With years of experience and a deep commitment to student learning, our staff supports each student project, the Teacher Network, and the many partnerships that connect the classroom with the community.
Executive director Kyra Atterbury has nearly a decade of experience in the classroom and public history settings, she has a master’s in public history from Temple University and a bachelor’s in history from Loyola College (MD). She served as Need in Deed program director for over a decade before assuming the role of executive director.
Program manager Janet Chance supports experienced members of the Teacher Network. Janet has extensive experience teaching, supporting teachers’ professional learning, and developing community partnerships. She has a master’s degree in education from Harvard University, an M.A. in English from Middlebury College, and a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College.
Julia Chrestay joined the Need in Deed staff with more than 10 years of classroom teaching experience in both traditional public and charter schools, and experience in community-based arts programming. A former Need in Deed teacher, she supports members of the Teacher Network during their initial two-years of training. She holds a master’s degree in multicultural education from Eastern University and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a Spanish minor from Eastern University.
Operations administrator Lisa Johns manages all of Need in Deed’s office, finance, and development functions and supports Need in Deed’s annual events. She joined Need in Deed from the University of Pennsylvania’s Development Office. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and psychology and a master’s of liberal arts from Penn.
DaCia Newkirk, Need in Deed’s Summer Intern, is a rising senior at Swarthmore College, with a double major in Educational Studies and Black Studies. At Swarthmore, she is president of the Swarthmore Afro-American Student Society (SASS) and secretary of the Students of Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA)