Board of Trustees Carmel Academy

Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is the guardian of Carmel Academy's mission, setting the strategy to protect the long-term best interests of the school and its students. Predicated on the best practices of independent school governance, the trustees represent the diversity of the Carmel community and are chosen based on a range of criteria including gender, geography, religious observance, community involvement and professional background. The Board is comprised of current and alumni parents, grandparents and greater community members.

Board of Trustees - Officers

List of 5 members.

Michele Slifka

President
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Michele holds a BA in Mathematics and a BM in Violin Performance from Indiana University (Bloomington), a Doctorate in Music from the City University of New York, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

After completing her undergraduate degrees, Michele moved to New York City and began performing on Broadway and elsewhere, and teaching violin at institutions including The Riverdale Country School and The Hackley School. She also taught at Kean University, and was a member of the music faculty at Hunter College from 1996-2006, where she taught a broad range of courses for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Desiring to shift her career focus to enterprise management and entrepreneurship, Michele attended business school, and subsequently joined the Boston Consulting Group as a consultant with the New York office. While with BCG, her casework was in practice areas including financial management, talent management, strategic planning, business practice optimization, and post-merger integration. She worked primarily with financial services and pharmaceutical companies, but has supported organizations across a broad span of industries.

Michele has been a member of the Hillel International Board of Directors since 2014, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Yale Hillel since 2012, and chairs the Board of Advisors of the Hillel Office of Innovation. Previous board experience includes service on the board of Minds Matter, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of accomplished high school students from low-income families by broadening their horizons and preparing them for college success.
Pamela Feldstein

Vice President
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Pam leads the Capital Planning and Enterprise Risk Team at GE Capital (GEC). GEC is the financing division of the General Electric Company, focused on originating loans and leases to industrial customers. Pam oversees the team responsible for GECC's capital adequacy and capital allocation, Enterprise and Operational Risk, and Risk Management strategy.

Prior to GECC, Pam spent over 20 years on Wall Street, most recently at Bank of America where she led the Line of Business Capital Management team. Pam earned a BA in European Studies from Barnard College.

Pam is also active in other volunteer organizations including serving as a Trustee for the Deborah Feldstein Bartfeld Fund at Jewish Federation of Rhode Island and as a heavy hitter fundraiser for the Pan Mass Challenge benefiting the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She has also chaired the Erev Tov dinner dance and commemorative journal for Carmel Academy in addition to other community fundraisers. She is the proud parent of two Carmel Academy graduates and a current Carmel Academy student.
Jonathan Malkin

Vice President
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Jonathan Malkin joined his family in 2012 to help manage and grow their two businesses — SWC Office Furniture in Stamford, and a growing portfolio of commercial real estate they own and manage. Prior to joining these businesses, Jon, a graduate of Brandeis University, had a 15-year career in finance. He was formerly Senior Vice President of Cerberus Capital Management in New York City, where his responsibilities included leveraged loan origination, portfolio management, structuring, capital markets and syndication. In addition to the leveraged lending activities, Jon also advised the firm’s Private Equity team on financings and assisted the firm in raising capital for its various funds.

Before joining Cerberus, Jon was an Executive Director in the Leveraged Finance Group of CIBC World Markets from 1997 to 2006. Over this time, he was responsible for structuring and distributing leveraged loans, mezzanine financings, private equity and structured products (including loan and bond CDOs). Prior to the capital market and distribution role at CIBC, Jon managed a book of loans on the bank’s balance sheet.

Jon has been a member of Carmel Academy's Board of Trustees since 2011, and has served as Treasurer, a member of the Board’s Executive Committee, and Chair of the School’s Finance Committee.

He lives in Stamford, CT with his wife Karen and they are the proud parents of Isaac (CA '18), Abby (CA '21) and Ethan (CA '24).
Rochelle Tarlowe

Treasurer
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Rochelle Tarlowe has been serving as the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Avis Budget Group Inc. for the past 10 years. Rochelle joined Avis Budget’s predecessor, Cendant Corporation in 2005. At Cendant, she worked in the treasury group and focused on securitization and capital market transactions. Prior to joining Cendant, she spent over five years at Moody’s Investor Service as a Vice President, Senior Analyst in the Asset Finance Group.

Rochelle graduated with a B.A, cum laude, from Barnard College in 1992. In 1996 she received a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. Prior to joining Moody’s, Rochelle practiced law with Sidley Austin LLP in their Corporate Finance department in New York.

