bOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees comprises The Birches Academy parents and community members. The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that the academic program of The Birches Academy is successful, that the school’s program and operation are faithful to its charter, and that The Birches Academy is a viable, long-term, sustainable charter school. The Board meets monthly at the school; the public is always welcome. Additional information is available in The Board of Trustees Bylaws.
If you want to become a member of the Board of Trustees, read the Board Nomination Policy or email trustees@birchesacademy.org.
members
Christie Storniolo (Chair and Founder) was raised in Windham, NH. She attended Pinkerton Academy and is a graduate of Merrimack College in North Andover, MA, with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management. Christie is a Client Service Manager for ADP Retirement Services in Salem, NH working with companies across the United States. She has been engaged in 401(k) administration since 1992. Christie founded The Birches Academy, served as Board Chair in the inauguration year, and now serves on the Finance Committee. Christie lives in Atkinson, NH, with her husband, Frank and three children.
Christine Miele (Vice Chair & Founder) grew up in Shrewsbury, MA, and attended UNH, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from the Whittemore School of Business. She has worked for Winn Companies for over 20 years as a Property Manager, Computer Software Trainer, and Project Manager. Christine has been on the Board of Trustees since the school began and is currently on the Finance Committee. Her daughter Kathryn and son William graduated from The Birches Academy and Central Catholic High School. Christine, and her husband Christopher, a lifelong resident of Salem and owner of M&M Electrical Supply in Nashua, live in Salem.
Alyssa Ross (Secretary) grew up in Arlington, MA, attending public schools. She holds a BA in government and history from Colby College and an MA in Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University. Alyssa held media internships at ABC News Nightline, 60 Minutes, and WCVB before starting her career as a legal assistant in communications law in Washington, DC. Moving to Boston at the height of the .com boom, she worked at PR firms supporting tech companies before going in-house at French software company Dassault Systemes in 2001, where she’s currently Communications Director. Along with her husband Joe and their three boys, Alyssa lives in Windham, NH.
Mike Gendreau (Treasurer) grew up in Dracut, MA, married his wife in 1997 and moved to Pelham, NH, in 2000. He attended Mass Bay CC, receiving an associate’s degree in automotive science. Mike has been working in residential lending for over 20 years. He is a father of 4 boys who have attended or is still attending The Birches Academy since the 2nd year of the school's second opening. Besides being on the Governing Board and its Finance Committee, Mike is very involved with Birch’s fundraising and family activities. He is also on the Pelham Conservation Commission, was the Pelham Border Riders snowmobile club secretary, and coached his sons in football and baseball. One of the areas he is most interested in is assisting The Birches Academy in finding a new school location and the financing that goes along with it.
Becca Allan grew up in Needham, MA, and attended Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education. She moved to Pelham, NH, with her husband in the spring of 2014. Before having children, Becca worked in special education with students in grades K-5, and she’s—currently a stay-at-home mom to two daughters. Since the spring of 2020, Becca has served as a member of the Windham Cooperative Kindergarten’s executive board, where both of her children have attended preschool. She’s also worked as a substitute teacher at the Windham Cooperative throughout the 2021-2022 school year.
Alexis Goldsack is a southern New Hampshire native, born and raised in Hudson, with experienced knowledge of local schools, children, and business. She taught at Little Broncos early childhood at Alvirne High School before being hired as an aftercare teacher for the Montessori school in Londonderry. A family from that school hired her as a nanny when they switched their children to the Birches Academy in 2015. In 2016, she had her first child and knew that the Birches Academy is where she wanted her child to go. After working in office management, she became a real estate agent in 2020 to utilize her business management skills. Her commitment as a parent and a community member makes her a solid asset to the Board of Trustees.
Pamela Sarantis grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, and holds a BS/BA in Marketing from Merrimack College. Pam is a Certified Educational Surrogate with the NH Department of Education. She represents children with disabilities who have or may need special education services when no one else can fill that role. Before that, Pamela was a Certified Personal Trainer in the fitness industry for over 25 years. She served on the Friends of the Library of Windham board for 2 years. She was Conference Planner for CFO Magazine, The Cumberland Farmers Market's Marketing Manager, and Games Magazine's Marketing Manager. You can often find Pam volunteering at school or the gym. Her oldest son graduated from The Birches Academy in 2020, and her youngest is in 7th grade at The Birches. Pam lives in Pelham, NH, with her husband, two sons, and her black lab Chief.
Samantha Moulton is a native of Somerville, MA, moving to Stoneham, MA in later years. Sam earned an Associates degree in Business Management and has worked as a Senior Revenue Integrity Analyst at a large hospital for 18 years. She's an active volunteer, working with many different children's fundraisers including Leukemia Light the Night Walk, Why Me ride for children with cancer, Boston Children’s Hospital NSTAR Walk, Cradles to Crayons and Lahey Hospital Cancer Walk to name just a few. Samantha served on the Salem Youth Soccer committee board as coordinator for the TOTS and U6 groups, as well as the organization's Fundraising Chair. Since 2021 she has lived in Salem, NH with her husband, 3 kids and 2 dogs. She's a proud Birches Academy parent; her son became a student in 2023 and will be joined by his sister next year.
Dani Richards was born in Wales, UK and moved to the USA in July of 2013. A graduate of the University College of Wales, UK, with a Bachelor of arts in Education. Dani gained her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in May of 2020 and has created and implemented curriculums for public and private schools in the UK and US. She currently works at Relay, a Medicaid Billing Software for Schools as the Associate Director of Client Success where she supports over 800 school districts across 23 states. Dani lives in Londonderry, NH with her wife and two children who attend the Birches Academy.