Waterford.org Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees Overview
Board of Trustees Overview: The Waterford.org Board of Trustees harnesses their decades of experience and understanding of the early learning landscape to impact Waterford’s mission and programs.
All board members are committed to ensuring every child has access to effective early learning programs. Drawing from their unique expertise, they serve as thought leaders in the field and have considerable experience partnering with communities with historically limited resources.
As partners in our mission, the Board of Directors advises the Waterford Executive Leadership Team in scaling our programs to a national level, expanding the reach of our impactful work in education.
Meet the Team
Board Chair - Ernest Blackwell
Founder & CEO, Equity and Beyond
Ernest Blackwell is the founder and chief executive officer of Equity and Beyond, an organization dedicated to building a community of leaders who can drive meaningful change in their organizations. He also serves as a Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity business partner for Amazon Web Services (AWS). Ernest has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Duquesne University and earned a master’s degree in elementary education from Wilmington University and an MBA from the University of Texas.
Vice Chair - Stephanie J. Monroe, JD
President & Founder, Wrenwood Group, LLC
Stephanie J. Monroe is President of the Wrenwood Group, a boutique Washington, D.C. health and education consulting firm. She has contributed to many family and child development efforts, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the Head Start Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, and No Child Left Behind.
Board Member - Matt Grimes
Cleveland Guardians Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Matt Grimes is a multiracial millennial, functional poverty survivor, and education evangelist whose work centers on helping organizations develop a highly skilled, culturally proficient workforce with various backgrounds at all levels. A former classroom teacher and school systems leader, Matt’s personal calling is to work with purpose-driven organizations to help people and teams fulfill their missions to create workplaces that prioritize the employee experience. An advocate for justice and a convener of courageous conversations, Matt’s work and lived experiences focus on leadership, fostering psychological safety, and cultivating a sense of belonging for all identities in the workplace.
Board Member - James Holbrook
Professor, College of Law, University of Utah
James R. Holbrook is a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Utah where he teaches negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Before joining the faculty in 2002, he practiced law for 28 years in the complex civil and federal white-collar criminal litigation. James earned a master’s from Indiana University and a JD from the University of Utah.
Board Member - Chris Lee
Director, Head of Immersive Technologies, AWS
Chris Lee is the Director and Head of Immersive Technologies at AWS. He is focused on building Rendering, VFX, Gaming, and Geospatial services to empower developers to build large scale spatial computing experiences on AWS. Prior to this role, Chris has more than 20 years’ experience in the game industry building multiple AAA games.
Board Member - Allison Gushée Molkenthin
Managing Director, Bentley Associates
Allison Gushée Molkenthin has advised a variety of tech-based companies on raising private equity, cross-border investments, and M&A. Allison has over 30 years of experience in investment banking and graduated from Brown University with AB’s in both Mechanical Engineering and in Comparative Literature, as well as an MBA from INSEAD in France. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for graduate research in photovoltaic solar energy in Morocco.
Board Member - Jack Ryan
Financial Advisor with Henderson Brothers Retirement
Jack Ryan is a Financial Advisor with Henderson Brothers Retirement, a privately owned, Pittsburgh-based consulting firm specializing in the design and function of corporate retirement plans and individual wealth management. Jack is active in the community, participating as a coach in his local Special Olympics and as a board member for Mainstay Life Services with the goal of ensuring that people with developmental disabilities lead fulfilling lives. Jack earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Duquesne University and an MBA/JD from the University of Pittsburgh.
Board Member - Wayne Ysaguirre
Executive Director of the Care Institute
Wayne Ysaguirre is the Executive Director of The Care Institute. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Nurtury, and prior to that, Wayne was a preschool teacher and director of numerous programs. He has dedicated more than 30 years to the care and education of young children and their families.