Board of Trustees

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School nameThe Board of Trustees of Prospect Hill Academy is charged with the overall governance of the school, ensuring that (a) the school is faithful to the terms of its charter; (b) the academic program is a success; and (c) the organization is viable. Furthermore, the Board is responsible for establishing broad policy goals that align the operation of the school with its mission, providing fiduciary oversight of the school’s operations, and supporting long-range strategic planning to ensure the school’s future.

Committees of the Board of Trustees currently include Governance, Finance, Academic Affairs, Advancement, and Family Engagement. In any given year, task forces may be created to address other strategic issues. Officers of the Board are nominated by the Governance Committee and are elected by the full Board each year.

Members of the Board of Trustees

 
Angela F. Allen
Angela F. Allen
Head of School/CEO, Prospect Hill Academy
Member since 2015
Ex-officio member
 
Dr. Angela Allen became the Head of School at Prospect Hill Academy in 2015. Dr. Allen has 25 years of experience in education that spans from Kindergarten through college. She started her career as a math teacher in Atlanta, GA and has since worked at Shady Hill School, the Boston Public Schools, and most recently the Brookline Public Schools where she served the past ten years as the K-8 Math Curriculum Coordinator and then as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources.
 
Dr. Allen attended the University of Georgia (BBA) and Emory University (M.ED), and also holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University.
 
 
Kate AustinKate Austin
Research Analyst at Polen Capital Credit
Member since 2020
Member of the Advancement Committee                                          
 
Kate is an Research Analyst at Polen Capital Credit. The strategy looks to pinpoint divided paying stocks with either a long term competitive advantage or a cost advantage that will in turn help the company increase their dividend over time. She also works on an ESG dividend income strategy that aims to do the same.  Kate has also started a Women in Wealth Management Initiative at the firm to help women increase their financial literacy.
 
Kate earned an M.B.A and M.S.F from Boston College and B.F.A in Dance Performance from Butler University. Prior to Adviser Investments Kate worked at Wells Fargo, and was also a professional ballet dancer before going back to business school.
 
Kate was introduced to Prospect Hill Academy in 2016 and has volunteered every year since.  She is passionate about the great outcomes the school provides for the students and is delighted to serve on the board.
 
Krista DemasKrista Green Demas, M.Ed.
Middle School Head, Shady Hill School
Member since 2020
Chair of Advancement Committee
 
Krista has over twenty years of teaching and leadership experience in public, non-profit and independent schools in the Boston area and has worked as a special education teacher, reading and learning specialist, department chair and administrator. Over the span of her career, she has taught students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade and is currently serving in her tenth year as the Middle School Head at Shady Hill School in Cambridge. Krista’s passion for social justice, equity and educational access began as a high school student in North Carolina and she considers understanding, educating about and helping to dismantle systemic racism a focal point of her life’s work.
 
Krista holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where she was selected as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. She also holds an M.Ed in Moderate Special Needs from Boston College. She resides in Milton with her two children.
 
Stephanie DeeringStephanie Deering
Vice President, ABG Commercial
Member since 2023
 
Stephanie Deering is a Vice President of ABG Commercial with over 12 years of experience working with landlords and tenants to accomplish their real estate goals. Stephanie began her career working with financial institutions in their life insurance and mutual fund departments before making the move to the real estate industry. She began working in the residential mortgage industry working with home buyers to obtain financing before making the change to commercial real estate. She is motived by the pleasure of helping others find what they are looking for and successfully reaching their real estate goals. Her expertise is in working with clients to successfully establish a business plan, being an expert in the greater Boston real estate market trends and successfully negotiating terms on her client’s behalf. In addition to her time spent with her own clients, in her role as Vice President, Stephanie helps mentor and train new agents/employees on their path to becoming successful Commercial Agents.
 
Prior to joining the PHA Board of Trustees, Stephanie served for three years as the treasurer of the PHA Foundation Board. In addition, she serves on the Executive Board for the Somerville Chamber of Commerce.
 
Pam Dickinson
Pam Dickinson
Strategic Consultant
Member since 2018
Member of the Governance Committee
 

Pam has 25 years of demonstrated leadership in schools, nonprofits and business enterprises. After beginning her career in business and venture capital, she shifted to mission-driven work while raising her four children. Most recently, she was Director of External Relations at Shady Hill with responsibility for the Advancement, Admission, Communications, and Marketing departments. Having recently relocated to Vermont, she continues to consult on strategic matters for multiple schools and nonprofits. She has held numerous leadership positions on school and non-profit boards including Shady Hill, Beacon Academy, Prospect Hill Academy, and The Foundation to Be Named Later. She also continues to invest in early stage companies, particularly those backed by female entrepreneurs.

Pam is a graduate of Williams College and has four grown daughters, all graduates of Shady Hill and Noble & Greenough.

