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Gwyneth is the driving force behind strategic partnerships and philanthropy at Comcast NBCUniversal, overseeing the company’s community investment portfolio and fostering relationships with nonprofits to promote digital equity. She helped launch and implement the company’s $100 million commitment to social justice and equality and leads the philanthropic strategy for Project UP, a $1 billion initiative for digital equity.
Before joining Comcast NBCUniversal, Gwyneth served as Director of Partnerships at Benevity, where she collaborated with tech companies to develop CSR strategies. Prior to that, she was Director of Development at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, supporting philanthropic strategies. With nearly 20 years of experience, Gwyneth also held roles at The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Grameen Foundation.
Gwyneth, a Pittsburgh native, volunteers as a Mentor with Amachi Pittsburgh and co-founded Monday night Jazz at AVA in East Liberty. She serves on the board of 1863 Ventures and the Advisory Council for GreenLight Fund of Philadelphia, and has previously served on the boards of Shuman Juvenile Detention Center and The Sprout Fund. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, where she played varsity soccer.
Malarie Grace is the Director of Coaching & Program Development at the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders. After a brief hiatus, during which she realized she missed working with the amazing PASL team (and maybe just a few of the spreadsheets), Malarie returned to the organization to take on a new and exciting role.
Malarie brings almost 10 years of project management experience in the non-profit sector, leveraging her expertise to share the impact of coaching programs and support school leaders. Her work is characterized by building strong relationships, fostering meaningful learning, and connecting resources to ensure success.
Aside from coaching, Malarie is also focused on developing and supporting new programs for Fellows, ensuring that they are both thoughtfully designed and creatively executed to meet the high standards of PASL. Her efforts aim to enrich the Fellows’ experience and amplify the impact of their leadership journeys.
A proud Philadelphia native and alumna of Philadelphia High School for Girls (Class 252), Malarie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Franklin & Marshall College, a writing degree from Arcadia, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). A writer at heart, Malarie blends her passion for storytelling with her commitment to educational equity.
When she’s not connecting dots and crafting narratives, Malarie enjoys traveling to new places, dreaming up her next big writing project, and rearranging her ever-growing book collection in a futile attempt to make space for just one more.
As Director of Communications, Joanna is dedicated to crafting compelling narratives that resonate and inspire. With a background spanning design, animation, production, education, and law, she brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to her role.
Born in New Jersey, Joanna’s passion for art and animation led her to Los Angeles, where she spent over a decade as an artist and, later, as a creative executive at Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon Animation. Always passionate about growing community, Joanna helped establish LoopDeLoop in Los Angeles, creating a bi-monthly animation mini-festival that expanded to New York, London, and Berlin.
Her passion for social engagement led her to law school, where she focused on public interest work. There, she co-founded her law school’s first ever reproductive justice student organization, focused on educating the student body on ongoing reproductive justice caselaw while connecting to local engagement initiatives, including issues around homelessness and menstrual equity. She also worked in education equity at ACLU SoCal and in wrongful incarceration for the Loyola Project for the Innocent.
Now firmly settled in Philadelphia, Joanna is dedicated to creative communication that combines her love of community with clear and compelling design. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog Macie, playing folk instruments (not well), reading historical non-fiction, and exploring new restaurants with her partner.
Adrienne Reitano is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders (PASL). Prior to joining PASL, Adrienne worked at the School District of Philadelphia in the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Accountability for over a decade. Adrienne has worked on evaluation and research initiatives that span a variety of educational issues, including school improvement, researcher-practitioner partnerships, school climate and safety, teacher and principal recruitment and retention, early literacy, and college and career readiness.
She graduated from Friends Select High School, and then went on to study at Columbia University in New York City. After returning to Philadelphia, Adrienne received her masters in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and her doctorate in Urban Education from Temple University.
Adrienne is also a mom, spouse, daughter, sister, and friend who grew up and currently lives in West Philadelphia.
Rich is currently the Executive Director at the Academy at Penn. Most recently, Rich served as the principal of William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs since 2022. Under his leadership, Bodine has experienced renewed academic growth. The number of 9th-grade students “on track” for graduation increased 19%. In his first year, the percentage of Bodine students scoring Advanced on the Algebra | Keystone more than tripled, and the proficiency rates on the Literature Keystone increased by 4%. Through coordinated leadership and clear communication, Rich supports the interests of Bodine’s diverse student body, across 18 varsity sports teams, a nationally-recognized robotic team, monthly cultural assemblies, and regular World Affairs Council programming. Additionally, Rich implemented a robust recruitment and branding strategy that increased the number of applications to Bodine in the school selection process by 87% in just two years.
