Leadership

Judy Fox

Head of School

Judy Fox is an education leader with more than three decades of experience, and returns to Avenues New York having served as head of the Upper Division from 2015 to 2017. Judy has served as interim head at multiple leading independent schools, including the Elisabeth Morrow School in New Jersey, Presidio Knolls School in San Francisco and La Jolla Day School in Southern California. Previously, Judy served as head of school at Princeton Day School in New Jersey (2001-2007) and principal of Scarsdale High School (1988-1997). Judy graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Science Education and Biochemistry. She also holds an M.S. from Queens College in Science Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from Columbia University.

Melody Meade

Head of Early Learning Center

Melody Meade is head of the Early Learning Center, having joined Avenues in 2021.

Melody is a highly experienced and innovative school leader whose rich career has included a mix of leadership roles overseas and in the United States. She has focused on successfully implementing dual language and immersion programs, in the US, Brazil, France and Belgium, in nursery through grade 12 independent schools. Before joining Avenues, she served as principal of the Early Childhood division at Cayman International School in the Cayman Islands. Prior to this, Melody spent 17 years at Washington International School, including over 10 years as the primary school principal, covering early childhood through grade 5, in a trilingual environment.

Melody earned her B.A. from the University of Rhode Island and her M.A. from the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership at Columbia University Teachers College.

Kim Lewis

Head of Lower Division

An experienced educator and school leader with a career spanning three decades, Kim Lewis joined Avenues in 2021 as the head of Lower Division (grades 1–5). Kim brings more than ten years of experience as a lower division head—the past seven at Dwight-Englewood (NJ) and prior to that eight at Germantown Friends School (PA), where she also served as the lower division dean of faculty before being promoted to division head. Kim's experience also includes 16 years in the classroom as a 5th and 6th-grade math teacher, curriculum specialist and instructional lead. As a leader, Kim focuses on building and maintaining a nurturing community among students, faculty, parents and colleagues; while also striving to strengthen professional learning and create an atmosphere conducive to excellent educational outcomes.

Kim earned her B.S. in psychology from Howard University, her M.A. in special education from Bank Street College of Education, and her M.Ed in educational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is working toward her Ed.D in educational leadership.

Todd Shy

Head of Upper Division

Todd Shy joined Avenues in 2012, the school’s first year of operation, as a humanities instructor for the middle grades. He went on to become the director of the Mastery Program and the program director of High Intensity Practice in writing. During the 2017–18 school year, Todd served as an upper school head at Town School for Boys in San Francisco, California. Avenues had the pleasure of welcoming Todd back in Fall 2018 to assume the role of head of Upper Division.

Prior to Avenues, Todd taught social studies at Cary Academy in Cary, North Carolina; philosophy at North Carolina Governor’s School in Raleigh; and history at Rocky Mount Academy in Rocky Mount, NC.

Todd received a B.A. from the University of Virginia, completed graduate coursework at King’s College London and obtained a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Bobbe Fernando

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Bobbe joined Avenues in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience in college admissions both at home and abroad. Prior to joining Avenues, served in a variety of roles at New York University (NYU), most recently as the senior director of global admissions, covering NYU’s campuses in New York, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and various study-away sites around the world. In that capacity, she managed a highly-selective admissions review process for thousands of students. Under her leadership, NYU saw an increase in international enrollment and diversity and an increase from 13% to 25% over ten years in non-U.S. citizens in the incoming freshman class.

Bobbe earned a master’s degree in global affairs with a concentration in international relations from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in applied social studies and English from the University of York, UK.

Daniel Greenblatt

Director of Operations and Administration

Daniel Greenblatt joined Avenues in the fall of 2018 as the director of operations and administration at Avenues New York. Prior to joining Avenues, Daniel was the chief operating officer for iMentor, an organization that empowers first-generation college students from low-income communities to graduate high school and succeed in college and beyond. Daniel also has a decade of experience with the NYC Department of Education, having served in a variety of leadership roles. He began his career as a New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching math at a Title 1 middle school in Brooklyn and later went on to work with the Superintendent of schools to support the academic achievement of 100,000 students across the borough. Daniel graduated from Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and obtained a Master of Science in education from Brooklyn College, where he was the vice president of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education.

Becca Howlett

Director of People and Culture

Becca Howlett brings a lifelong commitment to education and more than a decade of talent experience to her role as the director of people and culture at Avenues New York. Becca started her career as a social studies teacher in New York City public schools. After six years of teaching, she joined Achievement First, a high-performing charter school network. During her 11-year tenure, she advanced from the organization’s first teacher recruiter to vice president of recruitment, while the organization expanded from five schools to 31 and from 50 to 1300 colleagues. Becca is also the founder of a non-profit organization, Literacy for Incarcerated Teens, aimed at building libraries for incarcerated youth. She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Connecticut and an M.S.Ed from Bank Street College.

