B.S., Providence College - John McCarrick is a varsity basketball coach at St. Joseph Preparatory High School in Boston. He is also a regional supervisor for the Boston Neighborhood Basketball League (BNBL) and the chairman of the board of directors of the MCSAO. Prior to joining St. Joseph, Mr. McCarrick served as the executive director of JPMorgan Chase & Co., before which he was a First Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon. He has thirty years of experience in management roles in the banking and financial services industry. Mr. McCarrick has coached athletic teams in several schools in the Boston area, at both charter schools and conventional public schools. He believes that it is important to provide opportunities in athletics to young men and women because of the valuable lessons they can gain about cooperation, leadership, and self-improvement - “turning failure into success,” as he puts it. In high school, Mr. McCarrick played basketball and baseball. He had a formative experience in junior year when he broke his ankle on the first day of basketball practice. From this experience he learned to cope with disappointment, to resist the tendency to take things for granted, and to “make the most of every opportunity presented.” Thanks to the support of his coaches and peers, however, he was able to return in senior year and contribute to a highly successful championship season. Mr. McCarrick lives in Boston with his wife and has two grown daughters.

B.A., Eastern University - George Deveney is the Vice President of City Year, Inc., an organization that is made up of diverse teams of AmeriCorps members who serve full-time in high-poverty urban schools, providing high-impact student, classroom, and school-wide support to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school, ready for college and career success. A year after graduating from Eastern University, Mr. Deveney joined City Year in Philadelphia, PA. His year as a tutor and mentor to children in the classroom was transformative, and since then he has played an integral role in recruiting young people to the program as well as bringing City Year to various new locations across the country and overseas, including Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Kansas City, London, Orlando, Sacramento, and Tulsa. His work with the organization has directly and indirectly touched the lives of countless students. Mr. Deveney believes that charter schools play a vital role in innovation; creative approaches towards education add to the general pool of knowledge about effective teaching. Athletics have also always been a part of Mr. Deveney's life. He grew up playing soccer, basketball, and baseball, going on to play basketball in college. He believes athletics is an essential component of a school experience. The camaraderie between teammates strengthens the culture of the school, and coaches serve as additional mentors. Most of all, athletics demonstrate the value of “uniting, collaborating, and dreaming together in pursuit of a shared goal” like nothing else. Mr. Deveney lives in Dorchester, MA, and is an avid fan of the Boston Celtics.

B.A., University of New England / M.Ed., Simmons College - Nicholas Chapman is the Athletic Director, head of the sixth grade social studies department, and a world geography teacher at the UP Academy Charter School of Boston. He believes that charter schools are an essential driving force towards narrowing the achievement gap present today in the country. The growth of athletic programs in charter schools to compliment their academic rigor is also very important according to Mr. Chapman: “Athletics creates an environment preparing individuals for the real world like few other spaces can. Sacrifice, dedication and pride towards a cause greater than yourself cannot be replicated at a higher level for young men and women than in the athletic arena.” His own experience in athletics has been shaped primarily by basketball. The sport equipped Mr. Chapman in his years of growth with greater confidence, purpose, and a sense of belonging. He was an integral player in the University of New England varsity team for four years, also serving as captain for two years. Basketball has since remained a central part of his life. He has coached varsity teams in several schools around New England, including Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and Democracy Prep Charter School in Harlem, NY. Currently he leads the athletic program at the UP Academy in Boston. Founded in 2013, the program originally offered only a single traveling basketball team, but through Mr. Chapman and his team’s efforts is steadily growing to include traveling soccer and track teams as well as intramural opportunities.

B.A., Harvard University / J.D., University of Virginia School of Law -  Gregory Henning serves as an assistant district attorney of Suffolk County in the Senior Trial Unit. He has extensive experience in the field of law, having attained his juris doctor degree from the University of Virginia. Before becoming a prosecutor, he served as a federal law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Currently he prosecutes violent crimes in the Boston, Winthrop, Chelsea, and Revere areas. His responsibilities include conducting death investigations, presenting cases to grand juries, and prosecuting defendants in jury trials. Mr. Henning also played a part in Joe Kennedy’s campaign for congress in 2012, consulting with senior staff as an advisor and aiding the candidate in preparation for debates. Mr. Henning’s connection to charter schools comes from his experience as an advisor and eighth grade writing teacher at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School. He believes that the greater flexibility of charter schools’ systems allows them to better adjust to how individual students learn, whereas more rigid systems often result in inadvertently hindering some students. “The results speak for themselves,” Mr. Henning says of the effectiveness of charter schools. In terms of athletics, Mr. Henning is excited to see such programs grow in charter schools because of the benefits student-athletes reap from participating. He believes that sports can boost students’ levels of confidence and encourage them to try new activities that they may otherwise not have considered. Furthermore, he says, the grit students develop from athletics translates into the classroom, pushing their academic performance further. Mr. Henning grew up playing football and baseball, an activity that he says connected him to his brother and father. Nowadays he is more involved with students participating in high school basketball and track, particularly in the MCSAO. He is a resident of Dorchester.

Electrical Engineering, University of Lowell - Jonathan Talley is a Facilities Supervisor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Trial Court in Chelsea, MA. He oversees all operations pertaining to maintenance of facilities at the Trial Court House, including budgeting, keeping inventory, and evaluating the performance of equipment and Facilities Staff. Mr. Talley has extensive experience with maintenance of building systems. Before adopting the role new role with the Commonwealth of MA, Jonathan was the Facilities Operations business manager for Suffolk University where he served as a maintenance mechanic as well. Prior to employment at Suffolk University he was the lead mechanic at Esplanade Condominium Associate in Cambridge, MA. Mr. Talley has extensive experience with maintenance of building systems. Mr. Talley believes that charter schools are commendable for their ability to cater to the needs of their students “without having to follow a blueprint format which may not work for all students.” He is excited to aid in the growth of athletic programs as charter schools grow because he has seen how greatly sports contribute to a student’s experience at a school. Participating in a team sport can help a shy student come out of his or her shell and raise a student’s self-esteem. The eligibility requirements for playing on the team can also be an incentive for students to keep their grades up. Mr. Talley participated in high school and summer league basketball when he attended Boston Latin Academy. Participating in sports allowed him to meet people who have become lifelong friends. Basketball also acted as a bridge between different groups in Mr. Talley’s teenage years. He says it allowed him to meet people from different socioeconomic backgrounds whom he otherwise would not have had the opportunity to meet. Mr. Talley has a son who both played sports for and graduated from a charter school, and a daughter who currently plays sports and attends a charter school. Both of his children has attended charter schools since they entered public school. He enjoys traveling, playing pool, and exploring the outdoors.

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