Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association (GRSLA)
Our Board of Directors
Larry Frye
The Harley School
Head of School
Mr. Frye earned his Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and his B.A. from Hamilton College. Previously, he has held positions as Dean of Students and Boarding, Director of Communications, Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Financial Aid, English Teacher, College Counselor, and Dorm Parent at The Cambridge School of Weston. He also worked as Senior Assistant Director of Admission at Wheaton College and Assistant Dean of Admission at Hamilton College.
Conger Gabel
Member-at-Large
GRSLA Board Chair
Conger Gabel is President and Founder of the Hardy Gabel Group, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in product and technology development and financial management. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of RPC Photonics Corporation. Early in his career, Conger taught high school physics and mathematics at the Polytechnic School in California and then served as Associate Professor of Optics at the University of Rochester. He received an A.B. in Physics from Princeton University where he graduated Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, a M.A. in Education and a Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester, and a M.S. in Management from Stanford University where he was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.
Mary Jo Gabel
Member-at-Large
Mary-Jo Gabel is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Hardy Gabel Group, LLC, and consults for Career Development Services, a non-for-profit organization focused on assisting individuals and corporations address the challenges of today’s workplace in leadership training, career development and transition services. Mary-Jo started with CDS in 1976 as a volunteer, and is now a Financial Consultant. In addition, Mary-Jo served as the Finance Director of Neighborworks Rochester from 2005 to 2010. Mary-Jo has been a Board Member and Chair of the Horizons Enrichment Program at the Harley School and was elected to the Board of the National Program in 2005. She served as Chair of the National Program 2007 to 2009 and is presently Treasurer. Mary-Jo has also served as the Chair of the Board of the Harley School and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Third Presbyterian. Mary-Jo received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Rochester. She has six years of mathematics teaching experience in Dryden, NY and in Rochester, NY.
Luis A. Perez
Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association
President & Chief Executive Officer
Luis A. Perez has been instrumental in the creation and expansion of GRSLA. Prior to being named President and CEO, Mr. Perez served as the Executive Director of the Horizons at Harley program (2010-2015), and in 2013 added the role of Director - Program Support and Expansion for GRSLA.
Mr. Perez has committed the past 30+ years to helping low-income, inner-city children be successful academically and in life. Mr. Perez, a NYS licensed social-worker, is a Rochester native of Puerto-Rican descent. In 2001,
Mr. Perez founded and became the Executive Director of HOPE Initiatives, CDC a faith-based community development corporation serving the county of Monroe.
A graduate of Monroe High School, he received his Master's Degree in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College, a Bachelor's of Science in Social Work from Nazareth College of Rochester, and an AAS in Human Services from Monroe Community College.
Luis is married to Pamela and they have two adult children, Luis Gary and Rachel.
Ken Motsenbocker
Board Treasurer
Ret. CFO - The Harley School
Ken Motsenbocker recently retired after 13 years as the CFO of The Harley School. His tenure at Harley followed a successful carrier at The Eastman Kodak Company. After initially starting as a cost analyst at Kodak, his career lead him to a position as a Director for Mergers and Acquisitions. Ken concentrated on small standalone operations where he had to train and develop a team to work with. Ken has also taught finance at a local SUNY school and was the business manager for Bryant and Stratton College.
Ken brings to GRSLA skills in financial analysis, financial management and modeling, strategic planning, operations, employment and contract negotiations. While he bring lots of technical expertise, he believes that success is best achieved by understanding the issues, digging into the details, and developing working relationships with a dedicated team.
Ken is involved in the Rochester community, received The Rochester Business Journal’s Chief Financial Officer of the Year award, and most recently is an advisor to the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, an Advisor with New York State Association of Independent Schools, and Chair of his church’s finance committee. Ken earned his M.B.A from Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, is married with 11 grandchildren, and lives on a small hobby farm raising goats, playing the banjo, and growing lavender.
Brittany Rumph
Educational Consultant
CCSI
Brittany’s mission in life is to positively impact as many children and families as humanly possible. Through her work in education, she has served as a teacher, instructional leader, professional development facilitator, summer school director, and lead founder of a charter school. Her newfound love for supporting educators influenced her transition out of the school building. As a Consultant at Coordinated Care Services Inc., Brittany supports educators and community-based organizations in creating trauma responsive and equity-focused communities, building staff and students’ resiliency, community school implementation, and trains districts in the Trauma, Illness & Grief (TIG) program to effectively respond during a crisis event. Outside of the workday she is a youth cheerleading coach and dance instructor for a nationally renowned cheer/dance team and serves as a board member for multiple local non-profit organizations. Brittany is a dually certified educator through the New York State Education Department who holds a MS Ed in Inclusive Early Childhood Education, a BA in Dance, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children. Her teaching practices are referenced in Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion 3.0. She was recognized by the Rochester Business Journal as a 2021 Forty under 40 Honoree.
Lisa Hiley
Assistant Professor
Nazareth College of Rochester
Lisa Hiley PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor at Nazareth College in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Before joining the faculty at Nazareth College Lisa was the Director at EnCompass: Resources for Learning, a SLP fellow at URMC/Developmental Disabilities, and a clinician at Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. Lisa earned a Bachelors from Nazareth College, a Masters from Penn State and a PhD from the University of Rochester. Lisa is deeply committed to inter-professional community collaborations and family partnerships that serve young children, center families, and promote workforce diversity. She is one of the Co-Chairs of the School Readiness Outcomes TEAM (SROT) for ROC the Future.
Ranita Williams
Teacher
West Irondequoit School District
A graduate of the Horizons at Harley program, Ranita has experienced
first-hand the power of high quality summer learning and enrichment.
A recent graduate of St. John Fisher College and a well respected youth leader and activist, Ms. Williams has left her mark across the community. At Fisher she received a Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Adolescent education with a minor in American Studies. She also served as a Service Scholar and was the Class of 2020 President.
Ken Motsenbocker
Board Treasurer
(Ret. CFO - The Harley School)