Rich has been an educator since 2002. Prior to becoming a principal, Rich served as a social
studies teacher for eight years and as an assistant principal for twelve years in The School District of Philadelphia, in Washington, DC, and in Springfield (Delaware County), PA. In 2024, Rich received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals.
Rich grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and is a graduate of West Catholic High School.
Dana has been a principal since 2018 and the proud Principal of Feltonville Intermediate School since 2021. Under her leadership, Feltonville Intermediate School has under gone a complete interior and exterior rebranding and has seen increases in student achievement. In just one year, Feltonville Intermediate School saw an increase of 12.7% in the number of students scoring at or above grade level in ELA.
As a result of ensuring equitable opportunities for marginalized learners, Feltonville Intermediate School also saw a 12.6% decrease in the percent of 3rd grade EL students performing below basic on the PSSA ELA assessment and a 10.1% increase in the percent of 3rd grade students performing at Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA assessment. During the 2021/2022 Dana was selected to participate in the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders Performance Partners Program where she received innovative and hands on development in instructional leadership and coaching. Feltonville Intermediate School was also recognized for significant gains in PVAAS performance in ELA and Math during the 2022/2023 school year.
Dana has served as an educator since 2003. Prior to becoming a principal, Dana served as a substitute teacher, classroom teacher, school climate and culture lead, Consulting Teacher, and Assistant Principal. Dana grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a proud product of Philadelphia Public Schools, graduating from Franklin Learning Center High School.
Dr. John Smith, Jr. is an enthusiastic professional educator with 24 years of instructional experience in elementary and secondary education. He is currently in his third year as Chief Learner (Principal) at School of The Future (SOF), in which some of his achievements were improvements in the conditions for success category (Student and Teacher attendance, Learner dropouts, and 4-year cohort graduation rates) for SY 22-23, as indicated on the SPOTlight Spree report. Also, SOF learner STAR participation rates for the 2021-2023 school year was 58%, and in 2023-2024, the learner participation rates increased to 94%.
Dr. Smith believes that partnerships between organizations such as the Philadelphia Zoo, Microsoft, Heights, and the National Science and Math Initiative have enriched our curriculum and provided unique learning opportunities for our learners. He also partnered with universities to offer dual enrollment programs for his learners and emphasized incorporating more Advanced Placement (AP) classes. For the 2022-2023 school year, learners at SOF scored three in AP Language, AP Literature, and AP United States History. SOF will be one of the first schools to have a CTE Computer Science program for the 2024-2025 school year
Special Awards, Certificates, and Honors John obtained: Graduate of the State of Pennsylvania’s Cohort 10 Special Education Leadership Academy. Implemented a district-wide enrichment tutoring program for students of color for the Upper Dublin School District, Completed Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Program, Honored by the Glassboro School Board for a Peer Tutoring Program, Glassboro Golden Teacher Award, Alpha Kappa Mu Teacher Honor Society (Cheyney University), ACT 101 Mentor Award (Bloomsburg University), Outstanding Service (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.), served as President of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. (Lambda Alpha Chapter).
Dr. Smith is a proud graduate of Lankenau Motivation and grew up in the Uptown section of Philadelphia.
Dr. Zenobia Story has served as the principal of Global Leadership Academy (GLA) Southwest since 2022. Under her leadership, Global Leadership Academy had 24% of scholars performing on or above grade level in English Language Arts and 13% in Math. Closing the achievement gap at GLA Southwest has been a major achievement with 81% of scholars making 1 years’ worth of growth in Math and 75% of scholars making 1 years’ worth of growth in English Language Arts according to the I-Ready quarterly benchmark. GLA Southwest has increased their number of eighth graders, in Fall of 2023, who were admitted to special admit and private high schools with scholarships by 25%.
Dr. Story has been an educator since 2005. Prior to becoming a principal, Dr. Story taught internationally as an English teacher in Tianjin, China. As well as served as an elementary school teacher, professional development liaison, Science and Social Studies site coordinator, grade level chairperson, academy leader (grades 3-5), director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, assistant principal, and principal for one year prior to GLA Southwest. Dr. Story was a recipient of Dekalb County’s Teacher of the Year in 2011.
Dr. Story grew up in Philadelphia and attended John Bartram High School’s Motivation Center.
