Phone: 410-558-1230 Email: Front_office@pppcs.org Address: 27 N. Lakewood Ave. Baltimore, MD 21224

Board of Directors
The role of the Board of Directors is to believe in and be an active advocate and ambassador for the values, mission, and vision of PPPCS, Inc., PPPCS, and its partner school, Clay Hill Public Charter School (CHPCS). PPPCS, Inc.'s volunteer Board of Directors is made up of diverse Baltimore City residents who use their personal expertise and experience for the benefit of PPPCS. The Board of Directors includes representation from two key stakeholder groups, with two Parents-at-Large and two Staff-at-Large from each school. Each member of the Board is fit, and a value or skill add to the non-profit and its operating schools.
Our Board of Directors meet the third Wednesday of most months from 7-9pm. The meetings are open to the general public and we encourage parents, students, and community members to attend and let your voices be heard.
Lazette Wells
Lazette Wells is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and she has lived in Baltimore City since 2004. She has served on the PPPCS Board of Directors since initially as a Parent At Large beginning in 2019, and she transitioned to a Member At Large in 2020. During this time, she has brought her experience in Operations and Finance to the board and she has been able to provide the perspective of both a business professional and the parent of a student at PPPCS. Additionally, she serves on the Facilities Committee as part of the founders of the highly anticipated Clay Hill PCS. She is a graduate of the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Busines. She first became involved with PPPCS during its inaugural year, and she is the proud parent of two alum: Taylor Wells and Noah Wells.
Paul Rishar
Paul Rishar lives in Baltimore with his wife Kate and their daughters, Ivy, Alice and Lena. He holds a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and an MBA from University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business. Paul spent 5 years as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, serving in Florida and Maryland and has over 10 years of commercial banking experience in the Baltimore/Washington area. Paul is currently a Senior Vice President for BBVA Compass.
Pat Irish
Pat Irish manages T. Rowe Price’s Correspondence department. Prior to working in financial services, Pat taught English III and AP language and composition at Carver Vocational Technical High School in Baltimore City. Pat earned a B.A. in English from Boston College, an M.A. in teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from Georgetown University. He and his fiancé, Allison, live on N. Belnord Ave. with their cat, Jackson.
Ankit Aggarwal
Ankit Aggarwal is an Assistant Vice President and lead manager of business intelligence within the Global Distribution division of T. Rowe Price, the organization responsible for the firm's institutional business worldwide. Ankit has 14 years of industry experience, all of which have been with T. Rowe Price. He holds a BA in economics from UMBC, and an MBA in International Business from Loyola University Maryland.
Ankit lives in Southeast Baltimore with his wife Alexis and their two children, Zoe and Max (who are both proud to be a part of the PPPCS student body).
Ankit currently serves as a member at large of the finance committee and is committed to serving the needs of the community that he and his family are proud to call home.
Chuck Conner
Chuck Conner and his wife Courtney have been residents of the Patterson Park Neighborhood since 2013. In 2018, Chuck was appointed as the Chief Legislative Officer for Baltimore County Executive John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr. In this role, Chuck serves as the Executive's primary liaison to the Maryland General Assembly and Federal Delegation to Congress. Chuck most recently served as the Deputy State Director for United States Senator Chris Van Hollen. Chuck served as the Executive Director of the Maryland Democratic Party during the 2016 campaign season. Chuck has also served as an aide to House Judiciary Chairman Luke Clippinger, who represents Patterson Park neighborhoods and also as Director of Stewardship for the non-profit, Thread. He earned a J.D. from the Charleston School of Law, a M. Div. from Duke University, and a B.A. from Davidson College. Chuck and Courtney can usually be found enjoying the park and all that Baltimore has to offer whenever they have free time. They both love the beach and spend time surf fishing in South Bethany Beach, DE.
Kimberly J. Francois
Kim Francois has been a Patterson Park resident since 2017 and has lived in Baltimore since 2014. She lives with her husband, Amir and young son Lucas. This is her first year serving on the PPPCS Board of Directors, and she first became involved with the PPPCS community in 2018 as a Clay Hill Public Charter School founder and chair of the marketing committee. For nearly 10 years, Kim’s career has been dedicated to public relations and marketing, having applied her communications expertise to a range of industries, including education, public health, technology, financial markets and retail, in both the nonprofit and private sectors. She now works in public relations at T. Rowe Price. Kim studied at Washington University in St. Louis and received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, and a minor in Marketing. She also earned a Master of Arts in Public Communications from American University. Through this role on the Board of Directors and her work with CHPCS, Kim is excited to give back to her very own Patterson Park neighborhood and beyond.
