Staff

A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Angela joined Steppingstone as a Counselor in 2004. She went on to become the Senior Director of Support Services and then VP of Programs. Committed to staff development, Angela pursued a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2017. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Angela worked in the Canton Public Schools and for several nonprofits in Portland, Maine. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern Maine and a MSW from Boston College. Outside of work, Angela can be found planning outrageous theme parties, cooking like Martha Stewart, talking everyone’s ear off about her love of her home state of Maine, or cheering loud and proud at her children’s sporting events.

Karin has her MSW from Boston College and her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Karin was the Executive Director of Summerbridge Cambridge and led the training and technical assistance program at Horizons for Homeless Children. Outside of work, Karin enjoys traveling, sharing great meals with friends, and listening to live music.

Kelly received her B.A. in English from Colby College and her M.A. in English at University College London. Kelly joined the Steppingstone staff as Director of Development in 1992. Prior to Steppingstone, she worked in the development office at Dana Hall School.

Chris is an experienced educator with a demonstrated history of leading start-up initiatives in the field of education. Skilled in program development, Chris' expertise lies in the development and management of innovation within ​the social sector. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Chris served as Academic Dean for the Trinity Boston Foundation's TEEP program, as well as band and orchestra director at the Boston Arts Academy. Chris received his B.M. in Music Education from the Berklee College of Music and M.S. Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.​ Chris sits on the Board of Directors of the Trinity Boston Foundation and is a member of the Advisory Team of Neverbore.​

Elena earned her BA in psychology from Clark University and her MEd in school counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Being a Boston native herself, Elena’s related experiences include teaching and counseling throughout various school programs in the city. Outside of work, you might find her playing soccer, trying out new places to eat in different neighborhoods, attending a dance class, or hanging with her niece and nephew!

Kerry graduated from Bentley College with a B.S. in Accountancy. Before joining Steppingstone, she worked at Lynn Community Health Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, and most recently at North Shore Community Health, Inc. as the Finance Director.

Jane Ventrone began her career at Steppingstone as an Advisor with The Steppingstone Academy in 2006. Before moving into the Vice President of Academic Programs role, she served as the Senior Director of Teaching and Learning. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Jane taught 7th grade Language Arts as a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College, an M.S. in Elementary Education from Saint Joseph's University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Jane serves on the Board of Directors of Riverbend School in Natick, MA and she also enjoys reading, gardening, and traveling.

Kate Wood joined Steppingstone's Advancement Team in 2007 and was promoted to the role of Executive Vice President of Advancement in June of 2016 to oversee both fundraising and communications for the organization. She began her career at Steppingstone as the Director of Individual Giving and later became the Vice President of Advancement. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Kate was Vice President of National Development at Jumpstart, an early childhood education nonprofit. She began her career in marketing at Fidelity Investments. Kate is a graduate of Union College.