Natalie Ferrell

Co-Founder & Youth Development Director

Previous to being a founding member of South Bronx Community, Natalie was the Director of School Design for the NYC Department of Education, providing leadership and expertise to EPIC Schools’, a network of schools designed collaboratively through a fellowship commissioned by the mayor’s Young Men’s Initiative, around social-emotional learning, youth development supports and systems of improvement. Previously, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic where she worked to build the capacity of a children’s advocacy nonprofit around collaborative action research and youth development initiatives. She has also served as a teacher coach and education consultant both in the US and abroad and has published research on the effects of school choice on student wellbeing.  Natalie began her career as a bilingual teacher at a middle school for recently arrived immigrants in Washington Heights, New York. Natalie holds a BA in Latin American Studies and a Masters in Public Health from Tulane University, as well as a Masters in Teaching with a focus on ESL and bilingual education.

natalie.ferrell@southbronxcommunity.org

Christipher James Fleming

Associate Director of Competency Based Learning

Before moving to New York City in 2018, Chris-ti-pher (He, Him, and His) served as the Black Male Achievement Coordinator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He began his teaching journey in 2008 as a Math teacher at LearningWorks @Blake, where he first designed a project based curriculum serving the community he grew up in. Throughout his first couple of years of service to his community, he obtained his Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Minneapolis Community and Technical College and his Bachelor Degree in Sociology and Psychology from Augsburg College (now known as Augsburg University), served as a founding member of three Children’s Defense Fund’s (CDF) Freedom Schools in Minneapolis, Mn, Hartford, CT and New Haven, CT, and as the Senior Case Manager at Volunteer of America Youth Drug, Mental Health and Counseling Facility. He also consulted for CDF as an Ella Baker Trainer and sat on the board of the African American Registry believing in the words of Ella Baker, “service is the rent we pay for living.” Christipher graduated with his Masters of Public Policy and Educational Leadership from St. Thomas University and his Master of Education from Relay Graduate College of Education.  He is a Founding Resident Teacher at South Bronx Community Charter High School for World History and Geography. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Competency Based Learning teaching AP Research World History and Geography.  Christipher serves as a HollyHock Fellow at Stanford University and a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated. 

christipher.fleming@southbronxcommunity.org

Robert Guyla

Associate Director of Personalized Pathways

Robert Gulya is an experienced special education teacher, serving students in the South Bronx for more than 10 years. Prior to joining SBC, he  worked in the South Bronx for six years as a Special Education teacher and has also worked to support new teachers through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. Rob is currently the Associate Director of Personalized Pathways. In this role he is responsible for ensuring SBC’s effectiveness in the area of services for special populations including special education, ENL, and 12+ students. Rob graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, and received a Masters Degree from Hunter College in Special Education.

 robert.guyla@southbronxcommunity.org

Cathleen Collazo-Doumbia

Associate Director of Social Emotional Learning

Cathleen Collazo-Doumbia is an Associate Director of Social Emotional Learning at South Bronx Community Charter High School. In this role she oversees our Rites of Passage Experience Program, Career Team, C.O.R.E. curriculum, Selective Programming and Counseling Team. Cathleen started at SBC as a founding Learning Coach with a specialization in mandated and referred counseling. She previously worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Therapist providing support and case management to children and adolescents. She graduated from City University of New York Baruch College with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Black and Latino Studies. She also holds an MA in Mental Health Counseling and an MS in Educational Leadership. 

cathleen.collazo@southbronxcommunity.org

Michael Busch

Interim Acting Chair

Michael Busch is Chief Operating Officer at Ween & Kozek, PLLC, and teaches in the Graduate Program in Human Rights at John Jay College, City University of New York. He was formerly Associate Director of the Office of Student Success at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, The City College of New York, where he taught in the departments of Political Science and International Studies and the Master’s Program in International Relations. Previous to his work in higher education, Michael was in the inaugural cohort of the New York City Teaching Fellows program, and taught elementary and middle school in the Bronx and Harlem.

Remaine Ralls

Secretary

Remaine Ralls is a Bronx-bred, mother of three, including two alumni of South Bronx Community High School. She is Office Manager for Non- Profit Organizations at Phipps Neighborhood Opportunity Center in Far Rockaway. She was previously Senior Customer Service Representative for Montefiore Hospital for more than a decade, and graduated magna cum laude from the College of Westchester with an Associate’s Degree in Health Information Management. In addition to her leadership role on the SBC Board, she has developed and implemented youth programming and ensured compliance with educational and community-based initiatives for a number of organizations. Remaine is known for her strong leadership, problem-solving skills, and commitment to youth empowerment, and plans on continuing her work with impactful programs that help young people discover their passions and potential.

