Staff Members
Patty Machir
Executive Director
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Patty was named Executive Director of Futures and Options in April 2007. Patty's lifelong passion has been helping children and youth in her community. Whether in Dallas, Texas, Washington D.C. or her birthplace of New York City, she has found a way to help those youth who might not receive help otherwise.
Since becoming Executive Director of Futures and Options, Patty has worked tirelessly to improve the long-term sustainability of the organization through board development and strategic planning, as well as through organizational growth and development in the areas of program, fundraising and marketing. Patty's passion for the youth and the program's mission is coupled with commitment to excellence in all areas, which ensures continued improvements and growth in the program, infrastructure and sustainability.
Before coming to Futures and Options, Patty was Director of Volunteer Services at The Children's Aid Society, one of the oldest and largest children's welfare agencies in New York City, and was responsible for the oversight of the recruitment, training and management system for over 300 volunteers each year, as well as the corporate strategic partnership program and annual fundraising gala. From 2003 to 2005, Patty was Executive Director of Variety International – The Children's Charity, a multi-national, volunteer-driven organization aligned with the movie industry, which supports programs for children with special needs, children with serious medical concerns and children who live in the midst of poverty. In Dallas, Texas, Patty was president of the Board of Directors for Dallas for Children, a start-up, volunteer-run fundraising organization that supported selected intervention and prevention programs for needy children, from birth through six years old.
Patty has always been a strong advocate on behalf of children and youth, whether as a volunteer or paid employee. She served on the Dallas Commission for Children and Youth for three years, was a member of the Adolescent Pregnancy Board in Fort Worth, Texas for three years, and also served as director of Rockville Community Nursery School in Rockville, Maryland. She is the mother of three sons and one daughter, all of whom are living in New York City. Patty received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgetown University, and her Masters of Arts in Education: Early Childhood/Special Education from George Washington University.
Catherine Dodge
Operations Manager/Executive Assistant
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Catherine joined Futures and Options in November 2010. Before New York, she lived in Iowa City, Iowa for two years where she worked at a social service nonprofit by day and stage managed for Riverside Theatre by night. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Literature from Bard College, where she mentored and tutored high school students through the college application process. Catherine is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Urban and Social Policy from the School for International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Chris Ellis
Director of Development
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Christopher Ellis joined the Futures and Options staff as Director of Development in May 2013. Chris previously spent three and a half years at St. Raymond High School for Boys as Director of Advancement. During that time, he handled all fundraising, communications, alumni relations and special events for the all-boys Catholic High School in the Bronx. He was responsible for overseeing a $1.6 million capital campaign project to build a new school extension in 2011, and grew the school's annual fund by an average of 20% each year. Supervising two outstanding Futures and Options interns in this time was part of what drew Chris to this position at Futures and Options.
Prior to joining St. Raymond, Chris served as Special Events and Program Director at Junior Achievement of New York, organizing fundraising events and volunteer programs for companies that included PwC, Goldman Sachs, MetLife and TIAA-CREF. Chris has a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. His first job was at the public relations firm Weber Shandwick, but Chris then transitioned to the not-for-profit world to be able to work with children and give back to the community.
Chris grew up in Yonkers and currently lives in Astoria with his wife, Kelsey. He is very close with his family, including his younger brother Matt, who is a Program Coordinator at Futures and Options. Chris is also the founder and race director of the Woodlawn Run for a Cause 5K and is a member of the Woodlean Boys and Girls Club and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man and Woman of the Year nominating committee.
Joanna Munoz
Strategic Partnership Manager
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Joanna joined the Futures and Options staff in October of 2011. She graduated from Cornell University in 2009 with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations. After attending Cornell, Joanna joined Teach For America, an organization that recruits college graduates to teach in under-resourced schools throughout the country. Joanna became a Special Education teacher in Philadelphia for two years, working with middle school students in both Learning Support and Autistic Support classrooms. While teaching she obtained a Masters of Special Education from Chestnut Hill College.
