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The Founding Board is drawn together by their strong and common commitment to providing a college preparatory education for Milwaukee's underserved youth. The Board came together in August of 2005 to design Milwaukee Renaissance Academy, a school to serve the critical needs of Milwaukee's underserved students by preparing them for college and professional careers. The Founding Board commits their professional and personal skills and expertise in facilities, community relations, fiscal management, education, law, fundraising, real estate and college preparation techniques, to govern a school that meets those needs and ensures the school's organizational and educational success.

FOUNDING BOARD

Bamidele Ali, uses his free time to mentor young men around the country with a focus on motivation, business strategizing, and career development. He also provides math tutoring for local high school and college students. In his professional career Mr. Ali, formerly a lead engineer at GE Healthcare, shares in the entrepreneurial spirit of Milwaukee Renaissance Academy as the President/ Principal Engineer of Ali Technologies Inc, Product Design and Engineering Consulting Firm and Owner of Freedom LLC - Real Estate Company. Mr. Ali will use his corporate experience, engineering and technology expertise, and resources to further the mission of Milwaukee Renaissance Academy.

Felita Daniels Ashley, a former school founder, leader in the Milwaukee area and parent of two young daughters, understands the importance of school culture and an academically rigorous program. Throughout her more than 40 years as a Milwaukee resident she has watched a number of educational trends take hold in the city. Unfortunately, Ms. Daniels Ashley has seen many of the children who are most at-risk fall through the cracks. Her interest in Milwaukee Renaissance Academy is sparked by the Academy's underlying philosophy to bring best practices to the city's family and children. Her work as the Program Services Administrator for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Counsel, a civil rights enforcement agency, keeps her connected to the community and its needs. In that position, Ms. Daniels Ashley is constantly interacting with the student population we hope to serve.

Frank Cumberbatch, President, Trinidad Group, LLC, has extensive experience in: leadership, Board development, financing, fundraising, building acquisition and renovation, and securing community and business relationships. In his career Mr. Cumberbatch has served on the following Boards: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Community Brainstorming; Latino Community Center; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and Milwaukee Downtown Rotary. Most formerly, Mr. Cumberbatch was the Senior Assistant to the Mayor. He has also worked on projects with nearly every large firm or corporation within the city. Raised in a family where the pursuit of education was considered of paramount importance, Mr. Cumberbatch has committed to leveraging his personal and professional resources in support of Milwaukee Renaissance Academy.

Jim Connelly, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP, understands the inextricable connection between education and genuine community development. Mr. Connelly served as founding chair of the firm's Health Law Department. In his practice he advises health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, medical clinics, physicians, health insurers, and other health care organizations on matters of strategic planning, corporate structure, affiliation and organization, financing, operations and management, technology, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and affiliations. Mr. Connelly is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. He intends to bring his legal background, community relationships, and new business development expertise to Milwaukee Renaissance Academy's mission.

Phil Heston, serves as the Executive Vice President of Miller Compressing Company, a 104-year old recycling company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Heston's responsibilities include managing the buying and selling of materials, credit control, and the teaching, training and development of employees. Before entering into industry, Mr. Heston received a degree in secondary education from Iowa State University. In his work within the business community, he has seen great disparities amongst his employees in skill level and professional preparation for the work world, primarily based on prior educational experiences. Mr. Heston sees his involvement with Milwaukee Renaissance Academy, through a school designed to prepare students for the professional world, as a way to eliminate those disparities.

Alonzo Kelly, Ambulatory Care Manager for Children's Hospital and Health System, brings a strong background in Human Resources, Program Development, and Education. With previous positions as a Program Director in Winnebago County for juvenile corrections and a Youth Development Program Manager role for the Milwaukee Urban League. Mr. Kelly's most recent professional positions have been as a Human Resource Director and Human Resources Consultant for two large healthcare organizations in Wisconsin. He is currently responsible for the operations of five subspecialties offered at Children's Hospital including Dialysis, Pulmonary, Renal, Craniofacial/Plastic Surgery, and Infectious Disease. Mr. Kelly's focus on education and developing talent will add value to sustaining a confident and competent workforce with Milwaukee Renaissance Academy.

