The Collaborative:
For additional expertise, MMcConsulting accesses a collaborative of consultants with specific specialities who work independently from one another and in concert, when appropriate.
Additon & Associates
Huff-Larmond Associates
Fund Development Specialist
Jeffrey Arthur, Community Liason
Intel Computer Clubhouse Network
Brandy Cruthird, President & CEO
Body By Brandy/ BBB 4 Kids
Paul Francisco, Managing Director
Foster & Francisco
Carolyn Romano
Bliss Healing
Dr. Franklin A. Tuitt, Director and Assistant Professor, Higher Education Program
Denver College of Education
COMPASS Consulting
Additon & Associates
Stephanie Additon is also a founding member of ABEKAM. Throughout the years her work has centered on supporting disenfranchised youth and families to connect resources in education, the community, and the juvenile justice system. As her work has developed she has become dedicated to not just supporting one child or family at a time but creating macro supports and systems for entire communities.
Stephanie began her career in direct social services in Rhode Island supporting youth in the care of the state. Later she was the Director of Youth Services for a large Community Action Agency serving “at risk” youth who were struggling with teen pregnancy, unemployment, educational and retention issues. For 6 years, she developed innovative youth programs with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Department of Labor and Training and Department of Human Services of Rhode Island while managing staff teams who provided the direct service. In, 2001 she co-founded the Family and Community Engagement program, RI which has a mission is to support families and students in navigating the public education system and to provide recommendations to district administration on best ways to improve policy and systems for full family engagement in schools. Later, she became a member of the COMPASS Consulting team working in urban school settings to improve planning and problem solving with teacher for challenging youth. She has also been working on the Jordan Fundamentals Grant team since 2007.
In 1998, Stephanie Additon graduated from Cambridge College, in Massachusetts - on a part-time basis. Her schooling focused on Family and Community systems and the level of need both have to interface in a strengths based and team oriented way to support youth and families.
Stephanie is partner of Updike’s Newtowne Coffee Roasting Co. a micro coffee roasting business that she owns with her husband Mark in, North Kingstown RI. They specialize in daily roasted coffee from all over the world offering their brand in their specialty shop and café. Stephanie and her husband have two young daughters, Lilly and May who love going to the beach in their home town of Narragansett, RI.
Huff-Larmond Associates
Katrina has worked with at-risk youth and families for 20 years. Providing services such as; case management, consultation, life coaching, mentoring and psycho-therapy. Currently, she works for COMPASS Consultant, as an educational consultant. In this role she assist educators and administrators in developing strategies to successfully engage at-risk students. She also consults for Huff, Larmond & Associates, offering expertise in assessing and addressing issues of race, ethnicity and culture. Katrina is an adjunct professor at Simmons College and Boston University, in the School of Social Work program, she teaches issues of racism and oppression. She is also an adjunct professor at Quincy College, teaching in the Psychology and Sociology departments. Finally, she works as a clinical social worker for South Bay Mental Health, The Home for Little Wanderers and Huff, Larmond & Associates. She does individual and family therapy in urban and suburban communities.
Katrina received a B.A. from Northeastern University and a Master's of Social Work from Simmons College.
Currently, Katrina resides in Randolph, Massachusetts, with her husband and son.
Fund Development Specialist
Over the past eight years, Michelle Caldeira has developed strong work experience and organizational leadership in the nonprofit industry. Following her graduation from Binghamton University in New York, Ms. Caldeira worked in marketing for Liz Claiborne corporate but quickly followed her passion into social work. For the next three years, she recruited and trained volunteers for a Bronx, New York nonprofit organization focused on fighting hunger. Since her relocation to Boston in 2002, Ms. Caldeira has established herself as an experienced fundraiser, grant writer, and events manager in development roles at Boston Renaissance Charter School and Dimock Community Health Center. In December 2008, Michelle was promoted from director of corporate and foundation relations to director of development at Pine Street Inn, where she now oversees four key fundraising and external relations functions that include volunteer coordination, database management, special events planning and grant management. Michelle is deeply committed to creating positive opportunities for urban youth and working with organizations that provide resources for the underserved.
Jeffrey Arthur, Community Liason
Intel Computer Clubhouse Network
Jeff Arthur has worked for the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network (ICCN), based at the Boston Museum of Science for 8 years. The Computer Clubhouse is a model after-school learning environment where underserved young people explore their own interests and become confident learners through the use of technology. As Community Liaison for the ICCN, Jeff Arthur facilitates the selection process of new community-based Computer Clubhouses and helps to ensure that all Computer Clubhouses receive support for sustainability, both from the Clubhouse Network and from community resources. Jeff is also managing the Clubhouse-to-College/Clubhouse-to-Career Alumni program, which assists Clubhouse youth in planning for their futures and realizing their full potential. A former elementary school teacher in Atlanta, Jeff joined the Clubhouse team with extensive youth experience. Jeff holds an Ed.M. in The Arts and Education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and a BA in Early Childhood Development from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He currently resides in Oakland, CA.
