X Close David Allyn, oversees the NJ SEEDS Scholars, Young Scholars and College Preparatory Programs. Since joining the staff in 2003, David has worked in a variety of capacities. He helped create and design the Leadership Institute and College Preparatory Program, managed the 2005 and 2007 Long Range Planning Processes, and led the Development Office from 2007-2010. He serves as the staff liaison to the Education Policy Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee and sits on the College Preparatory Program Committee. A graduate of Brown University, David holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in Intellectual History. He taught for three years at Princeton University and is the author of "I Can't Believe I Just Did That" (a study of embarrassment and its effects on interpersonal interaction); "Make Love, Not War" (a narrative history of the 1960's) and "The College Student’s Guide to Transferring Schools." His essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and Teachers College Record, among numerous other publications. He has spoken at conferences and symposia around the country, and has appeared on CNN, The History Channel, MSNBC and VH1.

X Close Maralyn Baez joined NJ SEEDS in 2008 after eight years of medical billing. She is the proud mother of a first grade independent school student. Maralyn plans to return to school to get a degree in Accounting.

X Close Danielle joined NJ SEEDS in 2007. She is the proud mother of two daughters, one of whom graduated from the NJ SEEDS Young Scholars Program. In 2007 Danielle graduated from William Paterson University with a BA degree in political science. She has been working in community development for 7 years and plans to pursue a MA degree in urban planning.

X Close Sarah Cassidy, a native of Indiana, brings a unique perspective on education, having been home-schooled for five years. She was the first person in her family to graduate college, earning a degree in Public Relations from Taylor University, Indiana. Sarah has devoted her career to educational opportunity and social equality, serving in Indiana’s second largest public school district and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana. Sarah made her move to the East Coast in 2003 as part of the Admissions team for Indiana Institute of Technology. She has been a proud member of the NJ SEEDS family since 2006.

X Close John Castano joined NJ SEEDS in 2008, bringing experience in prep school and college education, as well as business and non-profit management and consulting. John holds a BA in English from Villanova, and an MA in Corporate and Public Communication from Seton Hall. In addition to his leadership at NJ SEEDS, John is an adjunct professor in the Communication Studies department at Montclair State University, and serves as a consultant to the Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance Office at Rutgers University. He is the Immediate Past President of the Jersey Cares board; a member of the Griffin Bridges Program Advisory Committee at Seton Hall Prep, where he has also served as a mentor; and a representative on his town’s Senior Concerns Committee. John was honored by NJ SEEDS in 2001 for his "ongoing commitment to developing future leaders through education… by providing opportunities for highly motivated, academically qualified, economically disadvantaged students." John and his wife Kristi are the proud parents of Bridget and Kara.

X Close Ronni Denes is President of New Jersey SEEDS, a nonprofit organization that enables high-achieving, low-income students to excel in rigorous academic environments. Serving students and families in central and northern New Jersey, SEEDS provides enriched education, cultural opportunities and life skills training, in preparation for placement, along with financial aid, in some of the nation’s leading schools and colleges. Ms. Denes is a lifelong champion of access to education. Before joining SEEDS, she served at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, an all honors college in New York City that provides a full tuition scholarship to every admitted student. As vice president and then senior vice president for External Affairs and Strategic Planning, she contributed to a period of exceptional institutional growth, leading the college’s highly successful capital campaign and a public relations effort that significantly increased Cooper Union’s visibility. A contributor to research and practice in education, she was chief operating officer of NACME, Inc. (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering) before moving to Cooper Union. NACME is a not-for-profit organization that creates entrée to careers in science- and mathematics-based fields. She began her career as a teacher and curriculum specialist in the New York City Public Schools, and became a consultant to the Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education. Ms. Denes currently serves on the on the Board of Directors of Art & Remembrance and as president of the Board of Westbeth Center for the Arts. She holds a masters degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

X Close Barry Ford joined NJ SEEDS in August 2011. A Bronx, New York native, Barry has served youth and families for over a decade in the New Jersey/New York area. These experiences include serving as the Program Director for the Brooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service, Program Director of the AmeriCorps and School Based Youth Services Programs with New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC), and Assistant Dean/Associate Director of the Upward Bound (TRIO) Program at Seton Hall University. In addition, Barry has also served in a variety of part time and volunteer capacities, providing college advisory and youth development services for organizations such as Communities in Schools of New Jersey, The City University of New York, Hudson Guild Settlement House, and the Police Athletic League. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, both from Seton Hall University.

X Close Don Gensinger joined the NJ SEEDS team in 2004, bringing 17 years of experience in accounting, financial reporting, human resources and administration. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University. Don likes saltwater fishing and family life.

X Close Karen Gonon’s passion for children and education drew her to NJ SEEDS, where she is currently responsible for all grant writing and reporting. Earlier, before her two children were born, she held various jobs in arts administration: She worked at the Office for the Arts at Harvard and Radcliffe, ran the visual arts program at the Massachusetts state arts agency, and then was the Director of Programs for the American Academy in Rome. Karen received her undergraduate degree from Randolph College and her Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University.

X Close Andy Hoge came to New Jersey SEEDS in the Fall of 2001 after spending four years teaching high school math at the Stratton Mountain School in Vermont. A 1994 graduate of Colgate University where he majored in Math and Economics, Andy spent two years after college as a US Peace Corps volunteer teaching math in Swaziland.

X Close Kate began her career in education in 2005 as an Assistant Dean of Admission at Colgate University (also her alma mater). After working with high school students at Oak Knoll School in Summit, NJ, Kate received a Masters in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Masters in social work from New York University. Her graduate work focused on the educational needs of youth in foster care, youth with emotional and behavioral disorders, and education and social work policy.

