Jay Vazquez was named President and CEO of The Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI), in 2017. He supervises leadership staff, collaborates with the Board of Directors on the organization’s strategic direction, oversees fund development efforts and works to develop strategic partners in the community. Jay has led an organizational reassessment, streamlined the organizational budget and fostered development of new programmatic initiatives. Before being named President and CEO, Jay served for seven years as PAI’s Director of School Operations where he led, in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia. Prior to joining PAI, Jay worked with several national foundations, nonprofits and school districts in the areas of education, healthcare, comprehensive community initiatives, and child welfare – developing expertise in capacity building, program development, information technology, and systems reforms. Jay holds a B.A. in Economics and Labor Studies from Queens College, City University of New York.

Ilene is responsible for the smooth functioning of PAI’s finances, vendor relations, records management and technology needs. Having been with PAI for over 32 years, Ilene has participated in the evolution of the organization from several career academies in a few partner schools to a nationally recognized leader in career-connected education that it is today. She is a graduate of Northeast High School in Philadelphia and attended Community College of Philadelphia.

Cheryl is responsible for overseeing all of Philadelphia Academies’ programs and services. As such, she works closely with Program Directors to create short and long-term strategies, identify best practices to improve systems, and support direct service staff in implementing, sustaining and enhancing PAI’s programming. Cheryl has been at PAI for close to 5 years, serving in a variety of roles including, most recently, Chief of Staff. She is passionate about PAI’s mission, believing that all young people deserve equal access to education and the support and guidance of caring adults. Prior to joining PAI, Cheryl served as co-founder and Director (7.5 years) of Rhawnhurst Turning Point. Cheryl holds a M.Div. from Palmer Theological Seminary, and a BA in Ancient Studies from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Porsha is a dedicated development professional with over 15 years of experience in fundraising for some of Philadelphia’s most successful organizations, including the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia (PAL). In Porsha’s previous development roles, she fostered key relationships with community members, corporate partners as well as foundations – skills and experience she is excited to bring to PAI and those we serve. Porsha thrives when developing strategies and approaches to diversify the base of support and garner increased levels of giving from her relationships. A Philadelphia native, Porsha is devoted to creating a prosperous future for the city of Philadelphia and the lives of individuals who call this great city home. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University), where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership.

Crystal is responsible for the development, oversight, and implementation of PAI’s Workforce Development initiatives for high school-aged youth, including Bridge Programming, registered in-school Pre-Apprenticeships, and Youth Apprenticeships. A native of Philadelphia, she forged her own path by graduating from Job Corps and realizing a passion to serve others, specifically youth. Her career has propelled her to serve communities throughout the country including through the US Department of Labor’s Job Corps programs. Crystal received her Master’s Degree in Human Services from Lincoln University.

Stephanie, who has been at PAI for over three decades following a career in corporate HR, oversees PAI’s career pathway programs and recruits and convenes business and community partners to serve on Academy Occupational Advisory Councils, which provide invaluable industry expertise and curricular support for career pathways. Stephanie believes that developing strong, sustained relationships between industry partners and school staff plays a substantive role in strengthening public education and preparing young people for the workforce of tomorrow. She is a certified Academy Reviewer for the National Career Academy Coalition, a Ford NGL Professional Development Provider and a member on FORD NGL’s Leadership Council. Stephanie holds B.A in Business from the State University of New York at Farmingdale.

Nadia leads PAI’s internal data strategy and collection work as well as the 9th-Grade Success Network, which provides professional development and coaching to school leaders and 9th grade teams on data utilization practices, effective teaming, and student intervention support. Nadia, who has been with PAI for over 10 years, understand the value data offers in continuous improvement efforts and systems enhancement. Nadia earned her B.A. in Politics, International Relations from Messiah College and her M.S. in Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology from University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

Mariska leads PAI’s Hospitality programming. She is an experienced marketing/communications professional, who uses her human capital, emotional intelligence and political currency to positively impact the organizations with which she is involved. Prior to joining PAI, she was Executive Director of Philadelphia Hospitality, where she solidified the organization’s brand, developed new revenue streams and increased funding. Mariska is a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Links, Inc., serves as a Board Member of PHLDiversity – a division of The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), and is a past Vice President of Skal Philadelphia. Bogle holds a B.A. in Communications/Theatre from Kutztown University, an MBA in Digital Marketing from Rutgers Business School and was a Maynard Institute for Journalism Education at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism fellow.

Mychal supports the design and implementation of PAI’s Middle School Programs which aim to build on learnings from the 9th Grade Success Network and recognized research on 8th Grade Predictors and Middle School best practices. Mychal has 10 years of experience working in Philadelphia schools and has expertise in the usage of data to bolster school initiatives in areas including attendance, climate, and technology. Mychal’s professional background includes experience with Americorps, EducationWorks, and various charter and public schools. He believes all students have the ability to have successful futures in any field with proper support and connections. Mychal is a graduate of Temple University and holds a B.A. in Broadcasting and Mass Communications.

Kevin is charged with keeping PAI's initiatives and projects organized and on track, leading the organization’s marketing and communication strategy, and serving as an administrative aide to the organization’s Board of Directors. Kevin is passionate about the power of community engagement and education. He brings prior non-profit experience, most recently with Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, as well as professional experience in the Insurance Industry. He has also long been active as a volunteer leader within Philadelphia's Running Community. He is a graduate of the University of Hartford where he earned his B.A. in Politics & Government.

Devin works to support and expand the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Program at Parkway West High School. She teams with PAI and school staff as well as Industry partners to support the daily operations of the ECE Pathway and Pre-Apprenticeship Program, including coordinating - work-based learning and industry partner support, Dual Enrollment Pathways, case management of Pre-Apprentices, employment placement, faculty exchanges, teacher supports, and capacity building with the Parkway West team. Devin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University.

