Ron Ferguson, PhD
Founder and President
Ron provides active thought leadership for the Basics Learning Network. He is an MIT-trained economist who has taught at Harvard Kennedy School since 1983, including 15 years as faculty director of the Achievement Gap Initiative. His research, writing, and consulting focus on issues of education and economic development.
Jim Quane, PhD
Director of Operations
Jim provides oversight for all aspects of the organization’s operations. He served as Associate Director of the Urban Poverty Research Program at Harvard University for 25 years. Prior to that he was the Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Urban Inequality at the University of Chicago.
Keyla Kelley, MS
The Basics Boston Program Director
Keyla holds an MS in Child Life and Family-Centered Studies, BS in Counseling Psychology, and certifications in Child Life and Lactation Counseling. She has many years of experience working on issues pertaining to child well-being, family mental health, program development, and community engagement.
Nimrah Bakhsh
The Basics Boston Program Manager
A licensed ESL teacher with several years of experience in the public and private sectors, Nimrah helps facilitate the delivery and support of The Basics services to partner organizations in and around Boston.
Jocelyn Friedlander, EdM
Director of Learning and Innovation
Jocelyn leads the development of Basics tools and resources, and helps steer the organization’s learning agenda. She has conducted research on domestic and international early childhood policy and systems and has an Ed.M. in Prevention Science and Practice.
Zoë Hansen-DiBello, PhD
Sr. Liaison to the Basics Learning Network
Zoë leads the development and expansion of the Basics Learning Network. She is an experienced systems thinker and mobilizer of cross-sector partnerships and has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy.
Olivia Smith
Program Manager
Olivia manages the Basics Insights text messaging program and plays a key role in other product development and evaluation projects. She has previous experience in public health programming and research. She has a B.A. in Child Studies & Human Development and Community Health.
Katherine Vogt, MPH
Program Manager
Katherine manages the Basics Insights text messaging program and plays a key role in other product development and evaluation projects. She has previous experience in public health programming and development. She has an MPH in Health Policy and Management and a B.A. in Child Studies and Human Development.
Board of Directors
Turahn Dorsey (Rahn) is a researcher, policymaker and strategist focused on systems change and civic innovation. Dorsey is a Foundation Fellow with the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation working on transforming early childhood systems and Boston’s former Chief of Education.
Ronald (Ron) F. Ferguson , Founder of The Basics, is an MIT-trained economist who has taught at Harvard Kennedy School since 1983, including 15 years as faculty director of the Achievement Gap Initiative. His research, writing, and consulting focus on issues of education and economic development.
Wendell Knox is the founding co-chair of the Black Philanthropy Fund. Prior to his retirement in 2009, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Abt Associates Inc. for 17 years and generated annual revenues of over $300 million from global operations in four lines of business.
Jeff Howard is the founding chair of the Black Philanthropy Fund and the founder and president of the Efficacy Institute, Inc. He has over 30 years of experience as a consultant to school and community leaders as well as to corporate executives and senior managers of Fortune 500 companies.
Tom Manning is a member of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. He was chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet and served as CEO of Cerberus Asia Operations & Advisory, Capgemini Asia Pacific, and Ernst & Young Asia Pacific.
Katherine S. McHugh is a retired Boston philanthropic leader, most recently executive director of the Cabot Family Charitable Trust. Previously she was a trial lawyer and served for 32 years as a trustee of Northeastern University. She is also a founding director of EdVestors and a board member of Phoenix Charter Academy Network.
Mehrdad Noorani was a Founding Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a leading infrastructure private equity investment firm and served as Managing Director and Head of Airport Finance at General Electric Commercial Aviation Services.
Jeri Robinson retired as vice president of Early Childhood Initiatives at Boston Children’s Museum, where she remains an advisor. She has over 45 years of experience in early childhood education and is the current Chair of the Boston Public School Committee.
Michael Yogman, MD is a pediatrician in practice in Cambridge, MA, whose multifaceted career has included prominent roles in the American Academy of Pediatrics at the state and national levels and at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Boston Children’s Museum and Chair of the Massachusetts American Academy of Pediatrics Child Mental Health Task Force.
