Search
Natalie is a PCC-certified executive leadership coach and seasoned educator who brings the power of coaching into every facet of her leadership. As Program Director at PASL, she oversees the Instructional Leadership Academy and Senior Fellow programming, creating transformative learning experiences for school leaders. Grounded in her deep expertise in coaching and leadership development, Natalie continues to champion reflective, equity-centered leadership practices that empower educators to lead with authenticity and purpose.
Before joining PASL, Natalie served as a PCC Executive Leadership Coach with the School District of Philadelphia, coaching and supporting new and aspiring school leaders. Using the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies and the ICF Code of Ethics, she provided one-on-one coaching and professional development through the Office of Professional Learning. Her work focused on helping leaders articulate their vision, align their inner and outer worlds, and develop strategies for personal and professional growth—an approach she continues to embed in her work today.
Natalie has been an educator since 2002, holding various leadership roles including principal, reading specialist, staff developer, instructional coach, and assistant principal. Under her leadership, schools saw rapid student enrollment growth, significant improvements in math and reading proficiency on state exams, and multiple recognitions for turnaround success and high achievement. She was featured in Paul Bambrick-Santoyo’s book Let’s Get Better Faster and is a 2018 Neubauer Fellow.
A proud first-generation college graduate from Spring Valley, NY, Natalie holds two master’s degrees from Bank Street College and Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, where she continues to deepen her commitment to coaching, leadership development, and educational equity.
Outside of her work, Natalie balances her passion for education with being a wife and mom to two little girls.
Gwyneth is the driving force behind strategic partnerships and philanthropy at Comcast NBCUniversal, overseeing the company’s community investment portfolio and fostering relationships with nonprofits to promote digital equity. She helped launch and implement the company’s $100 million commitment to social justice and equality and leads the philanthropic strategy for Project UP, a $1 billion initiative for digital equity.
Before joining Comcast NBCUniversal, Gwyneth served as Director of Partnerships at Benevity, where she collaborated with tech companies to develop CSR strategies. Prior to that, she was Director of Development at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, supporting philanthropic strategies. With nearly 20 years of experience, Gwyneth also held roles at The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Grameen Foundation.
Gwyneth, a Pittsburgh native, volunteers as a Mentor with Amachi Pittsburgh and co-founded Monday night Jazz at AVA in East Liberty. She serves on the board of 1863 Ventures and the Advisory Council for GreenLight Fund of Philadelphia, and has previously served on the boards of Shuman Juvenile Detention Center and The Sprout Fund. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, where she played varsity soccer.
Malarie Grace is the Director of Coaching & Program Development at the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders. After a brief hiatus, during which she realized she missed working with the amazing PASL team (and maybe just a few of the spreadsheets), Malarie returned to the organization to take on a new and exciting role.
Malarie brings almost 10 years of project management experience in the non-profit sector, leveraging her expertise to share the impact of coaching programs and support school leaders. Her work is characterized by building strong relationships, fostering meaningful learning, and connecting resources to ensure success.
Aside from coaching, Malarie is also focused on developing and supporting new programs for Fellows, ensuring that they are both thoughtfully designed and creatively executed to meet the high standards of PASL. Her efforts aim to enrich the Fellows’ experience and amplify the impact of their leadership journeys.
A proud Philadelphia native and alumna of Philadelphia High School for Girls (Class 252), Malarie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Franklin & Marshall College, a writing degree from Arcadia, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). A writer at heart, Malarie blends her passion for storytelling with her commitment to educational equity.
When she’s not connecting dots and crafting narratives, Malarie enjoys traveling to new places, dreaming up her next big writing project, and rearranging her ever-growing book collection in a futile attempt to make space for just one more.
As Director of Communications, Joanna is dedicated to crafting compelling narratives that resonate and inspire. With a background spanning design, animation, production, education, and law, she brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to her role.
Born in New Jersey, Joanna’s passion for art and animation led her to Los Angeles, where she spent over a decade as an artist and, later, as a creative executive at Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon Animation. Always passionate about growing community, Joanna helped establish LoopDeLoop in Los Angeles, creating a bi-monthly animation mini-festival that expanded to New York, London, and Berlin.