X Close Marcy López, MPH joined NJ SEEDS in 2010 and currently manages the Scholars Program. Prior to SEEDS, she served as the Executive Director of the National Latino Council of Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention, leading the organization in community organizing and coalition building to address the target marketing of alcohol and tobacco products to Latino communities and youth. Earlier she served as Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Latino Commission on AIDS where she spearheaded national policy and advocacy initiatives including the first National Latino/Hispanic AIDS Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. Marcy has also consulted on numerous youth projects including a bi-lingual school-readiness educational summer camp preparing Mexican immigrant children for Pre-K, and a high school vision-building conference entitled, "LaTeena: Claim Your Future!," organized by Girls Inc. of Westchester County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University.

X Close One of the newest team members of SEEDS, Monica is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Monica relocated to NJ in 2001 and has worked for a variety of Governmental agencies. She has broad-ranging experience including Medical Office Administration, Government Procurement and Computer Training. She holds an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and is finishing her BS Degree in the same field. Monica is extremely excited to be a part of the SEEDS team and looks forward to assisting in the change of many lives. Monica is the proud mother of Britany and Brian Martin, both of whom attend Rutgers University, Newark.

X Close Jamie McClintock is the mother of two NJ SEEDS alumni; her son graduated from the SEEDS Scholars Program in the Class of 2000 and her daughter graduated in the first class of the SEEDS Young Scholars Program in 2004. She brings to NJ SEEDS more than 20 years of work experience in the corporate sector and a passion for the SEEDS mission. She has spoken at numerous SEEDS events, has been a resource to fellow parents, and has served on the Volunteer Committee for three years. In her role as the Parents Coordinator, Jamie provides support to numerous SEEDS departments, SEEDS volunteers, Parents Committee members and area captains, focus group members and pro-bono counselors. In addition, Jamie’s work as Parents Coordinator over the past year has led to more than 2,000 hours of volunteer time being dedicated to SEEDS programs and services, as well as over $10,000 being contributed to the SEEDS Annual Fund.

X Close Edaine Murray, a native of Newark, NJ, joined the NJ SEEDS family in August of 2011. Edaine attended Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, MA, where she earned a B.A. in Politics and Sociology. Following her matriculation at Mount Holyoke, Edaine began focusing on the inadequacies of urban education while working as a research assistant at the Education Law Center at Rutgers University’s School of Law. Shortly after completing her work with ELC, Edaine worked as Director of Special Programs at North Star Academy, where she implemented and managed multiple after school programs. Edaine has been involved in numerous youth and education empowerment organizations here in the City of Newark such as NJ LEEP and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Essex, Union, and Hudson County. In 2010 she helped to manage a classroom of 30 students for Rutgers University School of Law’s first Scholars Program, a legal education program aimed at encouraging selected youth from various high schools in Newark to learn about the law and become active citizens in their community. Edaine plans to continue her fervent press to increase access to academic resources for inner city youth.

X Close Before joining the team at New Jersey SEEDS in 2011, Theresa spent more than five years working in public relations. Most recently, she served as a Senior Account Executive at Gregory FCA, the Greater Philadelphia region’s largest public relations firm, where she developed the social media and media relations skills. Theresa received her Bachelor’s degree in communications and history from Villanova University.

X Close Rachel Patrick joined NJ SEEDS in March 2011 as an Alumni Relations Officer. She is a graduate of Rutgers University – New Brunswick with a BA in Spanish and Women’s & Gender Studies. She is excited to be part of the SEEDS team and work with talented youth in education.

X Close Sheila Plotnick has been working with databases for educational and philanthropic organizations since 1999, including the IEEE History Center, Paley Center for Media, Columbia University, Roundabout Theatre Company, Fraunces Tavern Museum, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. She was born and raised in Piscataway and has lived in Australia, Texas, Illinois, Italy, Washington D.C., Louisiana, and New York City before returning to New Jersey. Sheila has a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin from Loyola University-Chicago and has pursued postgraduate studies in Library Science (Rutgers), Radio/TV/Film (University of Louisiana, Monroe), and Early Childhood Education (CUNY). Sheila is proud and delighted to have joined NJ SEEDS in 2009.

X Close Patrick Rametti, a native of Trenton, NJ, joined NJ SEEDS in 1999 as a student in the Scholars Program, graduating valedictorian from The School at Church Farm in 2004. Throughout high school, Patrick served as an intern at the Princeton Day School site of the Scholars Program. During his college years at George Washington University, Patrick remained active as an intern at the Lawrenceville School NJ SEEDS site. After attaining his Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in Sociology and Human Services in 2008, he joined NJ SEEDS in January of 2009 as the Alumni Fellow before being hired full time as a Programs Officer with the Scholars Program. Patrick is now the Assistant Dean of the College Preparatory Program. In addition to NJ SEEDS, Patrick has an extensive service background, having worked with non-profits in Washington DC such as A Wider Circle, Global Justice, DC Central Kitchen, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, For the Love of Children, Time Dollar Youth Court, and others. Patrick plans to obtain his Master's in Public Administration and continue his non-profit career in education.

X Close Bernadette Sarlo, the Assistant Director of Placement/Alumni Relations since Fall 2009, originally joined the NJ SEEDS staff as the grant writer after earlier working for The New York Times. A graduate of The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ, and Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, Bernie holds a degree in Art History & Studio Art, and Educational Studies.

X Close Marlyn Velez joined NJ SEEDS in 2006. Her family moved from Venezuela when she was five years old, and Marlyn attended school in Hudson County before earning her B.S. at Rutgers University with a double major in Communications and Environmental Policies. She plans on pursuing a Master's degree in Education. Marlyn is a volunteer for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Organization.