LYLE KIRTMAN - President & Senior Management Consultant
Lyle Kirtman has been a management consultant for more than 25 years, specializing in leadership development, strategic planning, organizational development, high performance team development, conflict resolution, and executive coaching. Mr. Kirtman has consulted with more than 700 organizations in the educational, non-profit, corporate, and government arenas.
Mr. Kirtman has achieved numerous accomplishments during his career, including:
Providing leadership in obtaining $1 million in funding for two years for organizational development in educational leadership
Leading the Governor of Massachusetts’ strategic Task Force on Innovation in Education
Developing a multi-agency state wide strategy for the whole child integrated with academic excellence
Designing a teaming project for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services leading to one of six national innovation awards for state government
Leading the development of strategic plans and building of teams to fight bio-terrorism for the EPA
Creating a new model for Board of Directors’ development in the public sector
Developing a comprehensive strategic plan for Cape Cod resulting in several new policies on land use, health care, etc.
Recognition from Region 8 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for relationship building between the state of Utah and the federal Government, doubling the number of re-mediated toxic waste sites in one year
Mr. Kirtman serves as a coach to more than twenty-five CEOs of for-profit and non-profit organizations. He has developed several Executive Leadership Groups that meet regularly to learn about leading organizations in today’s challenging environment. He has consulted with more than 250 school districts, theMassachusetts Municipal Association (serving the cities and towns in Mass.), Channel 5 - TV, The Governor's Task Force on Education and Technology in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the Department of Education. the Executive Offices of Human Services and Economic Affairs, the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Youth Services, all in Massachusetts; Massachusetts General Hospital, UMass Medical School, Farm Aid, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Massachusetts Council of Family Servicing Agencies, La Alianza Hispana Inc., Lena Park Community Development Corporation, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Homeland Security, and many others.
WILLIAM GARR - Executive Vice President and Senior Masnagement Consultant
JUDY CRATER – Certified Executive Coach & Project Director
Judy Crater has brought over 30 years of management experience in health care and non-profit organizations to Future Management Systems. After a distinguished career in neonatal intensive care nursing, she began a volunteer management program for education and non-profit organizations and founded a successful mentoring program. She then went on to hold positions as management consultant, program coordinator and director for state-sponsored grant programs to do quality improvement and education programs in several large medical centers in New York City. Besides coaching and consulting for FMS, Ms. Crater is Project Director for the firm.
Since receiving professional certification from New York University in Organizational and Executive Coaching, Ms. Crater has coached executives in several large medical centers and for-profit organizations. She assisted David Rock, co-founder of the NYU coaching programs, in research and editing with his new textbook, 'Coaching with the Brain in Mind: Foundations for Practice' as well as co-teaching an international teleclass on the ‘Precursors to Coaching’.
Ms. Crater holds a Master of Science degree in Human Services Administration from Springfield College; a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Endicott College; and an Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Northeastern University.
ROSE SWENSEN - Senior Management Consultant
Rose Swensen has over twenty years of experience in human resources and business management and is a trained instructor, facilitator, strategic planner, and customer focus group leader.
As a Senior Management Consultant for Future Management Systems, Ms. Swensen has a wealth of consulting experience, including developing strategic plans for non-profits and educational institutions; resolving conflict and negotiating operating terms for two divisions at a nonprofit research organization; developing human resources plans and instruments for non-profit clients; creating business plans for new client ventures; and conducting retreats and workshops on High Performance concepts and skills.
At the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology, Ms. Swensen participated in the creation of several state technology plans, focusing her contributions in the areas of organization/staffing, and organizational/staff development. In this capacity, Ms. Swensen conducted organizational assessments (workflow, structure, and position analyses); created dynamic, competency-based job portfolios for key leadership roles; and developed competency-based supervision/evaluation, staff development, and recruitment/selection processes and templates for school districts nationwide.
