Next Meeting:
The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, September 18, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at Sturgis East Campus, 441 Main Street, Hyannis, MA.
The Board of Trustees is the organized group of volunteers who, collectively, are legally and morally accountable to the community for the health, vitality, and effectiveness of the Sturgis Charter Public School. The Board’s primary role is “Governance,” which encompasses legal responsibilities, general oversight, planning and policy-making, and meeting fiduciary requirements. The Board only has authority when it votes as a group. No single member has authority over the Board as a whole.
Kaitlin Doherty
Faculty Representative to the Board
Kaitlin Doherty started teaching at Sturgis in 2016 doing Science and Math inclusion as well as teaching a Biology 9 course. Eventually deciding to transition to Special Education completely, she transferred to Sturgis West starting in the 2017 school year teaching Study Skills and doing inclusion. Since then, Kaitlin has pursued her Master’s in Special Education (Moderate 5-12) at Fitchburg State University. Prior to teaching at Sturgis, Kaitlin received her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in Biology. At Sturgis West, Kaitlin has facilitated opportunities for students in Hiking Club, M.A.R.C.H. and Women’s Empowerment Club. Kaitlin has also been the Sturgis East Varsity Field Hockey Coach for the past six years.
Gordon Harris
Vice President
Gordon Harris has over 30 years of experience in human resources, business management, grant development, fundraising and operations management with not-for-profit organizations and in the private sector. Gordon is currently the President and COO of Wakeby Fire & Associates, a fundraising and organizational development consulting firm. Gordon has held the position of Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Sr.
Vice President of Diversity at Sovereign Bank (now Santander), one of the largest banks in New England where he was responsible for the company’s overall diversity strategy which included workforce development, retention, training, minority, and women owned vendor development, marketing and advertising. He has also held positions as regional Vice President of Human Resources at Sovereign Bank, managing human resource activities throughout the northeast – recruitment, employee relations, training, and benefits, and as Director of Employment for Foxwoods Resort & Casino.
Gordon has served on the Sturgis Public Charter School Board of Trustees, Plimoth Pautuxet/Mayflower II Museum Board of Trustees, Treasurer for the Mashpee One Room School House Preservation Council, and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts Board of Directors. Gordon attended the International School of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Medfield High School, Salem State College and Boston University.
Eric Hieser
Board Member
Eric Hieser spent his educational career of 50 years split between U.S. public
schools and four international schools in Norway, Japan, Switzerland, and Brazil. For 13 years as Executive Director, he recently led Sturgis Charter Public School, a nationally and internationally recognized high school with two IB for All campuses in Hyannis, MA, USA. For the past 15 years, Eric has also been an IB consultant, face to face and online IB workshop leader, IB authorization and evaluation team leader, IB equity and access mentor, and a frequent presenter at IB World Heads Conferences and IB Americas Conferences. A majority of the workshops that Eric lead focus on leadership, equity, access, and board governance.
Paul Marble
Executive Director
Paul Marble has served his entire career as a teacher and administrator in three Massachusetts high schools, including a private boarding school, large urban district school, and a charter public school. Paul taught IB English at Sturgis for six years; was Principal for six years; became Executive Director in July of 2016; has made numerous presentations about the IB Diploma Programme and its implementation; is an IB Site Visitor; and is an IB Workshop Leader, helping experienced IB teachers from across the nation support diverse learners in their classrooms. He also has developed and led teacher workshops for the IB Organization’s Bridging the Equity Gap project.
Arthur Pontes
Board Member
Arthur Pontes taught History and English for six years each at Sturgis West and Sturgis East from 2004-2016 and served as the IB Coordinator and English Dept. Head. He led the Project Smile student trip to Honduras in 2006. He has a BA in both History and English and an MEd in TESOL and has completed graduate study in School Aministration. Arthur began his career teaching in Somerville, Massachusetts followed by twenty-five years working as a teacher and administrator in American overseas schools in Ecuador, The Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium. His administrative posts included being Secondary Principal, IB Coordinator, and Arts Center Principal. He also served as Head of School in both Ecuador and Florence, Italy.
Polyanna Rocha
President of the Board of Trustees
Polyanna Rocha resides in Sandwich, she is the parent of Sarah (’20), Deborah (’23), and Isaac (‘24). She joined the Board of Trustees in January of 2021. Polyanna holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts and is currently working on her master’s in Taxation from Bentley University. Polyanna is from Brazil, she moved to the United States in her early high school years. She is fluent in both English and Portuguese and is an active voice for international/ESL students.
Tim Telman
Board Member
Tim Telman, a local entrepreneur on Cape Cod, most recently developed Residence at 850, a 53-unit workforce housing complex in Hyannis, MA. Tim provides skills in company creation, corporate structuring, and capital raising and financing. Previously, Tim was the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder of Bank of Cape Cod beginning in 2004 where he directed the strategy and daily operations of the bank, the first state-chartered commercial bank to open in Massachusetts within an eight-year period. As the main Organizer, he raised $25 million to create and capitalize the bank prior to merging it with Rockland Trust Company in late 2016. Prior to creating the bank, Tim was the co-owner and CFO of Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises, a Cape Cod Based tourist attraction. After operating the business for three years, recapitalizing, and leading it through a turnaround, he divested his interest in the company in 2003. From 1985-2001, Mr. Telman served in various senior banking positions in Boston with Bank of New England, Bank of Boston, and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Tim is currently an active board member with the Sturgis Public Charter School (10 years), Cape Cod Times Needy Fund, William Sturgis Friends of Education Foundation, and with the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) of Cape Cod. He has been active in youth sports for the YMCA, Barnstable Little League, Barnstable Youth Soccer and Barnstable AAU Basketball. He was also an active board member for Saint Francis Xavier Preparatory School, Marstons Mills East Horace Mann Public Charter School, Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation, and Hyannis Youth & Community Foundation. Tim received his BA in Economics from Boston College and his MBA from Babson College and resides in Barnstable, MA.
Theresa Tuaño
Theresa Tuaño of Yarmouth is the parent of Lyle (Sturgis ‘21) and Jake (Sturgis ‘24). She joined the Board of Trustees in February 2021 and is also an active member of the Sturgis Parent Association. Theresa has 25 years of experience leading policy development and programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development, Peace Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has lived and worked in numerous countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America. Theresa also illustrates and writes picture books for children.
Marion Weeks
Secretary
Marion Weeks served as a Sturgis Librarian (2004-2011) and Sturgis Community Outreach Coordinator (2011-2017). She is the parent of Kate Weeks (Sturgis ’10). Marion received her BA in English from UNC-Greensboro and her MSLS from UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to Sturgis, she worked in a variety of libraries including UNC Graduate Library, Savannah Public Library, Peace Corps librarian in Niger, West Africa, Warren Wilson College and Yarmouth Libraries. Marion also served as Director of Off-Campus Study at Colgate University (1990-1995).