Ali Snell

Director of Student Wellbeing

Allison (Ali) Snell first joined Avenues in 2017 as a learning specialist and later as an associate division head for the Upper Division at the New York campus. From 2020, she served as an assistant principal at Edwin Markham Intermediate School in Staten Island, before returning to Avenues New York in 2022 as director of student wellbeing. To this role, she brings a deep understanding of how to promote the wellbeing of young people and a passionate commitment to helping students find their purpose in the world.

Ali has an extensive background in education, including as a founding assistant principal at PS/MS 8 in Brooklyn and as a literacy coach for the NYC Department of Education. She has 12 years of experience as a middle school teacher and also served as an adjunct instructor at Bank Street College of Education. Ali holds a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College, a master’s degree in learning dis/abilities from Teachers College at Columbia University, and a master of education in leadership for educational change from Bank Street College of Education.

Andy Williams

Head of School

A passionate educator with deep expertise in curriculum and assessment design, Andy Williams served as director of teaching and learning at Avenues São Paulo before becoming head of school at the end of 2019. As director of teaching and learning, Andy oversaw the development of the Avenues São Paulo curriculum from nursery through 12th grade. Before coming to Brazil, Andy served in the same role at Avenues New York for several years. Previously, Andy spent 20 years working for the Morris School District in Morristown, NJ, where he was director of curriculum, instruction, assessment and evaluation. He also served as principal of the Alexander Hamilton School and as a teacher at Thomas Jefferson School. He has directed summer and after-school programs and worked with gifted and talented, bilingual and English as a second language programs. Andy has a B.A. degree from Liverpool University and an M.A. in educational administration and supervision from Seton Hall.

John Ciallelo

Head of Secondary Division

John Ciallelo is an internationally distinguished leader and educator with a career spanning more than 35 years in prestigious schools in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, including 25 years in São Paulo at Chapel School. After serving as division head in both the Primary and Secondary Divisions of Chapel, he became head of school, spending 10 years in that role. During his tenure at Chapel, John led numerous curriculum revisions and professional development initiatives that increased student performance across all grade levels. Additionally, John successfully spearheaded efforts to better prepare students for the highly selective overseas universities and the Brazilian vestibular. John joined Avenues in 2013, and directed the academic development and design for Avenues São Paulo from the organization’s headquarters in New York.

Anne Baldisseri

Head of Primary Division

Anne Taffin d’Heursel Baldisseri is passionate about building community; motivating people; and sustaining a culture of quality where teachers and students are encouraged to learn alongside one another. Before becoming a teacher, Anne completed an M.S. and Ph.D. in zoology from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Anne is currently part of a research group at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), where she aims to complete a post-doctorate degree related to bilingualism, reading and motivation. Anne served as head of pre-preparatory at St. Paul’s School in São Paulo from 2007 to 2016, where she led the implementation of a phonics program to provide children with the best strategies for reading and writing. Anne runs national and international workshops centered on differentiated instruction and formative assessment, as well as courses to help teachers and parents to build a sustainable culture of high performance.

Lisa Lund Peixoto

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Lisa Lund Peixoto has more than 16 years of leadership and administrative experience in independent education. Most recently, she served as the director of admissions at Graded–The American School of São Paulo. She has worked with tens of thousands of families from Brazil and around the world, and has welcomed generations of students to transformative experiences in education. At Graded, she served as admissions director, responsible for increasing enrollment; developing sustainable financial aid and scholarship programs; and forming impactful partnerships with peer institutions and corporations. Her experience in international education has led to a deep appreciation for the value of diverse communities and dual-diploma learning programs. As a native of New York and long-time resident of São Paulo, Lisa is fluent in both English and Portuguese. Her husband is Brazilian and she has two children, and considers both the United States and Brazil her home.

Ricardo Grau

Director of Operations and Administration

Ricardo is a C-level executive with over 35 years of experience in the sectors of education, telecom, consumer goods, food and health. His career has included positions as CEO of Laureate Education Group at Anhembi Morumbi University, Telemig Mobile and a Coca-Cola joint venture for noncarbonated soft drinks. Ricardo was also a shareholders' board member at Marist Group, which includes more than 40 schools in Brazil and PUC Paraná University. He has also served in marketing and sales positions at Johnson & Johnson and Unilever. He is partner and founder of a start-up for the silver economy. Ricardo has a B.A. in business administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), São Paulo.

