Leadership

Executive Team

People will always be our greatest asset at Jumpstart. With the passion, dedication and experience of our Executive Team, we’ve got what it takes to prepare every child to succeed. Read on to learn more about the outstanding individuals leading the way at Jumpstart.

Naila Bolus

President & CEO

Naila joined Jumpstart in October 2011 after more than 20 years of experience in the.

Gary Jimenez

Chief Development Officer

Gary Jimenez, Chief Development Officer, joined Jumpstart in 2009 with extensive experience in the non-profit.

Jennifer Templeman

Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer Templeman, Chief Operating Officer, joined Jumpstart in 2010 and brought 20 years of financial.

Abby R. Weiss

Chief Program Officer

Before joining Jumpstart as the Chief Program Officer, Abby Weiss was the Associate Director of.

National Board of Directors

Jumpstart’s National Board of Directors is comprised of individuals from many backgrounds with one thing in common: a desire for every child to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. Their passion leads strategy, guides governance, and galvanizes support for our organization.

Chris Stadler, Chair

Managing Partner, CVC Capital Partners

Christopher Stadler recently joined CVC Capital Partners as a Managing Partner in charge of its.

Lorie E. Almon

Partner, Seyfarth Shaw Attorneys, LLP

Lorie Almon is a class action employment litigator who has been recognized by her peers.

Stephanie Blank

Chair, GEEARS (Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students); Senior Advisor, Arthur M. Blank Foundation

Stephanie Blank is a longtime champion of children and education. Blank serves on the Georgia.

Grady Burnett

Venture Capitalist

Grady has been an active participant, leader and innovator in Technology, Philanthropy and Sports. Grady,.

Thomas G. Connolly

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Tom is the global head of the Principal Debt Group within the Merchant Banking Division..

Josh Duhamel

Actor, Star of Spaceman

A dynamic and versatile actor, Josh Duhamel is one of Hollywood’s leading males. Most recently,.

David Humphrey

Managing Director, Bain Capital

Mr. Humphrey is a Managing Director, Private Equity at Bain Capital in Boston, Massachusetts, focusing.

Greg Johnson

Chairman of the Board, Director, & CEO, Franklin Resources, Inc.

Greg Johnson is the chairman of the board and director of Franklin Resources, Inc., and.

David Lissy

Chief Executive Officer, Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Dave Lissy is the Chief Executive Officer of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the world's leading.

Navid Mahmoodzadegan

Managing Director and Founding Partner of Moelis & Company

Navid Mahmoodzadegan is a Managing Director and Founding Partner of Moelis & Company. Mr. Mahmoodzadegan.

Jennifer K. Marrus

Consultant

Jennifer K. Marrus comes to Jumpstart’s National Board with a wealth of experiences in the.

Kim L. Mitchell

Organizational Development and Philanthropy Executive

Kim is the Northeast Region Executive for the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and manages its social.

Bridget Moynahan

Actress, Star of CBS' Blue Bloods

Bridget Moynahan's talent and beauty combined with blockbuster films have established her as one of.

National Early Education Council

Our National Early Education Council (NEEC) is a select group of scholars, leaders, and change-makers who inform the development of our programs to create real and lasting change in children’s lives.

Dale Atkins, PhD

Author and Psychologist

Dale V. Atkins, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who has more than thirty years of.

W. Steven Barnett, PhD

Board of Governors Professor and Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University

W. Steven Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and Director of the National Institute.

Douglas Clements, PhD

Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning & Professor, University of Denver

Douglas Clements is the Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning and a Professor at.

Molly F. Collins, EdD

Department of Teaching and Learning, Vanderbilt University

Molly Collins is a lecturer at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Collins received a Bachelor’s degree from.

Linda M. Espinosa, PhD

Author and Consultant; Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri-Columbia

Dr. Linda M. Espinosa is currently Co-PI for the Center for Early Care and Evaluation.

Roberta Golinkoff, PhD

H. Rodney Sharp Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D., Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education, Psychology, and Linguistics and.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD

Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychology, Temple University

Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek is the Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology.

Jackie Jenkins-Scott

President, Wheelock College

Jackie Jenkins-Scott is the thirteenth President of Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts. From 1983-2004 Jenkins-Scott served.

Sharon Lynn Kagan, EdD

Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood Education and Family Policy; Co-Director, National Center for Children & Families, Teachers College, Columbia University

Sharon Lynn Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family.

Deborah Leong, PhD

Professor Emerita of Psychology, Metropolitan State College of Denver

Dr. Deborah J. Leong is professor emerita of Psychology and she taught developmental and educational.

Christopher J. Lonigan, PhD

Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Psychology, Florida State University; Associate Director, Florida Center for Reading Research

Christopher J. Lonigan is a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and an associate director of.