Upon completing her Teach For America commitment, Joanna moved to New York City and became a Program Coordinator for Futures and Options. She spent a year working on a variety of different programs, including Career Essentials, The Internship Program, and the College Guidance Initiative. Her main responsibilities as Program Coordinator included working with funders to design successful programs, recruiting and interviewing students for program positions, and provide ongoing support for students by visiting them at their workplaces and facilitating career development workshops.
After a full year as Program Coordinator, Joanna has taken on the role of Strategic Partnership Manager. She works closely with the program team to learn the strengths and needs of the students, and leverages that insight to engage prospective business partners with facilitating internships, career exploration trips, and access to resources. Joanna works tirelessly to implement a strategic partnership strategy that aligns with Futures and Options' mission and goals for program growth.
Emily Tartanella
Administrative Assistant
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Emily joined the Futures and Options team in August 2012. As the Administrative Assistant, Emily is responsible for many elements of day-to-day operations at Futures and Options, including general administrative tasks and office management, database management, website updates, fundraising development, and assistance with the career development and internship programs. Prior to working with Futures and Options, Emily spent two years as a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school English and Theater Arts in Eastern North Carolina. She has also spent time as a journalist, writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, SPIN Magazine, and The Village Voice. She received a Bachelors degree in English and a French minor from Haverford College, where she worked at the Hurford Humanities Center and several on-campus arts organizations. Emily is originally from Princeton, New Jersey.
Program Staff
Tes Cohen
Program Coordinator
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Tes joined the Futures and Options team in October 2012. As a program coordinator, Tes connects students to transformative internship opportunities and facilitates workforce development and college guidance training for youth.
Tes graduated from Connecticut College where she double-majored in Psychology and Hispanic Studies. She completed an internship at the Public Health Department of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Upon graduating from college, Tes joined the Peace Corps and served as a Rural Community Development Volunteer in Costa Rica. She lived in a farming community of 300 people and collaborated with community leaders to identify, develop, and implement projects to improve the quality of life and education in the town. Most recently she worked at Insight Cuba, an organization that provides cultural exchange programs to Cuba for Americans. Tes grew up in the northeast, and her family lives in the suburbs of Hartford, CT.
Rebecca Dougherty
Program Coordinator
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Rebecca returned to Futures and Options in March 2012. As a Program Coordinator, her responsibilities include intern recruitment, workshop facilitation and outcomes measurement. Rebecca originally joined Futures and Options as a Program Assistant in June 2010 before departing for the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, where she taught 5th-9th grade English and organized extra-curricular activities for the youth in her village. Other previous experience includes teaching English and math at the Step-Up Center nursery school in Moshi, Tanzania. Rebecca attended Carleton College, where she majored in Sociology & Anthropology.
Matt Ellis
Program Coordinator
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Matt joined the Futures and Options team in October of 2011. As program coordinator, he works to coordinate the multiple internship programs for juniors and seniors, helps facilitate the college guidance workshops, and manages High School Career Essentials workshops. Matt previously taught English for six years at a small public school in the Bronx, priding himself on his creation of an intramural basketball league and running a service-learning trip to Virginia with his students. He is passionate about working with inner-city youth and is grateful for his opportunity to work with Futures and Options. Originally from Yonkers, NY, Matt earned his Bachelors degree in English from Boston College, his Masters of Secondary Education with a specialty in English from Lehman College, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Higher Education Administration at Baruch College.
Clare Harwood
Program Coordinator
Contact: Email or call 212-601-0002
Clare joined Futures and Options as a program coordinator in February 2013. After graduating from Kenyon College in 2003, Clare obtained a Master's degree in English Education at Columbia Teachers College. She then spent several years teaching English Language Arts to middle and high school students in the New York City Public School system. This experience solidified her commitment to education and career development for underserved youth.
Most recently, Clare returned from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she served as the Director of Education Programs at the NGO We Advance. There, Clare conceptualized and implemented an English and Empowerment program for young women and men in the neighborhood. She developed a curriculum that focused on health, safety and civics and assisted students with job and career opportunities. In an effort to make the program sustainable, Clare trained Haitian staff to teach the classes and later direct the program; it is now entirely Haitian-run.
