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  Primo Lasana

  Executive director, New York City

  Primo Lasana is honored to become the executive director of Reading Partners NYC. Primo joins Reading Partners after eight years with iMentor, a national college access program that leverages volunteers for student success. At iMentor, he held leadership roles in program implementation, volunteer recruitment, fundraising and national program expansion. He started his career at City Year Chicago, where he completed two years of service in Chicago Public Schools as an AmeriCorps member. Primo is proudly born and raised in New York City. Outside of work, he serves on Brooklyn Community Board 9 as the co-chair of the Youth Services Committee. In 2021, Primo graduated from NYU Wagner with an executive master’s in public administration and completed his bachelor's degree at CUNY Hunter College.

• Derrick Bell

  Program manager

  Derrick is the program manager for the Bronx. He grew up in Louisiana and later moved to Maryland where he completed high school. He attended Fordham University in the Bronx where he got a crash course on living in NYC. He studied Sociology and Communications with a focus on social work while also being a D-1 collegiate football player. Derrick enjoys good conversation, dancing, singing, and both watching/playing sports.

• Kimberly De Jesus

  Program manager

  Kimberly De Jesus considers herself a lifelong learner. She is a recent graduate from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she received a Master's in Public Administration with a specialization in Management and Leadership. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Culture with a minor in Spanish from Howard University. Her journey as an educator began as an afterschool step coach for elementary-aged children in Washington D.C. She later joined Teach For America (TFA), serving two years as an elementary school teacher for the Greater New Orleans region. After her TFA commitment, she continued teaching, focusing on differentiating instruction for English Language Learners and children with exceptionalities. As a program manager, she continues to pursue her passion for educational equity by designing and implementing educational opportunities for students and families across the NYC region.

• Koula Von Hoppe

  Special projects manager

  Koula Von Hoppe is the special projects manager for Reading Partners NYC. Before joining the NYC team, she completed two AmeriCorps service terms in the wonderful Silicon Valley region. She has always had a passion for children and equity; besides her various volunteer experiences, she graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor's Degree in English in the concentration of Literature and Culture, and minors in Peace and Justice Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and Journalism. In her free time, Koula loves to cook, dance, and explore new places in the greatest city in the world.

• Lauraly Laurent

  Program Manager

  Lauraly was born in Haiti and grew up in South Florida. She now considers New York and the larger Northeast her home.  Lauraly is excited to be a Program Manager for Reading Partners where she will manage PS 48X, PS 43, PS 179, PS 18X, and PS 54 in the Bronx and Bed Stuy. She comes from an education background, previously working as a College Counselor for high school students, and has a master's degree in educational leadership. When Lauraly is not working, she enjoys spending her time dancing, trying new recipes, and studying different languages.

  Contact:  lauraly.laurent@readingpartners.org

• Clara Monk

  FAO Schwarz Fellow

  Clara Monk is currently the FAO Schwarz Fellow with the community engagement team at Reading Partners NY. Clara recently graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Economics and Education Studies and is excited to be working in an education equity organization. In addition to her work at Reading Partners, Clara is a dancer, general manager for a dance company, standardized test tutor, and avid foodie. You can reach Clara at clara.monk@readingpartners.org

• Louisa Moyse

  Development director

  Louisa Moyse is the development director at Reading Partners NY. Before joining the team in September 2021, Louisa lead development and external relations efforts at Public Prep Network, a single-sex charter school network in NYC. In her role at Reading Partners, Louisa is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of the short- and long-term development goals. Louisa has a Bachelor's Degree in international studies from SUNY Cortland. She is thrilled to be on the Reading Partners New York team where she can continue her commitment to providing equitable access to high-quality educational experiences.

