Rachel lives in Acton with her husband, Taro, and two kids, Nora and Mira. She holds a BA from Connecticut College and a M.Ed from Lesley University. She currently works in international programming at MIT. In her (limited) free time, Rachel enjoys hiking, running, gardening, and traveling!

Jonathan Rayla, Vice Chair, is the Operations Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific, with 15 years of experience driving operational and capital construction investments. With this background, Jon strives to bring best-in-class communication and governance as the Center embarks on the capital plan for renovations. He lives in Acton with his wife, Hannah, and son, Olsen, who currently attends ITC. Jon holds a Bachelor's in Engineering from UMass Amherst.

David DiCiccio, Treasurer, is Managing Director and shareholder at CBIZ CPAs, a national CPA firm. He recently moved to Acton from Jamaica Plan with his sons (Gus and Otto), wife (Emily), cats (Max and Odin) and six chickens. Gus is currently attending ITC. David holds his Bachelor's and Master's in accounting from Umass Amherst.

Emily Cochran, Clerk, is an ITC parent and alumni and resides with her husband (Brett) and two children (Luke and Isabel) in Acton. Emily's trajectory has been a true homecoming in that she was a preschooler at ITC herself and knew she wanted her children at ITC. Emily's background is in nonprofit management, and she currently serves as the Managing Director, People and Culture for an education non-profit where she oversees HR, Finance, and IT operations.

Kim Baldasaro lives in Maynard with her four sons, husband Mike, 2 dogs, 2 geckos and a hedgehog named Hermoine. Kim received her Bachelor's in Art History & Critical Studies from Lesley University and holds a Master's in Social Work from Salem State University. She is a current parent of an ITC student. Kim has worked closely with non-profit child care programs in Eastern Massachusetts, with roles as an educator, administrator, and consultant for the last 20 years. She has experience in grant writing, curriculum development, teaching and learning, and staff education. When not wrangling kids and pets, Kim and her family enjoy skiing, boating, bike rides, and exploring local areas.

Jill Boodry lives in Acton with her husband (Tom), daughter (Isla), and dog (Zeke). She works as the Office Administrator at Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds. Jill received her BA from Assumption University where she studied Organizational Communication. She looks forward to giving back to the ITC community by serving on the Board. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, crocheting and making homemade pasta.

Alexandria Carlson lives in Maynard with her husband (Bradley), daughter (Isabella), dog (Theo), and cat (Dobby). Her daughter Isabella started at ITC in the Infant room and is now thriving in the Young Toddler room. In between drop-off and pick-up, Alexandria is a Lead Human Factors Engineer with UL, consulting with medical device manufacturers as they design medical devices and prepare them for regulatory clearance. She has her BS and MS in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University, where she also taught for several years. She has been so thankful to be part of the ITC community, which is so full of care, intention, and curiosity, and is eager to support the community on the Board.

Barbara Carlson, Executive Director, is from Columbus, Ohio, where she taught first grade for eight years prior to becoming the Director of the Program for Young Children (PYC) at Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that she was first introduced to the world-renowned infant toddler centers and preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and became a lifelong student of the philosophy, which at the very heart believes in the capabilities and potential of young children. After nine years as Director of the PYC, she became the Executive Director at The Childhood League Center, also in Columbus, Ohio, and was there from 2002 to 2012.

Most recently, she was the Director at Radcliffe Child Care Center in Cambridge, MA, where she happily spent seven years as a fellow researcher with teachers, children, and parents, and together navigated the difficult days of the pandemic. Regardless of her position, it is her JOY and PLEASURE to spend her days in the company of children, teachers, and parents, and to be a partner-in-learning in order that together we may give value to the precious time of childhood and achieve our shared hopes and dreams.

Katie Cimet is the mother of two children at ITC. She holds an MS in Arts Administration from Boston University and is the Assistant Director of Development at The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord. Throughout her family’s time at ITC, she and her husband have been Members of the Corporation as well as Room Parents. Katie looks forward to becoming more deeply involved with the treasured community of parents, teachers, staff, and children at ITC.

Tony Gardner and his wife, Sarah, relocated to Concord from Manhattan in 2023, then welcomed Elizabeth into the world in March 2024. Tony currently works at Tufts Medical Center as an Administrator, leading the Department of Surgery. Prior to coming to Massachusetts, Tony has worked in the health care industry his entire career, most recently leading clinical operations in Greater NYC for a medical device company. Tony completed his undergraduate coursework at the University of Maryland and his graduate coursework at Johns Hopkins University. Experience includes operations, finance, business development, healthcare administration, contract management, strategy, long range business planning.

Kelsey Schaulsohn lives in Acton with her husband Nick and 2 daughters. She is a parent of a current ITC student and an ITC alum and has been part of the ITC Community since 2021. She received her doctorate in pharmacy from Northeastern University and currently works as a Director in Clinical Research Pharmacy at Pfizer focused on clinical trial operations. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, gardening and traveling.

Verna Krishnamurthy lives in Acton with her husband, Arvi, and their two daughters, Jaya and Sarika. She holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She currently works as a corporate lawyer in the in-house legal department at Sanofi in Cambridge. In her spare time, Verna loves to travel with friends and family, read, and cook Indian food!

Lorena Galvez lives in Acton with her two children (Joseph & Sophia), and dog (Pepper). She is an attorney at Kajko, Weisman, and Colasanti, LLP in Lexington, MA, where she focuses her practice in all areas of family law, wills and estates, personal injury, and civil litigation. Lorena has served on the Board since 2022. She received her BA in Psychology and Legal Studies from Northwestern University and her JD from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

Vivian Ricketts is a teacher in the Infant Room. She began her work at ITC in October 1983. She has had the opportunity to work with all the various age groups. Preschool-age children remain her favorite! Vivian loves the children’s love of exploration, sense of adventure, and their unyielding enthusiasm for learning. As a child, Vivian was always drawn to young children. For as long as she can remember, she has seen herself as a teacher. Vivian feels fortunate to have fulfilled her dream of becoming an educator for young children, and she loves that she can work at a multi-pedagogical center such as ITC. One aspect Vivian admires about the center is how highly valued and advocated outdoor play is. She, herself, is passionate about getting children into the woods daily! When Vivian is not working, she is walking in the woods, Jazzercising, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Valerie Dupell has been a dedicated member of the ITC staff since September 1995. She ran the School Age program for many years before transitioning to preschool when the program closed. As the Lead Teacher in the Preschool C classroom, Val loves exploring the community with her students and creating meaningful connections with local police officers, firefighters, and business owners. She continues to learn more about the Reggio Emilia philosophy and works to create a classroom curriculum based on the students' interests. Val believes in the importance of spending time outside—whether on the playground or exploring the Big and Little Woods. Val lives in Auburn with her husband. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, cheering on the Red Sox, and visiting family in Connecticut.