Community First School Leadership Team
School Leader:
Timothy R. Goodwin is the school co-founder. He promotes a unique style of education that incorporates the whole family and community in the learning process. This place-based approach relies on helping children and families identify their purposes, passions, and desires as avenues for academic engagement and growth, all within a community asset context. By lessening the focus on standardized test scores, getting students out of their seats and into the world, and increasing the belief in each child’s unique gifts and talents, Timothy has seen great increases in student learning at all levels. Timothy has worked as an educator for over 35 years, including 20 as a classroom teacher and public school administrator, and 15 years founding and directing high performing non-profit organizations including Hartford Youth Scholars and Community Farm of Simsbury.
As the Dean and then Principal at the Culinary Arts Academy at Weaver High School from 2011 through 2015, Timothy oversaw several school wide improvement initiatives, including an enrollment increase of 19%, MAP Test score increases of over 250%, behavioral referrals down 70%, and chronic absenteeism down 16%. Timothy’s latest initiative in collaboration with several community partners and residents is Community First School.
Community First School opened on time and in person during the pandemic and is currently in its 6th year. The goal is to prove that all students from Hartford’s most challenged neighborhoods can succeed when provided with an education built to meet their specific needs. Community First School boasts an attendance rate of over 90%, individualized learning plans for each child, a 100% parent participation rate at monthly family dinners, and all students working toward grade level. As of the fall MAP testing 2025, over 65% of students were proficient or above in Math and Reading. Additionally, 8 out of 31 CFS students are above the 80th percentile nationally in math, and 5 students are above the 80th percentile in reading. The school was recently accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges!
Board of Directors:
Denise Best (Interim Chairperson) is a school co-founder and an educator, education organizer, and former Chair of the Upper Albany NRZ where she resided for 35 years. She holds a master’s degree from Trinity College where she served as a senior administrator before retiring to work in community development. Denise sits on a number of local boards and is currently the President and CEO of Voices of Women of Color. Denise served as an initial member of the CFS design team.
Mark St. Pierre (Treasurer) is a VP for Peoples Bank and specializes as a Business Banking Lender with a passion for helping businesses grow and thrive. With extensive experience in operating and lending to small businesses, Mark specializes in providing tailored financial solutions that meet the unique needs of each business. Whether looking for mortgages, lines of credit, or term loans, Mark is there to help navigate the complexities of business banking with ease.
Eric Roberson grew up in North Hartford and believes that now, more than ever, we must invest in our youth by providing them with the resources, guidance, and opportunities they need to succeed. This is especially important in the Hartford area, where many young people face significant challenges and barriers to success. He believes Community First School is uniquely positioned to help address those challenges by creating an environment that nurtures students academically, socially, and personally.
Germain Njila Mopa is a Software Engineer Manager for The Home Depot. He directs and mentors a high-performing engineering team, and leads strategic talent planning, goal setting, performance discussions, and onboarding. A native of Cameroon, he lived in Hartford during high school prior to attending the University of Vermont on a Basketball Scholarship, and scored over 20 points in the NCAA tournament when UVM defeated highly favored Syracuse University. According to Germain, “I have continued to admire the leadership, integrity, and unwavering commitment of Community First School to helping young people reach their full potential, and I am proud to help lead such an outstanding organization”.
Kelley A. Fournier is the Operations Manager, Community Relations for The Travelers Indemnity Company Hartford, CT. She has oversight of annual charitable giving budgets including projections, monthly accounting, record reconciliation and compliance, and various levels of financial reporting. She also brings a wealth of education experience to CFS as she served as Director of School Operations, Student Services Manager, and Operations Associate for Achievement First Elementary Academy in both Hartford, CT and Providence RI.
Lashawn Robinson is a Community parent of five children and a member of the Hartford Parent University parent advocacy group. She has worked in various capacities within local schools to support parents as they navigate the school choice system. She will support CFS by advocating for and promoting the organization with parents.
Mike Hudson is a Creative Strategist for Google with over 10 years of experience in digital video, audience trends, data analysis, and consumer behavior across YouTube, mobile, and search. His background spans new media, social media, and journalism, with hands-on proficiency in data tools and emerging technologies including AI and machine learning. For a mission-driven school like CFS, Mike supports stronger storytelling for enrollment, deeper donor and community partnerships, and disciplined support for our upcoming 2023–26 strategic plan. Mike is also a parent of high school students, and understands how much a community carries together, and enjoys helping CFS tell its story, fund its sustainably, and protect what makes it different.
Dr. Peter LeMaire is the Chair of the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). He has chaired the department since 2014 and worked as a professor at the university since 2001. Dr. LeMaire will assist in the development and continuous improvement of the STEM curriculum at CFS. He also brings a wealth of experience in directing school reform and sustainability. Dr. LeMaire is also working to establish computer-learning centers in his native country of Ghana. Additionally, he is excited to connect CFS with the Center for Africana Studies at CCSU.
Rashida Forrester is a Realtor with Keller Williams Legacy Partners. Born and raised in Jamaican she attended the University of Technology, Jamaica where she majored in Computer Science and Information Technology. After graduation she acquired a position with Air Jamaica as a Customer Service Agent in Departures. Much of her volunteer work since moving to the United States has been to improve literacy for minority children across the country through donating books to various schools in all 50 states. She is a mother of two, and excited to advocate for North Hartford children as a CFS board member.
Robert Alarcon is the Director of Consulting for Consilio LLC. He has served in various capacities as Senior Counsel for CarCentrix in Hartford and Associate Counsel for Bracewell & Giuliani LLP in New York, NY. He believes whole-heartedly in the school, its students, and the Hartford community as a whole, and would like nothing more than to further the school’s mission in the years to come.
