Board of Trustees

Term 1: 9/1/19 – 12/31/19
Term 2: 1/1/20 – 12/31/22

Alison Palmer brings a unique perspective to our Board of Trustees. She has been familiar with
Salem Academy since its founding, became a student here in 7 th grade, and was a member of
our second graduating class. While many shied away from the small, fledgling school, Alison
saw it as an opportunity to explore the concept that attracted her to Salem Academy and still
inspires her: Service Learning.

This says a lot about Alison. From establishing our track program, including researching and
presenting a proposal to the Executive Director, to her participation today in Girls on the Run,
Alison understands what “service” means. Professionally, she has taught in Japan, where—no
surprise—she established a program to support more than 350 exchange teachers in Tokyo.
We value her knowledge of Salem Academy, first-hand appreciation of the challenges teachers
face, and her work on the school’s behalf, especially helping to establish an alumni mentoring
program. She serves as well on the Development and Education Committees.

Today, armed with a MA from Tufts’ Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Alison is focused
on environmental law and sustainable food systems. As an account manager for Divert, Inc.,
Alison works with grocery stores to minimize food waste. She practices what she preaches; this
passionate gardener is the proud “mother” of a four-year-old avocado tree grown from a
supermarket avocado pit.

Salem Academy parents are always welcome on the Board of Trustees, and when they come with a financial background, we are doubly grateful. Amy Stewart certainly ticks both those boxes. The mother of two students, she has been a very involved parent, including chairing the SFC for two years. This understanding of the school/parent connection and how we can strengthen it is especially valuable to us.

Given that Amy is the Director of Financial Aid for North Shore Community College, it would be easy to cast her strictly as a numbers gal. While this kind of expertise is important on any board, we also value her experience as a team player and leader, including her ability to coordinate the various student, parent, faculty inputs required. 

As a Trustee, Amy brings another important perspective to our work; her children are members of the LGBTQ community at a time when both the Salem Academy and the Board are focused on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. 

Like so many, family and work consume much of Amy’s time. When she does have free time, she is both an avid reader and an advocate for nature in the wild. She would love to live near wildlife in a cabin in Alaska. For now, however, she contents herself with movies and books by the fire, watching the dog chase the cat, who’s chasing the cockatiel. 

Term: 1/1/20 – 12/31/22

One could say Salem Academy is a tradition for the Aroko family. Eddie and all three of his
siblings are graduates of the school. In fact, it was here, through service learning, that he first
began working with non-profit and community service organizations. The fact that he continued
to do so in college and in the years since speaks volumes about the impact Salem Academy
can have on young people’s lives.

Edward brings this understanding of non-profits and appreciation of the importance of building
relationships to our Board of Trustees. He serves on the Development Committee, where he
focuses on developing an alumni advisory program. That’s not too far off the mark from what he
does professionally: onboarding new hires as Senior Human Resources Coordinator for Alder
Partners.

Like many people, in his spare time Eddie heads for the out of doors. But unlike just about
everyone else, he can say he has his own clothing line. Arokstar.com offers streetwear
designed to bring people together by bringing out their inner rock star.

John Allen has had Salem Academy on his radar since the day Stephanie Callahan observed him in his Teach for America classroom in Chelsea. He has followed her and the school ever since, attracted by our focus on building character, community, and the next generation of leadership. 

A native Washingtonian, John has always been deeply engaged in educational policy and reform. His quest to understand the real-world impact of policy on classroom dynamics and student success led him to Teach for America in Massachusetts where he then played a pivotal role as a Political and Finance Director in Charlie Baker’s second gubernatorial campaign, which brought John to the North Shore where he now lives in Swampscott with his wife, Caroline, and their three young children.

Today, John is president of the Allen Company, a strategic consulting and public relations company with clients in industries ranging from politics and education to healthcare and energy. He is a master at making, nurturing, and expanding relationships, a talent any board would welcome. It is one that Salem Academy especially appreciates as we move to the next level in our development program and undertake a new strategic planning initiative. John’s breadth of experience, leadership skills, and understanding of both stakeholder engagement and strategic priorities will be put to good use.

Left out of this narrative are what appear to be other, stand-alone accomplishments. John has helped found a school in Millis, advanced a technology solution to promote family, school, and community engagement, and started Sweaters and Sustenance, a charity focused on providing warm clothes and food to the homeless. They are not unrelated, however, but share what is John Allen’s guide to just about everything he does: “How do we leave the world better than we found it?”  We are glad that John puts his service as a Salem Academy trustee in this boat.

