Leadership & Faculty

Maria Castelluccio

Head of School
m.castelluccio@lemanmanhattan.org

Ms. Castelluccio was named Head of School at Léman Manhattan in October 2015 and began her term in July 2016. A proven educational leader and visionary, Ms. Castelluccio has dedicated her career to driving student performance and building community in PreK-12 schools in the U.S. and internationally for more than 25 years. She joins Léman after four years as the Head of School at Marymount International School of Rome, also an International Baccalaureate School, where she developed and carried out a strategic plan that increased IB scores to 98% pass rate and 45% of students scoring in the top 20th percentile worldwide.

From 2009-2012, Ms. Castelluccio served as Marymount Rome's Elementary School Principal, where her accomplishments included introducing Columbia University Teachers College Reader's and Writer's Workshop and Responsive Classroom, and advancing the academic rigor of the educational program. For more than a decade prior to Marymount Rome, Ms. Castelluccio held senior administrative roles at high-performing elementary schools in Westport and Stratford, Connecticut. She began her career as a 3rd and 4th Grade teacher. Ms. Castelluccio holds a Bachelor of Arts in Intermediate Education, Magna Cum Laude, from Southern Connecticut State University; a Master of Science in Science Education from Southern Connecticut State University; and a Sixth Year Degree in Administration and Supervision from Sacred Heart University. Originally from the Bronx, Maria raised her four children in Fairfield County, Connecticut. She is an avid reader, and when she has the time, loves to travel, walk and practice yoga.

Maria Sweeney

Director of Curriculum
m.sweeney@lemanmanhattan.org

Mrs. Sweeney serves as the academic dean for PreK-12th grade, working closely with the academic division heads to further develop and implement curriculum consistent with our school mission, vision, core values and IB philosophy. Mrs. Sweeney joined Léman from Oakhill Academy in Temecula, CA, where she was Head of School from 2015-2019. Previously, Mrs. Sweeney was the Curriculum Coordinator PreK-12 and then the Early Childhood and Elementary Principal at the Marymount International School of Rome from 2007-2015. For more than 25 years before joining Marymount, Mrs. Sweeney served as an administrator and classroom and ESOL teacher in schools across the world. Mrs. Sweeney holds the following educational credentials: Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; Teaching Certificate from University of California, Los Angeles; Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of California, Riverside; Post-Master's ESL Certificate in English as a Second Language from Eastern University, St. David's; and Principal's Certificate in Educational Leadership from The Principal's Training Center. Outside of Léman, Mrs. Sweeney likes to read, cook, travel and spend time with her family. Her daughter is a graduate of Léman’s Class of 2021.

Louisa Del Gadio

Head of The Center for Early Childhood Education & Lower School
l.delgadio@lemanmanhattan.org

Louisa Del Gadio has been an educator for 15 years and a member of the Léman community since 2015. Prior to her role as Head of the Center of Early Childhood & Lower School, Louisa served as Léman’s Social Studies Department Chair, taught both 7th grade social studies and IB History, and served as the faculty advisor for the Model United Nations Club. Louisa joined Léman from the Academy of St. Joseph in Manhattan, where she taught 5th and 6th grade social studies and literacy, and 3rd-6th grade math. Louisa holds a BA in history from St. Francis College and a MS in Education: Adolescent Education, Social Studies and Special Education from Wagner College.

Louisa is also a parent to second grader Lucia, who has been a Léman student since PreK 3.

Alex Davis

Head of Middle School
a.davis@lemanmanhattan.org

Alexandra (Alex) Davis has nearly 25 years experience in education spanning roles in both administration and classroom teaching. She has extensive experience across top NYC private schools. Prior to Léman, Alex served as the Director of Middle School at Blue School. Previously, she was the Director of Student Life for Middle and Upper School at Poly Prep and the Assistant Head of Upper School at Brooklyn Friends. For 17 years, she was a math teacher at the Spence School. Alexandra holds a Master of Secondary Math Education (M.A. Ed) from Hunter College (CUNY) and a Master of Geotechnical Engineering (M.S.C.E.) from UCLA, California, as well as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.

A life-long Manhattanite, Alexandra lives in the Financial District with her teenage son. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the theater and enjoying New York’s many diverse and delicious restaurants.