Jennifer S. GalaJennifer S. Gala
Portfolio Director, Harvard Business School
Member since 2019
Member of Academic Affairs and Governance Committees
 

Jennifer is a lifelong learner with over 20 years of progressive management experience in higher education. She is passionate about transformational education experiences and access to education, at all levels and stages. Her expertise is in the areas of executive education and student programming; research grant administration, strategic relationship management; operations management and financial management; and delivery of high‐profile engagements. She has an aptitude for strategic thinking, prides herself on a global perspective and is most comfortable in a multicultural environment.

 

As Portfolio Director at Harvard Business School (HBS), she currently oversees the Healthcare and Strategy executive education program portfolios. Prior to joining HBS, Jennifer was the Associate Director for Executive Education and International Programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). Jennifer has also served as the Program Director for the Center for International Development at Harvard, and before that, as Program Director for Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School.

 

In addition to her professional work and her PHA Board of Trustees role, Jennifer is the founding treasurer for the Savoyards of Boston, the scholarship chair for the Purdue Alumni Club of Greater Boston, and an ESL tutor with Project Literacy. Jennifer attended Purdue University (BA) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (M.Ed). She is the recipient of Harvard Kennedy School Dean’s Award for Excellence.

 

 

Laurens Goff
Laurens Goff
Co-Founder & General Partner, Stone-Goff
Member since 2015
Clerk of Board of Trustees
Chair of Facilities and Finance Committees
 

Laurens Goff is a co-founder of Stone-Goff Partners and has over 15 years of private equity investment experience. Laurens began his career in the investment banking division of Furman Selz LLC. He subsequently joined Hampshire Equity Partners, a middle market buyout firm where he spent over eight years sourcing, executing, and managing private equity investments. Past investments include companies in the specialty retail, consumer products, education and leasing industries. He founded Goff Management, a predecessor partnership to Stone-Goff in 2007. Laurens earned a BS in Finance at Boston College.

Laurens currently serves on the boards of NAS Recruitment, The Greene Turtle Franchising Corp, The Channel Company, Centerline Communications and Citi Trends (NASDAQ: CTRN).

 
Susie Istock Hanlon
Susie Istock Hanlon
Senior Communications Strategist, Voya Financial
Member since 2010
Member of Advancement and Finance Committees
 

Susie works in the Retirement Services business of Voya Financial partnering with large corporate customers to drive improved retirement outcomes. She is a Communications Strategist that reviews benefit plan structures, participant behaviors, product adoption, demographic drivers, media influence and more, to develop and measure communication and education programs. Susie has worked in the financial services industry for over twenty years at State Street Corporation, ING U.S. and most recently, Voya.

Susie has been affiliated with PHA for more than a decade working to provide students a wide array of out-of-school time opportunities to help prepare them for college and beyond. She participates on the Development Committee and Foundation. Susie holds a B.A. from Purdue University and a M.A. from Boston University. She resides in Ashmont (Dorchester) and is involved with other local non-profit organizations.

 
Kerryn HindsKerryn Hinds
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, The Chestnut Hill School
Member since 2023
 

Kerryn Hinds M.Ed  is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the Chestnut Hill School. She is a consultant for early childhood programs, building effective teams and equitable classroom practices. Prior to becoming an administrator she was a Montessori and progressive educator for over 15 years. As an immigrant, born and raised on the island of Trinidad and Tobago, Kerryn speaks to first gen students and works with teachers to build cultural responsiveness with families who are from different countries. Kerryn is also an IDEAS instructor and enjoys the learning that happens during IDEAS courses in public school districts. She strongly believes that learning never ends.

 
Jeffrey R. Kushner
Jeffrey R. Kushner
Senior Advisor
Member Since 2015
Chair of Board of Trustees
Member of Advancement Committee
Member of Governance and Finance Committees
 

Jeff Kushner applies the knowledge garnered in a twenty-year career in Finance to efforts in the Not-for-Profit and Social Impact spaces. He has a particular interest in Individuals and ventures that take aggressive and novel approaches to social justice and to closing the opportunity gap.

Mr. Kushner serves in leadership roles in a number of ventures including as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. He is also Board Chairman of GRIT Inc., a Boston based social venture that designs and builds mobility devices. Jeff has served as a board member at Social Venture Partners, a Venture Philanthropy organization with focus on early and growth stage not-for-profits.

Jeff also serves as a mentor with a number of organizations. His focus is on working with the underserved to increase their understanding of Personal Narrative, Value Proposition, as well as Financial Literacy.

Prior to receiving his MPA from the Kennedy School of Government in 2014, Mr. Kushner held a number of leadership roles in the financial services sector, most recently serving as the CEO of BlueMountain Capital, Europe. Mr. Kushner also holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York and a BA in History from the University at Albany.