Cristine Conforti

Head of Brazilian Program

Cristine Marie Tedeschi Conforti has dedicated herself to education since her undergraduate studies in Literature at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). She began her career as a Portuguese teacher in the Secondary Division of Colégio Santa Cruz, where she remained until 2017. Cristine held a range of roles at Santa Cruz, including teacher of literature and writing, head of college preparation and director of elementary school. In 2010, Cristine became the director of teaching and learning, and vice-general director at Santa Cruz.

Alongside her work as an educator, she has completed a postgraduate course in communications and semiotics at São Paulo’s Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC), a master’s degree and a doctorate in Education at the Faculty of Education at the University of São Paulo (USP). She has published several books and taught courses on creative writing and language learning. At Avenues, Cristine leads the Brazilian program. In partnership with the rest of the leadership team, she intends to develop the program as a model of for innovation, as well as sustainable, intercultural and interdisciplinary educational design.

Juliana Salles

Director of People and Culture

Juliana Salles joined Avenues São Paulo in 2017 as director of people and culture. She brings more than 15 years of experience in talent management and development gained at leading schools and multinational corporations. Juliana previously served for five years as human resources director at Colégio Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, she implemented end-to-end talent management plans that optimized school organization and strengthened campus culture. Prior to her time at Santa Cruz, Juliana worked in the energy sector. As human capital executive manager at EDP Energias do Brasil, she developed global human resources programs and oversaw leadership development and succession planning. Juliana earned her bachelor’s degree in business management at Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and her executive MBA at Fundação Dom Cabral. As director of people and culture for the São Paulo campus, Juliana is responsible for recruitment, onboarding, engagement, culture, performance management, compensation and benefits, non-financial rewards and recognition, human resource administration and leadership development.

Catalina Guzmán

Director of Student Wellbeing

Catalina Guzmán joined Avenues in 2019 from the Johannesburg International School in South Africa, where she led the college guidance program. Previously, Catalina served as college counsellor at the Taipei International School in Taiwan, where she supported students on their paths to colleges in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan among other destinations. Catalina has also worked in higher education, supporting undergraduate admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and graduate admissions at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to her deep experience in college counseling, Catalina brings a rich international perspective to her work, having lived and worked in countries as diverse as Brazil, China, Mexico, Venezuela and the United States. Catalina earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and her masters degree at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. She is fluent in English and Spanish, and proficient in Portuguese.

Richard Pratt

Head of School

Richard Pratt joined Avenues in 2022, bringing more than 30 years of education experience at some of the world’s most prestigious and progressive institutions. Originally from England, Richard began his education career at a teacher training college in China’s rural Hubei province. He subsequently returned to the UK for a career in independent schools including fifteen years at Eton College, seven of those as a Housemaster. In 2012, he returned to China, where he led the innovative Hangzhou campus project for Chinese International School (CIS) for six years. From 2018, Richard was based in Hong Kong as director of education for Charterhouse Asia, responsible for overseeing the establishment of two new senior high schools in the region. He has also held a wide range of voluntary positions with educational organizations including as a member of the board of directors of Teach for China.

Richard earned his first degree in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford. He holds two master’s degrees, in education and psychology, from University College London, and the Open University of the UK respectively. He has professional teaching qualifications from the Universities of Melbourne and Huddersfield. Strongly interested in issues of sustainability and social innovation, he is currently completing an MBA with the University of Cumbria in those specialties.

Angela Tung

Head of Kindergarten

Angela Tung is an experienced school head and educator with deep expertise in early childhood education. She joined Avenues Shenzhen in spring 2021 after serving for two years as early learning division head at Whittle School & Studios in Shenzhen. Previously, Angela spent nearly a decade working in Shanghai, including serving as an academic director for EliteK12 Education Group and its network of bilingual schools, HD Schools. In that role, she was responsible for the planning of the organization's Kindergartens in Shanghai, Beijing, Qingdao and Ningbo along with the overall management of Shanghai and Ningbo. Angela is passionately committed to play-based education and has developed a practice that incorporates aspects of both the Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a degree in biochemistry and also holds an AMS Early Childhood Certificate. Angela joins Avenues along with her three children.

Angela Xu

Head of Primary Division

An expert in language immersion and a founding faculty member of Avenues New York, Angela joined the Avenues Shenzhen team after six years at the Avenues New York campus. Until 2018, she served as the coordinator of Avenues New York’s Chinese immersion program, with responsibility for curriculum, implementation and student assessment, as well as the professional development of 40 Chinese-speaking faculty members. Angela was born and raised in Xinjiang Province before she moved to the United States for higher education. She is married with two children, both students at Avenues Shenzhen.