Prior to joining Future Management Systems, Ms. Swensen held positions as program director for an educational research and consulting organization; general manager for a software development firm; professional and technical education consultant for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Information Technology; and senior consultant/manager of accelerated learning programs for a human resources and educational training consulting firm.
Ms. Swensen holds a Bachelor Degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a Master of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources Management, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
WILLIAM E. ALLEN, Ed.D – Senior Consultant Bill Allen has over 30 years of experience as manager, consultant and researcher in both the public sector and the private sector. The majority of his experience has been as a public school administrator, serving as a principal, instructional director, director of personnel and superintendent of schools.
Dr. Allen has had significant management consulting experience working with a number of state agencies in Massachusetts. These agencies include The Executive Office of Human Services, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement and the Department of Education. In addition Bill has worked with several school systems and private agencies. The primary focus of the consulting was organizational change and strategic planning. Dr. Allen was employed by the Department of Social Services for six years serving as its Director of Personnel Planning for two years, after which he served as the Area Director in Fall River.
Dr. Allen holds a B.A. in education from the University of Arizona, Tucson, a M.A. in school administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Doctor of Education in administration/management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Allen was a postdoctoral fellow focusing on the management of organizational change at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
SUSAN BECKMANN - Senior Consultant
Ms. Beckman has more than 25 years of experience in business and educational management, having held senior executive positions several telecommunications firms and having served as the School Committee chair in Massachusetts’ first new regional school district in many decades.
Ms. Beckmann has vast experience in K-12 education. She holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of New Hampshire and has worked as a child and family counselor and teacher at Mclean Hospital and in private practice. She gained her in-depth understanding of school systems and the challenges they face by serving on the Manchester School Council and the Manchester Essex Regional School Committee, where she has held the post as Chairman since 2003.
During these past five years, Ms Beckmann led the School Committee in creating a regional vision and mission, which became the anchor of the Regional School District. She has facilitated inter-town budget negotiations and regional contract amendments, instituted a sound fiscal management process, negotiated two labor contracts, hired new administrators and was instrumental in obtaining a $49 million dollar referendum to fund the building of a new school. All of this was accomplished through goal setting, building consensus, making tough decisions, aligning priorities and ensuring strong fiscal management.
In September 2008, Ms. Beckmann co-founded the North Shore Coalition for School Funding, which she now chairs. The North Shore Coalition for School Funding mission is to create a community partnership, find common ground, align priorities and look to short-term solutions that can be worked collaboratively with state legislators, DESE and the Governors Office to balance educational funding.
An accomplished strategist, cross-functional team builder and leader, During her tenure as Vice President of Sales Operations at One Communications, the largest privately-held competitive local exchange carrier in the U.S., she led the sales integration team, supporting interdepartmental processes and procedures as the company grew from $170M to $825M through mergers and acquisitions. Ms Beckmann also played a key role in MCI’s New England operations as it grew from a start-up to a $20 billion company. As Director of Business Sales and Service in Boston, she was responsible for $150 million in revenues and led a 125-person sales, service, marketing, and technical support organization.
DONNA BURKE – Senior Consultant & Proposal Management
Donna Burke brings her expertise in team building and data presentation and analysis to Future Management Systems, creating customized reports and charts for Peer Reviews, Team Assessments, and 360-Degree Feedback Reviews. Ms. Burke spent 13 years at Polaroid Corporation, where she began her career as an Electrical and Control Systems Engineer. Analytical and troubleshooting skills she developed as an engineer uniquely complemented her leadership, facilitation, and training skills, and she shifted her career focus to training and building High Performance Teams.
During her years at Polaroid, Ms. Burke served as an Engineering Supervisor, Training Manager and Manufacturing Change Manager for an implementation of a corporate-wide Business Enterprise System. In addition to her roles within the manufacturing organization, Ms. Burke also served as one of the original members of the Employee Owners Influence Council (EOIC), a groundbreaking group comprised of employees from across the corporation who met regularly with the CEO and other corporate officers to provide input on proposed changes to employee benefits and policies.