Stephanie is the current principal of Harrison-Morton Middle School. Previously, Stephanie served as the principal of Belmont Charter Middle School from 2022-2025. Working together with her talented staff, 6th, 7th and 8th graders from Belmont Middle School met/exceeded their growth goals in Math according to PVAAS. Further, their school increased the percentage of students with average daily attendance of 90% or higher from 86.6% to 89.4%. Belmont Charter Middle School boasts an overall staff satisfaction rate of 4.6/5 according to their annual climate survey.
Stephanie has been an educator since 2008. Prior to becoming Principal, Stephanie served as an Assistant Principal, founding Academy Leader (K-2) and 9-12 Special Education Teacher. She received her administrative certificate from TNTP‘s residency program, PhillyPLUS. Stephanie grew up in East Orange, NJ and attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy.
Jury Segers was elevated to her current role as principal in 2013, after serving as assistant principal for two years. She is affectionately referred to as “Mama Jury” within her school community and has been a dedicated and inspirational administrator, leader and teacher at Imhotep Institute Charter High School for fifteen years. Although she joined Imhotep as a special education teacher, her success in the classroom quickly led to a promotion as an academic coach and in 2011 she was promoted again to Director of Special Education before taking on the principalship.
As the school principal, Dr. Segers is passionate about building the capacity of her staff and creating an affirming school culture that is focused on student outcomes for all learners while using professional learning as a vehicle to improve teaching and learning. She has adopted a schedule that allows for common planning time used for collaboration and to analyze student data. During her tenure, Imhotep has consistently maintained a graduation rate that exceeds the statewide average. Dual enrollment opportunities have expanded to include partnerships with four colleges and universities. During the 2021-2022 school year, 34% of her scholars were enrolled in rigorous courses of study. Future Ready Index data for the 2022-2023 school year indicates that 82.1% of the graduates had a post-secondary transition to school, military or the workforce. During the same year 41% of her scholars had an attendance rate of at least 95 percent. Her efforts earned her the Principal of the Year Award from Psi Delta Kappa International in 2023. Through a rigorous selection process she was accepted into the Neubauer Fellowship Program that commences in July 2024. Dr. Segers has been featured on the nationally syndicated Real World Leaders radio show for a segment on leaders in education.
Dr. Segers graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor’s Degree in social sciences. Committed to lifelong learning, at Arcadia University, she concentrated on special education while earning a Master’s Degree in Education. She later returned to Arcadia University to complete post-graduate studies and was awarded the Dr. Norman A. Miller Scholarship for Educational Leadership. In 2024, she completed her Doctoral Degree and is currently pursuing her Letter of Eligibility at her most recent alma mater.
With a career in education that spans more than twenty years, she holds the following certifications: Principal K-12, Special Education Supervisor, Special Education N-12, English as a Second Language Program Specialist K-12, Social Studies 7-12 and a certificate in Applied Behavioral Analysis. She also holds the certification and facilitates courses for the National Institute for School Leadership Executive Development Program designed for novice administrators seeking their Level II Administrative Certification. She is a proud alum of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, graduating class of 241. In her spare time, Dr. Segers enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
Dr. Yonaira Rodriguez has served as the proud Principal of William Cramp Elementary in the School District of Philadelphia since April of 2024. Previous to Cramp, she was principal at Isaac A. Sheppard Elementary where she impacted student achievement by positively impacting 2023 PSSA scores, increasing 4th grade Science scores by 19%, ELA Proficiency scores by 4%, and Math Proficiency scores by 5%. Dr. Rodriguez also decreased students in the Below Basic ranking of Math by 26% and students in Below Basic in Science by 31%. Additionally, Sheppard saw an increase in student attendance by 22%. While at Sheppard, she established a partnership with Taller Puertorriqueño and the Julia de Burgos bookstore. Via private and corporate fundraising, she raised over $5,000 for students at Sheppard to shop three times a year from the pop up book fair which was curated with a focus on BIPOC authors and characters.
