Our Leadership
Meet the dedicated individuals behind our vision: a passionate leadership team encompassing our board, staff, and faculty, all committed to driving our mission forward.
Christine Alves
President
Dr. Christine W. Alves is the President and Co-Founder of the Rhode Island School for Progressive Education (RISPE). With over 25 years of experience as an educator in Rhode Island, Christine has dedicated her career to improving educational outcomes by fostering diversity, equity, and excellence in teaching. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Management from Hampton University and is a proud alumna of Brown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Elementary Education.
Under her leadership since 2015, RISPE has become Rhode Island’s first residency-style graduate school of education, approved by the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education. RISPE offers innovative programs such as the Accelerated Teacher Certification program and the PK-12 English as a Second Language (ESOL) Certification. These programs have prepared over 100 ESOL educators and trained 41% of the state’s ESOL-certified teachers since 2017. Importantly, 77% of RISPE-trained educators identify as people of color, contributing significantly to diversifying the state’s teaching workforce.
As a former coach, Christine deeply understands the experiences and challenges that candidates face to grow into highly-skilled, reflective, culturally competent practitioners. She is also wholly committed to RISPE’s mission to recruit and retain educators of color and believes that diversifying the teacher workforce is essential to improving outcomes for public school students.
Outside of work, Christine loves spending time with her husband and children and traveling to visit family in New York, Maryland, Florida, and Trinidad.
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Melanie Griffith
Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships
Melanie Griffith is a Co-Founder of RISPE and the Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships. She began working on the RISPE team as Project Manager during the planning stages in January 2016. Melanie holds a BA in English from The College of Saint Rose and two master’s degrees, an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in English from Louisiana State University. She taught writing–primarily first-year composition–at the college level at a number of institutions, including Blinn College, the College of Mount Saint Vincent, and SUNY Purchase. Melanie also spent a year in residence at NYC’s P.S. 132 Juan Pablo Duarte in Washington Heights as part of the Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program.
Melanie brings her excellent writing and organizational skills to the team, along with a staunch belief in RISPE’s mission and in the right of all students to a high-quality, equitable public education. She is a firm believer in standing up for what is right, and uses her voice to do so whenever possible. A native New Yorker, Melanie likes to explore Rhode Island in her free time. She also enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband and their daughter Ingrid and dog Zuzu.
Tori Thomson
Vice President of Operations and Student Services
Tori Thomson is a Co-Founder of RISPE and the Vice President of Operations and Student Services. She holds a BA in English from the University of Rhode Island as well as an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Rhode Island College. Prior to joining the team, Tori completed a year of service with the Americorps VISTA program, and this experience led her to RISPE. Tori brings a knack for practical organization and understanding of interpersonal dynamics into her work.
She is a proud alum of Rhode Island public schools and believes in the transformative power of excellent public education for every student. Outside of RISPE, Tori spends her time hiking, reading, and trying to find places in Rhode Island she hasn’t visited yet. She is currently a doctoral candidate (EdD) with a concentration in Workplace Learning at Northeastern University.
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RISPE Staff
Kim Almeida
Kim Almeida
Academics Operations Manager
Jerre' Snead
Jerre' Snead
Director of Academics
Nancy Cao Levesque
Nancy Cao Levesque
Director of Development
Stefanie Hessein
Stefanie Hessein
Development Officer
Brianna Johnson
Brianna Johnson
Coordinator of Academic and Clinical Support
Elijah Martinez
Elijah Martinez
Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator
RISPE Faculty
Zajerria Godfrey
Zajerria Godfrey
Nicholas Santavicca, Ph.D.
Nicholas Santavicca, Ph.D.
Erika C. Tyson
Erika C. Tyson
Franjuan Valentine, Ph.D.
Franjuan Valentine, Ph.D.
Carol Pagan
Carol Pagan
Karen Adamec
Karen Adamec
Arine Lowery
Arine Lowery
Rebeca Filomeno-Nason
Rebeca Filomeno-Nason - ESOL Adjunct Faculty
Kiersten Prucha
Kiersten Prucha - ESOL Adjunct Faculty
Rebeca Filomeno-Nason
Amanda Portes
Kiersten Prucha
Stephanie Morrison
Ruth Gil-Johnston
Cindy Washington
Board of Directors
Mary Harrison
Mary Harrison
Chair of the Board
Ron Contreras
Treasurer
CFO, Children’s Friend
Lynn Bowman
Lynn Bowman
Board Secretary
Julian Dash
Julian Dash
Director
Nicholas Trott Long
Nicholas Trott Long
Director
Dr. Soljane Martinez
Dr. Soljane Martinez
Director
Dr. Jeffery Williams
Dr. Jeffery Williams
Director
Polly Ulichny
Director
Retired, Former Director of Elementary Education, Brown University
Jeannie Castillo-Lapierre
Director
Business Manager, New Urban Arts
Courtney Correia
Director
School Counselor, Roger Williams Middle School
Jeanette Epstein
Director
Director of the Hamilton Institute for Outreach and Advocacy, The Wheeler School