Ms. Burke holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
REGINA CAINES – Senior Consultant Ms. Caines has more than 30 years of administrative, managerial, scientific research and leadership experience in major corporations, the public sector, and private agencies where she has had functional responsibility for Human Resources, Operations, and Research. During her twenty-three year tenure at Polaroid Corporation she served as the Senior Laboratory Manager for R&D Film Development; managed the Marketing Domestic Operations for Consumer Services; managed the Quality Control Laboratory, Battery Manufacturing Division; and was appointed to the first Directorship for the Company's Affirmative Action/Diversity Program. Prior to Polaroid, Ms. Caines engaged in laboratory research at both Arthur D. Little Corporation and Raytheon Company
Presently, Ms. Caines directs the Affirmative Action/EEODiversity efforts for MIT. Previously, she served the Cambridge Public Schools in this capacity, directing and managing all System-wide AA and EEO Programs, supported staff diversity training and recruitment, and monitored all administrative and teacher hiring processes.
AMY DRACHMAN - Senior Consultant
Amy Drachman is a human resources professional with broad experience in all phases of the field, including HR strategy, workforce planning and development, compensation and benefits, recruitment and staffing, and employee relations. She integrates her legal background and experience in employment areas as additional value to clients. She is a Senior Consultant with Future Management Systems providing an array of HR services to a range of clients in the non-profit sector.
Prior to joining FMS, Ms. Drachman led the HR Services consulting practice of Vitale, Caturano & Company, Boston's largest regional CPA firm, for three and a half years. Prior to that, she held a variety of senior in-house HR positions at public and private companies in the manufacturing, high technology, and consulting fields. In addition, Ms. Drachman has significant experience working with not-for-profits including the Neighborhood House Charter School, the Newton Montessori School, AIDS Action and Jewish Family & Children's Service, and venture-backed start-ups.
In addition to Ms. Drachman’s practice of providing strategic and tactical HR, talent management and employment law expertise, she frequently serves in a mentoring role to help develop the skills of other employees with less substantial HR experience at employers who do not have adequate internal resources to provide this support.
Before entering the HR field, Ms. Drachman practiced law for eight years, four of which were focused on employment law. She was an adjunct professor in Suffolk University's Master of Science in Human Resources program for several years.
Ms. Drachman received her BA degree from Barnard College, where she graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She holds a law degree from the New York University School of Law.
DR. DAVID P. DRISCOLL - Senior Consultant
Dr. David P. Driscoll was the 22nd Commissioner of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was appointed by the Board of Education on March 10, 1999.
Commissioner Driscoll has a 45-year career in public education and educational leadership. A former secondary school mathematics teacher, he was named Melrose Assistant Superintendent in 1972 and Superintendent of Schools in the same community in 1984. He served in that role until 1993, when he was appointed Massachusetts Deputy Commissioner of Education, just days after the state’s Education Reform Act was signed into law. He became Interim Commissioner of Education on July 1, 1998, and was named Commissioner on March 10, 1999.
As Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Driscoll held several key leadership roles, both in the external affairs of the Department and in internal management. He was the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation’s mathematics and science program in Massachusetts, PALMS, and was instrumental in 1997 in gaining the NSF’s approval of a second five-year round of funding for this initiative. He was also appointed to oversee the implementation of the state agreement on management and governance of the Lawrence Public Schools.
As Interim Commissioner, Dr. Driscoll worked with Governor Cellucci, Senate President Birmingham and House Speaker Finneran to pass the state’s “12-62 Plan,” a law aimed at enhancing future educator quality. The program gained national recognition for its accelerated teacher education and bonus programs, both aimed at encouraging mid-career professionals to become classroom teachers.
As Commissioner, Dr. Driscoll has overseen the development of the state’s curriculum frameworks, implementation and expansion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the development of the state’s School and District Accountability System and the development and administration of the Educator Certification Test and new licensure regulations.
