Mission

Pollyanna Founder

Casper Caldarola is the Founder of Pollyanna, a national nonprofit dedicated to Building Stronger and Kinder Communities in schools. Since 2015, she has partnered with schools across the country to align mission, values, and daily practice through conferences, leadership development, curricula, and community assessments. Drawing on her experience as an alum, parent, administrator, and trustee, Casper believes meaningful change happens when entire communities engage in shared learning and collective responsibility. She previously served on the Board of Trustees at The Dalton School, SEEDs of Peace, Parents in Action NY, Generation Citizen, and held a leadership role at Allen-Stevenson. Before founding Pollyanna, she built a successful career in marketing and advertising.

Pollyanna Chief of Staff

Dayna Campbell is a systems-minded operations leader who partners closely with Pollyanna’s Founder to align strategy, internal operations, and cross-functional initiatives. She brings over a decade of experience in higher education, nonprofit management, and dialogue facilitation, with expertise in strategic planning, program design, and equity-centered team development. A former volunteer and (current) Advisor to the Pollyanna Teen Council, Dayna’s work is grounded in intergenerational leadership and the belief that operational excellence and inclusive practices are essential to sustainable change. She is pursuing a master’s in Organizational Development and Leadership and holds a B.A. with honors in Educational Studies from Colgate University.

Pollyanna Senior Advisor

Jason Craige Harris is a thought leader, strategist, and storyteller who helps leaders and some of the sharpest minds in the country solve hard problems. When organizations and communities are stuck, polarized, or quietly unraveling, Jason is often the person called in to help steady the room, fix what’s broken, and help people talk to each other again. Trained in ethics, psychology, and systems thinking, he blends science with real life—using humor, deep listening, and storytelling to help people navigate conflict, repair relationships, and make decisions under pressure. A researcher, mediator, and restorative practitioner, Jason studies how stress, power, and fear hijack our conversations—and how curiosity, dignity, courage, and spiritual practice can bring us back. A Pollyanna speaker, he brings big ideas down to earth, helping people see that leadership isn’t about being the loudest or the smartest—it’s about being human, especially when it’s hardest. Jason also serves as CEO of Perception Strategies, a boutique strategy consulting firm. He holds degrees from Wesleyan University and Yale Divinity School.

Pollyanna Director of Operations

Claire Hannan-Radomisli joined Pollyanna in 2018 as a Project Manager and eventually took on the role of Director of Operations. Much of her work involves partnering with schools to plan and develop Pollyanna conferences for their communities. She served as President of the Parents Association at The Dalton School from 2013-2015. During her tenure, Claire promoted community building and inclusion, and supported the many diversity/affinity groups at the school. She was instrumental in establishing the New Parent Welcome Committee, the Gay and Lesbian Parent Group, and the Hispanic/Latino Parent Group. In addition, Claire served as a Trustee and was a member of the following Board committees: Community Life & Diversity and New Trustees. She has volunteered at the Dalton Diversity Conference for many years and attended the Glenn Singleton training, “Beyond Diversity.” Claire graduated Summa Cum Laude from N.Y.U. with a BS in Cultural Anthropology. Much of her coursework focused on the study of gender, identity, race, religion, sexual orientation from a global perspective. Claire lives in New York with her husband and their three boys.

Rena Andoh is a litigation partner with Benesch Law in New York. Her broad practice ranges from complex commercial and trade secret/restrictive covenant enforcement cases to False Claims Act cases to intellectual property cases arising out of government contracts. Rena acts as first chair trial counsel in jury trials and arbitrations, and argues in appellate courts, including the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals and the First Department of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division. Rena also has deep experience in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion field, having spent years as Chair of Diversity & Inclusion at her prior firm. She routinely consults with clients on policies, initiatives and best practices. New York University School of Law, 2003, J.D., University of Michigan, 1995, B.M.

Ava joined Pollyanna’s Teen Council as a seventh grader at Village Community School and has remained an engaged and committed leader through her senior year at Fieldston. Over the years, she has grown into a thoughtful facilitator and a skilled, confident interviewer, helping elevate student voice within the organization. Ava will attend the University of Southern California in the fall of 2026. Ava is a Jr. Trustee.

Mia Burton is an experienced facilitator, consultant and counselor with expertise in developing and leading equity and justice initiatives. In her role as Assistant Head of School for Community, Equity, and Student Success at Flint Hill School, she leads the development and implementation of policies and programs that sustain an inclusive, equitable, and just school community. Her desire to be a change agent led her to establish MSB Advising to advise organizations and support individuals committed to visionary and transformational equity goals. Mia earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia with a double major in English and African & African-American Studies. She received her master’s degree in School Counseling from Marymount University.

