PEP Members

Aaron Bogad

Aaron Bogad is the Staten Island Borough President's appointee to the PEP. Since 2015, Aaron has been a member of Community Education Council 31 and was the elected President of CEC 31 for the past three years.

Alan Ong

Alan Ong previously served as president of Community Education Council D26 and maintains years of experience in multiple roles with Reuters America Inc., Thomson Reuters LLC, and Refinitiv.

Alice Ho

Alice Ho (Mayoral Appointee) is a public school and state university alumna whose greatest joy has been raising two sons. Alice has spent 17 years navigating the New York City Department of Education with her children, and her experience has equipped her ability to embrace a growth mindset in education.

Amy Fair

Amy Fair (Mayoral Appointee) is an activist at heart who desires to leave a lasting impact on urban communities. The Bronx native holds an associate degree, a Bachelor of Social Science in Organizational Behavior and Communications and a Master of Science in Professional Writing. She served as a CEC 11 parent member and the chair of the CEC 11 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, a Borough President Appointee, and Neighborhood Advisory Board for District 11.

Anita Garcia

Anita Garcia is the retired principal of PS 329. She started her career as an English teacher at IS 293 then MarkTwain’s Scbool for the Gifted and Talented.

Anthony Giordano

Anthony “Tony” Giordano, mayoral appointee to the Panel on Educational Policy is a financial services professional with more than 25 years' experience working with Wall Street firms such as Credit Suisse and Instinet.

Dr Angela Green, Chairperson

Dr. Angela Green has extensive experience in education, most recently serving as principal of Richard S. Grossley Middle School 8 in Jamaica, New York, before retiring in 2018.

Ephraim Zakry

Ephraim Zakry is a multiethnic immigrant who learned English as a fourth language. His children attend New York City public schools, and he himself graduated from one in Queens.

Geneal Chacon

Bronx Representative. Ms. Chacon is a parent of three public school students and a parent association president and School Leadership member at P.S. 277.

Gladys Ward

Gladys Ward is an administrative professional with more than 25 years of experience supporting C-suite executives and senior-level management in highly dynamic non-profit, corporate, private, and municipal sectors.

Gregory Faulkner, Vice Chairperson

Gregory Faulkner has extensive experience working as an administrator, coordinator, and counselor, most recently serving as chief of staff for a member of the New York City Council.

Jessamyn Lee

Jessamyn Lee is a proud parent of two public school students.

Kaliris Salas-Ramirez

Kaliris Y. Salas-Ramirez, PhD is a distinguished medical lecturer at the CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York. She has a doctorate in Neuroscience and her research focuses on health disparities, public health and behavioral development.

Lily Chan

Lilly Chan is the parent of an English Language Learner scholar in New York City public schools.

Maisha Sapp, Contracts Committee Chair

Maisha Sapp’s catalytic leadership as a community change agent forges justice-driven local actions that lead to anti-racist policies and practices benefitting New York City’s youth.

Marjorie Dienstag

Marjorie Dienstag is the mother of three children: two graduates of public and private schools and a current student with autism currently attending a District 75 school.

Michelle Joseph

Michelle Joseph is a Social Responsibility Strategy Consultant.

Naveed Hasan

Naveed Hasan’s family immigrated to New York City in the early 1980s where he attended Brooklyn public schools in District 21 (PS 99K, IS 239K, HS 525K).

Phoebe Sade-Arnold

Phoebe-Sade Arnold was born and raised in Harlem, NY and is a proud product of the NYC Public School system.

Sheree Gibson

Sheree Gibson, CMP, an education advocate with experience working with youth and in education policy – followed her father’s example by getting actively involved in her child’s schools from Day 1 of nursery school.

Tazin Azad

Tazin Azad is a mother of three public school children and Brooklynite since she had emigrated to this country. She is a hyper-local community organizer centering language access. She is also a parent advocate and an elected parent leader.

Thomas Sheppard

Tom is a proud dad to 6 children, 3 of whom attend public schools in the Bronx. He is a product of NYC Public Schools, a Veteran of the U.S. Navy, longtime parent leader, and education advocate.

Venus Sze-Tsang

Venus Sze-Tsang (Staten Island CEC Presidents' Elected Member) grew up in the NYC public school system and is the parent of three young public-school students. She was a member on District 31's Community Education Council from 2021-2023, recording secretary 2022-2023. She was part of the Digital Learning Advisory, currently on the Class Size working Group and PTA board member of her children's school. She is dedicated to help make NYC public schools desirable so New Yorkers can stay in New York for their children's future.