Darren Patin is an attorney with Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, L.L.P., and serves as Board Chair for Élan Academy.  A native New Orleanian, he brings his strong legal leadership and deep community networks to support the success of Élan Academy.

Roger Watkins is a Sr. Business Banker with Capital One, where he works with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to help them reach their financial goals. He brings knowledge in finance and operations, as well as a strong commitment to supporting the success of Élan Academy.

Daphine Barnes is a Site Mentor with the Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency at Xavier University of Louisiana. In this capacity, she strives to enhance the teacher pipeline through training, coaching, and mentoring teachers for placement in our local charter schools. A native New Orleanian, Daphine is a proud graduate of St. Mary’s Academy and is a devoted member of St. Raymond –St. Leo Catholic Church.She is a devoted educator and is proud to bring her experience as a highly successful classroom educator, school leader, and district leader to serve as a member of the Academic Committee on Elan’s Board.

Jonathan B. Stewart is the President and Chief Executive, of Jonathan B. Stewart Insurance Agency, Jonathan is responsible for producing sales in different insurance lines such as auto, homeowners, flood, life, and health insurance.  Jonathan is married to Candace and they have two sons that attend Élan.

Tiffany Lewis is the Development Director for the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center. Tiffany has transitioned to development after 18 years of teaching in the Orleans Parish Public Schools. Development is the vehicle she will use to continue her life’s mission to support the disruption of systems that are unjust and unfair. A New Orleans native, she earned a BA in
English (Writing) from Loyola University New Orleans and a M.Ed.+30 in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Language and Literacy.

Professor Hoover has taught in the Department of Film and Theatre at the University of New Orleans for 28 years. He comes from a family of educators, who taught him that education was paramount to a successful career and life. Professor Hoover hopes to bring his 30 years of teaching, 10 years of chairmanship of the Department of Film and Theatre, and his creative background to help Élan Academy continue to realize it’s mission.

A native New Orleanian with more than 30 years of experience as both educator and researcher, Dr. Olatunji is founder and president of Align Education, LLC. He has published research in the Harvard Educational Review, taught students from kindergarten to college, and trained educators across the U.S. and in Latin America. Dr. Olatunji is an alumnus of Tulane, Teachers College, and Harvard University.

Steven Brown is a veteran educator who brings rich experience from his thirty-five year, K-12 career. Steve is a teacher at heart; however, for the last two decades, his focus has been on school wide student achievement.   During the last few years, he has worked in New Orleans as a consultant and a charter schools administrator. Now “semi-retired”, Steve continues to be passionate about both teacher and student learning.

Ashley Shabankareh has over 10 years of experience in music education, coupled with a background in the Music Industry and non-profit sector. She received her M.M. from Loyola University, New Orleans, with a concentration on conducting and brass instruments.  In 2017, she was named a Top Millennial in Music by the Spears Group and I Heart Media.

Dr. Scot Rademaker is currently the Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Nicholls State University. Dr. Scot Rademaker earned his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in special education at the University of South Florida. Throughout his graduate work in psychology, Dr. Rademaker worked as a reading interventionist and school psychology intern. In his personal time, Dr. Rademaker enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, and scuba diving.

Erin Marrero-Savoie is the Director of Regional Programs with Teach For America Greater New Orleans. In this role, she works to strengthen TFA’s relationship with other community organizations and to develop additional training and programming to enhance the skill set of incoming and current corps members. Erin is a native New Orleanian and a graduate of Cabrini High School. With an undergrad in Economics and a MBA from Tulane University, she is thrilled to share her experiences on the board and to serve Elan for years to come.