He is past president of the Harvard Superintendent Roundtable and the Merrimac Valley Superintendents Roundtable, was an elected member of the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, and was Vice President of the superintendents’ association at the time of his appointment as Deputy Commissioner. Dr. Driscoll was President of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and currently serves on several boards in Washington including the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the K12 Advisory Board and the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Dr. Driscoll earned his Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics at Boston College, his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Salem State College, and his Doctorate in Education Administration from Boston College.
MARILYN H. FRATTURELLI - Consultant
Marilyn Fratturelli is an Educational Consultant for Future Management Systems with specialization in school leadership and curriculum/instruction in the standards-based environment. She provides this expertise through (1)Coaching; (2)Planning and facilitation of professional development settings; and (3)Delivering customized workshops on various educational topics, all of which impact teaching and learning. As a consultant with FMS, Ms. Fratturelli coaches administrators and faculty in school systems on leadership issues. Through a variety of research-based educational topics, she always focuses on the goal of maximum academic achievement for all students.
From 2006 to present, Ms. Fratturelli has been a Senior Associate at Fitchburg State College. In that position she is responsible for developing partnerships with area communities and their school systems. She facilitates professional development workshops for a cohort of 20 Superintendents of Schools. She also works in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on a variety of projects, most notably a pilot project, National Institute for School Leadership (NISL), between FSC and DESE. Ms. Fratturelli was extensively trained and certified as a NISL trainer in the first cohort of educational leaders in 2006. This FSC/NISL pilot project is a thirteen month, (27 day) educational leadership training for Massachusetts Principals and aspiring Principals leading to an M.Ed or CAGS in leadership.
Prior to FSC, she successfully served for six years (2000-2006) as the Superintendent of the Leominster Public Schools with 6200 students. The system employs 900 plus employees and has a budget of over $60 million dollars
Previous to the Superintendence, Ms. Fratturelli held the positions of Assistant Superintendent of Schools, K-8 Principal of a 950 pupil school, Director of Gifted and Talented, and classroom teacher. She holds both a Masters degree specializing in educational leadership and one specializing in guidance from Fitchburg State College. She has taught a number of graduate degree courses and seminars.
MARY ANN JACKMAN - Consultant
Mary Ann Jackman began her career in education as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools, assuming a variety of positions at the Mather, Agassiz, and Trotter Schools. She worked in grade level, open space, and multi-grade/pod type teams throughout the years and learned through experiences the value of commitment, communication, feedback, and shared goals. As the founder of the first Computer Lab in Boston, Ms. Jackman created not only a Lab for students, but also a professional learning community for staff members who were eager to learn and incorporate the new technology.
After nineteen years in the Boston Schools, Ms. Jackman moved to the position of Principal of two elementary schools and then onto the position of Superintendent of the Hanover Schools, a suburb 30 miles south of Boston. During the next nineteen years in the Hanover School, there were many opportunities to lead and be a part of teams in the schools and to build and lead teams within the district. At the school level, the twelve norms of collegial behavior were used to build a culture and climate for improving student learning and to implement a standards based curriculum model, differentiate instruction, and include and meet the needs of all students. At the district level, Administrative Teams, a long-standing Curriculum Council, a Mathematics Task Force, Mentor Program, Strategic Planning, and School Building Needs/Construction Committees afforded opportunities and challenges to build and work with teams. Commitment, caring, communication, collaboration, coaching, listening, and the concept of different leaders at different times were the engines behind developing capacity and engaging staff in changes that improved and enhanced excellence in teaching and meaningful learning.
Advancing student achievement, managing change, concentrating effort and energy on improving teaching and learning, and building individual and team capacity are areas that bring out Ms. Jackman’s passions and energy. In recognition of the need for transformational leaders who can inspire, energize, manage change, and set and achieve goals, she works with teams and helps members construct knowledge about themselves and others. The enhancement of individual performance and an understanding of how effective teams function improve and augment communication and develop the ability to confront difficult issues and incorporate accountability into the hard work of continuous improvement.