Matt Scott

Head of Secondary Division

Matt brings a wealth of education and administrative experience to Avenues Shenzhen, where he serves as the founding head of Secondary Division (which opened in fall 2021). During the 2019-20 school year, Matt was responsible for the non-academic operation of the campus as director of operations and administration. From 2017, he served in the same role at Avenues New York; prior to that, he worked as director of education design at Avenues’ headquarters. Before joining Avenues, Matt spent 10 years with Harlem Village Academies (HVA), helping to grow the organization from one to five schools. He began his career as a teacher with Teach for America in Chicago and holds a B.A. in religious studies from Indiana University. Matt is married and has two young daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys running in Shenzhen Bay Park and exploring the regional cuisines of China.

Douglas Ray

Director of Student Wellbeing and College Counseling

Douglas Ray joined Avenues in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience in school leadership and education innovation. Previously, he served as principal and dean of academic affairs at Yungu High School in Hangzhou. In addition, Douglas has worked as a teacher, department chair and director of summer programs at independent boarding schools in the United States. He has also served as an educational consultant working with families and schools in Beijing and Shanghai. At Avenues Shenzhen, Douglas leads the wellbeing team for grades K–12, comprising deans, psychologists, learning specialists, language specialists and the Wellness and Movement (WAM) teachers. He also oversees the college counseling program for upper grades students.

Douglas graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he earned a BA in Classics and English and an MFA in creative writing. Douglas completed a Fellowship at the Teachers College at Columbia University and earned his Doctor of Education from Northeastern University.

Shanshan Ding

Director of Operations and Administration

Shanshan first joined Avenues in 2013 as a senior consultant with Avenues’ long-term partner, Webster Pacific. In 2016, she took on the full-time role of strategy manager on the campus strategy and development team at Avenues’ headquarters in New York. She subsequently served as China financial and operations manager, China campus development manager and played a critical role in the development and launch of Avenues Shenzhen in 2018. Having been with the organization for more than a decade, Shanshan brings a deep understanding of Avenues to her role as director of operations and administration at Avenues Shenzhen from 2022. 

Shanshan graduated from the Renmin University of China Business School and also earned a master’s degree in engineering and operations research from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kiki Xiang

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Kiki Xiang joined Avenues in 2021, bringing a passion for education and more than 12 years of experience in teaching and research. Previously, Kiki spent several years in Europe, teaching at universities in Poland, Germany and Belgium and participating in the European Union’s volunteer teacher program; and has also worked as a child psychological consultant in Hong Kong. Kiki holds a Ph.D in education management from Beijing Normal University. As the mother of two children, she is thrilled to be joining the admissions team and looks forward to working with families as they embark on their educational journeys with Avenues.

Freya Fang

Director of People and Culture

Freya joined Avenues in March 2019 as director of people and culture for Avenues Shenzhen. Previously, Freya spent more than 10 years working in human resources for multinational companies, non-profit organizations and start-ups in China. Most recently, she served as senior HR business partner at Amazon China, supporting a team of more than 500 employees. Before that, Freya was the HR director of education non-profit Teach For China. Passionate about education and personal development, Freya is certified as a trainer in the The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity course, among others. She holds an M.A. in human resources management from Peking University.

Jeff Lippman

Head of School

Jeff Lippman is an experienced educator with a commitment to student-centered education. He began his three-decade career as a high school social studies teacher; since then, he has taken leadership roles at schools in the United States, France, Spain and Brazil. Jeff has served as head of middle school at both the American School of Paris and São Paulo's Graded School, and as high school principal at the American School of Valencia in Spain. After joining Avenues in 2019 he served as head of school at Avenues Online, overseeing the evolution and growth of the program through the initial stages of the pandemic. 

A native of Carmel, California, Jeff earned his B.A. and M.A. from Duke University. He also earned a degree in educational leadership through the Teachers College at Columbia University. Jeff and his wife Adriana, also an educator, have two children. With roots in the San Jose area, they are excited to relocate to California. He is an avid reader and enjoys traveling and playing tennis and basketball in his free time.

Matt Linden

Head of Early Learning Center

Matt Linden has worked in early childhood education in the Bay Area for more than 20 years. Upon completing his foundational training at Stanford's Bing Nursery School, Matt worked as a teacher at Bing and One Fifty Parker Avenue School in San Francisco, where he took on his first full-time administrative role. Matt later served as the executive director at The Little School in San Francisco, where he furthered the school's commitment to fostering an open, inclusive and diverse environment and putting relationships at the center of social-emotional learning. Since joining Avenues in 2019, Matt has helped to develop and lead the Avenues@Home program, supporting and overseeing teachers, students, and families worldwide.

Matt earned his B.A. from Stanford and his M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in San Carlos with his wife, Amanda and their two children. Matt enjoys hiking, reading, practicing yoga and playing ukulele.