Dr. Harry Leonardatos

Head of High School
h.leonardatos@lemanmanhattan.org

Dr. Leonardatos oversees the academic program for grades 9-12 at Léman, and is an experienced high school administrator and teacher with more than 30 years in leadership and faculty roles. Previously, Dr. Leonardatos was High School Principal of Clarkstown High School North, a 1,300 student IB World School, in New City, NY. During his career, he has received numerous recognitions for his work, including the Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award from SUNY Albany and the Clarkstown Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shortly after becoming principal of Clarkstown in 2005, Dr. Leonardatos introduced and implemented the IB Diploma Program there. Prior to being named principal, Dr. Leonardatos spent two years as a teacher and social studies chairperson. Previously, he was Principal of American Greek Institute in NYC, a PreK-8 school. From 1990-2001, Dr. Leonardatos was a teacher at Archbishop Molloy School in Queens, NY, one of the most highly rated private Catholic high schools in the New York area. Dr. Leonardatos began his teaching career at the Greek American Institute in 1987. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration Policy Studies from SUNY at Albany, a Professional Diploma in School Administration from The College of New Rochelle, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Fordham University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from The New School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from Fordham University. He is a lifelong New Yorker and attended NYC independent schools. Dr. Leonardatos is fluent in Greek and proficient in Spanish.

Luz Garcelon

Director of International Baccalaureate (IB) Programming
l.garcelon@lemanmanhattan.org

Luz Garcelon joined Léman in 2021 from the United Nations International School (UNIS) in Manhattan, where she served as the IB Diploma Coordinator since 2015. At UNIS, Ms. Garcelon supervised the IB program to promote academic success, oversaw the organization of IB exams and evaluations, coordinated teacher professional development and partnered closely with parents and administration to support student achievement. During this time, she also served as a Spanish teacher for grades 6-12. From 2011 to 2015, she held other leadership roles at UNIS including Student Engagement Team Leader and UNIS-UN Faculty Advisor.

Prior to UNIS, Ms. Garcelon led the IB program as IB Program Coordinator at Santiago College School in Santiago, Chile, an IB World School serving students in preschool through grade 12. She began her education career at Santiago College School as an English Teacher, where she instructed higher level and standard English classes to prepare students for IB external and internal assessments.

Quinn Greene

Director of Student Support Services
q.greene@lemanmanhattan.org

Ms. Greene oversees Léman’s team of learning support specialists, school counselors and nursing professionals to support the academic and overall well-being of Léman students. As a staunch advocate for educational equity, Ms. Greene has spent over a decade utilizing her voice and knowledge of special education and disability studies to create inclusive school communities in a variety of settings. Ms. Greene left her role as an Analyst in the financial sector in 2012 to earn her M.S. in Teaching Urban Adolescents with Disabilities from Long Island University. As an educator in New York public schools, Quinn developed Advanced Placement curriculum and taught English and U.S. Government in grades 9-12.

After three years in the Department of Education, Quinn joined Uncommon Schools as a Special Education Coordinator where she also coached Learning Specialists and led humanities courses for students with disabilities in grades 9-12. During her tenure at Uncommon Collegiate, Quinn developed an Academic Support Program which, to date, has assisted over 200 students who were at risk for retention in graduating and going on to college. Quinn's most recent role as the Dean of Special Services at Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School was multi-faceted. There, she designed and implemented the school's Co-Teaching vision, coached, and developed the school's social work team and Learning Specialists, and spearheaded the Child Study Team with a focus on Tier II and III behavior intervention. When not at work, Quinn enjoys volunteering in therapeutic horsemanship and cheering on her Rutgers University Scarlet Knights!