Ms. Jackman mentors and supervises candidates for MA Department of Education Licensure as Principals and Superintendents. She is currently a Superintendent Coach and Team Facilitator in an innovative program of the MA Education Alliance. Ms. Jackman holds the following degrees from the University of Massachusetts: Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, Masters of Education with concentration in Mathematics, and CAGS in Educational Administration. Ms. Jackman is a continuous learner with many hours of professional development beyond her degrees. Life-long learning, connections, communication, and a passion for making a difference are all a part of the fabric of this educator.
Nathan Levenson - Consultant
Nate Levenson brings experience as a hands-on leader and seasoned consultant with a focus on aligning human capital and financial resources to achieve a strategic plan. His work has helped clients create a vision and a plan that is actionable, identify human capital needs, coach leaders, and help build teams. His expertise in financial matters has enabled him to conduct reviews of programs or entire budgets, finding cost savings and options to better align funds to strategy. Mr. Levenson brings best practices from a wide array of fields, including public education, non profits, charter schools, and the private sector.
Prior to teaming with Future Management Systems, Mr. Levenson served in a number of leadership roles including Superintendent of the Arlington MA public schools, CEO of North American Industries (an engineering and manufacturing company), and as a lead turnaround consultant.
In all three roles, he served as a successful change agent, helping bring the organizations to the next level. Mr. Levenson has served on the board of numerous companies and non profits, including Habitat for Humanity and UNCF (United Negro College Fund). His work has taken him to over 50 countries and his research has brought him to nearly a hundred schools across the country.
Mr. Levenson earned a BA with honors in economics from Dartmouth College, an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, and is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy.
GERALD MAZOR - Senior Consultant
Dr. Mazor recently retired as the Executive Director of the CASE Collaborative. During the 29 years he was at CASE, he worked closely with over 150 Superintendents and Special Education Administrators. This experience provided him with a unique opportunity to work along side of some of the truly outstanding educational leaders in Massachusetts. Dr. Mazor is the past President of both the Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives (MOEC) and the Massachusetts Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Metrowest Community Health Care Foundation. In addition, he served as a Finance Committee representative for 12 years in his local community, the last two of which were as Vice Chairman.
2003-present Executive Director (interim)
LABBB Collaborative. Lexington, Massachusetts
1974 - 2003 Executive Director
Concord Area Special Education (C.A.S.E.)
Collaborative. Concord, Massachusetts
1972 - 1974 Associate Director
The Education Cooperative (TEC), Natick, Massachusetts
1968 - 1972 Work-Study Coordinator for DevelopmentallyDelayed Students
The Education Cooperative (TEC), Natick, Massachusetts
Affiliations:
• MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation, Board of Trustees -1999-present.
• Natick Education Foundation, Board of Directors - 1991-2001.
• Natick Finance Committee - 1990-2002 , Vice Chairman 2001, 2002
• Massachusetts Department of Social Services, Area Board, Concord and Framingham Offices
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), President, Massachusetts Federation - 1972-73; 1973-74: Treasurer - 1990-91; 1991-93.
• Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives (MOEC), President - 1980-81.
• Massachusetts Council for Administrators of Special Education (CASE), Treasurer - 1975-76
MARY MURRAY, Ed.D. - Senior Consultant
During forty years in the field of education Ms Murray has served in a broad range of roles, including general and special education teacher, Early Childhood Coordinator, Director of Special Education and Student Services, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Student Services, and Superintendent of Schools. She has led numerous initiatives during that time that involved new program and curriculum design, public relations, community outreach and strategic planning. Her areas of expertise involve special education, school leadership and change management. Retired from the field of public education since June, 2006, she now works as an educational consultant and is an active adjunct faculty member in the fields of special education and educational leadership at Endicott and Gordon Colleges on the North Shore of Boston.
