Officers
Brian Beal – Chair
Mary Anne Alton – Vice-Chair
David Fox – Past Chair
Bob Harper – Treasurer
Board of Directors
Chair of the Board, Brian Beal – Retired Director of Education , Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
Brian Beal is a retired Director of Education with Simcoe Muskoka Catholic. He has always been passionate about helping students realize they are part of a global family through educational travel. He is honoured to serve as Chair of the ISE board and to help students grow in confidence and experience through outstanding international student exchange experiences.
Vice Chair of the Board, Mary Anne Alton – Retired Director of Education, Bluewater District School Board
For two decades, I've experienced the satisfaction of knowing that my work with dedicated ISE colleagues has created life-changing experiences for students who participate in international exchanges. I've seen firsthand how participants learn about themselves while becoming global citizens.
Past Chair of the Board, David Fox – Retired Superintendent of Education, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
The travel bug bit me very young, and I continue to have that desire. Having been a teacher for many years, I quickly realized how important an international exchange can be. Not only does it result in lifelong friendships, but it makes our world smaller, creating an appreciation of the history and lifestyles of other cultures.
Treasurer, Bob Harper – Retired Coordinating Superintendent of Education, York Region District School Board
Bob Harper has served on the ISE Board of Directors since 2009 and has served as our Treasurer since 2014. Bob’s enthusiasm for student exchanges comes from his work as a teacher, principal and senior supervisory officer with a large Ontario school board. In work settings, spanning 25 years, Bob saw the extraordinary benefits of student reciprocal exchanges. Students live and learn in immersion settings and likewise host their student partners here in Ontario. Many student exchange partners form lifelong friendships.
Director, Brent Bloch – Principal, Upper Grand District School Board
I serve on the ISE Board of Directors to ensure students have access to experiential and transformational educational opportunities. Having organized and led international trips with high school students in the past to Europe, I know firsthand how impactful these cultural experiences are for students, and how they have the power to transform students’ lives and futures.
Director, Anna Faraone – M.A., Former FSL Resource Teacher, Current Special Education Teacher, Toronto Catholic District School Board
As an educator for over 40 years, I have promoted ISE exchanges in all of my various roles: FSL and International Languages classroom teacher, Moderns Department Head, Pre-service Teacher Education Instructor at OISE/UT and FSL Resource Teacher. An exchange abroad offers both students and teachers an unparalleled opportunity for personal and linguistic growth, transforming their educational journey in profound ways. What a gift to be working in the field of experiential education to empower students to develop a stronger sense of self while cultivating global awareness!
Director, Domenic Scuglia – Retired Director of Education, York Catholic District School Board
As an educator for over 41 years, experiential learning through travel has been a central focus of my vocation. I have witnessed the life-changing benefits that students experience when they include a travel component in their studies. International Student Exchange(ISE) is the carrier that affords our students that opportunity. I am proud to be on the board of directors to support this initiative.
Director, Laura Marotta - M.Ed., Superintendent of Education, Avon Maitland District School Board
Having served as an educator in diverse Ontario school boards over 30 years, it has been my privilege to promote cultural exchanges for students through ISE. First, as an elementary and secondary French teacher and later, as a principal and superintendent, I continue to encourage students to participate in these enriching experiences where they learn about themselves and their place in the world, immersed in different language, and where friendships are made that last well into adulthood.
Management
Executive Director - Mary Di Santo-Lawless
I am honoured to work with ISE, its esteemed board members, administrative team, school boards, participants, and their families. I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact of our work on participating students, their families, and their home and school communities. The greatest gift is receiving testimony from past participants about the life-changing experience our exchanges provided and their desire to support our programming. It is a privilege to have a career promoting youth development while shaping the next generation of global citizens.
Program Manager - Kristin Cummings
Having grown up in a family of educators, I have seen the benefits of experiential learning. I am proud to work with ISE Ontario as it has always been a dream of mine to one day be able to contribute to positive learning experiences for students. It has been a privilege to see the confidence, independence and personal growth our participants experience while being immersed in a new culture & language. I am honoured to support students and their families as they explore learning through ISE’s life-changing reciprocal exchange programs.
Director, Mary Jean Gallagher – Retired Assistant Deputy Minister of Education, Past Director, Greater Essex County District School Board
Dr. Mary Jean Gallagher is an education consultant and educator with a lifelong passion for giving students outstanding opportunities to learn – about themselves, their futures and their world. She has supported student exchange opportunities for over four decades. As a member of the board and an experienced host parent to students from around the world, she understands that high quality international student experiences expand the horizons of possibilities for our young people.