Rochelle is married to Seth Jonas. They reside in Manhattan with their three children. Their youngest, Alexander, attends Carmel Academy. Rochelle and Seth are active members of the Jewish Center and AIPAC.
Robye Margolius
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Robye Margolius is an Assistant Director, Career Counseling at Pace Law School, where she counsels students and alumni on career issues. She previously served as the Director of Alumni & Mentor Programs for Jewish Heritage Programs (JHP), a college-based Jewish outreach program. At JHP, Robye was responsible for designing and implementing networking programs for professionals and students as well as development and constituent outreach. Previously, Robye spent 6 years in various roles consulting to non-profits in her community and the Jewish sector. She began her career as a lawyer at a top-tier law firm focusing on business transactions and client relationships and moved on to become the firm’s co-director of professional development. She graduated from Binghamton with a joint degree in Philosophy and pre-law studies, earning the university's Foundation Award for Outstanding University Service. After graduating from Binghamton, Robye became a director on the board of the Alumni Association becoming a member of the Executive Board. She received her law degree from Fordham, where she earned academic and public service honors.

Robye has been involved with many Carmel Academy community events, including hosting the annual White Plains Shavuot Ice Cream Social, co-planning the annual fall auction, and regularly welcoming Carmel families to her home. In addition, she has been active in local Jewish community and synagogue events. She lives in White Plains with her husband Allen and their three children, Jack ('16), Francesca ('19) and Daniel ('22).

Trustees

List of 13 members.

Judith Talesnick

Asst Principal
Joshua Chadajo
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Joshua Chadajo is the Executive Director of Pardes, North America, having assumed the role in December 2004. He is the first Pardes alumnus to hold this position. His previous positions include Executive Director of Amcha – The Coalition for Jewish Concerns, the activist organization led by Rabbi Avi Weiss; and Research Coordinator and Director of Campus Programs of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), the Boston-based media-watch organization.

Josh was named a Wexner Graduate Fellow in 1999, earning an MBA at the Yale School of Management from 1999-2001, and then attending the Pardes Year Program from 2001-2002.

The Chadajo family belong to Hebrew Institute of White Plains, a Modern Orthodox Synagogue.

Josh is a Bostonian living in White Plains, NY with his wife Natalie, current Carmel student Emmanuella and future Carmel student Caleb.
Emanuel Citron
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Manny is a founder and Managing Partner of Aspen891, a private equity firm focused on social impact investing. Before that, he was a Principal of Stone Point Capital, a financial services focused private equity firm based in Greenwich, CT with over $18 billion of assets under management. Prior to joining Stone Point, Manny started and ran a privately held Internet business. Before that, he was a generalist focused on M&A advisory and private equity at The Beacon Group.

Manny holds a BS, Magna Cum Laude, and an MBA, as a Palmer Scholar, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Atlanta, GA and lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife Bonnie and their children Sophie (CA '19), Coby (CA '21), Eden (CA '22) and Isaac (CA '25).
Colin Diamond
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Colin and his wife Farell live in White Plains, NY with their sons Ike (CA 23’) and Asher (CA 26’). They are active members of the Temple Israel Center of White Plains. Colin is a partner at White & Case LLP, a global law firm, where he focuses on capital markets transactions and advising public companies. For the last six years, he served on the board and chaired the audit committee of the Lawyers Alliance for New York, the leading provider of business and transactional legal services for nonprofit organizations and social enterprises that are improving the quality of life in New York City neighborhoods. Colin was born in London, England and lived in Israel for a number of years after he graduated from university before coming to the United States in 1998 for his masters’ degree. In his free time, since moving to the suburbs, he has become an avid gardener and hopes eventually to grow in the family garden enough vegetables for a full Shabbat meal.
Alix Eben
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Alix Eben runs the Field Group Family Office, which is a commercial real estate venture, and has holdings throughout Connecticut. The company was started by Alix's father Joseph Field 45 years ago. Alix went to BiCultural Day School through third grade, and then finished her education in Stamford Public School Systems. She attended Syracuse University where she received her BFA and then received an associate's degree from New York School of Interior Design. Her degree is in Interior design specializing in Building Code. Alix then worked for a commercial real estate Brokerage Houses (Robert K Futterman Associates) for ten years before joining the family business.

Alix and her husband David moved back to Stamford 12 years go. Alix and David have two children, Sydney (CA 16') and Aaron ( CA 18'). Alix has had many volunteer roles within the Stamford JCC (Maccabi and Center Women), UJF (Young Leadership Division, Executive Board, Women's Campaing Board, Allocations committee, Behrend Institute for Leadership, Harvey Peltz Young Leadershi Award Recipient) and Chabad (Gan Yeladim School Board, Friendship Circle leader). At Carmel, Alix has been a consistent volunteer and leader at practically every event, and is a constant ambassador for Carmel in the community. She has also been a Carmel Academy class parent for 10 consecutive years.

