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OUR TEAM

Our Quad Prep team is full of expert educators and clinicians who share a passion for learning and a belief in our students’ unique gifts and voices. Comprised of seasoned professionals in education and clinical services, our faculty and staff have studied at some of the most prestigious programs in the country, including NYU’s School of Medicine, Columbia University’s Teachers College, Yale University, and MIT. They hold medical degrees, doctoral degrees, and masters degrees in Gifted Education, Special Education, Clinical Psychology, Speech Language Pathology, and other related services. They bring with them robust and diverse expertise reflecting our strong commitment to integrating academic and psychosocial learning. Together, they collaborate closely so that all our students can learn and thrive.

Leadership

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Kimberly Busi, M.D.

Kimberly Busi, M.D.

Founder and Head of School

Kim Busi is the Founder and Head of School at The Quad Preparatory School. For over a decade, Kim has stewarded Quad Prep’s growth and innovated a new model in which twice-exceptional students learn and thrive beyond the limitations of a traditional school environment. She is widely recognized as a national leader in the field of 2e education. A highly-regarded psychiatrist and a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine, Kim’s medical background and experience as an educator have informed the fully integrated academic and clinical model at Quad Prep. Dr. Busi received her medical degree from the Brown University School of Medicine, completed a year’s training in pediatrics at the New York Hospital-Weill Medical Center, and finished her residency training in psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. At NYU, Dr. Busi designed curriculum, taught, and supervised residents. She served on the curriculum committee for the Department of Psychiatry, and as the Director of Education for the NYU/Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture. She is an endlessly fascinated fiction reader and the mother of two wonderful boys. Kim is most proud of the countless stories of joyful learning and transformation our Quad Prep students experience each day.

Anna Christodoulou, PsyD

Anna Christodoulou, PsyD

Director of Admissions and Outreach

Dr. Anna Christodoulou completed her doctoral studies in Professional Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of London where her thesis focused on how to support children’s social and emotional skills at school. She has worked for years in several school settings in Greece, England and the US, serving a diverse population of children as a school psychologist. As Dr. Christodoulou became increasingly fascinated by high functioning children with social and emotional difficulties, she decided to devote her career in advocating for 2e children at Quad Prep. She is Greek by background, enjoys anything associated with the sea and sun, and is a proud mother of three girls.

Francisco Cornejo, M.A., M.B.A.

Francisco Cornejo, M.A., M.B.A.

Assistant Head of School, Head of Harbor Green, and Dean of Student Affairs

One of the founding members of the Quad Prep team, Francisco brings more than two decades of experience in education to his role as the Assistant Head of School. He joined Quad Prep during its pilot year and served as Quad Prep’s founding special education teacher. Francisco holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in special education from George Mason University, and an M.B.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration from St. John’s University. During his graduate work, he obtained a certification in behavior modification from GMU. Francisco also studied for two years at The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Washington, D.C.

Elmer Detres

Elmer Detres

Chief Financial Officer

In his role as Quad Prep’s Chief Financial Officer, Elmer focuses on supporting enduring twice-exceptional education for our students. He comes to Quad Prep with more than twenty-five years of accounting, finance, and operations experience from his career in the financial services industry. At his previous firms, including Merrill Lynch, HSBC, and most recently, Jefferies, Elmer served as a financial operations manager and departmental COO and CFO. He has managed both accounting and operations teams, oversaw budget creation, and implemented cost controls and process efficiency improvements. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Financial Management from Pace University, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York. Elmer has been a strong supporter of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives throughout his career, most recently in promoting the representation of people of color in the investment banking industry. Elmer is a proud husband and father of two grown sons.

Carol Starmack

Carol Starmack

Chief Operating Officer

Carol brings more than thirty years of operations and finance experience in the nonprofit sector to her engagement at Quad Prep. She has a strong commitment to equity, justice, and opportunity and has had the privilege to live her passion through her career as well as her volunteer work. Most recently she has been a consultant to nonprofits, including serving in an interim capacity as the Chief Operating Officer at DataKind, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that believes in using data for good. Before that, she was the COO at the American Montessori Society (AMS), a 16,000+ member professional society that sets standards for Montessori schools and teacher education programs, credentials Montessori teachers, and offers quality professional development. While at AMS she oversaw the creation of a 10-step continuous improvement path for member schools and a robust professional development department. Earlier in her career, she was the Senior Vice President serving as COO of The Century Foundation, a progressive, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to foster opportunity, reduce inequality, and promote security at home and abroad. In her personal capacity, Carol serves on the board of the LCU Fund for Women’s Education and on the Academic and Sanctuary Committee at the Cardinal McCloskey Community Charter School. Carol holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College’s Executive MPA program and a Bachelor of Science from the City University of New York Baccalaureate Program. She and her husband reside in New York City.

Emily Vizza, MS, CCC-SLP

Emily Vizza, MS, CCC-SLP

Chief Clinical Integration and Learning Outcomes Officer and Director of Staff Development

As one of the original members of the Quad Prep clinical team, Emily brings extensive clinical expertise and institutional knowledge to her role. After joining Quad Prep at the beginning of the school’s first full year, she has been directly involved in the development of the integrated social-emotional curriculum. She supervises candidates in the 2e Certificate program and co-chaired Quad Prep's inaugural accreditation process through NYSAIS. Emily received her Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University, holds certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and New York State licensure in speech-language pathology, and obtained New York State Teacher Certification in Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD). She completed the Clinical Training Program through Social Thinking® in 2019, and has participated in ongoing additional training with members of the Social Thinking® Training and Speakers Collaborative. Emily is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Hunter College.

Jessica Smith, DMA

Jessica Smith, DMA

Director of Development and Communications

Dr. Jessica Smith brings a breadth of experience from universities to independent schools. Administratively, she served as the Director of Development for eight years at Mustard Seed School in Hoboken, NJ. During her tenure, she worked with donors at all levels, created a strategy that doubled annual giving, and helped to lead a successful capital campaign for $3 million. Prior to that, she was the Director of Preparatory & Continuing Studies at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston where she was also a member of the voice faculty.
Originally trained as an opera singer, Jessica’s career includes several years teaching music in universities, public schools, and independent schools. When Jessica is not at Quad Prep, she can be found performing as a storyteller/singer or buying plants at farmer’s markets. She holds degrees from Ithaca College (BM), the University of Missouri-Kansas City (MM), and the University of Houston (DMA).

CROSS-DIVISIONAL LEADERSHIP

LOWER SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

UPPER SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

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