Meet Our Board of Trustees
Dedicated, Thoughtful Leadership
Harley trustees demonstrate a passion for the School and have a deep understanding of Harley’s mission and vision. Our Board of trustees is responsible for governance and fiduciary oversight of the School. We are proud to have a dynamic group of exceptional community leaders who have such a diversity of experience and backgrounds.
Officers
Co-PRESIDENT: Dena Levy, Ph.D., P’24 is an Associate Professor in Political Science at The College at Brockport, State University of New York. She writes on Congress, women and politics, minorities in Congress and electoral politics. She is the former Associate Dean of the College of The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at SUNY Brockport. Dena served as the Department Chair of the Department of Political Science & International Studies for a total of 9 years. She is a former department faculty senator, and in that capacity served as Chair of the College Senate Curriculum Committee and was a member of the Senate Executive Committee. She is co-author of Hillary Clinton: A Biography and has published in a variety of journals in the discipline. Dena received her PhD from the University of Iowa, her MA in Public Policy from Georgetown University, and her B.A. in Government-Public Policy from Pomona College.
At Harley, Dena has been the chair of the Enrollment and Marketing Committee since 2020. Dena and her husband, Mark Goldstein, have one daughter Isabel ‘24 who has been at Harley since she was 3 years old
Co-PRESIDENT: Jennifer Schwartzott, P’26 is an attorney, and a partner at Bond, Schoeneck, & King, PLLC. Jen has more than 20 years of experience counseling clients facing significant litigation exposure and also serves as outside general counsel for multiple private and municipal entities, including more than a dozen school districts. She is experienced in representing hospitals, physicians, nurses, physician’s assistants and other medical providers in medical malpractice lawsuits, professional discipline matters and other commercial disputes. Above all, Jen is a trusted advisor who assists clients to manage risk and achieve their desired outcomes. Earlier in her career, Jen taught legal writing as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. She attended the University of Maryland School of Law receiving her J.D. with honors, 2001, and Ithaca College receiving her B.A., magna cum laude, 1998. Prior to joining the Board, Jen served on the Harley By-Laws Review Committee. Jen joined the Board in 2020, and has served on the Executive Committee as Secretary since 2021. She and her husband, Marvin, have two children, Mary ’26 and Max.
VICE PRESIDENT: Paul Sisson ’89 is the Founder and Managing Partner of Canan Pratt Asset Management, a real estate private equity firm based in Washington, DC. Prior to founding Canan Pratt, Paul served as Head of Americas for CBRE Global Investors and was Senior Vice President and head of originations for Brookfield’s real estate debt platform. Paul graduated from The Harley School in 1989. He earned a B.A. degree in economics from Colgate University and an M.S. degree in real estate finance from New York University. Paul and his wife Ellen live in Chevy Chase, MD with their three children.
TREASURER: Rob McGraw P’22 is a CPA and runs a single-family office in Rochester specializing in long-term financial planning and income taxation. Rob received a B.S. in Finance from St. John Fisher College and an MBA from RIT before beginning his career at Deloitte in 1994 where he spent 8 years in public accounting. Rob and his wife, Karen, both Rochester natives, have been actively involved with nonprofit organizations serving the developmentally disabled and have enjoyed watching their youngest child, Caroline ’22, flourish since she came to Harley in the 6th grade.
SECRETARY: Edward “Ted” Townsend ’98, P ’32, P ’33 is an attorney and partner at Harter Secrest & Emery. In that capacity, he advises hospitals, health care providers, pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, and other health care facilities and organizations in all aspects of operational, compliance, and governance matters. A 1998 graduate of Harley, Ted went on to earn his BA from Trinity College and his JD from Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Syracuse Law Review. Ted serves on the Board of the Bivona Child Advocacy Center. Also a member of a long-standing Harley family, Ted’s father, Jim Townsend ’61 is a former Harley Board President, and his mother Anne Townsend is a former Development Coordinator. Ted’s sister Sarah Townsend Mulbury ’01 is a Harley alumna.Ted has continued his involvement as an alum of the school, acting as a Class Agent for the class of 1998, helping coordinate Reunions and other class gatherings. Ted’s wife, Jenn, currently serves on the Development Committee. Ted and Jenn are parents of Georgia Townsend ’33 and Henry Townsend ’32.
