Leadership
Board of Trustees
Katherine Hamilton
Board Chair
Katherine Hamilton is the Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, where she oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of all programmatic activities. With nearly 15 years of experience in the K-12 education space, Katherine specializes in effective teaching and learning, instructional leadership, overarching strategy to ensure equity for all student groups. Katherine holds a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in math education from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University.
Katherine’s career has centered around supporting leaders and teachers to create inclusive and equitable environments for learning for all students. Prior to working at Ensemble Learning, Katherine was a secondary mathematics teacher, an instructional coach, and a Director of Curriculum and Instruction at a public school network in Los Angeles. At Ensemble, she has led the implementation of two successful Department of Education grants focusing on leadership for multilingual learner equity and implementation of high quality dual language programming.
Outside of work, Katherine spends most of her time with her two young sons and husband,exploring parks and museums in Los Angeles, and building community with other families. Katherine serves as the chair of a nonprofit charter management organization and donates time to mentor young families as they navigate disability diagnoses and support services.
Jessica Ray
Vice Chair
Jessica Ray has been continuously committed to providing At-Promise and underserved students with high quality alternative educational options. With over 21 years experience in alternative education Jessica has been a school leader, administrator and responsible for school startup and enrichment program development. At Opportunities For Learning she pioneered the school opening, management, and growth of 1 school in Long Beach and 5 schools in Los Angeles. From 2011 till 2019 Jessica worked at Pathways in Education and oversaw nonprofit experiential learning programs for students and charters and contract schools in Illinois, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arizona, and Idaho. As the Assistant Superintendent, Jessica used her skills in building teams, school startup and driving student achievement to manage and support the Pathways in Education in all five states. In 2019 Jessica Ray moved into the role of Chief Academic Officer at Skyrocket Educational Services and supported schools with curriculum, assessment, CTE, PD, SPED and the Charter renewal process.
Since 2022 Jessica has been at Propel, a Charter Management Organization serving in the capacity of Superintendent for the Options for Youth and Opportunities for Learning schools. In every role she has been a fierce advocate for school choice and innovative opportunities for ALL students to receive a high quality education.
Jessica received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Public Relations, with minors in History and Political Science, from Vanguard University in 2003. She returned to Vanguard University’s graduate program in education to pursue her Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science. In 2011, Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology presented Jessica with a Master of Science in Administration and an Administrative Services Credential.
Wallace Wei
Treasurer
Wallace Wei serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Campbell Hall Episcopal School in Los Angeles and as Treasurer on the board of Ingenium Schools, a charter school network in the region. With over a decade of experience leading finance operations in both independent and charter schools, Wallace brings extensive expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and operational efficiency.
Wallace’s career began at Ernst & Young in Shanghai, where he gained valuable insights as a senior auditor, before transitioning into private equity fundraising and IPO management for a Shanghai-based start-up. In pursuit of his passion for education, Wallace earned an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, where he graduated with distinction.
During his tenure as the CBO at Ingenium Schools, Wallace played a pivotal role in scaling the organization from two to six schools, and increasing student enrollment from 300 to over 1,500. His ability to navigate legal changes to the charter school system and implement strategic cost- saving measures helped position Ingenium for long-term financial success.
At Campbell Hall, Wallace oversees a $60 million annual budget, ensuring responsible fiscal management to support the school’s mission of academic excellence.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Wallace resides in Valley Village with his wife and young son. He is an avid reader, stamp collector, and enjoys hiking the California mountains with his family.
Erica Hansen
Secretary
Erica Hansen has been an experienced Accounting Executive for the past 20+ years. She has a unique background in a variety of industries and sizes of companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500, including extreme growth and turnaround companies. This experience gives her a unique perspective for problem-solving and building custom solutions for business challenges. She thrives on building and developing high-performance teams. She specializes in accounting and organizational transformation, reorganizing people, processes, and systems to make accounting teams perform optimally. Erica owns Accounting Transformations Consulting and has worked as a Senior Consultant with various consulting groups throughout California and the United States. Erica is a speaker, author, and trainer and enjoys engaging with Founders, C-Suite Executives, Directors, and Business Owners to understand their challenges and help them build solutions for their continued growth and stability. She is currently the Founder of Accounting Transformations Consulting and donates her spare time as a Board member to various non-profit groups and schools.
Nadar Ali II
Member
Nadar Ali II serves as Director of Expansion for Lifelong Learning Administration Corporation. In his role, he is responsible for the administration of LLAC’s Quality Assurance and brand strategy across their six national schools. Nadar serves as a strategic partner within the Expansion Division to direct the implementation of plans and solutions related to Organizational expansion. He collaborates with leaders and staff on various work associated with prospective business and actual school start-up.
Nadar has dedicated his entire educational career to serving students coming from lower socio economic backgrounds. Prior to assuming his present role, Nadar served as a school site principal for Learn4Life Concept Schools. Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit schools that provides at-risk students personalized learning, career training and life skills. He was founding Principal at Center for Advanced Learning, a highly successful charter school in Los Angeles,CA.
Nadar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Arts degree in Education Administration from Fresno State University.
Ingenium Leadership
William Toomey
Superintendent
Bill brings nearly three decades of experience at every level in public education. He has worked across the country starting his teaching career in Chicago, where he received the “National Educator of the Year” award in 1998. Bill’s multi-faceted career includes serving as a Teacher, Principal, Director, Deputy Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Business Officer, and Superintendent.
A strong focus on achieving exceptional learner outcomes, while growing school networks fiscally and nationally for two charter management organizations serving over 100,000 students, has been the cornerstone of Bill’s career. His inspirational leadership, mentorship, and relationship-building have helped develop many current educational leaders nationwide. He is driven by a passion for creating and leading high-quality school choice options in underserved communities.
Arleta Albarran
Chief of Schools
Arleta is a seasoned educator with a proven track record in both teaching and school administration. Holding a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, she has a deep understanding of educational planning and implementation. Arleta is a collaborative leader who inspires and empowers others to achieve their best. From being a teacher to Principal, Arleta has a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing schools today. As an administrator, she has played a pivotal role in supporting school operations and student success.
Through her professional development and unwavering commitment to excellence, Arleta has consistently demonstrated her dedication to improving educational outcomes for all students. Her expertise in various operational areas, including transportation, nutrition services, and safety protocols, has ensured the smooth and efficient functioning of Ingenium Schools. With a strong focus on continuous improvement, Arleta is committed to creating a supportive and nurturing environment for students and staff alike. She believes in fostering a culture where everyone feels valued, empowered, and has the opportunity to thrive.
Melody Donnelly
Chief People Officer
Melody Donnelly is a California State Bar Licensed Attorney and currently serves as Ingenium Schools’ Chief People Officer. Ms. Donnelly boasts a diverse legal background: employment law, real estate/real property, public defense, and school law. In Ms. Donnelly’s current role as Ingenium Schools’ Chief People Officer, Ms. Donnelly oversees employee relations and employer compliance for approximately 150 employees, including teachers and non-certificated staff. Ms. Donnelly serves as a member of the Ingenium Schools Cabinet, responsible for strategic planning, maintaining key performance indicators, and contributing to organization-wide policy and decision making.
In addition, Ms. Donnelly has assisted Ingenium Schools with the editing, drafting, and submission of renewal and new charter school petitions. Ms. Donnelly was a member of Educators 4 Excellence School Climate Policy Team, in charge of drafting recommended policy changes for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Ms. Donnelly has been a speaker at both the National Quality in Education Conference and the Charter School Development Center Leadership Conference.