BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Gregory E. Kimbal, jr
is an attorney and owner of Kimble Law, PLLC. His firm is dedicated to empowering communities by providing legal counsel and transactional legal services to small businesses, emerging companies, and nonprofits. In addition to chairing ABLe’s Board, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning (BBL).
Anita Gandhi
Award winning French Teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in the Use of Technology for a 21st century classroom, Curriculum Development, Teacher Training, Staff Development, Working With Children, and Teaching. Strong education professional with a B.A. Honours, B.Ed. and Master's degree focused in French Language and Literature.
kevin brennan
Recently retired as the Chief Executive Officer for The Bronx Charter School for Better Learning (BBL), Dr. Brennan spent the last fifty years serving in a variety of educational leadership roles. While at BBL, Dr. Brennan, working closely with the Board of Trustees, school administration and the faculty, helped to establish the school as one of the highest performing charter schools in New York and the only public school based on Dr. Gattegno’s philosophy of the Subordination of Teaching to Learning. The success of the school allowed Dr. Brennan to expand the program by opening a second school (The Bronx Charter School for Better Learning 2) and increasing the opportunity for students with limited educational options to access quality instructional practices. Prior to his work at BBL, Dr. Brennan, while working for the New Jersey Department of Education, served as the Executive County Superintendent of Schools for Warren County where he provided oversight to all public schools in the county. Additionally, during his career, he has served as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of special services, school principal and teacher. Dr. Brennan also has held adjunct instructional positions with Rutgers University, Montclair University and Centenary College. He currently serves as a member of the North Warren Regional School District Board of Education and as an advisor to the Educational Committee of Young Audiences (Arts for Learning).
DR. Jamaal Sherif Matthews
is an Associate Professor in Educational Studies and the Combined Program in Education and Psychology. Born and raised in Harlem, NYC, Dr. Matthews’ research interests are grounded in his experiences as a middle school mathematics teacher in The Bronx. His research focuses on achievement motivation during adolescence and motivation in mathematics specifically. In addition, his work addresses how race, teacher pedagogy, and the sociopolitical context shape students’ beliefs about their abilities in and value of mathematics. He also applies a critical race perspective on the psychological processes that undergird adaptive and healthy school functioning for Black and Latinx adolescents in urban schools.
His research has powerful implications for public scholarship, counseling, and out-of-school youth interventions, as evidenced through his youth mentorship program, THREADS (Truth, Honor, Respect, Education and Development of Self; https://threadsmentorship.com). In addition, Dr. Matthews’ teaching integrates critical and cultural perspectives into traditional paradigms in educational psychology and has taught several courses related to equity and inclusion in urban education, motivation in marginalized youth, and adolescent development.
marvin waldman
Marvin is president of The Shadow Group, a creative and strategic consulting firm which does work for both profit and not-for-profit companies. He is a visiting professor of Advertising in the Graduate Design Management program at Pratt Institute, an adjunct professor in the Integrated Marketing program at NYU and a founding board member of the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, and a member of the advisory board of NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief. He served as a trustee on the boards of Generations United, a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington, and Business for America, which promotes corporate responsibility.
Marvin was a communication advisor to President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid. He was also a creative Director on the Crystal Team, which did the advertising and communications for Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign.
Prior to forming the Shadow Group, Marvin was Executive Creative Director and Executive Vice President of Young & Rubicam Advertising.