HEAD OF SCHOOL: Larry Frye, P’12, P’15, P’15 is the 14th head of The Harley School, after having served as Harley’s Head of Upper School since 2004. He earned his Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and his BA from Hamilton College. Before Harley, Larry held a variety of positions at The Cambridge School of Weston: Associate Director of Admissions, Director of Financial Aid, Director of Communications, and Dean of Students and Boarding, all while working in the dorms, teaching English, and serving as a college counselor. Larry began his career in college admissions at Hamilton. He and his wife, Robin Damrad Frye, Ph.D., have three children, all Harley graduates: Lily ’12, Amos ’15, and Josh ’15.
Trustees
Jeffrey Alexis, P ’20, P ’23, P ’27 is a cardiologist who cares for patients with heart failure, as well as patients who have received heart transplants, artificial hearts, and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). His research on LVADs is aimed at improving outcomes for patients with mechanical circulatory assist devices. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology.
Dr. Alexis earned his M.D. from Harvard University in 1992. He was an intern and resident from 1992-1995 at the Massachusetts General Hospital and completed his cardiology fellowship in 1998 at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He served on the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 1998-2003 and joined the faculty of the University of Rochester in 2003 as Assistant Professor of Medicine.
Jeffrey has been very active as a parent at Harley, taking a leadership role in the planning and execution of Harley’s MLK “Day On” and serving on the Horizons advisory board. His wife, Dr. Christine Hay, who specializes in infectious diseases at Strong Memorial Hospital, is a member of Harley’s Health Advisory Board and has volunteered for Harley’s test-to-return mass Covid-19 testing days. Jeffrey and Christine are parents of Harley alumnus Andrew Alexis ’20 and current Harley students, Catherine Alexis ’23, and Sarah Alexis ’27.
Bob August is currently the managing partner and president of Laser Car Wash, LLC with locations in both Rochester and Pennsylvania. Bob was formerly a senior vice president at Monro Muffler Brake, Inc., a company his father and uncle founded. Bob’s two children, Nathan ’11, Maddy ’07, and his sister, Elizabeth August ’82 all graduated from Harley. He was actively involved with the building of the 2007 “Harley House” through Habitat for Humanity, where he “worked to educate, fundraise, and build a home for a family in need.” Bob continues to serve Habitat for Humanity as a member of their board of directors, as well as numerous local and national charities. Bob is a trustee for his family’s charitable trust, The Charles J. and Burton S. August Family Foundation.
Candice Baker Leit, Esq., P’14, P’17, P’20, P’23 received a B.F.A. in illustration from the Parsons School of Design and worked in publishing before receiving her J.D. from University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Her current work on a major project in taxonomy for the Governance, Risk and Compliance Group at Thomson Reuters combines her legal background with her interest in publishing and communications. Candice is enthusiastic about the Harley model of educating the whole person and believes her children have benefited enormously from their teachers, peers and staff. Candice and her husband, Dr. Michael Leit, M.D., have two children at The Harley School: Aidan ’20, and Josie ’23. Their oldest son and daughter are Harley graduates, Jeremiah ’14 and Aliza ’17.
Abby Stern Bennett ’99, P’25, P’33 is a native Rochesterian and Harley alum, having attended kindergarten through graduation. Abby has experience in corporate and non-profit settings, including in finance, investing, and philanthropy. She recently embarked on a new career path in the realms of creative financing and creating a robust, resilient regional food system. She works part-time with the Food Future WNY project (foodfuturewny.org). Equity is one of the focus areas of this project, which is very important for creating a healthier, more vibrant world for all. Abby serves on the Board of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, where she has participated on many committees over her six years of service thus far. Abbey was an advocate for RACF’s adoption of Mission Related Investing with a portion of their endowment and participated in all the committee work around those efforts. She earned her BA from Haverford College in Economics and her MA from Brown University in the same discipline. Abby and her husband Doug have two students at Harley, Azalea ’33 and Oakley ’25. Abby also plays the fiddle, and recently joined a band!