Dr. Rodriguez began her teaching career in 2000 as middle school teacher at Julia de Burgos in the School District of Philadelphia. In 2002, she taught 6th and 7th ELA at Colegio Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. In 2003, she taught 3rd grade Spanish dual language at Pineloch Elementary in Orange County Public Schools. Dr. Rodriguez was awarded Orange County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2005. In addition to her teaching experience, Dr. Rodriguez worked as an instructional coach for Success for All Foundation from 2008 to 2015. In 2015, she served as a District Instructional Coach in William Penn School District located in Delaware County, PA. In 2018, she rejoined the School District of Philadelphia in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction as an ELA Specialist and then Director of Literacy. Outside of her work in SDP, Dr. Rodriguez is an adjunct professor at the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, University of Pennsylvania and Saint Joseph University. She serves on the Executive Board for the Pennsylvania Association of Hispanic School Administrators whose goal is to increase opportunities for Latino leaders in the educational space.
While she was born in Puerto Rico, Dr. Rodriguez has spent most of her life in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Rodriguez is a proud SDP alum having graduated from Edison High School in 1996.
Nicole Patterson has served as the principal of William H. Ziegler Elementary school in Northeast Philadelphia for 2 years. Prior to becoming the principal, Nicole served at Ziegler for 6 years as the Assistant Principal, Dean, and teacher establishing strong relationships with families, students and staff.
Finishing the first year Ziegler was able to move ELA PSSA scores from 19% proficiency to 24% and Math PSSA scores from 3% proficiency to 8%. The STAR data resembles similar growth, ELA increased by 10% and Math by 13% proficiency while also decreasing the intensive intervention students by more than 14% in both content areas. Ziegler focused on marginalized students and increased student proficiency in both EL and SpEd categories by 8% allowing them to be a school moving from 4 subgroup designations to 1.
With 15 years of experience as an educator, Nicole has worked in North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In Virginia, she received Teacher of the Year for Richmond. Nicole was born in Germany and spent most of her life in Panama until returning to North Carolina where she graduated from South View High School in Hope Mills. As a former ESOL student, she continues to build opportunities for all. At Ziegler, she recently received the Math award for over 65% of her students hitting the growth target on the STAR Assessment.
Since becoming the principal at Ziegler, Nicole continues to partner with Philadelphia community members. Ziegler is currently partnered with the Boys and Girls Club, CHOP, Vetri, Magna Prep, and PYB. Additionally, the local state representative’s office has been a great support in planning the new playground build.
Finally, Nicole has been a member of the Inspiring Leader Academy and the TNTP Philly Plus program
to help build her capacity as a leader and coach.
Dr. Patterson assumed the role of principal at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy in July 2023, bringing over a decade of experience in education within inner-city communities. In previous roles, Dr. Patterson’s leadership in Chester yielded over a 50% decrease in out of school suspensions through student-centered leadership and implementation of the Youth Courts program in conjunction with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in 2019.
Dr. Patterson’s leadership at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy has yielded academic growth, with a significant increase in student performance on assessments, particularly among Black/African American students in both Reading and Math. During the 2023-2024 school year, STAR Math scores for all students yielded a 11.2% increase in the At/Above category. STAR Math scores for Black/African American students yielded a 13.9% increase in the At/Above category.
An accomplished author and researcher, Dr. Patterson has shared her expertise at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in 2023, focusing on leadership during the pandemic. She is also a published author through School Leadership & Management (SLAMS), addressing the challenges of leading urban school teachers of Black and Brown students amidst social injustice and the pandemic. Throughout her career in education, Dr. Patterson has been a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal before her inaugural principalship in Chester, PA from 2019 to 2022. Dr. Patterson’s commitment to educational equity and community engagement is evident through her service on the Scholar-Practitioner Research Collaborative Advisory Board through Saint Joseph’s University and ongoing advocacy initiatives.
Dr. Patterson was raised in Cheltenham, PA and graduated from Cheltenham High School. Dr. Patterson is a child of God, full-time daughter, sister, and friend.
Dr. Moody has served as the principal of the James R. Ludlow Elementary school since 2018. Under his leadership the James R. Ludlow has developed a caring and safe environment where students can feel safe learning and where every adult in the building is respected as an educator of children. During the 2022-2023 school year, James R. Ludlow experienced a 6.7% growth in Reading and an 14% growth in Math on the PSSA’s over the span of two years. Additionally within the same two year time span Kindergarten through Second grade student increased their reading by 22.8% as measured by the STAR Assessment.
