Providence After School Alliance

PASA's Board of Directors, chaired by Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, is a dynamic group of public officials, private sector leaders, and community partners. PASA's board members bring with them a diverse array of expertise and passions, and each are deeply committed to the role that after-school and expanded learning programs play in creating positive outcomes for youth.

Angel Taveras, Mayor, City of Providence, Board Chair

Angel Taveras is Providence's 37th Mayor. An attorney and former Providence Housing Court Judge, Mayor Taveras was elected as the city's first Latino mayor with 82 percent of the vote in November 2010. Mayor Taveras, 40, grew up on the South Side of Providence, where he attended Head Start before entering the Providence Public Schools, and went on to graduate with honors from Harvard University.

Before pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, Mayor Taveras used a fellowship award to create an after-school program and summer day camp at the Elmwood Community Center. Throughout his career, Mayor Taveras has demonstrated a profound commitment to public service. In addition to the Echoing Green Public Service Fellowship at the Elmwood Community Center, Mayor Taveras was a founding board member of New Urban Arts, served on the board of the Providence Plan, and on the International Institute's Board of Advisors. He graduated from Leadership Rhode Island in 1999.  He was also selected as a RI Bar Foundation Fellow in 2008, an honor given to lawyers whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated an outstanding dedication to the welfare of the community.

Rose Amoros, Director of Marketing and Communications, Save the Bay

Communications, media, marketing, community outreach and relations are all talents Rose brings to the PASA Board.  She has worked for a number of communications firms in RI and MA including Duffy & Shanley and Greenough Communications.  

Prior to Save the Bay, she worked at Year-Up where she worked for 3 years helping with student recruitment, leading a team of 25 students, assisting with the national organizations branding and corporate communications, as well as development strategies.  She has served on a number of local commissions and boards including the Mayor's Human Relations Commission, House of Hope, and Urban League. She is also active in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Public Relations Society of America.  She is committed to youth and community development, as well as her career interests in communications and community relations. 

Julia Bush, Providence parent & After-school provider

Julia is a parent of an incoming 6^th grader at the Nathan Bishop Middle School.  She is very involved in after-school programming in both the arts and sports areas. She and her husband just started an arts after-school program in Warren called Art Spot.  Julia is also an active tennis player and past captain in USTA.  She has board experience with  the Women's Development  Corporation, Child's Play Nursery School and YMCA of Greater Providence.  She is experienced with non-profit management, having served for 7 years managing finances, development and program development at the Women's Development Corporation (a multi-million dollar housing organization) and a manager for Earthwatch Expeditions. She holds a Master's degree from Yale School of Management.  In addition to being  passionate about after-school arts and sports programming and experienced in non-profit management, she is well known and respected in the East Side parent community. 

Paige Clausius-Parks, Network Director, Youth 4 Change

Paige is the Network Director at Youth 4 Change, a network of organizations that empower youth to be leaders in their communities. She is also co-owner and consultant for inFOCUS, LLC., a professional development, training and technical assistance firm dedicated to successful inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.  Prior to joining Youth 4 Change, Paige served as a teacher/advisor at The Met Center for four years.

As a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Paige specializes in education administration, planning and social policy. Her extensive background and experience includes providing appropriate and adequate response to student social and emotional emergencies and crisis, designing and implementing educational programs to meet student needs and school district goals, consultation with school committees and boards, and collaboration with education professional organizations. Paige has dedicated her life to ensuring, creating and providing safe schools for all students. Paige is active in many community organizations and serves on the Board of Marriage Equality RI.  

Hugh Clements, Chief of the Providence Police Department

Hugh T. Clements, Jr. was appointed to the Providence Police Department on May 5, 1985, as a night Patrol Officer in the Patrol Bureau, Uniform Division. He attended many specialty schools throughout his career such as: The NYSP Henry Williams Homicide School, The Illinois State Police Supervisor's School, ATF National Gang School, and in 2005 he graduated the Leadership Rhode Island Alpha II Class, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University.

Commander Clements received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island in 1981. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Administration of Justice from Roger Williams College which he received in 1988. He holds a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

Sharon Collier, Human Resource Management, Meeting Street School

PASA's need for HR expertise is well matched with Sharon's professional expertise as Human Resource Director for the Meeting Street School.  She blends a background in strategic planning, financial management and HR which has helped set new strategic directions for the Meeting Street School in addition to achieving greater staff productivity at less cost.  She brings a wealth of organizational development experience around leadership development, talent management and diversity issues.  Prior to joining Meeting Street where she has worked for 6 years she worked at Fleet for 12 years.   She has been active at Leadership RI and has served on the Board of the Festival Ballet.  She is currently completing a Master's of Science & Leadership at Northeastern University.  

Michelle Cortes-Harkins, Partner, Harkins Wealth Management

Michelle brings a dynamic mix of community organizing and business expertise to the Board.  She  is a partner in Harkins Wealth Management.  Prior Michelle worked as a financial advisor for several top notch investment firms.  She has done development work at Genesis Center, Brown University and the Providence Center, as well.  She is on the Board of the Paul Cuffee School, Childhood Lead Action and Rhode Island Latino Census, and has a long list of past board and non-profit affiliations.  She holds a MSW from Rhode Island College, graduating with honors. Michelle is interested in helping PASA build its connections to the Hispanic community.  