Matt Budd ’96 is an administrator and the Director of Community Action at The Berkeley Carroll School. Matt attended Harley through Middle School (gr.8) and later came back to teach grade 4. While teaching at Harley, Matt earned his Master’s in Social Work from University at Buffalo. After Harley, Matt moved to Brooklyn, NY, and taught grade 5 at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS), a world-class progressive prep school with 1,700 students. Matt found himself excited about helping his students explore the concepts of community action and social justice. ECFS created a service-learning coordinator position for him, and he was drawn to Berkeley Carroll’s new cross-divisional role, in which he has had the opportunity to work with students, faculty, and families to foster healthy, equitable, and sustainable community partnerships through the lens of community engagement. Matt lives in Brooklyn with his wife Kim Sahler Budd ’97 and their three children. He rides his bike to work every morning.
Charlene Berry, P’31 is a master beekeeper and co-owner of Northcoast Apiary, LLC. She works with local nonprofits and schools to educate and mentor on the importance of native pollinators and honeybees. Charlene graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham University with a B.A. in History and recently completed her Master of Beekeeping at Cornell University. Charlene is passionate and committed to the Harley School’s mission and culture of civic engagement, philanthropy, and pursuit of continuous improvement. Charlene resides in Fairport, New York with her daughter Evelyn ’31.
Jim Chung ’89 serves as Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of Bridge Debt Strategies Fund Manager LLC, as well as Head of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Jim has experience in real estate, securitization, and financial services beginning in 1999. Prior to joining Bridge, Jim was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and was the head of the Commercial Real Estate Loan Desk within the Fixed Income Division from 2004 to 2013. He had direct oversight of the pricing, hedging, structuring, and securitization of the Morgan Stanley commercial real estate loan portfolio.
Jim received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and his MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Jim attended Harley 1976-1985 (K-8), leaving Harley after grade 8 to attend Choate Rosemary Hall. He currently resides in New York City with his wife Esther and two children. Although Jim did not officially graduate from Harley, he has stayed in close contact with friends from his time at the School and is connected to many in his alumni class of 1989. Jim regularly attends Harley alumni gatherings in New York City and has been a resource to young alumni pursuing a career in finance.
Lee Gartley ’82 has over 25 years of professional experience leading technology and analytics companies that provide fundraising solutions to the non-profit sector. He is currently an advisor and member of the leadership teams at ROI Solutions and Network for Good. Previously, he served as President of Target Software and Target Analysis Group which were acquired by Blackbaud, where he subsequently served as President of its Analytics Division. In addition, Lee is currently Chairman of the Board of Segterra, a healthcare analytics company based in Boston and previously worked as a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group. Lee has a BA from Bowdoin College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Lee has three children and lives in Sunapee, NH with his wife in a small neighborhood with a surprising number of Harley connections.
Hassan Jones, Former Head of Harley Middle School, P’19 Hassan is an experienced and dedicated educator. He is Head of Middle School at Collegiate School in New York City, thought to be the oldest school in the United States. (Collegiate is all-boys, with grades K to 12 and 650 students). Hassan’s particular area of expertise and interest is in literacy and instructional leadership. He holds an Ed.D in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College; an M.S. in Educational Administration from Canisius College; and both an M.S. in Elementary Education (with a concentration in Reading) and a B.S. in History from SUNY Brockport. Hassan is a lifelong learner who is passionate about helping kids. He believes the best schools are those where teachers, parents, and students work together to create a learning environment that allows students to reach their highest potential. Hassan and his wife, Denise, are the parents of Harley alum, Niles ’19.
Seenu Kaza, MD, P’21 is an ENT-otolaryngologist in Canandaigua, New York and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Clifton Springs Hospital, Clinic, and F.F. Thompson Hospital. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Kaza specializes in the medical and surgical management of head and neck diseases. He is actively involved in teaching as an adjunct clinical faculty member of SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, LECOM Medical School in Pennsylvania, and the RIT Physician Assistant Program in Rochester. His wife, Dr. Lesley James, is a board certified family physician. Dr. Kaza and Dr. James have one daughter attending Harley, Emelia (Emmy) Kaza ’21.
Shelby Nelson, P’22, Ph.D., is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mosaic Microsystems. A semiconductor device physicist with broad industrial research experience, she has worked at AT&T Bell Labs, IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Xerox Corporation, and Kodak Research Labs. She has also worked in academia, as the Clare Booth Luce Assistant (and then Associate) Professor of Physics at Colby College. She has authored over 40 refereed journal articles and holds over 65 patents.
