The Founding Board
Kelly Virella (Chair)
Kelly Virella is an editor who has experience launching a media startup and launching new products and initiatives that raise capital, produce award-winning work and earn money. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and was the founding director of a fellowship program that trains emerging journalists to do investigative reporting. She currently works as a senior staff editor on the International desk of The New York Times. She has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s degree from U.C. Berkeley and completed a post-graduate fellowship at Northwestern University. Kelly’s daughter, Sheridan, will be in our inaugural 1st grade class.
Doug Schachtel
Doug is a co-founder of Portfolio School, an innovation-focused K-8 school in NYC. He is also a co-owner of a Reggio-based preschool, Tribeca Community School. In his previous life as a project manager, Doug has worked in media, film, children’s play systems, communications and graphic design. He earned his Bachelor’s from Princeton, MFA from Columbia, and MBA from Baruch. He lives in South Orange with his wife Marieve, son Eli (6), daughter Sunny (5), and dog Zoe. Eli and Sunny will be in The Village School’s inaugural K and 2nd grade classes.
Laura Carney
Laura Carney is a stay-at-home mom living in Maplewood. Previously she ran the New York office of a high end staffing agency where she recruited candidates for corporate roles. Laura has always worked closely with families and children and is a passionate advocate for progressive education. Her stint as a student teacher at Bank Street School for Children largely shaped her beliefs and philosophy of early childhood education. Laura has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Ohio University. She has two children, June (4) and Wolf (6).
Eileen Bernardi
Eileen is a content strategist and copywriter in the fashion and technology space, helping companies create compelling narratives and get to the core of what they want to communicate to their clients and readers. As the mother of a disabled child, Eileen began her journey into primary education in Berlin, Germany where she formed an advocacy group to fight for inclusivity in schools. She holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Kansas. She lives in South Orange and is the mother of two boys, Eli (5) and Theo (9).