Jill Norton, Executive Director
jnorton@renniecenter.org

Jill joined the Center with a background in K-12 professional development. Jill was formerly Director of Professional Development for the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) where she worked with educators throughout the six New England states to develop targeted professional development for K-12 teachers and administrators. Prior to NESDEC, Jill managed the customer service department for Tom Snyder Productions, an educational software publisher. Jill received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Michigan State University where she spent an additional year completing a full year internship and graduate courses in Teaching Curriculum. She also attended the National Center for Montessori Education-New England and earned her Primary Teaching Certificate. Jill earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University where she focused on Education Policy and Management. She has been a public school teacher in Michigan and Montessori directress in Massachusetts.

Lisa Famularo, Research Director
lfamularo@renniecenter.org

Lisa joined the Center with a background in education research. Lisa was formerly a Research Director at a Boston-based company where her research focused on issues in higher education. Lisa received her Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation from Boston College. While at Boston College, Lisa was a Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy (CSTEEP). Prior to Boston College, Lisa served as a Research Manager and Senior Project Director in the Social and Government Research Group at TNS, a leading market information company. In this role she managed a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative research projects.
Lisa began her career as a Research Assistant at the Institute for Survey Research, a non-profit research organization located at Temple University. Lisa received both her M. Ed. in Educational Psychology and her B.A. in Journalism from Temple University.

Michael Bennett, Policy Analyst
mbennett@renniecenter.org

Michael has over twenty years of experience researching and writing for a variety of governmental, private and non-profit organizations.  His research has ranged from American social and cultural history to management theory and organizational dynamics.  Michael has contributed to academic journals, professional conferences and Web-based curricula.  He began his career at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania where he helped developed exhibits and educational outreach programs.  Prior to moving to Boston in 2004, Michael worked as a Historian for the National Park Service in Washington, DC, before establishing a research and editorial services consulting firm in Vermont.  Before joining the Center, Michael was the Research Director for Build the Out-of-School Time Network (BOSTnet), where he coordinated their research and publications and managed a variety of special projects including the annual All Means All Conference.  Michael has two school-aged children currently enrolled in the Massachusetts public school system.  He graduated with an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and currently serves as Chair of the Board of KidsArts!, a community-based arts program in Jamaica Plain.

 

Ivy Washington, Operations Manager
iwashington@renniecenter.org

Ivy joined the Center with a background in non-profit management. She has worked at and consulted with a variety of organizations but has worked most extensively with those serving children and their families. Ivy received her M.B.A from the School of Management at Yale University. While at Yale, Ivy spent a summer working with United Way of Greater New Haven on new media projects and database management. Prior to graduate school, she ran the business office for a community center in Cambridge where she was responsible for day-to-day management as well as strategic planning. Ivy has a particular interest in K-12 public education, out-of-school-time education, and early education. She was also an after-school teacher for a year after graduating from Columbia University with a B.A. in Sociology.