Board of Trustees
These are the dedicated Trustees who are guiding our mission to provide high-quality bilingual education.
Alejandro Montoya
Chair
Alejandro Montoya is a veteran operations leader in the NYC charter school sector. He currently serves as Associate Chief Operations Officer in the Uncommon Schools charter network, and previously held operations leadership roles at Harlem Link, Brooklyn Lab, and Success Academy charter schools. He is a graduate of Vassar College with a BA in Urban Studies.
David Estrada
Vice Chair
David Estrada is a longtime civic leader in the Sunset Park community. As Executive Director of the Sunset Park Business Improvement District, he has led community improvement efforts in partnership with the local business community. He previously served on the staff of City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, and spent seven years as an HR consultant to major corporations. He is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach.
Charles Sahm
Treasurer
Charles Sahm is the assistant director of development at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Previously, he worked for The Writing Revolution and several other education nonprofits. He also served as an education writer/researcher for a number of years, with his work appearing in publications such as Education Next, the New York Daily News, and U.S. News & World Report. Mr. Sahm graduated from Fairfield University and obtained an MA in American History from Gettysburg College.
Emily Fernandez
Secretary
Emily Fernandez is an educational leader with a passion for achieving strong academic results for young people and families. Currently, she is the Chief Schools Officer of Hebrew Public. Ms. Fernandez previously served as the School Director of Brownsville Ascend Middle School and Dean of Instruction of Brooklyn Ascend Charter School. A graduate of Sociology at Boston University, Ms. Fernandez obtained her Master of Science in Childhood Education from Hunter College, with distinction.
Melody Sosa
Parent Representative
Melody Sosa is the mother of two LEEP Academy students, with experience advocating for Spanish-speaking students in Sunset Park public schools. In addition to raising her family, she has professional experience in the fashion design industry. Ms. Sosa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Magdalena Varela-Hand
Trustee
Magdalena Varela-Hand, LMSW, is a Forensic Social Work Supervisor at the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice. With over 20 years of experience in clinical case management, and advocacy for historically marginalized communities, counseling children and families in school-based and community-based clinical settings. A graduate of the New York City College of Technology and Adelphi University, Magdalena grew up in Brooklyn with strong family roots in Puerto Rico.
Michael Kirkbride
Trustee
Michael is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Evercore Wealth Management, managing investment assets for families, foundations and endowments. Michael joined Evercore in 2019 from Fieldpoint Private, a boutique private bank headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he served for two years as a senior investment advisor, providing asset allocation, security selection, and estate and tax planning advice to high net worth clients. He previously worked for 13 years as a senior portfolio manager at U.S. Trust, managing $2 billion in assets for families and foundations. Prior to joining U.S. Trust, Michael worked in education and policy as a charter member of Teach for America and as the manager of external relations at the Manhattan Institute. Michael received a B.A. at Rutgers College and an M.B.A. from the New York University Stern School of Business.
Board of Trustees Contact
board@leepschools.org
Mr. Nelson Broms
Co-founded Latino Educational Equity Partnerships and made possible the school design being used by LEEP Dual Language Academy today. The entire LEEP Academy team is grateful for his ongoing counsel, generosity, and friendship.