As you might imagine, free time comes in small doses and is consumed by family and his other passions, community involvement, and being on the water. John sailed the Chesapeake as a boy and is actively collaborating with local, state, and federal leaders to clean up and improve the Commonwealth’s metropolitan beaches. 

Few people know Salem as well or from as many different perspectives as Julie Rose. She has been the Business Manager for the City’s Engineering Department, which introduced her to many local businesses and organizations and where among other accomplishments, she established an award-winning volunteer recycling committee and secured more than $350,000 in grants. She has also run a hugely successful catering business, and she has served on or chaired the boards of many local organizations, from Historic Salem to the YMCA, Hamilton Hall to the Samaritan Charitable Society of Salem. 

To all of the above, Julie has brought a sharp mind, solid business and management experience, and the ability to recognize issues, then devise and implement creative solutions. 

Long before she came to Salem, she had established a track record for getting things done, like managing the project controls aspect of the $3.8 billion Boston Harbor Project at Deer Island for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority.

Although she has never taught in a traditional setting, education is a subject near and dear to her heart. She has followed the school since its infancy, has known many of our teachers, and has been involved in service learning projects. Moreover, Julie’s mother was an educator and passionate about responding to the specific learning needs of every child. 

We are delighted to have Julie’s deep experience and wonderfully broad perspective on the Salem Academy Board of Trustees. After all, she is probably the only person in town who has ridden a camel on three different continents.

Kara McLaughlin comes to the Salem Academy Board with the unique perspective of having
been born and raised in Salem, served as the CEO of two organizations, taught and tutored K-8
math, and been a Salem Academy parent. All of these experiences, plus a BA from Wellesley
College, an MBA from Northeastern University, and a Master’s in Education from Lesley
University, make her a superb addition to the Salem Academy Board.

Kara is well known locally as the former Executive Director of the House of the Seven Gables,
whose mission embraces community involvement and educational opportunities for immigrants.
It is less well known that she served as the President of The Survey Group, a human resources
consulting firm, and that she taught and tutored math in both Salem and Danvers.

Education is clearly important to Kara. She is also passionate about educating people on the
little known but devastating aspects of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome
(PANS) and Lyme Disease and led a parents’ support group for for seven years. This multi-
faceted trustee has recently added Spartan races (demanding obstacle course races) to her list
of accomplishments, including discovering she has a previously unsuspected talent for spear
throwing.

First Term 1/1/22 – 12/31/24 

If it has to do with accounting, technology or the interface between them, Mark Stevens is your go-to person. Salem Academy values his extensive background in the intricacies of both as well as his understanding of non-profits and his ability to take an enterprise-wide view of a situation. A senior accountant for the Peabody Essex Museum, Mark previously held financial positions with companies as diverse as Au Bon Pain and Osram Sylvania. He received a BS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University.

As the parent of a Salem Academy student, Mark’s interest in the school is natural, as is his membership on our Governance Committee. He is inspired by the growth, community building and learning he sees in the school in general. Community involvement is important to Mark, who is President of the Board of the Bridge at 211, an historic former church now exploring a second life as a hub for artistic, cultural, and social events in Salem.

As a former Spanish teacher, principal, and educational psychologist, Rich Cowdell was about as prepared as you can be when he signed on as Salem Academy’s interim Lower School Principal for the 2022-23 school year. That background, now enriched by familiarity with our school and its culture, makes him a superb addition to the Board of Trustees.

Rich joined Salem Academy at a time of transition, just as we were resuming in-person schooling, dealing with post Covid issues, and simultaneously introducing new academic positions. This gave him a unique exposure to the many strategic and behind-the-scenes operational issues most people never see. It also gave him firsthand understanding of our culture and commitment to our students, an understanding that carries over to his role as a trustee in charting Salem Academy’s future and preparing our students to be successful adults.

Outside of school, Rich enjoys walking in the woods behind his home. Now that he’s retired, he and his wife, Irene, hope to go farther afield. Recent trips to Barcelona and Italy, plus a Caribbean cruise have whetted their appetite for travel. Travel represents a big change for Rich as, beyond school, much of his life been all about kids and the out of doors. He and Irene (a former principal) have raised two daughters (both teachers). Rich has been a basketball referee and a Little League umpire, and, for the past 32 years, he has been the director of Camp Rotary in Boxford. To his campers’ amazement, he umpired at the Little League World Series. Yes, he tells them, the one on TV.