Kelly Maxwell, PhD

Co-Director of Early Childhood Development, Child Trends

Kelly Maxwell, Ph.D., is Co-Director of Early Childhood Development at Child Trends. She has over.

Mariela M. Páez, EdD

Associate Professor, The Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education, Boston College

Dr. Mariela Paez is Associate Professor of Early Childhood. She has a doctorate in Human.

Robert C. Pianta, PhD

Dean, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia

Bob Pianta is the Dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of.

Arthur J. Rolnick, PhD

Senior Fellow and Co-Director, Human Capital Research Collaborative; Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Arthur J. Rolnick is a Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Human Capital Research Collaborative.

Shirley Sagawa

President & CEO, Service Year Alliance

Shirley Sagawa is the Service Year Alliance’s President and CEO and founder of the Service.

Judith A. Schickedanz, PhD

Professor Emerita, School of Education, Boston University

Judith Schickedanz is a professor emerita of education at Boston University. During her tenure there,.

Marlene Zepeda, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Department of Child and Family Studies, California State University, Los Angeles

Marlene Zepeda is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Child and Family Studies at.

Local Advisory Boards

Across the country, we rely on the support of local board members who are fierce advocates for Jumpstart, passionate about early education, and who live in the areas where Jumpstart’s program is implemented. Our local boards help us spread the word about the work we’re doing by encouraging local companies to get involved, inviting friends and families to join our mission, and much more.

Northeast Advisory Board

Mark Polebaum, Chair | General Counsel, MFS Investment Management
Bill Barke | Chairman, Pearson U.S. Higher Education (Retired)
Ian Blasco | General Partner, Riverside Partners LLC
Eric Greenberg | Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Samuel Karshis | Business Development Manager, Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Nakia Maddox-Eubanks | Vice President, Relationship Manager, Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management
Hiren V. Mankodi | Partner, Pamplona Capital Management
Adu Opoku-Boahin | Information Security Program Manager, The Boston Consulting Group
Joseph Robbins | Principal, Bain Capital
Rebecca Schechter | President and Executive Vice President Liberty Mutual Benefits, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Jennifer Waldron | Consultant

Tri-State Advisory Board

Brad Coleman, Co-Chair | Global Head-Alternative Assets Group, Citigroup Global Markets
Molly Wythes, Co-Chair | Marketing Consultant
Milena Alberti | CFO, Penguin Random House
Lorie Almon | Co-Managing Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Allison Devore | Philanthrophic Advisor/Social Entrepreneur/Investor
Laura Ensler | Early Childhood Consultant, Laura Ensler Consulting LLC
Mark Flannery | Sector Executive, Point72
Kellie Lerner | Partner, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP
Jennifer K. Marrus | Fundraising and Board Development Consultant
Dylan McDermott | Actor
Cynthia Mitchell | Partner, Seyfarth Shaw
Kim Mitchell | Organizational Development and Philanthropy Executive
Mark Pinho | Managing Director, $30 Billion Family Office
Alan Riffkin | Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
Brian Rivel | President, Rivel Research Group
Meridith Sopher | Director of Child Welfare Training, The Legal Aid Society
Betty Weintraub

Atlanta Advisory Board

Yendelela Neely Anderson, Chair | Executive Director – Senior Legal Counsel, AT&T Services, Inc.
Kimberlynn B. Davis, PhD | Associate, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Michael A. Davis, Jr. | Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers
Weslee Knapp | President, Keller Knapp, Inc.
Nina Schwartz | Founder, Student Leadership Development Program

Northern California Advisory Board

Tamara Dunn, MD, Chair | Physician, Stanford University School of Medicine
Benjamin Adams | Vice President, Legal, PayPal
Vijay Advani | President & Chief Operating Officer, TIAA
James Callinan | Portfolio Manager, Osterweis Capital Management
Rosy Cohen | Managing Director, Principal Investing, Wells Fargo
Charlotte Ferretti | Professor & Director, Marian Wright Edelman Institute, San Francisco State University
Gordy Holterman | CEO, Coastland Capital
Jed Plafker | President, Franklin Templeton Investments International
Thomas Pulley | Managing Director, Fortress
Greg Ryan | Senior Vice President, Capital Group Companies
Witek Sobanski | Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Southern California Advisory Board

Elizabeth Marcellino, Chair | Writer & Journalist
Brad Barrett | Vice President, Capital Group Companies
Manuel C. Camargo, Jr. | Principal Advisor, Strategic Planning, Southern California Edison
Sue Gaon | Vice President of Customized Learning Solutions, Lakeshore Learning Systems
Whit Hayslip | Consultant, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
James Huang | Managing Director, Partner, & Founder, BRC Advisors, Inc.