Joan Tighe, MSW – Senior Consultant
Joan Tighe has held leadership positions in the non-profit and public sector in a professional and volunteer capacity for over thirty years. Since 1998, her consulting practice has focused on the following areas: strategic planning, community planning, organizational assessment and development, public policy advocacy and strategy development, program design and development, and interim executive and program leadership. She has worked with a diverse group of clients over the past ten years including:
Massachusetts Department of Youth Services
Fall River Public Schools
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program
La Alianza Hispana
The Girls’ Coalition
Fairmount/Indigo Line CDC Collaborative
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
Boston Housing Authority (both directly and through Abt Associates and Goody, Clancy & Associates)
The Women’s Union
MissionWorks
Mayor’s Office of Community Partnerships (Boston)
Boston Workforce Development Coalition
Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts
Parent/Professional Advocacy League
A long-time Dorchester resident, Ms. Tighe has served on a number of Boards including Health Care for All, the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, and the Tent City Corporation.
Ms. Tighe is a graduate of Wheaton College (MA) and holds an MSW from the Boston University School of Social Work. In 2004, she completed the training program for the Executive Transitions Program at Third Sector New England.
Albert C. Vasquez – Senior Consultant
Albert Vasquez began his work in public education in the early 1970’s when he developed a program for drop-out youth in Orange County, California. Mr. Vasquez has worked in diverse locations including the Boston Public Schools; participated in the New Jersey State takeover of the Paterson Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent, was hired by Boston University to lead the restructuring and reaccreditation of Chelsea High School. Mr. Vasquez has been a building Principal at every level of public education PreK to 12. For the last 9 years he held several management positions in the Worcester Public Schools where his responsibilities included the reduction of the dropout rate, increasing the graduation rate, the development and maintenance of alternative programs and reducing the achievement gap for all students.
Mr. Vasquez continues to focus on the essential components of public education by providing leadership to public school districts in the development of collaborative programs with the business community, social service agencies and community based organizations. An ongoing focus has been the development and support of public education leadership. This is reflected in the initiation of a Developmental Action Plan model for the management staff of the Paterson, New Jersey school district and the development of a collaborative Special Education Plan between the Boston Public Schools and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that was successfully designed to achieve partial withdrawal from the long standing McDonough Federal Court case.
Mr. Vasquez holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California in Social Ecology and a Master of Education Degree from Boston University in Counseling Psychology where he successfully developed a Federally Grant funded internship program for graduate students in the Boston Public Schools.
DR. RICHARD WARREN – Senior Consultant
Richard Warren has 38 years of varying experience in education, thirty-four of which have been in administrative roles. Dr. Warren has served as Director of Community Services, Elementary School Principal, Associate Director of a University based Leadership Development program, Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Curriculum and Instruction and for sixteen years as Superintendent of Schools, the last seven of which were in Franklin Massachusetts, the fastest growing school district in Massachusetts. In Franklin he formed a Learning Leadership Team that developed an ambitious strategic plan that contributed to impressive gains in student achievement complimented by a respectful climate that is aligned and attuned to the system wide vision, mission and core beliefs. The district was selected to present at the Tenth Annual International Model Schools Conference held in Washington, D.C. in the summer, 2002.
In addition, Dr. Warren has taught courses in psychology at a community college and education administration at the University of Connecticut. He has an extensive record of service to school districts throughout New England as well as American and European schools in twelve overseas countries involving work that is associated with program assessment, strategic planning, leadership development, school culture and trouble shooting. These initiatives have been conducted through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the European Council of International Schools and the United States Department of State. Dr. Warren has extensive training in leadership development and coaching techniques through: Effectiveness Training Associates, Palo Alto, California (problem solving); Corrigan Health Center (counseling); Motorola University (Learning Leadership Teams and strategic planning) and Stephen Covey Associates (reflective problem solving). He has utilized this training as coach-administrator for the past twelve years.
Dr. Warren received the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Connecticut where he was named a Charles Stewart Mott Fellow. He maintains membership in a number of national and regional associations and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Open Circle, Social Competency Program located at Wellesley College.
