board of directors

The board consists of 12 positions including the principal, a teacher representative, and a student representative.


Bobbi Macdonald, Co-Founder and Presidentof City Neighbors Charter School, Inc. (CNCS), Baltimore City�s first public charter school applicant (2004). Mrs. Macdonald has experience in educational leadership, curriculum development and instruction. Mrs. Macdonald received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois in Human Development and Family Ecology, and holds a Master�s Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to founding City Neighbors Charter School and serving as the President of the Board of Directors, Mrs. Macdonald taught in several college child development lab schools, and served as literacy trainer for Head Start and the Childrens Literacy Initiative. Mrs. Macdonald also is a Board Member of the Maryland Charter School Network, and a founder of the Coalition for Baltimore Charter Schools. Prior Board work includes leading the Johns Hopkins Toddler Cooperative, as President of the Board, for two years. Mrs. Macdonald and her husband, Rob, moved from Chicago to Maryland in 1993 and have chosen to harbor their dreams in Baltimore. In her spare time, Mrs. Macdonald enjoys hanging out with Rob and their three young children, reading and songwriting.
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Sue Fothergill, Co-Founder & Vice President, has an expertise in advocacy and organizing. She is an Education Advocate for the ACLU of Maryland. Her qualifications center around education policy analysis and parent and youth leadership development. (Past Member) Board of Directors Save Our Streams, Co-Founder Baltimore Education Advocates Coalition, Recipient of the John Brown Education Advocacy Award. Interests include politics and reading. Sue and her husband, Leo, have lived in Northeast Baltimore for 8 years where they are raising their two young boys.
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Rob Noble, Co-Founder & Treasurer of the Board, has expertise in Financial Management, Process Management, Quality Control Management, Reporting Systems Design and Data Analysis. As Principal of REN Consulting Services, he has worked extensively as a Financial Consultant with many of the "New Initiative"/Charter schools in the Baltimore area. Rob also serves as the treasurer on the Board of Directors, at Midtown Academy, Inc.
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Charmaine Turner, Secretary, has expertise in administration. She is currently a Baltimore City Teacher, and has served as a Youth Leader at pilgrim�s Way Bible Baptist Church. She has served as a member of the School Improvement Team at her current school for the past seven year. The mother of two young children, Ms. Turner all serves as a foster parent. Ms. Turner has a MAT from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an MBS degree from the University of Baltimore. She also has earned at BA in Business/Accounting with a minor in Computer Information Systems from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Morgan State University email Charmaine Turner      Top of page





Robyne Lyles - Thistle, Co-Founder and Director of Facilities, has expertise is logistics and finance. Ms. Lyles � Thistle has an M.B. A., in General Management from the University of Chicago School of Business, and a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. She is the vice-president and CFO of Freedom Services, Inc., a chauffeured passenger transportation company located in Baltimore. She and her husband started the company in 1991 and now have 35 amazing employees. Her current passion is managing the restoration of her family's circa 1811 house in Stone Hill. She also loves swimming with her daughter Maeve, playing Ultimate Frisbee with her husband, Mark and cooking with her friends.
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Kuana Holley-Burris, has an expertise in customer service. She is currently a Medical Insurance Specialist with the Department of Finance for Johns Hopkins Hospital. Recently, Mrs. Holley-Burris has been accepted into the Dental Hygiene undergraduate program at the University of MD. She is the mother of three boys, two of which currently attend City Neighbors Charter School. In her spare time, she also enjoys spending time with her husband and children, writing poetry and cooking..
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Constance Scott, Director of Resource Development, has expertise in retail sales, eBay business and jewelry making. Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore, Continuing studies, Maryland Institute College of Art. This is Ms. Scott�s second year on the Board of Directors for City Neighbors. Last year she exceeded her fundraising goal of $14,000. Ms. Scott lives in Lauraville with her husband and daughter.
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L'Tanya Crosby, Director of the Organized Parent Group, has an expertise in grassroots organizing. L�Tanya heads up the Organized Parent Group, where she works with the classroom representatives. Her position is also responsible for assisting parents in meeting the volunteer hour requirement.
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Shellae Jones, Co-Founder and Director of Community Relations, has expertise in organizing, special projects and community outreach. Her qualifications center around her ability to get the community moving together, and building a strong presence through partnerships and collaboration. Ms. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Coppin State College, 1993.
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Michael Chalupa, Principal, has been a classroom teacher in grades 4-8. He is an experienced administrator of policies and programs, a passionate advocate of teachers, has written and implemented new curricula, and directed a grass-roots, parent-led cooperative to professional independent school status while maintaining core values of community service, global awareness, character education and tolerance. Mike came to City Neighbors from Massachusetts, where he completed his Master�s degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Alida Ryerson, Teacher Representative. Ms. Ryerson has spent 23 years in the field of special education, She has a Masters in Special Education from the College of St Rose as well as a Certificate as Teacher of the Visually Impaired from Columbia University Teachers College. In addition she has pursued advanced credits in assistive technology at Johns Hopkins and in cognitive psychology at SUNY Albany. She has worked on the committee to create the New York State Alternative Assessment. She has worked with students of all ages and across a wide spectrum of disabilities. From this background flowed an interest in how these students met life's challenges once they were out of school leading to a commitment to inclusion in all areas of society. She has been affiliated with the Independent Living Movement and served for 5 years as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley in New York.
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Brianna Welsh, Student Council President is a 6th grade student at CNCS. Brianna brings her many talents and passion to the Board of City Neighbors. She has led the student council to begin a school wide discussion on bullying and friendship, including school wide assemblies, and a poster campaign. Brianna has also led efforts to gain autonomy over the school lunch program, meeting with officials from MSDE and North Avenue.





Will DuBois, Esq. DLA Piper and Associates. Advisor to the Board. Will DuBois's practice focuses on environmental litigation and counseling. He has represented property owners in both federal and state courts in matters involving CERCLA liability and cost recovery and disputes over liability for state-mandated cleanups. He also counsels clients on a variety of environmental aspects of transactions and environmental compliance, including under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and state regulations. In 2005, Mr. DuBois received the Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center's prestigious Pro Bono Service Award, honoring his extensive work on behalf of City Neighbors, and other organizations working to establish charter schools. J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School 2003, B.A., University of Maryland 1999
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