Ryan Gagnon is Assistant Vice President of Underwriting and Group Benefits for Nationwide. He is also a Minister at Crossroads Community Cathedral in East Hartford, CT. Ryan comes from humble beginnings, starting his professional career as a carpenter. He aligns with the CFS mission due to his deep care for the community we serve and desire to see people succeed physically, academically and spiritually.
Thomas Cranley is the Principal Consulting Services P&C Industry Leader for Ernst & Young LLP in Boston. He is responsible for EY’s Property & Casualty Consulting practice. He has over 30 years of insurance experience as both a consultant and as an industry executive. Thomas lives an active lifestyle and is an avid cyclist, runner, and hiker. He is an active Board member and has a keen interest in supporting innovation in education to help all children access learning regardless of zip code.
Dr. Tayarisha Bachelor is a highly accomplished leader with a proven track record in education and organizational development. As both the Director of Equity and Access for Simsbury Public Schools and the principal consultant for Batchelor Leadership Consulting LLC, she brings a unique blend of expertise to her work. Her innovative and progressive approach to education, and history working in North Hartford as a teacher and principal provide top level experience to our leadership team.
Advisors:
Anthony Byers is the Executive Director of Hartford Youth Scholars (HYS) a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to give students from Hartford the opportunity to change their lives through education. Under Anthony’s leadership Hartford Youth Scholars currently supports over 250 students and boasts a 100% high school graduation rate and an 85% college completion rate (within 6 years). In 2013 he received the CAEOP Trio Achiever Award, and in 2015 he was named one of the area’s 100 Men of Color and Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. As an original member of the CFS Design Team, he has provided great insight into after-school and summer academic support components.
David P. Marks spent forty-two years in all facets of the investment world. He was Chief Investment Officer and President of Allianz of America from 1991-2001; Cigna Investments 2002-2003; Citigroup Investments 2003- 2005 and lastly at Cuna Mutual/Member Capital Advisors. He was involved in all public and private asset classes, Risk Management, Portfolio Theory and Alternative Asset classes. David received his CFA designation in 1978. He is a graduate of Hartford’s Weaver High School and seeks to be a leader in helping revitalize North Hartford through education.
Dr. Dolores S. Cole is a visionary leader and educator with 30 years of experience. She is a successful leadership coach, advisor, problem solver, curriculum leader, administrative supervisor, and a strategic planner for school improvement at the school and district level. She has held several positions in education including classroom teacher at the elementary level, literacy coach, turnaround specialist, principal, Executive Principal, and Executive Director of Early Literacy. Her expertise in literacy, turnaround and leadership development generates an energy and passion that motivates and excites others to perform at their maximum potential and will help ensure CFS teaching and learning is of the highest quality.
Nyesha McCauley former CFS chairperson, is also a CFS co-founder. She has been a strong advocate for improving education in Hartford for over 20 years and supported CFS through launch and operations by building communication and community relations.
Paige Bray is the Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Hartford. She is a teacher and supervisor in Pre-K3 to Grade 3 early childhood classrooms. She focuses on teacher inquiry and authentic practice questions that inform more reflective and effective teaching practice. Seeing herself as an advocate for children and families, Paige teaches collaborative approaches to working with communities, schools, and families. Montessori education is ever-present in her life, including Montessori Concentration program development and research.
Scott Connors leads FlowStone Partners as President. He is responsible for product development, fundraising, transaction origination, due diligence, structuring, and closing. Since 1993, he has sourced or been directly involved with the investment of nearly $7 billion. Prior to joining FlowStone Partners, Scott spent 22 years at Landmark Partners, one of the oldest and one of the leading private equity and real estate secondary purchasers. Scott is the recently retired Board Chair of Hartford Youth Scholars, a non-profit focused on educational enhancement and access for the underserved youth of Hartford, CT. He also serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Maine at Farmington.
Patricia Kelly is the Founder, President/CEO, and Head Riding Instructor at Ebony Horsewomen in North Hartford. She is a trained equestrian instructor with over 37 years of experience. She is a certified Urban Riding Instructor, Master Urban Riding Instructor, and certified Equine Husbandry Instructor. She is also certified in Equine Assisted Growth, Learning and Therapy as a Hose Specialist by EGALA as well as in Horse Safety. She is a former United States Marine who leads workshops and seminars in equine-assisted therapy and psychotherapy, food justice, and advocates for the mental health and wellness in youth.
Jami Silver is currently Director of College Advising at her alma mater, Kingswood Oxford School, a coed college preparatory school in West Hartford, Connecticut. She was the founding college counselor at Achievement First Hartford High School, a public charter school in Hartford, and she worked with the first three graduating classes of students in navigating their post-secondary choices. Jami has spent her entire professional career in education and most of her years in the field of college admission and college access, working on “both sides of the desk” as an Admission Dean at Connecticut College and Wesleyan University, and later as a college counselor at the Loomis Chaffee School. Equity, inclusion and access are critical components to Jami’s professional and personal work.
Sheldon Wermes is a fundraising and development specialist who joined the CFS effort in January 2019 to help further develop the CFS Board of Directors as well as raise working capital to open the doors at CFS with confidence. Sheldon is a marketing and business development specialist who started two successful companies based in Fairfield County. He has more than 40 years of experience working with business and non-profit leaders. He served as the Chief Development Officer of Medsend – a global medical mission’s ministry –and orchestrated its fiscal turnaround from 2010-2016. A Rochester Institute of Technology graduate, Shelly served as a U.S. Army Infantry Lieutenant in Vietnam. Shelly is active in his church and served on the board of the Christian Mission for the United Nations Community for over 20 years.