Institute on Race and Justice (IRJ) at Northeastern University. She received her Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Clinical Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and is currently working on completing her LMHC and PhD. Lisa has been with IRJ since 2002 and has been instrumental in bridging the voice, participation and expertise of community practitioners into IRJ’s research initiatives and projects. Toward this end, Lisa has developed and directs the activity of the Institute’s Community Advisory Board. IRJ’s Community Advisory Board consists of ten prestigious local community practitioners who have expertise in various areas of community practice, including criminal justice, education, workforce development, advocacy and youth development. Under her leadership, the Community Advisory Board has worked with IRJ on several research projects and initiatives including, the Massachusetts Statewide Racial and Gender Profiling Study; producing and delivering a Train the Trainer Curriculum on Biased Based Policing and Policing in a Diverse Society for the Massachusetts Municipal Police Institute; and the Boston Citizen Oversight report which was submitted to the City of Boston, offering recommendations to improve citizen involvement in the Boston Police complaint process. Lisa represents IRJ in several community initiatives and assists with the overall management and strategic planning of the Institute. Her areas of expertise are community engagement, board development, strategic planning, race and social justice, criminal justice, community counseling and behavioral health. In addition, Lisa serves as a member of Northeastern University’s Institutional Review Board and is a Mental Health Clinician at Children’s Services of Roxbury, where she provides behavioral health services for children and families.

Maddrey Goode – City of Boston Office of Black Male Advancement2023-10-03T17:57:35+00:00

Sonya Page – Page Consulting2023-10-03T18:09:30+00:00

Sonya B. Page is Founder and Owner of Page Consulting LLC, a female-owned and operated business with a deep commitment to empowering the nonprofit sector. Sonya has well over a decade of frontline fundraising experience from some of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations, including Catholic Charities, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and Massachusetts General Hospital. She founded Page Consulting in order to help small and mid-sized nonprofits learn how to best position themselves for fundraising success in an increasingly competitive environment. In addition to working with nonprofit clients, Sonya regularly leads free workshops for local nonprofits and provides access to free, practical fundraising tips and tools. She is passionate about contributing to the growth of the nonprofit sector, and has been recognized by donors and colleagues alike for her professionalism, collaborative approach, and commitment to transparency.

Evelyn Zayas – Eastern Bank (Board Leave SY2024)2023-10-03T18:10:33+00:00

Evelyn Zayas, Branch Manager of Eastern Bank, has a passion for helping people prosper through financial education. While growing up in Boston, MA, she realized basic financial gaps are common, even as adults, as the resources are not easily available to learn financial stability and planning. This motivated her to pursue a career at Eastern Bank, a committed, courageous, and inclusive company. It is their brand purpose of “Doing Good Things to Help People Prosper” that inspires her to make every interaction a meaningful one. Evelyn has a strong passion for serving the community and has had the chance to make a difference as Secretary of the Jamaica Plain local first, serving since 2018. She enjoys bringing people together and does this through her weekly Business Network International (BNI) group. Leading the group for two years as President taught her the importance of listening to her peers to build on ideas and to create a strong team. Her daily motivation is to make a difference into peoples’ lives through her leadership at the bank as a Branch Manager. Her 18 years of experience in the industry has made her a trusted advisor to her clients. Evelyn resides in Dorchester with her daughter.

Email Evelyn: e.zayas@easternbank.com

Cris Rothfuss – Sarepta Therapeutics2019-11-18T21:43:29+00:00

Cris is the Executive Director of Corporate Transactions at Sarepta Therapeutics. Prior to this role, she worked as the Executive Director of Institutional Initiatives for the Office of Technology Development (OTD) at Harvard University. In addition, she served as the Director of Technology Transactions at OTD and the Executive Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science. Prior to joining Harvard, Cris served as the Director of Intellectual Property and Corporate Counsel for pSivida Ltd., an innovator of drug delivery technologies. She also has worked as a litigation associate in law firms in Boston, MA, and Greenwich, CT. Cris holds a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a BA from Yale University. In addition to her professional work, Cris is the founder of the REAL Ride, a 5000 mile, gravel cycling event that raised funding for Boston Day and Evening Academy.

Alison Hramiec, Head of School ext. 321412023-11-07T05:51:48+00:00

Alison Hramiec begane her tenure at Boston Day and Evening Academy in 2004 as one of the founding science teachers for the newly-established day program at that time. After completing her principal training in 2008, she was hired as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Through her leadership in that position, she helped bring clarity to the school’s competency-based program methodology which remains a model that BDEA disseminates nationally. Alison became the Head of School in 2015.

Email Alison

Jennie Hallisey, Humanities Teacher2020-09-22T16:02:40+00:00

Jennie has been a faculty member with Boston Day and Evening Academy since its inception as the Downtown Evening Academy in 1994. She has taught in high schools in California and Massachusetts. For many years, Jennie was the coordinator of the Distance Learning Program, serving students who are not able to come to school every day.  Jennie emphasizes to all of her students the importance of passion; in reaching their academic potential, as well as continuing to use their strengths and passions to grow and learn after graduation.

Jennie holds a B.A. in Speech Communication from Purdue University, an M.A. in Guidance Counseling from Bridgewater State University, and has a certification in Speech Communication, ELA, and Guidance Counseling. Jennie is part of the Humanities department.

Email Jennie: jhallisey@bostonpublicschools.org

BDEA Board Meetings (School Year 2023-24)

September 20 2023 5:30pm -7:30pm, via Zoom

October 21 2023 10:00am -12:30pm, In Person Board Retreat

November 8 2023  5:30pm -7:30pm, via Zoom

January 10 2024 5:30pm -7:30pm, via Zoom

March 6 2024 5:30pm -7:30pm, In Person

April 10 2024 5:30pm -7:30pm, via Zoom

May 8 2024 5:30pm -7:30pm, via Zoom

June 5 2024 5:30pm -7:30pm, In Person

Board Minutes

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