Leadership Team
ASHISH KAPADIA
Executive Director
Ashish Kapadia served as CQA’s School Director from 2014-2018. He now serves as the Executive Director, overseeing all aspects of the school. Prior to joining CQA, he was the Founding Principal of University Prep Charter High School in the South Bronx for six years. Ashish has also worked as a consultant to several charter schools in New York City and for the SUNY-Charter Schools Institute.
Mr. Kapadia can be reached by email at ashish.kapadia@centralqueensacademy.org.
Glenn Liebeck
School Director
Glenn Liebeck has been with CQA since 2013. He came to us as a lifelong educator who got his start in Teach For America. Glenn has been a teacher, school administrator, school start-up consultant, and leadership coach around the country for more than 20 years. He is the proud father of two and he attended Union College and UMass-Boston.
Dee-Ann Martell
Principal - CQA I Middle School
Dee-Ann Martell has been with CQA since 2014. Dee-Ann attended the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania where she studied communications and Spanish as an undergraduate and remained to study education as a graduate student. Through her Master's degree program, she had the opportunity to teach abroad in Curacao before returning to New York. Upon returning she taught at parochial, public, and charter schools before obtaining her leadership certification from the College of Saint Rose.
Michelle Feirman
Principal - CQA I Elementary School
Michelle Feirman joined the CQA family in 2020 to lead the first CQA Elementary School. Michelle has worked as a teacher, instructional coach and school administrator in schools across New York City for over 10 years. She graduated from American University and Hunter College.
Shannon-Re Ismael
Principal - CQA II Elementary School
Shannon-Re Ismael joined CQA in 2023 as the founding elementary school principal for CQA II. Shannon has over a decade of experience as an educator. Prior to coming to CQA she spent ten years at Ascend Charter Schools where she was a teacher, dean and principal. She graduated from CUNY Brooklyn College and earned her Master's Degree at the Bank Street Graduate School of Education.
MICHELLE DALPIAZ
Chief Financial Officer
Prior to joining CQA in 2014, Michelle Dalpiaz spent seven years directing finance and operations for the Riverhead Charter School. During her tenure there, she oversaw the financing and construction of a new 48,000 square foot school building. Before stepping into the nonprofit world, Michelle managed the operations and financial administration for numerous Citicorp divisions. She is a graduate of Hofstra University.
MELISSA KINSELLA
Director of Advancement
Melissa Kinsella has two decades of fund development, advancement and governance experience in the nonprofit sector. She came to CQA from both well-established New York City institutions like The Frick Collection Museum, School of American Ballet, and the Central Park Conservancy as well as newer and smaller organizations, including international education and youth-focused institutions. She is a graduate of SUNY Oswego.
Operations and Human Resources
Director of Elementary School Operations and Facilities Officer
Madelyn Guzman
Director of Middle School Operations and Compliance Officer
Katherinne Castillo
Operations Manager
Anielka Espinosa
Operations Assistant
Michelle Campos
Operations Assistant
Cinthia Bajana
Operations Associate
Claudia Perez
Operations Associate
Herlin Ramirez
Operations Associate
Caroll Vega
Human Resources/Payroll Administrator
Vanessa Obodjan
School Technology Manager
Jonathan Tipan
IT Tech Assistant
Jonathan Granada
Talent Recruitment Specialist
Nadia Deokinanan
Head Custodian
Edgar Marroquin
Finance
Controller
Enika Sopiqoti
Purchasing Manager
Emily Abreu
Finance Associate
Dyamond Reed
Instructional Teams
For a list of instructional leadership, teachers and school staff, please see the individual school pages.
Board of Trustees
Joyce Wu, Chairperson
Goldman Sachs
Sonia Park, Co-Vice Chairperson
Diverse Charter School Coalition
Catherine Tse, Co-Vice Chairperson
Allen & Co. LLC
Rick Ruvkun, Treasurer
Lee Hecht Harrison
Michael Tang, Secretary
State Street
Suvadip Bose
Barclays
Rebekah T. Coleman
New York City College of Technology
Michelle V. Hallam
JP Morgan
Michael E. Lee
Museum of Chinese in America
Tom Ng
Achievement First
Lindsey M. Seymore
MTA New York City Transit Authority