New Orleans Outreach: Staff

I’m Claudia Barker and I came on board as executive director of New Orleans Outreach the spring of 2004. After completing a Masters degree in History, I spent the past 28 years working in nonprofit administration, primarily as a fundraising professional, then in the early ‘90’s as executive director of YA/YA, Inc, an arts organization that teaches young people to become professional artists. Before coming to Outreach I worked as a consultant for eight years, helping nonprofits to grow and develop in healthy ways. Outreach was one of my favorite consulting clients and I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to lead this unique organization at this exciting time in its history. It is thrilling to be part of the rebuilding of public education in the "new" New Orleans and to demonstrate how community involvement can strengthen schools. I am also happy to report that both of my daughters, Camille, 15, and Lucy, 12, as well as my husband, Michael Tucker, are all Outreach volunteers.

Hi! I'm Mike Billups and I am from Washington , D.C. I have been living in New Orleans for a year and a half. I joined N.O Outreach in July 2008 as a school outreach coordinator at Arthur Ashe Charter School . Prior to this position, I was a teacher at Arthur Ashe Charter School (formerly New Orleans Charter Middle School ); I was placed there as a 2007 Corps member of Teach for America . Before coming to New Orleans , I was an undergraduate student at Grinnell College in Iowa majoring in Political Science. I'm very excited about living and working in New Orleans as we write a new chapter in this amazing city's history.

Hi, I'm Mike Boyle, director of development at New Orleans Outreach. It has been said that two of the most important things that need to be fixed for New Orleans to flourish are the levees and the public schools. Because I know very little about engineering and since I wanted to take a more active role in rebuilding our City, I joined New Orleans Outreach in spring 2008 to lend my skills and energy to helping this organization assist its partner schools in helping students succeed. I am working toward the day when public education in New Orleans is viewed as part of the solution and not part of the problem, when we as citizens can look upon public education with pride instead of despair, and where public education is seen as an integral part of a reborn, vibrant New Orleans .

Hi, my name is Paige Breaux, and I am Outreach’s director of operations, hired to help manage the organization’s finances and keep staff and volunteers happy and supplied with everything from basketballs to ballpoint pens. My life before Outreach included working as an executive assistant at Mindspring/Earthlink in Atlanta, doing stage management and costuming for various theaters, and working at the Contemporary Arts Center.

I'm Valerie Crawford, the volunteer coordinator. I coordinate the recruitment, training, and implementation of volunteers at our seven schools throughout the city. I've loved New Orleans from afar for years, so when it came time for my husband and I to finally choose a place to settle down last year, there was only one right choice. I'm excited to be here and thrilled to be a part of the Outreach team. Volunteering and service-learning have played a huge part in my life for the last fifteen years, and I've been part of programs ranging from literacy to child protection to working with orphans in Latin America . I'm also a graduate of Berea College , a school founded on the values of community and service. No matter where my studies, travels and activities have taken me, my focus has always been on helping children. I'm proud of Outreach's dedication to our volunteers and the students we serve. I truly believe that volunteering and community service can be one of life's most rewarding experiences.

I’m Jenny Durkin and I am the school outreach coordinator at McDonogh 15. I started my career with Outreach as a volunteer at Sophie B. Wright during the spring semester of my senior year at Tulane. I then spent a year as an Americorps VISTA through the Tulane Center for Public Service working as a volunteer coordinator at New Orleans Outreach. Currently, I am the school outreach coordinator at KIPP:McDonogh 15, running the afterschool program and coordinating volunteers. I am originally from Boston , Ma, but now I'm proud to call New Orleans home.

I'm Josh Fertitta and I am the AmeriCorps VISTA for New Orleans Outreach beginning July 2008. As liaison to most of the New Orleans area universities, especially Tulane University , I cultivate new service learning, volunteer, and other civic engagement relationships. I work directly with university faculty to address their educational needs by identifying potential partnerships with one of New Orleans Outreach's partner schools. A native of New Orleans , I was raised in suburban Atlanta , and graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor of science in psychology.

I’m Angela Herbert, and I am the director of programs and volunteers. I have a Master's degree in Education (special education), and I have used my teaching experience in diverse ways. After leaving the classroom, I began a one-on-one tutoring business, helping students, teachers, and parents pinpoint the problems and solutions for students' successful educational development. In the middle of tutoring, I was the assistant director of TREE (Teaching Responsible Earth Education), an organization that provides children with adventure and understanding through incredible outdoor science education programs. Now, I am thrilled to be a part of New Orleans Outreach, a program that I have admired for quite some time. This is a wonderful opportunity to help turn the wishes for excellent public education into realities for New Orleans.

I'm Kristen Hoplin, school outreach coordinator for New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School . After graduating from St. Olaf College and the University of Chicago , I worked and volunteered in several diverse youth development capacities, including coordinating a youth-run business for several years. I am a recent transplant to New Orleans and am so excited about the city, the Outreach mission, and our opportunity to transform and renew public education.

Hi, my name is Ernestine James, a native of Gretna , LA. From a very young age I knew that being an educator was my passion. After graduating from Southern University at New Orleans, I taught with the Jefferson Parish Head Start Program for four years, and then spent another five years teaching elementary and middle school in the Jefferson Parish public schools. I have also danced professionally and taught dance at every opportunity, as dance was my first love. Hurricane Katrina took me to Dallas , where I joined the Dallas Head Start Center, but my heart missed home. So my daughter and I are here in New Orleans to stay, and I am happy to be working with New Orleans Outreach creating programs that help students and schools.

Hello, I'm Ariana Kolins and I'm the AVODAH (Jewish Service Corps) volunteer support at Science and Math High School . My job is to greet volunteers, make sure that the volunteer process runs smoothly, that everyone is happy and has the resources they need to do their jobs. I just graduated from Gilford College in North Carolina , where I majored in Peace and Conflict Studies and Ceramics. I'm interested in learning about alternative forms of education and excited to be in a new place.

I'm Aria Mason, the school outreach coordinator at Samuel J. Green Charter School . I am a native New Orleanian, and I graduated in May 2005 from The Catholic University of America in Washington , DC , with dual degrees in History and Vocal Performance. After Hurricane Katrina changed my life and community, I became even more passionate about service and since then have worked to be an agent of change rebuilding my hometown. As a founding corps member and senior corps member with City Year Louisiana, I got to witness firsthand the importance of education, enrichment, and social entrepreneurship, and had the opportunity to serve the students of Green Charter through physical service and academic enrichment. I am also a professional singer and can be found around town singing with New Orleans Opera and in several Catholic parishes. Since joining the Outreach family in February 2008, I have felt incredibly blessed to be part of an organization that is playing an integral role in the renaissance of New Orleans and I look forward to being a part of creating innovative programs that enhance scholars' success.

I’m Schwan Sceau, school outreach coordinator at Sophie B. Wright Charter School. I am a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans and the New Orleans public schools. Having graduated from John F. Kennedy Sr. High School, I felt the need to "give back", so I taught at Kennedy for five years before finding my way to New Orleans Outreach. I am honored to be part of an organization that is dedicated to student achievement.

Hello! I am Eddrinea' Scott. I was hired at New Orleans Outreach as the data manager. The most important aspect of my position involves accurately tracking the hours of all students served for state reporting purposes. Prior to accepting this position I was the human resources manager at the Methodist Home for Children. As their elders, we are called upon to improve the academic lives of children and I love being employed with an organization that is rooted in providing enrichment to our children…our future. As Ann Landers once said, “In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”

New Orleans Outreach Staff