Meet VOCEL’s Newest Board Members

VOCEL's Board of Directors is full of passionate individuals who help guide and advocate for our mission to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and lead. Read more about each new member and their journey below.

FaKelia Guyton

FaKelia is the Program Manager of Partnerships at the American Medical Association, Center for Health Equity. She received her BA in Business Management and MA in Public Policy, both from National-Louis University. Named a Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow from Erikson Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Academy, FaKelia is currently completing a professional series: Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ADEI) at Loyola University’s Baumhart Center. FaKelia is the proud Mother of Kayla Nicole (18) and Godmother to Donovan Elijah (5).

Kathleen Kolodgy

Kathleen is a partner at Maloney McHugh & Kolodgy and believes strongly that all young children and their families deserve access to quality education. Kathleen graduated with a BA from Miami University and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Cincinnati. Kathleen is passionate about promoting equity in education and is the proud grandmother to two adorable granddaughters, Scottie (5) and June (3).

Jordan Lanfair

Jordan is the Academic and Social-Emotional Support Manager at the Golden Apple Foundation. He is passionate about understanding the role of community to provide truly transformative opportunities for young kids and families. Jordan holds a BA in Elementary Education/Language, Pedagogy, and Culture from Knox College, an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, and an Ed.S. in Administration & Supervision from National Louis University. Jordan is Dad to Jameela (4), Uncle to Tamaya (11), Izaiah (11), London (7) & Lyric (6), and Godfather to Blaise (2).

Phyllis Lee

Phyllis is passionate about early education and has a strong alignment with VOCEL as a mother of two young kids, Landon (3) and Stella (6). Phyllis' personal philosophy around early education development is grounded in play-based, social-emotional learning. Phyllis is Senior Vice President of Marketing at Manifold Group and received her training in design thinking at the Stanford Design School.

Nick Scodro

Nick is a graduate of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where he first learned about VOCEL. Nick is now the Head of Business Development and RBN Insurance Services and the proud father to two young girls, Clara (5) and Maya (1). His passion for VOCEL's innovative, science-driven approach to program design and VOCEL's deep connection to children and families prompted Nick to initially join VOCEL's Associate Board. We are pleased to have Nick on the Board of Directors to further support, advocate for, and champion our work.

Aminah Wyatt-Jones

Aminah is a dedicated early childhood advocate for children and families, with a heightened focus on advocating for families with limited resources. Aminah serves as the Director of Community Impact at Illinois Action for Children, an organization also working to ensure all children in Illinois have access to high-quality opportunities and that parents are supported in their economic self-sufficiency and stability goals. In her role, she leads the agency’s development of robust early childhood systems at the community-level. Aminah is a wife and parent to two young girls, Amirah (9) and Analah (5).