Term 1: 1/1/19 – 12/31/21
Term 2: 1/1/22 – 12/31/24

Rick Winter currently acts as Treasurer of the Salem Academy Board of Trustees and Chairs
both the Finance and HR Committees. Rick’s deep experience as an HR Executive is valued by
the Board and by the school’s administration. Similarly, he is familiar with the diversity, equity,
and inclusion (DEI) work to which we are committed.

Rick came to Board membership because, as a Salem Academy parent, he wanted to be part of
his daughter’s environment. His involvement and commitment to Salem Academy’s mission has
only deepened as he has seen firsthand the difference we can and have made in students’
lives.

A self-described water dog in the summer, he enjoys both sailing and fishing, which is not
surprising given that he grew up in Florida. Rick is a graduate of Florida International University
and is currently pursuing is MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. What may be
surprising, perhaps, is that he cooked in a five-star restaurant during his college years.

Robert Rogers has been passionate about sustainability since childhood. He is that smart and
fortunate person who has managed to channel his passion into his professional life. For much of
his career, he has deployed his analytical talents as a data integrator and database architect on
behalf of companies addressing climate change issues. He is currently a data architect at
Generate Capital.

As a member of our Board of Trustees, Robert has once again brought his skill set to bear on
something he cares about: the Salem community and, more specifically, Salem Academy,
where both his sons are students. He serves just as the school celebrates its 20th anniversary,
a time when clearsighted analysis of our future options—our own sustainability, as it were—is
essential.

With his strong environmental and technical orientation, Robert took a 180º career turn from his
theatre-professional parents. But genes run true. He recently sang his way across the stage as
King George from the musical “Hamilton” in the YMCA’s fundraising cabaret. We’re not
surprised to learn of this hidden talent…and we’re delighted he doesn’t have a jot of the king’s
madness.

It’s probably fair to say Sal Martinez is always on the run. He works for a fitness/training shoe company. He participates in Hyrox fitness training. And he runs daily with his beloved dog, Azul. Our personal favorite has to be that he has run Reach the Beach for Salem Academy five times.

A 2014 graduate of Salem Academy, Sal was involved in sports here, but he was also actively absorbing academic lessons, the importance of giving back to one’s community, and a commitment to being the best you can be and helping others to be their best selves as well. In the past decade Sal has acquired a BS in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University, where he now sits on the advisory board of the School of Business, and an MBA from Suffolk University.

Perhaps unconsciously, Sal also picked up on the empowerment vibe that is inherent in the Salem Academy culture. His favorite aphorism, from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, is to be one percent better each day. So, it’s not surprising his career path has taken him from consumer experience at Nike to Footwear Development Engineer for NOBULL. No, he doesn’t have an engineering degree, just his “can do” attitude. Behind the job titles is a wealth of ongoing self-education and acquired skills, from onboarding new team members to managing projects and establishing best practices.

It is also not surprising that Sal participates in Hyrox competitions, which involve running a kilometer in between hitting eight workout stations with names like sled push, sandbag lunges, and farmers carry. The reward must lie in traveling to races in places like London, Mexico, and Dubai. Now he is a Salem Academy trustee, getting the opportunity to see how the school operates and how he can help make us one percent better each day. 

First Term 1/1/22 – 12/31/24 

The Salem Academy Board always welcomes members with a financial services and strategic planning background, which bank executive Toyuwa Newton certainly has. It is his history of community service, especially working with and mentoring young people, however, that is truly notable.

Toyuwa serves on the boards of Pathways, Inc. (formerly Operation Bootstrap) and Centerboard, whose mission is to empower families, young people, and communities for success. He is also a past president of the Swampscott Rotary. If joining our board and serving on our Finance Committee were natural moves for this parent of a Salem Academy student, staying involved is a testament to what he has found here. “Salem Academy staff are the most amazing people I’ve encountered in a school environment.”

With degrees in Management from Northeastern University and Executive Management from Babson, Toyuwa has served in capacities ranging from portfolio manager to business development manager for several financial institutions and is currently a mortgage loan officer with Movement Mortgage. Not surprisingly, he finds time to pursue his commitment to mentoring minority youth and engaging in service projects at food pantries and soup kitchens. Somehow, he also finds time for other passions, including poetry and photography and Jeopardy.