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.
Program director Kyra Atterbury manages teacher recruitment and training and is Need in Deed’s liaison to the School District of Philadelphia. With 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).
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.
Wendy-Anne Roberts-Johnson joined Need in Deed from The Workforce Institute, an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), where she was executive director. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Temple University and experiences that include roles at the Out of School Time Project, the Parenting Collaborative, the Emergency Fund, and Philadelphia Safe and Sound, Wendy-Anne brings extensive experience in student engagement, curriculum development, program design, and fund-raising.