Our Board

CHAIR (2022 - Present)

MEMBER (2021)

Dr. Méroudjie Denis, is a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Master Social Worker and educational consultant, with over 16 years of experience working in the fields of mental health and education. She currently works for Momentous Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to building and repairing social emotional health through education, therapeutic services, research and training. Méroudjie divides her time between clinical practice, consulting, and training. Through her role as a child and adolescent psychologist, she provides trauma informed care to children and families, from a culturally sensitive framework. As an educational consultant, Méroudjie closely collaborates with school administrators who wish to incorporate social emotional health practices into their systems. She regularly provides supervision to doctoral trainees, hoping to inspire and support the next generation of psychologists. In addition, Méroudjie is a trainer and public speaker on the neurobiological impact of trauma on children, including her Tedx talk, “Breaking the Myth of the Bad Student.” Formerly, Méroudjie worked as an educator, serving pre-school aged children with special needs. Her passion for mental health and education has led her to become a strong advocate for education reform. She hopes to change the course of mental health in schools through a lens of equity and social justice. Her education includes a Ph.D in psychology, with a specialization in school neuro-psychology, a Master of Science in social work, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Méroudjie loves exploring the world, learning new languages and hopes to one day make it to every continent.

VICE CHAIR (2021 - Present)

MEMBER (2019-2020)

Shomari Jones is the Director of Equity and Strategic Engagement at Bellevue School District. He leads staff in thoughtful exploration of institutionalized racism and its impact on student learning and mentors students to raise their social awareness and help them feel more connected and engaged in the district and their communities, which has resulted in a community-wide conversation, bringing to light racial and socio-economic inequities. He serves as a powerful advocate for and witness to the experiences of students of color to help district leaders identify, confront, disrupt, and dismantle structures that limit the potential of those students. He developed several student empowerment initiatives like Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR), Breaking Out Of the Margins (BOOM), and Sistahs Having Outstanding Uniqueness Together (SHOUT), as well as parent advocacy groups like the Parent Alliance for Black Scholars (PABS). In 2019, Shomari was recognized as a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week. He has served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, a not-for-profit organization with 82 years of activism and community experience in the heart of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhood, the Central District. Shomari also volunteers at the Seattle University Center for Social Transformation and Leadership and the Bellevue Police Chief Diversity Committee. He holds a Bachelors in Science in Mathematics from Tuskegee University and has a daughter in college.

TREASURER (2023 - Present)

SECRETARY (2020 - 2022)

MEMBER (2019)

Dr. Rebecca C. Itow is Principal of Indiana University High School and an adjunct professor in the IU School of Education. She earned her PhD in Learning Sciences from Indiana University, and was a public high school teacher for 15 years. As a teacher, Rebecca brought her passion for the arts into her classroom, and created a safe space for learners to be themselves as they navigated their academic journeys. She taught a range of courses and levels, served as AP department chair, and coached two award-winning Forensics and Mock Trial Teams. As a Learning Scientist, Rebecca researches and designs participatory approaches to professional development, focusing on contemporary assessment practices. These techniques help teachers adapt new pedagogical techniques that support connected, networked learning into their curricular designs. Rebecca also studies the implications of assessment practices in classrooms and open digital badge systems. As Principal, Rebecca uses her research expertise and her experience as a public high school English teacher to facilitate University and community partnerships that focus on innovating IU High School. Her interests outside of education include directing theatre, choreographing, aerial circus arts, origami, and glass blowing.

SECRETARY (2023 - Present)

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Brenda Maurao has been a dedicated educator for over twenty years, eleven of which have been in school and district administration, primarily at the elementary level. Five years ago she left school administration to become the Assistant Director of Elementary Education in Framingham. She has supported all areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment across 9 elementary schools and in collaboration with the secondary team. After her first year in Framingham, Brenda was placed on special assignment at Stapleton Elementary School in Framingham as principal to improve systems and supports during some administration challenges.  She worked with school and district teams to rebuild this school by prioritizing culture, inclusivity, and health and safety. After returning briefly to district work in Framingham this past fall, Brenda was hired by the Belmont Public Schools to serve as the principal of the Mary Lee Burbank Elementary School (K-4) which began in January 2022. Brenda also serves as a program supervisor for student teachers at Framingham State University, MASCD board member, Soul of Leadership Fellow through MASCD, and mentor to school leaders. She lives in Holliston, MA with her husband Michael, daughter Lucy (17) and son Max (14).

