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WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 29, 2021) – Building Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to identifying and financing viable facilities so that all students have access to a quality K-12 education, today announced recent appointments to its Board of Directors. Sheila Ryan-Macie was appointed Chair, and Hugh Jarrett joined Building Hope’s Board of Directors. This brings the Board’s total membership to nine.
Prior to her retirement, Sheila Ryan-Macie served as Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief of Staff to the President at Navient Corporation. She joined the Building Hope Board of Directors in 2004 and succeeds former Chair Marianne Keler, who retired from the Building Hope Board Chair role last year. A lifelong education and charter school proponent, Ms. Ryan Macie was one of the founders of America’s Charter, a nonprofit created to assist public charter schools in accessing financing for educational facilities.
“Marianne has been a champion in helping charter schools grow and meet the needs of students and families, and the entire Building Hope community is grateful to Marianne for her steadfast leadership and strategic guidance that have contributed to the foundation’s growth and impact since 2003,” said Building Hope Board of Directors Chair Sheila Ryan-Macie. “Looking forward, Building Hope is committed to championing initiatives that create a more inclusive, vibrant, and responsive community of charter schools.”
Following a career in business with Canon and Xerox, Hugh Jarrett joined the Board of Directors of Central Charter School in Broward County, Florida in 2013 and became Board Chair shortly thereafter. In 2016, Mr. Jarrett stepped off the Board to assume the role of Central Charter School CEO. Central Charter School opened in 1997 with a focus on addressing the academic and social needs for at-risk students in the local area. Mr. Jarrett will bring valuable perspective to Building Hope as the leader of a school essential in its community and with a path of education excellence and positive impact.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hugh to the Building Hope Board of Directors,” said Building Hope President Joseph Bruno. “His authentic insights and firsthand experience will be a tremendous benefit as we grow our support to charter schools across the country, whether they be starting up, adding space, moving locations, or managing increasing enrollment.”
“I joined the Building Hope Board because I believe in the Building Hope mission to build the capacity of charter schools nationwide and the critical work of educating students in underserved communities,” said Director Hugh Jarrett. “I look forward to helping develop an ongoing strategy that will make Building Hope and their client schools even more impactful.”
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About Building Hope
Building Hope is a non-profit foundation created to support education and public charter schools. Since 2003, Building Hope’s purpose has been to identify and finance viable facilities so that all students have access to a quality K-12 education. Building Hope has grown the capacity of charter schools nationwide by providing facilities, financial, and operational services so that schools can focus on and devote more resources to educating students in underserved communities. Building Hope has supported 300 charter school projects and 150,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia, by providing more than $350 million in direct loans, credit enhancements, and equity investments to support $1.9 billion in school construction.