Chris Scott
Christopher Scott, along with his wife Dana, has lived in the Patterson Park Neighborhood since 2004. They have one son, Charlie, who attends PPPCS. Chris has worked throughout his career on sustainable communities and education working as the finance manager for the League of American Bicyclists and as a financial analyst for Baltimore City Public School Systems. He currently works as Research Service Analyst at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Chris has a strong background in non-profit and governmental financials with expertise in grant and donor giving. Chris and his wife have enjoyed watching the school blossom from an idea to a flourishing neighborhood institution in their years in the neighborhood and are excited to have their son as a PPPCS student.
Char McLean
Charletta is a Baltimore native, currently residing in the Cedarcroft community in northeast Baltimore, with her two sons. Charletta began volunteering at Patterson Park Public Charter School in 2016, lending her professional expertise in Human Resource Development and Management. Charletta attained her Bachelors in Business Administration at Towson University in 2004 and returned years later, earning a Masters in Human Resource Development. She has served on the Board since February 2018 and has worked and held HR roles in the non-profit sector for over 18 years, including the Family League of Baltimore. Charletta is animatedly known as the “HR Guru”. She is passionate about the growth and success of the Patterson Park Public Charter School community and the many other students served by the charter school communities in Baltimore, Maryland. When she’s not engaging with her energetic sons, Charletta likes to shop, read, counsel, listen to music and spend time with her life partner, family & friends.
Tasha Johnson
Dr. Tasha Johnson, her husband Robert, and their two cats (Georgia Lynn and Buddi) are proud residents of the Washington Hill community of Southeast Baltimore. Dr. Johnson is originally from Louisiana but has called Baltimore home for the last 13 years. She is a Harvard and NYU educated professional with international and domestic experience in teacher education, leadership development, and educational strategy. At her leisure, she is an avid cook and gardener, specializing in Southern foods and container planting. Dr. Johnson is a passionate advocate of social justice for all students, ensuring that all children have access to a high quality education. To the Patterson Park Public Charter Board, she brings a wealth of skills as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and educational strategist.
Lauren Stutzman
Lauren Stutzman lives in Patterson Park with her husband, Jeremy, and two young sons, Silas and Sebastian. She was a founder of Clay Hill Public Charter School and chaired the Family and Community Engagement Committee. Lauren serves on the Governance Committee and is excited to continue developing two unique schools with one united goal of building robust and community-based education in Baltimore.
Lauren is a practicing attorney with a non-profit watchdog organization. She worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and was a federal lobbyist on education and healthcare issues. Lauren earned her undergraduate degree at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and her J.D. from Suffolk University in Boston, MA.
Originally from Philadelphia, Lauren and her family have loved making Baltimore and Patterson Park their home. Silas started Pre-K at PPPCS in Fall 2021, and Sebastian cannot wait to join the PPPCS, Inc. family as soon as possible. Lauren and Jeremy are committed to progressing the education and community opportunities that have flourished in Baltimore.
Astrid Bharath-Pierce
Astrid Bharath-Pierce has lived in Baltimore for seven years, and her family has been part of the PPPCS community for five years now. Astrid has served on HOPPP and the advocacy committee, and is now one of the founding members of the new parent group, Hekima. She is an ardent supporter of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Soon, she will be finishing her degree in political science from Coppin State University. She aspires to develop or analyze policy with a focus on the disenfranchised communities in Baltimore City. In her free time, she has lobbied with Baltimore City schools for funding initiatives in Annapolis and campaigned in her city council district. Currently, she is a stay-at-home mother to four children: Ian, Adam, GiannaMarie, and Julianna, wife to small business owner and designer Wilbert, and together they are committed to serving their community.
