Friends of Adaire leaders

Joe McAteer, President

Joe McAteer

My wife is Annie & my daughters are Melaney, now at GAMP, and Brigid, currently in third grade at Adaire.

I'm currently president of the Friends of Adaire & the CEO of the Philly BEARD Corp. I run events, mostly homebrew & food competition events.

I believe that a school should be part of a community and the members of that community should support their local schools. As a former teacher, I wholeheartedly believe a good education is the key to success.

Joe 1984

Kate Hughes, Vice President/ Secretary

Kate Hughes

I’ve always been involved in some form of education, including my graduate studies, working on advocacy and policy issues, teaching refugees how to navigate the U.S. food system, and now working in higher education with college students. Education, community and social justice have been consistent themes in my life, and FoA enables me to combine all three, especially in a neighborhood I love.

It wasn’t until I first toured Adaire that I realized the media’s black and white portrayal of Philly public schools was too simplistic; instead, I walked through colorful halls and met a vibrant principal. My two boys (Finn and Bennett) started at Adaire in 2017 and 2018, but I valued contributing to the school I wanted well before that. I’ve always believed that folks can create meaningful change when working together, and FoA provides that space. I am thankful to be part of a movement that values public education, our community, and organizing for a more equitable school system.

Kate 1981

Sasha Best, Partnerships Chair

Sasha Best

My two young children, Wren and Keogh, attend Adaire along with 350+ other amazing, interesting, inspiring, and intelligent kids. I am focused on building upon and expanding the foundation that this lovely school has created so far. I work at this for my family and the entire Adaire School community because I want the best education experience we can get. That will not happen by default, or wishing someone else would step up, by doing what the administration has always done, or even just by getting big companies to throw money at the school. Parent and community engagement is the best predictor of positive education outcomes. So I’m engaged - two boots in with whatever it takes to make this school great.

Sasha 1977

Denis Devine, Member-at-Large

Denis Devine

I follow the lead of my wife Kate Hughes, in working to support the great around-the-corner K-8 public school where our boys, Finn and Bennett, started attending in 2017 and 2018 -- 4 and 5 years after we and some other friends helped found Friends of Adaire.

I figured that all this new development and money coming into Fishtown would automatically benefit Adaire, the local public school around the corner. It was when I realized that it wouldn't come unless someone started asking, and that that someone might have to be me, that I really started getting involved in Friends of Adaire.

I was a journalist for 15 years, including newspaper, public radio and social media (here in Philly, I produced Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane for WHYY), and I served 3+ years as our Communications Chair. These days my primary involvement is as Schoolyard Team Leader; I've been leading our schoolyard efforts since 2014 and led the school's participation in the partnership that led to a $1.2 million schoolyard transformation project.

Denis 1979

Erica Edwards, Communications Chair

Erica Edwards

My husband Joel and I have lived in Fishtown since 2008 and have three kids, Alexander, Julian, and Anya. Over the years, we have met so many amazing parents, community members, and teachers who have contributed their time and energy into building the local education system. As a result of this, we decided to grow our roots in Fishtown and become a part of this effort. A great education requires family and community involvement. I work at Vanguard and love Penn State. As the communications director for FoA, I’m excited to lead our communication efforts and ensure the community members and families are getting the right information at the right time for Adaire.

Erica, age 7ish

Einav Keet, Member-at-Large

Einav Keet

I first moved to Fishtown in 2009 and have since called the Riverwards home. My husband Mike and I have Luka, a 2nd grader at Adaire, and Talya, a toddler and future Adaire kid.

When Luka was a baby we heard rumblings of a friends of group for our local school and soon found ourselves at FoA happy hours, where our sense of school community started taking shape. Flash forward a few years and there we were, Adaire parents in a sea of light blue polo shirts, and proud members of this incredible and involved school community.

Today I try to bring my background in journalism, environmental studies, and environmental education to my role as an FoA board member, regularly contributing to our stellar weekly e-newsletter and co-organizing our annual silent auction.

Young Einav

Janneken Smucker, Member-at-Large

Janneken Smucker

I have lived in Fishtown since 2005. My daughter Calla is a third grader at Adaire. When not frequenting neighborhood parks and restaurants, I teach history at West Chester University, specializing in digital and public history and material culture. I also serve as the digital editor of the Oral History Review. In the classroom, I integrate technology and the humanities, working with students to create digital projects, including Goin’ North: Stories from the First Great Migration to Philadelphia. I also consult on digital projects for non-profits and museums and lead workshops on digital tools and strategies. I also know a few things about quilts, including their history and how to make them.

Janneken 1982