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Board of Ed. Members

Thu, 2009-08-13 15:25 — admin


Elizabeth Torres	Elizabeth Torres has worked in the housing and community development field for the past 14 years. Her first job was with a national nonprofit starting as a receptionist and then spending 10 years growing through the ranks and ultimately responsible for creating 84 units of affordable housing leveraging over $15,000,000 of financing from HUD, CHFA, and DECD. Today, Ms. Torres is the Executive Director of Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, Inc. a community housing and development organization focused on creating affordable housing, healthy homes and providing homeownership counseling for low income families. Since coming to Bridgeport, Ms. Torres has completed 25 units of affordable housing leveraging over $4,000,0000 of public and private resources and is working on another 53 representing over $10,000,000 of community investment. Ms. Torres has expanded BNT's operations to include Pre Purchase Homeownership Counseling and a Healthy Homes Initiative. Her most recent success includes securing a $2,000,000 three year grant from HUD to implement the City of Bridgeport's first Lead Elimination Action Program (LEAP). Ms. Torres is also a member of the New Haven Board of Education and serves as the Treasurer for Casa Oto–al, Inc. Last but not least she has two children and one grandchild. Administration & Finance Committee (Chair) Term expires: 05/2012 elizabeth@bntweb.org
Michael R. Nast	Michael R. Nast, a graduate of New Haven Public Schools and Fordham University, was Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools from 1994 to 1999, having risen through the ranks of Stamford's school system from high school principal to the top post. He started his career as a science teacher at James Hillhouse High School. Administrative positions held in New Haven include chairman of the Science Department at Hillhouse, assistant principal at Wilbur Cross High School and principal at Cross. Upon retiring from the Superintendent's position in Stamford, Mr. Nast served as an educational consultant to many school districts in New England and New York, worked for the Education Alliance at Brown University, and served as interim Superintendent for both the Amity Region 5 and New Hartford School Districts. He currently is an adjunct professor in the University of Connecticut Administrative Preparation Program and is a consultant to the Center for Secondary School Redesign in Rhode Island. Administration & Finance Committee Term Expires: 9/2012 mrn252@comcast.net
Dr. Carlos Antonio Torre	Dr. Carlos Antonio Torre earned three degrees at Harvard University: an Ed.M. in Human Development; a Certificate of Advance Studies in Administration, Planning and Social Policy; and a Doctorate of Education. He is, currently, Professor of Education at Southern Connecticut State University; former President of the New Haven, Connecticut Board of Education (member: 1993-2003 also 2006 to the present); and a Fellow at Yale University, where he served for seven years as Assistant Dean of the College and a member of the Psychology faculty. Dr. Torre is an elected member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico and was awarded the Academy's Medal of the Academician. Other awards include: the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences' first award for "humanitarian, ground-breaking contributions to the understanding of the mind through the application of dynamical science perspectives to educational psychology"; the Connecticut Association of Latin Americans in Higher Education (CALAHE) award "for contributions made toward the improvement of educational opportunities for Hispanics in higher education"; and others. Through the use of Recurrence Quantification Analysis, Dr. Torre's research seeks to identify characteristic patterns in the autonomic nervous system associated with particular emotions, (i.e., the emotions children experience as they learn). His publications include: articles on non-linear dynamics applied to education; a book-length research monograph on the triadic nature of the mind and university students' quality of thinking; chapters on educators "Eugenio Maria de Hostos and "Michael Apple"; an edited volume on Puerto Rican Migration; and a book in-progress on the "Ecology of Education. President Curriculum Committee Term expires: 9/2013 Carlos.Torre@yale.edu
Susan R. Samuels	Susan R. Samuels came to New Haven to attend Quinnipiac University. Later, Ms. Samuels graduated from Connecticut School of Broadcasting in 1987, attended Albertus Magnus College in 1990, and most recently became an honors graduate of the medical assistant/secretary program at Sawyer School (2006). She is a Justice of the Peace, and an independent contractor with the United States Social Security Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. Curriculum Committee (Chair) Term expires 9/2011 srsboemem08@yahoo.com
Mayor John DeStefano, Jr.	Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. Click here to visit the Mayor's Web Site. jDeStefanojr@newhavenct.net
Alex Johnston	Alex Johnston is Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN). As ConnCAN’s first employee, Alex launched what is now regarded as one of the nation’s leading state-level education reform organizations. In the five years since, he has led ConnCAN’s effort to advocate for state policies that will ensure every Connecticut child has access to a great public school. In 2009, ConnCAN achieved three major legislative victories through its ‘Mind the Gaps’ campaign: overhauling the state’s teacher certification rules, opening up stores of longitudinal student achievement data to the public and securing $8 million of funding for the expansion of high-performing public charter schools in the midst of an $8 billion state budget deficit. Before helping to found ConnCAN, Alex Johnston directed operations at the New Haven Housing Authority, working as a member of the management team tasked with turning the agency around from the brink of receivership. A graduate of Harvard University, Alex received a D. Phil. in politics from Oxford’s Lincoln College on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he studied the impact of government funding on nonprofit service providers. Alex serves as the sole external member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ business planning working group and serves on the state commission charged with developing Connecticut’s P-20 data system. Term Expires: 9/2011 alex.johnston@conncan.org
Ferdinand L. Risco, Jr.	Ferdinand L. Risco Jr. is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Educated in the Philadelphia Public School System, he graduated from William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs prior to enrolling in Temple University where he received a Bachelors’ of Business Administration degree. Mr. Risco was a Distinguished Military Graduate and the recipient of a USAA Army ROTC Scholarship at Temple University. Commissioned as a Regular Army Infantry Officer, Mr. Risco’s First assignment after completing a host of schooling to include the Infantry Officer’s Basic Course and Airborne School was B Co, 2nd BN 7th IN (M) Fort Stewart, Ga. were he served as a Platoon Leader. While at 2/7 IN (M) he served as the Battalion Support Platoon Leader, the Battalion Maintenance Officer and ultimately severed as the Commander’s Staff Advisor of Logistics (S-4) responsible for an annual operating budget and equipment in excess of $125 million. After a medical discharge from the Armed Services, Mr. Risco embarked on a business career in which his professional experiences have included work in the corporate sector, Federal and State Government agencies. He began his corporate development with Airborne Express (now DHL) as a Field Services Supervisor and Hiring Manager. Mr. Risco’s next professional experience was with the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group. After only six months with the company Mr. Risco was promoted to the level of Department Manger. His responsibilities included leading the Warehouse Operations in one of the 54 manufacturing facilities in the United States. Mr. Risco is currently employed with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority –Metro North Railroad. Prior to his recent promotion, he managed the daily activities of five unionized supervisors, seventy-six craft personnel, representing multiple unions; maintenance activities, including equipment overhaul, running repair work and inspections of 342 pieces of rolling stock. Now, he serves as a Manager in the Labor Relations Department for Metro North Railroad. Mr. Risco completed his graduate studies and received a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of New Haven. Mr. Risco is extremely involved in his community and has served as Chairman, Board of Directors, Edgewood PTA, After-School Program. He is a member of several professional and fraternal organizations from which he has received many awards and accolades. Mr. Risco is married to Stacy, his wife and business partner. They have 4 children and reside in New Haven, CT. Administration and Finance Committee Term Expires: 9/2013 ferdinand.risco@alum.newhaven.edu