Ohio Education Staff - Buckeye Community Hope Foundation

Ohio Education Staff

Leadership

Maureen

Maureen Barbessi

Director of Compliance
Email: mbarbessi@buckeyehope.org

Maureen Barbessi

Maureen has been part of the BCHF compliance team since 2010.  Prior to BCHF, she assisted schools and other non-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts.  Maureen holds a Bachelor in science of Business Administration with a focus in Advertising and Public Relations.  Maureen enjoys using her years of experience and continuing education to assist schools and other BCHF representatives in achieving and maintaining a high level of compliance. 

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Hana Chandoul

Hana Chandoul

Director of Communications
Email: hchandoul@buckeyehope.org

Hana Chandoul

Hana Chandoul is a creative communications specialist with over 9 years of experience in social media, marketing, advocacy, and communications. She believes in the power of digital storytelling to inspire social change by raising awareness and building community around shared visions for a brighter, more equitable future.

She joined the BCHF team in 2022. Hana holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from The Ohio State University.

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Jason

Jason Moore

Senior Director of Education
Email: jmoore@buckeyehope.org

Jason Moore

Jason has been working with Community Schools across Ohio since 2008. Jason has served as both licensed Treasurer and School Director for a number of community schools, as well as, a member of the founding team for five schools in Columbus, Toledo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Jason brings experience in all aspects of operating and leading a school. Jason earned his BS in Business at Miami University and his MBA in Finance from Wright State University. Jason is also an Adjunct Professor of Finance at Wright State University.

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Jennifer-Schorr

Jennifer L. Schorr

VP of Education
Email: jschorr@buckeyehope.org

Jennifer Schorr

Jennifer has spent over 20 years advocating for and supporting school choice and community schools through quality authorizing practices, leadership, and advocacy; shaping education policy in Ohio. Jennifer is part of the national “A-Game” with the National Charter School Institute: advancing great authorizing & modeling excellence to support charter school authorizers in measuring the quality and effectiveness of alternative education campuses. In addition, Jennifer serves as the President of the Ohio Association of Charter School Authorizers (OACSA) leading Ohio’s authorizing community by advancing best practices, engaging in reform and advocacy, and most importantly - keeping community school students and families at the center of the work at both BCHF and OACSA.

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Dr. Carol Young

Dr. Carol Young

Director of Accountability & School Improvement
Email: cyoung@buckeyehope.org

Dr. Carol Young

Dr. Young provides professional development, data analysis, and technical assistance to BCHF sponsored schools. Dr. Young holds a Ph.D. in educational administration from Ohio University, with a specialization in educational tests and measurement. Dr. Young has served two Ohio districts as superintendent, and she has served in Maryland and Ohio as a middle school principal, curriculum coordinator, special education director, teacher and speech-language pathologist. Dr. Young is a successful researcher and author on topics including Teaching, Leadership, Special Education and Curriculum.

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School Improvement Team

Mindy Farry

Mindy Farry

School Improvement Representative
Email: mfarry@buckeyehope.org

Mindy Farry

Mindy is an integral part of the BCHF school improvement team with an emphasis in the areas of classroom management, teacher training, and administrator coaching. Mindy brings with her forty-five years of experience as a teacher, school administrator, and educational consultant. Mindy’s experience in both urban and suburban settings has led to expertise in school management, classroom organization, professional learning communities, and instructional strategies. Mindy works with the Ohio Department of Education training teachers and principals in both OTES and OPES. Mindy is a certified Buck Institute for Education Project Based Learning instructor and a certified Time to Teach trainer. Mindy has a master’s degree in English Education and in Educational Administration.

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Sandra Harris

Sandra Harris

School Improvement Representative
Email: sharris@buckeyehope.org

Sandra Harris

Sandra has spent over 20 years being a voice in challenging those who believe that there are sectors of our communities that are incapable of self-control and have a resistance towards learning. She has worked in various educational settings, including public, private, and community schools. In this capacity, she has served students while partnering with families and being instrumental in helping students reach their full potential.