Alix's family has been members of Beth El of Stamford for almost 50 years.
Rachel Elkin Lebwohl
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Rachel Lebwohl is a software architect at NYU Langone Health, where she works on strategic solution architecture initiatives for the CTO’s office and as a digital product strategist for the Wonderlab, an interdisciplinary research lab in the Department of Children and Mental Health. She is driven to find new ways to promote health and wellness through emerging digital technologies, and to leverage the privilege of her experience to improve the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

Rachel has had a life-long interest in cognitive science and social psychology, and strives to apply the findings of the fields to her work both as a leader and as a product strategist. She has a deep appreciation for algorithms and analytics, but a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the human mind. She is a pragmatic dreamer, a servant leader and is constitutionally opposed to sitting idly by while there are problems to be solved.
Rachel graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Computer Science and spent a few years as a software developer at various startups before landing and making a professional home at NYU Langone Health. She has recently joined the board of trustees of her synagogue, Temple Israel Center of White Plains, and is helping to conceive of and develop a beit midrash program there.

Rachel lives in White Plains with her husband Ben and their three children, Lily (’20), Jakey (’22), and Miri (’26), all of whom have been Carmel students since kindergarten (or before).
Michael Kaplan
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Michael is a partner at the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, an international law firm, where he is co-head of the capital markets group. Michael regularly works for issuers and underwriters in connection with capital markets and leveraged finance transactions, including initial public offerings and other equity offerings, as well as offerings of convertible and high-yield debt. Mr. Kaplan also regularly advises investment banking clients on securities law-related matters and corporate clients on general corporate matters, including corporate governance, SEC and Sarbanes-Oxley matters.

Michael graduated Harvard College summa cum laude with a B.A. in History and received his J.D. degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Michael is actively involved in the Manhattan Jewish community. He serves on the board of trustees of Congregation Kehillat Jeshurun and is active in AIPAC

Michael and his wife Jennifer are the proud parents of four children, Melissa, Benjamin, Joseph and Joshua. Joshua attends Carmel Academy.
David Napach
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David Napach is the Director of Compensation and Global Markets for IBM. He was worked in similar roles for Credit Suisse in Zurich and Aon Hewitt-McLagan.

David and his wife, Leslie, have two children at Carmel Academy, Aaron (CA’23) and Jenna (CA’26). David and Leslie are active members of the Stamford JCC where Leslie serves on the board. The couple live in North Stamford, and belong to Temple Beth El of Stamford.
Stuart Roth
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Stuart Roth is head of operations for Centivo. Founded in 2017, venture capital-backed Centivo is building a new technology-enabled healthcare solution for self-insured employers that will save companies and their employees money while improving member satisfaction.

Prior to Centivo, Stuart spend 15 years with benefits consulting firm Willis Towers Watson and its legacy companies in various consulting, strategy, and program management roles – most recently as leader of strategy implementation for the Exchange Solutions segment.

In other roles, he served as COO of a pension risk management venture, co-leader of Towers Watson’s merger integration team, and an internal strategy consultant. Stuart began his career as a healthcare analyst working with federal and state health agencies, and spent five years as a Congressional aide on Capitol Hill covering healthcare, education, and labor issues. He holds a BA and an MBA from Cornell University.
Cori SaNogueira
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Cori SaNogueira spent her early years in Newtown, Connecticut before moving as a teenager with her family to Kobe, Japan. She returned to the United States to attend Muhlenberg College, where she majored in Political Science and Women’s Studies.

Cori worked within the Jewish community at Hillel’s International Center, University of Maryland Hillel and Temple Israel of Westport in areas of social justice advocacy and leadership development. She then earned a Masters Degree in Elementary Education at Fairfield University and worked in local public schools.

Upon starting a family, Cori moved with her husband Adam Farstrup to London for two years. There, she was involved with programming for babies and toddlers at New London Synagogue. Adam and Cori now call Old Greenwich home, along with their three daughters Mica Ryan ‘21, Amital ‘24 and Jordi '28. She enjoys volunteering and serving as Chair of PJ Library in Greenwich.
Rachel Schneider
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Rachel Schneider, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, received her Bachelor’s Degree from Brandeis University and Master’s Degree from Hunter College School of Social Work. She also holds a certificate in psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy. Most recently, she worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she created and managed a remote-access patient care program, which provides live, online support groups and educational programing to patients and families. She also provided direct counseling and co-founded a center-wide bereavement program. Rachel is a private practice psychotherapist who practiced in Manhattan.