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Dr. Carey Borkoski is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Borkoski has expertise and experience in student onboarding, coaching, and identity. Her research publications and projects sit at the intersection of belonging, educating the whole person, leadership, and learning. Carey has published scholarship on best practices for online learning including cultivating community, connections, and belonging. She has written about faculty identity development, well-being, and the role of value congruence in cultivating inclusive and welcoming spaces for faculty and students. Most recently, Carey published her first book about noticing, naming, and navigating personal and professional transitions. Along with her research team, Dr. Borkoski is currently using data from her podcast to explore the many faces of belonging in schools, leadership, and during a global pandemic.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Dystanie Douglas-Burger is a forever educator with a passion for serving and advocating for students of color and underprivileged backgrounds. She holds undergraduate degrees in Mass Communications Multimedia Technology and Secondary Education from Abilene Christian University, a master’s degree in Professional School Counseling from Texas Wesleyan University, and is currently working towards a PhD in Educational Psychology from Capella University. She is a Texas native, a product of the public school system, and a first-generation college graduate. Working in public education in various capacities for eight years, Dystanie is passionate about the work of being a social justice advocate and leader for people of color in education. In her past roles as a teacher, a behavioral interventionist, and a student support specialist, she has gained tools to best support student needs and help close achievement gaps. Dystanie currently oversee’s content development for Cultures of Dignity, an organization that focuses on transforming social-emotional learning by integrating principles-based approaches and shifting the conversation toward belonging for all people. It is her hope that she will be able to add and share research-based resources, gained knowledge, and personal experiences with this organization that she is so excited to be a part of!

MEMBER (2021 - Present)

Dr. Aileen Fullchange (she/her/hers) is Licensed Psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She is Taiwanese-American and speaks Spanish and English. Dr. Fullchange has a background as a public school teacher and department chair in Oakland, CA, and an educational consultant for Title I schools nationwide. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and now resides in Dallas, TX where she works at the crossroads of psychological well-being, education, and equity as a clinician, assessor, supervisor, and workshop facilitator. She is the founder of Fullchange Therapy (www.drfullchange.com), which serves predominantly BIPOC families and community members. She specializes in healing from complex intergenerational trauma, is trained in somatic experiencing and trauma-sensitive yoga, and is passionate about building individual and collective resilience.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Lauren Girgash’s journey to educator wellness began in the classroom. She is a proud former public school teacher, starting her career as a high school English teacher for one year, eventually making her way to the world of junior high, teaching Language Arts for seven more years. After earning a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University and an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Lauren founded Livable Learning, a wellness company dedicated to decreasing burnout, increasing retention, and fueling fulfillment among educators. Her company is on a mission to empower Whole Teachers—teachers who confidently utilize strategies to prioritize their health and happiness inside and outside the classroom. Lauren’s Whole Teacher framework highlights 12 holistic health categories, emphasizing the wide range of factors impacting teachers’ wellness. Lauren presents at various conferences and leads Whole Teacher Cohorts and workshops at schools across the country. She is also the author of The Whole Teacher Weekly Wellness Guide—a tool that provides six months of daily wellness strategies for teachers. Lauren resides in Arlington, VA with her husband and will be a first-time mom in July 2023!

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Taylor Gonzalez is a yoga teacher and holistic athletic coach. She launched her career within education through Reading Partners, serving as one of the first Site Coordinators in Baltimore, Maryland. After her year of service, she joined Teach For America's corps and taught second grade. In 2015, she was named a Regional Semi-Finalist for the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. Since then, she has worked for Teach For America and now WorkMonger. Currently, Taylor is training for the 2023 Chicago Marathon. She has her 200 hour yoga teacher certificate from Charm City Yoga/YogaWorks, masters in education from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelors degree from Florida State University. She resides in South Florida and is dog mama to Luna and Axel.

