A team of proven educational leaders
ABOUT US: LEADERSHIP


The more support students have, the higher they can set their sights. Heights unites esteemed leaders from Philadelphia’s most trusted educational nonprofits ⎯ Philadelphia Futures and Steppingstone Scholars ⎯ to unlock more: More programs. More partnerships. More possibilities for the students we work to empower every day.
Meet our accomplished leadership

Sara L. Woods, Esq.
Sara oversees operations and innovation at Heights and co-leads the organization with Sean. Sara leads through a relationship-centered, strengths-based lens. Formerly president and CEO of Philadelphia Futures, Sara increased fundraising by 50%, doubled the number of college partnerships, and launched an organization-wide anti-racist transformation. In addition to creating the Public Interest Lawyering course as an adjunct professor at Villanova University School of Law, she served as president of the board of directors at Access Matters, an organization equalizing access to sexual and reproductive health care, and on the advisory board of the Crime Victims Law Project.
Prior to working at Philadelphia Futures, she served as executive director of Philadelphia VIP, and as director of public interest careers and pro bono programs at Villanova University School of Law. Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University and a Juris Doctor and Masters of Public Administration from Villanova University.

Sean E. Vereen, Ed.D.
Sean oversees student outcomes and experience at Heights and co-leads the organization with Sara. Formerly president of Steppingstone Scholars, he led the launch of several programs and strategic partnerships increasing the organization’s impact and scope. A noted thought leader in educational pedagogy and racial, social, and economic inequities within the educational system, Sean is a member of Johns Hopkins Access Advisory Board, which works with Hopkins’ undergraduate admissions office to realize the goals of Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift for increasing the low-income and first-generation student population.
Prior to joining Steppingstone, Sean spent ten years at the University of Pennsylvania in a variety of roles, including the Associate Dean for Opportunity and Access and Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Sean previously served as vice chair of the mayor’s education nominating board for the School District of Philadelphia’s Board of Education. He is a board member of Elevate 215 and The Philadelphia School, and he is also a lecturer in the higher education division at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Chris Avery
Chris leads the development of Heights’ K-12 programming and helps forge relationships to enhance the organization’s work in the community. He brings an extensive understanding of the challenges that Heights’ students and families face daily, and knowledge of how to navigate Philadelphia’s complex landscape of school options.
Chris previously served as vice president of programs at Steppingstone Scholars. Prior to that role, he spent 14 years as an administrator and presenter for schools, most notably serving as director of community life at The Haverford School. Chris has served on several boards, including the Executive Committee of the Board for the Multi-Cultural Resource Center and was a facilitator for The National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Project. He was published in the NAIS Diversity Handbook for best practices in diversity and inclusion for independent schools, and in 2014, he won Teaching Tolerance’s national Award for Excellence in Teaching. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and an M.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Paige LeGrand
Paige brings two decades of advancement experience to Heights, where she leads fundraising, communications, and engagement efforts. She previously served as vice president of development and communications at Steppingstone Scholars, where she developed a robust fundraising program and led a rebranding effort.
Paige’s previous experience includes fundraising leadership roles at independent schools, most notably as Episcopal Academy’s director of development from 2006 to 2014, where she led the school’s successful $100 million campaign to build a new campus in Newtown Square. Paige holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business.
Chanell Bates
With more than 15 years of experience in the education and nonprofit sectors, Chanell leverages a deep passion for improving the life outcomes of young people. She previously served at Steppingstone Scholars as chief talent officer.
Prior to that role, Chanell served as director of strategy and operations in the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Talent, where she designed and enhanced systems to support the staffing of schools and implemented a portfolio of high-quality teacher pathway programs to increase the supply of teachers in high-need content areas. She additionally served as director of postsecondary initiatives at Mastery Charter Schools, leading college, career, and alumni programming for seven high schools serving approximately 3,000 students. Chanell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Administration degree from Rutgers University.
Tu-Quyen Nguyen
Tu-Quyen brings deep expertise in financial management, technology, and human resources to Heights, where she oversees the administrative and finance functions for the organization. She previously served as chief operating officer at Steppingstone Scholars, where she helped manage the rapid growth of programmatic initiatives and provided new and necessary operational support for staff, as well as school partners.