Julie Neale Taylor
Julie Neale Taylor joined the board as a Parent at Large, through Hands on Patterson Park Public, the school’s parent group. She served as President of HOPPP for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 school years and has also held the positions of Secretary and Assistant Secretary. Julie is a lifelong resident of Maryland, attending University of Maryland, College Park for undergraduate studies and University of Baltimore for graduate studies, ultimately receiving her MBA in 2004. She has worked for Erickson Living in various roles since 2005, currently as a Lead Business Analyst in the IT department, managing a team of technology trainers. Julie, her husband Dave, and their two daughters live in the Abell neighborhood and both girls attend Patterson Park Public Charter School.
Natasha Perry
Natasha Perry joined PPPCS in the fall of 2019 as a kindergarten teacher. Natasha earned a BS in Family Studies and Human Development from Towson University. She is a current student at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining PPPCS she worked for the Department of Human Services in Child Welfare. Natasha was also a former Appeals Coordinator for Maryland State Department of Education. She is a native Marylander. As a member of the DEI Committee, Natasha works to ensure PPPCS is a safe supportive equitable community for all students and teachers.
Jenna Adams
Jenna Adams joined PPPCS in the fall of 2018 as a middle school science teacher. Jenna earned a BS in Kinesiology from Penn State University in 2013, after which she moved to Baltimore City to become a City School’s Teacher through an alternative certification program. Then in 2015 she graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master’s in Education. This year, Jenna serves as the Middle School team chair, one of two mentor teachers, a member of the DEI committee, and one of two SLO and survey ambassadors. She lives in Baltimore City with her partner Tyler and their dog, Moo Moo.
Anaïs Roman
Anaïs Roman is an instructional assistant at Clay Hill Public Charter School. She is a member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee and is serving as the 'Staff At Large' school representative for Clay Hill. As a school representative, she creates a bridge between the board and the school providing a more intimate view on what's going on within the school.
Anaïs spent the last 5 years studying meditation and mindfulness at the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Institute and the Center for Creative Inquiry in Berkeley, CA. Her intention is to explore the intersection between equitable education and self-awareness. She aims to bring a fresh critical lens to the longstanding educational system by taking a whole-child approach and cultivating a trauma-informed and historically aware space. She teaches students life skills such as self-reflection, self-understanding, emotional regulation, meditation, communication, and nature-based connection. Anaïs believes that contacting our inner resources supports the foundation of comprehension, understanding, and expanding perspective.
Raven Cooper
Raven is originally from Fresno, California, but has lived in Baltimore for the last six years. She is a kindergarten teacher at Clay Hill Elementary. Raven currently serves as Staff at Large on the PPPCS board. Her passions include anything related to Early Childhood Education, mentoring new teachers, and growing in her craft as a classroom teacher. Aside from her love for Early Childhood Education, Raven enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves exploring, trying new food, music, and finding joy in life.
Lauren Eaton
Lauren, her partner, Caitlin, and their two daughters have deep roots in the Patterson Park community. When not with her family and friends, Lauren works as a Behavior Analyst and is the Behavior Support Services Director for Itineris, a non-profit that serves adults on the autism spectrum. Lauren is adjunct faculty at Simmons University in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master’s program, and a co-founder of the Clay Hill Public Charter School. She received her bachelor’s from Tulane University and master's from UMBC. She completed her clinical supervision at Kennedy Krieger Institute, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Ivymount School. Lauren looks forward to bringing her passion for teaching, special education, and positive behavior supports to the board and school community.
Ramond Sneed
Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Ramond Sneed has lived in Baltimore since 2008, starting out in Patterson Park and most recently having a home in Reservoir Hill. Ramond holds a bachelor’s of science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and a MBA from the University of Maryland University College.
Ramond has been in the hotel industry since 2002 and is currently a general manager at the Sonesta Hotel in Arlington, Va. Ramond has a strong background in business financials and operations. Ramond and his wife Shannon have been married since 2007, have one daughter (Rae) and a cat (Sassy).
Jackie Quiñones
Jackie Quiñones moved to Baltimore in 2020 and lives on the Highlandtown side of Patterson Park with her partner Mike, their 1-year-old Ennio, and dog Sadie. She has been on the governance committee for the past year before joining the board this year. She loves the park and taking her son to see the trees, animals, and people there. She has also had a wonderful time getting to know her neighbors and other Baltimoreans over the last 2.5 years. She is originally from Colorado, went to college in Chicago, and graduate school in Washington, DC. Her background is in foreign affairs and she currently works at the Open Society Foundation. She likes to use her free time reading, running, tending her garden, and listening to music.