MAUREEN L. BERMAN - Consultant
Ms. Berman is an educational leadership consultant in New England with certification as a Program Trainer for the National Institute for School Leaders (NISL). She has diverse experience as a principal and has been a member of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA) for many years.
Ms. Berman has worked at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as an Instructional Designer and a member of the Early Childhood Advisory Board and the Principals Center Board of Directors.
Ms. Berman received her B. S. in Education and her M. S. in Education from Bridgewater State College.
JAMES A CARADONIO, Ed.D. -Consultant
Dr. Caradonio has extensive experience as a teacher, director, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent in New England public schools. He has served as Senior Consultant at the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology and Educational Development Director to the Grant Communications and Consulting Group.
Dr. Caradonio has expertise and experience in management, curriculum and program development and community collaborations. He has worked with urban school districts in several states on such areas as highs school restructuring, strategic planning, business partnerships, public relations and technology planning and implementation. Dr. Caradonio has taught college courses and given lectures at several colleges and universities. He speaks fluent Spanish.
Dr. Caradonio holds a B. A. in Philosophy from Merrimack College, a M.Div. from Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and M.Ed. in Secondary School Counseling from Northeastern University. He holds an Ed.D. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
BOBBIE D'ALESSANDRO -Consultant
Ms. D'Alessandro has held prestigious positions in education for over thirty-five years. She was most recently the Administrator for Leadership Development in the Massachusetts Department of Education. In this role she developed and implemented statewide administrative leadership programs for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for Massachusetts school districts.
Her accomplishments include being Superintendent of the Lee County School District in Florida and Cambridge Public Schools in Massachusetts. She has been the recipient of the Florida Outstanding Superintendents' Award and the NAACP Achievement Award in Lee County, Florida.
Ms. D'Alessandro holds a B. A. from University of Dubuque, Iowa and a M.S. from Central Michigan University.
DEBRA G. HALE - CONSULTANT
With over thirty years in education, Debra G. Hale worked as an educator and administrator in both urban and suburban communities. She was a Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Semi-Finalist in 1996 and received the Edward G. Molin Award for teaching excellence in 1997. During her twenty years as a classroom teacher, Mrs. Hale worked as an adjunct professor for several colleges to provide workshops and courses on assessment. As a national consultant for the Center for Innovation in Education she traveled throughout the United States working with thousands of educators in large urban districts, small rural reservations and suburban communities to provide training in mathematics, science and reading instruction.
Mrs. Hale has been a leader in the field of assessment for many years. In 1997 Mrs. Hale offered the keynote address on authentic assessment to hundreds of educators for the Northeast Consortium's Staff Development Program. As an administrator, she also presented the keynote address on standards-based assessment for the state Title I CACE conference and for the NEC on Data Driven Decision Making. Developing teams is integral to Mrs. Hale's success. Her article for MASCD Perspectives," Using Teams for MCAS Analysis" highlighted how those core beliefs were put into action in a large, urban district. In addition to her work with curriculum, instruction and assessment as a district administrator, Mrs. Hale continues to work with administrators of the future in the areas of Leadership and School Culture, The Change Process and Data Driven Decision Making. She has lead administrative searches and the adoption of a Distributive Leadership Process during periods of transitions.
JOHN R. PIERCE - Consultant
Mr. Pierce has always considered himself an agent for organizational change and school improvement. His interest and continuing training has been directed at the development of a strong conceptual understanding of systems thinking and strategic planning to advance public education.
Mr. Pierce has over thirty-five years of effective leadership and advocacy in five diverse school communities; experienced leadership with administration search teams; skilled in staff evaluation, supervision and professional development; strong command of organizational change and development; competent in the comprehensive dimensions of school leadership for public schools with training and experience in leadership coaching and capacity building.
His experience in education includes teaching in high school and college level and as principal of four diverse high schools. He was most recently doing Leadership Coaching for the MA Department of Education and is a Certified Facilitator for the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL).
Mr. Pierce holds a B.S. in Education from University of Massachusetts and M. S. degree in Psychology with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Secondary School Administration from Northeastern University.
