Welcoming Our New Professional Community 2026–27

Rachael Allen graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in English and a minor in Italian, and she is pursuing an M.F.A. in fiction from Warren Wilson College. She began her career as a journalist, working for The Atlantic and Slate, before pivoting to teaching. Most recently, Rachael launched and led the journalism program at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, NY, where she taught middle and upper school journalism and advised a variety of student publications. 

Allison Ashby brings nearly a decade of fundraising expertise to her role, with a proven track record of building cultures of philanthropy in both higher education and independent schools. She began her career in advancement at the University of Virginia, gaining critical experience at the university level before transitioning to UVA’s prestigious Darden School of Business. Before coming to Rivers, she served as the director of advancement at The Speyer Legacy School, a K–8 independent school in New York City. Over her five-year tenure at Speyer, Allison successfully launched the school’s endowment, significantly increased leadership giving, and achieved a 98% parent participation rate. Allison holds a B.S. in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She recently relocated to the Boston area with her husband and toddler. Outside of work, she loves finding new recipes to cook/bake and is a self-proclaimed coffee addict and fan of all things Bravo TV.

Sarah Caldwell graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in Spanish. She began her career as a sports anchor and reporter in Philadelphia, later transitioning to a news anchor role in Baltimore. Her move to advancement stemmed from her desire to leverage her skills in storytelling and relationship-building to forge meaningful community partnerships. Her advancement career has taken her from Calvert School in Baltimore to her alma mater, Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, where she partnered with school leadership and the broader community to secure transformative support. Sarah has helped to advance each school’s mission by supporting two successful comprehensive campaigns. Sarah is an avid golfer and a proud mother of two grown young men.

Katie Coleman graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in government and politics and a minor in history. She earned an M.Ed. at the American University in Cairo and an M.F.A. in fiction at Bennington College. Katie began her career working on Capitol Hill and in presidential electoral politics. She started teaching and coaching at St. Timothy’s School, an all-girls' boarding school in Baltimore, before spending nearly a decade working at international schools in Egypt and Argentina. Katie is a published, agented writer and editor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, competing in triathlons, and chasing after her four young sons. 

Stefan Cressotti graduated from Amherst College in 2003 with a B.A. in classics. His senior thesis, “Desultoria Scientia: The Metaphysical Horseplay of Apuleius,” explores the influence of Platonic philosophy in the work of Apuleius, a North African Roman writer of the second century C.E. Before arriving at Rivers, Stefan taught a range of English, Latin, history, and music classes at St. Mary’s School of Westfield, St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, and Fusion Academy Newton. He holds an M.A. in English literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. At Bread Loaf, Stefan devoted the bulk of his reading and research to classical influence on Renaissance literature. Stefan loves to read and write, and he especially loves the challenge of writing metrical translations of Latin and Greek verse. He plays and composes for guitar and piano and has made two homemade fretless banjos on which to play the old-time Appalachian music he especially loves.   

Matthew Curley has been a professional carpenter since 1992, with extensive experience in both structural framing and detailed finish trim. A graduate of the carpentry program at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, Matthew entered the field immediately after completing his studies and has been honing his craft ever since. He takes great pride in delivering high-quality workmanship and believes in doing every job with care, precision, and integrity. Outside of work, Matthew enjoys spending time with his wife and cheering on their three children at softball, baseball, and lacrosse games, valuing family time above all.

Leah Henry-MacDonald received a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of

Massachusetts Amherst, an M.A. in international peace studies from Trinity College Dublin, and a Ph.D. in international psychology from The Chicago School. Leah has previously worked for national and international NGOs and is trained in facilitation, community building, conflict resolution, restorative justice, and mediation. She conducted her Ph.D. research along the Myanmar border in Thailand, where she collaborated with humanitarian aid workers to examine individual, relational, and organizational well-being. Before joining the Rivers community in 2026, Leah worked at Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, for eight years, where she served as the student information systems database manager in the technology department, a class dean, and a student advisor. Leah loves working with all members of the community and enjoys the energy of middle school students with whom she can share her humor and zest for learning.

Jeff Hrkach received a B.S. in chemistry from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, where he was a four-year varsity basketball player, and he earned an M.S. in polymer science and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, Jeff conducted research as a postdoctoral associate at MIT, which led to a long career in scientific leadership roles at several biotechnology startups. Jeff is a part of the Upper School team, teaching biology and chemistry classes, and he also coaches basketball.

Addison Johnson earned a B.A. in political science from Brigham Young University. Before coming to Rivers, Addison built a career in development and alumni engagement at independent schools and nonprofits across the country. At The Waterford School in Sandy, Utah, she co-led annual fund strategy that raised $1.25 million, managed a portfolio of roughly 100 donors, and built an alumni engagement program reaching thousands of graduates nationwide. She previously served as development manager at The Helix School in San Rafael, California, and at Raise the Future in Salt Lake City, where she managed donor portfolios, led high-profile fundraising events, and directed a statewide holiday giving program connecting hundreds of children with sponsors. Addison is bilingual in English and Portuguese, a skill she developed while living in Santos, Brazil, where she taught English and Portuguese literacy and led community workshops. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, archery, sewing, and exploring new cities.