Brandy Cruthird, President & CEO
Body By Brandy/ BBB 4 Kids
While playing Division 1 Basketball for James Madison University in Virginia she earned Rookie of the Year, leading her team in rebounding. After earning a B.S. in communication and Public Relations Brandy joined Reebok International in Canton, MA as a marketing representative. She founded Body By Brandy Fitness Inc, in 1996 which remains one of a handful of Black women-owned gyms in the country. In 2005, spurred by alarming reports of childhood obesity and the related health risks, Brandy was inspired. She entered into collaboration with Children’s Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the United Way to create Body By Brandy 4 Kidz non-profit. The only childrens gym in the country where children can be prescribed a FREE fitness prescription by their physician to exercise. In addition to being President and CEO of Body By Brandy Fitness Studio and the Executive Director of Body By Brandy 4 Kidz, she works part-time as a Physical Education teacher in the Boston Public Schools.Brandy has been featured in Essence Magazine, the Boston Globe and Heart & Soul Magazine. The Makers of Pine Sol Cleaners saluted Brandy in their “She’s got the Power contest for leading the charge against childhood obesity. Direct TV recognized her as a “Home Town” hero for giving back to her community. Amidst many other extraordinary accomplishments to date Brandy was most notably featured on NBC Nightly News “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” and CNN News “Places to Play” for creating the First Kids Gym in the country that accepts prescriptions from participating health care providers for obese kids enabling them to workout at BBB Fit Kidz for free.Jake Steinfeld, founder of Comcast On-Demand ExerciseTV, the first comprehensive on-demand network dedicated to fitness, sports training and motivational programming, named Brandy Cruthird the winner of the network’s inaugural nationwide contest for “America’s Next Fitness Star”. In October of 2008, Brandy was a recipient of the Dorothy Heritage award from Heart and Soul Magazine. She received this award for her continued dedication to her fight against obesity and commitment to the women’s health and fitness.
Paul Francisco, Managing Director
Foster & Francisco
Paul is a Managing Director and Co-founder of Foster & Francisco LLC, an executive search firm based in Boston, focusing on the recruitment and retention of senior managerial and executive level diverse talent across a number of diverse industries, and non-for-profit organizations.
Prior to starting Foster & Francisco, Paul was Vice President for Veritude’s Client Relationship Management group. In this capacity he provided strategic guidance and client relationship management to Veritude client companies. Veritude, a Fidelity Investments Company provides Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services, Staffing Services, Managed Services, and Consulting Services to a variety of clients in a wide range of industries including; Financial Services, IT, Insurance and Manufacturing.
Prior to joining Veritude, Paul was a Senior Vice President for Bank of America’s Consumer Staffing Division. In that role, he managed a large team of senior recruiters responsible for talent acquisition for the Consumer Bank’s branch management in New England, New York, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Florida and Central Divisions.
He has also held a number of HR positions at companies like Amica Mutual Insurance Co, where he managed the college recruiting program in support of Amica’s 42 nationwide offices, The Gillette Company, where his role required his expertise in the search of mid- to- senior level diverse associates for key positions within The Gillette Company and its subsidiaries. His experience includes, Claims Adjusting, Training and Development, Workforce Diversity, Diversity Recruitment, and Client Relationship Management.
Paul is a former NFL player, having been part of the New England Patriots team of ’94-95. Paul is a graduate of Boston University where he majored in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. He has also done graduate work at BU’s Metropolitan College, and is a graduate of the UMASS Boston, College of Management Emerging Leaders Program of the Center for Collaborative Leadership. His project work with ELP teamed him up with the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) to help craft a Reunification Program for incarcerated mothers and their children. Paul is also alum of The Partnership’s Inc. Associates and Fellows Leadership Development Programs.
Paul is an active member of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting), where he currently serves as the Boston Chapter’s President. He is also a Trustee for the Epiphany Middle School in Roxbury, a member of the Committee for the Downtown Harvard Club of Boston, a member of the National Football League Retired Players Association, and an active member of NEPAC (New England Patriots Alumni Association) whose mission is to give back to the community by supporting the growth and development of youth football in New England.
Paul is regularly featured as a guest speaker and lecturer on Diversity and HR topics at many local universities including, Northeastern University, Bentley College, Suffolk University, and Babson College. He has also appeared as guest on Channel 7’s Urban Update, Channel 4’s Centro, and Telemundo Channel 60 Encuentro Latino program.
Paul's recognitions include receiving the award as one of the 2007 “Top 40 under 40” by the Boston Business Journal, as well as one of the 2007 100 Most Influential Latinos in Massachusetts by the Hispanic News Press. He was named 2008 Volunteer of the Year by American Training Centers. He was also awarded the 2008 Arnold Z. Rosoff Award for Individual Achievement. This award recognizes outstanding individuals who have had an impact in diversity initiatives in the Boston community.
Dr. Franklin A. Tuitt, Director and Assistant Professor, Higher Education Program
Denver College of Education
Assistant professor of higher education with the University of Denver College of Education. Frank is a co-editor and contributing author of the book Race and Higher Education: Rethinking Pedagogy in Diverse College Classrooms. He is also serving his undergraduate alma mater, Connecticut College, as a member of its Board of Trustees. Has led a team of researchers in formative assessments of Nike funded grant programs in partnership with Abekam Inc. (operating as COMPASS Consulting). Career highlights: Co-edited and served as a contributing author for Race and Higher Education: Rethinking Pedagogy in Diverse College Classrooms; served as Cabot Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University; functioned as a research associate for the Harvard National Campus Diversity Project; co-chaired the Harvard Educational Review; serves as a member of the Connecticut College Board of Trustees.
COMPASS Consulting
John Verre is the Director of COMPASS Consulting, where he specializes in policy analysis, program evaluation and development, strategic planning, and legal issues in education. In this role, he has directed a wide variety of projects at the state and local levels in the northeast, midwest, and southwest, and guided the firm’s professional development and technical assistance programs and products. Mr. Verre has served as liaison between school districts and the Office for Civil Rights, as educational consulting expert to the corporation counsel, and as independent monitor in class action lawsuits on behalf of students placed at risk in public schools. He holds graduate degrees in special education, and administration, planning, and social policy. While at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he served as the Co-Chair of the Editorial Board of the Harvard Educational Review and was a teaching fellow and research assistant with the National Center for Educational Leadership. Mr. Verre has been the Co-Director of the Harvard Institute on Critical Issues in Urban Special Education since 1993.