John Duval

Treasurer

John Duval is a private consultant working at the intersection of education and workforce development. Currently, his clients include the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, #DegreesNYC – a community-based collective action project aimed at increasing postsecondary access and success young people – and the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Previously, he spent over 10 years at the DOE where he oversaw a range of education innovation initiatives focused on equity, competency-based education, linked learning eco-systems, effective uses of school time, and whole school design. Prior to that, he worked in research and development, overseeing an annual operating budget of approximately $60M in local, federal, and private funds. He also managed longitudinal research efforts to assess the return on investment for the Multiple Pathways and CTE portfolios and led policy development in the areas of finance and accountability. He came to education after working as a job coach for adults recovering from mental illness in the Bronx and central Brooklyn. John holds a BA from the University of Virginia and a MPA from Columbia University.

Mayling Blanco

Mayling represents corporations and individuals in white collar defense, government investigations, and commercial litigation matters, notably concentrating her practice on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and corporate fraud, as well as matters implicating criminal tax exposure. She has conducted domestic and international, multi-jurisdictional investigations for clients with ventures in Latin America, Asia, and Europe, and has represented her clients before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal, Civil, and Tax Divisions. She also advises corporations and financial institutions in connection with corporate governance and compliance matters. In litigation, Mayling has experience before various Federal District Courts, U.S. Tax Court, the Superior Court of New Jersey, the New Jersey Appellate Division, and the New Jersey Supreme Court, defending clients in white collar, tax, commercial, employment, and constitutional matters. She is a member of the Seton Hall Alumni Council, the Firm’s Diversity Committee, and active with the Hispanic National Bar Association and the New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association.

Rema Davis

Rema Davis has been the Head of client relations at Atlantic Investment Management, a $1.6 billion value focused equity hedgefund since 2000. Since 2013, Rema has been a mentor with iMentor, program that matches high school students one on one with a college-educated mentor to guide the student through his/her journey to college graduation. Rema has earned her MBA in Finance from NYU (2007) and her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (1999)

Jane Kehoe-Higgins

Jane Kehoe-Higgins is the Director of the Institute for Literacy Studies (ILS) at Lehman College, CUNY where she manages the programs of the ILS: The New York City Writing Project, The New York City Math Project, The Adult Learning Center, The Pathway to College Opportunity Program, and the Writing Across the Curriculum Program. She has procured many grants from New York City, New York State, and national sources such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as serving as the PI on the National Science Foundation NOYCE Grant at Lehman College. Her many initiatives, centered on transforming literacy teaching and learning, include designing, growing, and managing programs, courses, institutes, and professional learning opportunities for K-12 students, teachers and principals; school-based consulting; development of new partnerships with schools and community-based organizations;
collaborations with the Lehman College School of Education and other entities.

Jane brings rich experiences in working directly with students as a classroom teacher, project director, and college advisor. She was a founding faculty member of the High School for Leadership and Public Service in partnership with Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public Policy, and continues her school leadership as a board member of the South Bronx Community Charter High School and La Escuela Comunitaria del Bronx. Her experiences in working with urban school districts including Chicago Public Schools; the School District of Philadelphia; NYC District 79 and Baltimore City Public Schools have allowed Jane to develop a deep understanding of urban education and the specific needs around the development of teaching practices centered on literacy that both transgress and transform. Her experience and approach to learning help her to lead the ILS to create research, teaching, and professional development opportunities for teachers and students across New York City, and particularly in the Bronx.

Jane Kehoe-Higgins holds a BA in Philosophy from Franklin and Marshall College and an MA in English Education from the State University of New York, Albany. She has over 15 years of
experience working as an educator and program developer in NYC schools and has subsequently directed projects at Lehman College since 2009.

Kunjan Mehta

Kunjan has more than 14 years of public accounting experience. Kunjan has directed and managed the performance of financial statement audits, due diligence, internal control reviews, and internal audits. In addition, he is responsible for internal staff training on various audit methodologies and new regulation. Kunjan has served clients in an array of industries including hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity, broker-dealers and asset management companies.

Paul I. Ortiz

Paul I. Ortiz serves as the Chief Program Officer of Presbyterian Senior Services (PSS), where he leads the social services operations across PSS’s Older Adult Centers, Community Social Services, and Circle of Care programs throughout New York City’s five boroughs.

With a distinguished career dedicated to serving New York City’s most vulnerable populations, Paul has made a profound impact across various social service sectors, including Older Adult Services, Youth Services, LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS Services, and Supportive Housing Development and Management.

Paul holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Metropolitan College of New York and a Master’s in Social Work from Adelphi University. Beyond his professional
commitments, he devotes his weekends to mentoring youth in the Bronx through the Crotona Naval & Marine Cadet Corps, where he proudly serves as the Commandant. A former cadet himself, Paul credits the program with shaping his values and leadership skills, and he is deeply committed to inspiring and empowering at-risk youth to become the next generation of leaders.