 
Giovany Morales-RamosGiovany Morales-Ramos
Director Of Instructional Technology at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Member since 2020
Chair of Finance and Member of Advancement Committees
 

The son of parents who immigrated to the United States from Guatemala, Giovany Morales-Ramos was born and raised in Boston. He was a member of the first graduating class of one of Boston’s first charter schools, Roxbury Prep, a place where he learned what it meant to be academically challenged and supported. He continued on to a private high school called The Governor’s Academy and then to Wentworth Institute of Technology for college to study Mechanical Engineering.

Months before graduating from Wentworth, the company with which Giovany was interning went on a hiring freeze. To gain financial stability, Giovany took on a job as an IT support specialist at Boston Prep while resolving to find employment in the engineering field. After only a brief time working at Boston Prep, Giovany realized that his true passion lies in mentoring and educating minority students. For seven years, Giovany worked at Boston Prep as the Director of Technology, an advisor, a varsity soccer and baseball coach, and as a mentor for many students. He also taught 8th grade computer literacy for 3 years and 7th and 8th grade engineering for 1 year.

Giovany then decided to pursue a graduate degree in education and was accepted to Harvard Graduate School of Education and received a Masters in School Leadership. After receiving his masters degree, he became the Director of Technology for a national non-profit organization called Citizen Schools where he was responsible for managing the technology department for the organization. As of March 2021, he became the Director of Instructional Technology at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols School where he supports instructional technology for students, teachers, and families, and supports B-12 STEM programming.

 
Rolanda PropheteRolanda Prophete
Assistant Principal at Kennedy-Longfellow School
Member since 2023
 
Rolanda was born in Cabo Verde and immigrated to the United States at the age of five. She was raised in Roxbury, where her family continues to reside. Rolanda earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire, and Masters of Social Work from Simmons College. In 2022, Rolanda earned her CAGS in Educational Leadership from Salem State University. Rolanda has had over 20 years of experience as a clinical social worker in various settings including in-home, hospital, child welfare, and public schools for the last 17 years.
 
She currently works as an Assistant Principal at an elementary school in Cambridge. Rolanda is passionate about creating equitable spaces for learners, and is excited to continue this work with the board. 

Rolanda has three children who currently attend PHA. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling with her family, cooking, and cheering on her kids from the sidelines of their sporting events. 
 
Ginessa Rodríguez-ReyesGinessa Rodríguez-Reyes
Quality Manager, PPG Aerospace
Member since 2021
Member of Academic Affairs and Governance Committees
 

Ginessa was born and raised in Puerto Rico. After graduating high school she moved to Indiana to pursue a degree in Engineering.

 

She has over 20 years of experience in the Quality field across multiple industries; automotive, medical device, defense, industrial NDT (non-destructive test instruments) & aerospace. She has worked in quality through all stages of the product development process as well as after sales service where she was responsible for auditing global repair and calibration laboratories. Ginessa has been involved both in maintaining international certifications as well as attaining international accreditation for multiple calibration and repair laboratories in the US and Canada.

 

Ginessa attended Purdue University (BS MET), is a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), as well as a member of the Purdue Alumni Club of Greater Boston and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). She also acts as a Condo Association Trustee.

 

On her spare time she likes to connect with family and friends, loves music, books, travel and is an amateur photographer.

 
Michael Rubenstein
Michael Rubenstein
Founder at PathAdvisor
Member since 2018
Chair of Governance Committee
 

After 25 years as Founder, Director and CTO of CambridgeSoft Corporation (CS), followed by a successful sale of CS to a Fortune 500 company, Michael now directs his efforts toward social entrepreneurship in the Greater Boston area. In 2014, He was a fellow in Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative.

Currently, in addition to developing a new platform for young people to identify and pursue opportunity, Michael serves on the boards of Beacon Academy and Prospect Hill Academy. Beacon Academy provides a transformational year between 8th and 9th grades to promising, motivated and hard-working students from Boston and surrounding urban areas. Michael is also a mentor at Year Up, which provides professional training and internships for high school graduates.

 
Sue ThomsonSue Thomson
Chief Growth Officer, bswift
Member since 2023
 

Sue Thomson is the Chief Growth Officer of bswift, a leading benefits administration provider. Sue has 30 years of experience in the human resources, benefits and health care space where she led the sales and marketing functions for several organizations. Sue is passionate about mentoring others, building relationships with clients and helping them solve their HR and benefits problems. Sue also sits on the Board of 2-4-1 Cares, an organization dedicated to sports sampling and social emotional learning. Sue earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bucknell University and has three grown children.

Honorary Trustees

Karolyn Belcher
Paul Blackborow
Ellen Davidson
Salim Kabawat
Mary Nice-Hodorawis
Parviz Parvizi
Alan Steinert, Jr.

Events


Board Documents