Board
Our Board
Andy Baker is the founder and Managing Director of Tyrian Capital, a private investment firm. Mr. Baker has spent the past 15 years of his career investing in closely-held businesses on behalf of family investment offices and has sat on numerous company boards. He started his career at Lehman Brothers after graduating from the University of London with a degree in Economics. Active in various philanthropic activities, Mr. Baker also serves on the Investment Committee for a large family foundation based in Chicago.
Aparupa Bhattacharya is a Managing Director in Deloitte Consulting’s Human Capital Organization Transformation practice who focuses on supporting healthcare executives with large scale organizational change—collaborating with leaders to design and build new operating models, leadership teams, roles and talent strategies in healthcare delivery systems and health plans. Ms. Bhattacharya is a Founding Board Member of Great Lakes Academy, and holds an M.B.A. and Health Sector Management Certificate from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a B.A. in Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University.
Christine Chen is a Director at McDonald's, leading a Restaurant Culture team that focuses on the employee experience strategies of the Crew across all restaurants in the United States. Prior to joining McDonald's, Christine led change management teams in the Life Sciences industry at Deloitte. She also started off her career as a high school Performing Arts and Reading Teacher at a Noble Street Charter School through Teach for America. Christine has been involved with Great Lakes Academy since 2017, and began her role as a Board Member in 2023. She holds an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management and a B.A. in Neuroscience from Wellesley College.
Duane B. Davis, Ph.D. has spent almost three decades teaching, leading, coaching and consulting at a variety of schools and organizations in Chicago and nationally. He recently served as the Executive Director K12 Education Initiatives in the Office of the President at the University of Chicago which includes directing the Chicago Public Schools My Very Own Library Program with 17 local elementary schools and connecting local schools to resources at the university. He also ran the national My Very Own Library Program that focused on literacy, equity and families in five states and in the Dominican Republic. He completed his Ph.D. in Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on early career teachers and runs Raising Expectations LLC, a consulting firm that works with schools, nonprofits and businesses around the country. He currently serves on the boards of Children’s Literacy Initiative, Chicago Positive Impact, Bronzeville Classical Elementary School and Great Lakes Academy. Dr. Davis cares deeply about the experiences of our students in every city, nationally and globally.
Brad Karsh is the Founder and CEO of JB Training Solutions, a company dedicated to helping workplaces thrive. Brad is a public speaker, corporate trainer, and author of three business books including Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management. Prior to creating JB Training Solutions, Brad spent 15 years at advertising agency Leo Burnett in Chicago. He received a B.A. in History from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. and resides in Chicago with his wife Lisa and three boys.
Matthew Sloan is a Senior Associate at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in its Chicago office, where he specializes in labor-management relations, workplace health and safety, and whistleblower litigation. Matthew holds a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law. Matthew has been involved with Great Lakes Academy since 2017, and began his role as a Board Member in 2024.
Adeline Ogbor, RN, BSN is a Chicago native and the parent of two Great Lakes Academy scholars, Azariah and Alyzah Mercer. Her family has been part of the school community since its founding in 2014, with her eldest daughter graduating in the second class of the school’s history. Adeline serves on the Board of Directors and as President of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC). She is a Charge Nurse in the Operating Room at UChicago Medicine, specializing in trauma surgery, and is currently pursuing her Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree at Walden University.
Deion Owens is an experienced educator, school leader, and consultant with a background in both public and charter school systems. He has served as a principal in Chicago and Houston and supported teacher development through the creation and improvement of induction programs. He is currently a superintendent fellow, focusing on organizational development, leadership coaching, and strategy. Deion runs a consulting practice that supports nonprofit and school system leaders with strategic planning, team development, and school improvement efforts. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in education leadership at the Harvard University, where his work focuses on the intersection of leadership and organizational development. A Chicago native, Deion is committed to expanding access to high-quality educational opportunities for all students.
Nicole Woodfork, LSW, MSW is a native South Chicago resident. She holds a Masters with Honors in Social Work from the University of St. Francis and a Bachelors in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. For many years, Ms. Woodfork has worked in various capacities as a social service professional, contracted through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Ms. Woodfork has also served on a Parent Advisory Committee at Larabida Children’s Hospital and was very instrumental in the development of GLA's Power Parents group. Ms. Woodfork and her husband, James, are the parents of two daughters, a recent GLA graduate, and a soon to be graduate. Ms. Woodfork is a licensed social worker and is currently the Mental Health Coordinator/Supervisor at Family Focus in Hyde Park and South Shore.