I live in Mamaroneck with my wife, Christine, and our three young children.
I am a seasoned leader, operator and communicator with killer quantitative skills. After a successful second career in start-up tech at Uber and eBay/StubHub, I now dedicate my time to supporting organizations that strengthen the educational opportunities for all children including serving currently as Central School’s PTA Co-President. I started my career in consulting and researching, and then teaching. I used my strong analytical and data skills along with a keen understanding of organizations to consult and research for leading global organizations such as Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Save the Children, UNESCO and others.
I have a PhD in Education Development from NYU, an MA in Educational Administration from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a BA from Dartmouth College in Economics with a minor in Education. I am also a proud K-12 graduate of the NYC public school system. My mother was a single working-class parent. I believed that a dedication to my education could help open doors for me and so with the support of the teachers at my local public schools and my family, I developed a love of learning and an unwavering desire to succeed academically.
Why are you running for the Mamaroneck School Board?
I love schools. I grew up in the NYC public school system and schools served as a space where I could feel both safe and challenged. I want to help MUFSD students feel the same. I believe in service to my community and I bring a wide set of knowledge and skills to the Board of Education. I want to use these skills to pay it forward and make our local public education even stronger than it already is. For my PhD in Education from NYU, I studied what drives positive learning outcomes in schools in the developing world. I’ve taught and coached middle school students through doctoral students. About half way through my career, I pivoted and brought my quantitative and leadership skills to the start-up world where I found a love for innovation. I enjoy researching interesting questions, collaborating with different stakeholders and implementing innovative solutions.
It’s important to me that we do 3 things over the next few years:
1. Focus on robust instruction especially in the areas of science, math and technology.
2. Provide innovative educational opportunities that foster quality outcomes for all students.
3. Use data to make decisions transparently and collaboratively.
What is the biggest issue facing our schools and how can you help address it?
We must continue to innovate to foster academic success and strong character in all types of learners and provide all of our students with new experiences in our ever-changing environment, all while being fiscally responsible to our tax-payers.
Over the next 10 years we must continue to support robust instruction especially in the areas of science, math and technology. We must support our dedicated and talented teachers and administrators with the resources to continue to differentiate learning so that all of our students are able to achieve academic and personal success.
As a Board of Education, we must embrace and monitor data from all areas of our school system. Informed policy making requires using data. Our community expects measurable results, through data, from their tax dollars. Data will help us better understand, communicate and build a vision to drive our students to succeed as the next generation of leaders in our local and global communities.