A Letter to Our Friends and Supporters

ABOUT OUR TEAM OF FOUNDING LEADERS:

Lanette Dailey-Reese (Executive Director) has personally and professionally committed more than 15 years to improving educational outcomes by supporting schools in facing diverse challenges to student learning and achievement. She and a dynamic group of educators are committed to launching an innovative school model that immerses students in place-based learning experiences within the robust museum, research and cultural centers of DC.

Prior to her work with CapX, Lanette served as the Executive Director of City Arts + Prep Public Charter School. Before leading City Arts + Prep, Lanette served as Executive Director for International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). During her time with ICLE she worked in partnership with school leaders across the Mid-Atlantic region with a focus on improving student outcomes through high quality professional learning for the leaders and teachers. Her varied career includes corporate, public, charter, post-secondary, and non-profit education experiences.

Lanette holds two graduate degrees: one in Higher Education Leadership and Management from Drexel University, and another in Community and Regional Planning from Temple University. Lanette is a sports enthusiast with a passion for golf, cooking and family travel.

Patrice L. Jones is a native Washingtonian and attended DC Public Schools. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education from Trinity University in Washington, DC. She enjoys working with youth, reading and learning about history and spending time with her family.

Bethany P. Fleming grew up in Alabama. She attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Bethany moved to Washington, DC when she joined Urban Teachers in 2011. In partnership with Urban Teachers, Bethany earned a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Special Education from Lesley University. She enjoys teaching youth, practicing yoga, and spending time with friends and family outside.

Alison Gillmeister grew up in Buffalo, New York and counts playing basketball and living in the same house as her maternal grandparents as some of her most educational experiences as a young person. After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Humanities, she spent a year in Atlanta with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps before coming to DC to learn to teach through the Capital Teaching Residency. She has taught in the Congress Heights, Brightwood, and Shaw neighborhoods of the city and has worked for the past five years as an inclusion teacher and English as a Second Language specialist at Center City Public Charter School's Shaw Campus. Alison is interested in practical steps she can take to support students in becoming lifelong learners and confident communicators.

ABOUT OUR EDUCATOR ADVISORS & SUPPORT TEAM:

Audrey C. Campbell is a true southerner from Bruce, Mississippi. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of MS in Oxford MS and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Trinity University in Washington, DC. She loves nurturing, educating and making a positive impact on the youth. In her spare time she loves cooking, reading, watching old movies and spending quality time with family and friends.

Jennifer Fox-Thomas empowers youth to change the world! She has been the Assistant Director of Student Support Services at the Bridges Public Charter School and a Founding Partner of Girls Rock! DC, a 501(c)3 serving girls with a passion for music in the DC region. She graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation/Therapy and from The George Washington University with a M.A. in Special Education and Training.

Randi Harrison is a native South Carolinian from the town of Spartanburg. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education from Tuskegee University and her Masters of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University, Teachers College. Her interests include learning self-taught skills like calligraphy, exploring new cities, planning events and FaceTiming family and friends.

Kimberly Fuller was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She is committed to student achievement inside the classroom and in life. A graduate of the University of the District of Columbia, Kim has a BA in Early Childhood Education. Currently a math and science teacher at the Center City Shaw Campus in Washington, DC, she incorporates project-based learning while serving as a teacher leader. Kim maintains that student success is built through fostering meaningful relationships. She is excited about working with Capital Experience Lab because of the opportunity to bridge in-school and out-of-school STEM learning opportunities.

Alexis Mays-Fields, affectionately known as Mrs. Fields, is currently a Special Education teacher at Center City Brightwood in Washington, DC. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and a masters degree in Teaching. She chose to work with the Capital Experience Lab because of her passion for the arts and project- based learning. Through teaching, she believes she is helping students succeed despite any obstacle.

Shannon Nuzzelillo grew up in New Haven, CT and received her bachelor's degree at Assumption College in Worcester, MA in English Literature. She continued on to obtain her Masters in Elementary Education and has been teaching 4-6 grades for the past nine years. She is very passionate about educating and empowering young minds. In her spare time, you could find her spending time with her dog Santino, writing, or exploring out in nature!

Desiree Smith is a “double ‘Hoo,” having graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010 with a B.A in Political & Social Thought and African American Studies, and in 2011 with a Masters in Public Policy. She has been blessed to teach math to amazing 5th-8th graders in DC public and charter schools over the past 6 years. When not teaching, she can be found serving on the video production team at Zion Church, learning how to edit films or working on her spoken word poetry.

Nathan Stanford has been involved in CapX since its founding and believes schools should give practical skills and an opportunity to apply them in a realistic setting. He was a teacher at an independent school for 5 years, teaching a variety of classes including computer science, math, and physics. His passions of computer science and statistics led him to obtain a masters degree in Analytics, and he currently works as a data scientist.

ABOUT CAPXLAB LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION:

Nik Apostolides is a founding member of CapXLab and currently serves as the Chair of the Board.

He is an educator, arts leader, and independent curator, and is currently Deputy CEO of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Prior to this position, he worked as the Associate Director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, where he conceived and curated an inter-disciplinary program series, Portraits After 5, featuring contemporary artists. Previously, he served as the Associate Manager for Planning at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Nik is active on a number of nonprofit boards, including as Vice President of the D.C. Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative.

Nik earned an MA from Danube University in Austria; a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University; and a BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute.

Terence Bennett is a founding member of CapXLab and assists with CapXLab's technical needs and website administration. He is a former active-duty Navy Lieutenant and currently works in security at Google.