Trustees and Advisory Boards (Draft March 2023)

Mari Badger, Advancement Committee Chair

Ms. Badger has been a strategic marketing and communications consultant since the 1990s, focusing on educational institutions, political candidates, nonprofits and social-good startups. A messaging, branding and content strategy expert, she also creates and produces live events. These include campaign events, conferences, corporate meetings, festivals and other special events.

In addition to her consulting work, Ms. Badger is an enthusiastic, hands-on volunteer, sitting on several boards of trustees. She is also willing to share her talents and treasures as a mentor to fellow communications professionals. Formerly of Cambridge, Mass., Ms. Badger is the proud parent of a Lesley Ellis School alumna. An enthusiastic birder, she is also the founder of the Boston Birding Festival.

Suzanne Bremer, Treasurer; Audit and Finance

Working in information services for more than 30 years, Ms. Bremer, is an independent senior information scientist. She has worked as a project manager at the 

Global Development and Environmental Institute at Tufts University. There she led a team in the creation of a global outreach program aimed at introducing open-source-based search, storage and display software to college and university libraries in 136 developing countries. 

Ms. Bremer’s professional interests include traditional and emerging information technologies and policies and practices that further the free flow of information. Her area of practice is Technical Services with experience in metadata creation and control, workflow management, and designing information systems, with a particular interest in end-user interfaces.

These interests have led her to work on a range of projects from helping public libraries in New Hampshire develop and maintain a bibliography network to helping a collector of 19th-century art ephemera create a taxonomy schema to researching and writing marketing studies on consumer trends for multi-national audiences.

Ms. Bremer has a B.A. in English from Boston University and an M.S. in Information Science from Simmons College. She has also completed coursework at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and with MOOCs through edX and Coursera.

She is civically active. She has run for office and currently serves on her ward committee and volunteers with several nonprofits. She skis, plays golf and spends as much time as possible with her wife and two children.

Nanci R. Brody, Advancement

Ms. Brody has maintained a long and special relationship with Schools for Children and Dearborn Academy. She began as a young student at Dearborn and later returned to join the faculty after completing her undergraduate degree at Emerson College in speech education and a graduate degree at Georgia State University in special education with an emphasis on learning disabilities and emotional challenges.

It was Ms. Brody’s childhood experience at Dearborn that inspired her to become a special education teacher, joining the Dearborn faculty first as a classroom teacher, then as a team leader and finally as an administrator. Ms. Brody became the first special education coordinator in the late 1970s for both Dearborn Pre-Voc and Dearborn Elementary School. 

In 1980, Ms. Brody moved to New York City, started a family, and worked in a public high school teaching in a special education setting. She became a parent activist in her son’s school after he was diagnosed with learning disabilities. Ms. Brody was instrumental in starting a support group for parents of students with learning challenges. Ultimately, in collaboration with other parent activists, she created S.P.I.N.S., Students and Parents Information Network Support, a nonprofit organization. S.P.I.N.S. published newsletters, presented workshops at conferences, held resource fairs, and special education college fairs. 

In 1984, Ms. Brody was asked to join the Board of Trustees of Schools for Children. In 1999, Ms. Brody initiated a Dearborn Benefit Luncheon event, which presented a renowned educational speaker, a parent speaker and a student speaker. This event was well received and continued for 14 years.

In 2014 Ms. Brody, along with Dearborn staff turned this special event into the school’s first gala, celebrating the school’s 65th anniversary. This successful fundraising event continued until interrupted by COVID. Currently, Ms. Brody is an active member on the Advancement Committee, which hosted the educational zoom webinar series Take the Next Step and created the Different Choices Virtual College and Career Fair for Students with IEPs, 504s and Mental Health Conditions. The fair addresses life after high school, discussing career and or college opportunities plus additional resources for students with special needs.

Throughout her life and career, Ms. Brody has been passionate about helping students with learning differences and their families. As an SFC trustee, she feels a part of a hard-working group that is committed to making a difference in the lives of all students who are part of Schools for Children.

Regina Caines, Advancement, Governance

Ms. Caines has more than 40 years of administrative, managerial, scientific research and leadership experience in major corporations. These include Raytheon Corporation, Arthur D. Little Company and 23 years at Polaroid Corporation, where she transitioned into the diversity arena as the company’s first director of affirmative action.

Ms. Caines later joined the Superintendent’s Cabinet as the affirmative action officer for the Cambridge Public School District. She was then recruited for director of the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After leaving MIT, Ms. Caines started RAC Consulting, specializing in organizational development, executive coaching, team building and diversity training. Additionally, she serves as the executive director for the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education (MPDE), a collaborative of suburban public school districts focused on increasing teacher diversity in METCO schools.