Her passion for social engagement led her to law school, where she focused on public interest work. There, she co-founded her law school’s first ever reproductive justice student organization, focused on educating the student body on ongoing reproductive justice caselaw while connecting to local engagement initiatives, including issues around homelessness and menstrual equity. She also worked in education equity at ACLU SoCal and in wrongful incarceration for the Loyola Project for the Innocent.
Now firmly settled in Philadelphia, Joanna is dedicated to creative communication that combines her love of community with clear and compelling design. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog Macie, playing folk instruments (not well), reading historical non-fiction, and exploring new restaurants with her partner.
Gabe Loewenson is serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND). He will complete his service year with Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders in the role of Communications Coordinator. In this role, Gabe will work to highlight program participants’ success, provide a means for them to communicate their expertise, and increase participants’ access to resources.
Gabe has prior experience in both communications and educations. He has worked with the YMCA’s Y-Literacy program tutoring elementary school students in reading and language arts, written for his college newspaper, and advised small businesses on marketing and social media presence. He is excited to be able to make use of the experience he has acquired to enhance the success of program participants and help reduce inequities in the Philadelphia education system.
In his spare time, Gabe enjoys going for walks around Philadelphia, trying new restaurants and spending time with his family, friends, and cats. Gabe received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Vanderbilt University.
Adrienne Reitano is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders (PASL). Prior to joining PASL, Adrienne worked at the School District of Philadelphia in the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Accountability for over a decade. Adrienne has worked on evaluation and research initiatives that span a variety of educational issues, including school improvement, researcher-practitioner partnerships, school climate and safety, teacher and principal recruitment and retention, early literacy, and college and career readiness.
She graduated from Friends Select High School, and then went on to study at Columbia University in New York City. After returning to Philadelphia, Adrienne received her Masters in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and her Doctorate in Urban Education from Temple University.
Adrienne is also a mom, spouse, daughter, sister, and friend who grew up and currently lives in West Philadelphia.
Rich is currently the Executive Director at the Academy at Penn. Most recently, Rich served as the principal of William VW. Bodine High School for International Affairs since 2022. Under his leadership, Bodine has experienced renewed academic growth. The number of 9th-grade students “on track” for graduation increased 19%. In his first year, the percentage of Bodine students scoring Advanced on the Algebra | Keystone more than tripled, and the proficiency rates on the Literature Keystone increased by 4%. Through coordinated leadership and clear communication, Rich supports the interests of Bodine’s diverse student body, across 18 varsity sports teams, a nationally-recognized robotic team, monthly cultural assemblies, and regular World Affairs Council programming. Additionally, Rich implemented a robust recruitment and branding strategy that increased the number of applications to Bodine in the school selection process by 87% in just two years.
Rich has been an educator since 2002. Prior to becoming a principal, Rich served as a social
studies teacher for eight years and as an assistant principal for twelve years in The School District of Philadelphia, in Washington, DC, and in Springfield (Delaware County), PA. In 2024, Rich received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals.
Rich grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and is a graduate of West Catholic High School.
Dana has been a principal since 2018 and the proud Principal of Feltonville Intermediate School since 2021. Under her leadership, Feltonville Intermediate School has under gone a complete interior and exterior rebranding and has seen increases in student achievement. In just one year, Feltonville Intermediate School saw an increase of 12.7% in the number of students scoring at or above grade level in ELA.
As a result of ensuring equitable opportunities for marginalized learners, Feltonville Intermediate School also saw a 12.6% decrease in the percent of 3rd grade EL students performing below basic on the PSSA ELA assessment and a 10.1% increase in the percent of 3rd grade students performing at Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA assessment. During the 2021/2022 Dana was selected to participate in the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders Performance Partners Program where she received innovative and hands on development in instructional leadership and coaching. Feltonville Intermediate School was also recognized for significant gains in PVAAS performance in ELA and Math during the 2022/2023 school year.
Dana has served as an educator since 2003. Prior to becoming a principal, Dana served as a substitute teacher, classroom teacher, school climate and culture lead, Consulting Teacher, and Assistant Principal. Dana grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a proud product of Philadelphia Public Schools, graduating from Franklin Learning Center High School.