Prosper is charged with supporting and developing high school transition activities, college readiness and project/work base learning projects for students at our partner middle schools. Proper’s philosophy is “Be the person you needed when you were younger,” and he believes in creating avenues for others to succeed. As a Ghanaian born, first generation college graduate, Prosper understands the struggle of navigating scarce resources in underserved communities. He is a McNair Scholar from Rutgers University where he earned his Bachelors in Public and Nonprofit Management, and his MPA in Leadership Management. Prosper has since worked at various nonprofit organizations, including Philadelphia Job Corps where he was the Career Transition Readiness Specialist. Prosper comes to PAI with passion and commitment to transforming children's lives through career connections and exposures.

Erica serves PAI's Pre-Apprenticeship in the Construction Trades (PACT) Program at Mastbaum High School as Pre-Apprenticeship Coordinator. Her prior experience includes work with Pennsylvania's Department of Labor, Job Corps Outreach and Admissions where she was responsible for developing and enhancing processes for the Job Corps program in Eastern PAI. Erica is a graduate of Rosemont College where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Government.

Nate works with member schools in the 9th Grade Success Network to improve data collection and analysis practices, with the aim of making sure all freshmen are on-track for graduation. He works closely with 9th grade assistant principals and faculty to create and improve student data collection and analysis systems, promote recursive reflection on pedagogy, and develop effective intervention strategies to support all students. Nate is passionate about PAI’s mission, believing that public schools can create and improve systems that result in high achievement for all students. Prior to joining PAI, Nate served as DEI Coordinator and English faculty at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, PA. Nate holds a MA in English from Middlebury College and a BA in English from The University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Dimir serves PAI's Pre-Apprenticeship in the Construction Trades (PACT) Program at Mastbaum High School as Pre-Apprenticeship Coordinator. His prior experience includes time as a Health Teacher at The School District of Philadelphia's Southwark School. He is passionate about sports and serves as an Assistant Football Coach with the MVP 360 Leadership Development Program. Dimir is a graduate of Lyon College where he received his B.S. in English Language and Literature and Business Administration.

Kathryn supports school leaders and teams in the 9th Grade Success Network through data coaching, professional development, and supporting effective teaming and targeted student interventions. She brings twelve years of experience to PAI as an educator working for the School District of Philadelphia, first as a high school teacher and then as a consulting teacher. In the consultative role, she coached a caseload of 25-30 teachers each year while developing and maintaining relationships with Principals and school-based leaders. Kathryn has a PA Instructional II English 7-12 certification and a PA Administrative I Principal PK-12 certification. May holds a BA from Arcadia University, an M.S. Ed. in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Arcadia.

Brooke brings a passion for working with students to her role as a Hospitality Business Specialist. She has over 10 years of experience working with Philadelphia's child welfare system where she helped youth develop critical life skills. Brooke also brings firsthand experience in the hospitality industry in her role as the owner of Vision Bee'Yond Events, her event planning business founded in 2014. Brooke is dedicated to creating memorable classroom experiences and helping students connect their passions and interests to real-life work experiences and postsecondary education opportunities. Brooke is a graduate of Rosemont College where she earned her B.A. in Women's Studies with a concentration in Sociology.

Rene leverages his 10 years of experience in the hospitality and entertainment industries as one of PAI’s Hospitality Business Specialists. In this role, Rene helps connect industry partners with PAI’s schools to bring eye-opening career experiences to students. Having served as both a mentor and teacher, he believes in the transformative power of working with youth and the importance of empowering them to tell their own stories. He holds a B.A. in Film and Media Arts from Temple University.

Prosie leads PAI's after-school program, Philly Tech Gateway as our Technology Bridge Program Coordinator. Her prior experiences include Teach for America where she taught 7th Grade Social Studies and Science in Eastern North Carolina. Soon after, she worked at an EdTech startup that provided youth with a unique opportunity to launch their own business. Prosie is a graduate of Rutgers University and is committed to working closely with a diverse range of communities to provide educational resources to underestimated youth.

Maggie develops and supports implementation of a wide variety of academic projects in PAI’s partner schools, including project-based and work-based learning opportunities. Utilizing her experience working as a teacher in Philadelphia, she provides training and technical assistance to teaching teams, works with business partners to connect them to the classroom, and focuses on best practices surrounding project-based and work-based learning, with a specific focus on PAI’s partner Middle Schools. Maggie earned her Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in Science Education from Temple University.

As a Hospitality Business Specialist, Stephanie brings over 10 years of experience in the field of social services to her role. Stephanie is a certified Community Health Worker and has worked as an advocate, empowering families and promoting positive maternal health outcomes as well as Therapeutic Staff Support for youth with behavioral health diagnoses, and as a Human Resource Coordinator for an elder care organization. Stephanie is a Philadelphia native and earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Mansfield University and a Masters in Administration of Human Services from Chestnut Hill College.

Zoë Welsh is a AmeriCorps VISTA PHENND Fellow who is joining the PAI team as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coaching and Training Developer, working on year two of a three year project to build PAI’s DEI capacity. She is charged with helping to develop a DEI framework that will help remedy individual, structural, and institutional barriers in target schools to support 9th grade student success. Zoë will be using her previous experience in facilitating DEI dialogues, workshops, and trainings to advance this work. She proudly hails from Washington, D.C. and enjoys spending time outside. Zoë is a 2022 graduate of Saint Joseph’s University where she received a B.S. in Sociology and minored in Human Resources & People Management and Public Policy.