FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Taylor Schwensohn
646-891-6375
[email protected]
TEACH FOR AMERICA–RHODE ISLAND ANNOUNCES NEW ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Rhode Island Leaders Partner with Local Organization Committed to Educational Equity
PR OV I D ENC E , R . I. , J an u ar y 2 7, 2 01 6— Teach For America—Rhode Island recently announced
the appointment of its first founding board chair Sheri Sweitzer; first founding vice chair, Kara Milner;
and the addition of three new members to its advisory board, created in 2014. The new members
include Cameron Berube, director of curriculum and instruction with Providence Public Schools;
Naomi Ruth Thompson, associate vice president of community equity and diversity with the
University of Rhode Island; and Angela Geryak Wiczek, vice president of corporate communications
with International Game Technology (IGT). Teach For America—Rhode Island’s advisory board now
consists of 11 members who lend their experience and expertise to recruit, train, and develop a
diverse group of highly effective teachers to work in our state’s highest-need classrooms and become
lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity.
“In our sixth year of partnership with public schools in Rhode Island, Teach For America is proud of
the impact we are having on students. This year, almost 50 percent of our teachers identify as people
of color and nearly 60 percent of our secondary teachers entered the classroom with degrees or
professional backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,” said Sheri
Sweitzer, founding board chair for Teach For America–Rhode Island. “These educators have made a
life-long commitment to ensuring all children have access to a high-quality education, which is
reflected in the over 160 Teach For America alumni in Rhode Island who are leading classrooms and
schools as well as working in districts, local and state government, and across other sectors to partner
with our local communities and create equity in our state. We are incredibly grateful for their
dedication and support. I am personally excited to work more closely with Kara and would like to
welcome Cameron, Naomi, and Angela to our advisory board.”
Teach For America’s national organization is celebrating 25 years of working in partnership with
communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty.
Founded in 1990, the organization recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding college
graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools
and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Currently, more than 200 corps
members and alumni are living and working in Rhode Island, including 55 corps members who are
teaching in Rhode Island public schools—reaching approximately 3,400 students—and over 160
Teach For America alumni. As of last year, 92 percent are working in education or with low-income
communities, including over 50 classroom teachers, 4 principals, 3 school system leaders, and 2
elected officials.
Newly-Named Advisory Board Members:
Cameron Berube is the director of curriculum and instruction with Providence Public Schools. Prior to
this role, she served as an educator quality and certification specialist at the Rhode Island Department
of Education (RIDE). Before moving to Rhode Island, Berube was the Founding Principal at the Urban
Assembly Academy of Civic Engagement in the Bronx, NY and was a New Leaders New Schools
resident in New York City Public Schools. A graduate of Tulane, Syracuse, and Pace Universities,
Berube is a Teach For America alumna who served as a math teacher in McAllen, Texas. She is the
proud mother of Violeta, Rosette, and Lilyana Rodriguez
Naomi Ruth Thompson, J.D., was appointed as the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) first permanent
associate vice president of community equity and diversity. As URI’s chief diversity officer, Thompson
is charged with advancing the university’s transformational goal of building a community that values
and embraces equity and diversity, where every member feels welcome, respected, supported and
heard. Prior to joining URI, Thompson served as the associate director for Northeastern University’s
Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, an office where she led diversity initiatives for 13 years.
Thompson practiced law for approximately a decade in both the public and private sectors, working
first for a law firm, then Greater Boston Legal Services, and finally for the Suffolk County District
Attorney’s Office before transitioning into higher education. A graduate of Colgate University and
Suffolk University Law School, Thompson is the proud mother of 18-year old Benjamin.
Angela Geryak Wiczek is the vice president of corporate communications with International Game
Technology (IGT) and has over 25 years of experience in communications and public affairs. She is
responsible for the development, management, and execution of all corporate communications
programs and works directly with the CEO and senior executives to relate the company’s strategy,
vision, and mission to internal and external audiences. Before joining IGT, Angela was an
accomplished television reporter and anchor at multiple network affiliates in a variety of media
markets across the country. She graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in journalism. Angela is a Corporation Member of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode
Island. She also serves on the Rhode Island committee for Vision 2020, a national initiative to make
equality a priority for women; and she is a member of the Executive Roundtable of Advancing
Women’s Excellence. Angela is married and is the mother of a 12-year-old son and 8-year-old
daughter.
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for
children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a
diverse corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year
commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end
educational inequity. Today, 8,600 corps members are teaching in 52 urban and rural regions across
the country while more than 42,000 alumni work across sectors to ensure that all children have
access to an excellent education. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national
service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook
and Twitter.
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