Ms. Caines’ has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Regis College and an M.S. in chemistry from Tufts University. She was a Fulbright Scholar in chemistry at Heidelberg University, Germany, and has a J.D. from Massachusetts School of Law. She is an active member of the local NAACP/MV Branch, Zonta International and volunteers with numerous community service organizations.

Caitlin Madevu-Matson, Governance Committee Chair

Ms. Madevu-Matson, M.Sc., is a public health monitoring and evaluation (M&E) expert with experience in the development of public health policies and strategies, implementation of M&E systems, strategic information capacity building, and health informatics. Fluent in both English and French, Ms. Madevu-Matson has lived and worked across sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a master’s degree in control of infectious diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a bachelor’s in biochemical sciences from Harvard University.

Ms. Madevu-Matson lives in Belmont, Mass., with her two children, husband and two cats. She joined the Schools for Children Board of Trustees in 2021 soon after her oldest child entered kindergarten at Winn Brook Elementary School and became an active attendee of the Winn Brook Extended Learning Program. 

Douglas (Doug) Neu, Audit and Finance

Mr. Neu serves as senior counsel, employment and benefits at Thrasio, a holding company that buys online brands that sell on Amazon. In his current position, Mr. Neu supports the company’s People team and management on employment, benefits and executive compensation issues worldwide, including on acquisitions. The company increases sales and profits for its acquisitions by upgrading marketing, supply chain and other operations.

Mr. Neu is an experienced management-side employment attorney with significant in-house and law firm experience. In-house experience includes international employment as well as benefits and executive compensation responsibilities, including SEC disclosure, initial public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). His legal and human resources specialties include employment, executive compensation, benefits, litigation, M&A and IPOs.

Mr. Neu has a B.S. in management from Bentley University and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law. He has been a longtime rider and supporter of the Pan-Mass Challenge and has coached the Arlington, Mass., Soccer Club for many years.

Alan Oliff, Strategic Planning and Implementation

Dr. Oliff is an educational consultant working with public school systems, independent schools and nonprofit organizations. Most recently he served as a program director at Combined Jewish Philanthropies. He also held the position of superintendent of schools in Weston, Mass., for 10 years and earlier served as the director of special education and then as the assistant superintendent in Wayland, Mass. His early career included working as a special education teacher and program coordinator in both elementary and secondary schools. 

Dr. Oliff has been a member and vice-chair of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Board of Trustees, the chair of the METCO Advisory Committee, the co-chair of the Massachusetts State Advisory Commission for Special Education and an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University. 

Susan L. Penta, Audit and Finance

Ms. Penta is an engineer, entrepreneur, educator and consultant. As co-founder and managing partner at MIDIOR, she inspires innovative thinking, facilitates a common product and technology vision, optimizes organization output and improves the financial performance of her clients. As an educator, Ms. Loconto Penta served for 18 years as an executive professor on the adjunct faculty at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business where she taught graduate courses in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Ms. Loconto Penta is an active trustee and supporter of nonprofit organizations including her 20+ years of service on the Schools for Children Board of Trustees where she has held a variety of roles including board chair. She has been recognized for her professional and community contributions with numerous awards including the prestigious Pinnacle Award for Achievement in Entrepreneurship from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in 2016. Other past awards include being named to the Boston Business Journal’s “40 under 40” in 2004 and receiving WPI’s Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award in 2001.

Ms. Loconto Penta is an author and frequent guest lecturer and public speaker on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship, and product organizations. She is a serial entrepreneur. She holds a BSEE degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and an MBA from The CASS Business School in London, England.

When not supporting a MIDIOR client, a mentee or one of her favorite nonprofits, she can be found outside, in an exercise class, or in her kitchen – testing and optimizing recipes. Ms. Loconto Penta is married with two daughters, now in their mid to late 20s but who both attended the Lesley Ellis School.

Peter Prodromou, Advancement, Audit and Finance

An accomplished CEO, business leader and industry visionary, Mr. Prodromou recognized the power of digital persuasion early on. As president and CEO of Boston Digital, he runs the day-to-day operations of the company and works across teams to deliver powerful strategy and world-class product.

Previously, Mr. Prodromou led Racepoint Global to its position as the top technology and health firm in the country. He’s brokered sales for global enterprises, counseled presidential candidates, and set the industry vision for driving growth through digital activation. He is inspired to help brands stay relevant in an increasingly competitive economy through the power of digital for persuasion and is especially proud of his ability to manage a global company on a handheld device.

Mr. Prodromou brings a sense of humor and calming vibes to the office and has led companies to four Best Places to Work awards. When he’s not encouraging clients to break the mold or showing a 200-year-old brand how to be relevant in the digital age, he spends time reading about politics and public policy and hiking with this wife and Australian Shepard.

