The Broad Foundation Leadership Team

Nadya Chinoy Dabby, Associate Director for New Business Development, has a background in management consulting, primarily for nonprofit and government organizations, in health care, human services, youth development and affordable housing. Most recently, she was with the consulting practice of the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, D.C. Before that, she worked for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Local Economic and Employment Development Program. Chinoy Dabby received a bachelor's degree in international development and a master's degree in urban planning from UC Berkeley, as well as an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Christine DeLeon, Program Analyst, comes to the Foundation from The Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with consumer goods clients on change management, global positioning and pricing strategies. Before that, she was president, music director and marketing manager for Compulsive Lyres A Capella Group. DeLeon also served as American ambassador in France for the French YMCA. DeLeon has a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and corporate strategy from the University of Michigan.

Karen Denne, Chief Communications Officer, comes to The Broad Foundation after more than a decade in corporate communications and media relations in both the public and private sectors. Denne was vice president of public relations for Enron Corp., where she worked for seven years, most recently heading the company's media relations, internal communications and acting as corporate spokeswoman. Denne previously worked as communications director for the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She began her career as a reporter, writing for City News Service, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Daily News. She is an adjunct professor of public relations at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. Denne received her bachelor's degree in print journalism, English and international relations from the University of Southern California, where she also earned an M.P.A.

Christina Green, Program Assistant, most recently was a research assistant at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy in Philadelphia. She also worked as a research assistant for The Field Center for Children's Policy, Practice & Research, and as a mentoring program coordinator and immigration social worker for Lutheran Children and Family Service. Green has a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in German and a master's in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kevin Hall, Chief Operating Officer, was a co-founder and Senior Vice President of Business Development of Chancellor Beacon Academies, which manages public charter and private schools across the U. S. Prior to working at Chancellor Beacon, Hall was a Senior Vice President of infoUSA, a publicly traded information services company. He has also held positions at McKinsey & Co., Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Teach for America. Hall also served as an elementary school teacher, and a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University. Hall received a bachelor's degree with honors in political science and economics from Swarthmore College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Heidi Kato, Grants and Administration Director, comes to the Foundation from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, where she was the office manager and assistant to the dean. Prior to that, Kato served as a project consultant for the Getty Conservation Institute and spent nearly 10 years in marketing, special events, and administrative roles at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. She has a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Dan Katzir, Managing Director, has more than two decades of experience in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations, including school districts, schools, national education non-profits and businesses. Hired as the first staff member of The Broad Foundation at its inception in 1999, Katzir today oversees all aspects of the foundation's investments. Early in his career, Katzir worked as a consultant to the international management consulting firm Bain & Company, where he developed and implemented business strategies for Fortune 500 companies. Then, in the early 90s, Katzir became chief operating officer for Teach for America, where he managed what was then an organization with a budget of $7.5 million, 15 offices, 70 full-time staff and 1,200 teachers. Katzir created the organization's first financial planning and control system and trained its national leaders in strategic planning, budgeting and personnel management. Seeing the tremendous benefit of applying best practices in management and operations from the business industry to the education industry, Katzir went on to serve as the first executive director of the UCLA School Management Program, a joint venture of UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Anderson School of Management that provides executive management training to public school educators. In four years, Katzir took the program from a start-up to a $5 million, 60-person organization with offices across the country. The program provided customized executive management programs for boards of education, senior school district management, principals and teachers in large school districts. Katzir also served as the founding regional director of Sylvan Learning Systems in Los Angeles, managing 33 reading tutorial centers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Katzir has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in history from Dartmouth College, where he graduated summa cum laude.

Eli Kennedy, Associate Director, most recently was the Western regional director for Platform Learning, a New York-based tutoring company. His previous experience also includes working as a senior analyst at UC Berkeley, as a manager of strategic planning for DNET in San Francisco and as an analyst and senior consultant for Accenture in Atlanta. Kennedy has a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance from Howard University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Erica Lepping, Associate Director for Marketing and Communications, most recently served as communications director for the nonprofit Coalition for Clean Air. An attorney as well as a communications specialist, Lepping previously practiced education law and environmental law for Holland & Knight LLP. She brings communications experience on education issues to The Broad Foundation, having served in various communications roles during the Clinton Administration, at the U.S. Department of Education, at the White House Press Office, and most recently as press secretary for U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley. Lepping has a bachelor's degree in political science and environmental studies from American University and a juris doctorate from UCLA's School of Law.

Frances McLaughlin, Senior Director, has considerable experience managing national and international educational programs. Most recently she served as executive vice president of the Council on International Educational Exchange ("CIEE"), a nonprofit and market leader in the fields of study abroad and international student exchange. Over the course of her ten years at CIEE, she also served as chief operating officer of the organization's largest division, managing operations in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. Prior to CIEE, McLaughlin was the director of North American marketing and sales for the EF International Language Schools and also worked as a regional director for Teach for America. McLaughlin has a bachelor's degree in history and art history and an Executive Management Certificate from Columbia University.