Prior to working at Steppingstone, Tu-Quyen served as regional director of admissions and associate director of opportunity and access for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. She then went on to serve as the Registrar for the Graduate School of Education at Penn, where she worked extensively with student records, financial aid, and school policies and procedures, with continued focus on opportunity and access. Tu-Quyen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and religious studies from Colby College, and an MS.Ed. from the Graduate School of Education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Michael Hollander
Michael leads Heights’ work in using data to better serve our students and tailor our programming. With a background as a programmer, a lawyer, and a policy advisor, he brings to Heights a unique ability to translate data and analysis into actionable policy changes.
Prior to working at Heights, Michael served as the Director of Analytics and Assistant Director of DATA Lab at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where he helped to lead and measure policy change, create public transparency, and navigate the complexities of city government. Prior to that, he spent 10 years as an employment lawyer at Community Legal Services and 3 years as a programmer in San Francisco. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.
Amy Perez
Amy leads the growth and development of Heights’ programming for students after high school graduation, including both college and career paths. Amy brings expertise in college success and retention strategy, higher education policy, and community-based social work, gained through her 20+ year career in Philadelphia non-profit and higher education sectors. She has served for over six years as the vice president for college success at Philadelphia Futures. Prior to joining Philadelphia Futures, Amy served for eight years in various leadership roles at Eastern University, focusing on academic advising and institutional student retention. She also served as a part-time faculty member in the social work department.
Amy has worked in city government and nonprofit organizations leading program development and assessment, as well as teaching and staff development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English writing from Eastern University and an Master of Social Work from Temple University.
Our board of directors
Raj Tewari, Board Co-Chair
Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director | Glenmede
Deborah J.R. Hirtle, Board Co-Chair
Advisor | Hirtle, Callaghan & Co.
Olenga Anabui, Board Vice Co-Chair
Director | Penn Center for Community Workers
Anthony Gay, Board Vice Co-Chair
Vice President and General Counsel | PECO Energy
Stuart M. George, Board Co-Treasurer
Independent Investor
Julia A. Conover, Board Co-Treasurer
Attorney
David O’Connor, Esquire, Board Secretary
General Counsel and Head of Legal and Compliance | First Eagle Investment Management
Margot Lebovitz, Board Assistant Secretary
Volunteer
Pauline Abernathy
Chief Strategy Officer | Benefits Data Trust
Gregory Anderson
Professor, College of Education | Temple University
Kevin Boyle, Esquire
Co-Chairman | Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young
Ariel Brockman
Campus Recruiter, Diversity and Early Careers | Credit Suisse
Reginald Browne
Principal | GTS Securities
Erinn Corbett-Wright
Senior Manager, Workforce Development Philanthropy | Salesforce
Omar Crowder
Principal | Northeast High School
Jennifer L. Daley
Vice President and Assistant Treasurer | Comcast Corporation
Katie Darius
Executive Director, Portfolio Management | Entrada Therapeutics
Darrien Davenport
Consultant | WittKieffer
Gary A. Deutsch
Managing Chief Counsel | PNC
Hon. Jane C. Greenspan (Ret.)
Arbitrator and Mediator | JAMS, The Resolutions Experts
Otis D. Hackney, III
Chief Education Officer | City of Philadelphia
Matthew Hand
Senior Managing Director | Wellington Management
Katrina High
Partner | Artemis Factor
Charles Howard
Vice President Social Equity & Community; University Chaplin | University of Pennsylvania
Chandra A. Kee, MD
Medical Doctor | HighMark Health
Grace Limaye
Director of Science | Episcopal Academy
Michael Menendez
IT Vice President | Exelon Corporation
Jackie Bailey Ross Moriniere
Associate Director, Career Services, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | University of Pennsylvania
Founder and Career Strategist | Moriniere Consulting LLC
Avery Munnings
Practice Director | Deloitte
Dr. Rónké Òké
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; Deputy Title IX Coordinator | PA Academy of Fine Arts
Jeffrey W. Orlando
Vice President, Global Learning and Leadership Development | Medtronic
Melvin Pitts
Supervising Senior Associate | Chubb
Michele A. Porterfield
Practice Leader | Leadership Solutions, Inc.
Jackie Rantanen
Managing Director and Head of Product Solutions | Hamilton Lane
Michael J. Ross
Chairman | Maine Crisp Company
Margaret Sherry Lurio, Esquire
Partner | Lurio & Associates, P.C.
Michelle Sipics
Director of Special Projects, Technology Innovation | Accenture
Lauren Sullivan
Professional Counselor | Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy
Brett Wright
Head of Client Solutions Group Americas | Macquarie Asset Management
Gretchen Burke
Volunteer
Darryl Ford
Head of School | William Penn Charter
Constance Williams
Former State Senator | Pennsylvania State Senate
Richard L. Williams
News Anchor | 6abc
Play your part in empowering students
When it comes to their futures, every contribution counts. Join our efforts to make a difference today.