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.
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The Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation [FCI] is powered by Miami Dade College. Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution which does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation or genetic information.o obtain more information about the College’s equal access and equal opportunity policies, procedures and practices, please contact the College’s Equity Officer:
Cindy Lau Evans, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs/ADA Coordinator/Title IX Coordinator, (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service).11011 SW 104 St., Room 1102-01; Miami, FL 33176. EquityOff@mdc.edu
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.
Kathryn Perkins comes to FCI after over a decade with Uncommon Schools, a network of 54 schools serving over 20,000 students, where she most recently was Director of Strategy and Operations on the Curriculum & Assessment Team. Prior to that role, Kathryn was the Dean of Curriculum & Instruction, literacy teacher, and Teach for America corps member at one of Uncommon’s top performing middle schools.
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.
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.
Linda Chambers serves as the Project Manager for FCI Support, bringing over 20 years of experience in educational roles. Her background includes extensive collaborative administrative duties such as leading operations, managing technology integration, and coordinating educational programs. Specializing in school climate, Linda is dedicated to enhancing educational systems and operations. She aims to support charter schools in Florida by providing technical assistance, professional development, and comprehensive support services to help them achieve their missions and goals for student success.
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.
Bio coming soon.
With over 20 years of experience teaching and leading in public, charter, and independent schools, Dana is well aware of great practices in education and school operations. In her roles as Executive Director for district-managed charters at Miami-Dade County Public Schools as well as Director of Finance and Human Resources of a network of seven schools in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Dana has gained experience providing start-up, educational, operational, and financial support services to portfolios of charter schools while respecting the independence, autonomy, and unique missions of each school. Dana is eager to bring her expertise to the Charter Support Unit to provide technical assistance, professional development, and a menu of services to charter schools throughout Florida. Dana holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Secondary English Education from Florida International University as well as a Master’s degree in Private School Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.
