Our Board has over 100 years of combined experience in education at the School, District and State levels.
David López, LMSW, Ph.D.
Board President
Was former Interim Director of Aspira and Deputy Administrative Director of Human Resources Administration under Mayor Dinkins. He has 25-years of experience in developing policies and practices in government agencies and CBOs. David’s career has focused on community engagement to empower change and transformation. As the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Association for Community Affairs, Inc., he managed Foster Care and Adoption programs. He has consulted with Head Start since 1997 and helped create the first Latino foster care and adoption agency in the country. David is a native New Yorker and bilingual in Spanish and has strong roots in Puerto Rico. He graduated from St. Francis College, Columbia University and earned his PhD from Fordham University.
Gabriel Prieto-Cogliolo
Board Vice President
Works for Societe Generale as a Vice President, focused on the financing of infrastructure and renewable energy projects in Latin America. He has actively participated in deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation and execution of financing for projects in excess of $10 billion. He graduated from Oberlin College with a full scholarship, earning bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Latin American Studies and an MBA from Columbia University. Gabriel was a member of the Paraguayan national chess team. He is a native speaker of Spanish and bilingual in French and Portuguese. He and his wife are raising a multilingual family in New York.
Clarence Joffrion
Board Treasurer
Clarence is an Accountant and Supervisor of Internal Audit, for Public and Charter Schools, for the New Jersey Department of Education. He has over 20 years of experience in School Business Management, Accounting, Education and School Budget, Expenses Management and the legal and financial requirements of school funding. Clarence graduated from Southern University, served in the U.S. Army and is currently in the Coast Guard Reserves. He has strong roots in New Orleans.
Susan Ho
Board Secretary
Susan works for the NYC Department of Education. She is a HS Special Education Math teacher, an IEP and Special Education Compliance Coordinator and Testing Coordinator. Her experience in teaching Math to a population of high-need and at-risk students allows her to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals into instruction and interactions with students, faculty and staff. Susan’s experience with NYC Department of Education systems provides her with a logistical understanding of school administration. Susan is a native New Yorker, first generation Chinese, bilingual in Cantonese and Mandarin, grew up in Brooklyn and attended public school. She is a graduate from NYU earning a BA in Economics with a minor in Asian Studies and an MS in education from Hunter College.
Gina Marcel
Board of Trustees
Gina is Technology Integrator K to 2nd Grades, at The School at Columbia University, developing complex multi-level curriculum projects for young children, which involve Technology, Circuits, Robotics and Coding. Gina has over 20 years’ experience as curriculum designer, constructionist teacher and project manager. She is a member of the Emerging Leaders Institute for NYS Association of Independent Schools. She graduated from NYU earning a BA in Psychology, and an MA from Columbia University, Teachers College in Computing in Education.
Iván DeJesús
Board of Trustees
Before co-founding Lyceum, Iván spent the last five years consulting with many schools and districts on operations, finance, development, achievement analysis and strategic planning. Through innovative public-private partnerships, he participated in social-impact investment projects yielding more than $1.2 million for his education clients. Iván graduated from Oberlin College and Columbia University. He was an American Economic Association Fellow and an Albert Rees Policy Fellow at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. His studies at Columbia University in economics and education policy lead to research papers on the role of school leadership, use of language policy on first language support and second language development, the effects of dual language programs on student achievement. Iván brings to Lyceum a deep understanding of the relationship between economics, educational policy and school organization, governance and its impact on access to high-quality education for all students. He is a native New Yorker who attended NYC public schools and Winston Prep HS. Iván has strong roots to the Puerto Rican community.
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