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Leadership, Staff and Faculty

Our Leadership

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Maya Angelou Public Schools and See Forever Foundation. Founded in 1997, we are the first charter management organization and foremost LEA-based voice dedicated exclusively to high school level and vocational schooling for alternative students and detained youth in Washington, DC.

We continue our 25 year tradition of character and career formation, academic excellence, and strong community ties by operating five independent campuses across the District. Students at all levels and abilities can succeed once introduced to the Maya Way!


The See Forever Foundation and Maya Angelou Schools are committed to building a diverse board of directors and staff which reflects the students, families, and communities where we serve.

School Leadership Teams 2023-2024
🔍For information regarding our secured sites at New Beginnings, DCJail and Youth Services Center please contact Ms. F. Hayward via email (fhayward@seeforever.org)

High School Leadership Team

  • Shantelle Wright-Cunningham, Principal
    ✉swrightcunningham@seeforever.org
  • Peter Smith, Assistant Principal
    ✉psmith@seeforever.org

Important Contacts for Students and Families:

Young Adult Learning Center Leadership Team

  • Dr. Sean Yisrael, Director
    ✉syisrael@seeforever.org
  • Makuti Lee, Dean of Students/Student Development Manager
    ✉mlee@seeforever.org
  • Bruce Anderson, Assessment Specialist
    ✉banderson@seeforever.org

Important Contacts for Students and Families: Kewanna Wade, Enrollment Specialist

Executive Leadership

📋 Chief Executive Officer ∙ Clarisse Mendoza Davis (cmendoza@seeforever.org)

📊 Chief of Institutional Advancement ∙ Leah Lamb (llamb@seeforever.org)

📓 Chief of Schools ∙ Azalia Speight (aspeight@seeforever.org)

🎯 Deputy Chief of Policy, Performance & Advocacy ∙ Nora Shetty (nshetty@seeforever.org)

🧩 Deputy Chief of Student Support Services ∙ Kamal Wright-Cunningham (kwright-cunningham.org@seeforever.org)

🔑 Deputy Chief of Secure Programs ∙ Felecia Hayward (fhayward@seeforever.org)

See Forever Foundation Board of Directors

David Domenici, JD, Board Chair
Director, Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings
Co-Founder, See Forever Foundation & Maya Angelou Schools

Clarisse Mendoza Davis
Chief Executive Officer
See Forever Foundation & Maya Angelou Schools

James Forman, Jr., JD
Professor, Yale Law School
Co-Founder, See Forever/ Maya Angelou Schools

Reid Weingarten, JD
Partner, Steptoe & Johnson, LLP
Emeritus Member*

Cheryl Mills, JD
Founder and CEO, BlackIvy Group

*All Maya Angelou Schools and See Forever Foundation Board members without lifelong or Emeritus memberships serve renewable two-year terms

Maya Angelou PCS Board of Directors

Reginald Belle
Campaigns and Programs Fellow
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Darren Cambridge
Managing Director
Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society

Cheryl Chun
Pediatric Physician,
Kaiser Permanente

Andrew Dana
Co-Owner and Founder
Call Your Mother Deli, Timer Pizza Company

David Domenici, JD | Co-Chair, Fundraising, Partnerships, and Advocacy SFF Board Representative
Executive Director
Break Free Education

James Forman, Jr., JD | Chair, Board Development & Engagement
Co-Founder, See Forever/Maya Angelou Schools
Professor, Yale Law School

Lewis Goss
Partner
Arent Fox LLP

Michelle Brown
Parent Board Member

Julie Johnson, Ed.D | Chair, MAA Support
Principal/Founder
Strategy Forward Advisors

Cheryl Mills, JD
Founder and CEO
BlackIvy Group

Melanie Gragg | Parent Board Member
Advocate Potomac Job Corps of Wash, DC

Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, PhD
Dean and Professor
American University

Thomas White | Board Secretary
Partner
WilmerHale Law Firm (Retired)

Michael Stratton
Senior Vice-President
Artemis