Sandra is a strong believer that everyone can learn, and everyone should be given an avenue to learn.

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Megan Kistner

Megan Kistner

School Improvement Representative
Email: mkistner@buckeyehope.org

Megan Kistner

Megan Kistner is a dedicated educator with more than 18 years of experience supporting students' achievement with high-quality instruction, early literacy, and education collaboration. Megan holds a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She has served students and teachers across Arizona, Texas, and Ohio.
 
Megan's career began in Head Start, where she developed a strong foundation in early childhood education and a deep understanding of the importance of school readiness, family engagement, and developmentally appropriate practices. Throughout her career, Megan has specialized in early literacy, the science of reading, curriculum implementation, and standard's aligned instruction. Her experience includes analyzing student data, mentoring teachers, and facilitating professional learning. Megan believes that effective school improvement begins with empowering teachers, using data to inform decisions, and ensuring all students have access to engaging, evidence-based instruction that prepares them for lifelong success.
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Kim Marani

Kim Marani

Special Education Representative
Email: kmarani@buckeyehope.org

Kim Marani

Kim has served as Director of Special Education for Worthington City Schools for the past ten years where she provided leadership in special education, Section 504, program development, compliance, and professional learning. Kim holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from The Ohio State University and completed educational administration studies at Ashland University. With more than 30 years of experience, Kim has served as a special education director, coordinator, principal, intervention specialist, and adjunct professor at Otterbein College. She comes with expertise in IDEA compliance, MTSS, and inclusive practices. Kim is committed to building collaborative, data-informed systems that improve outcomes for students with disabilities and support educators and families.

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Illie Massey

Illie Massey

School Improvement Representative
Email: imassey@buckeyehope.org

Illie Massey

Illie Massey is an experienced educator who joined BCHF in 2022 with a passion for promoting equity in education.

As the chair of the Special Education department, Illie provided technical assistance to educators in areas such as writing IEPs, implementing behavior programs, and utilizing data to improve classroom management. She also conducted regular audits to ensure that IEPs were of the highest quality and compliant with regulations. In addition, Illie facilitated professional development sessions on a variety of topics, including culturally responsive teaching, bias, and effective classroom management strategies.

Beyond her work in special education, Illie has also served as a Dean of Curriculum and Academics in math instruction as well as an Academic Manager for Job Corps. She holds a bachelor's degree from Central State University and a master's degree.

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Dr. Zoe Plotnick

Dr. Zoe Plotnick

School Improvement Representative
Email: zplotnick@buckeyehope.org

Zoe Plotnick

A member of the Education Division since 2022, Zoe has taught English language learners, special education, at-risk intervention, and English language arts in public and community schools in Ohio, Arizona and Colorado. She also spent time working with international students in higher education while serving as the Student Services Coordinator for the University of Dayton Libraries. Zoe obtained a B.A. in English from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, and is currently working towards completion of a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton. Her areas of expertise include content-based language instruction, refugee populations, student engagement, literacy intervention, and culturally responsive assessment.

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Dane-Puterbaugh

Dane Puterbaugh

School Improvement Representative
Email: dputerbaugh@buckeyehope.org

Dane Puterbaugh

Dane Puterbaugh is a passionate educator with over a decade of unique experience. As a founding teacher of two different school start-ups, Dane has expertise in project based learning, blended learning, Montessori education, experiential learning, and community building. Dane also spent time working at Utah’s only farm-based charter high school where he learned first-hand that creating a school-wide culture of love and acceptance helps students overcome barriers and self-actualize. Most recently Dane served as an administrator at a DOR, overseeing the academics, discipline, testing, and teacher-coaching at a school that won the “Model School” award and graduated its largest class in school history. Dane has a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Social Studies Education and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
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Brit Seward