Shelby earned her B.A. with highest honors in Physics and Mathematics from Smith College, and her Masters and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Cornell University. Shelby and her husband Lewis Rothberg, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Rochester, are the parents of Charles Rothberg ’20 (attended Harley from Nursery through Grade 2) and current Harley student Vivian Rothberg ’22.
Natercia Rodrigues, MD, MSc, P’35, P’34, P’34 Natercia Rodrigues, MD, MSc is a family physician at UR/Manhattan Square Family Medicine. She is also an Assistant Professor, seeing patients, teaching residents, and medical and graduate students. Natercia also coaches new faculty in clinical communication. In addition to her M.D., she completed her Master of Science in Medical Humanities and Bioethics and teaches Visual Arts in Healthcare. This graduate course focuses on the role of close observation and presence in interactions with patients. It uses artwork to guide in-close looking, sitting with discomfort, and exploring the complicated history of medicine. Natercia has a strong interest in bridging arts and medicine, the practice of slowing down, and making a commitment to community health in her downtown Rochester practice. She enjoys living in the city with her husband and three children who are all students at Harley, Francis ’35, and twins Lucas ’34 and Max ’34.
Allis “Allie” D’Amanda Sacks ’03, P ’32, P ’35 is a Vice President and Commercial Real Estate Relationship Manager at M&T Bank. In her role, Sacks supports local commercial businesses in reaching their short and long-term financial goals by understanding their unique needs and delivering personalized finance solutions. She is responsible for an assigned portfolio of the most complex loan and/or deposit relationships with major commercial real estate businesses in the community. Sacks has been with M&T since 2007 after she received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Bucknell University.
Allie is a member of a long-standing Harley family. Among the Harley graduates in her family are her grandparents, Mrs. Allis VanVoorhis D’Amanda ’49 and Louis D’Amanda ’47; her parents, Mr. John F. D’Amanda ’75 and Ms. Kathy Durfee D’Amanda ’76; and her siblings, James L. D’Amanda ’05 and Louis D’Amanda III ’09. As an alumna and now a parent at Harley, Allie has been a valued source of ideas as a member of the Development Committee and as Blast! co-chair and sub-committee member. Allie and her husband, Evan, are parents of Emma Sacks ’35 and Jake Sacks ’32.
Brian Scudder, P’19 is the General Manager and CEO of the Pittsford Federal Credit Union and has worked in the credit union industry since 1988. He earned his BA in Management Information Systems from RIT and his MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Graduate School of Business. Brian is an Executive Council Member of the Credit Union Association of NY’s Rochester Chapter and President of the Pittsford Community Library Foundation Board. Brian and his wife Kelly, an ever-present volunteer in the Harley Lower School, truly enjoyed supporting their daughter Audrey ’19 as she experienced all Harley has to offer, from Nursery Yellow through Graduation. Audrey is studying Psychology and Mathematics at Vanderbilt University with an intended trajectory of earning an MD-PhD Dual Degree.
Zena Shuber, P’16, P’18, P’20, P’24 is a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is the Director of Community Relations for the department and the Director of Community Engagement for Translational Science at the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization (LIVV). Prior to join URMC, Zena worked closely with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter in her District Office as a special project assistant and a community liaison regarding women, children and education issues. She received her JD from DePaul University Law School and A.B. in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Zena and Dr. Ray Dorsey’s four boys have attended, or are attending, the Harley School: Edwin ’16, currently a student at Stanford University; Robert ’18, studying at the University of Michigan, Thomas ’20; and James ’24.
Alan Winchester, P’25, P’27 is a partner with the Harris Beach, PLLC law firm and leads the firm’s cybersecurity and electronic discovery practice groups. Alan is also the Chief Development Officer at Caetra.io, and is the creator of its CyMetric software. This company is owned by his firm and offers automated compliance for various cybersecurity regulations and standards. Alan earned his BS degree in computer science and philosophy from Trinity College and his JD from Brooklyn Law School.
Alan and his wife, Dr. Larissa Temple, Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, volunteered their time and talent this past year helping Harley plan, organize, and execute the large test-to-return Covid-19 testing days. They are active supporters of the Wilmot Cancer Center, Memorial Art Gallery, and the Rochester Boys & Girls Club. Alan and Larissa are parents of Henry Winchester ’27 and Katherine Winchester ’25.
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