Sarina Fierro

Head of Lower Division

Sarina Fierro has worked in elementary education for over 25 years. As a teacher in New York City public schools and as a school leader in California, Sarina helped to develop numerous core academic programs. Upon completing her doctorate at the University of Southern California and after serving for fifteen years as Head of the Lower Elementary at Curtis School in Los Angeles, Sarina joined the Silicon Valley team as head of Lower Division in 2020. Most recently, Sarina has contributed to the articulation of the problem-based global math curriculum for Avenues.

Sarina holds a B.S. from Syracuse University and an M.A. in elementary education from the School of Education at Manhattanville College. She earned an Ed.D in educational leadership from the University of Southern California.

Robyn Chapel

Head of Upper Division

Robyn Chapel is an experienced global educator dedicated to fostering agency and empathy in her students. A California native, Robyn began her career over thirty years ago as a bilingual social studies teacher in the Bay Area before moving abroad and serving in leadership roles in Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. Robyn most recently served as the director of teaching and learning at the American School in London and has served as the high school division head at both the American School of Valencia in Spain and the American School Foundation in Mexico City. Robyn returned to the Bay Area to join the founding leadership team of Avenues Silicon Valley in 2020. 

Robyn earned her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her M.A. from Stanford University. Robyn lives in San Jose with her partner Miguel and their two children. Robyn loves swimming, reading, discovering original recipes and traveling to new places.

Tamar Adegbile

Director of Student Wellbeing and College Counseling

Tamar Adegbile brings more than  two decades of college counseling experience to Avenues Silicon Valley. Prior to joining Avenues, Tamar served as the director of college counseling at the Cate School in Carpinteria, CA. Previously, she worked for 12 years as an upper school dean at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. A native of New York, Tamar also served on the college counseling team at Riverdale Country School. She began her career in college admissions, with positions at Columbia University and Vassar College.

Tamar earned her B.A. from Vassar College and is currently pursuing her M.A. in educational leadership through the Teachers College at Columbia University.  Tamar and her husband Dipo have two sons. She loves music, travel, hiking, barre and boot camp classes and spicy food.

Sarah Markhovsky

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Sarah joins Avenues from the Dallas-based Greenhill School—an independent school serving more than 1300 students in pre-K through 12th grade—where she served as director of admissions since 2014. Prior to her time at Greenhill, Sarah spent seven years at the Severn School outside of Washington D.C., first as the associate director of college counseling before being promoted to director of college counseling. She began her career in admissions at her alma mater, the University of Chicago, where she served as the assistant director of college admissions for four years. In addition to her extensive experience in admissions, Sarah brings strong leadership skills and commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive community to Avenues Silicon Valley.  

A native of the Washington D.C. area, Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and her master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Before starting her career in education, Sarah was a professional actress and singer working with film and theater companies in Minneapolis, Chicago and New York. She remains an avid theater lover and is also a devoted Star Wars fan. Sarah and her husband Russ have two children.

Amrit Chima

Director of Operations and Administration

Amrit Chima joins the Avenues Silicon Valley team after serving as Dean of Operations with Summit Public Schools, a leading charter network with schools in California and Washington. Prior to her time at Summit, Amrit was part of the founding Upper School faculty team at the Nueva School. In her role as Director of Athletics, she grew the program from 5 teams to 19 teams in its first four years. Over the past 15 years, she has worked in public and independent schools, from PK-12 to the university level, as a teacher, coach, mentor, and administrator.

Amrit earned her B.A. at Stanford University, where she was a member of the women's field hockey team. She has an M.S. from Miami University (OH). Outside of work, Amrit dabbles in woodworking, enjoys staying active, and considers herself an aspiring vegetable gardener.

Amy Helbig

Director of People and Culture

Amy joins the Silicon Valley team from Avenues’ headquarters, where she served for two years as Avenues’ first global people operations manager. In that role, she helped build a system to provide robust support for faculty and staff across Avenues’ campuses. Amy began her career as a middle school math teacher in New York City Public Schools. Subsequently, she spent six years at Achievement First, a high-performing public charter school network, first recruiting teachers as the organization grew from 20 schools to more than 30, then driving organizational growth by developing people and communications processes across the network.

Amy earned her B.A. at Bowdoin College and her M.S. from Fordham University. In her free time, Amy is an avid reader, podcast-listener and long-distance runner.

Maggie Wollner

Head of School

Maggie Wollner joined Avenues in 2012 as a founding member of the middle school science faculty and leadership team of the New York campus, going on to lead an interdisciplinary STEAM cohort and teach advanced biology in the upper grades. Between 2016 and 2019, she served as an associate head of the Upper Division. Maggie subsequently joined the Avenues R&D team as director of curriculum and went on to found Avenues’ first Studio campus in East Hampton, Long Island in 2020.