Brit Seward

School Improvement Representative
Email: bseward@buckeyehope.org

Brit Seward

Brit Seward, M.Ed., is a School Improvement and Mathematics Specialist dedicated to advancing educational equity and excellence. She empowers school leaders to implement student-centered, culturally responsive practices in mathematics. An alumna of Teach for America Greater Cleveland, Seward has served as a 4th-grade teacher, grade team leader, district course leader, and mentor. She has also had the honor of delivering keynote addresses at the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation's leadership conference. Currently a fellow with the National Council for Supervisors of Mathematics, she is also pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Youngstown State University. 
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Regional Representatives

Mark Baker

Mark Baker

Regional Representative
Email: mbaker@buckeyehope.org

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is widely known for his accomplishments on the hardwood as a high school All-American (Dunbar High School), standout two-time All-Big Ten-point guard (The Ohio State University), professional all-star in Europe, and several stints in the NBA (Toronto Raptors). Since then, he has dedicated his life to educating, motivating, uplifting and inspiring young people. Mark's experience ascends across athletics, administration, and student services. Mark founded the Mark Baker foundation for youth in 1995 which helped over 5000 youth through its various leadership programs, including a week-long free basketball camp, “Our Father Who Art in Heaven”. Additionally, he founded The Greater Dayton Student-Athlete Program which supported students with job readiness skills and mentoring. Mark was also key in leading a county-wide initiative, The Mentoring Collaborative, which served over 60, 000 students over 15 years. Mark earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Urbana University. Mark is the proud father of two daughters Shayla and Naomi (both high school valedictorians and graduates of The Ohio State University).​

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Heather-Carney

Heather Carney

Regional Representative
Email: hcarney@buckeyehope.org

Heather Carney

Heather Carney loves to share her quest for knowledge. After pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer, Heather received a BA degree in Psychology and Anthropology from The Ohio State University. She later attained her Bachelor’s Plus and teaching licensure through Ashland University. Heather spent eleven years with Hilliard City Schools teaching science to a diverse student population.  

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Tara Cioffi

Tara Cioffi

Regional Representative
Email: tcioffi@buckeyehope.org

Tara Cioffi

Tara has been working as a compliance representative and regulatory liaison with local, state and federal government partners in her previous positions for over twenty years. Prior to BCHF, she assisted her community, schools and other non-profit organizations through providing education and resources with the intent to improve the public health of people and the environment. Tara graduated from Youngstown State University with a Bachelor of Environmental Science Degree. In her words, “The Buckeye Community Hope Foundation has provided me the perfect platform to utilize my passion for helping communities thrive.”

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Victoria Fuller

Victoria Fuller

Regional Representative
Email: vfuller@buckeyehope.org

Victoria Fuller

Victoria received her B.A. In Early Childhood Education from Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio in 2014. She taught preschool for 2 years and then moved into the Charter School World in 2016  teaching 3rd grade. She taught 3rd grade for 6 years and then moved into an Academic Coach position for a K-5 school. She was a dean of 3-5th grade for a year before coming to Buckeye. Victoria worked for 3 schools sponsored by BCHF which led her to apply for the compliance position. She will be working on her Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration this fall.
 
Victoria is blessed to have a 6 year old son and 2 year old daughter who she spends as much time with as possible. They frequent Cedar Point, Zoos, Water Parks, and any other family friendly places. She is an avid Disney, Harry Potter, and Marvel fan. Whenever she gets the chance, you will find her in Disney World and Harry Potter World. Victoria is a huge child at heart and truly believes it helps her connect with children of all ages and helped her become the educator she is today.