Lisa Nowicki

Director of Fine Arts
l.nowicki@lemanmanhattan.org

Ms. Nowicki oversees all curricular and extra-curricular programs in Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, and Film for Léman Manhattan. Prior to coming to Léman in 2011, Ms. Nowicki served as the Performing Arts Department Chair at the Sanford School in Hockessin, DE, where she worked for 19 years and produced award-winning music ensembles and a nationally recognized Theatre program. In Theatre, Ms. Nowicki has worked as a musical director, producer, and conductor. She is the co-founder of Delaware All-State Theatre®, the nation's only All-State Theatre organization for students, and serves on their Board of Trustees. In addition, she is a former chairperson of the DAIS Music Educators group, which involves 23 schools in DE, PA, MD, and NJ. Outside of education, Ms. Nowicki has worked in corporate arts administration and has served as an Associate Producer for “Lisa Howard: Songs of Innocence & Experience, The Songs of William Finn” (Ghostlight/Sh-K-Boom Records). Ms. Nowicki received a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University and a Masters in Educational Psychology from Widener University. She has graduate credits in music history from the University of Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria. Apart from her interests in music, theatre, and film, she enjoys reading, baking, and travel.

Keith Sequeira

Director of Athletics
k.sequeira@lemanmanhattan.org

Keith Sequeira leads athletic opportunities for students school-wide at Léman, including team sports in grade five, to elite level varsity sports at the high school level. During his time at Léman, Mr. Sequeira has grown the athletic program significantly, from 8 teams in 2009, when he joined the school, to 36 teams today. In his leadership of the athletic program at Léman, Mr. Sequeira builds a culture of community, sportsmanship and physical well-being across the school community. Mr. Sequeira brings a wealth of knowledge of New York City school athletic programs, from his Adjunct Professor position at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, as well as his positions as Athletic Director, Physical Education Chair, Admissions Director, Summer Camp and After School Director at schools in New York and New Jersey. Mr. Sequeira earned a B.A. in Physical Education from Hofstra University and a Masters in supervision from Adelphi University. Outside of his duties at Léman, Mr. Sequeira is on the board of the Old Bridge Girls Soccer League, where his daughters participate in the soccer program. He enjoys quality time with his wife and two daughters, as well as the most recent addition to their family, "Bubba" the mini pincher.

Dennis Vasquez

Director of College Counseling
d.vasquez@lemanmanhattan.org

Mr. Vasquez is the Director of College Counseling. After earning his B.A. in Psychology at Boston College in 1996, Mr. Vasquez was also commissioned in the U.S. Army and served on active duty. After reaching the rank of Captain, he decided to find work in the civilian world, following his passion with helping high school students pursue their dreams. His first job was as an admissions officer at Skidmore College, then switched to college counseling positions since 2003. Mr. Vasquez worked at Newark Academy, Livingston High School, and then at a non-profit organization, The Student Leadership Network/The Collegebound Initiative, as a supervisor of a team of college counselors at multiple high schools located throughout New York City. He has a Master's in Business Administration and has presented on various workshops on college counseling and financial aid at both the regional (NYSACAC) and national (NACAC) level and has done private consulting work in college access for families coming from a range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Outside of Léman, Mr. Vasquez enjoys spending time with his wife, an administrator for the NYC Department of Education and all his children. Mr. Vasquez is Filipino and enjoys learning to speak Spanish, traveling, playing a variety of musical instruments, boxing, and tennis.

Christina Pierre

Interim Dean of Students
c.pierre@lemanmanhattan.org

Christina Pierre has been a member of the Léman Manhattan community since 2011. As the Interim Dean of Students, Christina is focused on fostering a safe and nurturing environment for Léman’s Upper Schoolers, so that they may grow and be successful in a rigorous learning environment. Through building positive relationships with students, it is her aim to provide the guidance needed to help them achieve academic success.

Prior to her role as Interim Dean, Christina served as the Associate Dean of Students. Throughout her 12 years at Léman, she has also served as a Physical Education and Health teacher, a coach for both our Girls and Boys Varsity Volleyball Teams, the interim DEIJ coordinator, and a Grade Level Leader. Christina holds a BBA in Operation Management from CUNY, Baruch College.

Lakiya Burrell

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ)
l.burrell@lemanmanhattan.org

Lakiya Burrell, the founding Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) at Léman, strongly values a culture of belonging. Lakiya has been a part of the Léman Manhattan community since 2015. Using her passions for student advocacy and family partnership, Lakiya supports, develops, and leads comprehensive DEIJ initiatives and programming that drive forward Léman’s mission in becoming a community that is inclusive, equitable, and accessible for all

Lakiya has been in education for over 14 years. She came to Léman from Lion Charter School where she held the position of Elementary & Middle School English Language Learner (ELL) Specialist and K-12 ELL Liaison. At Léman, Lakiya has taught English language learners at the elementary and middle school levels, and was the founding DEIJ Coordinator. She holds a BA in French from Spelman College, her Post-Bac Certificate in TESOL from Columbia University, and her MS.ED in TESOL from Long Island University.

