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.

Nancy Schulman

Head of Early Learning Center

Nancy Schulman is one of the country’s most prominent and highly regarded early childhood educators, leaders and authors. She was the director of the 92nd Street Y Nursery School from 1990 to 2011 and has been involved in independent schools in New York City for more than 30 years. Under Nancy’s leadership, the 92nd Street Y Nursery School was consistently regarded as one of New York City’s very finest nursery and pre-k programs, building a national and international reputation in the process. Before the 92nd Street Y, Nancy was the admissions director and a teacher at Horace Mann Lower School in New York 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).

Melody Meade

Co-Head of Early Learning Center

Melody Meade joined Avenues in 2021 as the co-head of Early Learning Center, working alongside Nancy Schulman. Melody will assume the role of head of Early Learning Center in the fall of 2022 after Nancy transitions into retirement. 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, where she oversaw the establishment of a new and expanded state-of-the-art early childhood facility. 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.

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.

David Buckwald

Global Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Dave joined Avenues in 2018, bringing 15 years of experience in highly selective college admissions. Most recently, Dave served as one of the directors in the undergraduate admission office at Columbia University, overseeing international admissions and strategic initiatives. In his more than 10 years at Columbia, he also led engineering recruitment, revived a joint undergrad program between Columbia and The Julliard School, and traveled extensively for the university, often as a keynote speaker and panelist at top high schools across the nation and world. Previously, Dave was the director of admissions at Bates College, where he helped to bring in one of the most selective and diverse incoming classes in the college’s history. He began his admissions career at his alma mater, Fordham University in Bronx, NY. Dave also has a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Fiona Reynolds

Director of Student Wellbeing

Fiona Reynolds joined Avenues in 2021 as the director of student wellbeing, leading our Upper Division team of deans, psychologists, learning specialists and others to ensure that students thrive emotionally and academically while at Avenues. Fiona is an experienced and innovative school leader, having worked in and led international schools for more than 20 years in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Before joining Avenues, she was the deputy head of school at the American School in Bombay, where she also served as the director of teaching and learning, high school principal, and middle school principal. A sought-out educational expert, Fiona has presented at a variety of conferences on nurturing schools, organizing schools for change, creating developmentally appropriate middle schools, setting a vision for young adolescent education and a variety of approaches to teaching and learning.

Fiona earned her B.A. in political science, her M.A. in curriculum and instruction and her EBD in organizational leadership, policy and development—all from the University of Minnesota. She has also served on a variety of academic boards and advisory and steering committees in the education space.

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.

Luciana D’Angelo

Director of Operations and Administration

Luciana D’Angelo brings 30 years of financial and administrative experience to Avenues São Paulo. In senior positions with Pearson and Rosetta Stone in Brazil, she built and managed multidisciplinary teams, oversaw strategy and directed sales with a focus on company results. Prior to Rosetta Stone, Luciana spent 13 years at Pearson Education do Brasil, serving most recently as chief financial officer and interim chief executive officer. At Avenues São Paulo, Luciana is responsible for campus operations, acting as a strategic advisor, functional expert and thought partner to the global CFO and members of the school leadership team. A native Portuguese speaker, Luciana is also fluent in English and Spanish.

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.

Ted Faunce

Head of School

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. 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. Ted is a member of the board of directors of Teach for China and holds a PhD in Old French from Princeton University.

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 (planned to open 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.

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.

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 was most recently head of middle school at the American School of Paris. Prior to that, he served as head of middle school at São Paulo's Graded School and high school principal at the American School of Valencia in Spain. 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.