FCI is comprised of a team of accomplished professionals, each member bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in education, particularly charter schools. Together, they are dedicated to shaping the future of education and empowering students.
Michael Bileca serves as the chair of the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees. He also is the Executive Director of the Dennis Bileca Institute for Character and Excellence, a foundation that primarily funds schools focusing on virtue-based education with an emphasis on a classical liberal arts curriculum. Mr. Bileca founded True North Classical Academies, a network of four successful charter schools in Miami-Dade County.
Madeline Pumariega, the first female president of Miami Dade College (MDC) and an alumna of the institution, has a distinguished career in academia and community service. Before leading MDC, she served as the first female and Hispanic chancellor of the Florida College System, where she implemented strategies to make college more accessible and affordable, helping Florida achieve a No. 1 ranking in higher education. She also served as executive vice president and provost at Tallahassee Community College, leading innovative approaches to academic and workforce development during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pumariega’s community impact extends to her role as President and CEO of Take Stock in Children, where she focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Now at MDC, she has introduced a strategic plan focused on student success, academic excellence, and workforce readiness, working closely with business partners to align educational programs with industry needs. Pumariega is driven by her passion for developing leaders and building thriving communities through the transformative power of higher education.
Dr. Maryam Laguna Borrego, Vice President for External Affairs and Chief of Staff at Miami Dade College (MDC), is a nationally recognized education strategist and policy advocate, honored in the South Florida Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” for her leadership and contributions to the community. At MDC, she oversees key external partnerships, government affairs, and cultural initiatives like the Miami Book Fair and Miami Film Festival. With a distinguished background in public affairs, economic development, and education, Borrego has held influential roles at the University of Miami, Take Stock in Children, and The Miami Foundation. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from the University of Miami and degrees in public policy and political science from the University of Florida, where she has been inducted into several halls of fame.
Susie Miller Carello spent 12 years as the chief of the largest higher-education authorizer in the country, the Charter Schools Institute at SUNY. Under her leadership, New York tripled the number of high-quality public school choices for students and their families, quadrupled enrollment, and drove strong and sustained student achievement. At the end of her term, the Institute had authorized 221 charters enrolling 120,000 students.
Curtis Fuller is a former special education teacher and the Principal of a high performing charter school in Florida. He moved to Building Hope as the Director of Charter School Operations and for over ten years has been providing support to charter schools through the Charter Support Unit, a program operated in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education to support start-up charter schools through their first charter renewal.
Christy Noe has been involved in the charter school movement since 1997 when she became the principal of the first charter school in Collier County. The following year she was recruited to serve as principal of Exploris Charter Middle School in Raleigh, NC, which opened in partnership with the former Exploris Museum. Christy was recruited back to Florida to run the Florida Charter School Resource Center, founded to provide Exceptional Student Education (ESE) training and technical assistance to charter schools across the state.
Kathryn Perkins serves as the Executive Deputy Director of FCI Educate, the pillar of the Institute responsible for studying, codifying, and disseminating research-backed, clinically-proven leadership and instructional practice to educators across the state.
Kathryn comes to FCI after over a decade with Uncommon Schools, a network of 54 schools serving over 20,000 students. Here, she drove pace-setting student achievement in both school and network settings, most recently as Director of Strategy and Operations on the Curriculum & Assessment Team, where she helped direct network-wide curriculum, assessment, and professional learning efforts. Previously, Kathryn was a Dean of Instruction and literacy teacher at one of Uncommon’s top performing middle schools, which she joined during her time as a Teach for America corp member.
Dachel Payrol, CPA, is a Florida-licensed Certified Public Accountant with over nine years of comprehensive experience in both governmental and private sector accounting. He brings extensive expertise in financial reporting, compliance, audit management, and strategic financial operations to his role as Finance Director at Florida Charter Institute. A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 2017, Dachel has demonstrated exceptional skill in applying U.S. GAAP standards to ensure accurate financial reporting and operational integrity across complex organizational structures.
Most recently serving as TPO Finance Manager for Miami-Dade County’s Transportation Planning Organization, Dachel managed federal single audits, supervised financial staff, oversaw procurement systems, and administered multi-million dollar budgets while ensuring compliance with GASB and GAAP standards. His career progression through Miami-Dade County’s Finance Department showcases his versatility in managing payroll operations, producing Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR), executing federal and state single audits, and leading teams to achieve financial excellence.
Dachel holds a Master of Accounting from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor of Accounting from Florida International University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he is proficient in QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, ERP software, and PeopleSoft, bringing both technical expertise and leadership excellence to the Florida Charter Institute team.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Dachel is a devoted husband and father of two, whose love for family fuels his drive for excellence. In his free time, he enjoys traveling the globe, spending time on the water boating, listening to music, and reading business articles that deepen his perspective as a CPA.