Lakiya grew up in Harlem and Washington Heights, and has family roots in the South. She lives in New York City with her family.

Steve Levin

Director of After-School and Summer Programs
s.levin@lemanmanhattan.org

With over 20 years of experience developing children's programming in New York City, Steve Levin leads Léman's after school and summer programs. With a broad array of offerings ranging from chess to math club to tennis, our after school programming complements the Léman academic program to harness the interest of every child. In addition, Camp Léman, for both Léman students and children in the community, is one of Lower Manhattan's premier programs for children, enrolling over 270 children each summer. Prior to joining Léman in 2008, Mr. Levin served as the Director of Camp Programs at the 92nd Street Y, and as camp director in the Poconos. Mr. Levin spent four years on the adjunct faculty of Fordham University's Graduate school of Social Service and has been a speaker and co-chair for various regional and national camping conferences. Mr. Levin has a B.A. in Psychology from Northwestern University and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter College. Outside of his work at Léman, Mr. Levin enjoys travel, running, exploring New York City, and the New York Times crossword puzzle. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters who are both students at Léman.

Paige Murphy

Head of Communications & Enrollment Management
p.murphy@lemanmanhattan.org

Mrs. Murphy oversees the admissions and communications functions at Léman. She partners with faculty, students and parents to build a dynamic and engaged community of Léman families and share student accomplishments and school developments within Léman and beyond. Since joining Léman in 2014, Mrs. Murphy has led Léman’s strategic enrollment growth and raised Léman’s visibility to attract a talented and diverse applicant pool and ultimately enrolled students who thrive in Léman’s IB program.

Mrs. Murphy joined Léman after more than 15 years in K-12 and higher education senior communications roles. Prior to Léman, Mrs. Murphy was Executive Director of Marketing for Kaplan, the global educational services provider. Previously, she was an Assistant Director of Communications at Columbia University.

Mrs. Murphy holds a B.A. in Political Science and French from Colgate University. She lives in the Financial District with her husband and two sons, who are students in Léman’s Lower and Middle School divisions. Outside of school, Mrs. Murphy enjoys tennis, travel, and architecture.

Joshua Anchors

Director of Global Admissions
j.anchors@lemanmanhattan.org

Joshua Anchors collaborates with the school's partners from around the world to bring talented, motivated international students to Léman Manhattan. As the director of Léman's unique boarding program, Mr. Anchors is also responsible for the academic and socio-emotional well-being of 120 students from over 20 different countries. Originally from Maine, Mr. Anchors worked in disaster relief for a variety of organizations including the United Nations, FEMA, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority, before transitioning into education. Prior to working at Léman Manhattan, he taught at Saint Ann's School, the Brooks School, University Laval, and the University of Strasbourg. Mr. Anchors holds degrees from Columbia University, Boston University, and the University of Maine. Outside of his work at Léman, he enjoys bicycling, sea kayaking, and creative writing.

Dr. Jennifer Minskoff

Chief of Staff
j.minskoff@lemanmanhattan.org

As Chief of Staff, Dr. Minskoff supports the Head of School’s Office, working collaboratively with the leadership team, managing projects, developing school-wide processes, and anticipating the needs of the Head of School. She has nearly ten years of experience working in New York City independent schools, both as an administrator and as an educator. Prior to her current role, Jen served as the Executive Administrator to the Head of School at Poly Prep. An educator and historian by trade, Jen has also previously served as the Executive Assistant to Head of School Maria Castelluccio, and developed and taught The History of New York City course at Léman. She holds a Ph.D. in History & Education from Teachers College, Columbia, where she was also an Adjunct Associate Professor.

Jen resides in the Financial District with her husband and daughter. As a family, they enjoy the intellectual, culinary, and cultural life that New York has to offer.

Ryan Barker

Dean of Residential Life
r.barke@lemanmanhattan.org

Ryan Barker has been a part of the Léman community for eight years. In his role as Dean of Residential Life, Ryan aims to provide support and a strong sense of community to students in our Boarding Program. Through fairly addressing student conduct and behavior, he hopes that he and his team will inspire students to find their true potential, ultimately making a positive impact on their lives.