Edward Rapacki, Chairperson; Strategic Planning and Implementation

Mr. Rapacki is a partner at Ellis & Rapacki, a law firm specializing in plaintiff-side litigation and class actions. He has also worked in the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, where he served as chief of the Criminal Bureau, and in the office of the District Attorney for Middlesex County.

The proud parent of a Lesley Ellis alum, Ed has served multiple terms on the Schools for Children Board of Trustees.

Arlene Remz, Strategic Planning and Implementation Chair

Ms. Remz is the retired founding executive director of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education. Ms. Remz is a passionate advocate for the right of every child to participate in Jewish education, no matter what their ability or need.

Throughout her four-decade career, she has created educational opportunities that engage, inspire and support students with a wide range of learning needs and styles, and spent her early career as a special education teacher in Massachusetts and New York. She then worked at Education Development Center for 15 years on a series of research, curriculum development and dissemination projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. Throughout these years, she was an active lay leader in the Boston Jewish community.

In 2006, Ms. Remz established Gateways as a merger of two smaller grassroots organizations.  She led Gateways through 15 years of significant growth, collaborating with day schools, congregational schools and preschools throughout the Boston community to enable students with diverse learning needs to succeed in Jewish educational settings. She is recognized as a national leader in the field of Jewish special education and inclusion.

Ms. Remz has a unique perspective on nonprofit leadership and governance, having served as the lay president of the Board of Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston and as the professional executive of Gateways. She holds an M.Ed. from Columbia University in Technology in Education and an M.A. in Special Education from New York University.

Bonnie Ricci, Governance

Ms. Ricci currently serves as the executive director of the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA). ICAISA provides quality assurance and accountability for the accreditation programs of its member associations, promoting transformational leadership in the accreditation field.

Prior to working at ICAISA, Ms. Ricci served as the assistant executive director of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE). She ensured that AISNE’s accreditation program promoted continuous improvement for elementary and middle schools. In addition, she designed and implemented professional development programming that met current and emerging needs of various constituencies in independent schools. 

Ms. Ricci started her career in independent schools as a teacher before becoming an administrator. She has served on several accreditation visiting teams and co-chaired the Self-Study process at one of the schools. She served on the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Commission on Accreditation and was appointed to the NAIS 2015 Annual Conference Think Tank.

In her professional and personal life, Ms. Ricci strives to view the world through a lens of gratitude and compassion. Analytical by nature, she is intensely service-oriented, and derives deep satisfaction through supporting others in assessing challenges and solving problems.

John M. Ritchie, Strategic Planning and Implementation

Dr. Ritchie of Newton, Mass., joined the Schools for Children Board of Trustees in 2022 after a distinguished career in education in Greater Boston. Dr. Ritchie served as the principal of Winchester High School from the late ‘80s through the mid ‘90s, followed by more than a decade as the superintendent/principal of Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School.

During his tenure at Lincoln Sudbury, Dr. Ritchie drove two major expansions. Enrollment increased from 960 to more than 1,640 students. Additionally, he oversaw the construction of and move to a new $73.9 million facility. After retiring for Lincoln Sudbury, Dr. Ritchie served as interim principal at both Brookline and Wayland high schools.

A gifted writer, the new Schools for Children trustee published in various publications, including “The Reflective and Effective Principal” for PDK International and multiple New York Times and Boston Globe opinion pieces. He also writes a blog, Quid Illuc Est? Res Ipsa Loquitor.

Dr. Ritchie holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and has an MAT and Ed.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Sarah White, Audit and Finance Committee

Through her firm Sarah White Consulting, Ms. White helps leaders of small-to-medium sized businesses move their companies to the next level of success. In addition to her work as a “CEO whisperer,” Ms. White serves as fractional chief operations officer at Genius Academy. An after-school learning center, the academy helps students reach their full academic potential and supports their social, emotional and psychological well-being.

Previously, Ms. White was founder and president of Six Red Marbles, an EdTech product and service company that develops innovative digital and blended learning programs for hundreds of clients and millions of learners. Recently, she served as Interim Chief Operating Officer at Portfolia and Chief Operating Officer of Ease Learning. In both cases, her impact hit every facet of each company allowing for revenue growth and scale.

Ms. White brings the same intensity to her non-work life as she does to her career. She enjoys the creativity of cooking, the challenge of successfully renovating houses, and the joy of listening to non-fiction audiobooks. She relishes spending time with her family and friends.

Ms. White is also engaged in her community, whether close to home or at the national level. This includes her work as a trustee at Schools for Children, joining the board a year after taking on the role of chair of the Advisory Board of the Lesley Ellis School in 2017.