MEMBER (2021 - Present)

Stephanie McGary is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She is a mental health clinician at a local preschool for children and families experiencing homlessness and is the owner of Tots-N-Teachers Counseling and Consultation Services, LLC, a private practice limited exclusively to children and educators. During her 10+ years in non-profit work, Stephanie has worked closely with children impacted by individual and collective trauma. She has also walked alongside educators in assisting them in the integration of SEL practices and academics while also helping to increase the awareness around specific mental health needs of children and adults. Stephanie received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dillard University in New Orleans, LA and a master's in counseling from Southern Methodist University in her hometown of Dallas, TX.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Judy has been identified as a national level expert in K-12 online and blended learning by the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to founding the iLearn Collaborative, she directed district-wide blended learning at Jeffco Public Schools and led their online school from turnaround status to Performance accreditation. Judy’s career in education includes science teacher, assistant principal, principal, district leader and CAO for the Charter School Institute at the Colorado Dept. of Education. In her 29-year career as an educator, she led districtwide and statewide implementations in innovative learning environments impacting 50+ Colorado school districts. She led and developed Colorado’s largest statewide multi-district online school middle school and a districtwide blended learning program for Colorado’s largest school district. She is a recognized national expert in blended and online learning contributing to research for the U.S. Dept. of Ed, iNACOL, State of Colorado, and numerous publications. Judy has consulted for the Secretary of Education Manizales, Colombia, S.A., Universidad Nacional de Colombia, The ASCENT Initiative, and other international agencies. She most proud of her role as mom of blended learners.

MEMBER (2019 - Present)

Alejandra Ramos Gomez is a Mexican-American poet, writer, and bilingual educator. She works as a dual-language gifted and talented educator at Dallas, a lead instructional designer in the Education for Sustainability Project with Galapagos Conservancy in Ecuador, and an SEL teacher fellow with United to Learn. She earned her BA in Political Science and Linguistics from the University of Texas at El Paso and her Masters in Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University. Alejandra participated as a 2020 Dallas Public Voices fellow of The OpEd Project and a Teach for All Global Girl Education fellow. She started her teaching career as a Teach for America 2014 DFW corps member and was named the 2019 TFA Miller Family Alumni Leadership award winner. Alejandra is certified in mindfulness instruction by the Dallas Yoga Center and incorporates these practices across her educational and artistic fields. In 2017, she delivered a TEDx talk about how poetry and mindfulness influenced her teaching. As a writer, her pieces appear in Chachalaca Review, NPR's Latino USA, Ms. Magazine, Better, Take the Lead, Visible Magazine, among other international publications. She serves as the editor of Impactando Dallas, a local Spanish column, and released her first bilingual poetry and meditation book in March 2021.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Aaron is a father, teacher, and learner. Aaron is Head of Growth and Learning at Unrulr where he works to make learning visible and joyful. He is also a teacher, program director, and co-designer of student-agency-driven learning communities around the globe. His work is focussed on apprenticeship, craftsmanship, storytelling, and providing youth the space, time, resources, and methodologies to turn their ideas into iterative realities. Aaron's professional background is in education, international business, digital storytelling, and operations/management. At the Nalukai Foundation, Aaron creates and implements entrepreneurship schema and curriculum rooted in culture, hustles to find mentors, and waxes poetic on authentic storytelling.

MEMBER (2021 - Present)

