Dedicated to the success of our students

Leadership

Étoile’s leadership team believes that every child is capable of reaching their potential when schools deliver exceptional support.

Kayleigh Colombero Etoile Superintendent

Kayleigh Colombero

Our Lead Founder & Superintendent

Kayleigh Colombero is the Superintendent of Étoile Academy Charter School. She was part of the 2016 Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, a rigorous, yearlong, comprehensive training program in urban charter school creation and leadership.

Growing up in a financially unstable home, Kayleigh experienced many personal challenges on her path to college. Luckily, Kayleigh had a few mentors that pushed her to succeed in the face of much adversity. She set her sights on Smith College, an elite private college, which she eventually attended on a scholarship.

Kayleigh has eight years of experience in education as a middle school and high school teacher, an instructional coach, a department chair, a team leader, and as the executive director of a youth-development nonprofit.

Our Board of Directors

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    Dr. Michelle Bair, Chair

    Vice President of Philanthropy, Human Immunome Project

    Dr. Michelle Bair has a wealth of experience in development including annual giving, donor information management, data analysis, gift processing, and cultivating individual donors.

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    Alexandra Caritis, Secretary

    Litigation Associate at Kirkland & Ellis

    Alexandra Caritis is a trial attorney at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis, Alexandra was a 7th-grade science teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools.

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  • A man in a suit and tie smiling, black and white photo.

    Grant Berg

    CFO for NHR Holdings

    Finance professional with over thirteen years of experience across banking, private equity, management consulting, and business operations. Currently the CFO of a startup in the hard tech space. Native Texan who enjoys running, cycling, and outdoor activities.

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    Emmanuel Enriquez

    Community Liaison at Houston Health Department

    Emmanuel Enriquez is the site administrator for a community center in the Gulfton area. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rice University in Cognitive Science. Emmanuel is the first college graduate in his family and is the proud father of two Étoile students.

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    Rebekah Guill

    Director of Community Engagement at Smith Restaurant Group

    Rebekah has over a decade of experience working in education in a variety of contexts, including teaching, curriculum design, instructional coaching, and professional development. She previously worked for KIPP Houston and led the expansion of Niroga Institute’s stress resilience programs into schools in Texas.

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  • Chief Schools Officer at YES Prep Public Schools

    Philip Wright

    Chief Schools Officer at YES Prep Public Schools

    Philip Wright is the Chief Schools Officer at YES Prep Public Schools, an open-enrollment charter school with 21 campuses serving 15,000 students across the city of Houston.

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    Noor Iqbal

    Director of Analytics at City Fund

    Noor has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a focus on education philanthropy, policy, research, and program evaluation. She has previously worked at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation in Houston and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab in Cambridge, MA. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the London School of Economics.

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    Adeeba Yusuf

    Category Manager at BHP

    Adeeba Yusuf brings international experience in supply chain management and continuous improvement. She holds a Bachelors from the University of Houston in Accounting and Supply Chain Management.

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    Lia Vallone

    Executive Director at Spindletop Community Impact Partners, Inc.

    Lia works as the Executive Director of Spindletop Community Impact Partners supporting initiatives throughout Houston including enhancing the lives of at-risk youth through funding and volunteering from the energy industry. Lia has years of experience as a fundraising professional in annual giving and grants management and previously worked as the Manager of Annual Giving at Memorial Hermann Foundation.

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    Joel Muñoz

    Superintendent at BakerRipley Community Schools

    Joel Muñoz is a native Houstonian who brings 17 years of education experience working in roles such as teacher, assistant principal and founding principal. He currently is the Assistant Superintendent of School Administration of BakerRipley Community Schools serving the East End and Gulfton communities.

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    Yvonne Trejo

    Senior Asset Manager at Leeward Renewable Energy

    Yvonne is a Senior Asset Manager at Leeward Renewable Energy, supporting wind, solar, and battery storage plant operations in the U.S. Yvonne is a native Houstonian and a graduate of the University of Houston and Rice University. Her over 15 years in energy brings experience in engineering, financial planning, asset management, and leadership to the Board. 

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