Dr. Nkolika E. Onye  (she/her/nke ya)  
Chief of Equity and Belonging

Dr. Nkolika Etell Onye is a first generation Nigerian-American. Nkolika earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northcentral University, an MA in Education from the University of Rhode Island, and a BS in Medical Technology from California State Los Angeles. Wife of a retired Army officer and a mother of three, Nkolika has taught high school chemistry and biology in Los Angeles, CA, Anchorage, AK; Columbus, GA; Riverside, RI, and Providence, RI. She has also served as an instructional coach, and as a high school turnaround principal in several secondary schools, resulting in well-documented, measurable gains and outcomes for students.

Since 2008, Dr. Onye has served in the capacity of assistant superintendent for high school reform, performance management, and student supports, in Providence Public Schools. A visionary systems thinker, Dr. Onye is well-known for her unwavering advocacy for equity in education, particularly for those young people, from historically marginalized groups. Furthermore, Nkolika has been credited with the design and highly successful implementation of several high-impact education reform initiatives, particularly in the areas of personalized and extended learning opportunities, teacher and principal induction, teacher evaluation, peer assistance and review, and college and career readiness. In the past two years, the Rhode Island PBS has even featured some of Dr. Onye’s work, centered on equity, student empowerment and agency.

A member of Rhode Island’s first graduating class of the National Institute of School Leadership (NISL), Dr. Onye has served as a NISL facilitator and has taught courses in equity leadership to both school and district administrators in RI. In her spare time, Dr. Onye loves to read, roller skate, travel, and dance.  She is also very involved in her church, where she serves as a trustee and youth director. Additionally, Dr. Onye belongs to numerous professional and community organizations.

Dr. Onye believes that it is our collective duty to empower all young people, particularly those of color, to be unwaveringly fierce and fearless advocates for change. To do so, she asserts that we must acknowledge the importance of intersectionality, its impact, and the opportunities for systemic change. Furthermore, she believes that we must validate, affirm, and cultivate the funds of knowledge, intellect, and skills that our young people already possess, so that they can exceed the ever-changing and dynamic expectations of our complex local and global community.

Stacey Hayes (she/her)
Title IX & EEO Officer

Ms. Hayes is a mental health clinician and an attorney who most recently worked for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) in the Problem Resolution System Office (PRS) as an Investigations Supervisor.  In this role, Ms. Hayes managed a team of specialists responsible for investigating complaints filed against school districts for suspected non-compliance of state and/or federal educational laws and/or regulations.  While at DESE, Stacey also served as the Union Grievance Officer and Co-chair of the DEI/Climate & Culture Subcommittee.

Prior to DESE, Ms. Hayes worked for the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and in the public & charter school settings as a clinician and special education evaluation team chair. In 2023, she founded SMH Counseling & Consulting, LLC where she teaches faith-based organizations how to be more accessible and inclusive.  Ms. Hayes is in the process of launching her non-profit organization, a youth justice diversion & learn-to-swim program, whose focus is to provide custody-involved youth with the skills to succeed in the workforce.

Ms. Hayes holds the following degrees:  BA in Political Science from Boston University, Master’s in Counseling Psychology & Forensics from William James College and a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.  Her future plans include obtaining a Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision.