Staff
chief financial officer
Chuck Adkins
Human Resources Associate
Kathy Caballero
Kathy is responsible for payroll and benefits and provides support for other HR projects. She came to the Fund after a transition into non-profit Human Resources nearly 6 years ago. Prior to that, she was a 4th grade teacher in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kathy holds a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder in Psychology. She lives with her husband in Baltimore and has two grown-up daughters, two dogs and two grand-kitties.
ChiPP Program Associate
Erin Cunningham
Erin works closely with the Analysis and Engagement Program Director to coordinate and manage the Chicago Parent Program (ChiPP), an early-childhood development parenting program, in elementary schools across the district. Erin brings with her 15 years of city government experience supporting efforts to reduce community violence and support families impacted by intimate partner violence. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Chicago and a M.S.W. from The University of Maryland School of Social Work. She and her husband enjoy living in Northeast Baltimore with their four kids, dogs, cat and flock of chickens.
program director, student athlete development
Peter DeCandia
Pete came to Baltimore as a 2013 Teach For America Baltimore corps member. Prior to working at the Fund, he taught and coached for three years at Woodlawn High School and one year at St. Paul’s School. He also founded and operates Teacher Props, an organization that helps Baltimore teachers find great housing. He earned his B.S. from Mount St. Mary’s University and M.S Ed. from Johns Hopkins School of Education.
Senior Program Director, Fiscal Sponsorship Services
Sharon Drevitch Dondes
Sharon has over 30 years of client service, strategic planning, and business development experience. Prior to joining the Fund, she served as Vice President, Network Development for MedStar Physician Partners. Sharon holds an M.B.A. from Loyola College in Baltimore, a B.A. from Wellesley College, and is a former Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in the Humanities. Sharon lives with her husband and twin daughters in the Pikesville area.
Manager—Analysis and Engagement
Ruth Farfel
Ruth’s primary focus is providing programmatic and administrative support to the Fund’s Analysis and Engagement reports and school choice work. She leads the coordination of the Fund’s school choice workshops and works closely with the Senior Program Director supporting all aspects of the Fund’s reports including identification of topics, research design, interview coordination, data analysis, writing, rollout (including briefings) and follow up. In addition, she contributes to critical efforts across the programmatic spectrum of the Fund including Development (both for the Fund and City Schools) and the Heart of the Schools.
Ruth is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Washington College. Prior to getting her masters, Ruth completed two years of service as an Americorps VISTA managing community engagement projects throughout the City. She grew up in Baltimore and is a Baltimore City Public Schools Alumna (Go Western!). Ruth and her partner live in Northeast Baltimore with her cat Olive.
Program Manager, Fiscal Sponsorship Services
Shantelle Jackson
Shantelle helps coordinate the Fund’s Fiscal Sponsorship work, assisting with client, grants and contracts management. She works in close collaboration with the finance and human resources teams helping to ensure that private and public grant dollars are put to work quickly, efficiently, and appropriately to meet clients’ missions and needs, and ultimately benefit Baltimore City youth.
Prior to taking this role, she worked in the nonprofit community throughout the state of Maryland. She has extensive knowledge and experience in the mental health field and prides herself on being an advocate for disadvantaged communities. Her passion for helping others ignited her to continue her education at the University of Baltimore, earning her MS in Human Service Administration. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Senior program director, district development
Kevin Leary
Kevin works closely with Baltimore City Public Schools’ leadership and the local and national funding communities to craft strategic reform initiatives for private investment. He has helped raise over $20M in private and public funding for critical initiatives to improve student achievement and school culture. He also manages the Heart of the Schools program, a year-round initiative supporting and celebrating all Baltimore City Public Schools principals through recognition, grants, and events.
Prior to joining the Fund, Kevin was an English teacher at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, PA, (three years) and at Serra High School in Los Angeles, CA (two years). Kevin earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, completed his Certification in Secondary Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and earned an M.P.P. at the University of Maryland, College Park. Kevin is originally from Willimantic, CT, and now lives in Towson with his wife and two kids.
Director of finance
Patrick Locklin
Patrick manages the day-to-day aspects of the organization’s finances, including financial reporting, budget development, and general accounting services. Patrick brings six years in nonprofit financial management with a focus on building systems, policies, and procedures to ensure the integrity of financial information while improving the efficiency and ease of use for users. He is a CPA, licensed in the State of Maryland, and holds a Master’s Degree from Boston University. Outside of his work at the Fund, Patrick spends his time reading, running, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family.
Finance Associate
Cearia Pitts
Cearia manages the day-to-day aspects of AR and AP processing of the organization’s finances, including financial reporting and general accounting services. Cearia brings in over 10 years in nonprofit financial management focusing on maintaining finance department procedures. She is a certificate Payroll Clerk licensed in the State of Maryland, and holds a B.A., in Business Administration and Management and a A.A.S., in accounting. Outside of her work at the Fund, Cearia spends her time reading, crafting, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family.
Senior Program Director, Analysis and Engagement
Corrie Schoenberg
Before joining the Fund in 2010, Corrie served in a number of roles over seven years with TNTP, working with school districts in New York City, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Indianapolis, St. Paul, Providence, and Baltimore. She holds a B.A. from Northwestern University. Any free time she can scrape together after family is devoted to books.
president and chief executive officer
Roger Schulman
Having started his career as a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, Roger has worked in education in Baltimore City and other large districts across the country for nearly 30 years.
communications and development manager
Sydney Short
Sydney is responsible for implementing the organization’s overall communications and PR strategy and supporting efforts to secure financial resources that advance the work of both the Fund and City Schools.
Most recently, Sydney served as the Fund’s Program Support Associate assisting in various aspects of the Fund’s work. Sydney is a Baltimore native, a proud Baltimore City College alumna, and a former Baltimore Scholar. She holds a B.A. in International Studies and Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University.
Program Director, analysis and engagement
Kwane Wyatt
Kwane manages the Fund’s implementation of the Chicago Parent Program (ChiPP) in City Schools and supports all aspects of the Fund’s reports. He works closely with the Senior Program Director to support the Fund’s engagement with Baltimore students, families, educators, and communities in identifying and implementing solutions to pressing issues affecting our students and schools.
Most recently, Kwane served as a Career Placement Manager with NPower, a workforce development organization, where he built and cultivated partnerships with the business community and worked directly with young adults on job preparation. His work experience also includes community banking and business development. Kwane holds a B.A. from Morgan State University. Kwane was featured as a background vocalist on a song from Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled album.