Maggie holds a B.A. from Harvard in History & Science with a secondary field in Classics, as well as an M.A. from the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership at Columbia University Teachers College. A native New Yorker, Maggie lives in New York City with her husband and young son. She is passionate about educational research and innovation, and committed to creating school experiences that challenge, delight, and inspire students.

Jeff Clark

President

An experienced and forward-looking education leader, Jeff has served as president of Avenues: The World School since 2013. Under Jeff’s leadership, Avenues is developing one school with many interconnected and interdependent campuses located in leading cities around the globe. Today, Avenues serves more than 3,000 students at its campuses in New York, São Paulo, Shenzhen and Online. Additional campus development efforts are currently underway in other leading global cities including Silicon Valley, Miami, Shanghai and London.

Prior to joining Avenues, Jeff served for seven years as president and CEO of National Heritage Academies (NHA), one of the largest K-8 education management organizations in the United States, which serves more than 55,000 students at nearly 90 charter schools in nine states. Jeff led a team of 4,000 people, managed a $400 million budget and oversaw all aspects of the fast-growing organization. Under Jeff’s leadership, NHA opened more than 20 new schools, had 100 percent of its charters renewed and significantly improved student learning outcomes. In total over the course of his career, Jeff has been responsible for the education of more than 250,000 students.

Prior to his career in education, Jeff held various leadership positions in investment and corporate banking. He served as community president of National City Bank and president of Westwater Group, a Michigan-based diversified management and investment company with interests in education, manufacturing and other industries.

Jeff earned a B.A. degree in political science from Hope College.

Lloyd Nathan

Executive Vice Chairman of the Board

A global executive who has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and the US, Lloyd has led cross-border businesses globally, including in real estate, hospitality, media, and education.

Prior to joining Avenues, Lloyd served as CEO of Asian Coast Development Ltd, where he raised $500m of debt and equity across Asia and the US, grew the company from 20 employees to more than 2,000 in three years, and built a one million-square-foot luxury integrated resort in Vietnam. Previously, Lloyd was President of Global Gaming Development at Fortune 500 MGM Resorts International, where he was responsible for MGM’s worldwide expansion.

Lloyd began his career as a dual-qualified lawyer specializing in cross-border transactions across Asia, Europe and the US for multinational companies. Lloyd graduated with Honors from the London School of Economics and The Law Society of England’s College of Law. He is an attorney at law of the State Bar of California and a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

Susan Beans

Chief Financial Officer

Susan began working with Avenues in 2014, and since then has served in a variety of roles, including most recently as vice president of enrollment, in which she led the admissions and enrollment teams across Avenues’ global campuses. Previously, Susan was a partner at the consulting firm Webster Pacific, where she spent 15 years providing strategic, operational and financial business services to clients in a wide variety of industries, ultimately focused on education. During that time, she served as both director of marketing and interim CFO at National Heritage Academies, one of the nation’s largest charter school operators.

Susan earned her B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley and her MBA from Stanford. She lives in the Bay Area and she and her husband John have three children. In her free time, Susan enjoys reading, traveling, scuba diving and camping with her family.

Stephen Hanon

Chief Campus Operations Officer

A broad-based financial and operational executive, Steve served as Avenues’ chief financial officer from 2011 until 2019, during which the school’s network grew from one campus to four. In 2020, Steve became Avenues’ first chief campus operations officer, a global role in which he oversees the operational and regulatory aspects of Avenues’ campuses around the world. Prior to joining Avenues, Steve served as CFO of Ralph Lauren’s global retail business, as chief financial and operating officer of Scripps Networks’ Shop at Home interactive retail division. His early career included roles at Goldman Sachs, Limited Brands, Price Waterhouse and PepsiCo International.

Steve earned his B.S. in Management from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and his MBA in finance at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

Min Kim

Chief People Officer

Min joined Avenues in 2015 as global director of strategy and campus development. In 2017, she was promoted to vice president of people and culture, responsible for leading Avenues’ global talent team.

Min brings more than 20 years of strategy, talent and operations experience to her work at Avenues. Previously, Min was the senior vice president of operations at Teach For America, where she supported the training and development of 4,000 new teachers each year. She also led the restructuring of the human resources division at the New York City Department of Education, developing processes and systems that impacted more than 150,000 teachers and staff members. Min previously worked as a strategy consultant and financial analyst with L.E.K. Consulting and Merrill Lynch.

