Power of Place: Leadership Team, Staff and Board of Directors

Leadership & Staff

Power of Place Learning Communities is guided by a Leadership Team composed of experienced non-profit leaders, educators, communications professionals, and change leadership experts.

Jane Feinberg, Ph.D.

Founder & Executive Director

Jane Feinberg is the Founder and Executive Director of Power of Place Learning Communities (PoP). For much of her career, she has supported mission-driven organizations in developing their communications, engagement, learning, and leadership capacities as a foundation for driving meaningful and sustained social change.

Laura Tota

Director of Professional Learning

As Senior Program Manager for Power of Place Learning Communities, Laura’s primary responsibilities are the oversight of district-based coaching and the creation and implementation of the Annual Learning Agenda. Laura believes that schools and educators have the power to positively impact social change, and is passionate about partnering with them to activate their internal capacity and connect them with expert resources.

Allyson Corey

Director of Operations

Allyson oversees the day-to-day operations of Power of Place Learning Communities, bringing over ten years of experience in office and human resource management, marketing, and executive administrative assistance for businesses and nonprofit organizations. She was also a paralegal for a large law firm in Washington, D.C.

Heidi Guarino

Senior Strategist & Storyteller

Heidi works as a coach, storyteller, strategist, and researcher to help educators and policy makers make bold decisions, tell their stories, build and strengthen their policies, and ensure the right stakeholders are heard and engaged along the way.

Bryan Mascio

Faculty-In-Residence

As Faculty-in-Residence for Power of Place Learning Communities, Bryan combines his background as a
K-12 teacher (working with marginalized students and families) and as a teacher educator (preparing
equity- and inclusion-oriented teachers). Bryan recognizes school communities, teachers, and learners
as interconnected parts of an ecosystem who can work together to maximize growth and learning that
benefits all – and he is excited to support them in those efforts.

Board of Directors

Dan French

Treasurer

Dan French is Executive Director Emeritus of the Center for Collaborative Education (CCE), where he led CCE’s program development, staff hiring and supervision, advocacy and communications with superintendents and district leaders, and educational policy initiatives. Dan also spearheaded and continues to advise the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA), a partnership of eight MA public school districts and their local teacher unions.

Linda Saris

Linda E. Saris is the Executive Director and Founder of LEAP for Education, Inc., which started in 2002 as Salem CyberSpace, part of North Shore Community Action Programs. Prior to LEAP, Linda held several senior management positions at RSA Security, including Senior Vice President of New Emerging Security Technologies, Senior Vice President of Operations, IT and Technical Services, and Chief Financial Officer.

Susana Hernandez Morgan, Ed.D.

Susana Hernandez Morgan is a progressive, results-driven leader and systems thinker. She is a strategist and collaborator who loves to bring together people’s and organizations’ strengths in support of a common goal.

Dr. Morgan has more than 30 years of broad experience in public relations, project management, operations, funding and program development, and community outreach. She has spent most of her career in education and other youth-serving organizations, including the last 13 years as a district leader and Cabinet team member in the Somerville Public Schools (SPS).