Board of Directors
James Smith
James is the President of Nativity Prep Rochester. He joined Nativity in 2020. following 19 years with the YMCA of Greater Rochester, most recently as director of development and community engagement. Previously, he served as district executive director of the Carlson, Lewis Street, and Maplewood YMCA branches. Smith has served on the Nativity Prep Board of Trustees for three years, and had been actively involved in supporting its mission to provide a premier education for urban youth.
Shalonda Neeley-Gutierrez
Shalonda the Head of School at Cornelia Connelly Center (CCC) in NYC. She has been part of the CCC community since 2003 in many capacities. She began as a Mentor Teacher, Literacy Coach, and 7th and 8th grade Reading Language Arts Teacher. Throughout her time at CCC, Shalonda has been a leader in curriculum and professional development by creating models to ensure the success of our educators. She spearheaded the expansion of our middle school to include a 4th-grade class, developed a systemic approach to Response to Intervention (RTI), and established a Parent Leadership Team. Shalonda has dedicated her career to ensuring the success of catholic school educators and leaders. Shalonda graduated from Fordham University with a B.A, Double Major in Sociology and African-American Studies, then went on to pursue her M.A., Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University, Teachers College. She is a New York State Certified Elementary Educator (K-6).
Cameron Taylor
Cameron (BA University of Arizona) is Head of School at Imago Dei Middle School in Tucson, AZ. Longtime director of Graduate Support and Enrichment at Imago Dei, Cameron is now responsible for all aspects of school operations, development, finance, and staff. He believes that working together, across platforms and disciplines, can provide our students a broader foundation to continue building inspired, healthy, successful lives.
Lina Permut
Lina currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at The Washington School for Girls in Washington, DC, and brings a wealth of experience in development and fundraising within international, national, and local nonprofit organizations.
Lina is enthusiastic about the new role, saying, "I am thrilled to join the NativityMiguel Coalition Board of Trustees. Their mission of advancing the impact of their member schools is incredibly impactful, and I look forward to contributing my time, talents, and treasure to support their important work. As a board member, I'm excited to lend my expertise and passion for helping further the Coalition's efforts to advance the narrative of our collective impact on education worldwide, building stronger connections throughout our member schools, and expanding our knowledge and efforts to be rooted in DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice)."
virgil Sheppard
Virgil is the President of Hope Partnership for Education (Philadelphia, PA), bringing over 15 years of professional experience in education and nonprofit leadership to our board.
In reflecting on his new role, Virgil shared, "The work being done in the schools within the NativityMiguel Coalition is inspiring. It is thoughtful, joy-filled, and most of all, impactful. I am excited to serve on the board of such an innovative organization."
freddy taveras
Freddy Taveras is an accomplished public interest attorney and nonprofit executive who currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the New-York Historical Society—one of the nation's leading cultural institutions. A native New Yorker and proud product of the Lower East Side, Freddy’s personal and professional journey has been shaped by a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives.
Freddy's life trajectory was forever changed when he enrolled at the original Nativity Mission School on Forsyth Street. The Jesuits at Nativity provided not only a rigorous education but also the mentorship, discipline, and spiritual grounding that instilled in Freddy a lifelong commitment to justice, service, and leadership. He credits the Jesuits—and the Nativity model—with giving him the tools to navigate and rise above the systemic challenges facing low-income immigrant families like his own.
As a trustee of the NativityMiguel Coalition, Freddy brings full circle the impact of a school that once saw promise in him. His lived experience fuels his dedication to ensuring that students across the Coalition’s member schools—regardless of faith, race, gender, or income—are empowered to become their best, most authentic selves.
gabriel velez, ph.d.
Gabriel Velez is an associate professor and developmental psychologist in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership (EDPL) in the College of Education at Marquette University, with a joint appointment in psychology. He is also a former teacher at St. Aloysius school in the Bronx. Dr. Velez studies identity development in adolescents and emerging adults, particularly in relation to their educational experiences. He also serves as the Faculty Director of the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem and Support Transition (BLEST) Hub at Marquette, and the Chair of the Faculty Research Team for the Center for Peacemaking. Dr. Velez has a forthcoming book entitled Making Meaning of Justice and Peace: A Developmental Lens to Restorative Justice and Peace Education, and is working on another manuscript on adolescent development, education, and artificial intelligence, both with Cambridge University Press. He received a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicago in Comparative Human Development.
Nicholas Mcdowell, jr.
Nick McDowell is the Director of Graduate Support at Loyola Academy of St. Louis.
Catherine roosevelt mccluskey
Catherine Roosevelt McCluskey is the Senior Director of Development, National at Cradles to Crayons, an organization dedicated to addressing clothing insecurity for children in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, and San Francisco. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Director of Development at East Harlem Tutorial Program following her tenure as the Vice President of Advancement at NMC member school, Saint Ignatius School in the Bronx.
Catherine‘s tenure with NMC began, however, at Cornelia Connelly Center in 2011, where she worked for eight years, beginning as the Development Associate and concluding as the Assistant Executive Director. At CCC, Catherine grew fundraising year over year, oversaw the Center’s visual and written rebrand, codified the theory of change, and served as campus minister. She also had the honor of directing Camp Holy Child in Lake Placid, as well as serving on the Mission Effectiveness Committee for the Holy Child Network of Schools.
Catherine holds a BA and an MA from the University of Michigan and has extensive volunteer experience through her Greek-letter organization, Pi Beta Phi, and also more locally, supporting Saint Saviour Catholic Academy in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Catherine is committed to decolonizing philanthropy, dismantling unjust systems, and living a joy-filled life informed by her Catholic faith.
Ron Prislupski
Ron Prislupski is the Executive Director at NativityMiguel School of Scranton.