Our Board of Directors

Alicia Wang, President

Alicia Wang is a Speech Language Pathologist at the VA Medical Center in New Orleans. She has worked in early childcare centers, public schools, and at the largest home healthcare agency in the US. Alicia has worked with everybody, from infants with feeding disorders to centenarians with communication difficulties. Alicia grew up on the Northshore, and lived in Boston and New York before moving to New Orleans in 2019. Alicia and her husband have two kiddos attending Abeona, and love the community they have found at the school.  In her free time, she enjoys running, drinking iced coffee, and planning fun trips. 

You can contact Alicia via email at president@abeonahouse.org.

Emily Hartnett, Vice President

Emily Hartnett is the founding Executive Director of Women Leading Ed, the nation’s largest national nonprofit committed to transforming education leadership via a network of women state and district superintendents, charter school leaders, and C-suite executives. Emily spent over a decade working in New Orleans schools, beginning her career as a 2nd grade teacher and most recently serving as Chief of Strategy & Advancement for the highest performing school network in the city. Emily and her husband are the proud parents of a son who attends Abeona House; they are both avid runners so feel free to wave if you see them on a family run with little Harold in his jogging stroller! 

Arlyn Webster, Treasurer

Arlyn Webster joined the Abeona House Board in November 2024. Her son, Cullen, is an Abeona alum. Arlyn has been with Ochsner Health for over a decade and currently serves as the Director of Finance for Ochsner’s Westbank division. A Louisiana native, she earned her undergraduate degree from LSU and an MBA from the University of New Orleans. In her free time, Arlyn enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and taking advantage of the endless activities New Orleans has to offer.

Jamerlyn Brown, Secretary

Jamerlyn Brown is a Principal Communications Manager at Intuit QuickBooks, having joined after leading communications for the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans (ERA-New Orleans) and the Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH) at Tulane University. She relocated from Connecticut in 2021 to be closer to family in New Orleans. Jamerlyn and her husband are the proud parents of a daughter who attends Abeona House. In her free time, she enjoys weight training and kickboxing, thrifting for cool furniture finds, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Cherie Teamer Henley, Board Member

Cherie Teamer Henley joined the Abeona board in June of 2024. Cherie, a native New Orleanian, is a consultant, registered lobbyist, and community engagement specialist. She has lead political campaigns, as well as community engagement efforts for her clients. Cherie is of Counsel with Pivotal Governmental Relations Solutions, Principal of Radius Strategy Group, and a partner with Davis, Johnson, and Teamer Attorney’s LLC. Cherie is married to Zack and their son Zachary attends Abeona House. 

Jocelyn Jessop, Board Member

Jocelyn is the Director of Proposal Management and Special Projects at Springboard Collaborative, a national education nonprofit that provides after school literacy and family engagement programs. Jocelyn has spent nearly a decade in the educator nonprofit sector managing complex partnerships and procurement, including state and federal grants and RFPs through school districts and state departments of education. In her free time, she enjoys playing and coaching Ultimate Frisbee in New Orleans and the Southeast region.

Andrew Stark, Board Member

Andy Stark works as an instrumentation engineer at Audubon Engineering in New Orleans, LA. After attending the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, he moved back to New Orleans with his now wife Lizzy Stark. Their daughter Ailsa is enrolled in Abeona in the Spider Web. Andy enjoys writing and performing with his band, and repairing outdated electronics and musical equipment. 

Colleen Templeton, Board Member

Colleen Haley Templeton joined the Abeona Board in January 2023. She is a Senior Associate at Gasparian Spivey Immigration law firm, where she represents artists, professors, international medical graduates, scientists, and other professionals in employment-based immigration petitions. Before starting her career in immigration law in 2007, Colleen taught bilingual elementary education in Phoenix, Arizona and in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Colleen and her husband John moved from New Orleans to Germany in 2017, where they had two children before returning to New Orleans in 2021. Colleen is active in PFLAG events. Her children are both proud Abeona alumni.  

Brittany Wolf-Freedman, Board Member

Brittany Wolf-Freedman is a member of the law firm Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, LLC, where she litigates on behalf of clients in a wide range of matters, including claims arising out of personal injury, medical malpractice, sexual abuse, and maritime injury. Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Florida, Brittany moved to New Orleans in 2012 to attend Tulane Law School, where she met her husband. Brittany and her husband are the proud parents of two boys who attend Abeona House. In her free time, Brittany enjoys metalsmithing, yoga, and exploring the musical, delicious culture of New Orleans with her family.