Staff Directory
Executive Team
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Christine Durante - Executive Director
Christine M. Durante, Esq., is the Executive Director at Notre Dame Education Center. She most recently served as the NDEC Director of Finance for over two years. Before joining NDEC, Christine had been Chief Financial Officer of Direx Systems Corp. in Canton, Mass., a high-tech medical device company and service provider. While there, she overhauled the entire accounting system and managed all financial aspects of five separate health care companies. She also served as a consultant on legal questions. Previously Christine was Chief Financial Officer of 21st Century Family Fitness of Norwell, Mass., where she oversaw the expansion and restructuring of the accounting department to support the company’s expansion. She advised on legal issues, commercial leases and contracts, and acted as liaison to outside attorneys, accountants, and consultants. Christine is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Boston College, summa cum laude, and Boston College Law School. As a Boston College student, she received the Fr. Martin Harney Award for Academic Excellence. She has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
Manny Reynoso - Program Director
Manny Reynoso is NDEC’s Program Director. Since joining NDEC in 2011, Manny has served in many capacities. He has been Director of Corporate and Community Partnerships, ESOL Program Coordinator, Case Manager and High School Diploma Program Coordinator, and College and Career Pathways Program Administrator. At NDEC, he has also taught numerous subjects, including multiple levels of English for Speakers of Other Languages, high school courses in World Religions, Film and Popular Culture, and work-readiness programs in Customer Service. Manny was a key part of the NDEC Learning Circle pilot program with Peer 2 Peer University, in partnership with World Education, Inc. Recently, Manny has strengthened the Center's partnerships with The Tierney Learning Center and South Boston en Accion. A native of the Dominican Republic, Manny grew up in the Merrimack Valley. He sees his work at NDEC as an opportunity to unite his two passions, youth and immigrants. He has a strong background in urban youth support and vast knowledge of immigrant affairs, adult education, and career development and advocacy. Manny taught in the Lawrence Public Schools for eleven years. He then served in various capacities at social-service agencies in the Boston area. He attended Evangel College, Northern Essex Community College, Hesser College, and Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.
Management Team
Leslie Feeney
Youth Education Services (YES) and Adult Education Services (AES) Program Manager
Leslie Feeney is Program Manager for Youth Education Services and Adult Education Services at NDEC. In this role, Leslie manages all aspects of the High School Diploma and the high school equivalency program. Leslie joined NDEC in 2012, after several years teaching in the Boston Public Schools and at adult education programs such as the United South End Settlements and the YMCA Germantown Neighborhood Center in Quincy. Throughout her career, she has consistently partnered with local colleges in order to utilize their resources and support services, and has used technology in the classroom. She is a graduate of Bucknell University and Northeastern University.
(617) 268-1912 ex. 5 lfeeney@ndecboston.org
(617) 268-1912 ex. 6 nhoffman@ndecboston.org
Nathan Hoffman
Workforce and Partnership Manager
Nathan Hoffman is NDEC’s Workforce and Partnership Manager. In that role, he works with
local businesses to find employment and training opportunities for students. Nathan also helps students set personal goals and develop and clarify their career plans. He also teaches classes like Office Skills and Technology and Tech Goes Home, a popular class in basic computer skills. Nathan’s class sessions also cover interviewing skills, resume writing and cover letters, how to dress for success, communication skills, and making students aware of available networks and resources. A Jamaica Plain native, Nathan volunteered in an inner-city Newark, New Jersey, school, and then joined AmeriCorps with Tenacity, a program for urban youth that combines tennis with literacy. He worked as a Career Specialist with the Boston Private Industry Council at his high school alma mater – Fenway High School – before joining NDEC. Nathan is a graduate of Drew University in New Jersey.
Other Staff
Adam Berndt
Youth Education Services (YES) and Adult Education Services (AES) Specialist
Adam Berndt is the Program Specialist for NDEC’s Youth Education Services and Adult Education
Services Programs. In that role, he is responsible for instruction and case management, guiding students to successful completion of the Center’s High School Diploma Program and high school equivalency program. A graduate of Boston University, Adam has taught English in the Adult Diploma Program at JVS in Boston, and taught Adult Basic Education at JFY NetWorks, also in Boston. He taught at a Department of Youth Services facility in Boston, and has a wide range of experience in adult education and in special education.
(617) 268-1912 ex. 2
(617) 268-1912 ex. 1
Kate Nelson
Communications Specialist
Kate Nelson is NDEC’s Communication Specialist and is responsible for producing all the Center’s communication materials – newsletters, news releases, brochures, and advertising.Kate joined NDEC in 2015. She was Communications Specialist for Digital Equipment Corp., acomputer company that was headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts. In addition, Kate taught for many years in Lawrence, Beverly, and Essex, Massachusetts. She also was an adjunct professor at Bunker Hill Community College and Northeastern University, Boston. A native of Pittsburgh, Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, and master’s degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Salem State University, Salem, Massachusetts. Her writing has also been published in regional business and lifestyle magazines.
Elaine Fallon
Instructor
Elaine Fallon continues to support NDEC’s High School Diploma Program (HSDP). An experienced educator and trainer, Elaine has taught college-level courses for many years. She specializes in teaching high school equivalency level courses with a focus on remedial work and writing. A particular interest of hers is guiding young adults toward high school completion, further education and career choices by offering tutoring and training opportunities to them and to the staff working with them. Elaine taught Social Science at Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester, Massachusetts. While there, she developed and counseled students toward career entry courses. She also taught remedial courses and provided mentoring support for returning and marginalized students. Throughout her career, Elaine has taught and/or served on the Boards of Directors of many human-service agencies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Tufts University, and a Master’s degree in Education from Boston University.
Emily MacMillan
Grant Writer
Emily MacMillan is NDEC's Grant Writer. She also works at Year Up Greater Boston as
an Employment Placement Manager. In that role, she designs curriculum, teaches classes, and
coaches graduates to take the next steps in their careers. She previously worked at NDEC as the
Youth Services Program Manager. In that role, she managed the Youth HiSET and High School
Diploma Programs, along with teaching courses including Sociology, Psychology, and College
and Career Exploration.
While earning her Master’s degree from Boston College, Emily worked at a high school
in Roxbury, where she specialized in community service learning and dropout prevention.
Emily began her career teaching in St. Louis Public Schools. A native of Rochester,
N.Y., she has a Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University.
Anita Rodriguez
Grant Writer
Anita M. Rodriguez has joined NDEC as a part-time Grant Writer. Anita is an educator and grant writer with more than 35 years of experience at the classroom, building, district, and state levels. Most recently, Anita was interim principal at LaLiberte Elementary School in the Bridgewater-Rayham Regional School District. Prior to that, she was Support Facilitator in the Division of District and Schools Assistance at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In that role, Anita supported and consulted with school districts on turnaround design and practice, provided leadership coaching for school and district leaders, and consulted with public schools on other DESE resources and systems.
Before her retirement, Anita worked for the Middleborough Public Schools, ultimately serving as the Director of Elementary Education. She planned, wrote, and managed numerous grants. In addition, she served on a small team of administrators who oversaw the planning, design, and implementation of a major reconfiguration for the district’s elementary schools.
Ben Havumaki
Webmaster
NDEC’s internet needs are met by webmaster Ben Havumaki. Ben has been associated with NDEC for many years. He has served as the Center’s STEM Advancement Specialist and has taught in the High School Diploma and HiSET programs. In addition, he has been a technical resource coordinator for instructors. Ben is a graduate of McGill University, Montreal, and recently completed his Master’s in Applied Economics at UMass – Boston.