Rachel and her husband, David Greenspun, live in Greenwich and have two children -- Noah (CA’25) and Phoebe (CA’25). Rachel has been an active volunteer at Carmel since her children came to the school in kindergarten. She also volunteers for initiatives at Greenwich Hospital, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and the Greenwich YWCA. She is active with the Greenwich Chabad and the Alumni Association at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, which she attended for many years.
Philip Steinmetz
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Philip Steinmetz ('06) is a member of Carmel Academy's first graduating class. He is graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2013 and immediately enlisted as a lone soldier in the IDF to fulfill his lifelong dream. He served as a sharpshooter in the 931 Regiment of the Nahal Infantry Brigade and was placed on the Gaza border. Philip served in active duty during Operation Protective Edge and returned to the United States after his 18 months of service. Shortly after the returing from his IDF service, Philip began working at Stanwich Energy Advisors in Greenwich. He is married to Eve Wiener and the couple live in Manhattan.
Noah Yechiely
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Noah is co-Head of Equities with Bridgewater Associates an institutional money manager with over $160 billion in assets under management. Noah joined Bridgewater Associates in 2004 with the Research Department and since has been involved in the development of trading systems across multiple asset classes. From 2000 to 2004, Noah worked at Oliver Wyman & Co. a global management consulting firm. At OWC, Noah served as an engagement manager, consulting senior management at financial services companies mainly on business development. Prior to this role, Noah served as a Captain with the Israeli Intelligence Corps. leading an R&D unit.

Education: MA, Highest Honors, in Mathematics of Finance from Columbia University. MBA in Finance, Magna Cum Laude, from Tel Aviv University. B.Sc, Summa Cum Laude, Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

Noah grew up in Haifa, Israel and currently lives with his wife, Dassi, and their three children in Greenwich, CT.

Board Of Governors

Our Board of Governors is an honorary Board of school and community leaders who work to support and strengthen Carmel Academy. The members of the Board of Governors lend their talent and expertise to work on behalf of Carmel Academy, serve as ambassadors to the greater community, and provide input and guidance to the President and the Board of Trustees on significant strategic initiatives. The Board is comprised of current and alumni parents, past Trusteesa and greater community members.

Board Of Governors

List of 15 members.

David Messer

Chairman - Board of Governors
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David Messer has spent his entire professional career in the financial services industry, with a focus on commodities markets. From 1998 until 2008, Mr. Messer was President and then CEO of Sempra Energy Trading Corporation. Mr. Messer then led the sale of a majority of the company to The Royal Bank of Scotland, forming the RBS-Sempra Commodities LLC joint venture, which was formally established on April 1, 2008. Mr. Messer was named CEO of the joint venture and Global Head of Commodities for RBS, positions he held until March of 2009, when he resigned. Currently, Mr. Messer serves as CEO of Freepoint Commodities LLC, a physical commodity trading and marketing company based in Greenwich, CT.
Elisa Akrongold
Stuart Berger
Gloria Bieler
Beth Boyer
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Beth Boyer is an attorney living in Greenwich, CT. She currently works as Counsel for Elenion Capital, a hedge fund founded by her husband, Bradley Boyer and of counsel for Benjamin, Gold and Troyb, P.C. in Stamford, CT. Beth served for seven years as Vice President of the Board of Carmel Academy and has served on several Jewish community boards in the area.

Beth received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College. She and her husband are the parents of three graduates of Carmel Academy, Aliya, Josiah and Elias.
Ellen Davis
Pam Ehrenkranz
Marty Flashner
Guy Levy
Jeffrey Maron
Doreen Nusbaum
Sheldon Pang
Walter Primoff
Steven Shapiro
Steven Steinmetz
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Steven B. Steinmetz received his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1982) and his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1985, where he served as Executive Editor of "The Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal." He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1985 and the New York Bar in 1992.

Mr. Steinmetz focuses his practice on commercial real estate including acquisitions, and sales, architect's and contractor's contracts, office, retail and shopping center leasing and project development. His practice areas also include commercial real estate finance. Mr. Steinmetz counsels franchisees in the acquisition, leasing, financing and operation of the franchise operations.

Mr. Steinmetz is the former President of the Fairfield County Bar Association. He is also a member of the Real Estate Finance Association.

An active member of the community, Mr. Steinmetz recently served as President of Congregation Agudath Shalom, Stamford, CT.

Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees - Officers

List of 5 members.

Michele Slifka

Pamela Feldstein

Jonathan Malkin

Rochelle Tarlowe

Robye Margolius

Trustees

List of 13 members.

Judith Talesnick

Joshua Chadajo

Emanuel Citron

Colin Diamond

Alix Eben

Rachel Elkin Lebwohl

Michael Kaplan

David Napach

Stuart Roth

Cori SaNogueira

Rachel Schneider

Philip Steinmetz

Noah Yechiely

Board Of Governors

Board Of Governors

List of 15 members.

David Messer

Elisa Akrongold

Stuart Berger

Gloria Bieler

Beth Boyer

Ellen Davis

Pam Ehrenkranz

Marty Flashner

Guy Levy

Jeffrey Maron

Doreen Nusbaum

Sheldon Pang

Walter Primoff

Steven Shapiro

Steven Steinmetz

List of 1 items.

Carmel Academy is a private school for children of all Jewish affiliations, serving children from transitional kindergarten through 8th grade.