Administrative
Chad W. Underwood
Executive Director
Chad W. Underwood
Chad W. Underwood, MPA has served as the PIL Executive Director since 2019. Chad oversees the administration and management of PIL, including the facilitation of Board oversight, operations, fiscal management, human resources, compliance, communications, strategic planning, advocacy, and program operations. Chad has a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School.
Adult Learning
Morné Cilliers
DEEC Program Coordinator
Morné Cilliers serves as a part-time Diversity in Early Education & Care (DEEC) Program Coordinator. Morné provides instruction and facilitates individual and group learning activities for emergent bilinguals relating to early childhood education and care. Morné has a B-Tech Marketing Degree from the University of South Africa.
Theresa E. Pagano
Language & Career Coach (bilingual)
Theresa E. Pagano, MS is the Founding Director of PIL. She spearheaded the creation of PIL in 1989 and helped lead the organization’s evolution for more than 30 years. During that time, she served in a variety of capacities, including administrator, program coordinator, career coach, volunteer, and Board Director, among many others. Theresa currently serves as a career coach for PIL’s Vocational and Educational Services for Emergent Bilinguals (VESEB) Program and Diversity in Early Education & Care (DEEC) Program. Theresa focuses on helping emergent bilinguals achieve personal and professional goals, primary related to early education and care.
Anymir J. Tovar
Career Coach & VESEB Program Coordinator
Anymir J. Tovar serves as Career Coach for PIL’s Vocational and Educational Services for Emergent Bilinguals (VESEB) Program and Diversity in Early Education & Care (DEEC) Program. Anymir facilitates individual and group learning activities for emergent bilinguals to help them achieve education and employment-related goals. Anymir coordinates PIL’s monthly Intergenerational Learning Circle initiative and oversees PIL’s collaboration with the CNY Diaper Bank to distribute diapers to families in need. Anymir has a Master in Educational Management degree from the Universidad Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho in Venezuela.
MANOS Program
Morné Cilliers
Interim MANOS Program Coordinator
Morné Cilliers serves as a part-time Diversity in Early Education & Care (DEEC) Program Coordinator. Morné provides instruction and facilitates individual and group learning activities for emergent bilinguals relating to early childhood education and care. Morné has a B-Tech Marketing Degree from the University of South Africa.
Nelsy Hernandez Guerrero
MANOS Program Assistant
Nelsy Hernandez Guerrero serves as MANOS Program Assistant. Nelsy provides primary program and office support in the oversight of service delivery to children and families. She liaisons between classroom teams and administration, serves as Teacher Assistant as needed, and helps coordinate program events and activities. Nelsy has more than 20 years of experience in the Education field. She has a graduate degree in Information Sciences from Oscar Lucero Moya University in Holguin, Cuba.
Gloria “Esther” Barata
Teacher Assistant (bilingual)
Gloria ‘Esther’ Barata serves as the Teacher Assistant for PIL’s Seymour Room 101 class. Esther provides primary assistance to the Lead Teacher in the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. She rejoined PIL’s MANOS Program in 2024. Esther has a Teacher’s degree from Cuba’s Fulgencio Oroz Gomez University.
Melissa Calderius Alvarez
Teacher Assistant (bilingual)
Melissa Calderius Alvarez serves as Teacher Assistant for PIL’s Seymour Room 102 class. Melissa provides primary assistance to the Lead Teacher in the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. Melissa has more than 14 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. She attended Pepito Tey University in Santiago, Cuba.
Beatriz Castillo Perez
Teacher Aide (bilingual)
Beatriz Castillo Perez serves as Teacher Aide for PIL’s Seymour Room 101 class. Beatriz helps the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant with the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. She has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2024. Beatriz has 1 year of experience working in the early childhood education field. She is from Cuba.
Puilan Cruz Alvarez
Teacher Aide (bilingual)
Puilan Cruz Alvarez serves as Teacher Aide for PIL’s Seymour Room 104 class. Puilan helps the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant with the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. She has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2024. Puilan has 1 year of experience working in the early childhood education field. She is from Cuba.
Aracelli Cullipher
Lead Teacher (bilingual)
Aracelli Cullipher serves as the Lead Teacher for PIL’s Seymour Room 102 class. Aracelli oversees the delivery of early childhood education, classroom-based services for up to 18 four-year-old children. She has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2021 and has ten years of experience working in the early childhood education field.
Felicia De Jesús
Lead Teacher (bilingual)
Felicia De Jesús serves as Lead Teacher for PIL’s Seymour Room 104 class. Felicia oversees the delivery of early childhood education, classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. Felicia has more than 20 years of experience working in the early childhood education field.
Evelyn Hernandez-Febus
Lead Teacher (bilingual)
Evelyn Hernandez-Febus serves as the MANOS Lead Teacher for PIL’s Seymour Room 103 class. Evelyn oversees the delivery of early childhood education, classroom-based services for up to 18 four-year-old children. Evelyn also serves as OCFS Site Director for MANOS programming at Seymour Dual Language Academy. Evelyn has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2017. Prior to joining PIL, Evelyn was an Elementary School Teacher in Puerto Rico. Evelyn has a Bachelor of Special Education degree from the American University of Puerto Rico
Wilmarini Hernandez
Teacher Aide (bilingual)
Wilmarini Hernandez serves as Teacher Aide for PIL’s Seymour Room 103 class. Wilmarini helps the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant with the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 four-year-old children. She has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2005. Wilmarini has 19 years of experience working in the early childhood education field.
Julia Madera Leonard
Early Learning Specialist (Bilingual)
Julia Madera Leonard serves as Early Learning Specialist and delivers home-based early education and care services for children ages birth through five years and their families. Julia has a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana, Cuba.
Kelinne Ortiz
Teacher Assistant (bilingual)
Kelinne Ortiz serves as Teacher Assistant for PIL’s Seymour Room 103 class. Kelinne provides primary assistance to the Lead Teacher in the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 four-year-old children. Kelinne has 2 years of experience working in the early childhood education field.
Maria Elena Munoz
Lead Teacher (bilingual)
Maria Elena Munoz serves as the MANOS Lead Teacher for PIL’s Seymour Room 101 class. Maria Elena oversees the delivery of early childhood education, classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. Maria Elena has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2018, when she started as a Teacher Assistant. Maria Elena has a Master of Marketing degree from the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Yosmeiry Rosario Valerio
Teacher Aide (bilingual)
Yosmeiry Rosario Valerio serves as Teacher Aide for PIL’s Seymour Room 104 class. Yosmeiry helps the Lead Teacher and other staff with the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 three-year-old children. She has worked with PIL’s MANOS Program since 2024. Yosmeiry has 4 years of experience working in the early childhood education field. She is from the Dominican Republic.
Jody M. Schappert
Instructional Coach
Jody M. Schappert, MS has worked as an Instructional Coach and Consultant for PIL’s MANOS Program since 2017. Jody brings to PIL more than 45 years of experience in the early education and care profession and has specialized expertise with teaching literacy. Jody has a Master’s in Early Childhood Development degree from SUNY Oswego, and has NYS Permanent Certification for N, K, and Grades 1-6.
Mirna Simon Calvo
Teacher Assistant (bilingual)
Mirna Simon Calvo serves as Teacher Aide for PIL’s Seymour Room 102 class. Mirna helps the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant with the provision of classroom-based services for up to 18 four-year-old children. Mirna has two years of experience in the early childhood education field. She has a Master’s in Educational Sciences degree from the University of Guantanamo in Cuba.