Meet Our Board of Directors

Jennifer Martin, President and Treasurer

​Jennifer is a classical educator with Classical Conversations, a leading program in home education. She is passionate about nurturing a love of learning in students and teachers. Prior to becoming a middle school director and tutor, Jennifer owned her own business from 2008-2014 working as a childbirth educator and doula. She served as Community Outreach Director for Dayton Area Labor Support in Dayton, Ohio, from 2009-2011. Jennifer's youngest two children were diagnosed in 2014 with a frameshift mutation of the GATAD2B gene due to a rare method of inheritance. Jennifer lives with her husband Chris, an aeronautical engineer and Air Force Reservist, and their five children in Florida.

​Colleen Parker, Vice President

Colleen is currently an Assistant Director of Career Development at St. John’ s University School of Law. She helps students and alumni with resume and cover letter writing, interviewing techniques, and job search strategies. After graduating from St. John’s Law, Colleen began her legal career as a commercial litigator. After seven years, she transitioned from litigation to focus on special education law. She opened her own firm and represented parents of children with disabilities in disputes with school districts. Colleen has also been certified as an impartial hearing officer for the New York City Department of Education where she hears disputes between the New York City Board of Education and parents. Colleen's oldest son has a GATAD2B deletion. She lives in New York with her husband Keith, a research strategist, their three children, and assistance dog.

Mindy Youngs, Secretary

​Mindy has been involved in philanthropy since 2008 and also currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President for the Walters Family Foundation. In addition, Mindy is a member of Exponent Philanthropy, which is dedicated to helping small foundations leverage their resources and amplify their impact. Mindy brings over 15 years of experience in direct marketing and is currently a Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Procore Technologies. Mindy graduated from Chapman University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a double emphasis in Marketing and Management. At the age of 18 months, Mindy's daughter was diagnosed with a nonsense variant in the GATAD2B gene. Mindy lives in California with her husband Riley and two children.