Min earned her B.A. from Wellesley College. The mission of Avenues is especially close to her heart as she is herself the product of a global education, having grown up in seven countries in Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Edward Huang

Chief Operating Officer

An executive with more than two decades of experience, Edward joined Avenues in 2016 as vice president of information systems and technology. In this role, and later as chief information officer, he successfully led the development and implementation of critical digital infrastructure to support Avenues’ global expansion. In 2021, Edward was promoted to chief operating officer, leading teams across information systems and technology, admissions and enrollment management, creative, marketing, and communications.

Prior to joining Avenues, Edward worked at global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, where he ran the firm’s Project Management Office and developed their global IT infrastructure, systems and information security. Prior to that, Edward was at Walt Disney World, where he was awarded a service excellence award for management.

Edward graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in operations management and marketing and attended the University of Pennsylvania where he earned an M.Sc. engineering degree in the management of technology, co-sponsored by the Wharton School and the School of Engineering.

Will Lidwell

Chief Research & Development Officer

William Lidwell is vice president of Tiger Works, the research and development group at Avenues. Will began his career as a systems designer and consultant for NASA, specializing in cockpit automation and astronaut training. He is author of several books, including the best-selling Universal Principles of Design, which has been translated into more than 20 languages; Deconstructing Product Design, a social deconstruction engaging more than 20 experts and 100 classic products; and Guidelines for Excellence in Management, a compendium of research-based guidelines supporting effective management and leadership.

Will lectures on topics of psychology and design for The Great Courses and Lynda.com and is a former lecturer on instructional system design and industrial design at the University of Houston. He is a co-founder of the company that has become the online learning division of Underwriters Laboratories and holds a diverse array of patents, ranging from coffee table and eyeglass frame designs to advanced methods of interacting with online animated assistants.

Andy Clayman

Global Creative Director

Andy Clayman has directed the development of Avenues’ identity and multimedia activities. In the role of Avenues’ global creative director, he oversees interactive media development and how Avenues communicates with parents, students and the broader Avenues community.

Andy started his career at the renowned Xerox PARC—the Palo Alto Research Center—where the modern graphical user interface was invented. Thirty years ago, Andy founded Mediaworks, a New York City creative firm working across virtually all media, including film, web design, installation and animation. He has won or been nominated for numerous awards during his career, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature (2004) for My Architect.

Mei Wang

Global Director of China Campus Development and General Manager

Mei has more than 18 years of experience in global business development and thought leadership. In her current role, Mei is responsible for expanding the footprint of Avenues: The World School across China—a challenge she embraces with passion and commitment.

Most recently, she served as operating partner at CITIC Capital in China, where she was responsible for screening potential investees as well as nurturing existing clients in the education, technology and media sectors.

Mei earned an M.B.A. from Murdoch University (Perth, Australia), where she lived for several years.

Kym Ward Gaffney

Vice President of Leadership and Inclusion

Kym Ward Gaffney joined Avenues in 2019, bringing over 20 years of coaching and consulting experience, as well as a passion for supporting underrepresented groups in professional contexts. Kym started at Avenues as global director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) before becoming vice president of leadership, learning and inclusion in 2021. In her role, Kym is partnering with campus leadership teams on a multi-year strategy for DEI and is developing programming to promote DEI at Avenues. Before joining Avenues, Kym spent eight years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading the company’s coaching strategy. In that role, she created a curriculum to help leaders "coach across differences" and developed a team that served clients around the world, resulting in a meaningful increase of women and people of color admitted into U.S. and global partnership.

Kym sits on the board of MESA (Math Engineering Science Academy) High School and is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Institute for Transformational Leadership. She holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Howard University and an MBA double major in international business and marketing from NYU Stern Graduate School of Business.

Aric Dershem

Chief Information Officer

An experienced executive, Aric Dershem joined Avenues in 2021 after 24 years at National Heritage Academies (NHA), a 96-school network that serves nearly 65,000 students in nine states. At NHA, Aric served in a variety of leadership roles including vice president of information technology, vice president of administration, and vice president of people development.

As chief information officer, Aric is responsible for ensuring that Avenues has the systems, strategies and people in place to enable the success of students and faculty today, and to prepare for an Avenues of significantly greater scale tomorrow.

Nancy Schulman

Senior Advisor

Nancy Schulman is one of the country’s most prominent and highly regarded early childhood educators, leaders and authors. A founding member of the Avenues The World School leadership team, she served as the head of the Early Learning Center at Avenues New York from 2012 to 2022. In that decade, Nancy was also instrumental in the establishment of early childhood programs at Avenues campuses in São Paulo, Shenzhen, and Silicon Valley. Under her leadership, Avenues’ early childhood program has developed into one of the most respected in the world.

