Our Team

Senior Management Team

Since 2006, Ronald Brady has served as the Head of School of Foundation Academies. Prior to founding the school with other Trenton parents and educators, Mr. Brady served as the K-8 and Middle School Principal at Trenton Community Charter School, the Director of the Career Learning Academies and Smaller Schools (CLASS) Project in the Paterson, NJ Public Schools, Director of the Office of State Operated School Districts in the New Jersey Department of Education, Assistant to the Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education and as a Research Associate at The Edison Project. Mr. Brady is a Harry S Truman Scholar and holds an Masters of Public Affairs from Princeton University and a BA magna cum laude in History and Government from Bowdoin College. Mr. Brady serves on the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees.

After serving as the Founding High School Leader-in-Residence at Foundation Academy for one year, Nicole Falconer became the Founding Principal of Foundation Collegiate Academy. Prior to joining Foundation, Ms. Falconer served as a History Lead Teacher, Administrative Coordinator of Students Affairs and the National Honor Society Founding Advisor at Frederick Douglas Academy VII in Brooklyn. She has also served as a Teacher Selector for the New York City Teaching Fellowship prior to joining Foundation Academy. Nicole received and Excellence in Teaching Citation from the New York State Assembly in 2007 and again in 2010 for her students’ achievement in the classroom and on standardized assessments. Ms. Falconer holds a B.A. in History from Yale University, a Masters in the Science of Teaching from Pace University and an Advanced Masters in Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University, graduating with honors.

Christopher Lessard serves as the School Business Administrator at the Frankford Township Board of Education, the Branchville Board of Education and the Central Jersey Arts Charter School. Previously he has served as the Treasurer of School Monies for the Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology and the Business Administrator of the Discovery Charter School in Newark, NJ. He is a graduate of Bentley College where he received his B.S. in Business Management.

Tara Pepe is the Director of Operations and School Social Worker and is a Co-Founder of Foundation Academy. Ms. Pepe previously worked as an In-home Therapist for the Community YMCA in Ocean County, and prior to that, served as the School Social Worker at Trenton Community Charter School. Ms. Pepe graduated with Highest Honors with a B.A. in Social Work from Muhlenberg College, and she received her Master's in Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Graig Weiss served as the Founding Middle and High School Principal at Cap Cana Heritage School, an English immersion private school in the Dominican Republic for two years prior to joining Foundation Academy. A 2003 Teach for America corps member, Mr. Weiss taught Math and Science in the Bronx and the Dominican Republic prior to becoming an administrator and was selected as Teacher of the Year in 2007. Prior to entering the education field, Mr. Weiss worked in the financial services sector with Cambridge Associates, LLC in Boston, MA. He holds a B.S./B.A. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Science in Teaching from Fordham University, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Scranton.

Board of Trustees

Meghan Mackay, President
Meghan Mackay is the Director of Strategic Planning for New Heights Youth, a New York City nonprofit that supports the education and development of inner-city student athletes. She has worked in education-related ventures for the past 18 years, including teaching sixth through twelfth grade literature and writing, developing educational software, crafting curricula, conducting professional development programs for teachers and consulting on instructional design. Meghan has also worked as an exhibiting artist and started two art-related companies. She serves on the board of Mott Haven Academy Charter School in the South Bronx, which is designed to meet the needs of at-risk students in the foster care and child welfare system, and is the Co-Chair of the NYC Regional Council for Schools That Can, a national network of high-performing schools operating in underserved communities. Ms. Mackay received her B.A. in Art History from Stanford University and her M.A. in Education from the University of San Francisco. On the weekends, she plays a lot of ball (any kind) with her four boys.

Mary Nicole Sistrunk-Lewis, Vice-President/Secretary/Treasurer
Nicole Sistrunk-Lewis is a Co-Founder of Foundation Academy Charter School. Ms. Sistrunk-Lewis has been a resident of the City of Trenton since 1999, and has worked in education and social services throughout Mercer County. At present, she is a Social Worker at Mercer County Board of Social Services where she provides housing and emergency services for county residents. Prior to joining The Board of Social Services, Ms. Sistrunk-Lewis served as a Care Manager at Capitol County Children’s Collaborative (CCCC), where she managed the cases of children with behavioral and mental health needs.. Prior to joining CCCC, Ms. Sistrunk-Lewis served as a Family Support Worker at the Children’s Futures’ West Ward Center. Ms. Sistrunk-Lewis is a graduate of Piscataway High School, and has a B.A. in Fine Arts and Afrikan Studies from Rutgers College.

Devion Ayers
Devion Ayers is the Senior Safety Data Coordinator, Marketed Product Safety Clinical, Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk, Inc. in Princeton, NJ. He is a lifetime resident of the city of Trenton. One of his proudest accomplishments is raising his three boys: His oldest son is a recent graduate of Trenton Catholic Academy and will be attending Mercer County Community College majoring in Chemistry. His younger sons, 15 and 13 years of age, have both attended Foundation Academy since the fifth and sixth grade, respectively (his 15-year-old having attended Foundation Academy since its inception). Mr. Ayers is currently pursuing in Business Administration Associate in the Science Degree Program at Mercer County Community College.

