Board of Trustees

Mr. Reginald A. Howard, President

rhoward@ap-schools.org
Mr. Reginald A. Howard is an experienced education and program coordinator with a strong background in mental health advocacy, community engagement, and organizational leadership. He has the proven ability to design and implement programs, build partnerships, and support diverse educational communities. He is committed to fostering equity and supporting student success. He captured most of his early life in his self-published book “Suffering into Success: A Paradigm Shift of Struggle to Achieve Happiness.” His commitment to healing extends to his popular show, “Equity w/ Reginald A. Howard,” boasting 200,000 downloads and garnering attention from media outlets such as the Philadelphia Tribune, Women’s Health Magazine, and others.

His dedication to catalyzing positive change has led to fruitful collaborations with prominent organizations such as Sage Therapeutics, the Healthcare Improvement Foundation, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. He held pivotal roles in the mental health sector, collaborating with organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Black Men Heal, and the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Locally, he has made significant contributions to community health initiatives, notably at a federally qualified health center, the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University at the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Mr. Howard grew up in the Logan neighborhood and graduated from Lindley Academy Charter School, which was previously named Birney Elementary School.

Sandra Farmer, Vice President

sfarmer@ap-schools.org

Sandra Farmer is a professional sales and marketing executive with varied leadership experience. As a Senior Director with the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation, she directed multiple new employment initiatives and workforce development programs with corporate and nonprofit business sectors in Philadelphia County and the surrounding suburban counties.

Her nonprofit career includes five years as Regional Manager for the Delaware Valley area at Benova Corporation, the Health Choices of PA provider for Medicaid insurance. In the corporate environment, Ms. Farmer worked for 20 years in sales and marketing at Safeguard Business Systems of Fort Washington, PA, and Dallas, TX. She performed significant distributorship development and management roles as National Client Development Manager covering five U.S. regions, and as Regional Distributorship Development Manager covering territories from Nova Scotia to Southern Florida.

On an ongoing basis, Ms. Farmer provides independent marketing and consultant services for an online health company that is designed to provide women with up-to-date information to improve their physical, mental, and spiritual health. She also performs education project management services for a Philadelphia-based technical institute that focuses on training in the skilled trades.

Mrs. Barbara Saunders, Treasurer

bsaunders@ap-schools.org

Mrs. Barbara L. Saunders is a dedicated parent advocate currently serving as a Parent Practitioner for Anti-Drug & Alcohol Crusaders, a local non-profit organization focused on supporting families in the community. Before taking on this vital role, Mrs. Saunders gained valuable experience as a substitute teacher in various suburban school districts outside of Philadelphia.

Her passion for public education was ignited during her tenure as chairperson of the Parents’ Association for the School District of Philadelphia’s Head Start program. In this capacity, she collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania to develop a functional study that tracked the success of Head Start students, contributing to important research in early childhood education.

Mrs. Saunders also has a robust background in human services, having held supervisory positions at several agencies. She managed Community Living Arrangements (CLAs) at Lynch Community Homes of Montgomery County (now KenCrest) and oversaw a workshop program for individuals who are hearing and vision impaired at Overbrook School for the Blind.

She holds a degree in Behavioral Health from Jefferson University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Mrs. Saunders is deeply committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality public education. Since 2003, Mrs. Saunders has served on the board of several schools within the American Paradigm Schools network. She is also the proud parent of two children who are alumni of First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School, the first school in the American Paradigm Schools network.

Anita Vega-Kaiser, Secretary

akaiser@ap-schools.org

Mrs. Anita Vega Kaiser is a Senior Veterans Service Representative at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her work includes processing claims for disability compensation, providing one-on-one mentorship and training to new employees. This requires her to maintain up-to-date information on Federal Laws and Regulations set by Congress.

In her former role as Legislative Assistant for State Rep. John J. Taylor, R-Pa., Mrs. Vega Kaiser worked with Juanita neighborhood community members to resolve problems ranging from issues with a drivers license to acquiring birth certificates to abandoned cars. During her six years with Rep. Taylor, she organized the first Hispanic Community Fair and assisted in outreach efforts to the Hispanic community.

She is a 2011 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Psychology and Social Science.

Ms. Evette Bowman, Trustee

ebowman@ap-schools.org

Evette Bowman is currently a Research Analyst at West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a background in federal and state reporting.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Delaware State University in 1998. She has always enjoyed working directly or indirectly in the field of education.

On a part-time basis, you can find Ms. Bowman building partnerships within the charter school community by providing consulting services in the area of state reporting. This work involves training, state reporting monitoring, evaluation, and technical assistance as it relates to Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) – Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS).

Ms. Bowman is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Chester, PA Alumnae Chapter.  In addition, she serves as a campus advisor to the West Chester University’s Rho Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and seeking out new learning opportunities.

Her favorite quote is: “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” ~Napoleon Hill

Ms. Regina Felder, Trustee

rfelder@ap-schools.org

A life-long resident of the Logan Community, mother of three and grandmother of five who enjoy working with students. A valued contributor to any school-based setting who embraces the Caring School Community. Mrs. Felder served as a representative on the Logan/Olney Equal Partners in Change committee for several years before she retired. During her career Mrs. Felder worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Student Life Center of Drexel University. She graduated at the top of her class as a Certified Nursing Assistant from Philadelphia Training Center in the early 8os. She moved onto a rewarding career as a Nursing Assistant at the University of Penn Hospital, OB/Gyn Department.

Mrs. Felder, in her spare time, loves shopping, spending quality time with her family and volunteering in her grandchildren’s schools, her home church and within her community.