Before joining the founding team of Avenues, Nancy was the director of the prestigious 92nd Street Y Nursery School from 1990 to 2011. She began her career in education at Horace Mann School in New York, where she served as teacher and admissions director from 1973 to 1990. Nancy received a B.S. in elementary education from Syracuse University and an M.A. in early childhood and elementary education from New York University. She is the co-author of Practical Wisdom for Parents: Demystifying the Preschool Years (Knopf, July 2007).

Ted Faunce

Senior Advisor

Dr. Ted Faunce is a highly respected pioneer in the field of international education with more than two decades of experience leading bilingual schools. From 2017, Ted served as an advisor to Avenues in preparation for the launch of Avenues Shenzhen. He subsequently served as head of school at Avenues Shenzhen until 2022, overseeing its expansion from kindergarten through the upper grades. Before joining Avenues, Ted was principal of the Chinese International School in Hong Kong for 11 years, from 2006 to 2017, where he launched a yearlong academic and residential program—the first of its kind—for 10th grade students in Hangzhou, China. Prior to that, he served as head of the American section of the Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris, France. A lifelong language learner himself, Ted is passionate about dual language education and cultural immersion. Ted is a member of the board of directors of Teach for China and holds a PhD in Old French from Princeton University.

Ally Wu

Senior Advisor

Ally Wu is a deeply experienced educator and school leader, renowned in Shenzhen and beyond for her commitment to bilingual education. From 2011, Ally served as the founding director of Shen Wai International School (SWIS) in Shenzhen, a CIS and WASC accredited school, and an IB World School for the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma Program. Prior to that Ally served as principal of Shenzhen Foreign Languages School Branch School for 10 years. Before that Ally was an English teacher at Shenzhen Foreign Languages School and she has also taught English at Beijing Meteorological College. Ally is also a Visiting Professor at the School of Foreign Languages at Shenzhen University and the Department of Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. She graduated from the department of foreign languages and literatures of East China Normal University in Shanghai. 

Ally is the author of several books, including Dancing with Your Heart (2008, Shenzhen Publication and Distribution); Build a Harmonious School (2012, The Commercial Press); and Chat (2016, Guangxi Normal University Press). Ally has won several awards and honors, including Top 10 Best Principals of Shenzhen, 2012; The Top 10 Youth Teachers of Shenzhen, 2000; Leading Scholar of English Teaching in Shenzhen, 2003.

Tim Carr

Senior Advisor

Having lived on four continents for a total of 26 years overseas, Tim has been fortunate to lead some of the world’s most iconic international schools, including the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia, the American School in Japan, the Country Day School in Costa Rica and Graded - The American School of São Paulo, Brazil. During his time in Indonesia, Tim was named the 2015-16 International Superintendent of the Year by the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE). 

At Avenues, Tim has worked closely with the research and development team on programs seeking to reimagine the future of education, including the Avenues Mastery Academy and Avenues Studio Hamptons, and served as co-head of Avenues Online in 2018. Among other activities, he currently serves on Avenues’ global education team and co-leads Avenues’ initiatives on safeguarding and wellbeing across its campuses. Tim also serves on the NEASC Commission for International Education.

Lyle Sandler

Senior Advisor

Lyle Sandler is an interdisciplinary designer, innovator, and anthropologist. He assists organizations, corporate leaders, and governments in designing products, services, and experiences that drive new forms of value in anticipation of future human needs. He is currently the Chief Design Officer at Aon Corporation, overseeing the design of products and services across all business units. Lyle is exploring innovative techniques that enable humans to efficiently interact with large volumes of data, including the creation of non-language, multi-sensory, progressive storytelling.

​Previously, Lyle served as Global Head of Design and Consumer Experience at NCR Corporation and first vice president and director of the the Advanced Concepts Group at Merrill Lynch. As partner and founder at Brew SDC, Lyle’s clients included Wal-Mart, Frito Lay, Samsung, Kraft, Goldman Sachs and Reuters.

Lyle's post-graduate work includes a fellowship from the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film Studies.

David Palumbo

Senior Advisor

Across his forty-year career as a teacher, researcher, academic administrator, entrepreneur, consultant, corporate executive, and investor, Dr. David Palumbo has developed expertise in the diverse fields of cognitive science, psychology, technology and business management–all of which he harnesses in his work designing exceptional learning environments.

David joined Avenues as a senior advisor in 2015 with a particular emphasis on envisioning and accelerating the use of technology in pursuit of Avenues’ mission. He was an active part of the team that developed the unique operating model and groundbreaking Leonardo technology platform for Avenues Online. He continues to provide support for many of the innovative practices of the Avenues R&D team.

Prior to joining Avenues, David helped to design and deliver innovative, global-scale learning solutions for a wide variety of leading institutions and organizations, including Harvard University, MIT, the British Open University, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, The Walt Disney Company, Leapfrog and National Geographic.