Anne-Mindy Fernandez Sheinbaum
Anne-Mindy Fernandez-Sheinbaum has been the Founding Director of Student Affairs for Teach For America, Mid-Atlantic in Philadelphia, PA since 2006. Prior to joining TFA on staff, Ms. Fernandez-Sheinbaum served as a Special Education Teacher at an International School in the Dominican Republic. From 2000 to 2005, she served as a Project Coordinator for Covering Kids and Families in New York City and Project Coordinator for The Student Poverty Reduction Outreach Program (SPROUT) with the Children’s Defense Fund of NY. From 2004 to 2005 Ms. Fernandez-Sheinbaum served as a Faculty Advisor/Adjunct Lecturer, overseeing the learning, academic and professional progress of Master of Social Work students concentrating in Community Organizing and Program Planning. Prior to this work, Ms. Fernandez-Sheinbaum taught K-5 Special Education as a Teach For America Corps Member. Ms. Fernandez-Sheinbaum received her B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She also received a Master in Social Work and a Certificate of Field Instruction (SIFI) from Hunter College School of Social Work in New York, NY.

Cecily Johnson
Cecily Johnson is the Director of Finance for Disability Rights, New Jersey, a non-profit that serves as a legal advocacy group for persons with disabilities. In her role, she manages various federal and state funded grants. She served on several Boards among them; she was the Fundraising Chair for African Peoples Action School. She is currently finishing her Master’s of Accountancy at Rider University and was a James Dickenson Carr Scholar at Rutgers University where she received her B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Industrial Engineering.

Todd W. Kent, PhD.
Todd Kent is Director of Teacher Certification and lecturer for the Program in Teacher Preparation at Princeton University. Dr. Kent began his teaching career at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland where he taught science at the middle and high school level for nine years, coached several sports, headed the science department, and then served as principal of the high school division. He currently serves as secretary for the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and is also a member of the Accreditation Panel for the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. He has been published in the areas of educational technology, content pedagogy, and case methodology. Dr. Kent has a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton University and earned his doctorate from the University of Virginia in educational evaluation.

Earl Kim
Earl Kim is the Superintendent of the Montgomery Township, New Jersey Public Schools. Between 2003 and 2008, he served as the Superintendent of the Verona, New Jersey Public Schools, and prior to that he served as Principal of Emerson Junior-Senior High School, in Emerson, NJ, where he was named a 2002 New Jersey Principal of the Year. Mr. Kim has also served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and as a Math Teacher at Trenton Central High School. Mr. Kim is a graduate of Cornell University and he earned a Master's in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Kirk Norris
Frank N. (Kirk) Norris, Jr. is a former corporate Vice President who has over 40 years facility development experience in the United States, Europe and Africa. From 1960 to 2000, Mr. Norris worked with several companies that designed and built industrial, educational, medical, pharmaceutical and petro-chemical installations. In addition to his corporate experience, Mr. Norris has been volunteering in the Trenton community since 1972. As a Board Member of the social service agency Mercer Street Friends, he approved the establishment of Trenton's Village Charter School in 1997. As the Board representative, Mr. Norris oversaw the design and construction of Trenton's first new school building in 30 years. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Friends Home and Village, Newtown, PA, where he is Treasurer and is an advocate for The New Jersey Charter Public School Association. Mr. Norris was the 2010 recipient of the New Jersey Charter School Advocate of the Year award.

Grecia Montero
Grecia Montero serves as the Director of Recruitment in the Office of Admissions at the College of New Jersey. In this role, she specializes in the recruitment of students of color and other students who are underrepresented at the college. Previously, Ms. Montero served as the Assistant Dean of Admissions at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Ms. Montero is a member of the New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling. Ms Montero received her B.A. in Communications from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Home Office Team

Scott H. Danberry is the Facilities Associate at Foundation Academy. Mr. Danberry previously worked as an Operations Foreman at the West-Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.

José A. Lozada is the Director of Data and Technology and a Co-Founder of Foundation Academy. Mr. Lozada previously worked as a Network Administrator at Trenton Community Charter School. He possesses a Bachelor of Computer Science degree, cum laude, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Jacqueline Martinez is the School Operations Associate. She joined our team from Trenton Community Charter School where she served as the Director of Food Services, providing breakfast and lunch to over 600 students daily. Prior to this, Jackie was a Senior Claims Processor with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New York and a Program Coordinator with the Cerebral Palsy Association of Middlesex County, NJ. In all of these roles over the course of her professional career, Jackie has executed complex and multi-faceted operational support assignments that served a variety of different clients.

Tracy D. Muni is the Executive Assistant to the Head of School. She joined Foundation Academy from the position of Deputy Municipal Clerk and Assistant to the Mayor of the Borough of Fieldsboro, NJ. Prior to her work in local government, Tracy was the Marketing and Office Manager at Conectsys and Stony Brook Central Vacuum and prior to that a Development and Marketing Associate for a Trenton non-profit. Tracy has her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Rowan University and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Elementary Education/Special Education program at the College of New Jersey.

Lyan J. Pernala is the Director of Development. She previously served as the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Council on Affordable and Rural Housing in Alexandria, VA. In addition, she has worked with the New York City Department of Small Business Services, Summer Advantage in Boston, MA and the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, DC. Lyan possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and a Masters in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Johanna Soto is the School Operations Associate at Foundation Academy. She previously worked for Princeton University’s Preparatory Program as an Alumni Intern, and prior to that worked as a Customer Service Representative at Sovereign Bank. Ms. Soto possesses a B.A. in Sociology from The College of New Jersey and is a proud Trenton native.