Nicole Dufresne, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence

Nicole has been active in Providence area community for almost twenty years. She currently serves as the executive director of the Boys& Girls Clubs of Providence, and has been involved with the Providence and Pawtucket branches since 1992 – serving as Chief Operating Officer, Director of Operations, Unit Director, Director of Program Services, and Program Director. While serving as the Unit Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, Nicole was a recipient of the Boys & Girls Club of America Woodruff Fellowship.  Nicole will serve as an AfterZone Board Representative and holds a B.S. in Organizational Communications from Providence College and a Master's of Science in Management from Lesley University.  

Robert Goguen, CPA, Kahn, Litwin, Renzen & Co.

Bio Forthcoming

Adam Greenman, Executive Director, Rhode Island After School Plus Alliance

Adam has been involved with education reform and youth development initiatives since 2004, in both direct service and nonprofit advocacy.  Prior to joining RIASPA as Project Manager, Adam worked for the Rutgers University Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership, creating partnerships for the university with local middle and high schools, and working with those schools to create high-quality after-school and summer programming.  He began his career as a middle school social studies teacher in Camden, NJ as part of the Teach For America program.  Adam received his B.A. from The George Washington University, his Master's degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University, and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from LaSalle University.

Kimberly Jalette, Vice President for Change Management, Citizens Bank

Kim learned about PASA from Leadership RI, where she has been active.  She comes to PASA with a solid financial background and a passion for community building and after-school programs. She is currently a Vice President for Change Management at Citizens Bank where she leads mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other major change programs.  She took a break from her financial career to serve as the Director of Programs for Leadership RI because her experience in the program was such an inspiration.  Prior to that, she spent 16 years in the finance and strategic management field with Met Life and Providence Mutual Fire Insurance.  Her love for after school and working for youth resulted in a small business that she developed to sell academically oriented adventure video games to youth, so she is full of technology and education ideas for middle school youth.  She is interested in assisting PASA shape its financial future in a way that provides continuity and strength to the organization.

Dr. Susan Lusi, Interim Superintendant of Providence Public School

Susan Follett Lusi is currently the Superintendent of Providence Schools. She has served as Superintendent of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Chief of Staff for the Providence Public Schools and as Assistant Commissioner at the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Prior to these appointments, Dr. Lusi worked as Director of Policy for the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and Visiting Assistant Professor at Brown University and also for the Coalition of Essential Schools. 

Dr. Lusi is a member of the National Advisory Board for the Alliance for Excellent Education based in Washington, DC; the Superintendents' Leadership Council Advisory Board for the Education Alliance, based at Brown University; the New England School Development Council's (NESDEC) Board of Directors; and the Governing Board for the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).  She was also a fellow in the Broad Foundation's Urban Superintendents Academy.  She is the author of The Role of State Departments of Education in Complex School Reform (Teachers College Press, 1997) and holds a Ph.D. and Master's in public policy from Harvard University, as well as a MAT in social studies and an AB in economics from Brown University.

Ben McGuire, Esq., Associate, Greenberg Traurig

Ben is an attorney with the Boston and Rhode Island firm of Greenberg Traurig, where he focuses on public finance, corporate and securities law.  Much of his work relates to schools, hospitals and public and nonprofit institutions.  He is a member of the RI and Massachusetts Bar Association.  He approached PASA because of his love for Providence which he developed as a Brown undergraduate.  During his college years he worked on policy issues with Lt. Governor Charles Fogarty, was the campaign manager for House Majority Leader Gordon Fox and interned with Steve Constantino.  He wants to stay active in Providence community change and came to PASA offering to help impressed by the organization's impact on youth and establishing a national model.

Ross Mitchel, Principal and Founder, Implementations, Inc.

Ross is a business consultant with 15+ years experience developing and implementing strategies and operating initiatives for a wide range of for-profit and non-profit organizations such as the University of Texas, Phillips Medical Systems, and Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Relocating to Providence from Austin, Texas in the spring of 2010 he comes to PASA and RI with a long career as a management consultant and an interest in assisting PASA with board development, strategic planning, communications and operations.  He has served on the Boards of the Jewish Community Association in Austin and the Zachery Scott Theater.  Prior to living in Austin, he resided in Boston where he started his consulting practice and previously worked in the real estate, finance, and investment sectors.   

Toots Zynsky, Glass Artist & RISD Board Member

Zynsky is known internationally not only as one of the most innovative voices in the American Studio Glass Movement, but also for her distinctively unique sculptural glass vessels she currently creates using her "filet de verre" technique.  In 1971, Zynsky was among the original group of glass artists who founded the now world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School led by Dale Chihuly. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1973.

In 1980, following many other creative ventures, moving to New York City she went on to contribute her considerable energies to the founding and development of the second New York Experimental Glass Workshop (now called Urban Glass). Zynsky's works are found in the world's most prestigious public and private collections, including Museum of Modern Art in New York, the White House Collection of American Crafts, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Koganezaki Glass Museum in Japan. Zynsky serves on the Board of the RISD Museum and Festival Ballet and is active in the arts community in Providence and was an early contributor to the planning process for the creation of PASA.