Dr. Moody began his work in education in 2001 working in the School District of Philadelphia’s Alternative Education Department. In 2003 Khary became the Program Coordinator for the RETI-WRAP Program where he and his team worked to transition adjudicated and incarcerated youth back into schools. In 2011 Dr. Moody was appointed the site administrator to the Philadelphia Youth Development Academy (PYDA). PYDA was a school program specifically designed for returning adjudicated youth to earn the diploma while crafting a plan for post secondary success. Eventually in 2014, Khary became the principal of Dimner Beeber Middle School in West Philadelphia. Khary is a 2024 recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals. Dr. Moody is a Philadelphia native, growing up primarily in the Mt. Airy and Germantown sections of the city. Dr. Moody considers himself a product of the School District of Philadelphia, attending public schools from kindergarten through 9th grade. However he ultimately graduated high school from Cardinal Dougherty High School.
Dr. Manna has served as the Farm Administrator of Fox Chase Farms since 2019, pioneering experiential learning in agricultural and environmental education for urban youth in Philadelphia. Managing the largest public school district-run educational farm in the United States, she has overseen operations that have resulted in over 50,000 student visits.
Dr. Manna has secured significant grants, accounting for $100,000, to establish initiatives such as the District’s first student-managed farm store and a Poultry Science Program engaging special education students. Notably, she recently secured a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to develop students through the state’s first Apprentice Program in Controlled Environment Agriculture, addressing food insecurity in Philadelphia’s underserved areas.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Education from Delaware Valley University, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University, a degree of Education Specialist in Educational Leadership, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from North Central University.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Dr. Manna is a proud mother to her son, Billy, who shares her passion for making a difference in the world. Dr. Manna’s roots in agriculture trace back to her upbringing on a farm in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg
Baretta has exemplified leadership and innovation as the Principal of the Alain Locke School since 2020. Under Baretta’s exemplary leadership and innovation, the Alain Locke School has experienced remarkable academic growth, marked by a 15.1% increase in PSSA reading scores for Grade 3 students and a staggering 30.4% increase in math scores for the same cohort. Moreover, Baretta has overseen a commendable 6.8% overall improvement in math proficiency across Grades 3 to 8.
Baretta Massey brings a wealth of experience to her role, having served as an educator and administrator in both West Philadelphia and North East Philadelphia since 2002. Throughout her career, she has been committed to fostering excellence in education and creating opportunities for student success.
Baretta’s tireless dedication to professional growth has been displayed in her participation in the Philadelphia Pathways to Leadership in Urban Schools and PASL’s Instructional Leadership Academy. She is committed to delivering high-quality education to every student and family she serves.
Joy has served as principal of Rhawnhurst School since 2018. Under her leadership, Rhawnhurst School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon for
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools in 2020 for being among Pennsylvania’s highest performance in closing the gaps that exist between various student groups and the entire student body.
Joy has been an educator since 2010. During her teaching career, she worked extensively to increase student literacy skills and break down the learning gaps that created barriers for students. During her time as a classroom teacher, she was accepted to Philadelphia Pathway to Leadership in Urban Schools (PhillyPLUS). After her acceptance in PhillyPLUS, she was hired as a Principal Fellow at Prince Hall School where she coached teachers around instructional best practices with an emphasis on implementing Common Core Standards with fidelity. Joy is a proud Philadelphia native and graduate of Merion Mercy Academy.
Dr. Johnson has served as the principal of G.W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science (Carver HSES) since August 2021. Under his leadership, Carver HSES developed a robust Dual Enrollment Pathways program along with a STEM internship experience that has allowed over 375 students to attain college credits and/or real world experiences prior to graduation. Carver HSES reported the highest 4-year graduation rates (100%) across the School District of Philadelphia during the 2022-2023 school year and was also recognized as one of the Best High Schools in the United States in 2023 by US News & World Report. Over the last 3 years, Carver HSES has won 10 Public League Championships in Boys Bowling, Cheerleading, Boys Soccer, Girls and Boys Indoor and Outdoor Track, and Baseball.
Dr. Johnson has 15 years of experience in the School District of Philadelphia working hands-on with students, parents, and staff in various professional roles in both schools and the Central Office. Dr. Johnson has served in roles as a Student Disciplinary Hearing Officer, Transition Liaison, Dean of Students, Director of Student Supports, Director of School Culture, and Assistant Principal. In 2022, Dr. Johnson was recognized as a trailblazer and featured as an “Education Power Player” by Metro Philadelphia.
Dr. Johnson currently serves on the Professional Learning Advisory Board and the Black Male Leadership Think Tank. Dr. Johnson is also in the 2023 Instructional Leadership Academy led by the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders. Prior to becoming an educator, Dr. Johnson worked for Delta Community Supports Inc as a social worker. Dr. Johnson grew up in Willow Grove, PA.