Deborah Lukovich, President/CEO of Aliena Project Solutions LLC, is known as a community leader and a noted entrepreneur. Ms. Lukovich is committed to incorporating the best practices of the non-profit and for profit markets into our organizational structure. Her prior experiences in the non-profit world include serving as an Executive Director, Development Manager, and Trainer/Motivational Speaker. In the for-profit arena, as a certified CFP, Ms. Lukovich has worked as a financial advisor and training manager for American Express, developed financial planning workshops, and served as a political advisor. Her focus on inspiring others, launching new initiatives, and bringing a results-orientated approach are great assets to the Milwaukee Renaissance Academy Board.

Reggie Moore, Executive Director of Urban Underground, has dedicated his life's work to empowering young people to bring about social change in their communities. Through his work with Milwaukee Renaissance Academy he hopes to contribute to the pool of positive educational choices for Milwaukee's youth. Urban Underground, a non-profit organization founded in 2000, is dedicated to the educational and social advancement of youth ages 14 through 19. To accomplish its mission, Urban Underground offers four programs that allow youths to explore the realms of community leadership, problems in schools, criminal justice and violence, and college preparation. In 2005, Mr. Moore received the prestigious Ford Foundation's $115,000 Leadership for a Changing World Award. In addition to his leadership and advocacy skills, Mr. Moore's daily experience with young people offers the Board an insight into how to approach and structure the support systems within the school design.

Kim Stezala, Educational Consultant, has an expansive track record in working to better educational options for Milwaukee families. In her recent position she served as the Director of COMPASS Guide, a college-readiness website and outreach program that hosts Milwaukee's first and only online database of local scholarships, has a passion for ensuring that students are able to gain entry into colleges and universities. Ms. Stezala was also the founder of Empowering People for Informed Choices in Education, a partnership that resulted in a searchable online listing of more than 300 schools in Milwaukee. EPIC assisted families in understanding the myriad schooling options available and selecting schools for their children. Ms. Stezala also has a strong understanding of the choice and charter school movement within Milwaukee, particularly within fundraising, as a former employee of Partners Advancing Values in Education (PAVE).

Cindy Zautcke, policy analyst, serves as part of the leadership team at the Institute for the Transformation of Learning, focusing on charter school authorizing, the changing Milwaukee K-12 education environment, and the emerging policy and programmatic needs of schools operating outside of MPS. She supports the City of Milwaukee's Charter School Review Committee and the Independent Charter School Collaborative of Wisconsin and she serves on the Board of the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association. She was recently appointed to the Milwaukee Public Schools Charter School Review Panel. Prior to joining ITL in 1997, Ms. Zautcke was part of the team that successfully advocated for changes to Wisconsin's charter school law and she taught high school English in Milwaukee.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Deanna Singh Esq., Executive Director/Lead Founder of Milwaukee Renaissance Academy, is motivated to serve underrepresented urban communities and has strived for opportunities to do so throughout her education and career. She received her B.A. in Urban Studies from Fordham University and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Singh founded the National Student Partnership-Bronx office, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving individuals making the move from welfare to work. Furthermore, she served as the Attorney General for the National Black Law Students Association and helped organize the largest Supreme Court demonstration in support of Affirmative Action in institutions of higher education. Ms. Singh has also taught in public high schools in New York City and Washington D.C. Most recently she practiced public interest law and served as the Founder/Director of the Milwaukee Street Law Project, which teaches high school students about a wide variety of legal issues. Ms. Singh also completed a yearlong Fellowship with Building Excellent Schools, a nationally recognized non-profit that trains, coaches, mentors, and supports individuals and community groups who seek to found, build, and lead an urban public charter school of uncompromising excellence.

ACADEMIC DEAN

Annemarie Ketterhagen, Academic Dean, is passionate about urban education, excellence in teaching, data driven instruction, and closing the achievement gap. She received her B.S. in Education and English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her Masters degree from Fordham University. While in Madison, Ms. Ketterhagen taught for the P.E.O.P.L.E. program, a pre-college, after school, supplementary education program for students of color and at risk students in the Madison area. Ms. Ketterhagen was a Teach For America corps member in New York City where she taught 8th grade English at I.S. 162 in the South Bronx. Ms. Ketterhagen held ambitious academic goals and taught with a sense of urgency. Prior to her work with Milwaukee Renaissance Academy, she was a literacy coach with New York Public Schools and Teach For America. Ms. Ketterhagen is excited to be back in Milwaukee, her hometown, and excited about the positive impact that Milwaukee Renaissance Academy will have on Milwaukee's educational landscape.

Milwaukee Renaissance Academy: 2212 North 12th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53205 Phone: (414) 431-0114 Fax: 414-372-9113 | Contact Us