Ryan came to Léman from North Broward Prep and has over 14 years of residential boarding experience. Before that, he taught High School English and World Literature, and English Grammar for Grades 6-8 at American Heritage in Delray Beach, Florida. Ryan holds a BA in English from Lynn University, and has studied Biology at St. Thomas Aquinas College and Education at Florida Atlantic University.

Brian Scheffler

Director of Residential Life
b.scheffler@lemanmanhattan.org

Brian Scheffler is the Director of Residential Life at Léman and has been a part of the community since 2014. In his role, Brian aims to create a residential life experience that provides students with a strong sense of community and belonging so that they may grow into confident, independent, responsible, and engaged individuals. Brian came to Léman from the Village School in Houston, Texas, where he served as a Residential Dorm Parent. Prior to that, he was the Interim Middle & High School Choir Director at Silver Creek Central School. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from SUNY at Fredonia.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys attending performances at Lincoln Center by the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. He also enjoys playing the piano, which he has been playing since age 10.

Scott Thompson

Chief Operating Officer
s.thompson@lemanmanhattan.org

Scott Thompson leads the business office, facilities and technology teams to help support our school's continued innovation and growth. An experienced finance and strategy executive in the education industry, Mr. Thompson has held various executive leadership and chief financial officer roles both domestically and internationally and has also served on numerous boards of directors. He holds a BA in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Global Executive MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Mr. Thompson lives in Lower Manhattan with his wife Laurie and son Sloane, who is a Léman high school student.

Ahsan Karim

Director of Technology
a.karim@lemanmanhattan.org

Mr. Karim oversees all aspects of educational technology at Léman and drives the school's strategic vision for leveraging technology to enhance student learning. He has oversight for all technology systems that support student information, enrollment management, scheduling and grading, faculty collaboration, parent communication, and the cultivation of technology skills that prepare Léman students for an interconnected, digital world.

An IT professional with over two decades of experience in educational technology and technology support, Mr. Karim brings many years of teaching and administrative experience to our school. Prior to joining Léman, Mr. Karim spent 25 years at The Buckley School on the Upper East Side, where he managed all hardware, software, systems, and infrastructure initiatives, including the implementation of makerspaces. He also has extensive experience in developing and leading technology professional development workshops for faculty and staff. Throughout his career, he has taught coding, robotics, and circuit building in grades 1-9.

Mr. Karim holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from The College of Staten Island. He is a Google Certified Educator and also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He lives with his wife and daughter in Forest Hills, Queens, and during his free time, Mr. Karim enjoys cooking, reading and traveling with his family.

Geo Castillo

Director of Facilities & Security
g.castillo@lemanmanhattan.org

Geo Castillo is Léman’s Director of Facilities & Security and has 31 years of experience in Facilities Management Operations and Strategic Planning. He has been a part of the Léman community since 2012.

Geo came to Léman from Abigail Kirsch Culinary Services, where he served in several different roles before becoming their Director of Facilities & Security, a role in which he managed different properties in Westchester and New York City. Prior to that, Geo served in the Honduran Army for five years, during which he became a Lieutenant.

Geo holds an Associates Degree in Accounting and a BA in Business Administration from Monroe College. He currently lives in Sayreville with his wife and children. In his spare time, Geo enjoys taking long walks, watching soccer games, and collecting Honduran art.

Debbie Aragon

Head of Human Resources
d.aragon@lemanmanhattan.org

Debbie Aragón leads the Human Resources Department at Léman by leading benefits analysis and administration, compensation, staff training & development, workers’ compensation, safety training, employee relations, performance management, organizational development, and HRIS. Ms. Aragón has over 15 years in human resource management and prior to Léman was Head of Human Resources at TAO Group, VP of HR at Dean & Deluca, Director of HR at Max Brenner, and the US HR Administration Manager at Le Pain Quotidien. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hofstra University, a Human Resources accreditation from Pace University and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). A Queens native, she currently lives on Long Island with her three children and two Persian cats and enjoys crafts, yoga, and spending time on the beach with her family in the summer.