Jonathan Santos Silva has been a trouble-making, system-breaking leader in education for over 12 years. You may know him from his work as Founder of The Liber Institute and as Chairman of The Bored of Ed Podcast, but Jonathan can also be credited with contributions to the Cambiar Catalyst Fellowship and South Dakota’s Native American Achievement Schools. Jonathan has been recognized for his work as a classroom teacher, founding school leader, and leadership coach, and is a sought after speaker due to his engaging and uplifting style. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University and an M.A. in Education Administration from the University of South Dakota and currently resides on the outskirts of He Sapa (the Black Hills of South Dakota) with his wife, four children, and two rez dogs.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Sarika has dedicated her life to education. Sarika began as a teacher and for more than 20 years, she has served in multiple leadership roles across the country in both the public and private sectors. Sarika has proven success in the areas of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Leadership Coaching, Professional Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Creating Healthy Teams, and Academic Achievement. Sarika consistently has positive outcomes and is impactful because she answers the question, what problem am I prepared to solve? Sarika works collaboratively to assess the needs, develop a plan, and implement the plan with fidelity. Sarika is known as a servant leader. She takes education seriously, maintains high expectations, inspires passion, and always looks for opportunities to learn.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Dacia Smith identifies as a native New Yorker living in Maryland. For more than two decades, Dr. Smith has made her passion for education her life’s work. Teaching did not seem to be a foregone conclusion. A graduate of Binghamton University with a B.A. in History, Dr. Smith attended New York University where she received a Master’s in Education. Thereafter, Dr. Smith pursued a career in the law at Brooklyn Law School. Upon completion, the experience led Dr. Smith back to education. Dr. Smith graduated from Johns Hopkins University where she completed her doctorate in education. During her time as a classroom teacher, Dr. Smith initiated academic programs designed to support young women of color. As a high school teacher, Dr. Smith coordinated academic and extra-curricular programs to provide academic and social-emotional support to prepare and encourage the participants to enroll in advanced placement courses. Additionally, Dr. Smith sponsored and chartered honor societies to inspire and elevate excellence in black and brown students. As a middle school administrator, Dr. Smith leads professional development for her staff with an emphasis on culturally responsive teaching, antiracism, and engaging students in social activism. Outside of school, Dr. Smith continues her work in social justice through service in a variety of civic and community service organizations.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Mark Sparvell is a global award winning educator and leader with over 30 years experiences leading school and system improvement. Mark is an Ambassador of the Emotional Intelligence Society of Australia, friend of MindUP, Fellow of Salzburg Global, steering committee member for Karanga Global SEL Alliance and founder and lead of SELinEdu, a community of over 20,000 professionals. During the day, Mark is a Director of Education Marketing for Microsoft worldwide and continues a strong focus on well-being, inclusion and accessibility. You can follow mark at @sparvell and learn more about his work at on his website (http://sparvell.org).

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Sophie is passionate about designing equitable, antiracist systems that meet the needs of all learners, while also meeting educators where they are and supporting them. She began teaching high school English in New Orleans in 2011. In 2018, Sophie founded a high school as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, which under her academic leadership, achieved #1 growth for all open-enrollment high schools in the state of Louisiana. During the pandemic, Sophie returned to the classroom and moved back to California. Sophie earned a BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley (2011) and a MA in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education (2016), where she graduated with distinction while teaching full time. Sophie was selected as an ASCD Emerging Leader, Class of 2021. She is currently pursuing her RYT 200 hour yoga teacher training certificate and Social Emotional Learning Facilitation Certificate through Breathe for Change.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Dr. Kristen Vogt (she/her/hers) is the knowledge management officer for Next Generation Learning Challenges, a national nonprofit that supports educators and their communities who are reimagining learning and redesigning schools. Kristen helps school communities tell their stories of transformation and learn about effective strategies, promising practices, and supportive conditions so they can lead the way to a more equitable and just future of learning for our nation’s youth. Prior to NGLC, Kristen was the assistant director for early college high school at the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and began her career in higher education, working in both student and academic affairs in programs like first-year transitions, service-learning, undergraduate research, and academic support for college students. Kristen holds a doctorate in college student personnel from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame.

MEMBER (2023 - Present)

Dr. James Whitfield is an award-winning educator with a passion for supporting youth and educators. That passion springs from a deep sense of purpose connected to the teachers who helped change the course of his life. Over his journey of nearly two decades in education he’s served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, leadership strategist, and principal at the middle and high school levels. Dr. Whitfield is deeply committed to ensuring that all students have access to a robust, engaging learning environment that recognizes their genius, removes systemic barriers, and provides innovative, transformational solutions in the face of whatever odds they may face so they may be prepared for a bright and prosperous future. Dr. Whitfield received his Bachelors in Social Science and Masters in Educational Leadership from Southwestern Adventist University and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University.