Colleen Kyle, Head of Upper School
Colleen Kyle graduated with a B.A. in history from Connecticut College, where she served as president of the student government. She earned an M.A. from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Before starting her career in education, Colleen worked in college publishing at Houghton Mifflin in Boston, including serving as acquisitions editor for history. She began her teaching career at Deerfield Academy before moving to Seattle, where she led the history department and faculty mentor program at Lakeside School. Colleen’s background also includes over a decade of experience as an instructor for Rainier Scholars, an organization dedicated to advancing opportunities for underrepresented students. After moving back East, Colleen served as upper school head at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore and academic dean at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. In her personal life, Colleen is an avid reader who enjoys running half-marathons, cycling, kayaking, and spending time with her husband, two dogs, and two adult children. 

Emily Lobono joined the Rivers community in November 2025 as the marketing and communications manager for the Rivers School Conservatory. She brings more than a decade of experience in branding, advancement marketing, and creative strategy to the role, having previously worked as an independent consultant supporting major fundraising initiatives for numerous local nonprofits. Emily received a B.A. in graphic design from Northeastern University and has also worked in advertising and fashion. Emily enjoys hiking, kayaking, traveling, and spending time with her black lab, Henry, and her two daughters. 

Meredith Lorber began her career as a New York City Teaching Fellow and has since been fortunate to gain experience in a variety of school settings as a math teacher, math coordinator, and director of teaching and learning. Before coming to Rivers in 2026, she taught mathematics and held the role of the eighth grade class dean at Milton Academy. Meredith understands her work as an educator to be centered on cultivating strong relationships, creating exciting and compelling learning opportunities, and supporting students in more fully understanding themselves and the world around them. Meredith received a B.A. in biomedical ethics from Brown University and an M.A.T. from Pace University. 

Parnika Mandpe holds a B.E. in electronics and telecommunication engineering and an M.S. in computer information systems with a concentration in IT project and product management from Boston University. Before joining Rivers, she worked at Cognizant Technology Solutions as a project manager, where she collaborated with cross-functional teams on enterprise technology initiatives. At Boston University, Parnika worked as an IT support analyst within Metropolitan College, supporting technology operations for students, faculty, and staff across academic environments. She also served as a teaching assistant and course facilitator for graduate-level project management courses and as secretary of the Boston University Project Management Club, where she helped organize professional and student engagement initiatives. Parnika enjoys combining technology, collaboration, and problem-solving to create supportive and efficient learning environments.

Erin Prichett holds a dual B.A. in English and American studies from Williams College, where she was a seven-time NCAA Division III National Champion and national record-holder in swimming. She also holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Simmons University. Prior to joining Rivers, Erin worked in marketing and advancement within the education and nonprofit sectors, including serving as the director of volunteers at the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. She began her career in marketing and communications in San Francisco, working as an account coordinator for FitzGerald Communications and later as a marketing coordinator for North Castle Partners and Age Wave, managing branding, client relationships, and business development. She also gained educational and community-focused experience as a children’s librarian at the Mill Valley Public Library and as a development associate at the Drew School. A dedicated yoga practitioner, Erin enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family and chocolate lab.

 

Jackie Saleeby, Director of Annual Giving
Jackie Saleeby graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in geography. She began her career in development at St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children in Dorchester, where she supported a broad range of fundraising initiatives. Before joining Rivers in 2026, Jackie served as assistant director of annual giving at The Winsor School in Boston, where she was a key member of the team behind the school’s historic $100 million endowment campaign. Through thoughtful donor engagement and campaign strategy, she helped advance a transformative effort to secure Winsor’s future in perpetuity and strengthen its long-term financial foundation. Throughout her career, Jackie has built meaningful relationships with donors and volunteers while advancing ambitious fundraising initiatives. She brings experience in annual giving, campaign strategy, donor stewardship, and philanthropic engagement, and she is passionate about connecting communities with opportunities to make a lasting impact.

Latrice Smith is an event planner and theater producer from Philadelphia, PA. She holds a B.A. in strategic communications and theater from the University of Scranton and has over 10 years of event planning experience, ranging from galas to endurance bike rides. Before coming to Rivers in October 2025, she was a park ranger at the National Parks of Boston, taking a significant role in planning commemorative events around the 250th anniversary of the formation of the United States. Latrice is thrilled to bring her range of event-planning expertise and experience with community stewardship to Rivers.

John Trugler serves as campus operations manager at Rivers, overseeing non-academic operations including facilities, transportation, safety and security, logistics, and calendar coordination. Before joining Rivers in 2026, John spent 10 years at EF Education First, where he led operations and systems management to ensure that students of all backgrounds could safely access experiential learning programs abroad. He earned a B.A. in anthropology from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. A native of southern Vermont and avid traveler, John enjoys hiking and exploring new places with his wife and dog.

Maressa joins Rivers following 10 years of working with medically complex patients at both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In addition to earning a B.S.N. from Simmons University, Ressa holds a B.A. in biology from Mount Holyoke College. She attended Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Mass., an independent all-girls boarding and day school, and participated in its intensive college-preparatory program. She lives with her daughters, two spirited little girls, in Natick, right around the corner from Rivers.