• Rhea Quinones

  Community Engagement Director

  Rhea is honored to join Reading Partners as the community engagement manager for the New York region. Rhea spent three years with Achievement First Charter School Network where she developed community partnerships in Brooklyn, ensured strong family engagement, and managed community outreach for student recruitment efforts. Prior to her work with Achievement First, Mrs. Quinones worked as a community organizer for a decade, supporting grassroots education, housing, and transit organizing in Mammoth Lakes, CA, Chicago, IL, Manhattan, NY, and Patterson, NJ. Rhea is committed to giving all students access to an amazing education and is passionate about using volunteers to help address critical problems facing our country.

• Megan Ross

  Director, New Business Development

  Megan joined the Reading Partners New York team in 2015 as the first senior major gifts officer in the network. Prior to Reading Partners, Megan served for six years in a similar role at City Year New York. Megan's experiences focus primarily on individual and corporate giving, major gifts programs, and relationship development on all levels. Megan lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children and has seen firsthand the importance of developing strong literacy skills at a young age. Outside of work, Megan serves on the Annual Fund Advisory Board at Duke University where she double majored in Public Policy and Spanish. You can reach Megan at megan.ross@readingpartners.org.

• Elisabeth Rudin

  Program manager

  Elisabeth is a program manager in Harlem. She grew up in Maryland and DC and currently loves living in Harlem. She attended Boston University, studying Theatre Arts and African American Studies. She has previously worked in youth development focused on art and mentorship. Elisabeth loves dancing, cooking, and painting. Her favorite author is Elif Shafak.

Advisory board

Matthew Baldwin, Tutor at PS 188

Kerri Martin Bartlett, Tutor at PS 123

David Berg, Corporate Partner, Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel, LLP

Gillian Francis, Sustainable Solutions, Lockheed Martin Energy

James Hobson, Chief Executive Officer, Attune Insurance

Elizabeth John, Tutor at PS 171

David Levine, Senior Managing Director, The Blackstone Group

Brandon Lower, Head of Financial Sponsors Group, William Blair & Company

Melissa Magner, Board Committee Chair, Director, BlackRock Solutions

Peter Martelli, Mergers & Acquisitions Partner, Kirkland and Ellis

Marshall N. McIntosh, Sr. Vice President, Head, U.S. GWM Internal Sales, PIMCO

Matt Perelman, Garnett Station Partners

Elise Rosenberg, Managing Director at Seven Bridges Advisors, LLC

Alexander Sloane, Trustee, Heckscher Foundation for Children; Garnett Station Partners

Amy M. Starck, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Alexis Strongin, Retired Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician, Tutor at PS 38

Andrea London, Senior Vice President at Lincoln Land Services, Co-Board Chair

Stephen G. Tomlinson, P.C., Partner, Real Estate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Co-Board Chair

Daniel Zarkowsky, Partner at Apollo

Associate board

AJ Alexakos, Investment Analysis, LCM Asset Management LLC

Mackenzie Bernan, Senior Associate, The Blackstone Group

Sonia Bouclainville

Zack Coleman, Associate, Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC

Angela Cui, Investor, Wildcat Capital Management

Joe Fiorie, Account Manager, Dealogic

Andrew Gothelf, Senior Manager, AppExchange Marketing, Salesforce

Raquel Grazi Fischer, Vice President at Mousse Partners

Heather Heinz, Investment Analyst, Real Estate, Kemnay Advisory

Ramyata Joshi, Associate Board Chair, Winton Capital

MaryEllen McGann, Associate, Goldman Sachs

Katherine Schafler, Psychotherapist / Private Practice / In-house at Google

Anupama Yerramali, Counsel, Latham & Watkins

Sam Zaretsky, Real Estate Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Tutor advisory council

Mahmadou Bah

Dana Bricken

Mary Gherty

Nancy Hemmes

Iris Keitel

Ingrid Leter

Christina Mason, former Tutor Advisory Council Chair

Anne Mullin

Devi Ramchandran

Darlene Reid-Dodick

Christopher Simon

Joan Stamler, Tutor Advisory Council Chair

Cindy Tannenbaum

Cinder White

Tom Wornom