 

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Emily Puterbaugh

Emily Puterbaugh

Regional Representative
Email: eputerbaugh@buckeyehope.org

Emily Puterbaugh

Emily Puterbaugh began her work in education while studying at the University of Utah. Inspired by her coursework in International Studies, she decided to volunteer for a local non-profit teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in 2013. She fell in love with the practice and completely changed her career trajectory. She went on to earn her B.S. in Sociology, B.A. in International Studies and a TESOL certificate. She taught ESOL at both the post-secondary level and tutored at the elementary level for several years. Afterwards, Emily became a program coordinator, writing emergent-reader curriculum and managing volunteer teachers for the same program that had inspired her to begin teaching years before. In 2020, she began working with a totally different student population, working for Davis Technical College at the Utah State Prison women’s facilities. In this role, she taught English, software and math courses and developed a more holistic instructional practice, coaching the whole student to become a lifelong learner. She went on to earn her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.

In 2022, Emily moved to Cleveland and worked as an ESOL teaching in a local elementary school. For her, it was an eye-opening experience about the levels of inequity in early childhood education. She is a passionate advocate for ELLs and continues to teach a handful of classes every week.  Outside of the classroom, you can find her volunteering at the animal shelter or enjoying a good workout.

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Karen Rose

Karen Rose

Regional Representative
Email: krose@buckeyehope.org

Karen Rose

Karen has spent the last several years working with teachers and students in the greater Columbus area while attaining her credentials in special education. Karen holds a BA degree in English from Kent State University and a BA from Ashland University, and is a licensed Intervention Specialist K-12 Mild/Moderate. Prior to her work in education, Karen worked in various public service and human resource positions.
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Michelle Woolery

Michelle Woolery

Regional Representative
Email: mwoolery@buckeyehope.org

Michelle Woolery

Michelle brings over 12 years of experience in EMIS, working with Charter Schools across Ohio, ensuring accurate data collection and reporting that reflect program integrity and compliance with state requirements.  She is dedicated to promoting ethical operations and accurate data practices that strengthen community trust and organizational integrity.  Michelle is known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach and commitment to maintaining compliance excellence.  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her 5 children, traveling and exploring the outdoors.

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Data Team

Stan

Stan Nicol

Director of Analytics
Email: snicol@buckeyehope.org

Stan Nicol

Stan Nicol is a graduate of Muskingum University and Ashland University. Stan brings 33 years of experience in education as a high school science teacher, Track/Cross Country coach, EMIS supervisor, and data accountability director. Stan has worked with both traditional and charter schools. Stan is an admitted “data geek,” having worked extensively with state and local student and school performance data. Stan’s most recent endeavors have been focused on data analysis including, EMIS, Ohio School Report Card data, student information systems (Sis) and NWEA test reporting and analysis. We know that Stan will be an asset to our sponsored schools in offering technical assistance with state and local data and performance measurement.

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Tabatha Varner

Tabatha Varner

Data Analyst
Email: tvarner@buckeyehope.org

Tabatha Varner

Tabatha Varner is an educator from Marion, Ohio, with 32 years of experience serving students, families, and school communities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The Ohio State University and her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Bowling Green State University. She holds licenses in Elementary Education (K–8), Elementary Principal, and Assistant Superintendent.
 
Throughout her career, Tabatha has held a variety of roles, including teacher, technology integration coach, principal, technology supervisor, testing coordinator, and director of a digital academy. Her diverse background brings together classroom instruction, educational leadership, technology integration, assessment, and program development.
 
Tabatha is also active in her community as a member of the Drug Free Coalition in Marion, Ohio. Outside of her professional and community work, she enjoys spending time with her family especially her new grandson. She is also an enthusiastic Ohio State fan. Go Bucks!
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Columbus Office

Anna Bolger

Anna Bolger

Project Manager & Events Coordinator
Email: abolger@buckeyehope.org

Anna Bolger

Anna is a skilled project manager with a strong background in executive assistance, event management, operations, and high-level support roles. She brings over six years of experience providing high-level administrative and operational support to leadership teams, streamlining systems, and creating structure that allow teams to thrive.
 
She’s passionate about bringing clarity and calm to fast-paced environments and contributing to missions that make a meaningful impact on the community.
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