Our Team

Executive Director/Founder | Superintendent
Propel Schools Board of Trustees | Educational Advisory Council

Click here to see a complete listing of our Leadership Team (pdf)

Executive Director/Founder, Propel Schools Foundation

Jeremy Resnick serves as the Executive Director of the Propel Schools Foundation, and is a founder of Propel Schools. With his leadership, Propel Schools has grown to be a regional force in efforts to reform Southwestern Pennsylvania public education, serving more than 2,400 students at eight locations in Allegheny County. Propel Schools has become one of Pennsylvania's top performing charter school organizations with long waiting lists and with student achievement results better than any demographically comparable public school district. His work has been recognized with the Pittsburgh Business Times' 2007 Diamond Award and the Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners' 2009 Social Venture Award. Prior to founding Propel, he was a founder and the Administrative/Educational Leader at Northside Urban Pathways Charter School, a founder and director of the Charter Schools Project at Duquesne University, founder and director of the Steel Center Technical Academy, and a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

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CEO/Superintendent, Propel Schools

Dr. Carol Wooten is the Superintendent/ CEO of Propel Charter Schools, currently operating nine urban public schools offering a high performance option for families who otherwise would not have one.  Prior to this appointment she was the Superintendent of the South Side Area School District.  She has taught biology, chemistry, and German in both public and private schools and has been an adjunct professor at Robert Morris University and Point Park University.  Dr. Wooten worked as a researcher for the University of Pittsburgh documenting and evaluating a program aimed at reducing the drop-out rate in the Pittsburgh Public High schools.  Following work on curriculum, instruction, and C&T Ed in the Mars Area School School District, she was a middle/high school principal in the Riverview School District. Prior to becoming the Superintendent of the South Side Area School District she served as the middle school principal, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and Assistant Superintendent. She served on the Executive Board of Pennsylvania ASCD where she chaired the Committee for Curriculum and Instruction.  She is a member of the Forum for Western Pennsylvania School Superintendents and serves on the Executive Committee.  She has had experience in public schools in Germany and Japan.  Dr. Wooten has written and received numerous technology grants totaling almost two million dollars. She has been on the Board of Directors for Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity for over ten years. She was the co-chair of the Three Rivers Connect Board of Directors, serves on the Point Park University Undergraduate Ed Advisory Committee and the Advisory Board for the Frieda G. Shapira Center for Learning through Service at CCAC. She serves on the Let’s Move Pittsburgh Advisory Board. She received the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award in 2011 from the University of Pittsburgh’s University Council for Educational Administration.   

Assistant Superintendent, Propel Schools

Tina Chekan serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Propel Schools. She started her career at Propel Schools as a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Propel Homestead in our opening school year, 2003. She has served as Literacy Coach and Assistant Principal before becoming the Principal of Propel McKeesport. Ms. Chekan holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Ball State University and a Master of Education in Deaf Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her Principal's Certification from Gannon University. Under her leadership, Propel McKeesport received three Effective Practice Incentive Community Awards from the national organization, New Leaders for New Schools. Prior to coming to Propel, she was a teacher in the Wilkinsburg SD. She taught art to grades one through five in Indiana. She was also a Behavior Specialist at Pressley Ridge School. She is currently completing her doctorate in Administrative Policy at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Propel Schools Foundation Board of Directors

Thomas Canfield (President)

Retired

Patrick J. Kenny (Vice President)

Vice President, Corporate Marketing, PPG Industries, Inc.

Michael T. Anselmo (Treasurer)

Market Manager, Corporate & Institutional Banking, PNC Bank

Wendy Etheridge Smith (Secretary)

Director of Community Initiatives and Partnerships, United Way of Allegheny County

William J. Axtman

Partner, K & L Gates, LLP

Stewart B. Barmen

Of Counsel, Frank, Gale, Bails, Murcko & Gubinsky

Joshua Cotherman

Founding Partner, Cotherman Group,LLC

Gretchen G. Generett, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, School of Education, Duquesne University 

Kristin Hughes

Associate Professor, School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University

Sean W. Moran

Shareholder, Buchanon Ingersoll & Rooney, PC

Ronald Porter

President & CEO, RDP Consulting Services, Inc.

Sylvie Tran
Development Manager, Shell Oil Company

Kiron Skinner, PhD

Director, International Relations and Politics Program, Carnegie Mellon University

Thomas Joseph

President & CEO, Bookminders

Marcia C. Kelson

Partner, K & L Gates, LLP

Felix Brandon Lloyd

General Manager, BancVue, Ltd.

Suzannah Maduro

Business Development Team, Datavibes

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Educational Advisory Council

Robert Furman, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator for Education, Administration and Supervision, Duquesne University

Susan Goodwin, Ph.D.
Former Superintendent/Director of Forum for Western PA Superintendents
Educational Leadership Initiative for University of Pittsburgh

Anthony Mitchell, Ph.D.
Professor, Penn State University/McKeesport Campus

Vincent Valicenti
Assistant Executive Director, ASSET Science

Joseph Werlinich
Principals Academy, Administrative and Policy Studies, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh

Nick Bayat, Ph.D.
Former Superintendent, Cannon McMillian School District
Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Sharon Carver, Ph.D.
Director, Children's School
Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Wendy Etheridge Smith, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Higher Achievement Pittsburgh

Dr. Mary Esther Van Shura
Director of Community Outreach, Office of Dan Onorato

Dr. John Lozosky
Administration and Policy Studies/ Educational Leadership Initiative (ELI) Project,
University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Otto Graf
Principals Academy/Educational Leadership Initiative (ELI) Project, University of Pittsburgh

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