Carlos, a native of Washington Heights, New York City, has dedicated 28 years to helping young people achieve happy, self-sufficient lives through education. He began his career as a chess teacher for special needs youth at Ramapo for Children. His college essay, “Teaching Chess and Life,” was published in the New York Times, leading him to Hamilton College, where he studied Communications and Philosophy as a first-generation HEOP student. This sparked his passion for making higher education accessible to others.
Carlos joined KIPP NYC in 2007, starting as part of the KIPP Through College Team and later becoming Director of College Services. To address challenges faced by students, he transitioned to KIPP NYC College Prep High School, serving as an Ethics/Leadership teacher, Dean, Assistant Principal, and eventually Principal. After five years as a school leader, Carlos joined KIPP’s Regional Leadership team, developing leadership programs for aspiring principals and leaders.
After 18 years with KIPP, Carlos moved to the Florida Charter Institute at Miami Dade College, where he is now the District Director of Leadership Operations. Additionally, he is an Executive Coach for the National Foundation of Black and Latino Male Educators and the Noble Story Group. Carlos earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership from National Louis University in 2014 and is ACC ICF certified. He is a devoted father, husband, and son who enjoys grilling, football, and chess.
Reagan Chalmers is a passionate and accomplished special education leader with over 20 years of experience supporting students with diverse learning needs. Throughout her career in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and beyond, she has served in various roles—from Special Education Teacher to District Director of Exceptional Student Education—leading transformative initiatives that improve student outcomes and promote inclusive practices. Her expertise spans curriculum development, behavior support, instructional leadership, and professional development.
Jessica Chapman is a veteran educational leader with 23 years of experience advancing student and teacher success and fostering engaging learning environments. As Director of Charter Schools at Tallahassee State College, she helped it become Florida’s first state college to authorize a charter school, and as Founding Principal of Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, she led the school to consecutive “A” ratings. She also expanded Leon County Virtual School and created the Graduation Pathways program, later adopted in Bay County. Deeply committed to Title I schools, Jessica sees education as a force for change and lives by Maya Angelou’s mantra: “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” She now supports charter schools across Florida through FCI, offering technical assistance, professional development, and other services.
Thibaut Delloue grew up in New Hampshire and began his career as an ESOL teacher in China and later Boston, where he also taught reading enrichment. Most recently, he was an operations director at a charter school in Nashville, TN and at a public school of innovation in Charleston, SC. He also served for five years as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy.
Christine has served as an educator, school administrator and executive director of a system of four charter schools in the state of Florida. Throughout her career she has helped with all phases of charter school operations ranging from the writing of the charter application to the successful replication of a high-performing charter school. She joined the Charter Support Unit in 2021 with a desire to support charter schools meet their mission and goals for student success. Christine holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida International University and a master’s degree in Reading Education from Nova Southeastern University.
Paul Powell currently serves as the Executive Director of True North Classical Academies in Miami, Florida. Prior to taking this role he was the Regional Superintendent for Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep, a network of six high-performing public charter schools serving 2,300 students in grades K-12. Prior to working with Uncommon Schools, Paul worked with Teach For America New York City as well as the Philadelphia Institute as a Corps Member Advisor. Mr. Powell is also a trustee at Goucher College.
Celene Torres is a bilingual project manager and strategic operator with over a decade of experience leading high-impact initiatives across communications, corporate operations, and cross-functional execution. She is a trusted partner to senior leadership, known for managing complex projects from concept to delivery while aligning messaging, people, and systems around strategic priorities. Celene has led enterprise-level initiatives in media, education, and public institutions—spearheading compliance operations, executive communications, stakeholder engagement, and campaigns that support long-term organizational goals. Her background in corporate communications complements her operational expertise, enabling her to deliver strategy with clarity, alignment, and impact. At the intersection of communication and execution, Celene builds processes that help leaders lead during change, growth, and high-stakes decision-making.
Barbara Santovenia is a committed professional with experience in organizational support, community engagement, and child development. She serves as Administrative Assistant at the Florida Charter Institute, supporting operations and contributing to initiatives that strengthen charter school success. She previously worked as the District Community Liaison Specialist for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where she facilitated collaboration across teams, managed stakeholder communication, and supported leadership in aligning projects with timelines, budgets, and compliance requirements. Santovenia graduated cum laude with a degree in Business Management and has also pursued studies in Early Childhood Education and Real Estate. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she values building strong connections with families, colleagues, and the community.
