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Through our partnerships with Southern New Hampshire University and The Derryfield School, Breakthrough Manchester now offers a six-year, tuition-free pipeline of academic supports for students, from sixth grade through college matriculation.
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| Meet the Members of our New Advisory Committee |
Last spring, a new partnership agreement with Southern New Hampshire University ensured that our Breakthrough students would be supported through high school and into college. In accordance with that agreement, the Breakthrough Manchester Advisory Committee has been reconstituted to include representatives of Southern New Hampshire University, the Derryfield School and the broader Manchester community.
Meet our new members below, and you will appreciate our excitement in working with this stellar group of people, all of whom have strong track records in supporting education and the Manchester community.
Bill Gillett
Bill currently serves as the Papoutsy Distinguished Chair in Ethics and Social Responsibility at SNHU and is the Board Chair of the International Institute of New England. Bill and his wife Kathy are long-time supporters of the program; two of their children have experienced Breakthrough Manchester as a Summer Teaching Fellow. In addition, they have served as a homestay family for out-of-town teachers and have offered social events for Breakthrough teachers for many summers. Previously, Bill served as the Dean of the SNHU School of Business, Director of the New Hampshire High Technology Council and the President of RiverStone Resources, LLC. As the parent of an alumna and current student at Derryfield, Bill brings a unique triple perspective to the Committee - Southern New Hampshire University, The Derryfield School and Breakthrough Manchester.
Carolyn Leary
Carolyn is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Programs for the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. In this role, Carolyn is the lead strategist for all GMCC events and programs is responsible for creating strategic partnerships with key organizations that can help the Chamber advance its mission of improving the region's business climate. Carolyn is passionate about the Manchester community and the many opportunities the city has to offer. Carolyn graduated from Derryfield in 2005 and was a Breakthrough (then Summerbridge) teacher with the Saturday and School-After-School programs. Carolyn's husband, Mike, is now an Upper School Latin teacher at Derryfield and they live in Manchester.
Colleen Ives
Colleen Ives is a Vice President of Operations at Rockport Mortgage Corporation, a leading FHA lender for affordable housing in the country. Prior to joining Rockport, Colleen provided strategic planning and change management consulting services throughout New England assisting executive leadership to expand and strengthen their operations through the development of organizational systems and human resource capacity. Colleen has a Ph.D. in Human & Organizational Development from the Fielding Graduate University and a M.A. degree in Counseling from Assumption College. She and her husband live in Manchester, NH and have served as Breakthrough homestay families for two Breakthrough teachers. Their youngest daughter Margaret graduated from The Derryfield School in 2016.
Helen Davies
Helen moved to New Hampshire from Oxford, England to work as the Special Assistant to SNHU President Paul LeBlanc in 2013. Currently, as Southern New Hampshire University's Director of Community Relations, Helen's work at the university is centered on directing and facilitating positive relationships and strategic collaborations between the university and its local, state, and regional community. She acts, in many ways, as the university's ambassador to the community, representing and communicating SNHU's mission to external stakeholders, and serving as a liaison for potential corporate and community partnerships. Helen is passionate about advancing high-quality, affordable, and accessible pathways to higher education by creating more opportunities for students, and young people, within (and outside of) the greater Manchester community. With a Master's degree in Theology from Yale, Helen also serves as an adjunct faculty member at SNHU, teaching philosophy and religion.
Irv Richardson
Irv has served as the Coordinator for Public Education and School Support for NEA-New Hampshire for the past eight years. A long-time educator, Irv worked in Tilton, New Hampshire and the Freeport Public Schools as a teacher, director of the gifted and talented program and principal. After serving as the Associate Executive Director with Staff Development for Educators, Irv consulted extensively with states on Teacher Quality Enhancement grants, educator induction, and leadership standards, among other projects. In addition to his current work with NEA-New Hampshire, Irv also consults on a variety of national projects and teaches in the doctoral program on school leadership at the University of Southern New Hampshire. Irv holds a BA from Dartmouth College, a Masters in School Administration from the University of Southern Maine and a Doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in Teacher Education and School Improvement. He was Maine's Teacher of the Year in 1988 and received a Milken Educator Award in 1993. Irv has two grown children and lives with his wife, Katie, in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Joan Izen
Joan founded and continues to direct the statewide Preschool Technical Assistance Network (PTAN) based at the Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC,) and she
has an advanced degree in Organizational Development.
Joan's son, Ethan Schwelling, taught at Breakthrough Manchester for five summers, and the family served as a homestay for out-of-town teachers for many years. Joan and her husband Joel Schwelling have been long-time supporters of Breakthrough, and Joel was instrumental in the production of a video for BTM's 25th Anniversary which focused on the teacher development side of the program's mission.
Jonathan Ross
Jon was the Chair of the Derryfield Board of Trustees when Breakthrough (then Summerbridge) was first founded at the school in 1991. Working closely with Head of School Marc Hurlbut at the time, Jon helped to set the original vision for the program, and he and his wife Kathy continue to champion and support Breakthrough in the community. In addition to providing financial support, Jon and Kathy have maintained a decades-long tradition of hosting the college-age teaching faculty at their home in Dover for a much-appreciated weekend beach and lobster day. Jon is an attorney with Primmer, Piper, Eggleston and Cramer, working in Manchester and on the seacoast.
Lyonel B. Tracy
Lyonel is a lifelong educator. Currently working as a regional and national education consultant, Lyonel is also teaching in Southern NH University's doctoral program in Educational Leadership. A former Commissioner of Education in New Hampshire, school superintendent, principal and teacher, Lyonel is well versed in all aspects of teaching, learning and administration in the state. Lyonel has also worked with the National Center on Education and the Economy, a policy and technical assistance organization. After earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Maine, Lyonel earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from George Washington University.
Margaret Tatro
Meg is a long-time champion of Breakthrough and currently serves on the Derryfield Board of Trustees. Meg first learned about the Breakthrough program through her daughter's experience as a teacher at the Breakthrough site in Pittsburgh, and she and her husband Phil appreciate the transformative power of the program for emerging teachers and students alike. Their son Philip graduated from Derryfield in 2016.
Susan Grodman, Ex-Officio
Susan is the Assistant Head of External Affairs at The Derryfield School. A consistent supporter of Breakthrough Manchester, Susan has been a frequent summer homestay provider for our out-of-town teachers. Susan will serve as Breakthrough's administrative liaison to The Derryfield School.
We also extend thanks to the members of last year's committee who skillfully guided the program through a series of opportunities and challenges. With appreciation for the treasures of your talent, time and wisdom: Theresa Dolloff, Mary Heath, Marcus Hurlbut, Nigel Donovan and David Scannell.
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Our Vision
All young people, regardless of circumstance, can achieve their full potential as students, teachers and leaders.
Our Mission
The dual missions of Breakthrough Manchester are to launch promising Manchester middle school students, particularly those with limited opportunities, on the path to college while inspiring high school and college students to pursue careers in education.
We do this by:
* Recruiting and selectively admitting high-potential sixth graders with limited opportunities from Manchester middle schools for a tuition-free, three-year program
* Providing three rigorous, joyful academic summers and school year supports to admitted students during their middle school years
* Connecting ninth graders with the Breakthrough College-Bound program at Southern NH University to create a seamless pipeline of opportunity through high school
* Recruiting, training, mentoring and supporting college students, and some local high-achieving high school students, as excellent teachers
* Engaging a broad array of stakeholders in understanding, promoting, funding and championing both missions of Breakthrough.
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With thanks,
Becky Berk
Executive Director
Breakthrough Manchester
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