Gregory McGinity, Senior Director of Policy, has worked at the Federal and state level on education policy. Prior to joining the Foundation, McGinity was the senior education policy consultant to the California State Board of Education, where he worked on the creation of California's academic content standards and assessment system. Previous to his return to California, McGinity worked for United States Senator Thad Cochran as a legislative assistant and then United States Representative Lindsey O. Graham as legislative director. Mr. McGinity advised both Members on education and training issues, and served on the negotiating team for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Prior to that, McGinity served as a legislative liaison at the United States Department of Education during President George H.W. Bush's administration. McGinity received his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Sharon Meron, Senior Director of Research and Evaluation, has extensive experience in managing geographically diverse businesses and using complex data to make business decisions. Before coming to the foundation, she served as chief operating officer for Advanced Monitored Caregiving, a New York-based healthcare provider, and as senior vice president of finance and planning for Marco Polo Networks. Prior to that, Meron worked in corporate development and acquisitions for RSL Communications, where she headed the company's expansion into Latin America and worked on their successful initial public offering. Meron began her career as a consultant at Putnam, Hayes and Bartlett in London, specializing in the telecom and energy sectors. She received her bachelor's degree in economics from Amherst College and earned an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Isabel Oregon, Program Assistant, comes to the Foundation from EdSource, where she worked as a research associate, conducting research, policy and data analysis on a variety of issues, including school finance. She has also worked as a graduate research assistant for the speaker of the House of Representatives in Austin, as a research team leader for Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, and as a policy intern for The Education Trust-West, where she researched and co-authored briefs on education topics such as teacher quality and a standard curriculum for all California high school students. Oregon also worked as a legislative intern for the House Committee on Higher Education in Austin and as a researcher at the Charles A. Dana Center. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California Santa Barbara and a master of public affairs from the University of Texas Austin.

Courtney Philips, Assistant Director, previously was a presidential management fellow, serving as outreach director in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement. In these capacities, she advised the assistant deputy secretary on the public school choice and supplemental services provisions of No Child Left Behind. At the age of 20, Philips was elected to office as a neighborhood councilwoman, representing 64,000 residents in South Central Los Angeles. She has a bachelor's degree in public policy and management from the University of Southern California and a master's in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

Nancy Que, Assistant Director, previously worked with Green Dot Public Schools where she prepared grant applications for new charter high schools in Los Angeles and managed the distribution and collection of annual reviews for 3,000 staff, parents and students. Que also worked for the Oakland Small Schools Foundation and developed a strategic plan for Think College Now Elementary School. She worked as a manager for Countrywide Financial Corporation's Full Spectrum Lending Division, as a financial analyst for Countrywide Home Loans, and as a consultant for FTI Consulting. Que has a bachelor's degree in economics and psychology from Pomona College and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Oscar Rosa, Office Assistant, most recently served as a museum assistant at the De Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, Calif. Prior to that, he worked as a teacher's assistant for a bilingual kindergarten class in San Jose, Calif. Rosa has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and studio arts from Santa Clara University.

Hilary Rowe, Knowledge and Information Systems Manager, has been a long-time consultant for The Broad Center and The Broad Foundation. Rowe also worked as a senior technical writer and senior editor for Symantec Corporation and as an editor and technical writer for the educational software company Six Red Marbles, Inc. Rowe has a bachelor's degree in linguistics from Stanford University.

Rachel Smookler, Associate Director for Marketing and Communications, comes to The Broad Foundation from the Broad Family Office, where she worked for seven years in various capacities. She most recently served as associate manager, overseeing special projects including Arts + Culture LA, an initiative to market the cultural assets of Los Angeles, as well as other responsibilities ranging from aircraft management to non-foundation-related philanthropy. Prior to that, Smookler served as director of administration for the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, a non-profit organization that serves as both a visitor destination, as well as a vocational training campus for the Los Angeles County Office of Education's at-risk youth population. She has a bachelor's degree in mass communication studies and sociology from UCLA and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Jennifer Sohn, Program Assistant, formerly worked as a teaching assistant as part of a J. William Fulbright Fellowship in Daegu, South Korea, where she taught conversational English to Korean students at a co-educational vocational high school. Prior to that, she was an intern in the Public Affairs office of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea and at the Skirball Cultural Center and Museum. Sohn also worked at Wellesley College as a student assistant to the Board of Admissions, in Community Children's Center and in the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services. Sohn has a bachelor's degree in English and cinema and media studies from Wellesley College.

Jennifer Welsh Takata, Program Analyst, most recently was an assistant principal at James Jordan Middle School in Chatsworth, where she supported the principal in opening and leading the start-up charter school. She has also taught first and second grade math classes in Concepcion, Chile, second and third grade and after-school photography at Santa Monica Montessori School, and second grade at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. She has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses at USC's teacher education program. Welsh Takata has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Dartmouth College, a master's degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership in urban school settings from USC.

Rebecca Wolf DiBiase, Director, has significant experience improving the productivity and accountability of schools. She has worked as a consultant for schools, nonprofits and other public organizations on goal-setting, leadership and program evaluation. Previously, DiBiase was director of accountability for the Charter School Office of the Massachusetts Department of Education. She also worked for the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, where she focused on policy reforms in K-12 education and urban entrepreneurship. Earlier in her career, DiBiase taught middle school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She has a bachelor's degree in international relations and Spanish from the University of Virginia, and a master's in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Finance and Operations

Julie Baker, Senior Finance Director, comes to the Foundation from Grant, Tani, Barash & Altman, Inc., a financial services firm serving high net worth families, where she was a tax manager. Prior to that, Baker was a manager in the personal financial planning department at KPMG. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a minor in Japanese from San Diego State University, and a Master of Business Taxation from the University of Southern California.