Pollyanna Founder

Casper Caldarola is the Founder of Pollyanna, a national nonprofit dedicated to Building Stronger and Kinder Communities in schools. Since 2015, she has partnered with schools across the country to align mission, values, and daily practice through conferences, leadership development, curricula, and community assessments. Drawing on her experience as an alum, parent, administrator, and trustee, Casper believes meaningful change happens when entire communities engage in shared learning and collective responsibility. She previously served on the Board of Trustees at The Dalton School, SEEDs of Peace, Parents in Action NY, Generation Citizen, and held a leadership role at Allen-Stevenson. Before founding Pollyanna, she built a successful career in marketing and advertising.

Dr. James Calleroz White is the Head of School at Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey. A nationally respected educational leader, he brings more than three decades of experience across independent schools, higher education, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Dwight-Englewood, he served as Head of School at The Galloway School in Atlanta and Louisville Collegiate School in Kentucky, and held senior leadership roles at Phoenix Country Day School, Belmont Hill School, Harvard College Admissions, Prep for Prep, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity. Dr. Calleroz White currently serves on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and has been a faculty member and facilitator for NAIS leadership institutes. He holds degrees from Harvard University and Arizona State University and is deeply committed to educational excellence, leadership development, and inclusive school communities.

Emerson Casper is a student at Lafayette College majoring in Government & Law and Psychology while pursuing a pre-law track. A former leader of the Pollyanna Teen Council, Emerson remains committed to fostering dialogue, leadership, and belonging among young people. On campus, Emerson serves in student government, coordinates DEI Peer Educators, and is Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Panhellenic Council. Through these roles, Emerson works to strengthen community, support student engagement, and advance inclusive practices across campus. Emerson is a Jr. Trustee.

As Director of Investor Relations at Blue Meridian Partners, Veneka Chag helps cultivate relationships with Blue Meridian’s General and Impact Partners, supports engagement with prospective investors, and collaborates with senior leadership to advance the organization’s mission and fundraising strategy. Prior to joining Blue Meridian, Veneka held leadership roles in development and fundraising at KIPP NYC and Princeton University, where she worked closely with donors, trustees, and institutional leaders to secure philanthropic investments and support organizational growth. She also brings experience working with major philanthropic organizations, including The Rockefeller Foundation and The Ford Foundation. Veneka holds a BA in Public Affairs and International Relations from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

Christina Clemente joined The Brearley School in July 2023 as the Director of Middle and Upper School Admission and Financial Assistance. Prior to joining Brearley, Ms. Clemente was the director of enrollment management at the Evergreen School in Shoreline, WA. In addition, she has worked at Hackley School and Brooklyn Friends School, where she first began her career in independent school admission. A native New Yorker, Ms. Clemente is an alumna of the Dalton School and a graduate of Amherst College. She has a master’s degree in educational psychology from Hunter College.

Dr. Paquita Y. Davis-Friday is the Dean of the Massry School of Business at the University at Albany and Chair of the Board of Pollyanna, Inc. Before joining UAlbany, she served as a visiting senior research scholar at Columbia Business School and held several leadership roles at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, including interim dean, senior associate dean, and executive director of Graduate Programs. Her research focuses on executive compensation and postretirement benefits and has been published in leading accounting journals. She earned her PhD in Accounting, M.A. in Applied Economics, and joint MAcc/BBA degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She also serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the New York City Independent Budget Office.

Marsha Elliott is a seasoned educator with over two decades of experience across esteemed independent schools. She currently serves as a member of the senior administrative team in her role of Director of Equity and Inclusion at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Throughout her career, she has held various positions, including English teacher, diversity coordinator, dorm parent, and advisor, while leading faculty/staff professional development, school-wide student-centered activities and programming, restorative conversations, and identity, alliance, and culture groups, alongside planning curriculum and facilitating sessions for regional and national education conferences. A graduate of Rice University (B.A.) and Boston College (M.A.), Marsha remains deeply committed to building equitable, inclusive school communities that amplify student voices and honor the dignity of every individual. 

Emily Gottlieb is an attorney who serves as Deputy Director for Law and Policy at the Center for Justice & Democracy, a nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding the U.S. civil justice system. Her work focuses on consumer advocacy and policy research, translating complex legal issues into actionable analysis. Emily also brings nearly 20 years of volunteer leadership and governance experience at educational institutions. She is a graduate of the Dalton School, Swarthmore College, and Brooklyn Law School.