Board of Directors
Foundation for Portland Public Schools Board
Marie Mueller
President
Marie is an attorney at the law firm of Verrill Dana, LLP in the Litigation & Trial Department. Marie lives in Portland with her husband Zack. Marie and Zack both attended Bates College in Lewiston and have lived in Portland since 2010. They have two small children, a daughter and a son, who will be attending Ocean Avenue Elementary School in the coming years.
James Murphy
Vice President
James is currently the Development Director at Educate Maine. Prior to returning to Maine, he worked with AchieveMpls to raise funds to support the strategic priorities of Minneapolis Public Schools. James also lived and worked in Washington, DC, for nearly a decade, managing various programs at the Points of Light Institute and later working in the community relations department at Booz Allen Hamilton, an international consulting firm. Prior to that, he taught high school social studies as a Teach for America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. James holds bachelor degrees from Boston University and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. James and his family live in Portland, where his children attend Portland Public Schools.
Greg Cox
Treasurer
Greg is a Client Advisor at R.M. Davis, a Private Wealth Management firm in Portland, ME. He grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, but has made Portland his home since 2010. It was while attending Hebron Academy that Greg knew he wanted to make Maine his permanent home. He enjoys playing golf, woodworking, and is an avid soccer fan. Greg and his wife have two children who attend Portland Public Schools. As a family, they enjoy spending time at the beach and at Sebago Lake during the summer months.
Melissa Knoll
Secretary
Melissa moved to Portland in 2004 with her husband, Scott. They have three daughters in the PPS system, at the Reiche Community School, King Middle School, and Portland High School. Melissa has chaired community events such as the Reiche International 5K and Spring Auction. With a background in engineering, Melissa hopes to expand opportunities in the sciences and improve outreach to Portland’s impressive community programs.
Carol Hager
PEA Representative
Carol Hager is currently a teacher and math department chair at Portland Adult Education, and has been a PPS educator for over 20 years. She lives in Portland with her husband and two Casco Bay graduates. As the secretary for the Portland Education Association, Carol is the PPS teacher representative on the Board.
Tom Law
Tom is the Founder and CEO of Maine startup Oak AI; an applied ethics startup company dedicated to advancing digital equity. Tom has two children in or entering Portland Public Schools and is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, breaking down barriers to STEM careers, providing support to families and educators, and providing professional development opportunities for youth. Tom is President of the Talbot Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization, has worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a founding member of the Maine AI Consortium, and served as a chairperson for the National Society of Black Engineers Aerospace Special Interest Group, among other nonprofit and volunteer work, and is very excited to serve on the FPPS board. Tom also really, really loves pinball – just ask :)
Casey McCormack
Casey McCormack and his family live in Portland. He is a father to three young children (two current PPS students and one future PPS student) and enjoys family time, the Maine outdoors, and traveling. Originally from Freeport, Casey attended Colgate University and is the Director of Real Estate at Spinnaker Trust in Portland. He comes from a family of teachers and is passionate about public education.
Marnie Morrione
Morgan Myer
Morgan Myer owns a commercial video agency in Portland, Maine. He grew up in Southern Maine and attended Sanford Public School System until moving westward to pursue a degree in journalism. He later worked in television and film in NYC before venturing northward to Boston and finally to Portland. With two young children, Morgan is passionate about helping the Portland Public School System continue to thrive as a dynamic and powerful force for good in the state.
Derek Pierce
Derek Pierce served as the founding principal of Casco Bay High School. He was previously a principal at Poland Regional High School and an English teacher in Gorham. He lives in Portland with his wife (who works at Portland Adult Education) and two daughters, both Portland Public School alums and both in college.
Lizzie Pope
Lizzie Pope is the Senior Manager of Grants and System Operations at Pilot House Philanthropy in Boston. Formerly, she worked at the Davis Educational Foundation and the John T. Gorman Foundation. Before returning to her New England roots, Lizzie worked as an archivist and librarian in New York City. Lizzie lives in the West End, is passionate about equity in public education, and is the proud parent of two PPS students.
Lucia Rico
Lucia Rico is a dedicated advocate and community leader with a strong focus on education and family support. She works for United Way and has served as a Parent Organizer with Portland Empowered for 9 years. Lucia is also a member of the Family Partnership Advocacy Group, where she has been active for 5 years. Having lived in Portland since 2000, Lucia has been deeply involved in the community throughout that time. Her children have all graduated from Portland schools, underscoring her commitment to local education. Passionate about education and driven by a desire to support marginalized communities, Lucia remains committed to challenging systemic issues and working towards positive change in the education system and beyond.
Dr. Ryan Scallon
PPS District Superintendent
My wife and kids are excited to join a district that has a vision for academic excellence for all students. As a former principal and teacher, I know that the school is the unit of change in a district. I look forward to partnering with the Board, staff teachers, and students, and families to achieve this vision together.
Kevin Stilphen
PAA Representative
Kevin Stilphen started in the Portland Public Schools in 2012 as the Student Service Coordinator at PATHS and moved into the Director position in 2016. His educational and private sector experiences have allowed him to collaborate with a diverse group of people to meet the common goal of increasing student achievement and well-being in a CTE setting. Mr. Stilphen received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Maine and his Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from the University of New England.
Barrett Wilkinson
Barrett Wilkinson has spent their career working in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and in the field of equity inclusion and belonging. He specializes in training and facilitation and loves difficult conversations that lead to greater understanding. His work has taken him throughout the US as well as across the pond in Northern Ireland. Barrett has worked for the Center for Preventing Hate, Seeds of Peace, the City of Portland, and most recently served as the Executive Director for Equity and Belonging for the Portland Public Schools. Barrett has recently joined the Human Resources team at Piper Shores focused on employee training and development. He holds a Masters in Public Policy and Management and volunteers for Maine Transgender Network.
Vivaan Churiwalla
Student Member, Casco Bay High School
Charlie Dibble
Student Member, Deering High School
Jael Mbadu
Student Member, Deering High School